Jayplay LIFE. AND HOW TO HAVE ONE.
February 23, 2012
Ying Yang Twins Keepin’ it real with the
SCARCE SNOW Capturing campus under a layer of fresh powder
Ying Yang twins
SXSW
Gaining perspective and clarity amidst the musical madness
*
Inside this issue
{From the Editor }
I
hate the winter cold, but damn, am I a sucker for snow. If it’s going to be sub-freezing, dreary and cloudy for days on end, I want those clouds to have a silver lining. And I want it in the shape of those completely unique, frosty crystals that grab hold so beautifully of everything they touch. My birthday is December 15, and my favorite gift as a kid was layer of fresh powder. My friends and classmates with summer birthdays got to have pool parties, barbeques, camp-outs and trips to amusement parks. I got to choose between going to the skating rink and having a sleepover. Not that those are bad birthday parties, but after your third slee-
pover, they kind of lose their appeal. The snow was something special, something that the warm glory of summer could never provide. Snow’s ability to alleviate my winter blues hasn’t lessened as I’ve grown up. It puts a ivory sheen on the season’s drab grayness, and offers relief from cabin fever when there’s enough on the ground to go sledding or start a snowball fight. I’m totally one of those ‘big kids’ that hits the hills on campus after a fresh falling of snow. My favorite spot is the hill between Memorial Stadium and JRP Hall (but please, keep the secret under wraps if we get another good snow. I don’t want my spot to get overrun). The scarcity of snowfall this winter makes me appreciate it all the more. Check out pages eight and nine to see Chris Bronson’s photo feature of the first legitimate snow on campus this winter. Snow may make for a troublesome trek to class, but the buildings look so much more beautiful and inviting covered with a soft blanket of white.
LINDSEY DEITER | ASSOCIATE EDITOR
What’s hot this week thursday feb. 23 What: campus movie series: The muppets When: 8 - 10 PM Where: Kansas union, woodruff auditorium Why you care: who doesn’t love the muppets? relive your childhood.
*
* friday feb. 24
What: the wind-up birds with wrong kato trio When: 10 pm Where: jazzhaus Why you care: every band has to start somewhere before making it big. check out the local music scene. $5
saturday feb. 25 What: men’s basketball vs. Missouri When: 3 pm Where: allen fieldhouse Why you care: We all love the thrill of taking
*
out the tigers in the border war
*
sunday feb. 26 What: oscars When: 6 pm Where: your television Why you care: watching our favorite actors and actresses win awards while judging them for their clothing choices, what else do you need?
monday feb. 27 What: everybody cut footloose! event When: 7 pm Where: hashinger hall Why you care: bringing back the ‘80s with a dance,
*
free food and a showing of the film, Footloose.
All in the family
photo by cheyenne barron
EDITOR sss NADIA IMAFIDON ASSOCIATE EDITOR sss LINDSEY DEITER DESIGNERS sss EMILY GRIGONE, ALLIE WELCH LOVE sss SASHA LUND, ALIZA CHUDNOW, RACHEL SCHWARTZ SCHOOL sss ALLISON BOND, MEGAN HINMAN CAMPUS + TOWN sss KELSEA ECKENROTH, JOHN GARFIELD, BRITTNEY HAYNES ENTERTAINMENT sss KELSEY CIPOLLA, RACHEL SCHULTZ, ALEX TRETBAR PLAY sss SARA SNEATH, RACHEL CHEON CONTRIBUTORS sss Michelle Macbain, landon mcdonald, LIZZie MARX CREATIVE CONSULTANT sss CAROL HOLSTEAD 02 23 12
2
*
tuesday feb. 28 What: dole institute study group: “Presidential Play-by-play” When: 4 pm Where: dole institute of politics Why you care: it’s never too late tofigure out how a presidential campaign works.
wednesday feb. 29 What: women’s basketball vs. oklahoma state When: 7 pm Where: allen fieldhouse Why you care: because allen fieldhouse is a magical place when filled with fans. be part of the magic, and show our women some support
*
4 7 10
table of contents
love: quin Mccue of the kansas city bear fighters: The singer and guitarist bears witness to love and music.
entertainment: behind the scenes at the lied center: Who is responsible for the seamless scene changes?
entertainment: movie review: “Safe House”: Props to Denzel Washington for saving this movie from mediocracy.
14 13 15
cover photo illustration by travis young
The Hookup Dear Michelle, I’m a single graduate student, 27 years old, with multiple long-term relationships, all ending badly. The last two have taken a toll on me; an engagement broken off and a dating relationship producing a child. I was engaged to a younger woman at the beginning of graduate school. She kind of cheated on me a bit, forged a strong but sketchy friendship with a co-worker and ended up with him shortly after our breakup. Four months following the breakup, I pursued a fellow graduate student. After a short period of being exclusive and discussing starting a family, (she is five years older and didn’t want to wait) she became pregnant. Unfortunately, she left me around 20 weeks of her pregnancy, did not allow me to see my son’s birth, and I am currently fighting for joint custody.
I’m now unhappily celibate. Is this the right thing to do? Should I wait for another relationship? Will I ever find a decent woman? Is it me, or do I always pick the wrong women? Single, Celibate, and Wanting Love
Dear SCWL , Let me begin by saying there is no such thing as “kind of cheating.” Either you look for emotional or physical fulfillment in someone other than your partner, or you don’t. It sounds to me like your exfiance was not in the same place as you; not prepared to be your wife. If you did go forward with the marriage, I’m certain you would be divorced by now. So, you dodged that bullet. Now, the second relationship you mentioned ended with her leaving you, denying your presence during your son’s birth, and ultimately preventing you from having joint custody of your child. This relationship was entered into quickly after the dissolution of your engagement. Did you choose the wrong woman? Yes. She had the hidden agenda during your rela-
tionship to get pregnant and have a child before it was too late. You may or may not find this surprising, but women do secure “sperm donors” by dangling the love and relationship carrot. I can confidently say you are in love with the idea of being in love. Being celibate might be an undesirable choice at this point, but it is the right choice nonetheless. I assume you have a difficult time separating sex and love. I’m sure the moment you bond sexually with a woman, and the idea of a long-term relationship with the woman is at the forefront of your mind. What I encourage you to do is find yourself. Until you are comfortable in your own skin and settled with your work and career, you will always be looking for a woman to “complete you” (a fantasy I never endorse — Cameron Crowe should be in jail for ever writing this line). This desperation to fall in love and have someone love you back will make you susceptible to manipulation and heartbreak. Women will continue to take advantage of you, and you will oblige. Finish your program, settle into the next phase of your life, enrich yourself with new experiences and friendships,
campus & town: what it’s like...to experience poverty in haiti: Confronting the crisis first hand.
campus & town: wait, we are in kansas, aren’t we? Out of state students’ perspective on KU.
personal essay: music and moral lessons: One Jayplay writer’s lesson learned at South by Southwest.
LOVE bond with your child and then welcome a partner into your life. Being a whole man, a strong man in his convictions and desires, will allow a complementary partner to come into your life. Take care of yourself — mind, body, and spirit.
Michelle MacBain, Kansas City, is a graduate student in Communication Studies. She studied Psychology and Human Sexuality at KU and the University of Amsterdam. Email questions to michelle@michellemacbain.com
3
02 23 12
LOVE
Catch of the Week
// Rachel Schwartz
Chloe Porter Hometown: lawrence Year: junior Major: biology & spanish Interested In: men
������������
contributed photo
Turn Ons: Confidence is nice, and I’m a sucker for crappy pick-up lines as long as they’re a joke— they can’t be serious. Turn Offs: Hair gel- that would be the biggest one. Asshole-ness. I don’t like people assuming they’re awesome.
What is your favorite food, and what makes you like it so much?: I really like pakoras, a fried potato fritter. I like them because they’re fried, first and foremost. And I like them because they’re potatoes; they’re like Indian french fries. I like things I can’t cook, because then it makes me feel like it was worth my money.
If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?: I would be an armadillo. I think they’re the closest things to dinosaurs without feathers and that’s important. They’re cute; they’re like giant roly-polies. If you could date any celebrity, who would you date?: I’m going to go with Idris Elba. He’s wonderful, confident, dark and mysterious. He makes facial hair work, which is difficult for most people. He’s British. What more do you need? What is your dream vacation?: I would go to Hawaii and be on a beach for a week, and it would be good. I think that’s selfexplanatory.
Celebrity Dish:
6TH & MAINE, 23RD & OUSDAHL AND 23RD & HASKELL Quinn McCue of the Kansas City Bear Fighters // Sasha Lund 2329 IOWA ST. LAWRENCE, KS 66046 785 856 2300
WEEKLY SPECIALS EVERYDAY -$8-60 Oz. Domestic Pitchers -Also, 1...2...3...4... shot menu MONDAY - FRIDAY -$5 off ANY Appetizer (3pm-6pm)
The Kansas City Bear Fighters have been playing since 2007, when singer and songwriter Quinn McCue brought the group together. Once described as science fiction B-movie show tunes, the foursome includes a banjo player and are known for their eclectic mix of bluegrass and folk.
THURSDAY -50 C Wells,$5 ANY Burger with Chips or French Fries, -DJ Andrew Northern @ 10pm
What are your favorite places to hang out in Lawrence? Wherever the drink specials are. I almost always have a good time at the Replay, especially when it’s nice out and my pants are appropriately starched. My favorite place to eat right now is Esquina. That place is good. And they have Dark ‘N’ Stormy’s, which is a cute name for a drink.
FRIDAY -$3 BLVD Wheat Drafts -$1 UV Drinks -DJ PJ3K @ 10pm
Who is your celebrity crush? Tanto. He’s just such a hot Indian dude.
MONDAY -1/2 Price ALL 64 Oz. Fish Bowls & 100 Oz. Beer Towers, Steak Night: $9.99: 8 Oz. Sirloin, Baker, Side Salad (5pm-10pm) TUESDAY -$1.50 Domestic Drafts, $1 Sliders (6pm-10pm) -Karaoke (9pm-1am) WEDNESDAY -DOLLAR NIGHT!$1 Drinks, $1 Beers, DJ Tito @ 10pm
SATURDAY -50 C Wings (11am-6pm), $3 Jack Daniels Cocktails, $3 Jager Bombs, DJ @ 10pm
SUNDAY -50 C Wings ALL DAY, $3 Bloody Marys, $2 PBR Tallboys, FREE POOL, POP TRIVIA @ 8:30pm
FREE LATE NIGHT PIZZA WITH THIS AD! 11PM-CLOSE (one per group)
ENJOY THE BIG 12 TOURNAMENT AND THE MADNESS OF MARCH AT SAINTS! FREE SHUTTLE! 785 856 2301
02 23 12
4
What is your best piece of love advice? On Valentine’s Day, even if you and your wife, girlfriend, concubine, or whatever, decide that you are not going to get each other anything, you better still get her something. This advice can be applied to all occasions when gifts are given. Also, just give up on being right about any-
From left to right: Jeffrey Williams, Quinn McCue, Sean McCue, Mark Johnson.
thing, ever. It doesn’t do you any good. Also, do what you’re told. Also, don’t talk back or mutter under your breath because she will usually hear you. Where would you take someone on a first date if you were trying to impress them? God, I don’t know that I have ever had a successful first date so I’m not going to answer that one. I guess I would expect
contributed photo
failure and just go somewhere I know I’m going to have a good time like church or bingo or a booze orgy. What is your favorite love song and your favorite break-up song? The love song’s easy. La Vie En Rose by Louis Armstrong. I don’t have a favorite break-up song, I won’t be doing that again. I think I’ll just stay married.
school
practicing faith in college
// allison bond
10 Ways of Keeping the Faith in College Birmingham-Southern College, a private liberal arts college in Birmingham Ala., affiliated with the United Methodist Church, offers tips for helping students grow in faith during college. 1. Listen to someone else’s story. It can be powerful and prophetic. 2. Pray. It is in prayer that we find the motivation and clarity to practice our faith.
photo illustration by ashleigh lee
E
very Saturday, Michael Lebovitz can be found in his home keeping Shabbos (also known as Shabbat), a Jewish day of rest, where no work is done in order to uphold God’s seventh day of rest after creating the world. Lebovitz, a junior from Overland Park and president of the Chabad student leadership board, holds strictly to Jewish laws and observances as a way to express and practice his faith. Shabbos starts Friday night with a fun and relaxing community dinner at the Chabad house, on 19th Street and Naismith Drive. Lebovitz then goes to service Saturday morning, and the rest of the day is spent taking naps, playing cards and board games and hanging out with friends. “I love Shabbos because it’s a rest day,” Lebovitz says. “We are so busy during the week. It’s really nice not to have to check email and not be connected to your phone.” Lebovitz and his roommate are in the minority of students who practice Shabbos fully on a weekly basis. Other students choose which Jewish holidays and rules they want to observe. “The Chabad house is really a place for religious awareness,” Lebovitz says. “The main goal is to show that every Jew, no matter what kind of Jew they are, that they are still Jewish. There are things every day that everyone can do.”
But what students are doing to hold their faith in college is decreasing. Twenty-five percent of Americans age 18 to 29 say they are not currently affiliated with any particular religion, according to the Pew Research forum. That is an increase from the 16 percent not affiliated in the ’90s. Only 17 percent of young adults at the age of 22 attend church, according to data collected from the General Social Survey.
“We are so busy during the week. It’s really nice not to have to check email and not be connected to your phone.” - Michael Lebovitz The Chabad House, the world’s largest Jewish outreach organization, seeks to overcome these growing trends by encouraging students to participate in their Jewish faith on a daily basis. Rabbi Zal-
man Tiechtel, advisor for the KU Chabad House, says he finds it rewarding to work with students in developing their faith. “College students are in a place in life where they can learn things. They’re in a growth pattern. Whatever they learn and grow during this time has a tremendous impact for the rest of their life,” Tiechtel says. Jacob Walters, a junior from Overland Park, Kan. has found several benefits for practicing his faith in college. Walters believes that participating in the Chabad House has opened up a new social community for him, developing stronger relationships with those who share his faith. Being part of a faith community also helps Walters establish a worldly connection saying “It brings people together in all walks of life.” Lebovitz finds that his faith not only helps develop his identity but boost his studies as well. “It taught me discipline because the unique thing about Judaism is that it permeates every part of life,” Lebovitz says. “I have learned to be precise and to plan ahead for school.” There is an old Jewish saying, “He who prepares for Shabbos, eats on Shabbos.” Lebovitz says the same can be applied to life: the person that prepares is the person that succeeds.
3. Watch for unique opportunities and ways of practicing your faith on campus. 4. Serve. College students are among the top recorded in number of service hours. Show your faith with your actions. 5. Think. Many times religion can be reactionary rather than thoughtful. We need to have both. 6. Learn to be open toward others. 7. Write journals, letters, papers or articles to witness to your faith. 8. Study your holy text. When one studies one’s thought, processes take on the order and form of that which one is studying. 9. Hope. One way of hoping is to form caring relationships with peers. The insecurity of our day is an overwhelming burden for us to bear; caring relationships are a powerful witness in our hope for the future. 10. Love. Love is the root of all religion and the means of faith. Love motivates us toward others.
5
02 23 12
entertainment
Q&A: Ying Yang Twins It’s All About the Performance
//Rachel schultz
De’Angelo (D-Roc) Holmes is one half of hip-hop duo the Ying Yang Twins. D-Roc describes their music as realistic, honest and descriptive, and says that simply being a part of the Ying Yang Twins has been the biggest success in his life so far. While he says it’s “all about the performance,” when D-Roc isn’t on stage he’s a respectable guy at home in Atlanta with his wife and kids. D-Roc and music partner Kaine performed at the Granada on Feb. 21, but before that he sat down to chat about some of the highlights of his career.
Q: How would you describe your journey through the music industry? It all landed in the hands of the right person. Challenges are all the time, you go through the ups and downs. You have to grow to love it. Making sure the next record is as good as the last, that’s the biggest challenge as an artist. I’ve enjoyed it. You get to see places you’ve never thought you’d see— it’s a wonderful life that I don’t regret taking.
Q: How is your music unique from other hip-hop artists'?
Me and my brother make real-life, party music. Our album has a lot of different mediums on it. A lot of people know us for only a part of our music and there’s a lot more than that. We make “reality music”— it’s more realistic because you can see the picture that we’re trying to paint.
Q: What makes a performance a memorable one for you?
We actually entertain the crowd, so when the crowd responds back and they leave with the energy and tell their friends “they did a good show.” And when the crowd gave you a good show too, the energy pops you up a little bit more. I like performing, period. I love going back anywhere if they want me back. It means I did something well the first, second, third or fourth time. It’s all about the people there.
Q:What's your favorite song of all time?
Everything jams to me. I’m a “give everybody love” kind of person. Little of this, little of that, I listen to it all. LMFAO, Rihanna, JayZ, Kanye, Lil’ Wayne. I can’t say one particular song, because everybody’s making good music right now. I’m feeling everyone’s vibes.
Q: What is something your fans may not know about you?
I love living life. I don’t live life mad at the world all the time. We can’t live everybody’s life— if it was that easy people wouldn’t get into shit they always get into.
Q: What advice do you have for college students at this time in their lives?
Whatever you’re shooting for in life, give it your all, don’t just try and then give up. You never know how far you’ll get until you try, so keep on going. If you fall, don’t just stay there, get back up and try it again. 02 23 12
6
contributed photo
The Ying Yang Twins, Kaine (left) and D’Roc (right) are hip hop stars known for their live performance value. D’Roc says he will come back and perform for whoever wants him back, which is how the pair ended up in Lawrence on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at the Granada for the second year in a row.
entertainment
Behind the Scenes at the Lied Center: It's never the "same old thing." // Rachel Schultz Shouts echo throughout the 2,000-person Lied Center theater, but are not coming from the audience or performers. The Lied’s blue velvet curtain lifts to an array of students and employees of the Lied Center preparing for the next few shows to come across its historic stage. But while the stage will be set to perfection from the audience’s point of view come show night, it’s a much more complicated production backstage, especially the weeks leading up to a show. First, the stage crew must clear everything from the stage so that a touring show’s road crew can come in and prepare for a one-nightonly performance. First the battens, metal poles hung 70 feet from the ground to suspend with lights and scenery, must be cleared of all electric equipment to make room for the touring production’s set. A few friendly exchanges between the crew, and suddenly one of about 50 battens flies from the ceiling, slowing just in time to avoid crashing to the floor. Erika Eden, assistant technical director of the Lied Center, has worked at the theater for almost eight years, but still recognizes that all of the preparation that happens behind the curtains is a novelty that sometimes even the most seasoned of stage crew take for granted. She embraces the slightly chaotic and ever-changing aspect of working in theater. She’s doing
anything from making phone calls and staffing a show to pulling drop boxes (a big power strip) from the ceiling to store until needed again on a daily basis. “All the events coming through are so different from the next,” Eden says. “One day we were doing the Chamber Ensemble, and then next day we were doing a children’s puppet show. It’s a 180-degree difference. It doesn’t ever feel like the same old thing.” The crew takes advantage of every set of hands on stage to help prepare for the road crews coming in. Even I’m not safe from lending a hand, as student crew worker Taryn Eby shows me how to transfer a curtain from one batten to another by pulling the two metal rods close to one another, then tediously untying a bow from one rod to retie it to the other rod and repeating that approximately 80 times for each tie. Eby was involved in her high school theater but hadn’t had experience working in a place like the Lied where shows frequently tour. “I really like that the crew feels like a family,” says Eby, a pre-nursing sophomore from Topeka. “You get to meet a lot of people all over the country who have been touring all over the world. It’s interesting to hear their stories.” In addition to Eden, Ann and Andy Hause, technical director and associate technical director of the Lied Center,
Did you know? - The Lied Center opened in 1993, after Hoch Auditoria (Budig Hall) was struck by lightening and destroyed by fire in 1991. - The first performance on the Lied Center stage was the Secret Garden. - The Lied Center is named after Ernst F. Lied, an active and honored student at KU in the ‘20s. He transferred to the University of NebraskaLincoln in 1925, where another Lied Center for Performing Arts was opened in 1990.
- There’s a basketball goal on the stage that holds stage crew tournaments regularly. - In 2011, the Lied Center Pavilion opened, serving as another performance space and holding 200 people. - The crew names almost every piece of equipment at the theater. For example, the pianos—Lucy and Ethel.
Student workers at the Lied Center disable, untie and store electrical equipment from battens before the next show comes through.
make up the family that Eby refers to. Ann does the business work with the road crews, looking over contracts and making sure the shows don’t need anything the Lied Center can’t provide. Andy refers to himself as the mechanic, wearing many different hats on any given day. When a show is in the Lied Center, he makes sure the crew gets all of the electricity and sound they need. “When people come in they expect everything to fail,” Andy says of show days. “If it all works and they’re happy then it’s a really good day for everybody.” The Lied Center employs about 50 students per year of all majors and backgrounds to help out backstage, even without previous theater experience. In the fall, orientation is held to teach the student workers about everything that happens from set up to tear down of a show. Eden says that the variety of people makes it fun, and it’s a great opportunity to fulfill the teaching aspect of the job of the university-owned theater. “The students are the biggest tools we have—without them we’d be sunk. The gear is good, the house is good and the crew is great. It’s a total win-win,” Andy says.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
The performers agree with his sentiment. Erin Robinson, a Lawrence senior majoring in finance, has performed at the Lied Center since she was three years old, having her dance recitals there. She performed there throughout high school and worked closely with the crew last year through Rock Chalk Revue. She praises the stage managers for having an extremely “can-do” attitude, and making the atmosphere backstage a fun, friendly one. “Performing at the Lied Center is truly a unique and special experience,” Robinson says. “It’s a state-of-the-art theater with a skilled technical team. A performer could not ask for a better space.” Before the next Broadway show is set to perform, there’s a piano concert scheduled over the weekend, so once the lights are taken off of the battens and curtains are transferred, the crew must move the orchestra shell back to the exact spots it was moved from in preparation for the piano concert. “I’m always moving,” Andy says. “I get to solve problems and deal with challenges as they come, sometimes they’re easy fixes and sometimes we don’t know what to do.”
7
02 23 12
feature
Flurries
few & far between
After a dry and mild winter, our photographer captured the rare beauty of campus under a white sheet of snow.
photos by chris bronson
Allen Fieldhouse
02 23 12
8
Strong Hall
Pathway between Wescoe Hall and Stauffer Flint
feature
Chi Omega fountain
The first inch of snow officially fell in Lawrence during the early morninghours on Feb. 13, 2012. The snow caught some residents off guard after the record breaking warmth experienced for much of the winter. The official total in Lawrence was 2.5 inches, according to storm reports.
//tyler wieland
Dyche Hall (Natural History Museum)
Anschutz Library (left) and Budig Hall (right)
Wescoe Beach
9
02 23 12
T
EN LATE NIGHT EV
11PM — 3AM
ZOLA JESUS
THE OSCARS WATCH PARTY
RUSKO AFTERPARTY
FT. TALK NORMAL & WHITE WIDOW
$5 DONATION TO KU FILM WORKS
FT. ARCH NEMESIS & NADIS WARRIORS
FRIDAY, 2/24
SUNDAY, 2/26
WEDNESDAY, 2/29
entertainment Top Album
Therapy at 3 by Eligh & Amp Live // Kelsey Cipolla
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN PRESENTS:
ASHER
ROTH FT. JOSH SALLEE & NICO YOCH
THURSDAY, 3/8
ADVANCE TICKETS AVAILABLE
If 13 is a lucky number, is 26 twice as lucky? Maybe so. California-based indie rapper Eligh reached the top of KJHK’s Hip-Hop chart last week with “Therapy at 3,” the 26th album he’s released in his 18-year career. Eligh’s collaborator and fellow Californian, Amp Live, brings his own impressive and eclectic credits to the table. Live, a producer and DJ, has made beats for video games, commercials and television show title sequences. He’s also produced tracks for artists like Akon, Nicole Schercenger and Radiohead. Last year, the pair released “Therapy at 3,” an experimental hip-hop album that seamlessly blends Eligh’s smooth rhymes with Live’s skillful beats. It’s a successful experiment. If robots ever conquer
contributed photo
humans, the slowed down techno-infused rhythms of Amp Live and Eligh’s calmly rapped rapid-fire verses would make the perfect soundtrack. Eligh and Amp Live are currently touring but they aren’t coming to the Midwest anytime soon, so the closest you’ll get is downloading the album from iTunes or streaming it on Spotify. It’s worth a listen for adventurous hip-hop fans who have tired of mainstream, radio friendly artists like Kanye West and Jay-Z but still crave fast, sharp lyrics set to booming beats.
BOX OFFICE OPEN NOON—5PM | 18+ DOORS OPEN 8:30PM
THEGRANADA.COM | 1020 MASS / THEGRANADA
/ THEGRANADA
Movie Review
Safe House // Landon McDonald
contributed photo
Daniel Espinosa’s action potboiler “Safe House” suffers from spastic camerawork, listless pacing and an overly familiar plot involving a rogue CIA operative and the file of names he’s hell-bent on recovering. Yet the film still warrants a watch for three main reasons: Denzel Washington, Brendan Gleeson and Vera Farmiga. All of these actors are performers of a rarified caliber, and together they elevate David Guggenheim’s cliché-spouting screenplay to the level of serviceable intrigue. Ryan Reynolds, who first demonstrated tangible acting chops in 2010’s criminally under-seen “Buried,” plays Matt Weston, a newbie agent in charge of minding a safe house on the fringes of Cape Town. His first “guest” in months is brought in wearing handcuffs and a bag over his head. This is Tobin Frost (Wash-
10
02 23 12
ington), a hardened ex-spy accused of selling his country’s secrets to the highest bidder. After the house’s complimentary waterboarding service is cut short by an onslaught of hired gunmen, Matt flees the compound with Frost in tow, with no one to contact but his squabbling Langley handlers (Gleeson and Farmiga). What follows is little more than a perfunctory spectacle of head games, marketplace chases and rooftop shootouts, but Washington’s evil-eyed charms make the effort mostly worthwhile. That Mr. Frost is one smooth operator, able to ascertain the blind spots and breaking points of his enemies with little more than a cocked eyebrow and a casual glance. Then he applies the necessary pressure. Watching him menace Reynolds contains all the one-sided amusement of a jungle cat stalking a field mouse, if the mouse had to deal with an unnervingly dim-witted French girlfriend practically begging to be used as psych-out leverage. And all hail the great Brendan Gleeson, a richly nuanced and incredibly prolific supporting player who deserves far better scripts and far juicier parts. Give this man an Oscar already, or at least a retroactive one for his masterful turn as a virtuous hit man in 2008’s “In Bruges.” And if that title doesn’t ring a bell, skip “Safe House” all together and rent “In Bruges” immediately. Now. You won’t be disappointed, which is more than this new film can guarantee. FINAL RATING:
entertainment
campus & town
Get some culture:
Ten Things You Didn’t Know About:
Regional Choreography Festival The Wagon Wheel Café //kelsey cipolla
You don’t have to know the difference between a pas-de-deux and pirouette to appreciate dance or enjoy the Regional Choreography Festival events going on this weekend. Since it began showcasing choreography 18 years ago, the festival, held by the Lawrence Arts Center, has gained popularity and attracted more and more dancers and choreographers from the region. “I think it’s very important that regional dance has opportunities to be presented and make connections, particularly smaller companies,” says Candi Baker,
dance program director at the center. For one of the choreographers visiting Lawrence, the festival is also a homecoming. Eleanor Goudie-Averill, the festival’s featured choreographer, grew up in Topeka and studied dance at the University. “It’s great to be able to come back and work with local dancers,” Goudie-Averill says. While the festival is intended to provide dance professionals with a chance to meet and learn from each other, outside audiences are invited to be a part of their learning experience. Dancers will be performing around the Lawrence Arts Center and possibly even taking to the streets for Final Fridays, tomorrow from 7 to 9 p.m. The festival ends Saturday with a showcase of the work of guest artists in a variety of dance styles, as well as a selection of other performers chosen for their excellent work during the festival.
[ ] Where to buy tickets:
Lawrence Arts Center website at Lawrenceartscenter.org
contributed photo
Eleanor Goudie-Averill, the guest choreographer.
Many people consider the Wagon Wheel Café a Lawrence institution. The Wheel, as it’s more commonly known, is a popular bar among not only students, but alumni as well. Owner Rob Farha provided these 10 facts.
1. 2.
The Wagon Wheel Café opened in 1906 as Rowlands College Bookstore by David and Anna Rowlands.
3. 4.
T he Wheel got its name from the chandeliers made from real wagon wheels that are still there today.
5. 6. 7.
A fter The Wheel was built in 1906, it’s only undergone one expansion. The owner wants to keep The Wheel as much in its original form as possible.
8.
T he Wheel has had several wellknown celebrities and public figures as customers. Jason Sudeikis and the ESPN gameday crew have bee there. All either have a photo or signature on the wall.
9.
A round 1982, Pyramid Pizza moved into the bottom of the building until 1999, when The Wheel Pizza Company took its place.
It was sold in 1955 to Jim Large who turned it into the Wagon Wheel Café.
It also had wagon shaped pitchers, cream and sugar containers and menus.
T he Wheel only serves cans, no bottles are allowed. Broken glass and rowdy college kids don’t mix well. T he three murals of the conferences that KU was originally in were replaced in 1987 by the currents ones and are now on the ceiling, due to the amount of room available.
10.
T he Wheel is famous for its Wang Burger: a bacon cheeseburger with a fried egg on top.
M: 1 1 am -1 0 pm T/W /Su: 1 1 am -1 2 pm Th/F /Sa: 1 1 am -3 am (7 8 5 ) 8 4 3 - 8 6 5 0 o r ( 785) 841- 7096 1410 Kasold St. A13 B o b B i l l i n g s & K a s old Ja d e G a r d e n O n l i n e . com
DIN E-IN DELIVERY CARRYOUT
photo by brittney haynes
TAN SMART
dreams can come true. now open until 3am. CH IN ESE & PAN ASIAN CUISINE
//brittney haynes
for
6th & WAKARUSA | 785.841.1826 WWW.CELSIUSTAN.COM
SPRING BREAK
SEESSIONS only $
ON CELSIUS 52
*Some Restrictions Apply
plus
11 SESSION SESSION ON ON CELSIUS CELSIUS HP HP
a $90 value!
11
02 23 12
campus & town
A MAP THAT
KNOWS
.
YOU’LL LIKE THIS.
What it’s like…
experiencing poverty in Haiti as told by lorrin mcelroy to john garfield
Lorrin McElroy, Lawrence High graduate, has been going to Haiti for years now to help out at an orphanage. During her trip to Haiti this year, she took a trip out to the countryside, which was a different experience altogether. It was a hot February day riding through the Haitian desert on the back of a flatbed truck. The two drilled-in benches held the 20 Kansans in my group on our way to provide $400 worth of rice, beans and grain to a small village — enough to feed 185 families. I was excited but apprehensive from the culture shock, a feeling not calmed by the fact that even our native driver Ti-Ti was getting lost on the unmarked desert roads. Kids emerged from the stick-and-concrete huts, chasing our truck as we approached. Many of them were naked and many had never seen a white person. When we pulled into town, the locals gathered in the church to be briefed on what would happen. We were told to wait outside during this, and in this time I was confronted with stark poverty. One woman invited me into her home, which was empty except for a curtain, two chairs and a mattress supporting a man who had been crippled since the 2010 earthquakes. I raced back to the truck for the handout to begin. Though the raw need was unsettling, the interaction was so frantic that I could not focus on anything but the task itself. The truck was parked alongside the church to provide a clear channel for the line, but it was more of a freefor-all, with most of them re-entering the line to take advantage of the rare opportunity. I distinctly remember a moment of overbearing irony, seeing a girl in a donated shirt reading “end world hunger” in a language she could not read. The handout was over as soon as it began, and we did not wait around when it had finished. The villagers were grateful, seeing us off with cries of “merci” on what would be a pensive ride back to our 10-foot walls and armed guards.
Wescoe Wit
contributed photo
//brittney haynes
Professor: This is where it gets wonkie. W-O-N-K-I-E: Wonkie. Guy: I’m just going with what I know from Oregon Trail. You get cholera, you die!
LARRYVILLEKU IS A MAP. But it's not the kind of map that has been collecting
Girl: I call him Russell Sex Dream. He’s so hot.
dust in your glove compartment.It's a big map that shows Lawrence as the living, breathing city it is, SCAN TO VISIT SITE
not a sketch of roads and landmarks.Look for the best deals/drink specials in town, see what events are taking place in your own backyard and see where crime is taking place all throughout the city. Scan the
Professor: They have guns, you don’t. So whether they’re right or wrong, they’re right. Professor: What is the name of this trick? Guy: The ole’ switcharoo.
code or type in the URL and see for yourself.
Girl 1: He was really nice to her. Like sickeningly so. Girl 2: Yeah, it made me worried he has Legos or something. Guy: It’s supposed to be really nice out later. I think we’re gonna play beer pong on the roof. Girl 1: It’s like we have a club or something. Girl 2: Yeah, the League of Extraordinary Slut Women!
www.LARRYVILLEKU.com
Girl 1: I just wanna talk to my best friend but you won’t let me! Girl 2: I’m right here, talking to you. Professor: I don’t know where to score heroin, so don’t shoot me any emails.
12
02 23 12
CAMPUS & TOWN
Comin’ to Kansas
The University of Kansas has students from all 50 states, but what made them decide to come to Kansas for college? //KELSEA ECKENROTH
[ Where does our KU family come from? -Students from Kansas: 69.1 percent -Number of international students: 2,093 from 109 countries -Most common home states of non-Kansas residents: Missouri, Illinois, Texas, Colorado, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oklahoma and California
[
Sources: ku.edu and KU admissions
photos by chris neal
City limit signs on the North end of town.
A
lex Dakas was the first person in her family to go out of state for school. When she told her family she wanted to go to the University of Kansas, they didn’t believe her and thought she would eventually change her mind. But after visiting the University of Illinois, the University of Wisconsin and the University of Cincinnati, she thought they were nothing compared to KU. The percentage of out of state students attending KU varies between 20 and 30 percent each year. Elisa Krapcha, assistant director of freshman recruitment for the KU Office of Admissions, says when students from other states come to Kansas for the first time, they expect to see the stereotypical Kansas setting of flat land, wheat fields and lots of cows. When they get to Lawrence, they are often surprised by how unique the town and campus is. When Dakas, a sophomore from Chicago, drove to Lawrence for her first campus visit, she looked out her car window and could see the red roofs of the buildings on campus from the highway. Dakas can still recall how excited she was when she saw the red roofs. “I think that is an icon of the campus, and that’s some-
thing that has really stuck in my mind,” she says. Dakas saw more red when she got to the campus. It was fall, and the leaves on the trees scattered across campus were starting to change. The trees and hills across campus were different than the cliché flat Midwest scenery she was used to seeing back home in Illinois. The beauty drew her in. Dakas is an architecture major and says the architecture program also helped her make her decision. The program at KU is different than any of the other schools she looked at. It’s a five-year program, which appealed to her because she is able to get her master’s degree. Amanda Kilwin, a senior graphic design major from St. Louis, had quite the opposite of Dakas’ experience when she came to visit the University. The day she visited was cold and rainy. She drove all the way from St. Louis to find out her name somehow wasn’t on the list for Senior Day. The staff was able to add her in and it all worked out. Despite the rough start to her first visit, KU felt right. Kilwin says she always found something wrong with the other schools
she visited. She noticed all of the main buildings were on Jayhawk Boulevard, with a 10 to 15 minutes walking distance from each other. The other schools were scattered or had the art schools located on different campuses. Kilwin says the Art and Design Building was a main factor in her decision to come to KU. When she applied she was told that everything she would be doing for her major would be in the same building with the same people all four years. “I had never thought I would go to a big school because grade school through high school my classes were really tiny. I didn’t want to get lost in the crowd at a big school,” she says. Being in a small program with a smaller group of students gave her a sense of comfort. Jackson Sump, a freshman from Washington, D.C., and one other person from his graduating class are the first people from his high school to go to KU. Sump says East Coast people think Kansas is full of farm hicks and see it as fly—over land. He was sick of what he calls a “dog eat dog world” at his home on the East Coast where he says people do whatever it takes to get ahead. He decided it was time
to leave the East Coast and experience a different part of the country. Sump’s dad went to KU so when they were visiting Kansas City, Mo., they decided to venture to Lawrence. His dad gave him an in depth tour and showed him all of his favorite places and told him the memories that went along with them. Sump noticed right away that the people in Lawrence were different than the people back home because they actually enjoy each other’s time and seem to be here to build friendships. During Sump’s visit, the school spirit really caught his attention. Everywhere he looked on campus there was someone wearing something with a Jayhawk or KU colors. He didn’t see this kind of school spirit and passion at any of the other schools he visited back East. Sump wanted to go somewhere with lots of school pride, lots of traditions and people who love being where they’re at. “There’s always a sign of happiness here and that caught me off guard because I’ve seen people at other great school seem unhappy and have no traditions,” he says.
13
02 23 12
A MAP THAT
KNOWS YOUR
play .
YOU’LL SAVE HERE.
LARRYVILLEKU IS A MAP. But it's not the map that’s been collecting dust in your glove compartment. It's a map that can show you where to save money. This icon
will show you where the best
deals are in Lawrence.
NOW LIVE! www.LARRYVILLEKU.com
Do This...
Learning to Cook I know how to work a microwave, fry an egg and even cook chicken well enough that it won’t kill you, but I’d really like to learn how to cook a meal I can share with friends. That’s why I attended a cooking class at the Community Mercantile, 901 Iowa St. The Community Mercantile, better known as The Merc, holds about four cooking classes each week. Nancy O’Connor, the director of education and outreach at the Merc, says the classes are all taught by professional chefs. Nancy Stark taught the vegetarian, Mexican themed night I attended. Stark, a Kansas City trained chef who has taught at the French Culinary Institute in New York City, says she enjoys the Merc crowd because they are more engaged than other audiences she teaches in Kansas City. Stark says a lot of times people come to her cooking class for entertainment, but the Lawrence crowd comes to learn. The doors to the Merc classroom opened 20 minutes before the class began promptly at 7 p.m. The classroom is a dinner type setting; there are four, large rectangular tables with 21 place settings. Imagine a live audience for a cooking show, subtract the studio lights and add quaint little candles and the scent of
//sara sneath
cooked tomatoes. Ellen Raimond, a graduate student from Naperville, Ill., says she and her friends began attending the classes as part of a New Years resolution. She says she has made a cinnamon roll ring she learned how to bake in the last class she attended, which was dessert themed. Raimond says the $18 course fee is worth it to her. Not only is she taught by a professional chef, she also gets to eat a full meal cooked by one. Don’t come full, Raimond says. The vegetarian tamales we learned to cook the night I attended required using a steamer and patience, neither of which I have. However, Stark, the chef, also taught us how to make chocolate pudding tarts. I’ll be using the homemade pudding recipe in the future, with or without the tart.
contributed photo
Wear This...
Cardigan Sweater Whether your personal style is purely preppy or eccentric chic, there is no better way to add a pop of color to your wardrobe than with a cardigan sweater. Spring is right around the corner, so it’s time to start the transformation from your winter wears to the newest spring fashion trends, one of them being the cardigan. Urban Outfitters has challenged the classic cardigan, bringing it to a whole new level. Say goodbye to the stuffy, ‘looks like it just came from your grandmother’s closet’ cardigan and hello to the newly updated, slightly longer, yet still classic sweater. With its lightweight cotton material, this hassle-free cardigan pairs perfectly with jeans and a t-shirt for day but can easily transition to nighttime over your favorite dress. Available in an array of bright colors at Urban Outfitters, 1013 Massachusetts St., this is just what you need to make it through what is left of the winter blues. My personal favorite color for this sweater is the citron yellow. When paired with contrasting turquoise jewelry, the vibrant colors will give your skin the appearance of a sun-
14
02 23 12
//lizzie marx
kissed glow, no beach required. And at a price as good as $39, this sweater is just another reason to anticipate the arrival of spring.
contributed photo
Speak
The Moral of the Story:
Life lessons at a wild festival
// Alex Tretbar
contributed photo
Alex Tretbar spent a fast-paced week in Austin with Becky Sullivanfor the South by Southwest festival last year, and learned an unexpected lesson along the way. Texas holds a magical place in my memory. I experienced my first profound adult revelation in Austin a year ago, during the South by Southwest music festival. It all started when KJHK footed the bill for gasoline, food and a music badge, with the stipulation that I came back with a large chunk of interviews and live recordings. You can certainly enjoy yourself without a badge, but roaming freely from show to show is much easier with one — lines are shorter, venues let you in for free, and you have a much larger pool of events to choose from.
The festival was a week before spring break, so I was lucky enough to have the station excuse me from class for the last four school days before the weekend. I looked forward to an exciting vacation that would transition seamlessly into spring break proper — I didn’t know that I faced a brisk learning experience in downtown Austin. I was joined by Becky Sullivan (KJHK’s station manager at the time) and Amanda Sorrell, a DJ and former Live Events director. We drove straight down from Lawrence in Becky’s clean and comfort-
able Honda. I drove roughly half the way, having to quickly learn stick-shift on I-35 South (little margin for error). It was a stop-start nightmare each time we had to get on or off the highway. Luckily we jammed The Kinks’ Village Green Preservation Society at least three or four times in a row, there and back – the record always brings me back to that wonderful week: the sights and smells, the gusts of fresh Texas wind whipping through the car windows. We arrived and dropped our things off at a friend of Becky’s house and hit the town. It’s impossible to even come close to seeing every show at SXSW — it’s essentially a festival with no boundaries and no set agenda. While there is an official listing of SXSW showcases and events, many venues, houses, restaurants and bars throw their own unofficial shows. There was even a band playing in the window at a Pita Pit downtown. Throughout the week I saw performances by The Dodos, Deerhunter, Joan of Arc, Sean Lennon, Yoko Ono, Tapes ‘n Tapes, Thee Oh Sees, James Blake, Ty Segall, Kurt Vile, The Black Angels, Sun Araw, Tune-Yards, Small Black and The Fresh and Onlys, among many others. I scored interviews with as many of them as possible, often having to misrepresent myself or simply sneak around to get where the artists were. One particularly rewarding afternoon was spent at Club Deville, an outdoor venue (not unlike a bigger Replay Lounge) in downtown Austin. The show offered free tallboys of Red Stripe, Guinness and Jeremiah Weed lemonade. Deerhunter, Ty Segall, Kurt Vile, Glasser and Small Black were slated to play, and it was to last roughly from noon to 7 p.m. It was a loud, drunken mess by the time 5 p.m. rolled around, but I was running back and forth from the stage to the VIP area, recording live audio and taping interviews. I waited for reporters from publications like MTV-U, Pitchfork and Spin to get what they needed before quickly tapping the artists’ shoulders for a brief chat. Some of them mentioned how much more relaxed they were with me than with the fast-paced, high-pressure interviewers from bigger websites and magazines. My ego was giddy. I dropped by a fancy sushi joint downtown - tipsy, sweaty and exhausted - and had an expensive Japanese beer (alcohol
was one of the few things I actually had to pay for myself) and some fresh sushi. One of the chefs at the bar dared me to eat the entire macaroni and cheese appetizer myself. I was still starving so I accepted. It was the best mac and cheese I’ve ever had – a Vermont white cheddar concoction – but I found myself bloated and waddling around aimlessly downtown 30 minutes later. On one of my last days in town I waited at a bus stop around noon, a little hung-over with my hair still wet, hoping to catch a ride to make it to whatever show I had planned for the afternoon. Though I wasn’t feeling great physically, I was at the peak of my self-satisfaction and success for the week. A man limped up to me and asked where I was from and what I was doing in Austin. I explained, and he told me he was a musician, but he had significant loss of brain function from a car accident – playing and writing was nearly impossible for him now. He had difficulty speaking, and showed me a dent in his chest from the wreck. He introduced himself as John, and we boarded the bus together as it finally approached the stop. At first I was embarrassed. We were the only two talking and he was loud and hard to understand. I had to constantly ask him to repeat himself, and vice-versa. My embarrassment soon turned to shame for being so selfish. This man was truly down on his luck, and I was sitting here worrying about what these strangers might be thinking. I let go and engaged him in conversation. He was on his way to see his therapist and was getting off at the next stop. He insisted on giving me his phone number to play music sometime. He thanked me profusely for talking with him, and then everything seemed to slow down as he leaned in to hug me, and whispered, “Love is everything. I wish you the best.” It was the most heartfelt talk I’d had with a musician all week. John limped off the bus, and as I rolled away I watched him make his way slowly down the sidewalk. I was stunned that such a minor act of patience and tolerance had made this man so happy, and I remembered to cherish each moment in life — it can all be taken away in a heartbeat. It was the simplest of realizations, and its occurrence in the midst of SXSW was like accidentally stumbling upon the quiet center of a hurricane.
15
02 23 12
SUBMIT YO PICS!! tweet em @UDKPLAY WEEKLYSPECIALS@KANSAN.com
50¢ Wings, $3 Bloody Marys, $2 PBR Tallboys, Free Pool, Pop Trivia @ 8:30 1/2 Price 64 Oz. Fish Bowls & 100 Oz. Beer Towers $9.99 8 Oz. Sirloin, Baker, Side Salad (5-10pm) $1.50 Domestic Drafts, $1 Sliders (6-10pm) Karaoke (9pm-1am) Doller Hight! $1 Drinks, $1 Beers DJ Tito @ 10pm 50¢ Wells, $5 Any Burger w/chips or fries DJ Andrew Northern @ 10pm $3 BLVD Wheat Drafts $1 UV Drinks DJ PJ3K @10pm 50¢ Wings, $3 Jack Daniels Cocktails $3 Jager Bombs. DJ @ 10pm
Big 22 oz. Domestic Draft Beers: $3.00
Smirnoff Bloody Mary’s $4 Red Sangria $3.50
All Bottled Beer: $2.00
Bud Light Draws $2 Jack Daniels $4
Jumbo Rocks Margaritas: $3.99
Wine by the glass $5 99¢ MARGARITAS
Lime Mug O’ Ritas: 99¢
Bud & Coors Light Bottles $2 Crown Royal $5
12 oz. Domestic Draft Beers including Boulevard Wheat: 99¢ 1/2 Price House Margaritas
Boulevard Draws $3 99¢ MARGARITAS
Carlos Gold Margaritas $4.99
Jumbo Margaritas $5 Corona Bottles $2.50
Jumbo Margaritas & Long Island Iced Tea: $4.99
Jumbo Margaritas $5 Red Sangria $3.50