/ volume 5 / issue1 / 06 SEPTEMBER 2006
NO BUTTS ABOUT IT/p.12 It sounds like a terrible idea on paper, but the growing cult following behind Totally Scrabble Tuesday—a weekly interactive game of Scrabble televised on public access— tells a different story, attracting the likes of everyone from stoners to members of the NSA (the National Scrabble Association, that is) for a citywide showdown. Join us as we speak to host Hamil Griffin-Cassidy about crazy callers, Tony Danza, and the Constitutionally-imbued right for stoners to play the word “shitragu.”
Contents/ Campus/ Coming or going?
/p.04
/p.08 Literary/ Putrid breath, like Karkov and eggs /p.10 Athletics/ The Coulter/Limbaugh sex dungeon /p.15 Sound & Vision/ Art, redesigned /p.18 Voices/ One man’s stand on the F-word
Bastard/ A festering wound that just won’t go away
/p.22
Dearest Readers, As you may have noticed, The Wake has survived 5 years. Just to spite you. In part, we owe this to your dedication to pick up and carefully recycle each issue. Not only have you helped decrease the amount of trees we devastate on regular basis, but you have also kept alive the love child of Chris Ruen and James DeLong. As I was told earlier this summer, The Wake started as an experiment, and accidentally grew into a debatably popular alternative publication on campus. To all of those who doubted us, or who do not find penis jokes funny, fuck you. Follow your dreams. Best, JENNY ODEGARD Editor-in-Chief
Editorial Editor-in-chief Jenny Odegard
Managing Editor Eric Price
Athletics Editor Craig Rentmeester
Campus Editor Sarah Howard
Literary Editor Jacob Duellman
Sound and Vision Editor Kristen Mueller
Voices Editor Cole Dennis
Editorial Assistants Alyssa Cogan, Dan Olmschenk
Senior Staff Writers Rachel Drewelow, Dan Groth
Production Production Manager Jeremy Sengly
Art Director Sam Soule
Photography Editor Brennan Vance
Web Editor Luke Preiner
Graphic Designers Dave Hagen, Eric Price, Becki Schwartz, Jeremy Sengly
Illustrators Thomas Fhilde, Dave Hagen, Tristan Hertz, Jeremy Sengly, Sam Soule, Brennan Vance
Senior Photographers Stacy Bengs, Jessalynn Courtney
Photographers Rachel Drewelow, Brennan Vance, Sophie Zawistowski
Copy Editors Jenny Odegard, Morgan Mae Schultz, Rachel Levitt, Kelly Frush
Business Business Manager Angela Damiani
Office Manager Elizabeth Keely Shaller
Public Relations Director Cassie Benson
Public Relations Intern Kristin Drews
Contributing Writers Elizabeth Aulwes, Lyndsey Danberry, Rachel Drewelow, Amy Fink, J.P. Frederick, Haily Gostas, Kelly Gulbrandson, Jason Hertz, Katie Kohlbeck, Kristen Mueller, Nathaniel Olson, Valerie Tukey
Cover Art Brennan Vance
Š2006
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Established in 2002, The Wake is an independent weekly magazine, produced by and for students at the University of Minnesota. The Wake is a registered student organization.
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The Wake was founded by Chris Ruen and James DeLong.
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Campus/
Election Coverage: Focus on Becky Lourey By Elizabeth Aulwes Gubernatorial candidate Becky Lourey’s Aug. 23 discussion on fiscal policy was essential to convince voters she can finance her sweeping proposals to health care, education and transportation. Her plans are progressive and well-thought out, but require some major overhauls to our current systems, especially the health care industry. If Lourey wants Democrats to pass over Attorney General Mike Hatch and vote for her instead, she’s going to have to convince a lot of people before the Sept. 12 primary that her policies can work without a huge increase in taxes and that her programs are worth the increase. “We live in a great democracy, but it isn’t an absolutely perfect democracy,” Lourey said during the discussion. “Minnesota has a long and proud tradition of nurturing success for all its citizens,” she continued later. But “for several years now, the basic assumption about how to build a strong foundation of Minnesota society has been under attack.” The state senator from Kerrick, Minn. has built her campaign around the idea that Minnesota is ripe for change. She is the only proponent of a universal health care plan, called HealthCare Security, in the gubernatorial race and promises to provide affordable education from early childhood through higher education to all Minnesotans. She also supports light and heavy rail lines, as well as other public transportation measures
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and her energy proposal, Minnesota Clean, will reduce the state’s dependency on foreign oil and invest in renewable energies. But how can a country with a record-setting deficit afford to introduce universal health care, quality affordable education, broad public transportation, all while cleaning up the environment? The mother of 12 claims we don’t have a choice. “Too many Minnesotans have been losers under the changes made in the past decade, and a precious few have been winners,” she argued. Lourey admits that “we cannot move Minnesota forward to achieve needed, major policy goals without making some major changes.” So, the Little Falls native has proposed the Lourey Fiscal Policy Framework, which encompasses seven key goals to ensure that her proposed improvements to the quality of life for all Minnesotans can be financed. The seven goals include income tax reform based on an individual’s ability to pay, stabilizing K-12 district financing, creating partnerships to provide better public safety, promoting employer-provided health care, investments in
“Too many Minnesotans have been losers under the changes made in the past decade, and a precious few have been winners.” public transportation by raising gas taxes and implementing a carbon tax, a crackdown on tax evasions and the institution of accountability measures in public finance. Her broad goals seem questionable and nearly impossible to achieve, but Lourey sticks to her guns. When the director of the Center for the
Study of Politics and Governance, Lawrence Jacobs, asked her if she thought cutting taxes provided the necessary business incentives to maintain a stable economy, she replied simply, “No.” Lourey says that statistics and history show that government investment increases the quality of life, thus making Minnesota a desirable place for individuals to live in and creating a healthy marketplace for businesses to participate in. Lourey also says that her fiscal policy framework will be more successful if implemented slowly in a gradual transition. “In fact, it is best to change the system incrementally. My fiscal process framework is evolutionary in nature. Recent Minnesota history tells us that rapid and radical fiscal structure changes bring about unanticipated negative consequences.” Regardless of the necessity of Lourey’s proposals, the fact remains that she has a rocky road in front of her. Her opponent, Hatch, has refused to acknowledge that he’s running against her in a primary race and is proceeding full-speed ahead toward Gov. Tim Pawlenty and the Nov. election. If Lourey wants to win, she’s going to have to do more than discuss sweeping reforms and fiscal policy. She’s going to have to prove that her plans are what Minnesota’s been waiting for and that she’s what Minnesota needs.
\Campus
Transfer Success
brennan VANCE
How to Make the Most of Your Second First Year By Kelly Gulbrandson September starts a new school year and brings a new batch of freshman to the university. Among the new kids on the block, there is a group of students that can fall through the cracks and enter quietly into the system—transfer students. These students have previously attended at least one other college in their lifetime and enter the U of M with experience. Students transfer for many reasons. Some start out at smaller colleges and then move onto larger universities. This is because smaller colleges are less costly than larger universities and other responsibilities such as families, jobs and other time constraints can get in the way of going to a four-year university. Students also are not sure of what they want to major in and take general classes to save money before heading into a larger university. Every transfer student has their own take on the “transfer experience.” The University of Minnesota has a small section of transfer students that has remained steady over the past few years. According to the Office of Admissions, in the 2005-06 school year, there were 2,606 undergraduate transfer students and five years ago
that rate was 2,731. In comparison to the number of new students admitted to the U, last year there were 5,305 freshmen which is about twice as many transfer students. Marie Gabrielson had a difficult time at first when she transferred to the University of Minnesota from the University of Washington. She found the U to be large and confusing. “It’s like starting as a freshman again, only you don’t feel that same, first, ‘I’m-in-college-now’ feeling,” Gabrielson says. It was hard for her to get excited about coming to the U since she had already gone through that with her first college. Most of Gabrielson’s troubles came in her upper division courses because she found that a lot of students simply weren’t interested in making friends. She stopped looking for people to talk to in class and decided to direct her search for friends to student groups and activities. It can be hard to make yourself at home at the U since it is so big and you feel as though you are not as welcomed into the college like the incoming freshman. Gabrielson’s best piece of advice would be to get involved because that is the best way to get to know people and make yourself a part of the community.
There are places to go to get help and web sites made available to specifically help transfer students. MyU.umn.edu is the university’s public portal designed for transfer students. It has links to check your e-mail, personalized news content and a calendar with events going on around campus. It also has a wealth of information about making your first year a success.
“It’s like starting as a freshman again, only you don’t feel that same, first, ‘I’m-in-collegenow’ feeling.” Students can also see their advisor for any problems that they have and are encouraged to make an appointment during the first week or two of classes. The Transfer Student Advisory Board is the only student group on campus that is made up of transfer students for transfer students. It was created a few years ago by Julie Dalbec and two of her roommates who had encountered prob-
lems at the U and wanted a place for other students to discuss their problems or to meet other transfer students. They meet once a month to discuss other students’ problems and the group is open to all students enrolled in the College of Liberal Arts. As the vice president of TSAB, Gabielson liked the group’s dynamic and also hearing about other student’s stories about how they came to the U. The group also helps you find your place within the large community and is a good support group on campus. Gabrielson says knowing that there is a group of students who know her is a good feeling. To avoid getting lost and to help make your first year a success, here are a few tips: be open to new things that are offered to you, seek out help when you need it, go to sporting events located on campus and the various events that are listed on the university’s web site. The most important thing is to get involved in everything you can. Joining groups within your major are helpful because they have people with similar interests. And working toward a goal promotes cohesiveness among others. It is also important to balance your school work with your personal life. Remember: College can be the best time of your life no matter when you start and it is up to you to make it that way.
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Campus/
Study Abroad No Better Time Than Now By Katie Kohlbeck Envision yourself immersed in a rural African town while working at an orphanage. Or maybe learning how to speak Spanish in South America while taking in the culture. Can you see yourself interning for a human rights organization in Australia? The world is a huge place and no doubt there are places abound to explore and experience. It’s not impossible to seek adventure all over the globe thanks to study, work and volunteer abroad programs, which many college students participate in every year. The opportunity to study abroad while doing university study is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Imagine stepping off an airplane into a completely new city and suddenly being surrounded by a language that is unknown to you. This is the beginning of a great quest for global understanding. There is a plethora of reasons why traveling abroad during college is a valuable decision. And everyone may have different reasons to embark on a journey. Joe Buron, a senior majoring in psychology and Spanish, studied in Venezuela for a semester to learn Spanish as well as explore a new culture and sights. Studying abroad is one of the best ways to raise cultural awareness, learn more about oneself and build skills. Buron had never traveled internationally (minus our great neighbor to the north, Canada) and said about his expectations, “I wasn’t really sure of anything. I just knew I was getting on a plane with a duffel bag and hoped for the best.” Every semester students embark on learning abroad programs to enrich their overall college experience by gaining an international perspective, realizing full potential and building skills related to academic and career goals. The Learning Abroad Center on campus helps lots of students take up one of the hundreds of international education programs that they offer. Everyday the center offers First Step meetings for students who are interested in a study abroad program. The meetings shed light on
program options, academic and personal goals that need to be considered and information about financial aid, which can be applied toward fees involved with the study abroad programs. Program selection advisers are available to help students choose the right program for them according to any language or academic requirements, personal goals and cost. The staff is able to assist students in finding the right study abroad experience. It is very important to plan far enough in advance as there is plenty of paperwork involved with any sort of international travel. The Learning Abroad Center is committed to helping any student stay on track and start on their way to adventure. Make sure to allow enough time to apply for a passport if you don’t have one already. Also, students who opt to work abroad need to be is-
Landing in a foreign city for the first time can be an overwhelming myriad of emotions ranging from confusion to joy. sued a visa in order to stay and work in their host country, a process that can take a couple of months. Any period of time before a trip may lead you to a lot of questions like, “How will the culture be different?” or “How will the food taste?“ Remembering to maintain an open mind is the key to having a fantastic study abroad experience. Landing in a foreign city for the first time can be an overwhelming myriad of emotions ranging from confusion to joy. This summer I participated in a study abroad program to Sydney, Australia. When I landed in Sydney, I didn’t know what was in store for me,
but having confidence and the courage to ask questions served me well. Since it was my first international experience, I made an effort to savor each moment. Adjusting to your host country might seem to take awhile but you will be ordering in Italian or riding the subway in London soooner than you expected. While Buron had little difficulty adjusting to aspects of the culture such as food, one of his fellow program participants was not as fortunate. This translates to remembering how important it is to take care of one’s self when traveling. Buron described how daily routines such as riding the bus and greeting people was so unlike the United States, which impacted his return back. Returning to the United States can be just as difficult if not worse than entering a new country. Many students return from their excursion to experience re-entry culture. Going to a new country will open your eyes and give you a whole new, fresh perspective that is sometimes beyond words. One of the best ways to help the reverse culture shock is to keep in contact with people that you met on the trip. Bonding is something that naturally happens to any study abroad participants. Buron finds that keeping in touch with people he met and hanging out with people who have experienced a similar trip is a great way to keep the experience fresh. He says about the people he met on the trip, “You’re all experiencing something new. It’s impossible not to bond.” Imagine being nestled in a dorm in Europe while studying for your classes in a foreign language, or as an intern for a medical research team in Asia. The opportunities are endless and can only go as far as your imagination. Check out the resources right on campus. They can help students realize their full potential whether it’s through volunteer, study, intern or work. International education is vital to a clearer global understanding. Anybody who has returned from a study abroad program would probably agree that it is an experience unlike any other.
brennan VANCE
06/september 06 2006
\Campus
UMore Park From yesteryear to tomorrow history. Maureen Bouchard, of the Rosemount Area Historical Society, spoke at the open house about the site’s past as Gopher Ordnance Works, a United States Army munitions plant built during World War II, in 1942. Following the end of the war, the University submitted a proposal to the War Assets Administration and in 1947, acquired the land for use as a research center to study aerodynamics, among other things. The proposal’s eventual approval made it the largest single expansion in the University’s history, according to John Lauber’s Land in Transition: A History of UMore Park. One of the University’s first endeavors at the site was housing polio patients. Faced with a shortage of hospital beds caused by the epidemic in 1946, the Medical School converted the GOW infirmary into a long-term care hospital for polio patients, who were previously held at Fort Snelling, explains Land in Transition.
rachel DREWELOW
By Rachel Drewelow Once upon a time (in mid-August) in a far, far away place (Rosemount) the University gave away free corn on the cob, lemonade and tastes of local wine to all. The setting: a mysterious 7,500 acre park 30 miles from the St. Paul Campus, dubbed UMORE, or University of Minnesota Outreach, Research and Education Park. The park’s forte is agricultural field research, and “3,500 acres have been devoted to agricultural research for the last 55 years,” says Jim Rowe, assistant director of operations for UMore. On August 17, UMore looked beyond those 55 years, hosting its third annual open house – sharing the past, present and future of the largest publicly owned research and educational facility in the United States at an urbanrural interface. “It is an effort to show our neighboring community some of the activity at this Research and Outreach Center,” Rowe says. Open house-goers also participated in various garden classes, haywagon rides and heard live music. Kids climbed up tractors, and saw live raptor and insect exhibits. At present approximately 3,500 acres of rural pastures, rows of corn, soybeans and barnyards provide a crop and livestock research site, at which over 50 St. Paul Campus faculty and stu-
dents work on a typical summer day, Rowe says. “There are daily visitors from the surrounding communities” to UMore, Rowe explains. UMore is between Rosemount and Empire townships, and offers programs for the general public. Rowe says attractions include horseback riding with a stable near the park renting horses, hiking and cross-country skiing through UMore’s 11-mile Lone Rock Trail. One might see whitetailed deer, wild turkeys, foxes or pheasants on the trail, UMore Park’s brochure claims. The Master Gardener Education and Research Display Garden, planted and maintained by volunteers, is also open daily from sunrise to sunset for the public to visit and gather ideas about gardening and landscaping. The garden also offers regular classes. The rest of the campus is leased commercially to help fund the university’s research agenda. Tenants include locals like area farmers and the Dakota County Gun Club. The University of Minnesota Police Department has firing ranges on the property and the Minneapolis and St. Paul police departments keep bomb squad facilities on the land, director of operations Phil Larsen explained to open house visitors. Amidst the country charm of UMore - silohs, lush grasslands, rolling hills, woodlands, and wild animals - inhabits a curious industrial air. Towering smokestacks and strange concrete structures hint towards the park’s unique
Prior to serving as a federal plant for white smokeless gun powder, the area now known as UMore Park, was home to over 80 farm families, Bouchard said. Many families were given as little as six weeks to relocate, and the U.S. War Department provided nothing to help the families move or become reestablished, according to Land in Transition The plant proved less necessary than predicted, and 5,000 acres were sold back to farmers in 1943.
“It is an effort to show our neighboring community some of the activity at this Research and Outreach Center,” Rowe says.
rachel DREWELOW
gunpowder factory. As the University prepares to transform into one of the top three public research universities in the world, through the Strategic Positioning process, UMore Park will also undergo changes. Sasaki Associates Inc., of Watertown Mass., hired to examine the future of UMore, will deliver their recommendations for future uses of the property to the University in late November. Larry Laukka, executive director for UMore Park, speculated at the open house that because of an “encroachment of urban living around the area, things will have to be different.” He says, “New modern research may be exchanged for ag research, but it will be a long time coming.” “It’s a unique piece of property… there are some great things that can happen with it.”
Long before the farmer’s had been kicked out, in the mid 1850’s, farmers kicked someone else out – the Mdewakanton band of Dakota Indians. Tribal leaders were reluctant to give up the rich land, but the settlers (mostly Irish, fleeing the potato famine) won out, according to Land in Transition. The University became involved with these farmers early, teaching them new farming methods when their one-crop system began depleting the soil. UMore Park, with its diverse and revolving past, has still yet to find its happy ending. The parcel’s days of soybeans and hiking trails may one day seem as unfamiliar as its days as a wartime
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Voices/
And While We’re at It, Can I Make a Few Requests? One man’s stand on the F word
NATHANIEL OLSEN The first time I got in trouble I was six years old. Fourteen years later, not much has changed. Since that first time, I’ve been slapped, shaken, written up, brought into coaches’ and principals’ offices and benched from soccer games. When I was six, a relative shook me and assured me if I ever again elected to raise that finger, by itself, I’d go to hell. While some might wonder what type of first-grader gives the finger, I’m still curious about what kind of adult walks around telling small children of the afterlife they should expect. As I see it, the parallel among all my arbitrary authority figures from Catholic school and the Federal Communications Commission remains intact, and this, in itself, is a subtle middle finger pointed at the First Amendment. If this country were truly free, and the First Amendment were actually maintained, governmentsanctioned morality would remain where it belongs. Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech. Yet today, government does just that. Pick up this magazine, City Pages, The Onion. You won’t be surprised to find words that may or may not offend you. If you’re truly bothered by them, stop reading. Reading is a consensual activity. This is why our magazine is not censored. But change the medium and we enter a realm of guidelines and possible fines for swearing. Once last semester, I helped out during an all-request hour Radio K had at the Whole. We took a call from a man who said it was his birthday. But after our wish that his birthday was all it could be, once his song hit the chorus, the confident male voice moaned, “I want to fuck you.” Then the DJ turned to me and asked, “What did he just say?” The singer again proclaimed his desires to the hearing world. The DJ switched the song and started bargaining his soul against the possibility of an FCC representative having heard. In the end, nobody important heard it and the kid called back to apologize, for he had forgotten. But what’s the big deal, where’s the difference between The Wake and Radio K? Aside from call signs and licenses to operate, which radio must obtain from the government, is there much of an artistic difference? If The Wake decided to devote an issue to exploring sadomasochism, repeating George Carlin’s seven dirty words,
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sam SOULE
Lips say one thing while the voice, now unlike the actor’s, says “flip you.” It’s an insult to our intelligence to suggest we’re duped by this.
What about the parents? It’s their kid, can’t they decide what the brat isn’t allowed to see? Isn’t that what V-chips are for, to block channels? Lazy parenting is no excuse for this government intrusion. Kids going to a friend’s house? Find out what they’re watching. You’re gone at work? Find out what they’re watching, block a few channels. I might sound like a prick, but I’m sensitive, too! A lot of stuff offends me. For instance, the sight of W’s face offends me. In my ideal world, his face would be censored. To me, that request doesn’t appear much different from the crusaders who’ve made it impossible to watch movies on network TV. Lips say one thing while the voice, now unlike the actor’s, says “flip you.” It’s an insult to our intelligence to suggest we’re duped by this. Or how about the bigoted proselytizing regarding gay marriage found on any Christian radio station? That certainly offends me. Censor that too, as long as we’re blocking out W’s face.
and portraits of Celine Dion, we might lose a few readers. But we wouldn’t be fined. We wouldn’t worry that we’d be forced to shut down. But heaven forbid Radio K plays a Modest Mouse song in which we hear “[human beings] ain’t made of nothing but water and shit.”
In our modern world of reruns, professional wrestling and No. 1 songs that sound a lot like the No.1 from the previous week, it’s rare to find truly original artistic expression. The way new sitcoms always reek of something you already saw, how most new bands spend more time on a look than a sound, it’s all the same sin against art. Outlawing certain words because they offend some people doesn’t help. If you don’t like it, if you don’t want your kids to see it, change the channel. Turn it off. It’s nicer outside anyway. Just don’t come into my house and tell me what words I can and can’t hear.
I’ve heard people come out in favor of government censorship, and often they say nonsense like, “But I don’t like hearing Howard Stern. I shouldn’t have to put up with that filth.” But guess what? You don’t have to hear it if you don’t like it. That’s the great thing about that remote by your side; you don’t even need to get up from the couch to change the channel. Just because some aspect of a radio or TV show upsets someone or conflicts with their uptight morality doesn’t mean government can sanction what can and can’t be said over the airwaves. Also, I’ve heard this, “What about the children? Think of the children!” What about the children? I turn the question around:
My mom is your typical middle-age mother of three. She goes to church, belongs to a sewing club, and shows her sons Norwegian recipes. But because of her, I’ll always know when I’m too damn old to eat with my elbows on the table, when the Hummer-driving soccer moms are bitches, and when to shut the fuck up instead of criticizing her driving. She’d probably make a good sitcom character. But her sailor mouth might be a bit too risque for network TV. Then again, there’s always HBO. But odds are it’s only a matter of time before government decides they don’t like the way people talk on that channel, either.
\Voices Photo Poll: Should the FFC regulate profanity on the airwaves?
by Ethan Stark
“The responsibility lies on the parents and guardians, not the FCC. The FCC has been restricting free speech on public airways under the guise of protecting our youth.”
“I think that the FCC should regulate the media to a certain extent; they have to make a judgement with certain programs. At the same time, parents still need to monitor their children.”
“It’s the parents’ job. It’s not fair to say that certain people can’t watch because others are upset.”
“While I believe it is important to have rating systems for movies and video games, these only serve as tools available so people may make more informed decisions regarding media.”
Corey Smith Nursing 2010
Jordan Mincke Electrical Engineering Sophomore
Cassie Van Houtan International Business 2010
Steven R Wicht Political Science 3rd year
distributors writers illustrators photographers designers
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Literary/
Sedona, Holy Cross
Hello Readers, This is just a quick message to inform you on the Literary Section’s plans for the semester. For starters, we here at the office are quite interested in setting up local readings to support all you writers out there. The plan so far is to hold one at the end of September and another sometime in October. Along with the readings, we will also be publishing the Liminal this Fall and next Spring and will have a book-release event and a bonus reading at a still undisclosed time—so be sure to keep in touch and look for fliers on when we will be taking submissions! And as always, send along your poems and short stories. We are always looking for more to print!
By Jason Hertz Red rock, huge red clay soap stones cleave apart at the encircling asphalt’s end: a place in the earth from which something has sprouted, the way old cedars and bristlecone pines push out through their scattered exterior – dark red and dark brown. The white-grey building that ruptures the unadulterated blue is a cross, a cross like a cedar or bristlecone pine. A cross like old world Catholicism and the Virgin of Guadalupe, a cross like a cactus, like a juniper, a plant.
Sincerely, Your Editorial Staff (Jacob and Dan)
Canned music comes from the pews. Tinny hymnals from cheap speakers from beneath the seats give a background noise, ‘worship, worship to the pulpit.’ A noise for the silence like in Fritz Lang films. The pantomime becomes comic or tragic to the twist of the soundtrack. Reverential awe bleats out of a straining choir in high notes. The eczematous pink faces in white, white robes suppress everything but a note, and through scratchy black screens they douse the church in their constrictions. There is no flourishing between the rocks, no cactus, no pine. There is a church as a tree’s facsimile in Sedona, on a hill of big houses.
Aaron RIDGEWAY
10/september 06 2006
\Literary
Gutterbum By Jason Hertz “Hey man, can you help me out? I’ve just got—Well, I’m a buck short; need to catch the bus. The 94, it’s two fifty man, can’t you help me out?” His voice a murmur rising above the traffic, it became a very loud demand. I didn’t answer him, only looked up along his patchwork beard. He had calm imposing eyes. “Shit. I’m tired. I want to go home. I only need a few dollars. I have no place to go. Can’t you help me, you got money, I know it?” he paused. The Midway held us together – its gutters, exhaust, parking lots. The vicissitudes of cars and lights and neon schedules gripping on levers like the controls to a ship at night in the middle of a sea. “You got a home. Where are you going? I can’t go with you, give me something.” The dollar passed between us. Somewhere coastal surf trafficked beaches by the grain, and a dog ate grass outside a house that throbbed from the reverberations of good old Muddy Waters. He said, “You know what it’s like on the streets?” I liked his rotting teeth, his jeans, the putrid breath like Karkov’s and eggs. I grinned, “Tell me all about the streets.” “I’m fighting all the time with people I fought yesterday. I’m 42 years old. You ride around on these buses, then the transit police pick you up. I got no place to go, and sometimes you have to fight. I could see him moving in to kick and jab, screaming and breathing heavy in the darkness and wind. His shoulders rose above me, heaving. His eyes were quiet but shone dull like he was working up to something mean. Despite the abuse his body suffered, the decay, the acne and the thrift store rejects, he was big enough for me to believe him. He had black hair. His great stomach and shoulders, disheveled but gaunt and massive, an intimation to former grace; they belied his Asian hair. I knew him as a wild rice cultivator and Buffalo hunter. In the alleys of Frogtown he’d learned how to panhandle and intimidate, how to unseat the world with a dollar into a spiral of pine needles and gasoline. He’d shivered beneath bridges and ate the rain. He’d rubbed his face with broken glass in the margin between nothing and a car window on razor tipped wheels.
Tristan HERTZ
Someone passed between us, trotting along beneath the whiteneedle clock two floors above the earth, encased by green tile, a brand on the firmament reading PROPERTY OF, The City, St. Paul. He left me and I threw myself into the iridescent blue-white interior of the 21A. I heard him last talking to someone else, ‘Hey, help me out. I’m short for the 94—” I imagined him running into someone further along the Midway who’d tell him just to think of the glory awaiting him after death. This man would calm him, tell him to stick it out and act right so he could get the eternal ecstasy of tears in the beyond. The big Indian would probably suck this down like Karkov’s and sleepily wait out time for the effects. I’d have given him a gun and told him to bite the metal or kill the mayor.
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Feature/
Totally Scrabble Tuesday is the “Shitragu” By Kristen Mueller Alfred M. Butts didn’t have public access TV or intoxicated students in mind when he invented Scrabble in 1948. Six decades later, Butts’ classic word game is attracting precisely this crowd thanks to Hamil Griffin-Cassidy’s weekly public access show, Totally Scrabble Tuesday. Every Tuesday night at 11 p.m., Minneapolis is pitted against Hamil in a rambunctious citywide Scrabble game broadcasted on Channel 17, the Minneapolis Television Network. How does an entire town play a timeless board game against one slick-tongued videographer? It all starts with Hamil and his merry crew of co-workers (and co-conspirators), who aim video cameras at a Scrabble board and row of tiles. Viewers at home can see the board on their TV sets and call the studio. Whoever gets through first takes a turn for Minneapolis by instructing a revolving array of guests (from Rock ’n’ Roll Ray and rapper Mr. Nasty to Hamil’s mom) where to place the letters. Hamil’s “Vanna” of the night then tallies the score on a clipboard and digs up more tiles. Next, Hamil plays a word, and the pattern repeats for one hour.
Although Hamil insists he doesn’t prescribe to a regimen of energy bars or calculate his carbohydrate intake to prepare for the 11 p.m. taping (like professional Scrabble practitioners do to stay on their game during tournaments), he will down a Red Bull before air time, and he once memorized every three-letter word in the dictionary. Well, the several hundred up until “D,” that is. On an idyllic Tuesday night in August, Hamil spoke with The Wake outside MTN’s St. Anthony Main studio about Osama bin Laden, team “B is for Bong,” and “shitragu,” before the show began, and the shit really hit the fan. The Wake: What do you do when you’re not playing Scrabble? Hamil: I do community events [like working on other MTN programs to “keep the whole ‘free speech’ wheels greased”], I do art programs and document various dances and performances around town. And we do other call-in shows. We do call-in karaoke. We’ve done “Shoot Osama,”
“This is like the
Hamil’s casual dress reflects an equally laid-back demeanor. In a white undershirt, brown pants and a moustache grown specifically for “moustache month” (August), he downplays his role as the host, demurring to a more pedestrian title of “traffic controller” for calls. Most callers watch the show with a self-made team (although all teams points stack up under the score for Minneapolis), and calls range from incessant hollering over the line to a girl describing her summer break on a farm.
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best thing on TV.”
which is where I dressed up as Osama bin Laden and ran around in front of a brick wall. People would call in, and we put up a little plus sign on the screen. It rolls around, you shout “bang,” and we grab a still frame to see if you saved the Western world from the “crescent sword.”
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We did pin the tail on the donkey with callers … where you would guide a guy around the studio, which kind of plays a lot with perspective. When you’re doing the camera, it really doesn’t show anything that accurately, so people were missing all the time. Did you think of these call-in shows? Martin, “Hamil’s little helper,” thinks of a lot of them. He has a real good brain for concepts. Scrabble was his idea. Karaoke was his idea. They had done a “shoot me” game. And so then I just try to add what little things I can. How did you get involved with Scrabble? Martin said “We could do a show, and if you want to do it, it would be easy for you. You wouldn’t have to think about it. Nobody sees you, you just have to man the phones.” That night there was a guy who called in, who was like, “Awe, this is a great show, this is really cool, this is like the best thing on TV,” and he kept calling back. Originally we were gonna switch [shows] every Tuesday and do something different. This is where all those other ideas came from. Usually after we’re off the air we still get other calls for another hour, of just people talking to you. That guy called back again, and we had to promise him we would do Scrabble like three more times, so we did the show four times in a row — and then kept doing it. How long has TST been on air? Since the beginning of 2004. We’ve only missed a few. What teams stick out? Well, there was team Tony Danza. They called in a lot. They liked to say “Who’s the boss?” and I’d have to say, “Tony Danza’s the boss.” There’s somebody who would play a cue at the beginning of the call — team Fresh. Princess Tigerlily? Team Tigerlily? They’re from a Christian college downtown, and they’re really good, and super contemptuous of all the other players, and I have to give them shit. How do you feel about callers using computers to cheat, by looking up words online? Oh, I don’t care. I think actually, if Minneapolis won more, it would be better for the show. All that stuff doesn’t matter. No one analyzes this and can come and tell me that market research shows that people don’t care that in the preamble of the Constitution we were imbued rights for stoners to play the word “shitragu.” It doesn’t exist. In a media-saturated world, why do you think people tune in to play a classic 50s board game instead of, say, playing
a video game? I don’t know why. There are a lot of video game nerds who actually watch. There’s a team, “Grove Street,” based on Grove Street in the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas game, and they were, like, way into it, so they all had green hoodies, which was the gang color, and they said “Grove Street” in these awesome, bad-ass letters, and they all had a skull in a different spot on them. Why did they like it? I had no idea. They were all, like, artist kids. I think there’s something alienating from a video game, just because it’s not something you could easily make yourself. I think people are charmed by stuff they could do, and I think that’s a nice thing. And interaction is huge. That’s why all the other shows we do tend to be interactive. People love to be their own entertainment. Have any memorable words been spelt on the air? “Shitragu.” It’s like the word “shit,” and then the product “Ragu.” It’s not a word. It’s a word that [slipped through], because at the end of the game we were just trying to get something done, and these guys were laughing so hard at the prospect of playing “Shitragu” that we made it a Scrabble word, because we can have house rules, and we can do what we want.
ally, everybody called in, but she’s the president of [NSA] chapter whatever. She was very nice — she never called, but she always watched, after playing three games with her chapter on Tuesday. So she called in once, and it was to correct me. [Laughs.] Do you get much fan mail? Not a lot. I’ve gotten weird things. People made triple word score and double letter score buttons for me once, and left them in an envelope. I don’t know exactly who gave it to me. And then there’s a guy who corresponds with me and has ideas for shows … He started sending pictures of himself, saying, “Since I know what you look like, now you know what I look like.” It’s nearly 9 p.m., and Hamil enters the Studio A control room. He sits in a wheeled chair, facing a wall of variously sized old-school computer monitors and panels of color-coded buttons, knobs, and switches. A program isn’t responding, so Hamil reaches under the table and flips the power switch off and on. “It’s all part of the fancy system,” he cracks. continued on page 14
Any other house rules? I think there’s a certain lax when people use other dirty words, like “jiz,” “cunt,” and these things, because they’re also recognized, I think, in the real book. Do you have it? No, you have to be a National Scrabble Association member and pay dues. There are about 10,000 tournament players in the NSA. Oh man. I just recently decided to read the book Word Freak, and saw the documentary, Word Wars, which were roughly about the same thing. It’s like a cult. These guys are, like, chess addicts. They just have that same game-brain where they don’t want to do anything else. Do you know if any of your callers are in the NSA? One time, this lady called in and told me “residua” was a perfectly good word. Actu-
Sophie Zawistowski
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continued... The next room is a vast rectangular studio. The ceiling is flush with lights, and there’s a talk show-like set with three immense green chairs propped on an upraised platform. This is not where Hamil’s headed. Nearby are two small, mismatched end tables holding a Scrabble box, the toothy skull of a “Gar Fish,” which Martin pronounces “Gaaargh,” like a pirate, and a mini wind-up robot. Hamil and Martin plug in three mics, and roll the video cameras into position. Just as they’ve finished setting up, Rock ’n’ Roll Ray strolls up, gushing about push-up contests, and everyone heads back outside.
spells “play,” and team B for Bong calls in — while still standing in the hallway outside the window.
A red button-up encases Ray’s barreled chest, and his short dark hair winnows into a peak at his forehead. Ray’s mouth is forever thrown open in a loud remark or even louder laugh, the kind that causes your eyes to crinkle, head to launch backward at break-neck speed, and feet to bounce on the floor. “Did you see last week, with the rubber-glove action?” Ray asks, referring to the lewd sexual gestures his latex-encased fingers flashed across the screen. “I rode that glove really well I think,” he adds, before suddenly careening downstairs in search of a Red Bull.
“Little kids have called in before, which is really fun. But I feel kind of bad, because people swear and stuff.”
“Little kids have called in before, which is really fun,” Hamil begins, as Ray disappears. “But I feel kind of bad, because people swear and stuff. Ray invites a little more of that because what we do controls how people act, to a certain extent ... It’s really weird how you can control the tone just by what you say. If I start swearing, people are more comfortable swearing. Ray is, like, doing penetration jokes over and over, but he’s great because he’s super enthusiastic and laughs at everything.” Mr. Nasty, “the funky face froster” behind MySpace tracks “I Dooz It Anal” and “How Nasty Do I Do,” shows up next. He soon launches into a serious-looking conversation with Ray (back from his sugar-search) on ways to corrupt the upcoming show. At eight minutes to 11 p.m., we re-enter the studio, only to find members of team “B for Bong” hollering through the studio window while waving a half tie-dyed plastic tablecloth. Several team members are dressed as if for a zombie parade—fake blood-splattered wounds and bandages stick to their flesh, and they later flash Dracula and Frankenstein masks before their faces in an ode to the undead — and Hamil, who obliges his grotesque groupies desires by pressing his hand against the window and gazing into their eyes. Hamil’s phone rings, interrupting the moment, and Come On Hamil’s Mom, a dedicated team of U of M students, kick off the game with a 12-point word. Next, Hamil
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To fill the time while either team is planning their next move, Ray yells at the toy robot Hamil sends slowly scuttling across the board, sings “Gin and tonic calling me,” and hoots like a Girls Gone Wild producer attempting to entice a crowd of drunken college women to take off their tops. As he cackles at his own antics, his skin seems to suck the red dye from his top until his neck and face are flushed with color.
In stark juxtaposition to Ray’s over-the-top bravado are Hamil’s slick jabs at callers, and obscure pronouncements. At one point, he motions toward a spot on the board and describes a “burn mark” from when he “ate a toe flap and put hot sauce on it.” He also discusses the advantages of naming a future son “No Fear Kilowatt Griffin-Cassidy(add future partner’s name here)” and shares a stack of drawings he developed of outer space, a skull, and a man proposing to a woman with a toaster ring … Although the night appears to be nothing but fun and games, Hamil sees a nobler purpose behind MTN’s interactive television program. “There are communities who would never be represented on TV,” he says, if it wasn’t for public access stations and even shows like Totally Scrabble Tuesday. It’s a noble cause indeed — even when those voices are simply using the time slot to goad Hamil into growing a Burt Reynolds-esque moustache. (Totally Scrabble Tuesday was first mentioned in a 2005 article in The Wake by Taylor Eisenman, titled “Too Cold To Go Out: I got stoned instead.”)
\Athletics
Thomas FHILDE
Tailgating is the Biggest Win We’re Going to Have The Gopher football Season as told by a clairvoyant fan By J.P. Frederick Another autumn. The time of year when Rush Limbaugh skips down Fourth Street wearing fishnet stockings and thigh-high black boots with eight-inch stiletto heels as he tries to lure unsuspecting freshmen into his lair of conservative love. The lair supposedly contains stripper poles, a 71-inch TV on a continuous Fox News loop, George W. blowup dolls with kung-fu grip, and Ann Coulter in chains. But autumn is not the sweetest time of year because of that. What could be good about Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh in a sex dungeon? Autumn is great because of football. Fans have been itchin’ and scratchin’ for the beloved pigskin to come back. They have been going down to the corner and “accidentally” bumping into the dealer just to strike up a conversation which then “accidentally” steers toward: “Hey, football season is just around the corner...” Then they ask for crank. This autumn, Golden Gophers fans should be none too happy, psyched, jazzed, or even content. Instead of going his usual, patented route of playing glorified Division 1-AA teams and starting the season 4-0, getting the alumni’s hopes up, Glen Mason scheduled good, competent teams to play. Teams that don’t have quarterbacks pissing down their right leg and crying for Mama when they step onto that hallowed Metrodome turf. Teams with coaches who order their linebackers dope up with huge amounts of performance-enhancing steroids, giving them the size and speed of Humvees.
The Gophers are used to starting the season against nice, wholesome teams that would congratulate them after yet another tackedon touchdown in the 4th quarter, which would make the score 212-17. “Oh, good show, Laurence. You truly are a king. May I please have your autograph, sir? Just sign it: To Bob, my best amigo, accountant, and friend. Look out, extra point coming through.” This year, Mason scheduled an away game at a Top-15 school, The University of California, which has been climbing the college football ladder for the past few years after they developed envy from being in USC’s shadow. Cal has NFL talent in their receiver, defensive line and a running back that is being stalked on Facebook
“You truly are a king. May I please have your autograph, sir?” by every single NFL scout. Cal will do to the Gophers what Vesuvius did to … uh ... shit. That is after the Gophers trampled Kent State, 44-0. So the Gophers will be 1-1 with Temple heading into the Metrodome, ready to walk on coals toward the Gopher’s second win. I guess Glen didn’t do too badly in scheduling cheap, easy wins this season. Who knew that Temple even had a football team? All right, so the Gophers are hypothetically 2-1 going into Purdue. Well, Minnesota doesn’t win on the road. It doesn’t happen, ever. Two-2. Then
Michigan and Penn State come to the Dome. Is anyone thinking those are wins? Yeah. So they’re 2-4 heading into Wisconsin. Wisconsin is on a down year, but it’s in Wisconsin. Two wins, five losses. Then North Dakota State’s impressive 27-man roster comes to town ready to hand over win No. 3 on a golden platter. Mason can bring that hollow win to banquets and show off to all the ready, willing and able boosters. The Gophers are 3-5 heading into a real football school, Ohio State University. OSU is a team that knows how to put its players in a position to win. Take Maurice Clarett, a kid who only had one year to play football; some missionary commitment or something prevented him from playing more than one year. Anyway, Jim Tressel got the best out of Clarett, a championship. No one has heard much about Maurice since his one year of eligibility. I wonder where he is now. Oh, and Ohio State won by an embarrassingly large margin. The team will be 3-6 with Indiana’s pathetic example of a football team schlepping into the Dome, 4-6. The Gophers then travel to Michigan State and follow that up with Iowa at home. The combined total stats for Drew Stanton (Michigan State QB) and Drew Tate (Iowa QB) in those games will be: 1,163 passing yards, 21 passing touchdowns, 439 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns. Final record: 4 wins and 8 losses. There you go ladies and gentlemen, the 2006 Minnesota Golden Gophers. That means Mason is making $412,500 per victory this year.
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Athletics/
Enhanced:
Steroids and the College Athlete
Brennan VANCE
16/september 06 2006
\Athletics
By Valerie Tukey Everyone knows the old phrase “practice makes perfect.” It was pounded into our heads by parents, coaches and teachers when we were young. But today, it seems like practice just isn’t enough. Some athletes are turning to a much more dangerous and risky method to help them obtain their goals — steroids. Drug enforcement officials have been at war with steroids for ages. But surprisingly, some sports are under fire more than others. If you enjoy a round of golf or like to play tennis every now and then, have no fear. You will probably be skimmed over when it comes to drug testing. During the 2004-05 championship season, 109 football students from Division One colleges across the country were tested for steroid use, according to the NCAA drug reports. Compare that number to the measly eight golfers that were tested and it is easy to see that football players are targeted. Mary Wilfert, NCAA Associate Director of Health and Safety, says that ever since the NCAA started drug testing athletes yearround in 1990, football players have been at high risk for steroid use. And surprisingly, it took nearly 15 years for the NCAA to find out that drug use was happening in other sports. “The NCAA began drug testing in other sports in 2004,” Wilfert says. “But the testing was designed to maintain a heavier presence in football programs since research indicated that football students were still reporting high use of steroids.” So why are some athletes using more steroids than others? Dave Schueller, Assistant Director of strength and conditioning at the U, says that it just depends on what sport you’re in. “Tennis and golf players are more focused on hand-eye coordination rather than huge muscles,” Schueller says. “Those athletes really have no reason to dope.” However, football and baseball players are looking for strength and speed. “Football players seem to have the ‘bigger is better’ mentality,” Schueller says. “A lot of them look at body building magazines or see body building competitions on TV and think ‘I want to look like that.’” What’s more, Schueller believes that some coaches, whether they mean to or not, put pressure on athletes to get big fast. It is this line of thinking that pushes studentathletes to abuse steroids.
“A lot of coaches have an old school mentality,” Schueller says. “They want their athletes to do whatever it takes to win.” It is important to know that there are other ways to increase muscle mass besides using drugs. “Be consistent in the weight room, practice proper nutrition and use the right recovery techniques,” Schueller says. With a little hard work and rest, you can’t go wrong. The NCAA targets certain sports for drug use, but college students are the least of the problem. Instead of student-athletes professional atheletes are most often put in the spotlight.
It seems like today practice just isn’t good enough. Take the sport of cycling for example. Before the Tour de France started this year, cyclists Ivan Basso, 2005 runner-up and Jan Ullrich, 1997 winner were forced out of competition because of steroids. However, American cyclist and Tour de France winner Floyd Landis is at the center of the latest cycling scandal. And because of the recent accusations about Landis and doping, the sport of cycling is in a sad place. The Tour de France is said to be the most grueling and challenging bike race in the world. The race lasts for three weeks with only two designated rest days and, within those three weeks, the bikers ride a total of 2,272 miles. Daniel Coyle, a writer for The New York Times, compared the Tour to running a marathon every day for 21 days straight. So it is no surprise that when Landis reached stage 17 during this year’s Tour, he was exhausted, sore and in desperate need of recovery.
“If there is a testosterone increase in the body, then the speed at which the muscles fatigue will decrease,” says Andrew Rosch, president of the U’s cycling club. “In other words, the more testosterone you have in your body, the less sore you will be.” With that in mind, it makes sense that Landis would want to take the drugs. “A ton of pro cyclists dope,” Rosch says. “I even think that Lance Armstrong was doping.” And if the top bicyclists in the world are using steroids, there aren’t many idols left to look up to. “Doping is really ruining the sport of cycling right now,” Rosch says. “All of our heroes are on drugs.” Steroid use in professional cycling may be popular, but on the collegiate level doping is not a common trend. “College cycling is a very small step on the road to becoming a pro,” Rosch says. “I have never heard of a college cyclist using steroids.” So why are professional cyclists doping while collegiate bikers aren’t? Maybe everyone is a little smarter than the pros, but more likely, college bikers simply don’t need to. “We don’t receive money or prizes if we win a race,” Rosch says. “So there isn’t a whole lot of pressure to dope,” Rosch says. Compare that with the 400,000 euros, or roughly $500,000 that the winner of the Tour de France takes home. Add in money from sponsors and there is no comparison in the differences between the value of the races. Professionals may feel more pressure to perform than the everyday college athlete, but that might not be the whole story. There is a high potential that they will be caught through drug testing and end up with consequences larger than losing. It might be smarter in the end to abide by the “practice makes perfect” rule.
Everyone has their own opinion about what Landis did to raise his testosterone level to nearly three times the allowed amount. Maybe his body can produce testosterone at a surprisingly high rate, maybe some doctors purposely spiked his drug test. Or, what seems to be the more popular opinion, maybe Landis took steroids the night before the 17th stage to help his muscles recover.
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Art Redesigned at Density Studios By Valerie Tukey
new work for Density’s show.
When most people think about art and fashion, New York City comes to mind. An art gallery or top-notch art school sits on nearly every corner, and lauded designer names litter the streets. The Big Apple is also the place where many aspiring artists go to make it big. But Minneapolis’ art scene is well poised to take its own bite out of the apple — especially when it comes to graphic design.
Their first submission, “Natural Sound for Natural People,” is a three-piece set of 24-by-36 inch prints inspired by music. “The first panel is blank,” Clancy says. “The second panel has some typography cut from actual records that spells the phrase ‘let’s regress,’ and the third panel is our perception of the free forms that music creates when it is listened to.”
Want proof? Look no further than Density Studios’ second annual exhibit, Art of Design: The Future. The Northeast Minneapolis gallery is showcasing work from 13 up-and-coming Twin Cities graphic designers. And thanks to gallery director Kate Iverson, many of the artists will be framing and selling their work for the first time.
Their second piece, “Crisp and Carefree,” is an exploration of technique, composition and color. “We just started playing around with a picture that we scanned in from an old book,” Clancy says. “And from there, we let it grow.” The picture, of a woman’s body, is in the center of the print, and doused in drops of blue and pink. Iverson describes it as “design overlaying photography.”
“A lot of graphic designers aren’t used to the art scene,” Iverson says. “They aren’t typical artists, like painters.” So, Iverson had to do a little hunting to find some of the creative talent in the show. She stumbled upon graphic design artist Josh Clancy through www.computerlove.com, a site where an international roster of designers can post their goods. “Clancy’s graphic design work is pretty amazing,” Iverson says. “And he’s very young.” Nineteen, to be exact — and Clancy’s work has already been featured in the cutting-edge publications Beautiful/Decay and Alternative Press magazine He has crafted graphics for various websites, band T-shirts and album covers. “I’ve always been into anything visually compelling,” says Clancy. “I love things that look interesting and love making things my own.” Just two weeks ago, he helped launch a graphic design group, called Wish Well, with design freelancers Collin Strandberg and Travis Stearns. The trio’s collaboration has already resulted in
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“It is nothing more than an experiment,” Clancy says. “Kind of like art for art’s sake.” With plenty of creativity and hard work, Wish Well hopes to make a lasting impression on gallery-goers. “The showcase is the perfect chance for ‘Wish Well’ to get exposed to the art scene,” Clancy says. “There are so many talented graphic designers in the Twin Cities; we are just excited to have people appreciate our artwork.” Posters aren’t the only form graphic design work will take in Art of Design. “The artwork ranges from product packaging to album covers for bands,” Iverson says. “We also have some artists who specialize in T-shirt and poster design.” To help the show’s participants gain the widest exposure on the Minneapolis graphics scene, Density Studios invited nearly 100 design and advertising firms to the showcase. And Iverson put together an experienced panel of judges to critique each piece.
\Sound & Vision
With plenty of creativity and hard work, Wish Well hopes to make a lasting impression on gallery-goers.
senior designer for L’etoile magazine, a local fashion rag. “Overall, we are looking for what looks good and what doesn’t.”
“The showcase is the perfect chance for ‘Wish Well’ to get exposed to the art scene,” Clancy says. “There are so many talented graphic designers in the Twin Cities; we are just excited to have people appreciate our artwork.”
The winner of the showcase will receive a large spread in L’etoile, and second- and third-place finishers will also be featured. But “Art of Design” isn’t solely about winning or loosing — Iverson says it’s also about helping everyday people appreciate graphic design as an art form.
Posters aren’t the only form graphic design work will take in Art of Design. “The artwork ranges from product packaging to album covers for bands,” Iverson says. “We also have some artists who specialize in T-shirt and poster design.”
“There are so many talented graphic designers in the Twin Cities; we are just excited to have people appreciate our artwork.” To help the show’s participants gain the widest exposure on the Minneapolis graphics scene, Density Studios invited nearly 100 design and advertising firms to the showcase. And Iverson put together an experienced panel of judges to critique each piece.
“Graphic design is a type of art that is not very well-known,” Iverson says. And since the show will be open to the public, she hopes to inspire and surprise viewers who may think dubiously on the field as a legitimate art outlet. “Overall, we just hope that some people who never looked at design as an art form will leave the show with a new appreciation for it.” Art of Design: The Future, will be on display at Density Studios through Sept. 16. www.densitystudios.com www.toothjuice.net
“We will be looking for good graphic skills, interesting concepts and the types of graphic implementation used,” says Izaak B, a judge and
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Sound & Vision/
Hotter than hotdish on a stick By Haily Gostas
hip-hop, it’s not punk. It’s all of the above.”
Once upon a time, two Ians had a dream, the sort encouraged by years of various musical involvements and a loyalty to the scenes that nurtured them. Apparently the hearty hospitality of Minnesota extends beyond the exchange of hot meals and into a tight-knit music community, one that Ian Anderson and Ian Tsan, of Afternoon Records and Grape Juice Records respectfully, want to give a little something back to.
Anderson agrees wholeheartedly, hoping the festival will open the ears and eyes of audiences. “We want to rope those who may have heard of one particular band playing but not the other, or the people who don’t know as much about Min-
“Everyone really cares about each other here, which makes it a great environment for musicians to grow together,” Anderson says of his desire to return the favor. Anderson and Tsan approached each other with similar plans that, though seemingly farfetched, were driven by ambition and a sense of gratitude. They wanted to curate a music festival that would not only showcase a variety of regional bands, but serve as something authentically Midwestern, a shining example of the strong musical kinship both were so taken with. With that, the idea for the 45 Degrees North Music Festival was born. “It’s Minneapolis’ turn,” Tsan says. “The goal we have for this festival is to show off how eclectic this city is — it’s not indie rock, it’s not
“Everyone really cares about each other here, which makes it a great environment for musicians to grow together.” neapolis music.” “Plus,” he adds, “it will create awareness that this city is cooler than most would expect!” No stranger to the ways of the music industry, Anderson started Afternoon Records midway through his senior year of high school because he felt the sounds he and his friends were making needed to be heard. Tsan did the same. Though he has been a musician nearly all his life, he had always toyed with
the idea of production and, with a few extra sets of hands shaped Grape Juice into a label he deems an ongoing learning experience. “I still take things one day at a time,” he says. 45 Degrees North is undoubtedly the biggest gig of their careers thus far, but both seem well-suited to the task and hope their own loyalty to the music community will be conveyed in the festival. “Minneapolis is filled with such encouraging, warm people,” Anderson says. “There are so many ridiculously good bands with so much spirit, it’s unbelievable. A place like New York is a different story. They have a local scene, but hardly any local bands. Interpol will never play Brooklyn shows. But look at Craig Finn (of Minneapolis legends Lifter Puller and the Hold Steady). He doesn’t even live here anymore, but can’t get enough of this place, and still plays shows here all the time.” No, the Hold Steady will not be making an appearance. Nor Atmosphere. Nor a few other anticipated, but largely unrealistic, acts. “A million bands could have played,” says Anderson. “It would have been awesome if we could have gotten [them], but you have to start somewhere.”
favorites the Plastic Constellations and Doomtree filling some of several excellent headlining slots. “We didn’t have quite enough exposure to do actual band submissions,” explains Tsan. “Above all things, we just looked for bands that we could feasibly get to play our festival, but still wanted them to be bands that we liked.” Their tirelessly positive attitudes have helped Anderson and Tsan through a few bumps in the road. 45 Degrees North arrives after a summer packed full of music festivals, multiple scheduling conflicts and bouts of band miscommunication, which have resulted in an ultimately shorter festival that still needs a few adjustments before opening night. Still, it’s no problem. “I’d just like to do well this year so we can come back again next year,” Anderson says. What about that other local legend of a festival right around the corner? “Hey, I arrange my life around the State Fair!” he adds with a laugh. “But maybe we’ll just have to start selling cheese curds to compete.”
And 45 Degrees North does, with Minneapolis
The Wake’s Guide to the 45 Degrees North Music Festival The festival began September 5th, and here is the remainder of the lineup:
Night 2 September 7th First Avenue The second evening belongs to the first ladies of West Coast dance rock: Kill Rock Stars sirens Erase Errata, Mika Miko and The Gossip. All possess that unstoppable, frantic sound that packs a hefty punch of attitude, and The Gossip’s Beth Ditto rightfully seizes the headlining slot with her sneering, soulful howl alone.
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Night 3
Night 4
September 8th The Triple Rock Social Club
September 9th The Triple Rock Social Club
Leading the evening with his gorgeous pianoand-string arrangements, composer West Thordson’s lush, melancholic project Whisper In The Noise has never made feeling empty sound so damn pretty. Opening band Passions sashay to their own beat of sexy pop-punk, while It From Bit wraps Jeff Buckley-like vocals, dreamy pop guitars, and plunking keyboard riffs into a perfect little indie rock package.
The Draft opens for Chicago-based punk band The Lawrence Arms at this evening’s all-ages show. Belles Of Skin City start the 21-plus antics later on with a percussive, cocksure strut, accented by jagged guitars and arresting vocals. The charming female harmonies of the God Damn Doo Wop band are in perfect key with their brand of good- old-fashioned rock. Headliners the Plastic Constellations will likely shine the brightest with their sprawling, infectious sound, the shining example of a band that may be nationally acclaimed for now, but hometown favorites for good. www.homepage.mac.com/lost_bike/Grapejuice/index.html
\Sound & Vision
Album Reviews
The Tyde: Three’s Co. By Amy Fink As summer was winding down, The Tyde released their beach pop album, Three’s Co., on August 29. Though we can’t all appreciate the upbeat, summery sound of the CD while it’s still in season, the group fits nicely into its Los Angeles setting, where the Atlantic allows an escape all year round. Three’s Co. is The Tyde’s third release, following, fittingly, albums titled Once and Twice. In light of the simple progression of the discs’ names, the band’s tinny, simplistic sound features appropriately minimalist melodies that mirror their laidback surfer lifestyle. Don’t confuse their simple style with amateurism. In the early ‘90s, The Tyde’s members, brothers Darren and Brent Rademaker, started indie rock outfit Fur-
Twin Town High Music Yearbook: Volume 8 By Lyndsey Danberry What can I say? It has a little something for everyone. From punk to indie rock, B96 to Kool-108, MTV to CMT - well maybe that is taking it a bit too far. Nonetheless, Twin Town High Music Yearbook is an eclectic arrangement of some of the best music the Twin Cities have to offer for 2006-07. The CD’s overall tone is mellow, ideal while hanging with a group of friends. Don’t get too comfortable though — the middle of the disc will halt you in mid
ther, which was more closely related to ‘90s bands like Nirvana and Sonic Youth than the brothers’ future projects. For The Tyde, Darren is joined by keyboardist and wife Ann Do, while Brent is the bassist and backs Darren with vocal harmonies reminiscent of the Beach Boys. Ben Knight plays the clean guitar melodies and Ric Menck, (also of Velvet Crush), teases out easy drum beats. As early as the first song, the band reveals its blaringly minimalist style, as Darren repeats the line: “Jealousy will get you nowhere,” incessantly—probably for a monotonous effect, but it gets to be too much too quick. The rest of the album delivers more variety but sustains the simple, repetitive rhythms with a style comparable to contemporary bands like The Strokes and earlier indie-pop legends Felt and Galaxie 500. Also of note: the CD includes tracks with additional artists, from Conor Deasy (The Thrills) to Mickey Madden (Maroon 5).
roll and force you to dance. The Pines lead the way through a few bumpy spots, but eventually steer you out of the woods to a calm and collected finish. Big Quarters will shake your hips and move your feet, Roma Di Luna will have you reminiscing about the one that got away, and Building Better Bombs will send you flailing into the middle of a mosh pit. Even if you skip through a number of tracks, only finding three or four that you like, the goal of the CD will have been accomplished: introducing locals and outsiders alike to emerging Minnesotan talents. Hats off to Leo Kuelbs, past music editor at the Pulse, who helped release the first CD, and Steve McPherson, current music editor of Pulse of the Twin Cities, for sifting through nearly 100 submissions over slices of Davanni’s pizza with David Goldstein and Ben Durrant, narrowing the album down to a creative kaleidoscope of 22 tracks. Thanks also to Ben Durrant for his mad mastering skills.
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