Vol. 13 No. 5

09.28.16 - VOL. 13, NO. 05

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meet the team Publisher

CHRIS SHEPPERD Managing Editor

LUKE MURRAY

Assistant Editor

LINLEY STRINGER Senior Staff Writer

ANNABETH REEB

Street Team Specialist

ALICIA TORRES Interns

ABBY NEWTON DANIELLE ANTHONY DEVIKA SINGH SHELBIE WARR Distribution

KRISTEN COTTRELL LINDSAY COX CLINT HART Maroon Weekly is an independent, publication and is not affiliated with Texas A&M University. Maroon Weekly receives no student fees or university funding.

Opinions are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the editor, publisher or the newspaper staff. Maroon Weekly is not liable for omissions, misprints or typographical errors. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the express consent of the publisher. © Copyright 2016 Campus Press LP

maroonweekly.com • Sept. 28, 2016 • MAROON WEEKLY • pg 3

by Danielle Anthony

film follows James and his friends, Peter, Ashley, and Lisa as they embark on a journey into the Black Hills Forest where the Blair Witch is said to haunt.

Along the way, the group picks up two locals who found and uploaded the footage that inspired this adventure. Everyone starts out hopeful, but as the locals reveal the stories surrounding the woods and noises are heard throughout the night, they soon learn that the legend is more than just a scary story.

MOVIE REVIEW: BLAIR WITCH

D

Weekly Media

Shakedown #APPFORTHAT

o you need something to get you in the fall spirit, despite the high temperatures? Maybe the caffeine just isn’t working anymore and you need something to keep you awake at night.

Either way, there is one solution: go see Blair Witch. Released on September 16, 2016, this sequel to The Blair Witch Project (1999), is sure to frighten even the toughest scary movie buffs.

Directed by Adam Wingard and written by Simon Barrett, Blair Witch is a direct sequel to the 1999 film, centered around the younger brother, James, of Heather Donahue, one of the characters who disappeared in The Blair Witch Project. The

Although the story line has been tweaked slightly, the film is what The Blair Witch Project would have been if it was made today. The characters have high tech gear that produces footage that is acceptable by 2016 standards, while making extremely subtle political statements (such as the scene with Peter and the Confederate flag) that would also date the film, while still holding on to the same story.

Although Blair Witch is not scarier than the original, it is still frightening. It plays on human fears of the unknown while showing what physical and emotional exhaustion can do to people braving the elements. Blair Witch provides viewers with a new take on a classic film, without lacking any of the original horror.

by Annabeth Reeb

PUNKPOST

Anyone remember snail mail? No, us either, really.

Why send a letter when you COST: FREE can text someone within minutes. Some may say because it’s more personal or more fun. Thanks to Punkpost, you can have it both ways. You download the app for free, pick a card, and then type your message in seconds. An actual, real live person (we aren’t joking, folks) will actually write out your message in gorgeous script and send it to the address you specify.

Letters run around $6, and with an extra $1.50 you can add confetti (if you really hate the person). Don’t want to cough up the six bucks?

No worries, the first letter is completely free, and you don’t even have to insert any credit card numbers. Maybe it’s time to take back snail mail. We gave it a try, so you should too.

NEW ALBUM RELEASE

Lindsey Stirling Album: Brave Enough Release Date: August 19, 2016

pg 4 • MAROON WEEKLY • Sept. 28, 2016 • maroonweekly.com

by Devika Singh When most people hear “violin,” they think orchestra and classical music; Lindsey Stirling, however, takes the electric violin to a new level. In her latest album, “Brave Enough,” she combines her dub step style with gentle, more intimate beats to create a playlist for various audiences.

This is her third studio album with the title song, “Brave Enough,” featuring Christina Perri. Her fusion of EDM with classical styles attracts attention from a quite large and diverse audience; her name is already in the Top 5 on at least six different Billboard charts. She claims on her website that her inspiration come from hardships she has endured, and this album definitely resonates the fact that she has overcome struggle with a strong, more powerful voice.

The latest Disney film, “Pete’s Dragon,” features the song, “Something Wild” during end credits. Stirling is currently touring the US and will be starting the international leg of the “Brave Enough” tour in mid-October.

by Shelbie Warr

WOLF PEN CREEK CONCERT SERIES where: WOLF PEN CREEK AMPHITHEATRE when: OCTOBER 1ST, 6:30PM tickets: $22.50 - $27.50 info: CSTX.GOV/WOLFPEN

T

he Turnpike Troubadours, William Clark Green, and Shane Smith & The Saints will make a visit to College Station on Oct. 1 at 6:30 p.m. as the trio of acts rocks the Wolf Pen Creek Amphitheater.

The Turnpike Troubadours will be making their first trip back to College Station since June of 2015 as the headliners of this concert event. The group, originating from Oklahoma, has four albums to their name, the first dating back to 2007 and the most recent self-titled album having been released about a year ago. Lead singer Evan Felker believes that song writing is all about telling a story and the band displays that belief in all their work.

William Clark Green, who was recently in College Station with Josh Abbott in June, will be co-headlining the event with the Troubadours. Green has four full-length albums to his name as well as a live album that was just released titled “Live at Gruene Hall.” The album holds 21 live recordings from Green’s recent show at the famous Gruene Hall. Even if you weren’t able to make it out to the show, listening to the album will be like being at the show.

The third act, Shane Smith & The Saints, will be returning to Aggieland after playing in town in December. The four-man group has two albums, one of which was released in September of last year titled “Geronimo.” With this band gaining speed with their unique sound, you definitely won’t want to miss seeing them play. The group’s country vibe features bits of folk and rock and is sure to round out the event well.

Unlike other events at the Amphitheater, you can’t bring your own coolers and lawn chairs. So bring some friends, a little cash for food at the park, and a blanket to sit on for an evening to welcome in the fall with some country music favorites.

Tickets cost $22.50 and can be purchased online at Wolf Pen Creek’s website prior to 10am the day of the event or at pg 6 • MAROON WEEKLY • April 30, 2014 • maroonweekly.com Cavender’s. Some tickets may be available at the event, but the price will increase to $27.50.

pg 6 • MAROON WEEKLY • Sept. 28, 2016 • maroonweekly.com

maroonweekly.com • Sept. 28, 2016 • MAROON WEEKLY • pg 7

by Devika Singh

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: TURNPIKE’S R.C. EDWARDS

This weekend College Station welcomes the Turnpike Troubadours at the Wolf Pen Creek Amphitheatre. They will be performing on October 1 with William Clark Green and Shane Smith & The Saints. To get more insight, we talked to bassist R.C. Edwards.

MW: Hey RC! Thanks for talking with me today. To start off, can you tell me which artists have influenced you?

RC: Mostly Jason Boland & the Stragglers–they are kind of our ‘big brother’ band. They helped us get started, they’ve been great friends and great influences. We kind of grew up where there were a lot of cool bands from Oklahoma: Cross Canadian Ragweed, Jason Boland, and The Great Divide. They made it cool to play this kind of music and turned people like us onto it. And then it leads on to their influences, and you go down a rabbit hole and end up at John Prine and the big Americana influences all the way to Hank Sr.

pg 8 • MAROON WEEKLY • Sept. 28, 2016 • maroonweekly.com

MW: That’s a huge range of influences, and really cool that you guys had a band help you along in the beginning phases of your musical career. Where do you think the genre of Red Dirt is headed?

RC: That’s a good question. Half the time I don’t even know what the genre of red dirt is. It’s more like a community than a genre to me. There’s everything from garage rock bands to country swing bands to honky tonk bands and everything in between. So it’s always headed a lot of different directions.

MW: Because the genre is so huge, there are a ton of other great bands in it.

Who would you like to go on tour with?

RC: American Aquarium is always a go-to and we’re playing with them at a festival this weekend and they’re one of our favorites. And we love doing shows with The Stragglers. One of our favorite bands that we’ve been playing

with is Shane Smith & the Saints; they’re a great band. We’re fixing to do a tour with them and that’s going to be a blast.

MW: What influences you the most when writing a song? Are any songs based off of personal stories of yours?

Academy for the Visual & Performing Arts

presents

RC: That depends on what the song is about, and that could be anything, like a story you heard or something that happened to you or happened to a friend of yours. Almost all of them are based on personal stories. Some are fictionalized but 90% of them are about friends or family members and then we take some poetic license with that.

MW: What of those songs you’ve been able to write would you say fueled your career?

RC: The first one that really did get on the radio was “Every Girl” so I guess that’s when stuff started taking off and never looked back from there. But they’re all meaningful and have fueled our career. We’re a very song-driven band so I’d say all of them.

"Smart, sophisticated, downright hilarious" TimeOut Chicago

MW: So what do you think will be your next move after this tour wraps up?

RC: Next year we’ve got some studio time and the European tour during the first several months of next year. We’re going to do another album and the European tour and we’ve been there a handful of times.

MW: All bands have a story of how they found each other. How did Turnpike Troubadores get together?

RC: We were all playing in different bands around Oklahoma and it’s not a very big place or a musical scene, so you get to know everybody, and at some point, we just kind of joined forces. Most of had our own bands, we were the front men from different bands, and kind of teamed up.

October 6th, 2016 Rudder Theater | 7:00 - 9:00pm

Check them out online!

Website: www.improvisedshakespeare.com Facebook: facebook.com/improvisedshakespeare Twitter: twitter.com/ImprovShakesCo

Get your tickets today! $7 Students, $12 General Admission Available at the MSC Box Office 979-845-1234 boxoffice.tamu.edu

academyarts.tamu.edu | facebook.com/AVPAatTAMU | twitter.com/TAMU_AVPA | avpa@tamu.edu

CAMPUS CULTURE VS

by Devika Singh

W

hen Texas A&M switched conferences from the Big 12 to the SEC in 2012, there was much speculation about how and why. Through the last few years, the debates have subsided but the conference switch has also changed college culture and students’ perspectives toward football.

Anyone who has attended a Big 12 game can vouch that the game day atmosphere had a country Texas school vibe, which has changed a bit around College Station since the entrance into the SEC. Because of the move to SEC, spectators have noticed differences in attire and a shift toward classy fashion, like bowties and certain game day dresses.

“Each of the SEC schools has its own personality and culture,” said Jason Cook, senior associate athletic director in external affairs. “You don’t see bowties at every SEC school. We have certainly brought a Western vibe into the league, while many of our students and fans have embraced some of the traditions of the Deep South. The great thing is that the SEC has been extremely accepting of what Texas A&M has brought to the conference across the board.”

Many may think that a fashion transformation also indicates a change in

pg 10 • MAROON WEEKLY • Sept. 28, 2016 • maroonweekly.com

football culture altogether. However, Texas A&M is known for staying rooted deep in the Texas way of life.

“Texas A&M will always represent the state of Texas, regardless of what conference we’re in,” Cook said. “You can’t change geography and history. What we’ve seen more than anything else is significant growth in Aggieland since the SEC move, with more and more visitors coming here from other SEC schools.”

Besides the two different personalities of conferences merging to create an atmosphere unique to College Station, incoming students have raised another question: Why does the War Hymn still mention Texas University, even though we don’t play them anymore?

“I have been saying since we moved to the SEC that it is embarrassing to sing the Way Hymn about UT when we are playing other schools,” said Paula Miller, associate chair in undergraduate programs within the Department of Health and Kinesiology. “There are enough clever people on this campus and former students who could craft some different lyrics that are more pertinent or use the first verse of the song.”

Though many students have wondered about this question, most have not looked into the reason behind it. And it goes back to the campus’ deep-rooted Texan pride and the Ol’ Army convention of maintaining traditions.

“When we moved into the SEC in 2012, President Loftin facilitated a discussion with the student leaders at the time,” Cook said. “They were adamant that the words to the War Hymn should not change. Texas A&M’s traditions are always held in the hands of the students. That’s one of the things that makes Texas A&M so unique.”

Lastly, a technical matter that the shift entailed was representing Texas A&M and its values to a new conference and a new set of schools, as the Aggie brand is prevalent throughout the state of Texas and is known across the nation.

“The biggest branding change was linking Texas A&M to the SEC, which is the strongest brand in college sports,” Cook said. “Being the only SEC school in the state of Texas provides so many competitive advantages. We promote Texas A&M’s affiliation with the SEC whenever we get the chance, as Texas is now SEC Country.”

Looking into campus culture that followed the shift in conferences, it is apparent that much has changed in terms of dress and a vibe of Texas as part of the South instead of Texas as a potential independent country. But despite the change, values and traditions have remained as they were. Game day atmosphere still exemplifies the campus’ Texas southern-rooted lifestyle along with the intent to move forward and evolve as a student body.

SEC Schedules Released Buy Season Tickets Now!

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maroonweekly.com • Sept. 28, 2016 • MAROON WEEKLY • pg 11

by Danielle Anthony

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: SHANE SMITH T exas Country music artist, Shane Smith and the Saints, will be stopping in College Station before he and his band take the stage at ACL. The show will be on October 1 at Wolf Penn Creek Amphitheatre and they will be performing with Turnpike Troubadours and William Clark Green. The Maroon Weekly got the chance to talk with Shane Smith about his music and life as a professional artist.

MW: So to start off, can you tell us how your band formed?

SS: Well our fiddle player, Bennet Brown, from Kentucky, was the first person that I met in Austin. When I moved to Austin, I was trying to get to know different venue managers and get my foot in the door with some open mic nights and things like that. Before I moved to Austin, I had recorded a solo record that was more of an acoustic singer-songwriter thing. So, I moved and started doing some open mic nights and getting little residential shows as a solo singer-songwriter. Then I met Bennet, and we started playing together at pretty much every single show. We kinda teamed up. We won a singer-songwriter contest, in what’s now called Terrell, where I was born and grew up. Part of the grand prize

pg 12 • MAROON WEEKLY • Sept. 28, 2016 • maroonweekly.com

was to open for Charlie Robinson in a big dance hall. We decided that we wanted a band to play with us at that show, and so we borrowed the only band that we had ever played with at that point. Well, we opened for them, not played with them. That was a band called the Chris Morris Band in Austin. And, essentially, several of their members started playing with us, then some of our friends started playing with us. That was our first band for about 2 years. Since then, several members have changed out, but we’ve been with the same core guys for close to four years now. And that’s kind of how it evolved. Everyone has a different story.

MW: Who were your favorite musicians growing up? Have they influenced your career?

SS: As a young kid, it would’ve been oldies radio. There was a radio station, 98.7, in Dallas, that my dad would always listen to growing up, and that’s where I was introduced to Motown and oldies. From the Four Tops to Otis Redding, just all kinds of different stuff like that. I got the 90’s and alternative rock from my older brothers. That was late 90s and early 2000s. I was listening to Third Eye Blind, 311, and Blink 182. You know,

just different stuff like that. It was when I got into high school that I got introduced to more country and folk and more singer-songwriter stuff.

So, it’s a very, very wide variety of styles of music and musicians. I’ve definitely taken as much influence from them as I possibly can, and that goes the same for the entire band. We all listen to all different types and different genres of music.

MW: Who are some artists that you have performed with before?

SS: We have played shows with a lot of different bands in the Texas Country Scene, as well as outside of it. We’ve played shows with Ryan Bingham, Shakey Graves, Turnpike Troubadours, Randy Rogers Band, Reckless Kelly, all the way to opening for Travis Tritt. We’re about to have the opportunity to play at the Austin City Limits Music Festival on the same day as Chris Stapleton, Nathanial Radcliffe and Mumford and Sons, just a bunch of different guys. Actually, the show we are playing in College Station is the night before that.

MW: That will be exciting! Do you have any tracks that you like to play live?

SS: I really enjoy playing our last single, “All I See Is You,” just because it’s a very high-energy song that can get our crowds going. It just raises the energy of the show. Another song I really enjoy playing live is “Runaway Train” which is an original song. Its actually going to be our next single that we are about to start promoting. As far as covers of songs, we enjoy playing a song by Levon Helm called “Hurricane.” Band of Heathens also covered and recorded that song, which had a lot of influence on how we play it. We changed some things up on it, but it’s a consistent song that we play at our show that we really enjoy.

MW: Speaking of a new single, is there anything you can tell us about new music?

SS: Yeah, we’re in the process of putting all our songs together for the next record while we still promote “Geronimo,” which is our latest release. Right now we are in the writing phase for our next record and we have a lot of songs that we are really excited about.

MW: Well we are excited to hear it! So, last question: what’s the craziest thing that has ever happened during a concert?

SS: That’s a tough question! Let’s see, well, we’ve had fights break out on stage. Well, they fell onto the stage. When we were first starting to play shows in Dallas as a band, the venue that we would play was Adair’s Saloon, and every single show we played there, a fight would break out.

So, that’s a fairly standard thing when you work in bars every night, to have fights break out. But, its unique because the stage and venue are so small that we had fights happen in front of the stage and would fall onto the stage. We had to stop playing once, but the other times we continued playing through it. There have been all kinds of things; it’s a very tough question to answer. We’ve seen a lot of things from doing this as a career.

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maroonweekly.com • Sept. 28, 2016 • MAROON WEEKLY • pg 13

by Abby Newton

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force to be reckoned with in the Texas Music scene, William Clark Green just finished up the release of a new album “Live at Gruene Hall” and will be performing at Wolf Pen Creek Amphitheatre on October 1 along with the Turnpike Troubadours and Shane Smith & The Saints. With Green being such a well-known name, we were excited to talk with him to discuss the process that has brought him here, the experiences he has had, his connection with College Station, and his plans for the future.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: WILLIAM CLARK GREEN

MW: In middle and high school, you called College Station home. With the Texas Country scene being so predominant here, what is it like to come back and be a part of that music scene instead of watching it?

WCG: It’s very surreal almost because my first concert that I ever went to was Clay Walker at Reed Arena, and the second concert I went to was at Wolf Pen Creek Amphitheatre. I can’t remember if it was Ragweed, Pat Green, Jerry Jeff Walker, or Robert Earl Keen. It was one of those four, but I can’t remember which was first because I went to all the Wolf Pen Creek shows back in the day when they first started having them. But to come back and be a part of it is surreal. I mean back then if I would have known what we were going to achieve in the music business when I was learning how to play guitar back in College Station in high school, I would have freaked out. It has been such a slow and steady, gradual growth throughout the years, especially writing since 8th grade to being 30 years old now and having a career in it. It has been such a slow, gradual growth that it’s so hard to see it. If we started from scratch and ended up where we are now over night I would be freaking out, but it has been a step at a time, a baby step at a time. Every year it’s one more step closer, and then at the end you get to the top and you fall back down.

It’s crazy. I remember being in middle school and high school when I was writing songs. I wasn’t one of those kids that was like I’m going to be a country music singer or I’m going to be the next Pat Green and stuff. Hell, I didn’t even think it was possible. I wrote to write. It wasn’t even a thought in my head that I could do it professionally.

MW:I know you play in a lot of college towns like Lubbock, College Station, and Stephenville. From all of the shows you have played, what is the craziest or most memorable thing that has happened?

WCG: Well, Larry Joe Taylor Fest is probably the craziest thing I’ve ever seen in my life. Chilifest is up there too, but Larry Joe Taylor fest is absolutely the craziest Texas festival I’ve ever been a part of. I’ve seen some very bizarre things there, things you probably don’t want to hear.

MW: Well that sounds fair. I’m sure you’ve made a lot of interesting memories! It sounds like you’ve experienced things with some really interesting people too! Who have you played with live and could you name an artist you hope to perform with in the future?

WCG: Man, that’s a great question. You know, we’ve done so many bucket list things that it’s kind of running thin. It has been an incredible two years, but I would love to sit on stage and swap songs with Lyle Lovett! But I would be such a nervous wreck that I wouldn’t even enjoy it, and I would be so down on myself about how bad I was doing. You know, I wouldn’t be able to enjoy it so it’s kind of like catch-22.

pg 14 • MAROON WEEKLY • Sept. 28, 2016 • maroonweekly.com

MW: That does sound intimidating!

playing at the house.

WCG: Oh my God, I mean, you’re talking about one of my heroes. Guy Clark was always one of my favorites; he passed away earlier this year, and I never even got to see him play live.

I had the opportunity to go the last few years and I did not take it, and I am regretting that the most.

MW: Your fans are very excited about the release of your “Live at Gruene Hall” album that I was able to listen to. Aside from that album, is there any new music in the works that you can tell us about?

MW: Oh, wow! I’m sure all young musicians are influenced by and dream of performing with their favorite artists. With that, who were your favorite musicians growing up and how have they affected your music?

WCG: Well, my favorite is Davis Willside Ramsey, and he came out with one album in like the 70s, ’78 I think, and that was the album that got me involved in Texas music. You have to think, when I was growing up Internet was a thing but no one had it. We didn’t have it at the house, so music was not accessible at your fingertips. Whatever you had in your CD player was what you had, and a CD was $15.99 and if you weren’t 18 years old, it couldn’t have any cuss words on it. Now it is so accessible. Back then I listened to my dad’s records because it was free and it was what was accessible. If I got work out with a CD, I would just go into his collection and pick another one, but my dad gave me that CD when I was a child, before I lived in College Station. I listened to it and it started me in the whole Texas music scene.

Then I found out who Guy Clark was and then Robert Earl Keen, Lyle Lovett, Pat Green and Ragweed were just starting to come up. Then it was like this whole scene was created out of nowhere and it was just really cool.

MW: It is so cool how you sought out this music and were so interested from an early age.

WCG: My dad has an incredible taste in music.

My dad is an Aggie, my mom is a Longhorn, and all three kids went to Tech, so we are about as divided as they come. My dad went to medical school, and when he studied he listened to music so he has a ridiculous CD collection.

That was always something we had growing up from him; there was always good music

WCG: I am literally in Nashville right now in talks with our producer for the next project, and I’m kind of on the end of the live record release, so once Friday hits my mind is going to reset and go into making the new record.

I can’t promise when it is going to be done because every time I say a release date, I’m wrong on it. I’m hoping for summer or fall of next year.

MW: That’s exciting! Some artists have very unique habits when it comes to the writing process. How long have you been writing music and what is the writing process like for you?

WCG: I started writing music in 8th grade when I was in College Station. When I moved to College Station, it was the summer after 6th grade and I didn’t have any friends, and there were free guitar lessons at St. Mary’s Catholic Church on Church St. right by the Dixie Chicken. My cousin was going to A&M at the time, he was a freshman, and so we took the free lessons because my dad had a guitar lying around. I had always wanted to do it, and I didn’t have anything else to do that summer anyways, so we learned the guitar together and as soon as I started learning how to play guitar, I’m not 100% sure when it was that I wrote my first song, but I would guess it was the year after that. So 8th grade I started writing my own songs.

They weren’t good songs or anything, but it was always the song writing aspect of things that was important to me, I always just wanted to create a song it seemed like. And like I said, back then I wasn’t writing songs for people to listen to; I was just writing to write.

I didn’t know why I was doing it; I just wanted to. It just kind of kept going from there, and the passion was always just there. There was really no influence other than just wanting to be like Jerry Jeff Walker or people like that.

NEW SCOOP ON THE BLOCK

by Alicia Torres

A

fter our first trip to Farmhouse Creamery, we realized this place could be a very permanent staple in Aggieland. The new ice cream shop opened while we were out for the summer, but has quickly picked up a big following. That hype is very well-deserved because this ice cream is delicious and completely worth the wait. They appeal to a variety of dessert lovers, offering premium flavors ranging from Superman which is multicolor vanilla to Carrot cake that includes fresh walnuts and cream cheese frosting. Farmhouse Creamery doesn’t stop at cones, they also have shakes, smoothies, and floats. Open everyday from 12pm to 10pm, you can find a plethora of choices that even reach the gluten-free and yogurt lovers.

After many taste tests, we decided “Garbage Can,” vanilla ice cream with chunks of 7 candy bars, is the true winner and a must-have. Not only is the menu satisfying, but the environment is fantastic. This is the place for your next date or study break!

maroonweekly.com • Sept. 28, 2016 • MAROON WEEKLY • pg 15

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DIY: Vanilla Pumpkin Spice Sugar Scrub

by Annabeth Reeb

F

all is finally here and it is time to bask in the wonderful smells of sugar, spices, and pumpkin. With fall comes cold weather, and you’ll be needing a good scrub to keep your skin healthy. Luckily, we have one that will do just that while also indulging you in the scents of October.

Sugar scrubs are great because they moisturize your skin (important when it starts getting colder and drier) and they also packed with glycolic acid which helps to make your skin look fresh. Not only that, sugar is also a fantastic natural exfoliant.

Exfoliating once or twice a week is a good idea to keep your skin healthy and glowing.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED: 1 cup of granulated sugar ¼ cup of coconut oil 2 tsp. of pumpkin pie spice 2 tsp. of vanilla extract Simply combine all of the ingredients and mix them together in a small container or mixing bowl and enjoy! Any kind of container that seals will work to keep ingredients fresh and functional.

This scrub is great because it doesn’t contain any extra chemicals like many store bought products, and it is super cheap!

The only downside is that you won’t want to keep this on your shelf for years and years because of the natural ingredients. If you’re even half as excited about fall as we are then this scrub is perfect for you! maroonweekly.com • Sept. 28, 2016 • MAROON WEEKLY • pg 17

W

hen you have the desire to be in a room with some of the most creative minds you might ever encounter, the best solution is attending a slam poetry festival. These poets put their heart and soul into their work, and they get up on a stage and recite their poetry in front of sizable crowds. They are competitive, talented, and passionate.

by Abby Newton

Beginning September 29, the Brazos Valley will be hosting the 6th Annual Texas Grand Slam Poetry Festival. The festival is a competition made up of 3 days and 42 poets working towards a $1,200 prize and the title of Texas Grand Slam Poetry Champion.

On September 29, Last Chance Slam will be hosted at Blackwater Draw Brewery as a dress rehearsal before the main event. This event will be free admission, but you must get a ticket online before you go. At this event, poets will perform their poems in preparation for the preliminary and semi-final competitions the next day. Blackwater Draw will allow for this event to be laidback and create an atmosphere that will really get you in the mood to be inspired.

Friday will begin the preliminaries and semi-finals of the competition. The Palace Theatre, The Revolution Café & Bar, and The Village will host these portions of the competition, and poets will once again perform poems until finalists are chosen. Once again, tickets to the preliminaries and the semi-finals are free online.

Saturday will be the big day of the festival. The Final Stage competition for the finalists will be held at Texas A&M in Rudder Theatre. Tickets for this event will cost $7 on the Texas Grand Slam website. The Final Stage will be where you will see the best of the best in slam poetry, and the winner of the competition will be chosen.

The talent of these poets is unparalleled, and their poetry will touch the hearts of the audience. Slam Poetry is a culture that reveals humans’ capability to create works of art.

The Texas Grand Slam Poetry Festival right here in Aggieland remains the largest statewide slam poetry competition, and as the culture grows in popularity the poetry continues to become more impressive. Not only is this an event you will not want to miss, but it is a culture you will want to be a part of either as a participant or a supporter.

S

by Alicia Torres

A CUP ABOVE

ettling into a semester means getting comfortable with a new schedule and establishing a study routine. Our ideal study location is somewhere we can meet with a group to focus or grab a quick coffee and relax. This semester, our hunt was short-lived when we stumbled into The Brew Coffeehouse. The environment was welcoming and cozy with large leather couches along with an exceptional playlist. A barista recommended a popular order, “The Secret Handshake,” and yes there is an actual secret way to order it. This sweet drink is a blend of white mocha, caramel, and vanilla – YUM! Their menu was revamped a few weeks ago and it looks like more twists are expected with their Barista Challenge. Every Monday, each barista will create a new specialty drink and, if it’s successful, it will be added to the menu. We encourage you to stop by The Brew Coffeehouse and also look out for their deals on the UConnection App!

pg 18 • MAROON WEEKLY • Sept. 28, 2016 • maroonweekly.com

byShelbie Luke Murray by Warr

R

@ BRYAN THEATRE COMPANY

elive your childhood days as the Bryan Theatre Company opens their 29th season “under the sea” on September 30 with the Broadway hit Disney’s The Little Mermaid.

Disney has made its way to the Broadway stage with seven different animated classics making the transition. Little Mermaid opened on Broadway in 2007, winning two Tony Awards along with many other awards during its run. Since its closing in 2009, productions of the show popping up all over the nation with this latest display in Bryan being the most recent.

The musical includes all of the songs fans know and love from the classic 1989 movie as well as a couple of new ones added specifically for the transition to the stage. Be prepared to sing along as Ariel finds love and freedom on her journey out of the sea and onto dry land right here in Bryan.

The Theatre Company, located on Texas Avenue in Bryan, operates in a former movie theatre that has been refurbished to suit live theatre. It now seats 230 people and is the only stage in the state of Texas to feature two permanent revolving platforms built into the stage.

Tickets for the production of The Little Mermaid, spanning from September 30 to October 16, can be purchased online at any time on the Theatre Company

website as well as in person beginning an hour before each performance.

Students with a valid ID can purchase tickets for $17, otherwise general admission tickets are $20. If you’re coming with a crowd, you can also get discounted group tickets.

The Little Mermaid will have 12 showings during its run, having four per weekend it is open. On Friday, the show will begin at 7 p.m. On Saturday, there will be a 2pm and 7pm show and on Sunday there will only be a 2pm show.

Matinee tickets on Saturday and Sunday afternoons at 2pm are only $15.

Tickets for the rest of the season are also available including future productions of Sweeny Todd, Fiddler on the Roof, Big River, Passion and Assassins, and Hello Dolly!

Come see local talent and look under the sea with the Bryan Theatre Company.

maroonweekly.com • Sept. 28, 2016 • MAROON WEEKLY • pg 19

PLAY

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by Annabeth Reeb

JON WOLFE & CURTIS GRIMES @ HARRY’S

“I

t all happened in a honky tonk, some roadside joint full of country songs” - you know where we’re going with this. If you’re looking for some great, traditional country music and a good place to kick back and drink on Friday night, then Hurricane Harry’s is your place on September 30. Jon Wolfe will be preforming along with Curtis Grimes starting at 9pm.

Wolfe is known for his gifted songwriting and songs that reach out to anyone who grew up in a small town with boots on a dance floor. His deep, strong voice follows those of George Strait, Garth Brooks, and Alan Jackson.

His relatable lyrics make his music great for any long car ride or night out.

Growing up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Wolfe started out singing in his church choir, and worked as an oil trader in Illinois before moving to Austin to pursue his music career.

He has come a long way since his first self-produced album, “Almost Gone” in 2004, with his most recent album “Natural Man” reaching Top 25 on the

Billboard Top Country Albums Chart in 2015.

Wolfe’s songs don’t stray from country’s usual whiskey, the open road, and women, and we wouldn’t want it any other way. From tracks like “Smile on Mine,” to “Outrun Her Memory,” “Natural Man” covers every end of the emotional spectrum. “Let A Country Boy Love You” is a perfect embodiment of Wolfe’s musical style, singing about a country girl who left her small town for the big city lights, only to be saved by a country boy.

Curtis Grimes, former “The Voice” contestant from Gilmer, Texas will also be taking the stage on Friday. A true Texan, Grimes’s music belongs on any country music stage with songs that will have you on your feet in seconds.

Grimes gave up his dream of playing professional baseball to pursue music.

His baseball days inspired his hit single, “Bottom of the Fifth.” Grimes has four albums starting with “Lonely River” from 2009. Same with Wolfe, Grimes’s songs take you through vibrant memories of growing up country.

maroonweekly.com • Sept. 28, 2016 • MAROON WEEKLY • pg 21

Movies on the Cheap

Across 1 Flower’s friend 6 Beaver-made barriers 10 ___ Punk 14 With “The,” groundbreaking Showtime series 15 Jacob’s biblical twin 16 Singer Lorde’s real first name 17 Charity beneficiary 18 “Like” or “leave”, e.g.

19 Chick chirp 20 “We couldn’t get alien blood, so we just sprayed plants with ___” 23 2016 U.S. Open winner Wawrinka 24 Abbr. at the bottom of an application 25 “Ring around the collar” detergent 28 “Of course we can’t have a monster destroy buildings, so we built entire ___” 34 Bit of slapstick 36 Jabba the ___ 37 Anti-___ hand soap 38 Grosse ___, Michigan 39 How hordes advance 42 Mrs., in Mallorca 43 Quentin preceder 44 Ground beef packaging word 45 Fixate (on) 47 “Instead of alien spacecraft, we got fishing line and dangled ___” 51 “Shepherd Moons” Grammy winner 52 Hornswoggled 53 Samoa’s capital 55 “Fake blood was too expensive, so we just used ___” 62 Inside info 63 List-ending abbr.

64 “Everything will be all right” 65 Bird associated with the Egyptian god Thoth 66 Shoe accessory 67 Like meshed fabric 68 Religious offshoot 69 They’re hot in Hanoi 70 Needing a pat on the back?

Down 1 Apt. complex unit 2 Mil. infraction 3 Hi-fi setting 4 It’s passed when someone requests “beer me” 5 “That is,” in Latin 6 “Workaholics” costar Adam 7 “Hey, wait ___!”

8 Put an X on 9 School curriculum categories 10 Portray 11 “Match Game” host Baldwin 12 Run like hell 13 Savion Glover’s specialty 21 Jazz guitarist ___ Farlow 22 Delta competitor 25 Belt place 26 Relative by marriage 27 Dictation taker, once 29 Kofi Annan’s home country 30 Ending for danger or thunder 31 “A Doll’s House” playwright Henrik 32 In advance 33 La ___ (Milan opera house) 35 Kind of issues aggravated by gluten 40 Be in a fix 41 It’s way easier to fold than a GPS 46Unsatisfactorily watered-down argument, in slang 48 Hot tub maintenance task, often 49 Home city of pizza 50 Mineral spring site 54 Cupcake topper 55 Two-decade Laker Bryant 56 Insanely great 57 State with six sides 58 Rabanne of perfume and fashion 59 Approx. costs 60 Little ‘uns 61 Blue-bottled vodka brand 62 Insult 2016 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@jonesincrosswords.com)

Answers

pg 22 • MAROON WEEKLY • Sept. 28, 2016 • maroonweekly.com