11-13-09 edition

11
NORTH TEXAS DAILY, November 13, 2009 VOLUME 94, ISSUE 46 2012: Myth or Destruction? See Page 4 Cover by Patti Mayo

Upload: north-texas-daily

Post on 23-Mar-2016

222 views

Category:

Documents


1 download

DESCRIPTION

11-13-09 Edition of the North Texas Daily newspaper.

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: 11-13-09 Edition

NORTH TEXAS DAILY, November 13, 2009 VOLUME 94, ISSUE 46

2012: Myth or Destruction?

See Page 4Cover by Patti Mayo

Page 2: 11-13-09 Edition

End of the world?Professors weigh in on 2012 theories

Insert Page 4

The Student Newspaper of the University of North Texasntdaily.com

News 1,2Sports 3Classifieds 4Games 4SCENE Insert

Friday, November 13, 2009Volume 94 | Issue 46

Sunny76° / 57°

Volume 94 | Issue

BY CAROLYN BROWNSenior Staff Writer

A f ter a ng r y st udent s bomba rded t he St udent Government Association for weeks with a protest and e-mails about the failed same-sex Homecoming bill, the contro-versy may end next week with a special election.

From Monday to Friday of next week, students will have the chance to vote on whether same-sex couples will be able to run for positions on the Homecoming court.

“I think any time that we have an election, it’s very important for students to express their opinions,” SGA president Dakota Carter said. “Especially when it comes to these controversial issues that people really feel one way or the other against.”

If students vote “yes,” same-sex couples can run for positions on the Homecoming court.

A vote “no” means the

Student Senate will revisit the issue in future meetings.

S t u d e n t s can vote on the SGA’s Web site via www.untsga.com or w it h paper ballots in the SGA’s office in Union 320.

The online voting system w i l l open at m id n ig ht on Monday a nd close at 5 p.m. Friday.

Students will need to log in to the system with t hei r EU I Ds and passwords to vote on the ballot.

T he que s-tion will read “Shou ld t he Student Senate change the SGA bylaws to allow same-sex couples the ability to run for Homecoming Court?”

Turnout at student elections is usually low, at about 4 to 5

percent of the students, Carter said.

However, since the senate voted for the referendum, the SGA members have been working to get the word out.

Carter has been speaking to

every student organization he can reach and will continue through the voting week, he said.

SGA members have posted fliers, made Facebook groups and sent out emails to reach

the students, he said.

Carter has enc ou r a ge d senators to spre ad t he word through other organi-zations.

C o l l e g e o f P u b l i c A f fa irs a nd Com mu n it y Service Sen. M e g h a n Hudec is vice president of p r o g r a m -ming for the Pa n hel len ic Council.

S h e h a s b e e n spreading the word through the Greek Life community.

H e r sorority, Alpha

Delta Pi, will have laptops with the voting page set up outside of the weekly council meetings to help members remember to vote, she said.

Last week, Ca r ter a nd

School of Mercha ndising and Hospitality Management Sen. Christopher Passafiume represented the SGA in a panel discussion called “Gender Revolution” in McConnell Hall.

A l t h o u g h P a s s a f i u m e said he felt the outreach was successful, it brought up some points that have not been widely considered.

“It made me realize that the focus has been more so on same-sex couples,” he said. “That’s part of it, but everyone’s ignoring the fact that transgen-dered people and people who do not fit in the gender binary are being marginalized.”

Passafiume said he thought that although there are not many people who identify as gender neutral, they still should have the protections from a new bill in place.

Kau mud i Ma n iedeo, a pre-med freshman, said she planned on voting.

“I am going to participate because I feel that if we have voting, it’s important that we do participate,” she said. “It’s your job as a citizen or as a student to be involved.”

BY T.S. MCBRIDESenior Staff Writer

The Air Force brought its record against the Army to 3-0 Thursday when it won UN T’s t h i rd Joi nt Force Olympics.

The two branches of the UNT ROTC did battle in a variety of team-based compe-tit ions at Discover y Park. When the smoke cleared, the Air Force led 140 to 70.

“Air Force is 3 and 0 and we hope to keep the tradi-tion going and we had a great time,” said Chris Goodloe, undeclared junior and public af fairs of f icer for the air force ROTC. “We’re looking forward to the spring.”

The two groups duke it out in games including tug-of-wars or Ultimate Frisbee, with each game given varying point values.

“O u r c adet s c omp ete aga i nst one a not her for bragging rights and, most importantly, a sword that the winner takes back to their headqua r ters,” sa id Maj. Herman Troy, chairman of

the military science depart-ment.

The sword stays with the winning branch unti l the next Olympics, not unlike the Stanley Cup. The Air Force wil l be holding the sword until the games resume in the spring.

With each Olympics, the sword is engraved with the semester and the name of the winning branch.

The field day started when the Army ROTC challenged the Air Force. Troy said the competition was a friendly one.

“We both wear the uniform. We are both defenders of America’s freedom, so we are brothers in arms,” he said.

In the fall semesters, the Air Force hosts the games. In the spring, it’s the Army’s turn.

The challenges run from common competit ions to more unusual ones.

“We pushed a Humvee a hundred yards over a couple

of hills once,” said Goodloe. “Those things are heavy.”

This year, the competi-t ions were a f lag football game, a pull-up contest, a tire-rolling contest and an obstacle course.

Teams from both branches took turns competing in a rotation.

In past events, the hosting b r a n c h c a t e r e d f o o d . Starting this semester, the

two branches will share the expense of catering from Buffalo Wild Wings.

So far, the Air Force has won every contest. Goodloe said that part of the Army’s losses is because the group has only existed on campus for three years.

“We’ve been here for decades,” Goodloe said of the Air Force ROTC. “We have a larger student body to choose from.”

Troy remained confident this year, however.

“Within our curriculum, t here’s a n abunda nce of physical f itness,” he said. “Hopef ul ly today we can exhibit some of that phys-ical prowess and be victo-rious.”

This year, the Army ROTC has 50 cadets to choose from, bringing it much closer to the Air Force’s 74.

Troy had a message for the Air Force.

“Be ready. Be prepared. Because we’re going to bring everything but the kitchen sink to the table,” he said.

PHOTO BY CRISTY ANGULO / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Army ROTC Cadet Gary Adams, a criminal justice junior, leads his team to win the tug-o-war challenge on Thursday at Discovery Park.

ROTC branches vie for sword

Election on Homecoming issue to begin Monday

BY MELISSA BOUGHTONSenior Staff Writer

Students no longer have to leave the comfort of their homes to find out what is happening on UNT campuses.

UNT Dallas began a live webcast of the construction site for its new general academic building a few weeks after it began in August.

“We want them to monitor the progress. This is their univer-sity,” said Gregory Tomlin, exec-utive director of marketing and communications. “It is a univer-sity not just for Dallas but all of the North Texas region.”

When the campus first opened in 2007, the school had more than 1,700 students. With 2,128 current students, the university wants to keep the community engaged in the process.

The construction site is 100,000 square feet and is expected to be available for use in fall 2010. The building is the second for the 264-acre campus.

Tomlin said the university does plan on using the webcast for future construction plans.

“There is going to be building on this campus 30 to 40 years,” he said. “This is not going to be a small operation. This is going to be a major university.”

Before UNT Dallas, Dallas did not have a four-year public university. A projection for the university is an enrollment of 16,000 students by 2030, Tomlin said.

“We are looking to have a significant impact here and we will have to have the buildings

growing to keep up with that,” he said.

Tomlin said he thinks the community will be much more likely to take an interest in the university’s operations and be supportive if they observe how fast the buildings are going up.

The UNT Denton campus also uses webcams to monitor prog-ress on building construction.

Tim Christian, administra-tive assistant dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said the cameras were first used on the building of the Pohl Recreation Center on the Denton campus.

The UNT camera does not stream live, but instead feeds live images every 10 seconds.

“They wanted to use it to fundraise and to generate aware-ness,” Christian said. “People are curious. They want to see what’s going on our campus.”

The Denton campus is now using a webcam to monitor the Life Sciences Complex Building Project.

Christian said the university is also talking about installing a camera to monitor the construc-tion of the new Business Leadership Building.

Evan Dykstra, a linguis-tics senior, said he thinks the webcams and live streams are beneficial to more than just students.

“It’s a good thing for people to know,” he said. “It helps them know what’s going on and what it’s going to look like before they come in the future.”

To access the UNT Dallas webcast, students can log on to www.unt.edu/unt-dallas.

“Our cadets compete against one another for bragging rights and,

most importantly, a sword.”—Maj. Herman Troy

Chairman of the military science department

Live video shows building progress

PHOTO BY KAITLIN HOAG / PHOTOGRAPHER

SGA will open voting for all UNT students on Monday, Nov. 16 to vote for whether same-sex couples are eligible to run for positions on the Homecoming court. Students can vote online at www.untsga.com.

Students to vote on same-sex controversy

UNT-Dallas is constructing its second building • on the 264-acre campus

2007 student population: 1,700• 2009 student population: 2,128• Number of students projected for 2030: 16,000•

Students can access the webcast at www.unt.edu/unt-dallas.

UNT-Dallas Facts

Page 3: 11-13-09 Edition

PEAVEY, ORANGE AMPLIFIERS, GODIN GUITARS, SEAGULL, SIMON & PATRICK, ART & LUTHERIE, GOLDTONE, BANJOS,

ELECTRO-HARMONIX, BEHRINGER

Guitars $79 and up!116 W. Oak

North side of SquareDenton, TX 76201

[email protected]

ESTABLISHED 1968CONFIDENTIAL LOANS $10 TO $1000

NEW AND USED GUITARS, AMPLIFIERS, EFFECTS AND ACCESSORIES

AUTHORIZED PEAVEY FULL LINE DEALERSOUND REINFORCEMENT SALES & RENTAL

GUITAR AND AMPLIFIER REPAIR

940.387.5412940.382.8817940.382.8692 (fax)(972) 219-4942 (metro)

McBride Music & Pawn

CauseSCENEFriday 11.13.2009

2

Brooke CowlishawScene [email protected]

By Graciela razoSenior Staff Writer

Local musicians will tune their guitars, turn up their amps and get ready to play “Something Awesome” on Monday at Hailey’s.

The Class Cause of 2012 is presenting the fundraiser — a benefit show for Habitat for Humanity in Denton County’s building fund — as its class project.

The group hopes to raise at least $500 to give to Habitat for Humanity so it can buy materials needed to build homes around Denton County.

Whiskey Folk Ramblers, Sans Soleil, RTB2 and Vortexas will get the crowd going with disc jockey yeahdef mixing between sets.

Tonya Riley, coordinator of student success programs, said she and the coordinators knew a

music show would bring in a lot of supporters for the fundraiser.

“UNT is a music society, so we thought we needed something students wouldn’t mind going to and all of us agreed on music,” Riley said.

The show took about a month to plan, but getting bands to play for free was the most difficult part, she said.

“The bands playing were willing to give of their time and services so we could help Habitat for Humanity,” Riley said. “They’re helping someone actually get a home.”

Another band on the roster is multi-genre Denton band Billy Ratcliff and the Economy.

Bassist Alex Gates said the band mixes folk vocals, jazz guitars and free-rock keyboards to make its live sounds.

When the band was asked to play the “Something Awesome” show, saying yes was a no-brainer, said keyboardist Andrew Jordan Miller, a general studies senior.

“It’s kind of a win-win situation for everybody,” Miller said, “for the people getting the houses, for the organizers and for us.”

Attendees can expect a good time from the band’s set, as well as the feeling that they know they helped change a family’s life, he said.

“They’ll probably find them-selves wearing their dancing shoes all night,” Miller said.

Sandra Monclova, office manager for Habitat for Humanity, said UNT students call the office nearly every day asking for ways they can volun-teer, and this benefit show is just another way they can help.

“As far as the fundraising initia-tive, I have to commend the UNT student body,” Monclova said. “They are so giving and so wonderful with their community spirit.”

Local bands play for Habitat for Humanity

“Something Awesome” Show Benefiting Habitat for Humanity Denton County

Billy Ratcliff and the Economy perform at a house show on Saturday in Denton. The band will perform with other local bands Whiskey Folk Ramblers and Sans Soleil at a benefit show for Habitat for Humanity on Monday at Hailey’s.

Felix Tellez performs as part of Billy Ratcliff and the Economy at a house show on Saturday. The band will play on Monday at Hailey’s at the “Something Awesome” party, sponsored by the UNT Class of 2012 Cause to benefit Habitat for Humanity.

Photo courtesy of Zachary huggins

Photo courtesy of Zachary huggins

• Who: Whiskey Folk Ramblers, Sans Soleil, RTB2, Vortexas, Billy Ratcliff and the Economy, and DJ yeahdef

• When: 9 p.m. Monday• Where: Hailey’s, 122 W. Mulberry St.• Cost: $3 for 21 and up, $5 for under 21.

Page 4: 11-13-09 Edition

NewsPage 2 Friday, November 13, 2009

Shaina Zucker & Courtney RobertsNews Editors

[email protected]

PHOTO COURTESY OF KROO BAY INITIATIVE

UNT alumnus Ryan Schuette and Lindsey Bengfort co-founded the Kroo Bay Initiative. KBI was established to help underprivileged children in the Kroo Bay slum of Sierra Leone go to school.

BY AMBER ARNOLDSenior Staff Writer

Two members of the UNT community are using their initiative to raise money for underprivileged children in Africa who may not have the chance to go to school.

UNT alumnus Ryan Schuette and Lindsey Bengfort started t he nonprof it K roo Bay Initiative organization two years ago after traveling to Africa.

The group has recently obtained tax-exempt status.

“We want to give people an understanding of other places around the world,” said Bengfort, an international studies senior. “There are a lot people out there who need help and need us to stand up for them.”

The organization will hold the first Education for Everyone 5K run on Saturday in hopes of raising $5,000 to help chil-dren in Kroo Bay, Sierra Leone, receive an education.

Schuette graduated in 2007

with a degree in international studies. He first experienced Africa when he visited Uganda in 2006.

“It made me aware of the lifestyles and habits and the generally awful scene that confronts people in the slums on a daily basis,” he said.

It was Bengfort’s trip to Sierra Leone and her visit to the Kroo Bay area that really sparked an interest in both students to create an organi-zation.

Beng for t a nd Schuet te visited the Clinton Global Initiative and became one of two student organizations at UNT to receive a grant, Schuette said.

They also relied on Doug Henry of the anthropology faculty to help them file forms with the IRS and Texas and federal governments in order to become a tax-exempt orga-nization.

Since the organization’s inception, Bengfort estimates that the organization has raised

Organization raises money for African children

about $2000 to help the Kroo Bay slum.

The slum is home to about 6,000 people living in shacks that are inundated with sewage, Schuette said.

So far, the organization has been successful with its limited money in providing students with school supplies, working with the local women’s vocational school and even donating eight water purifica-tion systems around the area.

“The next step is raising money and providing schol-arships for students to go to secondary school,” Bengfort said. “We’re also looking at going outside of Kroo Bay to other rural villages to see what schools, if any, want or need our help.”

Schuette said the biggest obstacle in trying to help a place that is so far away is trying to get money together for airfare. He was planning a

trip to Kroo Bay in December, which had to be canceled because it was too expen-sive.

Although the organization can use money that it raises for travel, Bengfort said that they have decided against that.

“With a lot of big non-profits, the money they raise first goes to administration costs and travel,” she said. “We just felt like we weren’t comfortable with that, and we believe that

every penny that we get should go to these people.”

The Education for Everyone 5K run will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday at South Lakes Park in Denton. Participants will help raise money by paying a registration fee of $15.

The money raised will go toward creating educational scholarships for children in Kroo Bay.

For more information, visit http://kbinitiative.org/. Lindsey Bengfort Ryan Schuette

FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) — An Army psychiatrist was charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder in the Fort Hood massacre as he lay in a hospital bed Thursday, w h i le P r e s ident B a r a c k Obama ordered a review to determine if the government fumbled warning signs of the man’s contacts with a radical Islamic cleric.

Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan could face the death penalty if convicted.

Army off icials said they believe Hasan acted alone when he jumped on a table w it h t wo ha ndg u ns la st week, shouted “Allahu akbar” and opened f ire. The dead included at least three other mental health professionals; 29 were injured.

Additional charges were possible, said Chris Grey, spokesma n for t he A r my C r i m i n a l I n v e s t i g a t i o n Command. It had not been decided whether to charge Hasan with the death of the unborn child of a pregnant soldier who died, off icials told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not autho-rized to speak about the case publicly.

Meanwhile, Obama ordered a review of all intelligence related to Hasan to deter-mine whether it was prop-erly shared and acted upon within the government. John Brennan, assistant to t he president for homeland secu-rity and counterterrorism, will oversee the review. The

first results are due Nov. 30. Obama also ordered the pres-ervation of the intelligence.

Members of Congress are pressing for a full investi-gation into why Hasan was not detected and stopped. A Senate hearing on Hasan is scheduled for next week.

Rep. Peter Hoekstra, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, and others have called for a full examination of what agencies knew about Hasan’s contacts with a radical imam and others of concern to the U.S., and what they did with the infor-mation. Hoekstra confirmed this week that the U.S. govern-ment knew of about 10 to 20 e-mails between Hasan and a radical imam, beginning in December 2008.

A message of sympathy to soldiers, family and friends is posted on the bulletin board at the Casa Del Norte apartments in Killen, Texas, where Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan lived.

COURTESY OF COURTNEY PERRY/DALLAS MORNING NEWS/MCT

Fort Hood shooter charged with 13 counts of murder

DALLAS (AP) — While Texas maintains a firm grip on the dubious title of the nation’s most prol i f ic indust r ia l polluter, an environmental group’s report Thursday found that wind power and other cleaner energy sources have helped cut emissions linked to global warming in the state.

E n v i r o n m e n t Te x a s analyzed the most recent U.S. Department of Energy statis-tics that show the state is still the leader in carbon-dioxide emissions but cut such pollu-tion by 2 percent between 2004

and 2007. In that same four-year period, emissions around the country went up 0.7 percent and increased in 33 states, according to the report.

“We can drive the economy without driving up pollu-tion,” said Environment Texas Director Luke Metzger. “By moving to clean energy, we can cut pollution, help jump-start the economy and create millions of new clean energy jobs around the country.”

The group’s analysis covered 2004-2007, but emissions in Texas actually began drop-

ping in 2002, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Carbon dioxide emissions in the state have dropped 5 percent between 2002 and 2007.

Fi nd i ng t he ba la nc e between the environment and the economy is a constant struggle in Texas. The state relies heavily on the energy industry and has more coal-fired power plants, chemical plants and oil refineries than any other. And with a rapidly growing population, there’s always need for more power.

Texas moves to clean energy

Page 5: 11-13-09 Edition

Free Fruit Kolache To Go when you bring

in this coupon

FoodSCENE Friday 11.13.2009

3

BY CHRIS SPEIGHT & JEPH BURTONContributing Writers

Metzler’s knows barbecue — there’s no mistake.

One of two locations, Metzler’s at 1115 E. University Drive sits a fair distance from UNT and less than a quarter of a mile from Texas Woman’s University.

One of the most lovable aspects of Metzler’s besides the excel-lent barbecue is its unpretentious,

Metzler’s Bar-B-Q sells more than just ribs. The restaurant also carries groceries and a large wine and beer selection.

simplistic, down-home atmosphere.

On the outside, Metzler’s looks like a gas station sans pumps, but with a step inside, patrons are greeted with the South’s finest perfumes of good-old-fashioned barbecue: charred meat, original barbecue sauce, beer and the pleasant ambient sound of bubbling grease.

A look around keeps the gas-station atmosphere alive: walls lined with fridges stocked with cold beer and wine, fountain sodas and teas. But instead of aisles of candy bars and pork rinds, the shelves are loaded with wine — anything from your typical $8 grocery bottles to finer wines such as Silver Oak.

The dining area itself is a small nook at the front of the building that has only a handful of tables chained to the wall for extra security. However, the limited seating does not mean the kitchen is cold. A steady flow of take-out orders keeps the cook busy

in his office.Metzler’s has counter-style

ordering. Patrons choose their meals from a large menu spanning the wall behind the counter, listing all the classics.

Our choices included a pulled-pork sandwich, chopped beef sandwich, beer-battered mushrooms and the “Appetizer of the Month” — Colby Jack and bleu cheese sticks.

The cheese sticks came to the table and were an instant favorite. Deep-fried and served with a side of ranch dressing, these heart-stoppers wowed us with their intense and amazing flavor.

The dark orange color attested to a batter that was wholly different than your average cheese stick, while the mild bleu cheese smoothed out the sharpness of the Colby Jack. The texture was perfect, too, with an outside crunch that carried the creaminess of the inside to a whole new level.

Beer-battered mushrooms are tasty indeed but were frankly no match for that sweet, sweet cheese. The crunchy texture of the beer batter hits the taste buds immediately, followed by a soft, warm mushroom.

The pulled-pork sandwich came on a lightly buttered and toasted bun. A hefty serving of meat with only a dollop of barbecue sauce, the portions were just right for bringing out the full flavor of pork (but sauce addicts can relax — there’s a full bottle of it on every table). It doesn’t come with sides automatically, but a number of sides are available for a small price.

Being in a barbecue joint like this demanded a chopped beef sandwich, always a classic.

Same style as the pulled-pork, but in beef version. Both the pork and beef sandwiches, among others, cost $3.65.

Appetizers, including chicken pepper balls (chicken and jalapenos rolled in handmade butter) and hot sausage sampler, range between $3.95 and $7.95.

Students who can’t make it home for Thanksgiving or those who don’t quite know their way around the kitchen can opt for Metzler’s to prepare their upcoming feasts.

Turkey dinners, smoked ham, glazed ham and sides are all offered for a reasonable price.

This local gem is just an all-around good choice for anyone. We definitely left stuffed, impressed and definitely eager for another visit.

Metzler’s second location and orig-inal location is 628 Londonderry Lane in Denton.

Metzler’s Bar-B-Q115 E. University Drive

Denton

CleanlinessServiceA� ordabilityAtmosphereFood Quality

Metzler’s Bar-B-QFoodSnobs[ ]

PHOTO BY MELISSA BOUGHTON / PHOTOGRAPHER

PHOTO BY MELISSA BOUGHTON / PHOTOGRAPHER

A sliced or chopped barbecue sandwich at Metzler’s Bar-B-Que costs $3.45. For an extra $1.95, patrons can get a side of fries.

Page 6: 11-13-09 Edition

$9.99any

medium specialty pizza or 5-topping delivery

15% discount for pick-up with student i.d

Denton’s cure for the late night munchies since 1991! Open Late: Sun-Wed 1:00 a.m. Th-Sat 2:00 a.m.

DAILY SPECIALS !

940-383-3333 *Coupon required. Not to be combined with other offers

WWW.UBSKI.COM 1-800-SKI-WILD • 1-800-754-9453

Breckenridge • Vail • Beaver CreekKeystone • Arapahoe Basin

COLLEGE SKI & BOARD WEEK

breckenridge

20 Mountains. 5 Resorts. 1 Price.

plus t/s

FROMONLY

$5,000-$45,000

PAID EGG DONORS

+ Expenses for up to 9 donations. N/ smokers, ages 19-29, SAT>1100/ ACT>24/ GPA>3.0 reply to: [email protected]

1 Block to UNT1 bd $530. 2bd $630. Free Internet. Free month’s rent. 940-239-4843w w w .ivyleaguehousing.com

BONNIE GREEN

APARTMENTS 4 blks to campus-park like setting.

Spacious 2 bed-room.B e a u t i f u l Townhouse.Call for Specials!!!940-382-2500

!BARTENDING!! $250/ day poten-tial. No experience necessary. Training available. 1-800-965-6520 ext 204 Age 18+ OK

Nannies needed. P a r t - t i m e / F u l l -time. $12-$15/hr. Must have expe-rience. Call 972-949-4144

$$Help Wanted$$

Texas SumoGame RentalNow Hiring Game attendants.Perfect for weekends! Great after school and holiday job.Flexible hours. $10-$20/hr. Paid Weekly.Looking for motivated, depend-able, fun, and out-going individuals. 214-357-7077.Call us today for more information!www.texassumo.com

Publications Guide-lines:Please read your ad the fi rst day of publi-cation. The publisher assumes no fi nancial responsibility for er-rors or omissions of copy. We reserve the right to adjust in full an error by publishing a corrected insertion. Li-ability shall not exceed the cost of that portion occupied by the error on the fi rst insertion only. The advertiser, and not the newspa-per, is responsible for the truthful content of the ad. The newspaper reserves the right to request changes, reject or properly classify an ad, and must approve all copy.

Announcements Announcements For Rent For Rent NT Daily Help Wanted Help Wanted NT Daily NT Daily Travel

# 1

V. EASY # 1

2 6 7 16 8 7 91 9 4 58 2 1 4

4 6 2 95 3 2 8

9 3 7 44 5 3 6

7 3 1 8

4 3 5 2 6 9 7 8 16 8 2 5 7 1 4 9 31 9 7 8 3 4 5 6 28 2 6 1 9 5 3 4 73 7 4 6 8 2 9 1 59 5 1 7 4 3 6 2 85 1 9 3 2 6 8 7 42 4 8 9 5 7 1 3 67 6 3 4 1 8 2 5 9

# 2

V. EASY # 2

6 4 7 29 2 4 5 12 3 8 67 5 8

1 6 5 49 3 2

5 8 6 74 7 5 8 9

2 3 1 8

5 6 4 8 1 7 2 9 39 8 3 2 4 6 5 7 12 7 1 5 3 9 8 6 47 2 5 4 8 3 9 1 63 1 9 6 2 5 7 4 88 4 6 7 9 1 3 5 21 5 8 9 6 2 4 3 74 3 7 1 5 8 6 2 96 9 2 3 7 4 1 8 5

# 3

V. EASY # 3

6 4 3 25 2 7 44 2 9 82 7 4 88 5 3 6

6 2 5 17 1 3 42 7 1 8

5 3 4 9

7 1 8 9 6 4 3 2 55 3 6 2 8 7 4 1 94 2 9 3 1 5 8 6 72 7 5 1 4 6 9 8 38 9 1 5 7 3 2 4 63 6 4 8 2 9 7 5 19 8 7 6 5 2 1 3 46 4 2 7 3 1 5 9 81 5 3 4 9 8 6 7 2

# 4

V. EASY # 4

6 1 9 2 58 7 1

5 6 3 46 4 7 2

9 7 6 34 3 9 8

3 9 6 58 6 12 7 1 9 6

6 1 9 7 2 4 8 3 54 3 2 9 5 8 7 6 17 5 8 6 3 1 9 2 45 6 3 4 8 7 2 1 99 8 7 5 1 2 6 4 31 2 4 3 6 9 5 8 73 7 1 2 9 6 4 5 88 9 6 1 4 5 3 7 22 4 5 8 7 3 1 9 6

Page 1 of 25www.sudoku.com 24 Jul 05

Sudoku requires no calculation or arithmetic skills. It is essentially a game of placing numbers in squares, using very simple rules of logic and deduction.

The objective of the game is to fi ll all the blank squares in a game with the correct numbers. There are three very simple constraints to follow. In a 9 by 9 square Sudoku game: • Every row of 9 numbers must in-clude all digits 1 through 9 in any order • Every column of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order • Every 3 by 3 subsection of the 9 by 9 square must include all digits 1 through 9

Yesterday’s answers

Read the Daily!

Feel like you don't have enough space?Break out by � nding a new place ...

In the classi� edsntdaily.com

Roommate giving you problems?FInd a new one in the ntdaily classifi eds.

Afraid you won't � nd a roommate? Place an ad ...

In the classi� edsntdaily.com

NTDAILY.COMGET INFORMED

NTDAILY.COM

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDSPhone: 940-565-2851 • Fax: 940-565-4659 • Email: [email protected] • www.ntdaily.com • GAB 117, Corner of Avenue B and Mulberry

# 45

V. EASY # 45

6 2 5 49 1 4 2

9 8 34 1 7 3 9 8

2 58 3 2 5 1 4

2 6 45 1 7 9

6 7 3 4

3 8 6 1 7 2 9 5 49 1 5 4 6 3 8 2 77 2 4 5 9 8 3 6 15 4 1 7 3 6 2 9 82 6 9 8 1 4 7 3 58 3 7 9 2 5 1 4 61 9 2 6 4 7 5 8 34 5 3 2 8 1 6 7 96 7 8 3 5 9 4 1 2

# 46

V. EASY # 46

3 2 8 69 7 3 4

1 5 2 8 74 6 1 59 7

1 9 3 28 5 7 2 1

5 3 2 84 6 7 9

5 3 2 8 7 1 9 4 69 8 7 3 6 4 1 5 26 1 4 9 5 2 8 3 73 4 6 2 1 7 5 8 92 9 8 4 3 5 6 7 17 5 1 6 9 8 3 2 48 6 5 7 2 9 4 1 31 7 9 5 4 3 2 6 84 2 3 1 8 6 7 9 5

# 47

V. EASY # 47

3 2 55 2 9 3 4

6 7 1 39 8 2 6 17 4

5 2 8 3 98 1 9 71 6 9 4 8

4 3 2

1 3 7 4 2 9 6 8 55 2 9 3 6 8 4 7 18 4 6 5 7 1 3 9 29 8 2 6 4 3 5 1 77 1 3 9 8 5 2 6 46 5 4 7 1 2 8 3 92 6 8 1 9 4 7 5 33 7 1 2 5 6 9 4 84 9 5 8 3 7 1 2 6

# 48

V. EASY # 48

6 3 7 44 5 9 1 2

9 4 7 63 4 1 62 7

8 1 5 36 4 9 39 5 2 8 1

7 8 2 9

1 6 3 2 8 5 7 4 94 5 7 9 6 1 8 3 28 2 9 3 4 7 5 1 63 4 1 7 5 6 9 2 82 8 5 1 3 9 4 6 77 9 6 8 2 4 1 5 36 1 2 4 9 8 3 7 59 3 4 5 7 2 6 8 15 7 8 6 1 3 2 9 4

Page 12 of 25www.sudoku.com 24 Jul 05

# 45

V. EASY # 45

6 2 5 49 1 4 2

9 8 34 1 7 3 9 8

2 58 3 2 5 1 4

2 6 45 1 7 9

6 7 3 4

3 8 6 1 7 2 9 5 49 1 5 4 6 3 8 2 77 2 4 5 9 8 3 6 15 4 1 7 3 6 2 9 82 6 9 8 1 4 7 3 58 3 7 9 2 5 1 4 61 9 2 6 4 7 5 8 34 5 3 2 8 1 6 7 96 7 8 3 5 9 4 1 2

# 46

V. EASY # 46

3 2 8 69 7 3 4

1 5 2 8 74 6 1 59 7

1 9 3 28 5 7 2 1

5 3 2 84 6 7 9

5 3 2 8 7 1 9 4 69 8 7 3 6 4 1 5 26 1 4 9 5 2 8 3 73 4 6 2 1 7 5 8 92 9 8 4 3 5 6 7 17 5 1 6 9 8 3 2 48 6 5 7 2 9 4 1 31 7 9 5 4 3 2 6 84 2 3 1 8 6 7 9 5

# 47

V. EASY # 47

3 2 55 2 9 3 4

6 7 1 39 8 2 6 17 4

5 2 8 3 98 1 9 71 6 9 4 8

4 3 2

1 3 7 4 2 9 6 8 55 2 9 3 6 8 4 7 18 4 6 5 7 1 3 9 29 8 2 6 4 3 5 1 77 1 3 9 8 5 2 6 46 5 4 7 1 2 8 3 92 6 8 1 9 4 7 5 33 7 1 2 5 6 9 4 84 9 5 8 3 7 1 2 6

# 48

V. EASY # 48

6 3 7 44 5 9 1 2

9 4 7 63 4 1 62 7

8 1 5 36 4 9 39 5 2 8 1

7 8 2 9

1 6 3 2 8 5 7 4 94 5 7 9 6 1 8 3 28 2 9 3 4 7 5 1 63 4 1 7 5 6 9 2 82 8 5 1 3 9 4 6 77 9 6 8 2 4 1 5 36 1 2 4 9 8 3 7 59 3 4 5 7 2 6 8 15 7 8 6 1 3 2 9 4

Page 12 of 25www.sudoku.com 24 Jul 05

Page 7: 11-13-09 Edition

DestructionSCENEFriday 11.13.2009

4Friday 11.13.2009

5

[ In theaters today... ]B K M / A L E / OPINION

“2012”I doubt Emmerich (“Independence Day,” “The Patriot”) could

make another movie after this, the two-and-a-half-hour apex of all his disasters. It’s not just Washington, D.C., L.A. or New York City getting destroyed this time.

The whole world will end.I’m a huge Cusack fan, but I think this project may even be

too ambitious for the king of disaster.Tidal waves crashing over the Himalayas, the Las Vegas Strip

splitting in two, the Capitol rotunda rolling through the streets of Washington, D.C. The computer animation used to create these effects just comes off as fake.

But a sprawling epic like this will be tremendous to watch on the big screen, and it will certainly be better than Emmerich’s last two efforts: the grungy, moronic “10,000 B.C.” and the utterly ludicrous “Day After Tomorrow.”

Starring John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Danny Glover.Directed by Roland Emmerich.

BY JESSICA PAULIntern

The end is coming — or is it?The year 2012 and its rumored phenomenon of

global destruction will be in the mind of anyone who attends the release of the aptly named film today.

Directed by Roland Emmerich, the film covers a worldwide cataclysm that brings the world to its end, with survivors struggling to continue in existence.

The story spawns from a prophecy developed from Mayan culture. Because the Mayan calendar ends on Dec. 21, 2012, many interpret this as being the end of the world.

But some professors say the film and such legends are just another wave of rumors.

A common misunderstandingAlthough the film will sell tickets, the year 2012

does not signify the end of the world, said Gene Luster of the anthropology faculty.

“It’s just something that’s being hyped by Hollywood and people that write books,” Luster said. “When they talk about 2012 being the end, it’s also the beginning of a new era, and Hollywood wants to focus on the end.”

Preston Starr, UNT’s observatory manager, said that the calendar ending in 2012 isn’t significant. The Mayans just need a new one.

“It’s simply a calendar that hasn’t been repro-duced yet,” he said. “The Mayans had a long cycle for their calendar. I’m sure if I was carving some-thing in stone and I made a 4,000-year calendar I’d probably say, ‘The younger guys can do the next one.’”

Scientific theoriesOne rumor popularized by the movie suggests

the earth’s magnetic poles will shift on this day, causing mass flooding.

This pole-shifting is a recurring event in the planet’s history, Luster said.

“The magnetic poles have switched hundreds of times as the Earth has been created,” Luster said. “North and south naturally switch because of the magma center inside the Earth that is moving around.”

Cheryl Lawler of the physics faculty agreed, but she said the weakening of the poles is not signifi-cant because scientists think the magnetic field is

mainly made deep in the interior of the planet.“Having a pole reversal in our modern age will

disrupt us significantly because of all the inter-actions between the magnetic field and solar wind,” she said.

However, she did not think this disruption would destroy the surface of the Earth.

“It happens every 500,000 years on Earth, but we’ve never had a technological society,” she said. “Is it going to cause major explosions, disruptions and earthquakes? No, probably not.”

Other 2012 theories include an asteroid or comet hitting the earth, but Lawler debunks this myth as well.

“For a cataclysmic kind of thing, we think of being hit by a chunk of an asteroid or even a comet,” she said. “Those are the two things, astronomically, we would expect, but those are not predictable events necessarily.”

If objects like those were seen early enough, she said, scientists could follow their paths and discover if they would cross Earth’s path.

“That’s one of the reasons we have a global

network of telescopes that are looking for that,” she said.

Obsession with chaosOne could probably go through every culture

and find distinct dates that could be construed as a beginning and an end, Luster said. With the increasing Internet hype over such events as Y2K, 06-06-06 and now 2012, he said, people try to assign meaning to something, whether it’s random or not.

“With Y2K, the planes were supposed to fall out of the sky, and all these things didn’t happen,” he said. “Now the whole calendar has been brought into science and on the Internet, so there’s things that live forever, even past the civilization.”

In the financial industry, many take advantage of people’s obsessions with chaos to sell prod-ucts, he said.

“Markets like hype because hype is an oppor-tunity to sell things,” he said. “If you’re Hollywood and you want people to go to your movie, you want them to associate it with some real-life event.”

Hollywood renditionCody Mendoza, a music performance freshman,

said he thought the movie looks realistic, and he would go see it.

“I think it could happen because I think that the poles are going to switch,” he said. “It’s like a winter solstice kind of thing, and the last time this whole switch happened was during the last ice age.”

However, Luster said Americans are very linear and don’t tend to see the big picture.

“We’re focusing on this being the end of this era and not realizing this is just the beginning of another era because the Mayan calendar repeats itself indefinitely,” he said.

Darian McBrayer, a freshman, has refused to give in to the hype and doesn’t plan on seeing the movie.

“No, absolutely not,” McBrayer said. “It sounds just like another superstition. There are a million theories about how the world will end, and I don’t believe in one of them.”

Luster said human beings tend to take threats against their security or their imminent disease a lot more seriously.

“I think it’s just a power play,” he said. “People capitalize on fear.”

2012: The end or another conspiracy?

Page 8: 11-13-09 Edition

SportsFriday, November 13, 2009 Page 4

Justin UmbersonSports Editor

[email protected]

Want to be the editor?Publications Committee seeks Spring NT Daily Edi-tor.

Applications available online at www.ntdaily.com, ntdailydatabase.com and in GAB117.

Applicants must submit a resume and two letters of recommendation (one recommendation letter shall be from a faculty member and one recommen-dation letter from a faculty, staff mem-ber, or professional journalist outside of the NT Daily) along with the com-pleted application. Completed applica-tions should be emailed by 5p.m., November 13* to Dr. Jay Allison, [email protected]

Applicants to be able to meet with Publications Committee Tuesday, November 17 at 2:15 p.m. in GAB 114

*Incomplete or late applications will not be accepted.

BY ERIC JOHNSONSenior Staff Writer

The UNT football team (2-7, 1-5) will attempt to avoid its 11th losing streak in the past five years when it travels to Miami to face the Florida International University Golden Panthers on Saturday at 6 p.m.

UNT’s offense stalled out Saturday, but it plans to get back on track against FIU’s defense that has allowed nearly 500 yards a game this season.

“We got contained last week, so these guys are really itching to get out there and show the kind of players they are,” head coach Todd Dodge said. “We have the mindset of craving a victory, and we have the talent and ingredients to go out there and put up some points and get a win.”

After being held to 40 yards last week on 14 carries, running back Lance Dunbar, a sociology sophomore, will try to knife his way through the Swiss cheese that is the Golden Panther run defense.

FIU (2-7, 2-4) allows nearly 250 rushing yards a contest, ranking 118 out of 120 in the nation.

“Lance is so dangerous, I just don’t see him being stopped again,” said quarterback Riley Dodge, an arts and sciences redshirt freshman. “Our offen-

sive line has done a great job all year, and we trust them to open things up for the running game and really give us an advantage with their experience.”

After throwing for 189 yards and three interceptions, the gutsy quarterback will have to bounce back from one of his worst performances as well.

But with a deep and talented receiving corps full of players who can change the game with one big play, Riley Dodge will have no shortage of weapons in his aerial assault against FIU.

“We have so many explo-sive players in this offense,” said receiver Darius Carey, a kinesiology freshman. “There is so much heart, intensity and passion on this team, and we trust each other and know that any guy is capable of making a play. That’s the kind of talent we have.”

The Golden Panthers have a game changer of its own in receiver T.Y. Hilton. He will challenge a Mean Green secondary that has struggled over the last few weeks.

“He is a phenomenal player, and he inspired us to go out and find guys like Jamaal Jackson and Darius Carey,” Todd Dodge said. “The big play killed us last week, and we have got to elimi-nate that this week by keeping his impact to a minimum.”

For the second-straight week, UNT’s defense will be unsure of who it will face at quarter-back.

FIU’s Paul McCall missed last week’s game after hyper-extending his elbow on his throwing arm but will attempt to make the start on Saturday.

After getting consistent pres-sure on the quarterback for the first time in weeks, the Mean Green front seven could take advantage of an offensive line that has given up 31 sacks this season, which is the worst in conference.

“That’s a match up that we have got to capitalize on,” said defensive end Brandon Akpunku, a biology sopho-more. “We need to help out our guys in the secondary by bringing pressure and getting some sacks.”

UNT has lost its last two meetings against the Golden Panthers and will try to erase the memory last year’s 42-10 loss with a victory Saturday night at 6 p.m.

“No one is happy with how this season has gone, but no one is losing their confidence either,” Riley Dodge said. “We have had some things not go our way this year, but we are confident that we can win these last three games and end the season with some success.”

Week 10 NFL Pick ‘em

Sean4-10

Eric8-7

Justin9-6

Cincinnati@

Pittsburgh

Jacksonville@

NY Jets

Kansas City@

Oakland

New England@

Indianapolis

Jamaal Jackson, a sociology junior, runs the ball down � eld against the University of Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday at Fouts Field. Jackson leads UNT with 50 catches for 506 yards and four touchdowns.

PHOTO BY RYAN BIBB / PHOTOGRAPHER

Football team hopes to avoid consecutive losses

Volleyball team ‘pumped’ heading into final gamesBY REMINGTON BIRDStaff Writer

The UNT volleyball team (12-18, 8-8) hits the road for its last two games of the season against Arkansas State Un iversit y (20-10, 10-6) and the University of A rka nsas-L it t le Rock (14-13, 8-8), teams it faced two weeks ago at home.

The Sun Belt Conference games will help determine UNT’s seed in the confer-ence tournament, provided Troy University doesn’t win bot h of its matchups to knock the Mean Green out of the postseason.

“ We ’r e p u m p e d u p because we know if we win both of them our seed will be higher, and I think we’ll feel more confident going i n to t he tou r na ment,” said libero Jessica Green, a general business senior. “We’re just tr y ing to get prepared mentally for the tournament, and to do that we need to be focused for these last two games.”

The team’s last meeting with the UALR resulted in a win in four sets, and the next day the team dropped a heartbreaker to ASU in five.

H e a d c o a c h C a s s i e Headrick said the team is still motivated because the team’s entry in to the tour-nament depends on Troy’s performance this weekend as well.

“It is not guaranteed until this weekend, so I think our focus is the same,” she said. “Right now, we have the goal of getting the sixth seed.”

D e f e n s i v e s p e c i a l i s t Kelsey Robins, a kinesiology junior, said the team is still excited about Monday’s

win over the University of Louisiana-Lafayette but needs to remain focused.

“We can’t focus on what Troy has to do or what Troy doesn’t have to do, we have got to focus on winning some more games,” she said.

The team did not express any concerns about being on the road for its last two games after playing the last six games at home, during

which the team won three.“We are playing rested, and

we’ve got our rhy thm and spirit back because we were home for a while,” Robins said. “Nothing is going to fire us up more than knowing we’re going to the tourna-ment and killing people on the way.”

The team will face Arkansas State on Friday at 7 p.m. and UALR on Saturday at 7 p.m.

Defensive specialist Sarah Willey, a mathematics sophomore, serves the ball against the University of New Orleans on Saturday.

PHOTO BY RYAN BIBB / PHOTOGRAPHER

Page 9: 11-13-09 Edition

House Ads/DRC/2009 house adsDRC_Connect 1x4 bw Proof To: amanda

CONNECTWITH US:

facebook.com/dentonrecordchronicle

twitter.com/DentonRC

EntertainmentSCENEFriday 11.13.2009

6

BY KIP MOONEYArts & Life Editor

Despite being carried by a fantastic soundtrack, meandering storylines take the wind out of the sails of “Pirate Radio.”

The year is 1966. With the government controlling the United Kingdom’s radio stations, the golden era of rock ‘n’ roll had no outlet on the airwaves.

To cope, pirate radio stations began broadcasting from interna-tional waters, where an estimated half of the nation tuned in daily.

None of this pleases sniv-eling government official Alistair Dormandy (Kenneth Branagh, clearly enjoying a reprieve from serious roles), who makes it his

pet project to get this “filth” off the air. Dormandy is a man so bent on tradition that he fires a subordinate because of his shaggy haircut.

His replacement (Jack Davenport, “Pirates of the Caribbean”) is just the sort of kiss-up Dormandy loves.

The running joke is that he shares a last name with British slang for genitalia. It doesn’t get funnier the more it’s repeated.

Back on the boat known as Radio Rock, disc jockeys spin the best songs of the ’60s, from The Who and Procol Harum to Otis Redding and Martha Reeves and the Vandellas.

Despite having an absolutely terrific soundtrack made up of the gems of the era, it makes plenty of

painfully obvious choices when cuing songs up with some of the movie’s otherwise great scenes.

It’s in these musical moments that the movie works its magic.

Curtis is a master of light fare, but here he’s tried to bog down his movie with far too much story.

A boy goes on a quest to find true love and his biological father. An American DJ (Philip Seymour Hoffman, great as always) spars against the lothario he replaced. The “nutty” DJ desperately tries to under-stand why no one likes him.

Anyone who’s seen Curtis’ past works knows he can balance multiple storylines and wrap them up in neat little bows by the time the end credits roll.

Here, it’s just too much of every-thing.

When the film came out in the U.K. in April, it was called “The Boat that Rocked” and ran 20 minutes longer. While I think it had a much better title, a longer run time wouldn’t have fixed its problems.

The film does a good job of portraying the constant daze of life on the ship and gets its music right. It also leaves you feeling positively buoyant at times.

But it misses many opportuni-ties to make points about censor-ship, family and the transformative power of music.

By the time it becomes a retread of “Titanic,” the ship had already begun to sink.

‘Pirate Radio’ sinks under too many storylines

BY CHARLIE RALLIntern

“Fall to Pieces” is the newly released memoir of Mary Forsberg Weiland, a former model and wife to Velvet Revolver and Stone Temple

Model’s memoir shares stories of mental illness, rock lifePilots frontman Scott Weiland.

In her book, Weiland recounts growing up in southern California amid other celebrities. As a young adult, she became addicted to heavy drugs while also dealing with severe bipolar disorder that went undiag-nosed for years.

Throughout the course of her marriage, both she and her husband were in and out of rehab several times for drug abuse.

In 2007, she experienced an extreme manic episode in which she set fire to her husband’s wardrobe in the driveway of their Burbank home. The event was a tabloid media storm for the weeks to follow. After the inci-

dent, she was clinically diagnosed with bipolar disorder and began treatment to turn her life around.

Weiland talks about her experi-ences and her new book:

Q: What are you doing to promote the book?

Weiland: In the past two days, I did 13 different radio shows. Those were really fun. I’ve never done that before, so it was a good time.

Q: Why did you write the book?Weiland: Well, I’ve had a lot of

crazy experiences in my life. Things have worked out really well for me, and I’ve had a really great life. I

wanted to give somebody else some faith that they, too, can have an awesome life and get the help that they might need.

Q: Was it hard you to expose all this about yourself to the public?

Weiland: Yeah, but I’m really open, so I don’t mind sharing. But s omet i me s people can be nega-tive, and there’s a lot of negativity on the Internet — people that haven’t even read the book. I knew everybody wasn’t going to love it, but other than that I’ve been receiving really great feedback. People seem to understand the reason why I wrote it, and that’s awesome.

Q: Who do you want to read this book?

Weiland: Well, there’s a fun part, then there’s some celebrity silliness, and then there’s information on

addiction. There’s some stories from backstage — from spending time with the band and then the mental

illness side. I think there’s a lot for a lot of different people. Hopefully it won’t be just something that one group attaches itself to. Hopefully, I’ll branch out.

Q: Why were you not diagnosed with bipolar disorder until later in life?

Weiland: I was actually diagnosed originally in my early

20s. But because I was using drugs, I assumed that that was an incorrect diagnosis, so I ignored it. Not until I had a very horrible manic episode in 2007 was I diagnosed again.

“Fall to Pieces” is in stores now.

To read the full interview, visit ntdaily.com

Page 10: 11-13-09 Edition

TheaterSCENE Friday 11.13.2009

7

“Demon Days” - Gorillaz

1”Gonna Fly Now,” Bill Conti

2”Rock Your Body,”

Justin Timberlake

3”Break Stuff,”Limp Bizkit

4”So What’cha Want,” The Beastie Boys

5”Feel Good Inc.,”Gorillaz

6”Killing in the Name,”

Rage Against the Machine

7”Play Your Part (Part 1),”

Girl Talk

8”Smooth Criminal,” Alien Ant Farm

9”All These Things That I’ve Done,”The Killers

10 ”Good Life,” Kanye West

Press Play

Music to Work Out toBy Morgan WalkerStaff Writer

Students can take a trip back in time and soak in music of the ’50s and ’60s at Denton Community Theatre’s production of “Forever Plaid.”

The show, directed and choreo-graphed by Robert Emery, opens at 7:30 tonight.

The musical begins with four high school students — Sparky, Jinx, Smudge and Frankie — on their rise to fame starring in harmony group The Plaids.

While on the road to its first big gig, the group is suddenly struck by a bus full of Catholic girls on their way to catch the Beatles make their U.S. television debut.

The members of The Plaids are killed instantly but miraculously get the chance to come back and continue their careers during the modern-day era.

“Basically, this is the show that they never got to perform,” said Jeff Petersen, a radio, television and film sophomore at North Central Texas College.

Petersen stars as Francis, one of the four members of the group.

“He’s sort of the leader of the group, I suppose,” Petersen said. “In the show, he’s the one that creates all the choreography and keeps everybody in line.”

The humor of the musical is dry and razor-sharp, Petersen said.

“I love that I can have four generations of my family sitting side-by-side who can all enjoy the show equally,” Petersen said. “There are not a lot of shows that can accommodate that.”

This is the first show Emery has directed at the Campus Theatre.

He said he jumped at the oppor-tunity to direct this musical and has seen about 18 different productions of the show.

‘Plaid’ revives 1950s band in modern-day Denton musical

“It’s something that I’ve wanted to do for a very long time,” Emery said.

Because he served as both director and choreographer, he said it was both difficult and easy handling the jobs.

“I know exactly what the chore-ographer is thinking, and the choreographer knows what the stage director is thinking,” Emery said.

This is also the first show at the Campus Theatre for Jack Perl, a graduate of KD Actors Conservatory in Dallas.

Perl plays Sparky, the “clown” of the show, and said it’s is a role much different than he’s used to playing.

“Usua l ly I’m t he younger, quieter, shy kind of person and

“Forever Plaid”Dates: 7:30 p.m. Nov. 13-14 2 p.m. Nov. 15 7:30 p.m. Nov. 20-21 2 p.m. Nov. 22

Cost: $18 adults, $16 seniors, $10 students and children

For more information, call the box office at 940-382-1915

in this one I get to be really outgoing and we get to dance with plungers,” Perl said.

He wants audience members to walk out of the show singing and dancing with a sense of happi-ness.

“That’s what this show is,” Perl said. “It’s four guys just doing what they absolutely love.”

Photo by morGan Walker / PhotoGraPher

Alex Ross stars as Smudge in the musical “Forever Plaid,” which opens 7:30 tonight at the Campus Theatre.

To see multimedia for this story, visit ntdaily.com

Page 11: 11-13-09 Edition

MusicSCENEFriday 11.13.2009

8

By Kip MooneyArts & Life Editor

Phil Wickham is constantly evolving.

On his 2006 self-titled debut, he showcased his singer-song-writer side with acoustic gems like “Divine Romance” and “I Will Wait for You There.”

He expanded his sound on 2007’s “Cannons,” aiming for arena-f i l l ing anthems. You’ve probably sung “True Love” in church.

B u t u n l i k e many Christian artists, who have yet to explore the mu sic a l world beyond the 7-11 patter n (seven words repeated 11 times), Wickham is a true inno-vator.

“Heaven and Earth,” which drops Tuesday, is the year’s best pop album.

Regardless of your belief, the songs are undeniably catchy and uplifting, but they never veer into cheesy territory.

The album begins with “Eden,” an utterly captivating track about Wickham’s yearning to fix a broken relationship. It used to be beau-tiful, but he messed it up.

But Wickham is never one to stay down about anything. He’s resolved to restore the relationship to its original, glorious state.

While many singer-songwriters appeal to listeners’ narcissism, hoping to elicit the response “It’s like he’s singing my life,” Wickham pulls off a rare feat: You can actu-ally feel his passion in every song.

When he sings how he’s “climbing the fences” and “crossing the sea” in the title track, you can clearly

picture it. These are love songs of the

highest order.But occasionally, Wickham gets

a little heated when people don’t get it.

He calls out disingenuous people who are less than honest in their relationships.

“You’ve learned every song/ Memorized the verse/ Took the

bread and wine/ And even bought t he shirt,” he chastises on “The Time is Now.”

But he’s not just goi ng to gripe about prob-lems in the world. Later in the song, he encourages his listeners to “be the resistance” to this type of

counterfeit love.It’s one of the few

l e s s - t h a n - j o y o u s songs on the album.

Elsewhere, many of the songs on the album pair up perfectly.

“Hold On” segues into lead single “Safe,” featuring Bart Millard from MercyMe.

While both songs had plenty of opportunities to go awry, to lose impact, the earnestness of both singers shines through.

It’s a trait that flows through the entire album, especially on the one-two punch of “In Your City” and “Your Arrival.”

While deeply moving and magnif-icent tracks, they’re both just good songs period.

This is an album with massive crossover appeal, and not because Wickham has sold out or watered down his message.

It’s just his new batch of songs continue to prove why he should be a name everyone knows.

Phil Wickham releases ‘Heaven’-ly new album