Ethos magazine - December 2011 by Ethos magazine

Cheap Wine & Bike Rides p.8

noblehaus p.38

3,336,008 & COUNTING p.36 Wanna tease? p.14

MAXIMUM p.18 RACCOONS ARE PEOPLE TOO p.6 KUREFEST p.10 Downside of Downloads p.13

the entertainment issue

our time, our culture

the

show goes on WHO’S up NEXT?

HOW

MAximum ames began

December 2011

dsm’s new strip tease cyride drinking games p.37

ethos EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Corrin Hatala MANAGING EDITOR

John Lonsdale FEATURES EDITOR

CO-CREATIVE DIRECTORS

Julie Cronin and Danny Maller

Devon O’Brien

PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR

SENIOR EDITOR

David Derong

Taysha Murtaugh EDITOR AT LARGE

Matt Wettengel COPY EDITOR

Nicole Gustafson

JUNIOR PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR

Kaitlin McKinney PHOTOGRAPHY COORDINATOR

Yue Wu MULTIMEDIA SPECIALIST

HUMOR EDITOR

Karl Letsche

Andrew Lopez

VIDEO AND TECHNOLOGY EDITOR

ASSISTANT SENIOR EDITOR

Luke Elzinga

Katelynn McCollough SENIOR WRITERS

Kristine Ahlfield and Rebecca Bowen WRITERS

Allison Butler, Chelsea Evers, Sean Flack, Aryana Gathings, Rachel Hostetler, Kate Hurley, Ashley Patton, Clarissa Stoll, Yue Wu

DESIGNERS

Kelsey Barnett, Millei Ishikawa, Emerald Klauer, Jessica McGuire, KyLeigh Nichols, Chirasath Saenvong, Julia Taborskaya PHOTOGRAPHERS

Paige Elmer, Rachel Haukkala, Anna Nowokunski, Yue Wu ONLINE PHOTOGRAPHERS

ONLINE EDITOR

Emily Harmon, David Smith, Alex Wildfang, Liz Zabel

Allison Butler ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR

Sean Flack

ILLUSTRATORS

Jacob Marti, Chiraseth Saenvong

CONVERGENCE EDITOR

Clarissa Stoll ONLINE COORDINATOR

Brady Rebhuhn BLOG EDITOR

ADVERTISING & MARKETING DIRECTOR

Michea Boyd BUSINESS MANAGER

Alison Lawler

Abbey Nekola ONLINE COPY EDITOR

Shelby Lemmon ONLINE WRITERS

Chrissy Amaya, Molly Cleveland, Dallas Daws, Paige Elmer, Elaine Godfrey, Kate Hurley, Anna Nowokunski, Rachelle Rowe, David Smith, Eleni Upah, Rebecca Steffes

ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES

Michele Iris, Steven Briley MARKETING REPRESENTATIVES

Molly Cleveland, Tabitha Jamerson, Megan Pulse, Alex Cloutier FACULTY ADVISOR

Dennis Chamberlin

the entertainment issue

CONTENTS ON THE COVER

features

14 / Such a Tease Or is it? Des Moines’ new art scene reveals Phoenix L’Amour’s Burlesque Baby.

18 / The Music Man How he changed the Ames music scene forever.

24 / Online Gaming Enter the world of dedicated gamers and the culture that they pursue.

2 8 / Show Goes On What Lupe brought to the table and how SUB is stepping up their game.

quickies

06 / Raccoons Is this a joke? We’re still trying to figure that one out.

10/ KURE Fest A photo shoot of what you missed. But don’t worry, we’ll keep you up to speed.

0 8 / Wine & Bikes Don’t reinvent the wheel, just add alcohol.

letter from the editor When I was a little kid, my mom always told me to go play outside. “But what am I gonna do when I get out there?” I’d complain. “I used to climb trees all day,” she’d say, launching into a monologue about a more simplistic – but more entertaining – childhood. Is that the sage wisdom we’ll offer our own children? Or will we call upon memories of Game Boys and stuffing our mouths with highfructose corn syrup? Of course, a new gadget sometimes outshines the maple tree in the backyard, but this entertainment revolution is a perpetually evolving concept – one our generation continues to redefine. That’s not to suggest we aren’t an active demographic, which is why we decided to dedicate this issue to entertainment – the way we, Iowa State students, entertain ourselves. We realize nearly 30,000 students attend Iowa State, which is why we’ve covered bases from music festivals to burlesque, alternative sexuality to gaming and partying. We’ve established something of a shared identity that unites us, and, at the same time distinguishes us from any other group. This issue, then, serves as a transient snapshot of campus culture: here, now, us.

COR R IN H ATA L A E dito r-i n- Chi ef

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WHAT’S HOT ONLINE

ways to stay warm

72 days = 1 Kardas hian

CHECK OUT WHAT WE THINK!

99% of the cookies are eaten by 1% of the characters

come back my luhv

this issue took 1.17 kardashians to create

PHOTO BLOGS

Travel Drink shitty wine and go for a bike ride. (see p.12)

There are two things of equal distraction in life. They are facebook, and the wonderful world of photoblogs. Here are some of our favorite sites we would like to share with all of you creative people for inspiring imagery or all you procrastinators who just wanna tag-on an extra few minutes to your break from homework.

Food Eat a meal that only Ron Swanson would approve of.

Health Bust out an old Tae-Bo VHS and workout with Billy Blanks.

www.pinterest. A professional site that offers inspirational everything. Topics range from Architecture to Weddings in this expansive library of imagery.

#occupy seseame street

www.imgur.com Imgur seems to have been created for the soul purpose of laughter. We’ll leave it up to you in deciding which is funnier- the images, or peoples’ witty comments below them.

s o h et e

Lube, lots and lots of lube. 5/

Tech

www.piccsy.com

.org zine

A photo archive of adjectives; funny, clever, beautiful, nude, vintage, cats, witty, awesome, and another way to say clever.

a smag etho

e we’r

4/ Sex

in onl

Match ‘em up

p.14

p.37

p.24

Look for this nipple in the next issue!

quickies

RACCOONS: a dive into the misrepresented representation by A n d r e w L o pe z

Fact Cody served as a foreign relations diplomat before co-starring in pocohantas

T T

he power of 15 raced toward the silhouette of a large weiner into the sunset. An anxious loom of defeat filled the air as the pack stopped at a red light on the corner of Lincoln Way and Beach Avenue. “We are law abiding,” explains Cody, one of the elder Raccoons who sat down with me to debunk the misinterpreted image Iowa State University students have attributed to his pack. Cody, much like the other Raccoons who live around campus must deal with the hardships of constant slurs, violence and extreme oppression. It all started circa 2003 when a pack of 15 raccoons followed the scent of an Oscar Meyer Weiner truck into town, but lost the trail after admirably following Ames community pedestrian laws. “Not only did we lose the truck, we lost Cleetus son of Cooper son of Chad too. He was sideswiped by an ‘88 Mercury Sable as we waited at the stoplight…” Cody trailed off to gain back his composure, “it’s been a hard time. We were lost, we had no choice but to make do with our surroundings and reacquire supplies until we were ready to leave Ames. In the meantime, we’ve had to deal with fitting in with the human population, which is violently oppressive.” Cody’s emotion was evident and his intelligence was strong as he kept his pack positive yet firm. “I don’t understand why anyone would treat others this way. Discrimination is wrong. No one deserves to be treated less than another, it’s not right and it’s not okay,” says Cody. “YEAH!” yells Cevin, another pack member, from the back row. “YOU DON’T INTERRUPT US TALKING, YOU DAMN SKUNK

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BABY!” casts down Cody, showing his stern leadership, and in startlingly unity the pack chants, ‘COON POWER’ in staccato. However, a difficult past makes it even harder to accept Raccoons as equals on campus. Raccoons have had bad PR representation in the past due to an outbreak of rabies in 1987. “It ain’t those ‘coons’ fault! They got into a bad batch of Sunset Strips covered in sunscreen making them Heat Wilde but we’ve changed now. We should be viewed as equals in this world! I mean, it’s not like we’re skunks or something,” explains Cody as his pack nods in agreement. Morale isn’t low, though. Raccoons all over campus are staying unyielding as they fight to be accepted as inhibiters of campus. A civil rights group within the pack of raccoons has upstarted with hopes to have a rally at the free speech zone by the library, fully equipped with informational pamphlets and Skittles. The pack has adopted the SHAMU Project, an acronym that stands for Staying Humane And Maintaining Understanding, a project that wills to inspire the passion in the hearts of those who understand their struggle, pain and most of all, optimism. “We’re just trying to get the student body involved in our efforts to be accepted on campus and not feared when seen,” Cevin says, who was allowed to speak by Cody. Cevin acts as the SHAMU Project’s marketing director. The Raccoons hope that one day, all will hear the origin story of their arrival and understand the great lengths the group has endured and the hopes that discrimination will become a thing of the past. It hasn’t been an easy road, but it’s been a road nonetheless. If you know what we mean.

Drinking Games Presidential Debate Booze n’ Cruise What you’ll need: CNN or an Online Stream of the Debate Tax Collecting Cup Ideal Drink: Buttery Nipple Shots (It’s an ode to Weiner-esque politics)

What you’ll need: Bus Fare or Current ISU ID Ideal Drink: Vodka. It’s easily disguisable. That is until you’ve drank enough that you can light your breath on fire or smell like a hobo.

Every time taxes are mentioned pour a little bit of your drink in the Tax Collecting Cup in the middle If Social Security is discussed, the oldest person playing must drink the taxes collected in the middle If anyone mentions Sarah Palin, shotgun a beer. It’s what she’d expect from a citizen of this great country, dontchaknow? For every misquoted bit of history, make up your own rule. According to politician, making stuff up is fun Every time a politician goes over the time limit allotted to answer their question, drink until the moderator finally gets them to stop talking. Good luck When the politicians start making sense, congratulations, you’ve won the game!

When your bus driver waves at another bus driver, take a shot If you get up and give your seat to the elderly or disabled, take a shot in their honor. Feel free to toast them publicly For every new friend you meet, you can designate a shot to one of the other players. (That is assuming you have other players. You’re drinking on the bus after all) When your bus driver uses the left lane to turn right, take a shot If one of the players gets too drunk, feel free to maroon them at a random bus stop. It’s like a combination of Survivor and The Amazing Race

If you try all 3 in one night, you might just have a hangover Advanced

Intermediate p.36 Novice

Advanced

Novice

“The One That Got Away”

“Blood”

The Middle East

Katy Perry

Feeling emotional? Feeling like Ryan Gosling? This Aussie band made ears tingle in Crazy Stupid Love and It’s Kind of a Funny Story

Sad boner ensues

“Pac Blood”

Danny Brown “Don’t Gotta Work It Out”

Fitz and the Tantrums

songs to make you

L.A.’s hardest working band is here to stay. As long as we’re willing to party and say ‘fuck off’ to the haters.

“Pineapple Girl”

Mister Heavenly Indie pop. Everyone likes it, even if you’re afraid to admit it. Plus, this features peeps from Island, Unicorns, Man Man, and Modest Mouse. Oh, and Micheal Cera played bass in this band. It’s like cocaine for an indie nerd.

50 Cent wouldn’t sign him because his jeans were too tight. Fresh off a tour with Das Racist and Despot, Danny’s mixtape (XXX) goes harder than Usher’s abs.

“Brand New Guy”

HEAT WILDE

ASAP Rocky Swag is biblical, lyrics are brutal, and flow is monstrous.

“Humdrum Town”

Theophilus London It’s like Cudi if Cudi wasn’t famous, didn’t suck now,and dressed better.

http://ablopezisablog.tumblr.com/ 7

quickies

Tour de

Franzia By N ichole G ustafson D esi g n K else y Barnett I ll ust rat i o n Jacob M arti

Tour de France? Kind of boring. Tour de Franzia? Definitely not boring. Allow me to introduce you to the best drinking game on two wheels. As the name implies, Tour de Franzia involves bicycles and wine. A quick Google search will tell you that there are many variations to this game, but one of the most popular versions goes something like this: You and a group of your closest alcoholloving friends start at someone’s house or apartment. As quickly as possible, finish a box or two of the classiest wine around, Franzia. Then get on your bikes and ride to another station, and so on. You can have as many stations as you like, but keep in mind that you’ll almost certainly be on your way to a hangover for the ages. Maybe set the Tylenol bottle out before you leave for your tour. Adam Prosise, senior in agronomy, estimates he’s done four tours. “It’s a good way to get out, travel around and not do your typical party, but to drink a bunch of wine and ride bikes,” Prosise says.

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It doesn’t take much to imagine the kind of shenanigans a group of people can get into when that much boxed wine is involved. Prosise admits that on one tour, he busted his bike completely and had to ride the rest of the way in a friend’s kiddie trailer. If you plan on attempting your first tour, just remember to be safe. Nothing ruins a party faster than a visit with a doctor or your favorite Ames police officer. “I’d say the biggest thing is, on your first time, just try to be safe and don’t get too crazy,” Prosise says. This means make sure you have lights on the front and back of your bike, know where you’re going and don’t go completely wild. It’s not likely in your best interest to get so drunk that you can’t stay on the bike. If getting tipsy on the trails still isn’t enough to spice up your weekend, add costumes and take pictures. Dressing up is guaranteed to make everything funnier. That is, until the next morning when you log onto Facebook.

Mrs. Degree

From our hands to her heart!

B y A L L ISON BU TL E R

Your wedding day. Something the vast majority of girls have dreamt about since they learned how to talk. From all of the different avenues that fill girl’s heads with the expectations of when they should get engaged, married, and have children, many girls are sent into a panic at the tender age of their mid- twenties.

here is so much pressure to meet “Mr. Right” that some people forget what it’s like to date just to date. So many of my friends end it with a guy they were truly happy with because “he wasn’t the one.” Is there really only one person for each of us? Only ONE human being that could make you happy for the rest of your life? I find this hard to believe. While yes, there is probably one ideal person amongst all of the qualified ones; I do not believe that you have to find THE ONE. Things like “why should I date him if I’m not going to marry him?” after having been with him for a mere two weeks. Can you really tell that about someone after two weeks? There is an age-old joke about women in the fifties and sixties attending college to get their MRS. degree, most people would argue that this is a thing of the past. I strongly disagree, a number of people I know are literally panicking because they are dating someone. In their mind, if you want to have your perfect family equipped with a son and a daughter by the age of thirty. Here is your timeline: Age 21-23: dating and falling in love Age 24-25: engagement Age 25-26: Marriage without children Age 27: Birth of your first child Age 29: Birth of your second child (with the traditional two year gap, of course) These four years in college are supposed to be the most fun times of ourlives, meeting thousands (literally) of new people and a good portion of women are focused on finding “him.” Who cares if you go out one night and just have fun, allowing yourself to be not so tunnel vision-ed on the timeline that the universe is trying to force us into. Sometimes a fun little fling is just what you need. College is one of the only times that you are allowed to drink more than three days a week without being an alcoholic, and sleep less than five hours a night without being an insomniac, why waste it focusing on something only fate can decide? I’m not saying you should go out and sleep around, but as long as you are being responsible and protecting yourself, I don’t see anything wrong with it. College is about exploring. Why not explore not only yourself but others, too. Break the mold. Be the strong independent woman that our generation claims to possess. Stop worrying about finding “the one.” Focus on making yourself everything you want it to be, and before you know it Mr. Right will waltz into your life in awe of the person you’ve become, not that you need a man to be happy.

AMES

SILVERSMITHING DESIGNING AND CREATING FINE JEWERLY SINCE 1976

232-0080

220 Main

9 www.amessilversmithing.com

quickies

KURE FEST 2011 By JOH N LONSDA LE D esi g n EM ERA LD KLAU ER Photos DAVI D DERONG

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An hour after KURE Fest 2011 ended, rapper Kreayshawn, dressed in pajamas and a large bodyguard, walked up the stairs by the M-Shop and stared at us. She just stared like she wanted us to say something to her. Maybe she was hoping we had a joint or just needed a light. “Hey,” we muttered. “Hey?” she said and then walked away in a confused shuffle. “What just happened?” we all said. Then it was over. Kreayshawn, the pajamas, the good vibes – it was all over until next year. Local acts Parlours and Tires opened the event. Lines curled up to the next story of the building when the room reached capacity. “I can’t believe we left to pee,” said someone in the back of the line. “It’s fucking Kreayshawn!” The one-in-one-out policy wasn’t all bad. It was the best waiting line any of us had ever been in. Every type of person was in that line. The smell of Jack and sweat and Panda Express wafted together and finally the waiting line got in the M-Shop when there wasn’t any “Gucci Gucci” left in Kreayshawn’s swagger. Urban Outfitter darlings Neon Indian took the stage and the room’s pulse started beating again. It wasn’t a Lupe Fiasco show in Hilton, but it was something special. No inhibitions. No games. Just some good music and good times. And the beat dropped.

quickies

CHECK US OUT! p.18

LOCUSIC Redefining how we listen to local music B y K AT E H U R L EY D esi g n DA NNY M A L L ER

This music service isn’t just about letting fans listen to music they like; its intent is to connect fans with bands. By airing only bands from a local area, musicians not only gain exposure and are more easily discovered, but fans are more apt to find out about live performances. Both sides win. Created by Jake Kerber, Locusic is a website that has been growing quickly since March 2011 in the central Des Moines area. Since then it has received second place in the Dream Big Grow Here contest, an online contest where people vote for the idea they like most and the winner receives a grant to help fund the project. Beginning with a start-up phase as a private beta, users originally had to be invited or register and get accepted to use the features of Locusic. But as of Oct. 15, Locusic launched into public beta and celebrated the accomplishment with concerts held in Des Moines on Oct. 22.

Be sure to

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featuring music from: THE MOUNTAIN GOATS / XIU XIU / EUF ORQUESTRA / PENNYHAWK / BOOTYTRONIC / LADY SOAL / THE WORKSHY / UT OPIA PARK / BELLA SOUL / NUCLEAR RODEO / P OISON CONTROL CENTER / AND OVER 40 + !

How Locusic was Developed Kerber originally had the idea about a radio Internet service. He took the idea to Startup Weekend, an organization in Des Moines where entrepreneurs share their ideas and produce a product or service. It was there his idea became a reality. Many were involved in the creation of Locusic, including business advisers, designers, lawyers, artists and advertisers.

Bigger Goals With this quickly growing music epidemic, Kerber has many aspirations for the Internet radio service, starting with further expansion. Locusic already has more than 100 registered users. The next step is to reach out to more locations such as the Twin Cities, Austin, Texas, and eventually Europe. “Ultimately I’d like it to be a service used across the country to bring communities together at local music scenes,” Kerber says.

Illegal Downloading B y K ately nn M c C ollough Illu st rat i o n C hirasath Saenvong

One student received an e-mail about five years ago that will impact the rest of her life. Jen Hakey, sophomore in Journalism and Mass Communication, was informed of a lawsuit via email that was filed against her in the spring of 2007. Jen was a freshmen living on campus downloading music illegally using websites like BearShare and Limewire. Hakey said she had received numerous e-mails from the university warning of her alleged copyright infringement. “It was kind of a running joke in the dorms at the time,” Hakey said referring to the e-mails, “Everyone was getting e-mail notifications.” The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) notified Hakey of copyright infringement claims. The lawsuit was originally $500,000, but it was settled out of court for about $5000. “It definitely had an impact of my life,” Jen said. “It’s scary for an 18-year-old kid to go through that, and I don’t really know how that’s going to reflect on my record. I’m not a criminal; I just wanted to listen to some music.” We’ve all had those moments when we’ve spotted something we just have to have. The beautiful car across the street, the adorable pair of boots worn by that always wonderfully dressed girl in your English class or the brand new flat screen hanging in your best friend’s apartment. However, for most of us, these are objects we work hard to obtain. We don’t find

YOU ARE PATHETIC. YOU KNOW, NAPSTER GOT SUED FOR DOING WHAT YOU’RE DOING.

elaborate ways to steal them. So why do we do that when it comes to our movies, video games and of course, our music? “The only wrong we see is some musicians won’t get paid,” says Frances Myers, sophomore in journalism. In fact, according to a report from the NPD Group, a North American marketing research company, “only 37 percent of music acquired by U.S. consumers in 2009 was paid for.” The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) says that since 1999, “music sales in the U.S. have dropped 47 percent, from $14.6 billion to $7.7 billion.” This major drop in sales began when the website Napster created the ability to peer-to-peer (p2p) file-share. The music industry has since caught on to the many ways people can illegally obtain music and movies, and so has Iowa State. During her freshman year, Myers was one student who landed on the university’s Be Aware You’re Uploading (BAYU) e-mail list. BAYU is an automated Iowa State response system that detects when a computer using the campus network is using file-sharing technology. The system then sends the user an e-mail informing them of the risks of file sharing, how to disable p2p technology and how to opt out of the BAYU e-mail list. “I didn’t want to get into trouble,” says Myers, who quit the file sharing application she was THAT’S TRUE, AND NOW THE OWNER OF NAPSTER IS RICH AND FAMOUS FROM THE FACEBOOK MOVIE WITH A FREE COLLECTION OF MUSIC AND MONEY TO SPEND ON DRUGS AND HOOKERS ALL BECAUSE HE DOWNLOADED MUSIC

using soon after she received the first e-mail. She no longer illegally downloads music, but uses a website called MP3 Rocket to legally convert YouTube videos and music to MP3 files. Even better, the website offers a free version if you don’t wish to pay for their Pro version, with few differences between the two. “I’ve always felt good about the fact that I’ve purchased every song on my iTunes. All 11,328,” says Rachel Anderson, sophomore in open option. “I know that they’re all mine, I’ve worked hard to build up my library to that number, and I’m glad I’m not stealing an artist’s work off the Internet.” Anderson has bought the majority of her music straight from iTunes, but that doesn’t mean that’s your only option for legal downloads. There are actually many ways to legally download new music, and more than you can imagine are free. Going to an artist’s website is a great place to start. Many artists, especially those just getting started, will feature a free download, and some bands, such as Radiohead, offer all of their music for free. There are websites that dedicate themselves to a particular genre, such as Daytrotter, and offer album samplers. Music blogs like MP3 Hugger and The Music Ninja are also a great source. If you are interested in other places to legally download, visit our website at ethosmagazine. org for links to the best websites.

I HEARD DRAKE’S ALBUM LEAKED.

such a

B y DEVON O’ B RIEN Co ntri buted RE B E CCA B OWEN D esign KYLE IGH N ICHOL S Photos PA IGE E LM ER HA NNA H ST EUB EN

Burlesque has been seen in the movies and recently has been brought to life in the Des Moines art scene with Phoenix L’Amour’s show “Burlesque Baby.” The show hasn’t been in the attention of the public eye until the show on Sept. 30, when two performers received a citation for breast overexposure causing controversy to the Des Moines show. The lights dim and a spotlight hits the stage where a woman stands in full costume, covered in glitter and heavy make-up. She begins to dance while slowly removing items of clothing until her curves are fully visible and the only clothes left are a small pair of underwear and a pair of decorated pasties over her nipples. This woman is not a stripper. No, she is a burlesque performer. She is Iowa State fashion design student, Erin O’Grady, now known by her stage name, Phoenix L’Amour. Burlesque, a comedic form of theater recently seen in the movies, has now been brought to life in the Des Moines art scene with L’Amour’s show “Burlesque Baby.” The performances feature female striptease skits, but they haven’t been in the attention of the public eye until Sept. 30, when two performers received a citation for breast overexposure, causing controversy over Burlesque. Before taking the stage at Ingersoll, L’Amour, along with host Madam Jules, performer Vivi Dubois, stage maid Sven and the newest member, Pastor Mole Hillman, transforms into an entirely different person. They wear heavy makeup to accentuate their features and even transform into the opposite gender. Their costumes range from drag to ‘40s flapper dresses adorned with a fur or feather boa. Comfortable in their own skin, all of the women have curves and are proud and happy to flaunt them in their costumes, or lack thereof. “We are celebrating our bodies and making people feel confident by representing everyone who doesn’t have a cookie-cutter body,” L’Amour says. “That is why we do this.”

Burlesque is more in-depth than it is depicted by the media. It is an old world art form, which originated in the Victorian Era. It experienced resurgence from the 1860s to the 1940s in cabarets and theaters, most routines featuring a full band or musical act. “A lot of people don’t realize that burlesque isn’t just about the strip tease. Abbott, Costello and W.C. Fields, those comedians were part of the Vaudevillian Burlesque scene,” L’Amour says. Much of the controversy around the overexposure of the women comes from misconception of what the performers are trying to achieve. L’Amour says the group’s message is about acceptance of all types of people, while expressing themselves through music, dance and theater. In one performance, L’Amour shows this by starting her performance as a man and stripping down to become a woman. A Des Moines city ordinance states that any establishment with a liquor license is prohibited from showing female breasts “at or below the nipple.” L’Amour likens this to, “telling a basketball player that he has to wear khaki pants.” Although this ordinance has been in effect for many years, the Des Moines Police Department hadn’t investigated this show until a patron filed a complaint. The police warned the performers that two undercover cops would be attending and filming the show on Sept. 30 to ensure they were in accordance with the ordinance. The presence of the police adds stress and frustration for the performers on stage. Before the show, the performers frantically reworked their routines and costumes backstage

” I was in a little skirt moving in front of my aunts and uncles and I had a little whip, walking around. I don’t care, they know how I perform. ”

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to ensure their breasts would be covered below the nipple. They glued on rhinestones, fur, and added boas, umbrellas and other props to cover the areas that are not to be seen by the audience. It is very restricting for the performers and Madame Jules even apologizes to the audience for having to perform a toned-down show that night. “We are a theater group, this is our art form and this is my career. Burlesque is not trying to cover up what you have, it’s trying to be comfortable with what you have and showing it,” L’Amour says. “We were taking extra precautions

because we knew the cops were there and we didn’t want the Ingersoll to get in any trouble.” L’Amour enters the stage covered in balloons. Dancing through the classic routine, she pops each one until they are almost completely gone. Knowing the police are in the audience, she makes sure to not pop the balloons covering her breasts, but a remaining balloon slips unexpectedly, and she is exposed. She immediately turns around, finishes the routine and exits the stage. At the end of the show, she is ticketed. In between the performances, Madame Jules makes a quick

costume change off the side of the stage, thinking she is covered by the curtain. The officers see her from the far opposite side of the curtain where they are seated. She too is ticketed. Due to the citations, there is a possibility the venue could lose its liquor license. L’Amour doesn’t want this to happen and is willing to do whatever it takes to make sure the situation is righted for all parties. The performers of the show hope to work out an agreement with the Des Moines City Council and the owners of the Ingersoll that will allow the show to be performed in its “raw artistic form,” while still allowing the Ingersoll to run

its business. Before this incident, there hadn’t been as much controversy on the burlesque scene. L’Amour first brought the show into the eye of the Des Moines art scene four years ago. Her first troupe, St. Bitus and the Taxi Dancers, which included Madam Jules, Vivi Dubois and five other women, performed classic conservative burlesque in the Des Moines area for about a year and a half before separating, leaving L’Amour to kick-start her solo career. She began with shows around Des Moines with guest performers and eventually brought in a troupe from Michigan called Super Happy

Funtime Burlesque. She chose to take a hiatus from school when they asked her to join their tour, an offer never offered to another burlesque performer in the U.S. “[Super Happy Funtime Burlesque] is out of this world crazy,” L’Amour says. “Going to one of their shows is like, ‘Wow, I’ve never seen anything like that, I probably won’t ever again.’ They are very theatrical. They write all of their own songs and music. They actually wrote a song for me for this past tour…it’s a big honor.” L’Amour has also opened the Iowa School of Burlesque, which offers classes to teach the art as

well as hair, makeup and costume design. “I started to do the classes because I really want to educate people on what [burlesque performers] do…I just want people to come and have fun.” She hopes to expand the school this year with an apprentice program, preparing five individuals for their premiere at one of the “Burlesque Baby” shows. [TM1] Burlesque has become a career for L’Amour, and she plans to use her degree to continue designing costumes for shows. “I’m still a starving artist. I struggle just like everyone else. But for me, it’s more about getting through this

part of it, and eventually it will pay off,” L’Amour says. For the others, it is more of hobby. They live normal lives, with family and friends, and work for a living at jobs other than burlesque. Vivi Dubois is a chef in a Des Moines restaurant, while Madame Jules is a singer and songwriter in the area. All three of the women feel supported by their families and friends without feeling judged or looked down upon for what they do. “[My family] is very supportive. At the New Year’s show, I was performing at one of Pastor Mole Hillman’s shows, and I was a little bondage burlesque babe and they

were there. I was in a little skirt, moving in front of my aunts and uncles and I had a little whip, walking around. I don’t care, they know how I perform,” Madam Jules says. Phoenix L’Amour believes there is nothing to hide when it comes to her career and has the support of loved ones to remind her of that. “My mom helps me make pasties when I go home and my dad, while he doesn’t want to see anything, he is very supportive of what I do. My entire family is on Facebook; they see everything. It’s not a secret, and it shouldn’t be.”

THE MUS MAN

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USIC

How he changed the ames music scene forever B y C H E L SE A EV E R S D esi gn J U L I E C RON I N Ph oto A N NA NOWOKU NSK I

In 2007, Nate Logsdon was not a musician. But that was before Don Mumford. On a warm night in July, Nate, an ISU student studying English literature, left his West Street apartment in search of dinner. Walking south on Campus Ave, he was stopped by a middle-aged man on a red bike. “Hey, man,” the disheveled cyclist yelled hoarsely. “You an artist?” “Not really,” Nate replied. “I go to Iowa State. I guess I like to study art.” And just like that, Don Mumford invited Nate to his apartment to hang out and throw back a couple of beers. But Nate, a 2009 graduate, hesitated. The haggard man looked to be in his 50s, with curly graying hair and a thick mustache. He’d recently been hit in the face with a bottle, and the broken blood vessels in his eye had left it red and swollen. But for some reason still unknown to Nate, he accepted the invitation and gave Don his phone number. “He had a sparkle in his eye that made me trust him,” Nate says of Don. “He had a youthful, contagious energy.” Unbeknownst to Nate, Don was also legendary. A jazz artist who grew up in Lawrence, Kan., Don toured South Africa, Europe and the U.S. with artists like Sun Ra, a Hall of Fame composer, before settling in Portland, Ore. But when Don’s girlfriend moved to Ames, he, too, relocated—to a dark, diminutive basement apartment on Campus Ave. At 5 o’clock that afternoon, Nate arrived at Don’s place. A sign above the rickety front door reading “Mung’s Bat Cave” seemed to accurately describe the hole-in-the-wall studio apartment he was about to enter. “It was a tiny, tiny place,” Nate recalls. “So small that his drum kit took up over half of his space. Then there was a couch, a TV on a small shelf, and a little table, but it was covered in papers—papers with phone numbers all over them.” Those phone numbers, Nate would later discover, belonged to dozens of other Ames artists Don had come

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“ BEFORE HE DIED, HE BROUGHT PEOPLE TOGETHER.” in contact with, some in the same way he’d met Nate. Nate, unsure of what lay ahead, sat on the couch as Don fiddled with the TV. Don settled on a video of one of his tours, walked over to the drum kit and began playing along with himself on-screen. “I look at the TV, and there’s Don Mumford playing in 1986,” Nate says. “I look behind me, and there’s Don playing in 2007. It was surreal.” Don mentioned he was trying to get a jazz band together, so Nate told him about his girlfriend Kate Kennedy, who was a saxophonist also living in Ames. Don asked Nate to bring Kate back in a couple of days, when he was hosting a jam at his apartment. Nate agreed. He and Kate returned to Don’s apartment that Sunday and were greeted by six other musicians. “Up until the jam, I hadn’t really played music with people before,” Nate says. “Kate sat down and started playing one of her songs on guitar. While she was playing, Don looked at me and said, ‘Hey, Nate, play with your girl.’ I started messing around on the drum kit, and Don was like, ‘No, like this.’ He changed one little thing with my hands, and suddenly, boom. I was playing the drums. That was a really important moment in my life, and I didn’t even realize it then.” Post-jam, Don invited the crew to return the next Sunday so they could start practicing together. But when the new bandmates arrived a week later, Don wasn’t home. They called him several times, but he was nowhere to be found. The next day, still no one had received word from Don, and the group began to worry. They called area hospitals, hoping to at least locate him, but confidentiality regulations prevented them from getting any information. When Nate heard Don had been in an accident, he went back to the basement apartment, where he found an open front door. He went down into the Bat Cave only to find Charlie, Don’s girlfriend’s son, standing before him. ”Oh, hey,” Nate said. “I was just coming to see if Don was here.” Charlie looked up at

Nate. “No,” he said with remorse. “Don is dead.” Don had been in a bicycle accident on Grand Avenue earlier that week and suffered severe head trauma that led to his death. Though Nate had only known Don for nine days, he felt something come over him. “I walked out of there and could feel my life was about to change,” Nate explains. “I didn’t know how, but I could feel it.” Change didn’t take long. Mere months after Don’s death, Nate, Kate and other local artists opened the Ames Progressive (now called The Space For Ames), a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting local music and art. The group who first met at Don’s continued to meet and held a show at the Progressive in his honor. Shortly after, Nate, Kate and their friends started a band, Mumford’s, to carry on Don’s legend. Several other local artists also formed bands, and before they knew it, the Ames music scene was huge. Nate credits Don and his coffee table full of scrawled phone numbers with what is now a vibrant musical community. “Before he died, he brought people together,” Nate says. “He knew this was going to happen. It’s unreal the number of Ames artists with connections to Don. He is our foundation.” • • • Chris Ford took the stage at DG’s Tap House in downtown Ames, ready to begin his set. He’d played hundreds of shows with his band, Christopher the Conquered, without anxiety—but this time, he was nervous. Chris was opening for his favorite band, The Mountain Goats. “Years ago, I told friends my biggest dream would be to open for John Darnielle [frontman of The Mountain Goats],” recalls Chris, a 2008 Iowa State grad. “What he sang resonated with me on both an emotional and personal level.” But Chris’ dream wouldn’t have come to fruition without a lot of history. “There are a bunch of bands in Ames with members

“ WE KNEW AMES HAD THE POTENTIAL FOR SOMETHING GREAT.” who are very good friends,” Chris says. “We help each other put out records and book shows on a regular basis. We’d been talking about ways to form a financial collective—that is, everyone puts in money, and that pays for one band’s record, then those profits pay for the next band’s record and so on—and we decided to form a label.” In early 2011, that label would become Maximum Ames Records, an all-Iowan effort to put out vinyl albums. The group originally began with four bands— Christopher the Conquered, Mumford’s, Kate Kennedy’s band, Pennyhawk, and Derek Lambert and the Prairie Fires, another local group. Now, the label signs several other bands, including local celebrities Poison Control Center, who will put out a new limited-release album ater this year. But a record label wasn’t enough to satisfy Chris, Nate, and their friend, Chris Lyng, also an ISU graduate. “We knew we wanted to do something big,” Nate says. “And we knew Ames had the potential for something great.” Following several phone calls and meetings, they had their answer: Maximum Ames Music Festival. After some collaboration with Iowa City’s MissionCreek Music + Arts Festival leaders, Nate and Chris Lyng were sold. Maximum Ames Music Festival was slated for September. After months of sourcing, planning and little sleep, Nate and Chris had finished a lineup: 103 bands, all Midwestern and mostly Iowan, would play September 22 through 25, 2011 at 23 Ames venues. “We had such a huge variety of venues,” Chris says. “From houses to parks to clubs, cafés to radio stations to galleries, we covered it all.” One of the highlights of the planning stages was securing The Mountain Goats and Euforquestra, both nationally renowned artists. “The Mountain Goats frontman used to live in Ames,” Nate says. “He used to play at the M-Shop. And Euforquestra is originally from Iowa City. Even the national bands we booked still have Iowa ties.” The festival, which took place downtown in Campustown and as far west as the Unitarian

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Universalist Fellowship on Hyland Avenue, supported nearly every style of music: rock, punk, folk, bluegrass, electronic, soul, blues, hip-hop, jazz, even country—you name it, that genre was present at Maximum Ames. “It was great to see people we wouldn’t normally see at local bands’ shows,” Chris says. “They might have come to see a headliner, but they saw a local band open and got really into it. That’s what we were going for—that was our goal in all of this.” “This is our thing,” Nate agrees. “We love the scene here in Ames. There is so much talent, and we wanted to put on an event that put all that energy and talent and ability together. The festival exists to promote Ames culture. Every year, we’re going to step it up and make it bigger and better.” • • • On a Sunday night this past August, Mumford’s was preparing for a show at the 8th Street Tap Room in Lawrence when the bartender approached Nate. “Hey, are you guys named after Don Mumford?” he asked. “Yeah,” Nate said. “He’s why we’re playing.” The bartender raised his eyebrows. “Did you know this was Don’s bar?” he asked. “Look at this.” Behind the bar was a framed news article: Don’s obituary. “It gives me chills to talk about it,” Nate said. “We had no idea.” The bartender went on to explain that every Sunday night, Don would host a jazz jam in the exact spot Mumford’s was about to play. “That was one of those moments where I was like, ‘We are being guided. This band, this whole experience, is being guided by Don Mumford.’” So what would the legend himself think of Maximum Ames? “He would be super into it,” Nate says. “If he was alive, he would have been a big part of it. So much of this vision was his: he told us that we don’t have to just dream about a music scene. He made us believe we could make it happen in Ames. And he was never worried about experience—never once did he ask, ‘Hey, are you a good musician?’ He just wanted to play. It was about the music, and it still is.” e

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GAMI G B y SEA N F L ACK D esi g n DAN N Y M A L L E R Photo DAV I D DE RONG, K A R L L E TS C H E

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t’s 7:13 p.m. on a breezy Saturday night, and I’m about to immerse myself in one of Iowa State’s secret societies. Coover Hall, where this gathering takes place, is empty at the moment. Hallways that usually contain hordes of students during the week are now deserted, dimly lit, and reminiscent of a horror film. I know I’m not attending a Skull and Bones meeting, but the atmosphere is still eerie. And then I see it. Nestled toward the back of the building is a glowing room that stands out from the rest. I follow the muffled chatter and let myself in. Almost immediately, it’s as if I’ve stepped into an entirely new world—one that’s full of college-aged men on computers. The truth is I’m at a LAN party. The men aren’t wearing robes and reciting elaborate chants; they’re wearing t-shirts and playing computer games. Let’s backtrack. A LAN (Local Area Network) party is when a group of people establishes a network that interconnects computers in a limited area, primarily for the purpose of playing computer games. While any bro with a baseball cap can admit to playing, I guarantee that hardly any of them play like this.

The guys here are passionate to the core. Row after row of computers and laptops has a gamer in front of it with a look that’s equal parts focus and “leave me the hell alone” stoicism. Their small areas are littered with signs that they’ve been here for hours: empty pop bottles, almost-empty bags of candy, and various cans of energy drinks. And they have been there for a while. The LAN party started at noon, and many students proudly declare to me that they’ve been here since then. Remember, it’s about 7:40 p.m. now. The LAN party is set to end at midnight, but no one is showing signs of stopping anytime soon. It’s been years since I’ve been to a proper LAN party. Half of me is excited for what I’m experiencing, but the other half is ashamed for being out of the loop for so long. Gamer speak is like another language sometimes. Various guys will get up and talk to someone else and namedrop fictional races, buildings, and technology without batting an eyelash. They talk as if it’s as common as Europe or macaroni and cheese. When someone asks a question, they gets a quick response.

At first glance, it seems as if nothing is really happening in the room. After all, most of the action is happening on a computer screen. But it becomes hypnotic after a while. It’s not unusual to see a group of people huddled behind a computer screen watching a fellow gamer play. It even sucks me in as well. The guy who I’m watching has the speed and precision of an expert assembly line worker. His mouse darts wildly across the table, clicking furiously with purpose. The computer screen moves as fast as his mouse does, never lingering at one place for too long. He’s in the middle of a quest. And I realize that the people gathering around us aren’t here because they’re entranced by this guy’s dedication, but because they’re supporting him. The comradery of everyone here is pure. No one’s puffing out his chest trying to be the alpha male; it’s just a bunch of guys together in one place doing something that they love. A song by the electronic music duo, Daft Punk, starts slowly oozing out of some kid’s speakers. I notice computer wallpapers displaying various quotes and images from the film, “Fight Club.” Many people are wearing t-shirts that show some symbol or inside joke from geek culture. I then start to realize that gathered here in this room was Iowa State’s secret society. I left the LAN party later that night with a feeling of glee. I felt at home. I felt comfortable. I wanted to tell these guys’ story. A quick search on the Internet found that there was no true article about the gaming culture on campus. There had to be more to these champions of the keyboard than what people thought. Hunter Bauer has no qualms about who he is. In addition to being an accounting major, Bauer also controls armies in space, kills zombies on a tropical island, and creates worlds out of scratch. In short, Bauer is a gamer. “I’ve pretty much been playing video games as long as I can remember,” Bauer says. Completely at ease and well-groomed, Bauer is not your stereotypical gamer. He doesn’t shy away from answering questions and his enthusiasm is as big as the smile that takes up most of his face. He doesn’t wear thick-rimmed glasses. He doesn’t have a nasally voice. In fact, Bauer looks like any other student you’d see walking around campus. But Bauer isn’t like every student on campus. He’s a true gamer, spending from 12 to 20 hours a week playing his favorite games. With the rise of the Nintendo Wii and mobile games such as Angry Birds,

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though, everyone from your grandma to the drunks yelling on Welch consider themselves a gamer of sorts. More than any time in our history, video games have appealed to a much broader audience. A study conducted by the Entertainment Software Association found that 72% of American households play computer or video games. There are games now for pretty much every age and every demographic. So things should be good for those who spend massive amounts of time playing video games, right? “I think a lot of people, especially adults, see gamers in a negative light. I would say that to a gamer, being a gamer is awesome. But to the jocks and all the other people, it still definitely does carry some negative connotations in some circles. But I’m not personally ashamed of it,” says Bauer. It really comes down to the type of games one plays. A quick glance at the top 20 selling video games shows domination from shooters, sports titles, and gimmick games such as “Just Dance” or “Wii Sports.” Compare it to the top 20 selling computer games and one will notice titles that require more than just a casual attachment. Bauer’s game of choice is “Starcraft 2,” a sequel to the immensely popular computer game, “Starcraft.” According to www.sc2ranks.com, approximately 3,336,008 people play “Starcraft 2” online. Bauer and many other people in Iowa State’s gaming club, Game Renegades, take pride in being part of that three million, despite the reaction from their peers. “I think we’re very misunderstood. Because when I tell people I play video games, people immediately think, ‘On Friday night, this kid is playing ‘Starcraft.’’ It’s not like that at all. I think people over-label those who say they play video games, especially people who take video games very seriously,” says Bauer. Bauer is passionate about the topic of stereotyping gamers, especially since he’s not the shut-in, antisocial image people think of. He hangs out with people. He goes out on Friday nights, and will even go out to the bars on Saturday night. Bauer is quick to note that he isn’t all that different from anybody else who doesn’t play video games. It’s tough out there for a “chick.” There’s a growing minority in the video game culture. Slowly but surely, females are rising up to make their voices heard in the gaming world. While many male gamers will equate finding a true female gamer with finding a unicorn, they are in fact out there. Iowa State’s gaming culture is primarily maledominated, and that’s the way it is in the mainstream as well. e

B y M AT T WET T ENG EL D esi g n DA NNY M A L L ER Ph oto K A R L L ETSCH E

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Lupe Fiasco may have seemed like just another concert at Iowa State. More expensive ticket prices are what students have come to expect for bigger name acts. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rare to find tickets to a national headliner for under $30, putting Fiascoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s $21 or $26 ticket fee just below the expected. What most fail to realize is that Fiasco was the first Student Union Boardsponsored entertainment act ever to play at the Hilton Coliseum.

iasco was the first nationally renowned act brought to campus by SUB’s new National Events Account in its first year of existence. The $200,000 account allows SUB to bring big-name entertainment acts to Iowa State with discounted ticket prices for students and could change the future of entertainment in Ames, Iowa, forever.

The phoenix of Campustown’s Cyclone Cinema The Government of the Student Body’s Cyclone Cinema project was on SUB’s radar. Having determined a need to provide more entertainment options for students, GSB had set aside $346,000 for the renovation of the former Varsity Theater into Cyclone Cinema – a multipurpose classroom space and studentrun theater. The hype that surrounded GSB’s Cyclone Cinema project two years ago was abruptly interrupted by LANE4’s talk of Campustown renovations. An overhaul of the area and higher-than-expected costs impeded upon GSB’s plans for renovating the space. The abandonment of the project was one that happened inaudibly, behind the public outcry that accompanied LANE4’s renovation proposals. Business owners objected that they would be forced to relocate and that LANE4 was just trying to make a profit, while the public wasn’t convinced that the area was the blight in need of revitalization that renovation discussions emphasized. Peoples’ attention was drawn from GSB’s plan to provide students with more entertainment to the jeopardy that the Campustown area found itself in. After already spending nearly $5,000 on architectural planning and design fees, GSB reclaimed the remaining $341,000 to their general account last March after determining it was not effective use of student fee money, according to former GSB vice president and current Speaker of the Senate Nate Dobbels.

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It was then that the Student Union Board realized they had a chance to better Iowa State entertainment by doing the same work their organization already did, but on a much larger scale. “We knew that this giant lump-sum of money existed and we knew that it had been put aside for entertainment for students,” SUB president MaryBeth Konkowski explained. With the money up for allocation, SUB members brainstormed ideas of how they could utilize the money to extend their services to meet the entertainment needs that GSB had assessed. Bringing national touring events to Iowa State had already been the topic of discussion at meetings between GSB and SUB representatives in the fall of 2010. These representatives researched universities similar to Iowa State. How did they manage these larger events at their campuses? What kind of funding supported their programs? Ultimately these discussions led to the formation of the Alternative Entertainment Task Force, whose purpose was to come up with different ideas or help raise students’ awareness of alternative entertainment on weekends. It seemed the most effective way for the group to provide entertainment to the largest amount of students was to bring national events to campus, utilizing venues like Hilton Coliseum and C.Y. Stephens. Former GSB vice president Nate Dobbels, worked with SUB to develop this idea and headed the Alternative Entertainment Task Force. While SUB isn’t the only organization bringing entertainment to campus, its experience and the nature of its existing events made it the first choice for allocation of GSB funds. “There was just a determination that SUB is really the premier event planner here on campus,” Dobbels explained. “They work directly with Student Activities Center and there was no better place to put this fund.”

where the big names come from SUB’s National Events Account is managed with a breakeven model: Each show brought to campus through the fund must be estimated to regenerate its cost through ticket sales. The break-even model is something that is new for SUB and rare among other universities the same size as Iowa State. “A lot of schools have budgets where they just charge money just to hold the students accountable for taking a ticket, but they don’t have to make any money back, per say. And that’s how most major universities do it, but we couldn’t justify a $200,000 annual allocation for this program,” SUB adviser George Micalone explained. “Ideally we’d love that, that’s a direction we’d love to go, but right now we’re definitely excited that we have any opportunity.” According to Micalone, SUB’s business model places them in the middle of the cost spectrum for the touring acts that SUB pursues. While clubs and club promoters get a price that has a lower guarantee with a greater chance of profit, most colleges are charged the highest dollar amount possible because they’re trying to provide entertainment rather than make money. Basically, they’re charged more so that they’re held accountable to fill the show. “We’re in the middle, we’re trying to provide a service to students that’s discounted, but also trying to make money to break even so we can do more shows, and so we’re battling to explain this to agents and justify it to students,” Micalone said.

The task of finding these acts is the responsibility of SUB executives. The heads of each department work together to identify acts students would like to see on campus. This process consists of a combination of determining which acts to pursue, based on a particular genre they might want, acts that are touring in the area or that are buzzing on campus. Micalone takes these names and uses connections he’s built in his ten years working in the entertainment industry to find out which acts are feasible to pursue and which aren’t. “There are certain acts that we’ll never get because of our [break-even] model,” Micalone said, citing Daniel Tosh as an example. The comedian quotes $100,000, won’t perform in arenas and won’t allow student tickets to sell for more than $15 because he doesn’t want students to have a bad perception of him. –(In magazine, probably substitute “the comedian” with “Daniel Tosh) With Hilton removed from the equation, C.Y. Stephens would be the next largest venue available and nowhere near the capacity needed to make back Tosh’s fee with student tickets selling at $15 and “He won’t reduce his ticket price because he knows that there are colleges out there that will just pay for that opportunity,” Micalone explained.

where lupe came from and what he did for sub Throughout the summer the few SUB execs that remained in Ames got together to establish the ground rules for determining acts to bring to campus. They established a voting system, where the executive committee votes on the acts they’ve decided to pursue. The first vote narrows the group’s initial list and a final vote determines which act they will seriously go after. With more than two-thirds support for Lupe Fiasco in their final vote, SUB decided to pursue the artist. Because he was on a national tour and between stops in Illinois and Missouri, the artist accepted SUB’s offer. Through its eight committees, SUB puts on many events each week and also collaborates with other organizations to help put on various events each week. Considering all of the events that they produce, in the past SUB tended to lose itself in its events, promoting the events themselves without emphasizing the fact that the group put them on. Once SUB announced that they were bringing Lupe Fiasco to campus, they saw interest in their organization increase dramatically as their numbers swelled from around 30 to over 100. Big name acts help them recruit members more than performers like hypnotists. “[These national events are] a great way to get the buzz about SUB out there. As we’ve been promoting the show, we’re not just promoting the show, it’s how can we make sure that students know that Student Union Board is behind this whole program and making sure to make that connection,” Konkowski said. Increased interest by the student population has caused SUB to come up with controls to make sure that volunteers have genuine interest in the organization. Occasionally, people volunteer for SUB looking for access to the artists they bring or a free ticket to the shows.

“There are so many opportunities [within SUB],” Andrew Lopez said. “I’m trying to get into entertainment and I’ve learned so much and made so many contacts, it’s insane.” In her second term as president of SUB, Konkowski attributes the dedication of returning executives for the organization’s success this year. “So many changes have happened and we’re just moving in such a positive direction,” Konkowski said. “Last year we were struggling to get this kind of structure and figuring out how we get these committee members involved … I feel like we’re a lot more organized and we definitely want to keep that momentum going.” This year, SUB’s execs started out with the goal of re-branding the organization. “SUB was still very high functioning, but it was kind of losing itself in the message,” said SUB public relations director Nakeesha Van Wyk. “The need arose because we’d get big groups to certain events and no one to [others], so we were trying to find a happy medium.” The success that SUB has seen with its re-branding endeavors so far this year has helped it organize its various committees and come together to put on its first show with the National Events Account. As the first act of this caliber, though, SUB did encounter some unexpected obstacles to the Lupe Fiasco concert. A number of concertgoers were frustrated when the lower level tickets they purchased did not gain them access to floor seating in front of the stage as they expected. Instead, they were confined to the first tier of seating and later joined by fans sitting in upper level.Not long before show time, SUB learned that 1,200 attendees were allowed to go on to the floor in front of the stage, a fact that was unclear to ticket purchasers, who had to decide between lower- and upper-level seating at a cost difference of five dollars. With this in mind, the first 1,200 attendees with tickets for lower-level seating were given wristbands granting them floor access. Once that capacity was reached, problems began to arise in the form of aggravated fans who felt entitled to a spot on the still-spacious floor, which fire codes prevented packing. Because the show wasn’t sold out and 1,200 members of the lower section were on the floor, Hilton staff then made the decision to move those in the upper level to the lower level in order to consolidate their staff and make security easier. For people with lower level tickets, like Duncan Stephens

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and his friends, being joined by those who paid less was aggravating. “If you’re going to separate the tickets and the seating you have to stick to that because people made decision based on that criteria,” said Stephens, who made it clear that he didn’t blame any one party, but wasn’t happy with the handling of seating at the show. Konkowski said that as the first SUB-produced show at Hilton, nobody was sure what to expect with floor seating. “There are so many people involved with the planning: Hilton, Ticketmaster, SUB, Agencies, Tour Managers and the list goes on,” Konkowski said. “Sometimes information registers with some differently than others, and I believe some of that happened with this situation.” Despite his agitation, Stephens was sympathetic to those who had to turn people away from the floor, because they were screamed at and treated disrespectfully through the beginning of the show. Police were brought in to remove some disgruntled guests. With so many people riled up from the seating fiasco, Stephens said that safety seemed a questionable reason for the seating adjustments. “The first 45 minutes of the concert were just a massive gaggle,” Stephens said. “Stress levels were high with us, with the staff and just the stress level in the entire coliseum was high if you weren’t down on the floor.” Stephens believes that if SUB had explained the seating options more clearly before the show, there wouldn’t have been an excuse for everyone to get so riled up. “It’s unfortunate how it went down, but I guess I have faith in them that they’ll learn from it and fix it next time,” said Stephens, who admitted that in the end he and his friends did enjoy the concert. Whether they choose to sell floor seating separately or advertise that the first in the door get spots on the floor, Konkowski believes that after evaluating their first show, SUB is ready to take on more, without such problems.

What all of this means for the future Bringing Lupe Fiasco to Hilton Coliseum was a milestone for SUB, as it was the first event the group hosted in the arena. While it was a defining moment for SUB, the event and those brought in the future have the potential to define the future of entertainment at Iowa State. “The more events that we do there, the more likely outside promoters will see that it’s a viable venue and then they’ll have more activity. So they need our business to be able to generate outside business to some extent,” Micalone said. The presence of these acts on the Iowa State campus serves the greater good of putting Ames, Iowa on the map for future entertainers planning their tours. “Back in the day, more outside promoters used to bring more student-friendly major entertainment to Hilton and Stephens and in the last half decade they’ve just stopped for some reason,” Micalone said. Micalone speculated that the economy, a drop in ticket sales and the management transition at Hilton to the athletics department, which doesn’t choose to bring in entertainment shows, impacted outside promoters’ interest in Ames. This lack of interest left a void for high caliber entertainment at Iowa State. “They rely on outside promoters to bring in acts, so SUB is the promoter in this sense where we rent Hilton and present this show and all the risk is on us,” Micalone said. “Even VEISHEA didn’t have entertainment named before 2006, so we’ve evolved as far as entertainment on campus,” Micalone said. “[In the] early 2000s thte M-Shop was the most exciting thing we had as far as entertainment. And the M-Shop still brings great entertainment, just on adifferent scale.” Having the ability to bring big name acts to the Ames community helps SUB define itself as an organization and prevents students from having to travel to see such

popular acts. “This is the next level where students have access at a very reasonable price for entertainment that they would have to go at least 5 hours away for,” Micalone said. By providing affordable entertainment, more students are able to attend these shows, which contributes to the overall experience students have in their time as Iowa State students. “[It’s] such a positive way to enhance the college experience,” Dobbels said. “I think that’s the most important thing out of this National Events Account is that we’re changing the way students are thinking about the options that they have here on campus. They’re finding that … there are things that [they] can do here on campus, this is where [they] want to be and [they’re] proud to be a part of the Iowa State community.”

cyclone cinema Along with its big name entertainment endeavors, SUB also adopted the task of improving the weekend movie showings this year, collaborating with the Inter-Residence Hall Association, which formerly ran the Free Friday Flicks program. Working with IRHA and GSB, SUB transformed 101 Carver into a movie theater, affectionately known as Cyclone Cinema, with the addition of a high-definition projector and speakers. This partnership allows Cyclone Cinema to show movies twice a day, Thursday through Sunday, compared to the three showings per weekend in past years. The sale of concessions completes the movie theater fill, which has brought in over 800 moviegoers each weekend, according to Alec Thompson, films committee chair for SUB. Compared to the approximately 200 students in attendance on any given weekend last year, Thompson believes the permanent location and increase in showings has led to the success of the film showings this year. “We wanted to show the films out of one location with constant showing times,” Thompson said. This year, SUB has had to cut off admission to showings in accordance with 101 Carver’s capacity of, 202 people. Thompson says a turnout of that size is a very good sign. “It’s just been really successful, I don’t think we could’ve imagined a more successful project coming from that initial invest,” Dobbels said. “It’s exactly what we were hoping for and in my mind it’s actually better because it’s free.”

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quickies

Karaoke for the Cultures

KTV presents the traditional Karaoke style found in China, giving students at least one sense of familiarity in their new home.

By E L E N I UPAH

People used to travel to Chicago for this kind of Karaoke

Moving to a new town where you don’t know anyone can be hard, but imagine moving to a new country that doesn’t even speak the same language. With such a large population of Asian cultures represented at Iowa State, Ames does offer a small remedy for homesickness. KTV presents the traditional karaoke style found in China, giving students at least one sense of familiarity in their new home. Located in Legacy Tower on Stanton Avenue, KTV offers comfortable couches and touch-screen monitors directly from China with an almost-endless collection of music in a variety of languages. Co-owner Derek Widman decided to open the club after spending several weeks in China and realizing how popular it is there. “People used to travel to Chicago for this kind of karaoke,” Widman says. “I thought, ‘Why don’t we have something like this here?’” Widman, who graduated from Iowa State in 2009, opened KTV, the first authentic Chinese karaoke club in Ames, in October of the same year. Looking in through its street-side windows, you might not see a karaoke club, especially one with up to 40 guests singing inside. The modestly sized space houses four rooms: two small and two large, for groups ranging anywhere from two performers to twelve.

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The popularity of KTV’s karaoke style relies on its privacy. The idea is for a group of friends to enjoy a night out together without the intimidation of singing in front of strangers. Differing from the public performances seen in traditional American karaoke bars, this system allows customers to perform in the privacy of separate rooms with friends. Open Tuesday through Sunday, KTV generally closes at 2 a.m. but may extend its hours until the last group leaves. Offering a pay-by-the-hour rate of $30 for small rooms and $50 for large rooms, tabs can be paid upon leaving. Aside from offering a limited supply of food and beverages available for purchase, management does not serve or allow alcohol. The music selection varies from childhood favorites to current hits in multiple cultures. With more than 10 world languages represented, music is updated every six months, with original Chinese software and equipment. Reservations are accepted, but walk-ins are available on a first-come-first-served basis.

Ph oto YUE W U

Small

bigRoom party B y A S H L E Y PAT T O N K AT E LY N N M C C O L L OU G H

College: (n) those four years of your life when your time is consumed with late-night studying, tests, and of course, parties. Throwing the party of the year can be exhilarating, but also difficult. Seeing as most students aren’t living in penthouse suites, space can be a major problem. So if you’re crunched for space but still want to have a bad ass party, here are some tips and pointers to get you started. When you’re living in the dorms, space is not your only issue. Neighbors and that everwatchful CA can be a problem. “Become besties with your CA,” says Elizabeth Breuer, junior in dietetics, who lived Larch Hall her freshman year. Knowing your CA’s round times tand planning accordingly can be helpful in staying out of trouble. “Secret code knocks are a good way to identify yourself as a fellow party go-er and not a CA.” AJ Bryant, senior in industrial engineering says that you should “try to keep random people to a minimum, and if they are there make sure they know someone there and didn’t just

walk in.” When throwing a party in a smaller enclosure, having way too many people can lead to issues. Sticking to a set number of people can help ensure there will be adequate space for people to move around, dance and hold a conversation with those around them. “Females, that’s always important in a small space,” says Andrew Burgart, sophomore in criminal justice. Burgart remembers having some pretty good parties at “Club 3205,” the small dorm room where he and his friends enjoyed spending their free time. According to Burgart, “black lights, good music and nice, cold booze,” also help in making a small-spaced party the go-to place on the weekend. For Jon Feavel, sophomore in prearchitecture, the perfect small-space party comes down to his, “recipe for success.” This recipe includes music, lighting effects, a good group of friends, the incentive to celebrate and Jimmy John’s number on speed dial. “Get your friends in there and get a lot of them,” Feavel says. “A small enclosure packed is way

better than a penthouse suite with arm space. Pack’em in.” There are numerous other ways to throw the party everyone will be talking about the entire semester and some will be trying to remember. Just use the space you have wisely and do the best you can to ensure everyone is having a good time.

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Become besties with your CA

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quickies

Friday Nights Intermediate see p.7

By C L A R I S SA STOL L Photo K A I TL I N McK I N N EY

Classes end. The week is over. Finally, two nights, stress-free from homework, meetings and parents. So what is a person to do around campus that isn’t a one-way ticket to (L)amesville? These ISU students share how they spend Friday free time.

Clayton Nessa, sophomore in agriculture and life sciences exploration, kick-starts his wild weekends after class ends Thursday afternoon and doesn’t stop until the sun rises Monday morning.

After my roommates are done with class, we gather money for a beer run. When we get back we drink heavily while playing competitive drinking card games like Fuck the Dealer, Ring of Fire or Buffalo, which turns into playing table games such as Beer Pong, Flippy Cup and Chandeliers. We keep drinking until there is a definite place [to party] and head there carrying what beer is left in a backpack. Everyone knows nothing happens until at least 10:00. After the parties are over or we run out of beer, whicWEWhever comes first, we will head to the food stands and head home, still drinking what beer we can find and trying to keep ourselves together, not wanting to pass out first, especially with your shoes on, for fear of what you will wake up with drawn on your face. If our night ends around 4 or 5 a.m., we will call it a night, missing our goal for sunrise and try to wake up for class the next morning.

Chenxiao Mao and Shujin Jiang both

It’s way different than American chess. We are partners online and play freshmen from China, also two other people we don’t manage a more modest know. The goal is to get the weekend and enjoy playing other player’s flag. Each Military Chess, a game piece has different number integrating elements values, and the bigger from chess, Battleship and pieces eat the smaller Capture the Flag. pieces to remove them from the board. Depending on the game, some may take a half-hour. We’re not really good, but we like to play,” says Mao.

A bunch of us [CA’s] from other buildings will get together for ISU After Dark and bring our residents. I would have anywhere from 5 to 25 on a good day. I really enjoy After Dark; it’s fun to take people there to do stuff because it’s an outside event. We can hang out as friends more than an adviser-resident relationship. It seems like [my students] enjoy it. It gets people together that wouldn’t normally get together.

Sarah Andrews, senior in mathematics, used to hang at house parties but after grabbing herself a community advisor gig, she now spends her Friday free time with students within her residence hall.

Check out page 7 for drinking game ideas!

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D esi g n M I L L E I I SHI K AWA

An Intro to Yue’s Blog

By YUE WU

你的楼上是否住着一只大象?

“...I have met great professors who help me with the things that I want to do for life”

In summer 2009, within 15 flight hours, from Chongqing, China to Iowa, U.S, here I came, Iowa State, with my two big suitcases, which could store two “me”s, probably. The reason why I chose Iowa, I would call it stupid, because I just wanted to stay somewhere hot like my hometown city, Chongqing, same as Iowa, which is also located in the middle of the country. Oh well, I learned the lesson in winter in a hard way aftermath: Do not sleep in your geography class in high school, they do teach American geography, and that’s very important when you want to study in U.S. I lived temporary at my friends’ place when the first time I arrived here. I sat alone at their living room, which is well-decorated, imagined what kind of life they have in Ames, and the sunshine came through the blinds. One afternoon like that, I started my life in Ames. We call Ames A-Town. Once I traveled Washington D.C in the beginning of this year, and there was a random American chatted fluently in Chinese with me. “The real America is not in New York, not in Chicago, not in Los Angles , not in Washington D.C either, it is in middle west.” A-Town is somewhere like this, one Iowa State University, two Walmarts, three taxi server companies, and boundless corns fields. This is now my third year. I’m majoring in Journalism, and I have a huge passion about photography, travel and food. Being an international ISU student here, the life in A-Town is pretty simple but busy: incomprehensible history classes, nauseous exams, “should I go or not” lecture classes,

deadlines, work, inconvenient bus schedules... all of this, with everyday questions such as, “hamburger again?”, “where sells the cheapest bed?”, “how am I gonna handle the nasty shots on Friday night?”, and “is there an elephant living upstairs?” In these three years, I have met great professors who help me with the things that I want to do for life; I meet tons of friends who always keep me there and never give me up; I also meet an asshole who made me fully understand I should appropriate myself on things that deserves my attention. However, I turned my parents into cyber friends; I couldn’t stay aside with my cousin to witness her baby, my niece, coming to this world; I also missed the good time hanging out with all my girls. Nevertheless, I’m not regret what I’ve chosen, I guess that’s why we called it American Dream. Throughout the year, I will blog about my life and my experience in Ames as an international student. Some possible topics are where you can find the best chinese restaurant in Ames, or how many times a chinese need to take road test for a driving license, or the fact that not all chinese eat dogs, and you don’t want to miss them.

check ou m or e t online! www.Y uesBlog.c

quickies By A RYA NA GATH I NG S Photo M A R K MARO G I L

noblehaus WHO DO THEY THINK THEY ARE?

Ethos: What kind of music do you play? Noblehaus: Electronic music, as opposed to top 40 hits or something. E: So when you say electronic, do you mean techno, dubstep, house music? N: Mostly electrohouse and we do remixes of popular songs, but they are usually by house artists. Sometimes we can find the balance between top 40 stuff and electronic, and when we’re in a good mood and just drunk enough, we play dubstep. E: Hey, I love dubstep! Why did you guys pick the name Noblehaus? N: Well we lived in Friley freshman and sophomore year ,and our floor was Noble, which is the design learning community. I think the main reason is we already made shirts with the Noble house on it, which it’s spelled differently, but we thought, “hey, free advertising.” We don’t know why it’s spelled “aus.” E: Have you had any obstacles? N: When we started it was kind of tough to get house parties and stuff. We had to actively ask people, “Do you wanna throw a house party?” We all live in an apartment so we can’t throw parties there obviously. We have to use other people’s places so we had to go around and ask people we knew who knew

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people and at that house they wanted us to play. But I feel like this year it’s been a lot easier getting these opportunities, we started doing bars now and various random things would come up that made it a lot easier. The only obstacle of playing at bars is that we play earlier in the week, and nobody really goes. We do Wednesday nights at Sips 10-midnight so there’s nobody there, and we can’t play the music that we want to play, we have to play stuff that caters to the crowd. E: Alright one more question, do you have any achievements or have you learned anything from being in your group? N: Aside from all the technical and skillful type stuff, for DJing, apparently being nice guys is one of the biggest things you can do to promote yourselves. That’s what a lot of people say to us, people tell us we’re really down to earth, which I like to believe. We do this just to do it, we don’t do it to make money. We have no goal for it, and all the money we do make we just use to buy more stuff to make it more fun. I think that’s one of the biggest things, a lot of it is about knowing people and having good contacts at the bars and venues.

Q&A

‘haus S P E C IAL S

01/ Rowdy Jack Gigi B a ro cco

02/ Walking On A Dream (Ka s kade Re m i x) E mpi re of the S u n

03/ Loca People S a k No e l

04 / So Much Love Fedde L e G ra nd

05/ Brazzer’s Theme Dave Nad a & Di l lon F ra nc i s

check it out! For updates on events w w w. facebook.com / Noble hau s

Watch a kickass video www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sg4l8TpN1_w

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