sidelines online - 9/19/12

MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY

SEPT. 19, 2012 EDITORIALLY INDEPENDENT

Fall brings multitude of regional music festival options

CONTENTNEWS

RANTS AND RAVES

FEATURES

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

OPINIONS

SPORTS

Sidelines Staff

8 Meet your homecoming king and queen candidates By Emily Kubis

COVER STORY10The Mid-South hosts music festivals for your fall enjoyment

By Emily Kubis and Jane Horne

12 Smartphone apps have the potential to change photography By Lauren Mandrell

13 Nostalgic pastime makes a resurgence among young music fans By Jay Powell

14 Check out local happenings By Jessica Kryza

17 U.S. interventionism exacerbates global conflict By Alex Harris

Becca [email protected]

Richel AlbrightManaging [email protected]

Asher HudsonOnline [email protected]

Abena Ka-DumasaneOnline [email protected]

Alex HubbardCampus news [email protected]

Emily WestCommunity news [email protected]

Emily KubisFeatures [email protected]

Jane Horne Arts & Entertainment [email protected]

Mark MizeSports [email protected]

Alex Harris Opinions [email protected]

Kelsey KlingenmeyerDesign [email protected]

Nhu Duong Photo editor [email protected]

Matt MastersAssociate photo [email protected]

Justin ThrelkeldAd [email protected]

Leon [email protected]

Intramurals provide for fitness, friendship for student body By Mark Mize

19

Visit us at www.mtsusidelines.comJohn Bragg Mass Communication Building

Center for Innovation in Media1301 East Main Street P.O. Box 8, Murfreesboro, TN 37132

Editorial: 615-494-7648

2 SIDELINES |Sept. 19, 2012 | www.mtsusidelines.com

Conference allows girls to magically “STEM” into science By Chris Marrano

Youth need to embrace liberty, reject government dependence By Matthew Hurtt

5

4Campus food pantry opens: homeless, low income targeted By Alex HubbardEngineering professor drives innovation forward By Quint Qualls

6 Historic home offers authentic, old fashioned activites By Emily West

18

3 A letter from our editor

7 Crime Briefs

13 Avett Brothers channel darker emotions in ‘The Carpenter’ By Richel Albright

Cover Graphic by Andrew Williams

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Corrections from 9/12 issue:Cover graphic by Andrew Williams.

In the cover story, “Immigrants become citizens, population more diversified,” immigrants pursuing citizenship must remain in the United States a total of five years, not months. The

fee for the N-400 form is $680, not $595. In the Rants & Raves section, the incorrect art and event information was paired with Sara

Evans’ performance at the Grand Ole Opry last weekend.The opinion “The problem with #whitepeopleproblems” was written by Christopher Mer-

chant.The photo for “Blue Raider Hall of Fame adds prestigious field in 2012” was taken by Darby

Campbell, not Jay Bailey.

Sidelines regrets these errors.

A letter from our editor... From the day I was born, I was instilled with a belief in this country and in the free-dom it is meant to stand for. I was born 21 years ago to a military family at the Naval Hospital in Bremerton, Wa., across the Puget Sound from Seattle. My father was a lieutenant in the Navy on the USS Carl Vinson. After graduating from Mississippi State Uni-versity with a degree in mechanical engineering, he promptly married my mother and went into the Navy. He always told me he wasn’t ready to settle into a normal 9-to-5 office job and wanted to see the world, so he did just that. I suspect there was more to that decision than mere restlessness. When I was 13, my eighth grade class went to Washington, D.C. to tour the city. It wasn’t a long trip, but it was the farthest I had ever been from home and from my parents. I was really excited, and my parents, my dad in particular,

were nervous. The night before I left, my dad sat me down in the living room, directly across from his chair– that’s how I knew he meant business. He looked me square in the eyes, his own were mirror im-ages of mine. He spoke quietly, seriously. It was the voice he used when he wanted me to listen carefully, another trait I inherited. He told me I was go-ing to see things in the capital of America that he wanted me to think about. He told me that in visiting each memo-

rial, I would– would, not should– stand respectfully and silently, and think about the sac-rifices that were made for the freedom of my country. When I got to D.C. and saw those memori-als, when I stood before the Vietnam Memorial and watched the chang-ing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns, I felt something. In a lot of ways, I was too young to fully under-stand it, but I felt some-thing deep and proud and somber. Several of my classmates were talking and laughing,

but I couldn’t disobey my father. I couldn’t forget the look on his face when he told me to take what I was experi-encing seriously. In a lot of ways, my father shaped me. He was a strict disciplinar-ian, but always did so in love, never in anger. Much of my childhood was spent not wanting to disappoint him–in a lot of ways that never changed. I had excellent posture, good manners and helped my mother around the house. My father was confident in the way he ran our household, and my sister and I were ex-pected to fulfill our duties completely. From this, I learned self-control, strength and organization. I learned to love well and to think through things logically first (although I still have trouble with that one from time to time). My dad instilled in me a love for freedom, which eventually devel-oped into a deep belief in the First Amendment and all that it stands for. He had no idea that

his little green-eyed girl would grow up to be a reporter, an advo-cate of freedom of the press, free speech and right of everyone to worship their own god as they feel led. Many who know me and read this may be a little surprised– I’m a self-proclaimed cynic, and I’m never the first in the room to stand up as a red-blooded American to proclaim my pa-triotism. However, I do have belief in freedom and deep gratitude for all that has been done to protect our basic hu-man rights as they were intended. Earlier this week, we celebrated Constitution Day across campus. In our own little corner of the world, 300 im-migrants will become U.S. citizens. They will vote in the upcoming election, and they will exercise their rights daily, ideally without fear. There is some-thing poetic, and almost magical, about such an event taking place in Murfreesboro, a town that has been caught

in the crossfire of a battle against religious freedom. I’d like to hope that this will be a catalyst for change, an inspiration for a com-munity that has experi-enced so much chaos, confusion and senseless violence over the past several years. My father and I are very different people. He’s a true Southern man, kind-hearted and fiercely protective of me, never hesitating to threaten any boy bold enough to accompany me home. He loves his small-town life and meticulously cares for his yard. He collects guns and never misses a Mississippi State foot-ball game. He teases me about being a “liberal,” and recently joked to his doctor that maybe you can’t take the country out of the girl, but that I was sure going to try. He’s also the best man I know, and I’m proud to be the American daugh-ter of a former Naval officer, Lieutenant Mark S. Andrews.

-Becca AndrewsEditor-in-Chief

SIDELINES | Sept. 19, 2012 | www.mtsusidelines.com 3

Becca and her father, Mark Andrews, enjoy some quality time at her parents’ house in Bells, Tenn.

For more news, sports and entertainment visit

mtsusidelines.com

NEWS

This weekend, MTSU students and professors aim to showcase the magical world of Harry Potter for preteen and teenage girls with a pas-sion for science and to magically break down pre-existing barriers and gender roles. Over 400 middle- and high-school girls will experience the “Science of Hogwarts” and learn about career opportuni-ties in STEM fields on Saturday at the 16th annual Expand Your Horizons in Math and Science Conference at MTSU. STEM is the Science, Technology, Engineer-ing and Mathematics Education Coalition that works with Congress to promote science and math education across the United States. The “Science of Hogwarts” explores the science behind some of the most famous magic that happens at the Hog-warts School of Witch-craft and Wizardry in the popular Harry Potter series. The girls will experience how levita-tion is created by using

special wands, make shrunken house-elf heads and learn the sci-ence behind making the tip of the wand produce light. The event has many undergraduate students acting as group-leaders for the girls, which provides the student volunteers with practi-cal experience working with children. “Many [group-lead-ers] are STEM majors and believe passion-ately that girls should be encouraged in the math and science field,” said Laura Clippard, the group-leader coor-dinator and academic advisor at MTSU. “The most important thing about the event is the encouragement that girls get.” MTSU graduate student Katrina Smith began working with Ex-panding Your Horizons as a group leader and now runs this particular workshop. “My main goal is showing the girls sci-ence is fun and some-thing not to be afraid of,” Smith said. For the past 16 years, Judith Iriarte-Gross,

professor of chemis-try and director of the Women in STEM Cen-ter, put this conference together to introduce girls to avenues they previously considered closed to them. “If we do not encour-age girls and other un-derrepresented groups, we will lose our place as a world leader,” Iriarte-Gross said. The program seeks to draw more girls into the fields of science, tech-nology, engineering and mathematics and com-bat gender stereotypes in those career paths. According to Irarte-Gross, the biggest takeaway for the par-ticipants is that girls can have a rewarding future in STEM. Expanding Your Horizons has around 100 conferences in the U.S. each year, but only 10 in the South. She has already made progress by helping to spread Expanding Your Hori-zons into the University of Memphis. This year will break the record for atten-dance with 448 girls registered, according to Iriarte-Gross.

Conference allows girls to magically “STEM” into science

By Chris MarranoContributing writer

A campus food pantry meant to serve the temporary needs of MTSU’s low-income and homeless students is open and seeking food donations after months of uncertainty. The pantry is housed and operated from the University College Advising Center in the McFarland Building. In less than two weeks, the pantry col-lected nearly 75 pounds of food, said Becca Seul, who helps oversee the pantry, but certain needs still need to be met. “We have a big need for breakfast-type stuff, like oatmeal and the little individual box cereal,” Seul said. “The soups and vegetables in cans are great. We have to keep in mind, we’re giving out cans, and a lot of students don’t even have access to can openers, so we have to try to get those easy-open cans if we can.” Seul also said bottled water and boxed juices also remain a need. Due to logistical rea-sons in accounting, the pantry will not currently accept money dona-tions. The purpose of the pantry is to offer temporary assistance. Seul said a log will be kept, and students with a persisting need will be advised of other, larger community organiza-tions that can help offer permanent solutions. Students seeking services from the pantry will need to bring

student identification to prove enrollment in the university. The idea of a food pantry first came up in April in legislation passed by the Student Government Associa-tion, but implementa-tion was delayed due to concerns about which campus department would be best to over-see the operation. But Seul said this pantry began as an inde-pendent effort. “It was basically an idea between me and one of our assis-tant directors, Heather Arrington,” Seul said. “I do the homeless verifications for MTSU for financial aid. I’ve noticed a big increase in the homeless population on campus, foster-care students and students coming from low income, so we decided that it was something that we needed to do.” The pantry will take donations and offer ser-vices Monday through

Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and an updated list of pantry needs can be found at http://www.mtsu.edu/advising/FoodPantry.php. Despite setbacks in its own attempt at a pantry, SGA will move forward as a partner with the advising center, leaders said. “The University Col-lege Advising Center decided that they actu-ally had the facility and the full-time staff for them to be able to run it,” said SGA Executive Vice President Rachel Lee, a major proponent of the pantry. “They’re going to have a con-sistent staff to run it year after year, whereas officers and senators are going to change out by the year, and so that is one plus side for sure, just to ensure sustain-ability.” Although Lee and Seul both said SGA would have a role in

Campus food pantry opens: homeless, low income targeted

By Alex HubbardCampus news editor

A campus food pantry has a variety of food to feed MTSU stu-dents. Photo courtesy of MTSU News and Public Affairs.

Girls take advantage of the STEM program at MTSU year after year to learn about opportunities available to them in science and technological industries. Photo courtesy of Facebook.

4 SIDELINES |Sept. 19, 2012 | www.mtsusidelines.comPANTRY continued on page 7

An MTSU research project spearheaded by an engineering technol-ogy professor recently received national media exposure and is set to move toward commer-cial development. Over the past five years, Charles Perry and a team of students have designed a hybrid plug-in motor, called a retrofit kit, which allows any vehicle to convert to hybrid capability. The project garnered the attention of com-mercial and media interests across the globe almost overnight, including ABC News’s Bill Weir and the online program “This Could Be Big,” a collaboration between Yahoo! and ABC.

“I get calls and emails every day from literally all over the globe,” Perry said. “This includes world class automotive hybrid motor experts at other

universities and auto-motive engineers from major corporations.” Since 2007, Perry and a team of nine students have worked on the hybrid plug-in

prototype, which has successfully turned a 1994 Honda Accord into a fully-capable hybrid vehicle, almost doubling its miles per gallon. The prototype

kit uses space in the rear-wheel to package an electric motor. “The plug-in hy-brid retrofit kit allows adding plug-in hybrid capability and perfor-

mance to almost any car with no major mechani-cal modification,” Perry said. Most major automo-tive manufacturers are now moving in the direction of hybrid tech-nology due to economic and environmental factors. The rising cost of gas is driving many consumers to seek alternatives to tradi-tional vehicles, which is simultaneously driving further research into hybrid technologies, Perry said. Jay Perry, an engi-neering technology student in the master’s program, has been in-volved with the research project since 2010. “A new method of transportation has to be sought out,” Jay Perry said. “The hybrid wheel-hub motor is

NEWSEngineering professor drives innovation forward

By Quint Qualls Contributing Writer

Jay Perry, a graduate student in engineering technology, has worked with professor Charles Perry on the hybrid project since 2010.Photo courtesy of MTSU News and Public Affairs.


ENGINEERING continued on page 7

Less than two miles from campus, the antebellum Oaklands Historic House museum is holding fall events ranging from wine tast-ings to mourning tours. The house has been part of the Rutherford County landscape since 1813, when James Maney started a planta-tion on 274 acres of land. After over 100 years of the land and house passing hands, the city of Murfreesboro purchased the property, making the Oaklands part of the historical community. In continuation of its annual events, the museum will begin its fall festivities Sept. 20-21 with an all-day wash, churn and learn experi-ence. The $5 event is geared more toward elementary children, but anyone is welcome to participate in the hands-on presentations. “Children will be able to learn how to churn butter,” said Mary Beth Nevills, education director of the Oaklands Historic House. “They will also get to beat rugs and wash clothing on a wash board. Children will be able to see what life was like in the 1800s.” In the same week, the museum will also host a wine tasting and dinner al fresco Sept. 27 at 425 East Main St. starting at 6 p.m. The event is presented by local restaurants, stores and media with tickets costing $55. Starting in October, the house anticipates

more students from the MTSU community to tour the house and visit the grounds. The last two weeks of Octo-ber, the Oaklands will be hosting its annual mourning tour, which consists of a guided tour of the house and the Evergreen Cemetery. “We are going to show visitors what Victorian mourning customs are like,” Nevills said. “The shut-ters will be drawn and

musical instruments closed. There is lots of superstition involved in the customs. Visitors will also get a tour of the cemetery and get a small history lesson without even realizing it.” Some MTSU stu-dents will intentionally receive history lessons, as two different de-partments will go to the house for trips in October. History professor

Elizabeth Gritter is taking her students to the museum in order for them to have a firsthand look at an aspect of community life in the antebellum era. “I am teaching U.S. History to 1877, and students will be able to experience a historic house from this time period through touring the mansion,” Gritter said. “It is an exhibit not only appropriate for the month of October, given

Halloween, but also it will provide a unique perspective on 19th century American his-tory. I am a big believer in incorporating local history into my class, and Oaklands Mansion, given its historical sig-nificance and proximity to campus, provides a great opportunity for doing so.” Nursing professor Mary Lavender is also taking her students to the museum during her

class’s regular lecture time to study and learn about 19th century medicine and end-of-life practices. “I take them to the museum because most of our students are young, and they need to know how their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents deal with end-of-life, which is the class I teach,” Lavender said. “The mansion has good examples like the black ribbons on the mirrors, and they cover the customs and rituals along with sharing how people handled death in the 1800s and early 1900s.” Regular mourning tours of the home will be open to the public for $5, and the presentation lasts up to an hour. After the Halloween season, the museum plans to host its annual field day on the lawn of the grounds for all pub-lic and homeschooled children in Rutherford County. For the re-maining two months of the year, the house will be decorated for the holiday season and preparing for the tour of homes. However, Nevills mentioned that students don’t have to come for any special event or holiday season. “Students don’t always have to come for events,” Nevills said. “College students come for something affordable to do on the weekend, and I know in the past some history professors have offered extra credit for students who came on their own.”

NEWSHistoric home offers authentic, old-fashioned activities

By Emily WestCommunity news

editor

Oaklands Historic House is conveniently located near MTSU on North Maney Street, and hosts educational reenactments. The antebellum home, built in 1813, is also a regular staple on the holiday tour of homes in Murfreesboro. Photo by Darby Campbell


promoting and work-ing with the pantry, the details have yet to be confirmed. While comprehensive data on the nationwide trend of campus food pantries and of the num-ber of students in need are not available, recent media coverage, aca-demic studies and the generally poor economy seem to indicate both have risen in recent years. Pantries at Tennes-see State University and at Austin Peay both began earlier this year, and a 2010 study at the City University of New York, cited in a Sept. 10 article of the Chronicle of Higher Education found that 39 percent of students in the CUNY system dealt with some form of hunger in the previous year. Seul said that com-ing forward is often the hardest part. “We have more students on this cam-pus that will actually struggle on their own instead of self-identify because they don’t want people to know,” Seul said. But Seul added that often these situations are temporary and can be dealt with quickly. Of the 48 students that she verified as homeless since March 2011, Seul said she has renewed only four to date. “From my perspec-tive it looks like these students are getting back on their feet and are finding places to live,” she said. “We’ve given them a lot of resources in the com-munity to help them get on their feet as well.”

NEWS


one of the answers to the problem. It can be purchased cheap, and it is easy to install.” Ken Gendrich, a graduate assistant and member of the research project, was first intro-duced to Perry’s proto-type at an MTSU Earth Day presentation. “I knew immediately what it was, and the potential impact it could have,” Gendrich said. “My background in-cluded industrial vehicle instrumentation packag-es. By chance, that was key to the next phase of the project. I now have complete confidence that this product truly meets the fuel savings identified.” The research project is ongoing, and there is still much to be done before the product hits the automotive markets. According to Dr. Perry, this is just the begin-ning. The next stage of the project will be the de-velopment of a market-able version of the retro-fit kit, to be designed by industry professionals and built in a manufac-turing facility. “We have an agree-

ment with an industrial partner to design and build the next com-mercial version of the plug-in hybrid retrofit kit,” Perry said. “We are seeking investor funds to pay for this next stage. It will cost about $1 million. This high-initial cost is driven by a need for additional reli-ability and performance optimization work that is typical when develop-ing automotive technol-ogy of this type.” Perry said that he hopes all of the media attention and public-ity from national news outlets will assist in finding and stimulat-ing potential investors, lead the project into its next phase and pres-ent MTSU as a serious research institution. “Many, myself in-cluded, are committed to creating a culture of innovation at MTSU,” Perry said. “Dr. [Samu-el] Ricketts in agribusi-ness and agriscience has been on this path for years as well as many others in engineering technology, chemistry, biology, aerospace, and many other depart-ments.”

Charles Perry has worked wtih students on the hybrid plug-in proto-type since 1997. Photo courtesy of MTSU News and Public Affairs

PANTRY continued from page 4ENGINEERING continued from page 4 Harassment

Judd Hall Sept. 12, 1:45 a.m. Authorities responded to a verbal dispute be-tween a couple. No as-sault occurred. The male complainant reported that the female was fol-lowing him and would not leave him alone. The female complainant reported that the male had taken her vehicle without permission. Neither party wished to file charges and sepa-rated for the night.

Alarm Murphy Center Sept. 12, 9:12 p.m. Officers responded to a fire alarm. The fire department determined that no fire was present, and the dryers in the athletics laundry room activated the alarm.

Warrant East Main Street Sept. 13, 1:23 a.m. Authorities arrested Bradley Sanders, 19, on the charge of active warrant for violation of probation.

TrafficAlumni Drive Sept. 13, 8:08 a.m. Authorities arrested Chad Simcoe, 29, on the charges of unlawful possession of drug para-phernalia and criminal trespassing. Authorities also issued Simcoe a citation for driving on a suspended license, reg-istration violation and failure to provide proof of financial responsibil-ity.

Alarm Murphy Center Sept. 13, 10:10 p.m. Officers responded to

a fire alarm near the locker room. No signs of fire were found.

AlcoholScarlett Commons Apt. 5 Sept. 13, 11:38 p.m. Authorities arrested Leo Myers, 20, on the charge of underage con-sumption of alcohol.

AlcoholRutherford Boulevard Sept. 14, 12:34 a.m. Authorities issued a citation to Marina Click, 19, and Catherine Ar-nold, 19, for underage possession of alcohol.

AlcoholRutherford Boulevard Sept. 14, 2:19 a.m. Authorities arrested Cameron McDowell, 19, and Allen Tyler, 18, on the charge of under-age consumption.

CRIME BRIEFS

FEATURESMeet your homecoming king and queen candidates

Voting for homecom-ing elections began Monday and will con-tinue through Friday. To vote, visit mtsu.edu/mymt and login with your PipelineMT information. Click “Vote Now!” beside the Homecoming King and Queen ballot. Here are the candidates:

Queen CandidatesFrance Makabu, Senior

Major: Business ad-ministrationHometown: Paris, FranceExtracurricular activi-ties: Track and Field, Sigma Gamma Rho, Chi Alpha Sigma, SUASA and the Chemistry Society I want to be queen because: A lot of people do not realize how blessed MTSU is for being so diverse…I am myself straight from France, and I realized that here at MTSU we are all Blue Raiders regardless of where we come from. I will be representative of the di-versity and togetherness that lives at MTSU.

Amy Burns, Senior

Major: Exercise sci-enceHometown: Murfrees-boro, Tenn.Extracurricular activi-ties: Panhellenic Coun-cil, Physical Therapy club, Raider Outdoor Lightening Leader-ship, MTSU Recreation Center I want to be queen because: I am very passionate about MTSU and the Blue Raider community. I have put my all into the three years that I have been here. I would love to represent the MTSU students and would do so in the most honor-able manner.

Callie Durham, Senior

Major: Electronic me-dia communication and SpanishHometown: McMin-nville, Tenn.Extracurricular activities: Alpha Delta Pi, MT10, 2011 Miss Middle Tennessee Blue Raider, Phi Kappa Phi I want to be queen

because: I have been in love with our amazing university family and involved community. I would strive to aid others in having the best Blue Raider experience possible— I already consider myself lucky to get to share these blue and white colors and MTSU emblem with each and every one of you. You make me proud to be a Blue Raider.

Lindsay Cheatham, Senior

Major: BiologyHometown: Fort Lau-derdale, Fla.Extracurricular activi-ties: Volleyball, Student Athletic Advisory Com-mittee I want to be queen so: I can do my part in helping build a more unified student body. I want to have fun, meet new people and enjoy some of the luxuries of being a student without the athlete attached to it.

Meron Aregai, Senior

Major: General sci-ence, minor in commu-nity and public healthHometown: Addis Abeba, EthiopiaExtracurricular ac-tivities: Sigma Alpha Lamda, Chemistry Club, Delta Delta, Al-pha Kappa Alpha I want to be queen because: As a Blue Raider, I am proud to represent my school and my ethnicity in a public eye. I feel like I am an absolute definition of True Blue. I’m active on campus, and maintain a good GPA.

Lindsay Ryan Mann, Junior

Major: NursingHometown: Evansville, Ind.Extracurricular activi-ties: Alpha Omicron Pi, Panhellenic Executive Board, Student Nurse Association I want to be queen because: I am just truly passionate about [the] campus of MTSU and the people here. If I were elected homecom-ing queen, I would just hope to shine a positive light on just how much this campus has to offer with all of its diverse groups and the unity we can create.

Amber Page Glass, Junior

Major: Health care administrationHometown: Lawrence-burg, Tenn.Extracurricular activities: Zeta Tau Alpha, volleyball, EMT services I want to be queen because: October is Breast Cancer Aware-ness Month, and also when homecoming queens get the most rec-ognition. I want to get everyone at MTSU in-volved in breast cancer awareness and educa-tion. It has also been a dream of mine to have the honor of being homecoming queen and representing the entire campus.

Elizabeth Lambert, Ph.D.

Major: HistoryHometown: Knoxville, Tenn.Extracurricular activi-ties: National Council on Public History, American Association of University Women,

Eta Sigma Phi I want to be queen because: I’m running on behalf of the Gradu-ate Student Association. We would love to see our organization do well in this election to re-mind graduate students that they are an impor-tant part of our universi-ty’s True Blue character. We are an organization that thrives on our diversity and through our candidacy hope to showcase the many wonderful students that make MTSU a site of academic excellence and life-long learning.

Tramaine Nixon, SeniorMajor: Public relations

Hometown: Jackson, Tenn. I want to be queen because: For many years, we’ve had the mentality that a home-coming queen should be the perfect person who makes no mistakes, [but] a queen should be someone who is a rep-resentation of the entire student body. I believe it’s time to change our mindset from what a homecoming queen should be and get in the mindset of who identi-fies with me.

By Emily KubisFeatures editor

8 SIDELINES |Sept. 19, 2012 | www.mtsusidelines.comcont. on page 9

FEATURES

Hailey Horton, SeniorMajor: Organizational

communicationHometown: Selmer, Tenn.Extracurricular activities: Alpha Chi Omega, vice president of recruitment and vice president of member-ship programming, student orientation assistant I want to be queen because: I am inter-ested in running for homecoming queen because of the pride I have for MTSU. I have been involved in many aspects of campus and have thrived in my experiences. I would like to further leave my mark at MTSU by running for the 2012 homecoming court.

Rachel Lee, SeniorMajor: Organizational

communicationHometown: Murfrees-boro, Tenn.Extracurricular ac-tivities: SGA Executive vice president, student orientation assistant, Raiders for Christ, Cen-tennial Student Ambas-

sador I want to be queen because: MTSU de-serves a queen who represents a multitude of areas on campus and has a huge heart for all Blue Raiders. I believe, through my campus in-volvement, convictions and love for MTSU, I am True Blue and rep-resent our students, no matter where they come from.

Maggie Hunt, SeniorMajor: Art History

Hometown: Columbia, Tenn.Extracurricular activities: Chi Omega, MTSU High Five Club, Honors Association of Art History I want to be queen because: I want to represent this great university with spirited-ness and show how life-changing a decision to join a student organiza-tion can be. This is the least I can give to the school that has already given me so much.

King CandidatesBuddy Renner, JuniorMajor: Aerospace

Hometown: Morris-town, Tenn.Extracurricular activities: Interfrater-nity Council, Sigma Pi, Raider Representative, student orientation as-sistant, Blue Elite I want to be king because: I want to continue voicing my enthusiasm for our university. I have had the opportunity to do it through my organiza-tions as well as working for the Blue Elite, and this gives me a way to continue doing so.

Joe Jackson, SeniorMajor: Business ad-

ministrationHometown: Knoxville, Tenn. I want to be king because: I love to get involved on my cam-pus. I have been doing so for the past four years here at MTSU, and I feel that becoming the homecoming king is one of the highest levels of involvement. In the campaign process. I hope to get to meet a lot of the great students who also go here and to get to reach out to the student body in my last year.

Matthew Hibdon, Senior

Major: Administra-tion and supervision in higher educationHometown: McMin-nville, Tenn. I want to be king because: I have a true passion for serving others and MTSU. To truly reap the benefits of being MTSU students, we must embrace our similarities and differ-ences while working together. Whether you are in the aerospace program, the Honors College, graduate stud-ies or the Adult Degree Completion program, I want to represent you as homecoming king.

Michael Ryne Alexan-der, Senior

Major: Organizational communicationHometown: Nolens-ville, Tenn.Extracurricular activi-ties: Alpha Tau Omega, SGA Homecoming Committee I want to be king because: I think that I would be a good face for MTSU as far as what the univer-

sity stands for and the values and beliefs of the students. I love this uni-versity and would love to have the chance to be a face for the student body.

Brian Williams, Senior

Major: Electronic me-dia journalismHometown: Chatta-nooga, Tenn.Extracurricular activi-ties: Phi Beta Sigma, NAACP, National Society for Leadership and Success, United Way community service organization I want to be king be-cause: I feel as if I am a good representation of this university. I have been very involved and active on this campus since I got here, and I would like nothing more to leave my mark on this university.

Curtis Strode, Jr., Senior

Major: International relations and SpanishHometown: McMin-nville, Tenn. I want to be king be-cause: I want to repre-sent this great university

that has given me so much in my four years here as an undergradu-ate. I have a strong pride in this univer-sity and becoming king would be nothing short of an honor.

Drew Jenkins, Junior

Major: Music educa-tion and vocal generalHometown: Jefferson City, Tenn. I want to be king because: I would love nothing more than to represent the student body, the College of Music and the De-partment of Housing, specifically.

Additional Candi-dates: Morriah Rosser

Nick Booher

cont. from page 8


COVER STORYThe Mid-South hosts music festivals for your fall enjoyment

The upcoming fall season is like Christmas for music lovers. This time of year is filled with countless music festivals – electronic, old school, indie rock and everything in be-tween. And luckily for MTSU students, most of these can’t-miss fes-tivals are taking place just a day’s drive or less away. So grab your latest paycheck, a few friends, a pre-festival roadtrip playlist and give yourself the gift of live music.

Music Midtown Festival, Sept. 21-

22, Atlanta, GATwo day ticket- $100

One day- $55Foo Fighters, The

Avett Brothers, Flor-ence and the Machine, Pearl Jam, Girl Talk,

Ludacris

Music Midtown Festival has it all. No matter what genre you call your favorite, there will be something here for you. Headliners from across the country are coming to Atlanta for this two-day festival and at the perfect price for college students. At $55 for one day, or $100 for both, either of those prices could easily be paid for just one of the headliners. So do your-self a favor and head to Atlanta to see at least one artist that you know you’ve been dying to

see.

Boomslang, Sept. 20-23, Lexington,

KYFour day, all access

pass- $70The Jesus and Mary Chain, Jeff Magnum (Neutral Milk Hotel),

Das Racist, Saint Vitus

These four days of rock, punk and death metal spread across Lexington are put on by the University of Kentucky’s student radio station, WRFL. It’s known for the non-commercial music that is promoted on the station, and Boomslang ultimately represents that. Check out X A M B U C A for a visual and audio-centered concert, and be sure to make it to Doomslang or Queer-slang on Saturday night. Bayfest, Oct. 5-7,

Mobile, ALWeekend pass- $45

Pat Benatar, Journey, Luke Bryan, Pretty

Lights

Alabama’s larg-est music festival has shows for all ages. From Pat Benatar and Jour-ney, to Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, to Luke Bryan to Pretty Lights to Buckcherry, Bayfest will have something constantly playing to entertain you. Ninety bands are on the lineup, which equals your weekend pass costing only 50 cents per band. And what better excuse to head to the beach than for a music festi-val? Enjoy some sun-

shine and music before it’s too late.

Counterpoint, Sept. 27-29, Atlan-

ta, GAThree-day Pass- $165

(Limited available)Bassnectar, Pretty Lights, Skrillex,

AVICCI

Ready to put your party pants on in Hot-lanta? I hate calling it that, but what a more perfect nickname for three days of electronic and dance music? In between jamming out with the main headlin-ers, you’ll probably get a kick out of stopping by the silent disco. You receive your own pair

of headphones and can get down to the music of your choosing. Just remember to drink lots of water this weekend. You’ll need it from sweating out during your multiple hour-long dance sessions.

Soundland, Oct. 6, Nashville

Advance tickets- $45

VIP- $75My Morning Jacket, Young the Giant, Di-

vine Fits

American psychedelic rock band My Morn-ing Jacket, indie rock band Young the Giant, Divine Fits (Spoon’s Britt Daniel and Wolf Parade’s Dan Boeckner) and more are heading to

By Emily Kubis Feature editor and

Jane HorneArts & Entertainment

editor


Music festivals around the region make for the perfect fall getaway, with something to offer everyone. Graphic by Christopher Do

COVER STORY

Nashville to spend a day at the revamped local music fest, Soundland. After being a multi-venue festival since its beginnings in 2006, artists and fans can now gather at the Lawn at Riverfront Park to enjoy all that Music City has to offer. Come relish in the next big thing Nashville has to offer,

and introduce yourself to some fantastic bands that you might not have heard of.

Starry Nights Sept. 28-29,

Bowling Green, KYTwo day ticket- $45Cage the Elephant, Portugal. The Man,

Manchester Orchestra

Starry Nights is Cage the Elephant’s curated festival in their home-town of Bowling Green, Ky. Some might call it Bonnarroo Lite, since its three-day party also includes camping on a farm– Ballance Farms, to be specific. This year’s festival features a psychedelic line-up, and we have on good authority that the festi-

val directors are plan-ning some non-musical events as well, including a game of capture the flag, a pancake breakfast and a glow-in-the-dark disc golf course. With Your Friends,

Oct 26-27, Nashville, TN

Two day ticket- $75 (limited quantity)

VIP- $250Skrillex, Pretty Lights,

Nas, Santigold

A recent (and rather snarky) L.A. Times article expressed shock that Skrillex would vacate his home of Los Angeles and throw his first festival else-where– in Nashville, of all places, where our country-music-blaring, cowboy boot-wearing hillbillies ain’t never even heard of that-thar dubstep before. But alas, L.A.’s surprise is our gain, and Middle Tennessee has been given the opportunity to dub-out with the best of them. The Times called it “further confirmation of Nashville’s resur-gent power as a music center.” Please. As if we needed confirmation.

Voodoo Experi-ence, Oct. 26-27-38, New Orleans,

LAThree day ticket- $175Green Day, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Jack White, Skrillex, The

Avett Brothers

Head down to the swampy south for some hot tunes in N’awlins. Beyond the headliners listed above, this fest features treats such as French-electronic duo Justice, Gary Clark, Jr., Bootsy Collins and South Africa’s Die Antwoord. Eclectic, no? New Orleans is world-famous for letting the good times roll, so pony up and get down. And while you’re there, might as well make a hotel reservation for Jazz Fest in the spring. Moogfest, Oct. 26-27,

Asheville, NC

Three day ticket- $125-$145

Single day ticket- $65-$75

Primus 3D, Nas, San-tigold, Miike Snow,

Orbital

Ah, Moogfest. The great festival with the weird name. What’s a Moog? Well, inquiring minds, Moogfest is a festival honoring Robert Moog, an American pioneer of electronic music. No, he didn’t invent dubstep, but he did invent the Moog synthesizer. He also lived in Asheville for the last 30 years of his life, and so now we can all make a pilgrimage to beautiful western North Carolina and pay tribute to the gifts he gave us. Plus, Primus 3-D? Do you really need another reason?

Bear Creek Fest, Nov. 8-11, Live

Oak, FLThree day ticket- $150

Umphrey’s McGee, Lotus, Perpetual Groove, The New

Mastersounds, Billy Martin & Wil Blades

Duo

Arguably the jammi-est listed festival, Bear Creek Festival features two Umph shows, two Dumpstaphunk shows, two New Mastersounds shows and two P. Groove shows, among several other double and single shows over the weekend. Artist Zach Deputy will also be holding a charitable disc golf game for The Spirit of the Suwannee Kids Music Camp. Ask your folks for an early Christmas present– hey, it’s for a good cause.

Acts from many genres will be represented at the festivals, along with plenty of opportunities to let loose and have a good time. Photos courtesy of Facebook.


ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENTSmartphone apps have potential to change photography

With the ever-growing popularity of the iPhone and the perpetual need to have the newest technology, our generation is finding easier ways to show off their everyday photog-raphy. This growth also seems to have brought a decline for the need for professional photog-raphers, leaving many people scratching their heads asking why the art of photography is changing so rapidly. Many people have not realized this change, as they use applications like Instagram, Hips-tagram, Hipstamatic, or even websites like Tumblr and Pinterest. Most just think they are showing their friends things they like and what they are doing, like hanging out with their cat or the design in their cup of coffee. But what is not being noticed by most of the Instagram population is that the “photographers” do not own the rights to their pictures. Instagram’s terms and conditions on their website are pretty short and fairly simple to read. It clearly states that “by displaying or publishing any con-tent on or through the Instagram services, you hereby grant to Insta-gram a non-exclusive, fully paid and royalty-free, worldwide, limited license to use.” How-ever, before this sen-tence they state they do not claim any of your photographs, a cause for

confusion for its users. The simple fact in most of these cases is that Instagram is owned by Facebook, which claims ownership to any and all pictures posted to its site. “From what I have heard among my fellow photographers is that Facebook can claim the copyright theirs, there-fore, using your photo-graph as they please,” said Morgan Beaty, a recent MTSU graduate with a bachelor of sci-ence in photography. According to the blog DigitalBuzz, Instagram has over 40 million

users worldwide with roughly 58 photos uploaded every second. The photos that come out of this application are not the kind that anyone would be proud of had they taken the photo with actual film and developed the pic-tures themselves. “Everyone is an instant pro,” said Jona-than Trundle, professor of photography, of these instant photography apps. “The magic of the unknown. Wow, what an incredible feeling.” But many people don’t know the actual basics of photography,

like framing the shot and even putting film in a camera. And accord-ing to many photogra-phy majors and minors, it takes more than that to be a photographer. “Capturing what inspires you or interests you in the moment,” Beaty said is the es-sence of her craft. “Ev-ery photograph needs a good fundamental configuration so that it can grab people’s eyes from a distance.” Many photography majors are not worried about how Instagram is affecting photogra-phy. Some actually find

it very helpful when trying to just take a quick picture or to show something to a friend somewhere in the world. “I have noticed that on Instagram, since you’re not worrying about proper exposure, it’s easier to think about composition,” said Olivia Throckmorton, a sophomore majoring in photography. With whatever you are trying to take a pic-ture of only being able to fit in a small square, many would think that would deter people from using Instagram. Except

there is the advantage of getting photos faster, something that could never have been imag-ined even 10 years ago. These applications are certainly helping many get a better idea of what a photo taken with a better camera may look like. “Instagram is basi-cally snapshots. I like using it to take snap-shots, but that’s it,” Beaty said. Although there are new technologies and cheaper— but still fairly nice— cameras avail-able to people, the idea and things that makes photography an art form will never change to those who have taken the time to really under-stand the art. “You can say that it’s unfair for those who have studied and received a degree in a certain field to have competition from less experienced photog-raphers. On the other end of the spectrum, someone who has basic equipment, natural abil-ity and the desire to be a photographer might disagree,” said Tom Stanford, photo editor at The Tennessean. Most photography majors and graduates aren’t worried about Instagram damaging the art form and believe it will go away in a couple of years. “I think phone pho-tography is a toy for photographers to play with,” Beaty said. “It’s just fad at themoment.”

Instagram allows users to capture moments of their life and post them online for everyone to see.Photos courtesy of Sidelines editorial board

By Lauren MandrellContributing writer


They are old, take up too much space and often times have a ten-dency to be extremely difficult to deal with, but somehow music-lovers keep buying vinyl records. For years, vinyl records were thought of as a bit of an obscu-rity. They were nothing but large, dusty relics sought after by only col-lectors and audiophiles.They had all but joined the cassettes, VCRs and 8-tracks in the grave-yard of dead technology. Over the past few years, however, vinyl records have seen re-surgence in sales. Many are still scratching their heads as to how and why such an old form of listening to music is now experiencing a sort of renaissance, causing record companies and stores to supply them in larger quantities. According to Billboard.com, last year vinyl sales totaled 3.5 million, a 25-percent increase from 2.8 million sold in 2010. That number does not include sales of used vinyl at independent music shops and thrift stores. Before, stores like Best Buy only car-ried a few vinyl records. Now the selection has grown into the hundreds for some stores. “I think the fact is ac-tually some of the new artists; they’re putting albums out exclusively on vinyl,” said Justin Reed, an electronic media communications major who also hosts

“The Justin Reed Show” which airs on 88.3 WMTS Thursday morn-ings from 8-10. People are not just buying records of vintage artists like the Beatles – although Ab-bey Road was the top-selling vinyl in 2011. Nine out of the top 10 vinyl records sold last year were of albums released within the last five years. With statis-tics like these, it is easy to say that vinyl is once again a relevant form of music. “There’s some things that you can notice in vinyl that you can’t notice in other things,”

Reed said. Fans of the vinyl record enjoy the clas-sic sounds that come with the needle of the record player against the spinning record and the recording process. “CDs and mp3s have been cleaned,” Reed said. “They’ve taken out all of the background noise and the clicks and the pops. That’s what I like.” When an instrument is recorded, it is typi-cally taken through the microphone and stored using analog sound waves. This preserves the most natural live sound of a recording. When the final mix is

Nostalgic pastime makes a resurgence among young music fansBy Jay Powell

Staff writer

Vinyl is experiencing a resurgance among a younger demographic that appreciates the authentic sound and nostalgia. Photo by AJ Netherland

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

then converted to a digi-tal format for a CD or mp3, part of the original analog sound is lost. Instead, the digital format breaks it all down into zeros and ones, thus making it only another digital file on a hard drive. The sound will come in clear and will never wear out over time, but part of what was originally there is lost in the pro-cess. Vinyl players carry no digital characteristics and, therefore, when the album is pressed onto a vinyl record, most of the original live recording is preserved. This is what gives a record a more

“natural sound,” despite the crackles and pops that arise over time. Our ears are also made to hear things in analog. Playing a vinyl record causes the sound waves to produce a much warmer sound more soothing to our eardrums than a digital copy can provide. All technical aspects aside, there has always been a sort of romanti-cism with collecting vinyl records. It can be a commitment keeping a large collection of albums in a home. They are heavy, they take up space and you can’t put them all on an iPod. Some can also cost over


twice the amount of a CD or digital download if purchased new. Owning a vinyl col-lection can also be a rewarding experience. You appreciate the music more because you bought it at a little music shop after spend-ing time rifling through thousands of records that have seen their years of use. It is like flipping through pages of American history, and you feel as if you own something special.Anyone can go into a local Best Buy or Wal-Mart and buy an album, but it doesn’t leave you with the same sense of gratitude that you get from dusting off a few old LPs at an old shop. Listening to a record is also the greatest way to experience an album socially. It isn’t like an iPod where you just pop in earbuds and escape into a solitary listening experience. “Vinyl, I don’t think, will ever die,” Reed said. “It’s portable and it’s proven that you can store information on it for a long time. We still have vinyl record-ings from the ‘20s, and they’re still around. And there’s always going to be somebody who has a record player in some radio station or in their man cave at home.” By putting on an album, you have the op-portunity to sit around for a half hour, take turns flipping the record over or hitting the machine when it skips. It brings people closer together, the way music is supposed to.

RANTS AND RAVESSeptember 19-23

The Avengers7 p.m. and 10 p.m., Student Union Video

TheaterStudent Union Build-

ing, Room 208MTSU CampusAdmission: $2

“The Avengers” has it all, and it’s not hard to see why it was the biggest movie of the summer, smashing box office records like Thor’s mighty hammer. There was great anticipation for this movie ever since the idea was hinted at the end of the individual movies.

Comic buffs everywhere could not wait to see the dynamic team saving the world. Starting off as a dysfunctional family, the group pulls it together in the nick of time. As Thor’s brother, Loki, a banished demigod, plots to destroy the earth, the team pulls together to

save it. With a good-looking cast and nonstop action, this is a superhero movie that girls didn’t mind being dragged to by their boyfriends. An additional screening time will be on Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. There will not be a 10 p.m. screening on Sunday.

September 20-23Corey Holcomb

6 p.m., Zanies Com-edy Club

2025 8th Ave.South, NashvilleAdmission: $20

Ages: 18+

Funny-man Corey Holcomb is coming to Nashville to let you know what it takes to be a baller. His diverse re-sume of success includes both film and television, such as NBC’s “Last Comic Standing,” Fox’s “MADtv,” HBO’s “Def Comedy Jam” and his

own special on “Comedy Central Presents.” His past stand ups incuded a number of comical stories about street life, poverty and women, which still make the ladies laugh due to his charming smile and big personality. You never know what is go-ing to come out of his

uncensored mouth. Word of caution, his jokes may offend you, but you will only pout for five sec-onds before continuing to laugh your head off. This would be a fun date night or a good night out with friends to laugh your col-lege worries away.

September 20RAW Nashville: En-

semble8 p.m., Mercy Lounge

One Cannery Row, Nashville

Admission: $10Ages: 18+

Enjoy a multi-faceted showcase from local artists who were chosen to feature their work by RAW: natural born art-ists, an independent arts organization for under-ground filmmakers, hair stylists, musicians, pho-tographers, performing artists, fashion designers,

as well as makeup and visual artists. RAW’s mission is to provide emerging artists with the necessary tools and exposure to make a name for themselves. RAW cre-ates its events in creative communities across the United States and Austra-lia, and is now launching

in Nashville for the first time on Thursday. Expect an overflow of imagina-tion and creativity as you experience various talents in Music City. There will be a cash bar for drinks, and the dress code is cocktail attire. For tick-ets, go to rawartists.org/nashville/ensemble.

September 21Women and Whiskey6-8 p.m., Tennessee

State Museum505 Deaderick Street,

NashvilleAdmission: $40+

Age: 21+

Women can certainly turn a few heads when they put their minds to it, especially these three women leading the way in whiskey pioneering: Troy Ball, Hollis Bulleit and Britt Chavanne. Par-ticipants will get to sam-ple whiskeys from these women’s distilleries —

Troy & Sons, Bulleit and Willett Distilling Com-pany — and vote in a “cocktail-off.” Of course, food will be provided at the event, because no one wants a large group of drunken women taking over Nashville, and yes, this event is for the ladies only. Guests will also

have a chance to chat with these women during a Q&A session. Ladies, ditch those spouses of yours, plan a girl’s night out and support these distinguished women mastering their unique craft.

September 21Umphrey’s McGee with

Conspirator7:30 p.m., Ryman Au-

ditorium116 5th Ave North,

NashvilleAdmission: $30+

For those of you who like jam bands, head to Nashville for this one. Umphrey’s McGee has been jamming since 1997, and to date, the band has sold more than two-million records. Rolling Stone included the band in a “Top 15 Jam Bands” list in 2009,

ranking them No. 4. For those who don’t know, a jam band is basically a group of musicians that “jam” for an ex-tended period of time. It’s improvisational and unpredictable, which is why some people are turned off by it. The big question is who is going

to pay $30 or more to see a jam band, when you can just grab a few of your musician friends and have them “jam” in your house. If you are not a die-hard fan, then don’t waste money on this.


RANTS AND RAVESSeptember 21

Blues Fever9 p.m., Fanatics

Sports Bar & Grill1850 Old Fort Park-

wayAdmission: FREE

Age: All

Have a case of the college blues yet? Don’t worry. Blues Fever will be at Fanatics if you need some cheering up. These four guys have been mu-sicians for years, playing good ole Chicago-style blues that will get you grooving in no time. The group will perform

some jazzy numbers, along with some rock and R&B. You can dance or just sit back, relax with a cold beer in hand while listening to the harmonica and guitar harmonizing. Jazz isn’t for everyone, so check out the band’s material first before at-tending. Also, MTSU

students and staff can receive 15 percent off the menu, so don’t forget your MTSU ID when you go check out this event.

September 22Board Game Night4-7 p.m., Student

Union Fireside Lounge

The second floor of the Student Union

BuildingAdmission: FREE

Missing those game nights that you use to have with your siblings? Student Programming is bringing it back to you this Saturday at the Student Union. They will provide the classic games for you to play and enjoy with friends such as Life, Battleship, Scrabble, Mo-

nopoly, Twister and many more. If you live on campus, take advantage of this occasion with your new roommate and your group of campus bud-dies for a free afternoon of old-fashioned enter-tainment. Even though you are now an adult in college, don’t miss out on

your chance to feel like a kid again and have a few laughs. Maybe you will find your potential college sweetheart while playing a game or two of the infamously accident-prone Twister.

September 22The Great Food Truck

Festival5-9 p.m., Lenox Village

6901 Lenox Village Drive, Nashville

Admission: FREE

There is a new trend that is expanding our food culture– the food truck– and Nashville is catching on. For those who may not know what a food truck is, it is essentially a mobile kitchen, and it is bring-ing a new meaning to the term “street food.”

The Lenox Village Area Business Association will present The Great Food Truck Festival, and proceeds will benefit the Second Harvest Food Bank. There will be 15 food trucks attending, which will make this the largest event of its type in Middle Tennes-

see. Go support a great cause while enjoying music and delicious food like Grilled Cheeserie, Jonbalaya, Mean Green Ice Cream Machine and many more. Collection boxes will be available for food donations. For more info, visit lenoxvil-lagearea.com.

September 22Iraconji with Look What I Did and Ron Mexico

10 p.m., The Boro1211 Greenland Drive

Admission: $5Age: 21+

The Boro has another metal show lined up for you to enjoy. These three performers — Iraconji, Look What I Did, and Ron Mexico — have their own unique style that will keep the show interesting throughout the night. These groups will give you heavy metal as

well as a creative fusion of pop/metal/post hard-core/experimental. Check out their music on Face-book to see why these groups have their own sound, but still have that metal influence that some people intensely appreci-ate. Imagine the bands Every Time I Die and

Bury Your Dead playing at the same show. Sounds tempting, doesn’t it? The show starts at 10 p.m., which gives you plenty of time for a round of drinks or two.

September 23Carrie Underwood with

Hunter Hayes7:30 p.m., Bridgestone

Arena501 Broadway, Nash-

villeAdmission: $56+

Prepare to be “Blown Away” by country-music superstar Carrie Under-wood on Sunday. Receiv-ing her 7th nomination for CMA Female Vocalist of the Year, Underwood continues to enamor audi-ences with her gigantic voice and chart-topping hits. The longevity of

her career is a surprise considering her start as a contestant on “American Idol.” She is one of the few who made a name for herself after the sing-ing contest, and now she is one of the reigning women in country music. Underwood recently released her fourth album

Blown Away, which received mixed reviews. Some are claiming that it is more on the pop side rather than country; none-theless, the album has been certified platinum. Have a great night before your next week of class with country music.


ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENTAvett Brothers channel darker emotions in ‘The Carpenter’

With their second major-label release The Carpenter, the broth-ers Avett have created the perfect album to accompany all of your fall plans. Those who have fol-lowed North Carolina-based The Avett Broth-ers closely could say they have been treated to a game of musical-genre chairs. The band has been classified as country, folk, Ameri-cana, rock and contem-porary bluegrass.According to iTunes, their latest album falls under the rock genre, but the harmonies of Scott and Seth along-side the acoustic guitar and banjo lead this record toward a more folk-rock sound.As you sit down to give their latest masterpiece– for the most part– a listen, make sure you’re somewhere you can enjoy a pumpkin spice latte and some beauti-ful scenery. It makes the album all the better, trust me. It opens with the soft, yet commanding voice of Scott Avett and an acoustic guitar on “The Once and Future Car-penter” singing about a man’s lonesome journey for life’s purpose. Lyrics like “I ain’t from Texas but I made my way from Dallas, and I know the lonesome sound is following,” and “If I live the life I’m given, I won’t be scared to die” can be the perfect ac-companiment to back-roads, windows-down drive to clear one’s head or just to take in the

beauty of the changing scenery of fall. Next is the first single from The Carpenter, “Live and Die.” Scott’s banjo paired with Seth’s acoustic guitar is almost as harmonious as the brothers’s voices. This is one of the few songs that features the usu-ally ever-present banjo heard on previous Avett albums, which is why the band decided to make it a single accord-ing to an interview with Rolling Stone. “You and I we’re the same, live and die we’re the same; you rejoice I complain, but you and I we’re the same” points to the relatability between two people regardless of their individual differ-ences, which is a beauti-ful thing. The album slows down with “Winter in My Heart” as Scott and Seth sing of heart-break and lost love. The subtle build of Joe Kwon’s cello resonates with the heartbreak-ing lyrics like, “It must be winter in my heart, there’s nothing warm in there at all. I miss the summer and spring, the floating yellow leaves of fall” any one who’s

dealt with heartbreak can easily cling to these lyrics. “Pretty Girl from Michigan” seemingly starts out slow and me-lodic with the piano but is later joined by drums and an electric guitar. The Avett’s mentioned in earlier interviews that this album was going to be “louder” than previous albums. Unlike “Paul Newman vs. The Demons” the loudness on this song actually works well with the overall sound and theme of the album. “I Never Knew You” is somewhat reminiscent of “Kick Drum Heart” from their previous album, I and Love and You, in that the music itself is euphoric and catchy, but in this song being paired with matter-of-factly lyrics lead to an ‘Oh-I’ve-been-there’ laugh such as; “Well I guess it’s kind of funny how I loved you so way back when, you say I wouldn’t know you now well I didn’t even know you then.” The folk-country sound is in full effect on “February Seven” and Scott’s oftentimes-

bristly vocals add a raw sound to this romantic ballad. A man’s journey for something true and real is halted by love– whether that be good or bad is really up to the listener. “I went on the search for something real, traded what I know for how I feel. But the ceiling and the walls collapsed upon the darkness I was trapped, and as the last of breath was drawn from me the light broke in and brought me to my feet.” And as the song ends it repeats, “Now I’m rested, and I’m ready to begin.” I could have spent the entire review dissecting each line of “Through My Prayers.” In the previously mentioned Rolling Stone interview, the band explains they have experienced much more life since start-ing out, and with life also comes death. For anyone who has lost a loved one– friend or family– this song will more than tug on your heartstrings, it will ruth-lessly yank on them. Seth’s loving vocals are accompanied by just an acoustic guitar and cello as he opens with the lyr-

ics, “It’s hard to believe I won’t see you again.” This song is so beyond real with beautifully-harsh lyrics like, “My dream of all dreams and my hope of all hopes is only to tell you and make sure you know how much I love you and how much I always did. And yes I know you loved me, I could see it in your eyes and it was in your struggle and it was in your mind and it was in the smile you gave me when I was a kid. Feels like no one understands, and now my only chance to talk to you is through my prayers. I only wanted to tell you I care.” You will find yourself sob-bing in your car before you have realized why. “Down With the Shine” is country-bluegrass through and through and gives you a chance to compose yourself after listen-ing to “Through My Prayer.” Joined by a horn section, this song could easily make a second single for the album. Dealing with the balance between life and death is found in “A Father’s First Spring,” which many fans believe was inspired by real-life events in bassist Bob Crawford’s life. Crawford’s daugh-ter, Hallie, was diag-nosed with brain cancer about a year ago, and she spent nine months in St. Judes Children’s Hospital– she has since gone home but is still battling the disease. Af-ter hearing Crawford’s story, it is hard not to get choked up listening to this evident father-

daughter love song, “I never lived ‘til I lived in your light and my heart never beat like it does at the sight of your baby blue, God bless it your life I do not live ‘less I live in your light, I do not live ‘less in your light.” With lyrics like that, this song is sure to turn up at weddings during father-daughter dances in the coming years. “Geraldine” and the aforementioned “Paul Newman vs. The Demons” are parts of the loud aspect the band was trying for on this album. While neither song is terrible in the sense of musicality, they just do not to fit the flow and theme of the overall album, and I often find myself skipping over these two tracks. The album comes to a close perfectly with “Life.” The song keeps with the theme of soft-melodic songs over-flowing with perfect harmonies and powerful lyrics,“Wouldn’t it be fine to stand behind the words we say in the best of times. Oh, and you and I know all to well about the hell and paradise right here on earth,” that nearly take your breath away as the words sink in. Overall this album is beyond worth shelling out the $10 on iTunes. Words do not justly explain the powerful harmonies and melo-dies the Avett Brothers produce on their latest effort. Experience it for yourself; after all, good music is supposed to be shared.

Scott and Seth Avett tackle more emotional issues such as love, life and loss in their sophomore major label release, The Carpenter. Photo courtesy of Facebook

By Richel AlbrightManaging editor


OPINIONSU.S. interventionism exacerbates global conflict A YouTube video mocking Islam and Mo-hammed has recently come under fire for inciting Muslims across the Middle East and Af-rica to protest and attack U.S. embassies in their region. The reaction to this video caused sev-eral embassies to be breached, flags to be burned and several deaths, including that of Libyan Ambassador Chris Stevens. Many want to blame the filmmaker for producing a culturally-insensitive and offen-sive video. But, agree with his actions or not, they are protected by free speech and are no worse than the offensive mockery of any other religion. All the blame for the current situation cannot honestly be placed on the filmmaker, especial-ly considering reports from affected nations, such as Libya, that sug-gest that some of the attacks had been pre-planned a few months prior to the video’s emergence on the public scene. The film was only a catalyst igniting an already-existent anger, much of which is in response to U.S. and European involvement in the region since World War II. In fact, because every action has an equal and opposite reaction, it could easily be suggest-ed that this is what has contributed to the rise of Islamic extremism and anti-American senti-

ments in the Middle East. During the war, America, Britain and the Soviet Union had troops stationed in Iran to facilitate the transporta-tion of military supplies, as well as to protect the oil necessary to run the war machine. Following the end of the war, the U.S., with the help of the U.N., forced the Soviets out of Iran, while opting to maintain a presence themselves to defend interests in the region. Then, in 1953, under orders from Eisenhow-er, the CIA helped to overthrow Mohammed Mossadegh, the demo-cratically elected leader of Iran. Mossadegh was a nationalist opposed to the influence of America and the U.K. in Iran, and feared to be open to Soviet influence. He was replaced with the Shah, a leader loyal to Western interests in the

region. American conflict with the Soviet Union, as well as support for Is-rael and the intervention in the internal politics of nations in which we had a political interest has defined our involve-ment in the Middle East since. Following its foray into Iranian politics, our country intervened in a civil war in Lebanon, involved itself in Isra-el’s conflicts with their neighbors, responded to Soviet interventions with our own interven-tions and participated in aiding the enemies of our enemies across that region. Our intervention in Iran didn’t last, and in 1978 the Iranian Revo-lution began, culminat-ing with the overthrow of the Shah, the estab-lishment of an Islamic Republic under the Aya-tollah, and the taking of American hostages from our embassy.

During the 80s, we involved ourselves in more global strife when we aided the Taliban in Afghanistan against the Soviet invasion, aided Saddam Hussein in his war against Iran and supported the expansion of Israel’s borders. The 90s brought us the conflict in Iraq. Fol-lowing the end of hostil-ities, the U.S. imposed sanctions on Iraq which resulted in the deaths of at least 500,000 children due to starvation. In the late 90s, the military also engaged in punitive bombing of Iraq. After several attacks by al Qaeda on U.S. embassies in Africa as a response to our poli-cies, the nation retali-ated with bombings in Afghanistan and the Sudan. All of this culminated in the attacks on Sep-tember 11, 2001. In a letter released following the attacks, Osama bin Laden gave his reasons for the vio-lence. These included the sanctions imposed on Iraq, America’s support for Israel, and U.S. presence in Saudi Arabia and across the Middle East. Those attacks pro-pelled us into two wars, both of which have lasted nearly a decade, cost the nation trillions of dollars and thousands of deaths and perpetu-ated an increasingly negative view of the American people around the world. Now, add to this history of violence the surge of forces to Afghanistan in 2009, as well as the recent step-

ping up of drone attacks around the world. These attacks have resulted in thousands of suspected civil-ian deaths, as well as thousands more injured, including women and children. It’s no won-der the Middle Eastern world is angry at us. In fact, a 2009 Brook-ings Institution report indicates that for every militant killed by a drone strike, there are 10 civilian deaths. And drone strikes, as inaccu-rate as they appear, have been steadily on the rise since Obama took over the role of Commander in Chief. This is not to suggest that our nation should not defend itself when attacked, or to suggest that al Qaeda deserved no punishment and that America deserved the violence perpetrated against it. These points should not be taken as excuses for the actions of violent extremists, but as rea-sons for the anger and hatred aimed at America and Europe. It should also be noted that, although religious extremism does contribute to the violent reactions across the region, extremism in all religions leads to violence and intoler-ance. Our actions in the Middle East over the last 60 years provide reasons for individu-als to join the extremist cause. The extremists portray Americans as evil, and looking at the actions in the Middle East that are carried out in the name of America

and freedom, and is that any surprise? Before we can begin to fix our reputation and make lasting changes, we must admit that our nation’s best intentions have gone awry and produced the opposite of what is desired. America cannot continue to police the world. We cannot continue to overextend ourselves to protect the ever-increasing number of national interests we have worldwide. This is not to say that we shouldn’t support our allies, but it should be clear that what may be in our allies’ best interests are not always in our nation’s best interest. If our allies take actions that do not directly concern the safety or security of the American people, there is no need to involve national resources. Also, criticism of our government and its actions is not criticism of the American people. We are not the gov-ernment. We elect the government to represent us, and when they do a bad job, such as by per-petuating failed inter-ventionist policies, they should be replaced. However, until we admit that our global actions are not always right– until we take responsibility for the outcomes of our foreign policy– we can’t expect any change in the global perception of American imperialism. And we can surely expect more conflict. Alex Harris can be reached at [email protected].

Alex Harris

By Alex HarrisOpinions editor


OPINIONSYouth need to embrace liberty, reject government dependence

Welcome, freshmen. As a 2009 graduate of MTSU, I entered the job market during a very uncertain time. The economy was in the tank, and Keynes-ians in government were convinced that more spending and debt, billed as “stimulus,” would dig us out of the financial calamity. It’s been 40 months since I walked across the stage of the Murphy Center and collected my diploma, and unemploy-ment has remained at or above eight percent. The national debt has soared from $11.2 trillion to more than $16 trillion. And the unemployment and underemployment rate of recent college graduates is around 50 percent. Not to mention the skyrocketing cost of getting your degree, due in part to easy credit and low interest rates. If we continue with

record levels of spend-ing, the national debt will be more than $21 trillion by the time you graduate in 2016. This path is unsustainable,

and politicians in Wash-ington seem content to keep their heads buried in the sand. But young people, like us, are more con-

cerned than ever about the size and scope of the federal government. I worked with liberty-minded college students for the first year after graduation, and I was deeply encouraged by the thousands of young people with whom I interacted who wanted to restrict the powers of government. In this economic real-ity, we see the promise of a good job after col-lege slipping away, and the prospect of moving back in with our par-ents isn’t welcoming. A study revealed that in the spring of 2011, 5.9 million young adults lived with their parents, up 25 percent prior to the recession. They’re called “boomerangers,” and, thankfully, I wasn’t one of them. But I have friends who were, and the prospect that you or someone you know may become one after gradu-ation is very real. What’s the solu-tion? Young people

must reject government and parental dependence and embrace liberty. The administration and your professors will tell you to be open-minded and that the university setting is a “marketplace for ideas.” But, quite often, it’s only the marketplace for ideas with which the administration and professors agree. In political science courses, you’ll read Marx. In economics courses, you’ll read Keynes. There will be no mention of Bastiat or Hayek or Hazlitt or any dissenting viewpoint. And if you dis-sent, you’ll be called a “troublemaker,” like I was during my four years at MTSU. But to be able to put our nation on a course toward economic pros-perity, we must under-stand the philosophical foundations of liberty. I encourage you to pick up “The Law” by Fred-eric Bastiat and “Capi-talism and Freedom” by

Milton Friedman. Frequent websites like LearnLiberty.org, which provide quick and easy-to-understand videos about economic freedom and prosperity. It will provide a stark contrast to what you will hear in the class-room and on campus. Lastly, I urge you to join Young Americans for Liberty, a group on campus that promotes free-market capitalism and limited, consti-tutional government, including opposition to unconstitutional wars and an ever-expanding surveillance state. More and more young people are embracing liberty and rejecting the failed policies of the nanny state. I encourage you to join the fight for liberty today. Matthew Hurtt is a 2009 alumnus and liberty activist living in Washington, D.C. He can be reached at [email protected]

Matthew Hurtt

By Matthew HurttContributing

columnist


Sidelines LensMTSU students par-ticipated in a caving trip through Middle Tennes-see Outdoor Pursuits program, sponsored by the Rec Center. MTOP aims to get students actively involved in hiking, white water rafting and climb-ing. According to the organization’s website, they are “dedicated to leadership, education, teamwork, relationships, and adventure.”

Photo by Kyle Kline.Cartoon by Matt Masters, associate photo editor

SPORTS Intramurals provide for fitness, friendship for student body

According to LiveStrong.com, be-tween 30 and 40 million children in the United States between the ages of 5 and 18 play orga-nized sports each year. Millions of these ath-letes are forced to hang up their cleats for the final time after graduat-ing high school, and for many, ending their competitive sporting careers in the prime of their athletic ability. Intramurals Coordi-nator David Tippett and his staff are actively try-ing to create a place for the aspiring athletes– students, faculty and alumni– of MTSU. “We want to get out there, and we want to have a good time and enjoy what we’re do-ing,” said Tippett, who graduated from MTSU with a master’s degree in recreation and leisure management. “You don’t necessarily have to be a great athlete, but at the end of the day, when it becomes playoff time, everyone wants a T-shirt, and everyone wants to compete. So, it’s on that scale of people who just want to be active and hang out with friends to people who were high school athletes or even college athletes who are just now looking for that competitiveness.” MTSU Intramurals offer a wide variety of sports, including flag football, basketball, indoor soccer, indoor volleyball and indoor baseball this fall. The department also sponsors several tourna-

ments, such as three-versus-three basketball, softball and homecom-ing week activities. “I think that if you haven’t tried it, you need to. We have a wide variety of things on the schedule for a reason. We’re trying to pique the interest of every-body on this campus, and, at the end of the day, college is a stress-ful time. Playing intra-murals is a way for you to go out and get your exercise in a controlled environment that’s go-ing to give a little bit of competition if you want it, but if you don’t, you can get away from

things for a while,” Tip-pett said. Homecoming has become somewhat of a student favorite and this year’s schedule will include a dodge-ball, kickball and golf tournament, yard games and a 5k run. The Sept. 29-Oct. 2 events give less-competitive play-ers a chance to be part of the intramural action and show their school pride during homecom-ing week. “Those are things that people grew up playing when they were kids,” said Troy Berry, intra-murals assistant. “No matter where they went

to school, no matter if they loved sports or hated sports, it’s a good way for people to come out and have fun and just spend a lot of time together.” Camaraderie is a common theme among the those involved with the intramural program, and the staff champions the family atmosphere that has been created and opportunities to build life-long friend-ships with those who take the field of play alongside each other. “What I think it af-fords is a way to meet people, a way to get involved in things with

people that you enjoy and they enjoy; you find common ground,” said Tippett. “I think we have built a family atmosphere amongst our staff and the people who work here and especially within our program. We talk about it, we preach it, that’s what we do.” For those who do not want to be a part of the on-field action, there are still plenty of ways to get involved. Tippett teaches a class on coaching and officiating intramural sports, and the officiat-ing for MTSU’s intra-mural sports is done

in-house by the students and staff. The training is intensive and continues throughout the year, with a whole week dedi-cated to fully training officials for many of the major sports. Officials get paid by the univer-sity for their work. The intramural program gives back to community as well. The MTSU Intra-murals department is involved with the Boys and Girls Club, the YMCA and various local religious orga-nizations. In addition, its facilities, staff and equipment are open to a host of groups on cam-pus, and the department has recently started a scholarship fund for the student staff to reward them for the day in, day out upkeep that it takes to keep the program running. The program truly does have something for everyone, whether you want to get involved with preparation, of-ficiating or as a member of any of a variety of sporting teams. “The rec center in general is a fantastic place to be to just relax and meet new people and try new things. That’s what we’re trying to do. That’s what it’s all about,” Tippett said. You can learn more about MTSU Intramu-rals by checking out their Facebook (MTSU Intramurals), Twitter (@MTSUIntramurals) or by calling their hotline (615-898-4FUN).

By Mark MizeSports editor

Intramural volleyball team “Sunshine and His Beard” celebrate their victory in the Rec Center gym. Photo courtesy of MTSU Intramu-rals.


sidelines online - 9/19/12

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