Buzz Magazine: Feb. 23, 2012 by Buzz Magazine

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VOL10 NO 08

FEBRUARY 23, 2012

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IN THIS ISSUE LEAP YEAR BDAY FOODS

You won’t be doing much leaping.

HEART HEALTHY RECIPES

You aorta try these recipes.

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DINO BRAVO

Catching up with the local “wrestle rockers”

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COMMUNITY The recently popularized HPV vaccine has presented something of a controversy in the medical field. Many pharmaceutical brands are producing the shot to prevent cervical cancer and other health problems, yet many say the vaccine provides an excuse to be promiscuous and unsafe. Jordan discusses the opposing points of view and their validity in her online column this week. ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Check out theater and book reviews as well as profiles of local artists on the Arts tab of readbuzz.com! It’s fabulous!

1.30.12 6:56 PM

FOOD & DRINK In Melanie’s column, she shows you how it’s possible to eat great — even late! Check out Late Night Bite, online Saturday.

MOVIES & TV We have Oscar predictions online! If you care what buzz thinks about the Oscars, then you’re in luck, chuck!

MUSIC

Check out a new Music Mentalist, a new Selected Song, and our review of the Grandkids show from last weekend. 2

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EDITOR’S NOTE DYLAN SUTCLIFF

Last week, The Daily Illini printed a front-page editorial with the intention of informing the public of the issues that have been plaguing Illini Media for some time. The article was a straightforward representation of the company’s financial position as well as a brief explanation as to how this unfortunate business came to pass — none of which will be addressed in this note because The DI already did it far better than I can. Instead, I’ll do the only thing I know how to do: tell you how I feel about it. It sucks! I have benefited greatly from the opportunities at Illini Media; if those cease to exist, the amount of knowledge lost will be enormous. I came to IM at the beginning of my freshman year wide-eyed and wholly unaware of what I wanted or what could be gained. Since, I have developed an intimate relationship with the community of CU, improved my writing more than I can fathom and, most importantly, gained management experience that no other establishment could (or would) provide. But the most important facet of IM is that it is run by students for students. The classroom simply doesn’t compare to the experience provided by any one of IM’s subsidiaries, as they cannot replicate the feeling of having one’s words spread among such a large community of people. This allows the writer, photographer, designer, etc. to do what every organization fears most — make mistakes. A teacher’s comments are nothing compared to the knowledge that one’s mistakes are on display a thousand times over, and while this lesson never comes easy, it is always a lesson learned. Many say print is dying or even that it is already dead — this simply isn’t true. The industry needs a standard, something above the infinite number of blogs spouting hearsay. If IM ceases to exist, or even shifts their efforts to digital, the repercussions would be more drastic than any of us understand. Print cannot die because there will always be something worth printing. If you believe the CU community will continue to produce printworthy activities, don’t leave one of its leading informants out to dry.

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LIKES

HEADS

UP!

FEB 23 - 29, 2010

YIKES 708 S Goodwin Ave, Urbana | 18+ | 344-BAND Tickets: The Canopy Club | Manolo’s Pizza & Empanadas Exile On Main Street | Phone: (800) 514.ETIX Online: www.jaytv.com

AMY HARWATH COMMUNITY EDITOR

LIKES LEAP YEAR by Thomas Thoren

BUZZ STAFF

COVER DESIGN Olivia LaFaire EDITOR IN CHIEF Dylan Sutcliff MANAGING EDITOR Peggy Fioretti ART DIRECTOR Olivia LaFaire and Michael Zhang COPY CHIEF Drew Hatcher PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Sean O’Connor IMAGE EDITOR Peggy Fioretti PHOTOGRAPHERS Sean O’Connor, Megan Swiertz DESIGNERS Tyler Schmidt, Lauren Blackburn, Will Ryan MUSIC EDITOR Adam Barnett FOOD & DRINK EDITOR Samantha Bakall MOVIES & TV EDITOR Nick Martin ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Tracy Woodley COMMUNITY EDITOR Amy Harwath CU CALENDAR Joyce Famakinwa COPY EDITORS Sarah Alo, Casey McCoy DISTRIBUTION Brandi and Steve Wills EDITORIAL ADVISER Marissa Monson PUBLISHER Lilyan J. Levant

TALK TO BUZZ

This Wednesday, Feb. 29, will mark yet another leap year. This is the day that we, the general public, rise up and take back the time that has been hoarded by scientists for the past four years. This quadrennial reminder of their absolute control over our lives gives us two options for celebrating this momentous occasion: revolution and resolution. Revolution: So the world’s scientists have been stealing your time? Then flip the switch and rob their labs. Pass on the unsophisticated Bunsen burners and test tubes, and go straight for the centrifuges and nuclear fission reactors. I don’t know what you could possibly do with this equipment that would be science-related, but I’m guessing you could make some tasty desserts at the very least. Grab some stem cells as you’re exiting the lab for good measure. Resolution: Okay, maybe you’ve tried revolting but your top-secret, presumably military-grade science equipment and the resulting limitless pastries only earn you superficial happiness. You feel empty inside — but only figuratively because, again, the pastries. Maybe you’ve come to regret your decision and now realize your actions will hinder scientific progress. Resolve to make up for the lack of scientific breakthroughs and purchase that science kit you never had as a kid. However you choose to celebrate the leap year, remember that there are essentially no rules. Whatever happens on Feb. 29 doesn’t truly happen because it isn’t really a day.

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We reserve the right to edit submissions. buzz will not publish a letter without the verbal consent of the writer prior to publication date. buzz Magazine is a student-run publication of Illini Media Company and does not necessarily represent, in whole or in part, the views of the University of Illinois administration, faculty or students. © ILLINI MEDIA COMPANY 2011

» Obliques: Forget boobs, butts and private parts. Obliques are, by far, THE sexiest part of the human body. First of all, in order to see a person’s obliques, he/she is typically pretty darn fit, right? Flat stomach, probably some abs, the whole package. Those two well-defined lines running down the sides of a man’s torso get me going. My breath catches, my heart races, and I can’t help but stare and reach out to run my fingers over those glorious muscles. Plus, obliques in combination with hip bones = sex lines. You know what I’m talkin’ about. Those lines that run from the sides of the hip down to the pelvis and down, down... Turkey pesto sandwiches from Espresso: These sandwiches will be the death of me. Any time I am within 50 feet of an Espresso Royale around lunchtime, the chemicals in my body tell me it’s time to shell out five bucks for these chunks of heaven. I always tell myself I’ll only eat half and save the rest for later, but I always scarf down the entire thing in one sitting. I love these babies so much that I’ve become a turkey pesto connoisseur. Need advice on where to get a sandwich? I’ll tell ya! The ones at UGL are HUGE, but the meat/veggie/bread ratio is way off, and the fillings exist only in the middle, leaving an excess of focaccia around the perimeter. The sandwiches at the Union Espresso are much smaller — however, their filling-to-bread ratio is much more satisfying, and the sandwich is packed with turkey.

TUESDAY $2 Real Long Islands, $2.25 Bud & Bud Light drafts!

ADAM BARNETT MUSIC EDITOR

YIKES

» Ducks: One day, when I was but a wee lad, I was visiting my grandmother for Mother’s Day. She lived in a condo complex known as Cambridge on the Lake in Buffalo Grove, and it always pleased me so to see the pond toward the rec center. I would skip rocks and play with the other grandchildren — oh, the fun we had! The pond was covered in swans, ducks and geese that day; it was “Makin’ Babies Day” in the bird world. There was one duck, however, that sat upon the brick ledge next to the pond. The duck was eye-level with myself, and my fascination with waterfowl got the best of me. I went up close to the duck while I clearly saw that she was sitting upon her eggs. My mother warned me, “Don’t get too close, Adam.” But I didn’t listen... I DIDN’T LISTEN. As soon as I got right up to the duck, she bit my nose and I wept for hours on end. I got bit by a duck, and it was the scariest moment in my life. The next year, I was bit by a little dog on my butt. I bled, but I didn’t cry because that duck made me so tough. If I ever come across that duck again, I will fucking murder her and eat her babies alive. buzz

Food

Drink

Happy Birthday!

Ways to celebrate for those February 29 births!

by Vicky Raymond Alternately add the flour and milk one third at a time, mixing well after each addition. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the cake springs back when gently pressed in the center. 4. Remove the cake from the pan and cool on a wire rack.

Used with permission from ginnerobot and the Creative Commons

f you are one of 4,791,239 people worldwide who were born on February 29th, you only get one real birthday every four years, so you’ll want to party it up well. You’re in luck this year! We’ve got some decadent desserts, so blow out those candles, make a wish and take a bite. This cake is the definition of decadence from Teens Cook Dessert by Megan Carle, Judi Carle and Jill Carle. You can prep the ingredients and make the cake the day before.

» 1/2 cup milk » Mousse » 1 cup milk » 3 egg yolks » 1/3 cup sugar » 2 tablespoons cornstarch » 1 teaspoon vanilla » 9 ounces white chocolate » 1 1/2 cups heavy cream » 2 pints (4 cups) fresh raspberries

White Chocolate Mousse Cake with Raspberries

To prepare the cake: 1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly butter or spray a 9-inch cake pan. Place the butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed, occasionally scraping the sides of the bowl for 3 to 4 minutes, or until light and fluffy. 2. Add the vanilla and mix for 30 seconds, or until blended. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition until completely incorporated. 3. Add the baking powder and salt and mix well.

Ingredients (serves 12) » 1/2 cup butter » 1 cup sugar » 1 teaspoon vanilla » 2 eggs » 1 teaspoon baking powder » 1/4 teaspoon salt » 1 1/3 cups cake flour

Eat heart-ily

To prepare the mousse: 1. Fill a large bowl about halfway with ice cubes and add enough water to almost cover the ice. 2. Place the milk in a large saucepan and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, or until it begins to boil. Whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch in a bowl and very slowly whisk some of the hot milk into the eggs to temper them. 3. Pour the eggs into the pan and cook over mediumlow heat, whisking constantly, for 5 minutes, or until it has simmered for 2 minutes. Strain through a finemesh sieve into a bowl and stir in the vanilla. Place the bowl in the ice water bath and stir occasionally for 15-20 minutes, or until cold. 4. Place the white chocolate in a microwavesafe bowl and microwave on high heat for 1 minute, then stir. If the chocolate is not all melted, place it back in the microwave for 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each time, until it is completely melted. Let cool until lukewarm. 5. Place the heavy cream in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer for 3 minutes, or until soft peaks form. (When the beaters are lifted out of the cream, they form peaks that fold over when the beaters pull away.) 6. Stir the white chocolate into the pudding with a spatula. Fold one quarter of the whipped cream into the pudding to loosen it, then gently but thoroughly fold in remaining whipped cream.

To assemble the cake: 1. Carefully cut the cooled cake with a bread knife, splitting it in half to form two layers. Place one of the cake layers in the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. MAKE SURE YOU GREASE THE PAN VERY WELL. 2. Arrange half of the raspberries on the cake and gently spread half of the mousse over the raspberries, being careful not to move them around. Always go heavy on the middle filling — it tastes better and looks nicer. 3. Place the remaining cake layer over the mousse and press firmly to remove any air pockets. Spread the remaining mousse over the cake and arrange the remaining raspberries on top of the mousse. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours before serving. Cookie Brownie Oreo Cake Ingredients » 1 package premade chocolate chip cookie dough » 1 package Oreos » 1 package brownie mix » 1 cake pan To Prepare: 1. Grease pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line cake pan with pre-made cookie dough. Roll dough if needed to thin out. Lay whole Oreos on top covering the cookie dough layer. 2. Prepare brownie mix as directed on brownie box and pour over cookie dough Oreo mix. Pour so it is spread evenly. Use spatula to spread. 3. Place in the oven at 350 F for 50 minutes. Use a toothpick or fork to test if it is done. If the toothpick/fork comes out clean, it is done. If not, place back in oven for 5-10 minutes, checking periodically.

Foods to choose during American Heart Month

by Annalisa Rodriguez Those of you who have seen Super Size Me know the effect that eating greasy McDonald’s cheeseburgers and fries can have on your blood pressure, cholesterol and heart health in general. I’m sure that didn’t come as a surprise for anyone. But why exactly is it that some foods are good for your heart and others are not? As American Heart Month, February can be the time to become more aware of the effect your diet can have on your heart. Salty foods and foods high in sodium, such as many processed foods, canned soups and cheeses should be avoided, said Lillian Karina Diaz Rios, a Ph.D. candidate in the Division of Nutritional Sciences with a master’s degree in medical sciences. “Sodium has been related to increased blood pressure, and when the blood pressure is high, that means that your heart is working harder,” Rios said. Saturated fat, which can be found in some meats, butter and many processed foods, should also be eaten sparingly. Saturated fats are associated with high levels of cholesterol. 4

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They are solid fats, making them easier to accumulate in arteries and veins, Diaz Rios said. “Try not to eat foods that are high in fat, such as greasy meat and whole milk and cheeses,” Diaz Rios said. “You want to go more to skim milk and cottage cheese and lean meat, such as chicken breast and fish.” On the other hand, foods that are high in fiber, such as whole grains, oatmeal, fruits and vegetables, will slow the absorption of cholesterol and saturated fat. The potassium in fruits and vegetables — especially beans, potatoes and bananas — counteracts the effects of sodium on the body. Antioxidants and vitamins are also good for the heart. Antioxidants are found in many beans, russet potatoes and fruits such as blueberries, strawberries, apples and raspberries. “You want to have a good amount of antioxidants, and there are some vitamins that act like antioxidants, such as Vitamin C and Vitamin E, and those can help your circulatory system, your arteries and veins, maintain their structure intact so the risk of

developing some cardiovascular disease or some fat in the veins and arteries is low,” Diaz Rios said. Vitamin C is found in oranges, red and green peppers, grapefruit, Brussels sprouts and cantaloupe. Vitamin A is found in olive oil and many dark green, leafy vegetables. Many nuts and oils, such as safflower oil, corn oil and soybean oil contain high amounts of Vitamin E. Omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fish, are a kind of polyunsaturated fat that, unlike saturated fats, are liquid, making them less likely to accumulate in arteries and veins. They help reduce cholesterol levels in the blood. It has also been shown that the consumption of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats keeps unhealthy fats from accumulating in the arteries and veins, Diaz Rios said. “They prevent inflammation, and since a lot of cardiovascular diseases start with the inflammation process, the omega-3 fatty acids can prevent or can help to prevent cardiovascular disease,” Diaz Rios said.

Used with permission from Mark Topper and the Creative Commons

And when in doubt, think back to the food guide pyramid we all learned in elementary school. “When you follow the general guidelines for a good diet, for a healthy diet, you will most of the time be sure that you’re also preventing a lot of diseases,” Diaz Rios said.

MUSIC

Dino Bravo

ake Mott and Ivan Catron are two best friends that came together over their mutual love of professional wrestling and music in 2011 to form sludge band Dino Bravo. This Champaign-Urbana band is known for their self-bestowed concoction of music: “wrestle-rock.” buzz got to sit down with Ivan to discuss what’s happening with the duo. » buzz: Can you explain “wrestle rock” a little bit? Ivan Catron: Jake and I are really big wrestling fans, so all of our song titles and some of the lyrics are mostly loosely based on professional wrestling, so it’s all referenced in there. It’s not so much the actual style of music... I’d say we’re mostly like a sludge kind of band, but we just really like wrestling, so we thought it’d be a fun gimmick... » buzz: How else do you incorporate wrestling into your music? IC: We have somewhat of a matching thing that we wear; we both wear cut-off shorts without shirts, the same pair of Vans shoes, wrist tape on our wrists... We’ve been thinking about getting elbow pads and legit wrestling tights. » buzz: Why did you choose Dino Bravo specifically? IC: Dino Bravo was kind of an obscure wrestler. He had a bunch of different angles in the late ’80s in the WWF. He was obscure, mostly a bad guy, and never really did much, and we thought his name was cool. We wanted to take something kind of obscure with wrestling so it wasn’t just blatant, like, “check us out, we like wrestling” kind of stuff. He also died in a really weird way; he was Italian-born, but he lived in Quebec, and he was smuggling cigarettes

by Kaitlyn Henaghan

into Canada and selling them illegally, making some mobsters mad. They sent some hit men to his home, and they shot him seven times while he was watching hockey, and we were like, “Wow, this guy had such a crazy life, and he was an obscure wrestler,” so we thought it was a cool name to go by. » buzz: How do you and Jake know each other? IC: Back in high school, Jake was in a band called Krash Type 17, and I played guitar in a band called Breaksynapse, and we played a bunch of shows together. Jake’s two years older, but we played together through high school and college, and when I was not as active, I would hang out at the Diamond Stretch shows and started filling in. We also played in Bad Catman for a while together, so it’s just been continued friendship and playing together. » buzz: How do you guys like the local scene in Champaign? IC: Oh, it’s really fun. It’s kind of sad that since the summer a lot of the houses have closed down. Jake lived in Dan Aykroyd’s House, which used to have lots of shows, and I never lived there, but I used to hang out there all the time, so I miss it a lot. And of course Midstress, formerly the Fresh Kills — they had the JFK house out in Urbana, and that’s been gone since the summer also, so it’s been sad to see some of those houses go. There are some new houses that are awesome; Garfield’s Garden is great... Over the summer, the Tuesday matinee shows at the Highdive were a lot of fun. I enjoy a lot of the bands here, and it’s [the scene] really active, but it’s been sad to see some great bands go. The Diamond Stretch just

Used with permission from Dino Bravo

had their last show, and I really enjoyed them, and obviously Jake was in that band, and I would even fill in sometimes for vocals and bass guitar. But I do love it. The scene’s got a great energy and great bands, so it’s always a lot of fun. » buzz: How did you get involved with playing the house shows around here? IC: I guess it’s because Jake and Greg ran Dan Aykroyd’s House, and back around 2009, the Fresh Kills and Diamond Stretch formed kind of a bond, and we found out that they both ran houses. We started meeting other people that owned houses, so everyone would kind of reciprocate with booking shows.

Catch Dino Bravo at Mike ‘N Molly’s on Friday, Feb. 24 with La Armada, The Disappeared and Laughboy. Catron said this about performing with the latter: “Dino Bravo would like to issue a challenge of a wrestling match to the new band. And you can rest assured that there won’t be any laughing once Dino Bravo is through with Laughboy.”

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catching up with ...

Mike n’ Molly’s 105 N Market St, Champaign TICKETS: $5 When Friday, Feb. 24 - doors at 9pm Ages: 19+

Dubstep royalty Rusko drops his bass Feb. 26 by Hillary Waldstein With his first full LP, O.M.G.!, Mercer essentially turned the genre on its head, pulling from an array of different styles never before used in the dubstep sound. No longer an act with Caspa, Mercer is now touring the world solo. Through these tours, Mercer sees a clear difference between touring the US and the UK. “I think I am generally happier being here in LA,” Mercer says. “How can I not? The weather is amazing. Audiences in the UK are a bit different than in the U.S., as they’ve been immersed with electronic music a bit more. I can definitely play a different set over there than what I can play here in the U.S.” His newest LP, Songs, comes out in March 2012. “From this album, you can expect much fuller songs than what I’ve previously released. I have vocals on every track. While I created O.M.G.! through making tunes on the road, for Songs I let the ideas brew in my head during tour, and then I stayed in a studio for eight weeks straight to get them all out.” Despite dubstep’s massive popularity, it’s hard to imagine we’ll still be waiting for the bass to

drop when we’re in nursing homes. But Rusko doesn’t see dubstep fading out any time soon. “I don’t think it’s a fad. I think it has potential to really change and expand, but I’m not entirely sure where it will go,” he says. There seems to be a nice amount of camaraderie between the talents of the dubstep world. With an impressive list of collaborations already under his belt, Mercer notes his dream collaboration: “Working with Squarepusher,” Mercer confesses. “He is an absolute genius.” I ask Mercer what he would do to ensure the best experience as an audience member at his own show: “I would bring my dog — PUPSKO!” Although dogs aren’t allowed at the Canopy Club, bring yourself, your friends and your moves to Rusko on Sunday, Feb. 26.

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Through his international success and signature sound, Christopher Mercer, AKA Rusko, has been crowned dubstep royalty. The Leeds, England native has always been surrounded by music, growing up in a musical household and studying musical performance at Leeds University. It was there that he became immersed in the dubstep scene, initially introduced to it by SubDub, one of the UK’s most successful Dub Reggae clubs, known for its pure vibes. Looking to advance his career, Rusko moved to London where he worked with Sub Soldiers label mate Caspa. Rusko developed his own spin on dubstep, veering from the typically serious, dark sound of the genre. He created a high-energy, full-of-fun sound that made Rusko tracks instantly identifiable. While his sound exploded with popularity for massive audiences, his goal was not to commercialize the world of dubstep. “My intention was simply to make music that I liked,” Mercer explains. “The fact that it is hugely popular now is just an added bonus.”

canopy club 708 S. Goodwin Ave, Urbana TICKETS: $30 (Sold Out) When Sunday, feb 26 @9pm - Doors at 8 Ages 18+

Used with permission from Rusko

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the life and art of rachel suntop CU local spreads her creativity through projects, volunteering and the Internet by Emma Cullen

achel Suntop, one of Champaign’s most creative residents, is an artist with no boundaries. She creates whatever comes to mind and is resourceful to the extent that she sees purpose and beauty in just about everything. Specifically, her title is mixed media artist, but she is also a volunteer at the I.D.E.A. store. She generously donates both her time as well as her unused materials to the local shop, an eco-friendly non-profit art shop operated by the Champaign Urbana Schools Foundation. “I love the energy, the creativity, the friendly people,” Suntop said. “There is endless inspiration there in the materials, and they do a wonderful job of making them attractive to customers and giving them ideas. The place has an extremely positive vibe, and I also like how it’s doing so many wonderful things for the community.” However, Suntop’s artistic journey did not begin with the I.D.E.A. store. Her passion for working at such a creative vendor stems from a long history of experience with art. With the help and teaching of her mother, she began crafting at three, ceramics at four, sewing at five and knitting at six. Her rapid progress paralleled the growth of her love for art, and by the time she reached 10 she was already a skilled and passionate crafter. She continued with art classes through grade school and high school, and trained through specialized classes at the Penland and Haystack Schools of Crafts, respectively. She went on to become decorated with degrees from prestigious universities, including a Bachelor’s Degree in ceramics from our very own University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Suntop continued on to earn a Master’s Degree in textile design from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, with a minor in papermaking. Clearly, her dedication to her craft transcends any hobby.

Her specialty has come to be in fiber and textile art, but her range of materials and productions is quite versatile. “I love knitting, spinning, felting, beadwork and sculpture,” said Suntop of her favorite creative outlets. “I find so much pleasure in art.” In creating her textile art, generating something new creates a sense of accomplishment upon overcoming obstacles and succeeding on particular projects. Suntop considers herself blessed to work in a field where she can realize the love of art she has possessed since childhood. Furthermore, Suntop uses daily life experiences to channel her art, providing her pieces with personality and substance. As a result, her art represents a sort of chronology of her life’s events and gives her a visual form over which to reflect upon her memories. Over the span of Suntop’s life and career, her style and projects have evolved distinctly, marking changes in her personality through time. “In high school, I was really inspired by the Beatles, the psychedelic 1960s and retro art and design. In college, I started more figurative work in ceramics and made a bunch of imaginary chimeras, or creatures. As I entered grad school, my work became more nature-based and less dependent on the actual figure. I explored more wearable art, particularly hats. I also expanded my use of various materials (some very unorthodox) and experimented with concepts of transformation.” 2011 marked a period when Suntop became interested in art and paper collage as well as the process of up-cycling, or using recycled art materials in her work. This is part of what attracted her to I.D.E.A., for the store prides itself on being environmentally conscious. As time passes, Suntop’s work becomes increasingly more of an accumulation of all of the phases through which she has gone, reflecting

Rachel from the IDEA store. Photos by Megan Swiertz 6

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Rachel from the IDEA store. Photos by Megan Swiertz

on who she is, who she has been and the symbiosis of the two. Likewise, the creation of art assists her in interpreting the current occurrences of her life and provides a coping method to deal with issues. Her process is almost therapeutic. While art is a prominent source of pleasure in Suntop’s life, she also finds solace in other hobbies, including baking, cooking, reading, writing and photography. However, her favorite pastime, traveling, is also encompassed by her profession, because she often travels to gain inspiration as well as to sell and market her products. After graduate school, she explored various art forms, particularly natural and organic ones, through art residencies around the world. She has visited an impressive list of countries and achieved insight on her projects from all of the locations, the most memorable of which include Iceland, the Nordic countries and Hawaii. “In 2004, I went to the Big Island of Hawaii where I tackled environmental issues and produced a series of imaginative flowers and plants based on the fragile ecosystems in Hawaii. In 2005, I lived in Iceland for two months and was greatly inspired by the landscapes and culture of that country in a series of felt and mixed media works,” said Suntop of the cohesion of her work and travel. She loved both Iceland as well as the theme of her project so much that she later returned in 2007, eager to produce more art. Suntop also serves as an assistant at an alterations shop where she works in sewing, mending, deconstructing and adjusting clothes. She finds her personal practice of art and her job sometimes

overlap, and the skills acquired within each certainly reinforce one another. In her personal art, the themes of her projects vary greatly—something she embraces due to the exciting new ideas that seem to reproduce within her—so her job is rarely dull. With the skyrocketing popularity of online media, Suntop’s enterprise has changed even more. The Internet has notably impacted her career through etsy.com, an online shop that specializes in handmade and vintage goods sold by private vendors. Since 2008, she has sold a lot of her yarns and other artwork online. The dawn of the Internet has dramatically increased the popularity of her work as well as the scope of her audience. The web has especially popularized her handspun and handmade yarn, making her brand quite lucrative. The motives behind Suntop’s art are overwhelmingly intrinsic. It is clear that she does art for herself rather than for the customer, making her pieces even more appealing. Her current inspiration? A project tentatively titled, “The Knitted Journeys.” They are various projects dealing with transforming knitting into conceptual art. “I am creating them as visual diaries of travel. I hope to challenge myself with this project so that the final result is more a fine art than a craft.”

To check out a knitted visual diary documenting a recent trip to the Southeast United States, check out her blog on http://www.rsuntop.blog.com. More artwork can be seen at http://www.rsuntop.com

HAHA, MICHAEL! YOU MISSED ONE! DREW RULEZ!

THIS WEEK

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2012(FEB23)3QUARTER(BUZZ)

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Tickets: $18-$29 Tickets on sale at www.thevirginia.org or Virginia Theatre box office. Marquee performances are supported in part by the Illinois Arts Council—a state agency which recognizes Krannert Center in its Partners in Excellence Program.

40 North and Krannert Center —working together to put Champaign County’s culture on the map.

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ATTACK OF THE INTERNATIONAL ANTS The Insect Fear Film Festival crawls back to CU by Corinne Ruff

elaxing on the quad, I stretch out and fold my arms under my head. I take in a deep breath and sigh, enjoying the warm glow of the sun on my face. Suddenly, I feel a tingle on my leg, then another and another. The hair on the back of my neck prickles, and my skin crawls all over with little legs. My face contorts into a deep grimace as I jump up, screeching, “ANTS!” Some people hold a similar disgust and irrational fear of bugs of all shapes and textures. We see them as enemies of a tiny mutant form that use their unsightly bodies to make humans 100 times their size jump up and cry out in anxiety. The students and professors of the Entomology Department think it’s high time humans put a stop to the madness and learned to coexist with all the creepy crawlers of the world. The IFFF, or Insect Fear Film Festival, was founded by May Berenbaum in 1983 to bridge this gap between insects and people. “I can relate. Insects were my biggest fear from childhood up until I took a course in entomology in college, and now here I am today,” admits Berenbaum, UIUC department head of entomology since 1992. After discovering bugs as her passion, she attended Cornell University, where she found inspiration for the event when she saw a poster by the Asian American group on campus advertising a Godzilla Fear Film Festival. Now 29 years later, the IFFF is known as the longest-running insect film festival as well as the spark that started the chain of similar festivals across the country. This year, the festival will take place on Saturday, Feb. 25, doors opening at 6:00 p.m. in the Foellinger Auditorium. The theme is “International Ants,” featuring films depicting killer ants across the world.

An Insect that will be shown in the Fear Film Festival. Photo by Sean O’Connor

The line-up is as follows: trailers and short films will start off at 7:00 p.m., followed by Glass Trap at 8:00 p.m. and finishing off with The Bone Snatcher at 9:30 p.m. Although the directors who filmed these movies are no Hollywood special effects experts (in fact, Berenbaum mentioned in previous years you could actually see the fake spiders being placed on

An Insect that will be shown in the Fear Film Festival. Photo by Sean O’Connor 8

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stage), the films do get increasingly graphic, and some may not be suited for small children. Although the movies may be a joke, this is far from your average corny film festival; the IFFF also hosts a petting zoo throughout the duration of the event. “The point is to contrast the Hollywood concept of biology with the even more amazing things insects can actually do. That’s why the ‘stars’ make special personal appearances to the audience. Hollywood may be creative, but it could never match nature,” Berenbaum says. The insect petting zoo is a favorite among people of all ages and will run from 6-9 p.m. All of the insects will be available to hold except the tarantula, Cecil, who is not yet domesticated. The insects you can touch, however, range from more common bugs such as lubber grasshoppers, superworms and bess beetles to those that may require a bit more courage, such as Madagascar hissing cockroaches, death feigning beetles and scorpions. Gwyn Puckett, a grad student who works directly with the bugs, assures, “Bugs are usually very docile creatures. I used to be afraid of bugs once myself, but the more I learned about them, the more I was able to get rid of my irrational fears and focus on which ones I should actually be afraid of.” The featured insect at the festival will be the trap-jaw ant. These suckers have the fastest

recorded predatory appendages in the animal kingdom, having the ability to close their jaws in a mere 130 microseconds. To escape their enemies, they can snap their jaws and fling themselves to safety. There will also be a variety of other ant species available to look at. Although the theme is the ‘international ant,’ it would be impossible for the entomology department to round up all 12,000 known species, not to mention all the freaky ones found in places no human would dare go. Other activities that will be taking place include: the insect art contest, the bugscope, face painting and mealworm races. The IFFF is the entomology department’s biggest engagement with the community. It is put together every year in order to help people discover bugs in a different light so they might appreciate them for the things they do instead of build upon the stereotypes Hollywood builds up. “We hope that what people are able to take away from this event is that insects are really interesting and non-threatening. In fact, they can be a lot of fun,” says Jo-Anne Holley, president of the Entomology Graduate Student Association. Although the IFFF may not encourage you to invite a pack of ants to your next picnic on the quad, they want people to be able to appreciate all the amazing things nature allows insects to do in their little world and let them do it.

readbuzz.com February 23 - 29, 2012

Rachel is the best!

PAPER PIONEER Local artist makes art through recycling by Krizia Vance

Symphony in Red, White, and Blue canceled postage stamps, security envelopes, paper ephemera

or most people, junk mail is exactly that— junk. But for Velga Easker, junk mail takes a whole new meaning. Easker shares this in her exhibit at the University YMCA, “Paper Quilts.” Easker transforms junk mail, stamps and envelops

to make intricate patterns for her quilts. Easker was inspired by pioneer women who created quilts out of fabric scraps and worn clothing. Her mother was one of those women who did a lot of sewing. Easker said, before the time of electric-

ity, women use to make quilts completely by hand. “I liked the idea that they used and reused things,” she said. “They would not throw away a scrap of something, they would save it.” The idea of reusing an item that would usually be tossed into something beautiful and intricate inspired the vision for her collection. “My interest really went back to the idea of reusing a lot of materials as opposed to our ‘throwaway’ society,” Easker said. Although women back then made patterns with cloth, Easker was struck with inspiration while working one day to use stamps and other postal products instead. She was fiddling with American Flag stamps while on the phone and she noticed how striking stars and stripes could be. She took this concept to a local art competition in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where the objective was to create something out of recyclable items. Easker’s Paper Quilts won her first place. It was from that moment Easker began to grow her concept with the stamps and slowly began to build off of it. She started adding parts from security envelops, receipts and junk mail. “It sort of grew from there. It got more sophisticated and more elaborate,” Easker said. To put her designs in place, they’re adhered with

glue and sometimes stitched together with thread. Because of her meticulous methods, it usually takes her a longtime to complete each quilt. “It really grows on its own,” Easker said. “Sometimes it takes a few days for me to know what direction it wants to go.” Not only does she work with postage, but she also explores other mediums, like plastic and with directions on granola bar boxes, to make her quilts. Easker said anything even from an alley way can be reworked to become something artistic and pleasing. That is why she loves to make her pieces “beautiful, interesting, and striking” from materials most people tend to throwaway. “There’s just so much around us that can be reused, can be beautiful, can be striking. Just look at the word around you, there are surprises everywhere,” Easker said. “I like that notion of the world where at first glance where something may seem like something but if you look deeper, there’s more richness there and things reveal themselves.” The exhibit, “Paper Quilts,” is showing at the Murphy Gallery in the YMCA through February 29th. Easker will also be holding a workshop on how to make her paper quilts at the I.D.E.A Store on March 1st.

WAYWARD SOULS The Penny Dreadful Players bring Doubt to UIUC by Clara Bush Doubt: to be uncertain or unlikely, to have distrust. It’s a general lack of certainty. The play Doubt is full of... well, doubt, obviously. The play, written by John Patrick Shanley, revolves around four characters: Sister Aloysius, Sister James, Father Flynn and Mrs. Muller. The “beautifully written play” and small cast made Kelsey Pigg want to direct the play as part the Penny Dreadful Players season. The senior in English and Communications is also the artistic director of the RSO. Although students aren’t nuns or priests, Pigg believes people can still relate to the emotions of the play. The plot revolves around Sister Aloysius, a school administrator at a Catholic school who has her own doubts about her faith and her life in 1964. She focuses on Father Flynn, Pigg explained, a new priest who may have molested one of the schoolboys. Pigg described the play as a struggle for truth, as well as a “meeting of a younger church and an older church,” embodied by the battle of sorts between

Sister Aloysius and Father Flynn. Doubt premiered in 2004 and received the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It also gained publicity when it was turned into a 2008 movie of the same name. The movie cast was made in the Hollywood stars — Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and Viola Davis all received both Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for their work on the film. Playing an intimidating, forceful and righteous character is something Rachel Newman, who portrays Sister Aloysius, views as a challenge. “In my acting, I struggle with playing stronger characters,” the sophomore acting major said, which is why she chose to try out for this role, along with her love of the play and Shanley’s works. “All of his characters are complex but aren’t complicated,” Newman said of the playwright. But while his writing is admirable to Newman, she said it’s difficult to get the lines down because it’s so rich and detailed. Pigg said a challenge as a director was getting the costumes right. The habits, the nuns’ outfits,

Used with permission from the Creative Commons

needed to be right for the time period, so they made their own instead of buying them. Most habit costumes today have a white collar, but in the 1960s, they were all black. Because the habit is looser than Newman’s everyday attire, she feels “older and frumpy.” “It makes me move more slowly and more deliberately,” she said. And while many people come to the show and

ask if Father Flynn molested the schoolboy, Pigg wants people to look deeper. “I don’t want people to have an answer,” she said. “I want there to be doubt.” Penny Dreadful Players’ production of Doubt is Feb. 24-25, 2012, at the Channing-Murray Foundation chapel, on the corner of Mathews and Oregon streets. The show starts both nights at 8 p.m., and tickets are $5 at the door. buzz

Week of Fri., Feb. 24 through Thurs., Mar 1, 2012 The Artist (PG-13) From a 35mm print Fri: (5:00), 7:30 PM | Sat: (2:30), (5:00), 7:30 PM Sun: (3:30), 6:00 PM | Mon: (2:00), (4:30) PM | Tue: (1:00). 9:30 PM Wed: (2:30), (5:00). 7:30 PM | Thur: 7:30 PM Office Space (R) $3 Admission. Digital Presentation. Fri & Sat: 10:00 PM | Thur: 10:00 PM

Fordson: Faith, Fasting and Football (NR) Free show with post-film discussion. Digital Presentation. Mon: 7:00 PM Poetry Out Loud (NR) Free live event. Tue: 6:00 PM

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ACT OF VALOR (R) 11:35, 2:05, 4:50, 7:20, 9:55 S GOOD DEEDS (PG-13)

11:20, 1:50, 4:20, 7:05, 9:45 FRI/SAT LS 12:15 GONE (PG-13) 12:40, 2:55, 5:10, 7:25, 9:40 FRI/SAT LS 11:55 S WANDERLUST (R) 12:20, 2:50, 5:05, 7:30, 9:50 FRI/SAT LS 12:05 S

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3D STAR WARS: EPISODE 1 - PHANTOM MENACE (PG) 12:45, 3:45, 6:45, 9:45 THE VOW (PG-13) 11:45, 2:10, 4:35, 7:00, 9:25 FRI/SAT LS 11:50 S 3D JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND (PG)

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12:00, 2:15, 4:30, 6:45, 9:05 FRI/SAT LS 11:25 SAFE HOUSE (R) 11:40, 2:25, 5:00, 7:35, 10:10 THE WOMAN IN BLACK (PG-13) 12:55, 3:10, 5:25, 7:40, 10:00 CHRONICLE (PG-13) 12:10, 2:20, 4:25, 6:30, 9:05 FRI/SAT LS 11:10 THE GREY (R) FRI, MON, WED-TH 12:50, 3:30, 6:10, 8:45 FRI/SAT LS 11:20 SAT 6:10, 8:45 SUN 12:50 TUE 12:50, 3:30

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A drinking game in hopes of making the slowest night of TV more interesting by Nick Martin

The National Gallery: Leonardo Live (NR) Digital Presentation. Matinee movie prices. Sat: 12:00 PM | Sun: 1:00 PM | Tue: 3:30 PM

126 W. Church St. Champaign

HOW TO DRINK and WATCH THE ACADEMY AWARDS AND PRETEND YOU CARE he Oscars are only a big deal if you win one. Perhaps some people like to pick a favorite movie, root for it to win and pretend art can be a sport. That’s fine — I hope you enjoy the nice commercials suggesting new stuff to buy. My number one complaint against the Oscars is the baffling idea that the people who are congratulating themselves on being the world’s best entertainers are so utterly unentertaining! Bland jokes will be made; people will pick up little naked gold men — every year the same shit, different movies. The only way to liven this up, then, is copious amounts of drinking! buzz has devised a way for you to drink to your heart’s content and maybe have some fun with our Official Oscar Drinking Game. If you don’t drink, substitute another illicit substance; if you don’t consume illicit substances, you can make this a Christian game by praying instead of drinking. Have fun! Good luck! Don’t die! And especially, don’t sue! Before the show: Circle your best guess for the following categories. If you’re wrong, take a shot, doofus! BUZZ THURSDAY Best Picture: » The ArtistFEBRUARY 23 corp note...keep this same size always » The Descendants » Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close 1 X 5.417 » The Help » Hugo 1/8th page » Midnight in Paris » Moneyball » The Tree of Life » War Horse Best Director: » Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist » Alexander Payne, The Descendants » Martin Scorsese, Hugo » Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris » Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life Best Animated Feature: » A Cat in Paris » Chico & Rita » Kung Fu Panda 2 » Puss in Boots » Rango Best Actor: » Demian Bichir, A Better Life » George Clooney, The Descendants » Jean Dujardin, The Artist » Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy » Brad Pitt, Moneyball Best Actress: » Bérénice Bejo, The Artist » Jessica Chastain, The Help » Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids » Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs » Octavia Spencer, The Help

Used with permission from Sony Pictures Classics

Best Screenplay (Original): » Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist » Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids » J.C. Chandor, Margin Call » Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris » Asghar Farhadi, A Separation Best Visual Effects » Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 » Hugo » Real Steel » Rise of the Planet of the Apes » Transformers: Dark of the Moon Pre-Show Red Carpet: What are you wearing? Pizza-stained sweatpants, probably. Well, all the celebrities are wearing really nice clothes — expensive ones that could feed thousands of starving children. The entire pre-show is pretty vapid and dumb; if you had to drink every time something stupid happened, you wouldn’t be awake for the actual ceremony. Don’t forget: watch Joan Rivers’ coverage on E! If you don’t, you might miss her face exploding. » Take a sip of beer every time a reporter asks a lame, mundane question of a famous person. » Take a sip of beer every time a starlet tries to brag about her clothes, but it’s clear she doesn’t know what she’s talking about. » Take a shot every time someone crazy (Gary Busey) does something weird and controversial. » Take a shot every time a cool celebrity tries to photobomb a picture (Tina Fey). » Drink a whole beer to combat the mind-numbing boredom before the show. Host: James Franco may be cute, but he was a pretty stiff host. Many suggested Franco was too cool for the Oscars’ vibe — no one will say that of Billy Crystal. Having hosted many Oscar

evenings, Crystal is a pretty safe bet for Hollywood. He’ll be likable, kind of funny and he won’t call anyone a c-word. Whether or not he’ll be fun to watch is up to debate, but try these drinking tips and see. » Take a sip of beer if Billy says a lame, safe joke only your aunts will laugh at. » Take a sip of beer every time you get excited for Monsters, Inc. 2. » Take a shot every time Billy makes a joke that looks like it hurt someone’s feelings. Speeches: Isn’t it great watching famous people talk? Actually, no, it isn’t. The Academy cut down on speech length in recent years because most people don’t care to hear a stranger thank a bunch of other strangers. Speeches range from one to five minutes (you get more time based on your beauty or fame). Instead of paying attention to the words, pay attention to these cues to drink: » Take a sip of beer after the fifth thank you. » Take a sip of beer if someone thanks a person you’ve actually heard of. » Take a sip of beer if the band cuts somebody off. » Take a sip of beer if someone cries. » Take a shot if someone accidently says a swear you’re not supposed to say on TV. » Drink a whole beer if the winner of an award is an ethnic minority who uses the speech to claim an Oscar as an achievement for their entire ethnic community. Final Totals » Drink a whole beer if you felt bored and unsatisfied, wishing you’d never watched the ceremony in the first place. Total Alcohol Consumed: Estimated Hospital Bill:

readbuzz.com February 23 - 29, 2012

Cravings Tuesdays are the best

AND ANOTHER THING ...

by MICHAEL COULTER

ads for dogs Barking up the wrong tree? It is innovative, I guess. In the past, dog owners have been the primary focus. Treat your puppy right. Don’t feed them crappy food... unless it’s our crappy food. Your dog will love you even more if you buy this. They only live 13 years or so, you cold-hearted bastard — let them enjoy a goddamned treat once in awhile. It works pretty well. Hell, I’ve made a special trip to the store simply because the dog ran out of treats. My favorite version of companies catering to me is a little dog treat called Beggin’ Strips. It actually says on the outside of the package, “Dogs don’t know it’s not bacon.” Wow, you’ve fooled my dog. Nice work, Purina. Of course my dog doesn’t know it’s not bacon. My dog doesn’t know its from a hole in the ground most of the My favorite version of companies ass time. It’s not that hard to trick him. He also catering to me is a little dog treat doesn’t know that mud isn’t a food, people don’t enjoy being pushed to the ground, called Beggin’ Strips. It actually and a person’s crotch isn’t necessarily a says on the outside of the package, good resting place for his cold-ass nose. I’d be impressed if he could even spell bacon. “Dogs don’t know it’s not bacon.” Obviously, the dog food companies Wow, you’ve fooled my dog. Nice figured a smart guy like me couldn’t be suckered all that easily, so they cut out the work, Purina. Of course my dog middle man and went straight to the dog. The problem with this plan is that dogs doesn’t know it’s not bacon. My simply don’t have all that much extra cash dog doesn’t know its ass from a lying around for purchasing treats. In fact, their disposable income is basically nothhole in the ground most of the ing, along with their regular income. Dogs time. are grifters, and they don’t give a rat’s ass what sort of treat it is, so long as they can A dog food company is making Austrian TV get all excited and eat the damned thing. Hell, a commercials that target the dog instead of the dog would like a rotting mouse carcass as much dog’s owner. They don’t do this by showing cats as he would like a piece of rawhide dipped in gold, dressed up in S&M clothes or even by showing probably more. the back room of a butcher shop. They are far This is all similar to an ad campaign in Germany sneakier than that. Instead, they added some where a dog food company put up posters for sort of weird audio frequencies that only dogs their food that released the smell of the dog food can hear to the commercials. in hopes the dog would lead the owner to the The thinking, I suppose, is that your dog will posters. Of course, if they made the posters smell hear the noise and run to the television. This will like other dogs’ asses, that would have probably make you think, “Jesus H. Christ, my dog really worked, too. I have a feeling all of this may simply wants that. I better get my ass to the store quick- lead to very frustrated dogs. It almost feels like a bit of my dog’s innocence will ly.” The dog food company makes their money, and we all get just a little stupider. I say this only be lost once he gets exposed to all of this. It won’t be because for this sales pitch to work, the animal, long until he whines for a more fashionable dog colthe consumer and the company all have to be as lar and maybe one of those cute little raincoats for when it’s wet outside. I fear that licking his testicles ignorant as a Katy Perry song. This particular commercial is 23 seconds long. may just not be enough for him anymore. I suppose it’s all in good fun, but it also seems That’s a little shorter than a regular commercial, but it’s also about 20 seconds longer than sort of shifty. I’m not sure where it’s going to stop. my dog’s attention span, so I’m not sure how I just feel like it could become a lot of stress for that’s going to work either. Apparently it emits my dog. He doesn’t strike me as completely stable some weird squeaks and pings that both the in the first place, and if he becomes constantly dog and owner can hear. That sounds like a lot taunted by advertisements, he could really go of fun for us. Of course, it may be hard to con- over the edge. The thing is, he’s just fine the way centrate on the commercial after the dog has he is anyway. If he ever starts making his own jumped through the screen of the television, but money, I might let him decide for himself, but until I assume it will be a nice little moment before then, I’d appreciate it if they just let me decide the whole thing turns to shit. what’s best for him. People are fine, I suppose, but if I’m being honest, I sort of prefer dogs most of the time. Yeah, I know, that’s not a great thing for a member of the human race to say, but it’s sort of true. It’s not the unconditional love of a dog so much as the douchbaggery of people. I see a dog and I think, “Hey, he’s a cute little bastard.” I see a person and think, “Freaking great, I’m probably gonna have to talk to them or something.” Either way, maybe dogs and people aren’t all that far apart anymore, especially if advertising gets its way.

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CALENDAR

FEBRUARY 23 - 29, 2012

Complete listing available at

THE217.COM/CALENDAR

SUBMIT YOUR EVENT TO THE CALENDAR: Online: forms available at the217.com/calendar • E-mail: send your notice to calendar@the217.com • Fax: 337-8328, addressed to the217 calendar Snail mail: send printed materials via U.S. Mail to: the217 calendar, Illini Media, 512 E. Green St., Champaign, IL 61820 • Call: 531-1456 if you have a question or to leave a message about your event.

THURSDAY 23

Live Homework Help Rantoul Public Library Art & other exhibits 2pm Warriors, Guardians, U.S. Foreign Policy in Africa: Is Obama and Demons Policy a Continuation Spurlock Museum or Break? 9am Carolee Schneemann: Spurlock Museum 4pm Within and Beyond Owl Prowl the Premises Homer Lake Interpretive Krannert Art Museum Center and Kinkead Pavilion 6pm 9am Beginner Tango Fifty Years: ContemCourse porary American Phillips Recreation Glass from Illinois Center Collections 8:30pm Krannert Art Museum and Kinkead Pavilion Live music & 9am After Abstract Expres- karaoke sionism Chillax with DJ Belly Krannert Art Museum and Matt Harsh and Kinkead Pavilion Radio Maria 9am 10pm Jerusalem Saved! InLiquid Courage Kaness and the Spiritual raoke Landscape Memphis on Main Krannert Art Museum 9pm and Kinkead Pavilion Flamingo 9am Cowboy Monkey Drama of Black & 9:30pm White Asian American Cultural Mind, body, & spirit Center Open Yoga Practice 9am with Corrie Proksa Art @ the Y Presents Amara Yoga & Arts Paper Quilts: Musings 5:30pm from the Mailbox Ashtanga Yoga with University YMCA Lauren Quinn 9am Amara Yoga & Arts Fragments: Recent 5:30pm Paintings by Kenneth Candlelight Vinyasa Hall Flow Yoga with Luna Parkland Art Gallery Pierson 10am Amara Yoga & Arts “Wise Animals: Aesop 7pm and His Followers” Yin Yoga with Lauren Exhibition Quinn U of I Main Library Amara Yoga & Arts 8:30am 7pm Bringing Faith & Art to Life: Works of Shari Miscellaneous LeMonnier Children’s Winter Unitarian Universalist Reading Program Movement of UrbanaRantoul Public Library Champaign 9am 8am Yarn n Yak Rantoul Public Library Classes, lectures, & 7pm workshops Winter Reading Program for Teens & Live Career Help Adults Sign-Up Rantoul Public Library Rantoul Public Library 2pm 9am Live Adult Education Preschool Story Time Help Rantoul Public Library Rantoul Public Library 10am 2pm 12

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Raising Readers Rantoul Public Library 10:30am i-Invent Informational Meeting English Building, 7pm Coffee Hour University YMCA 7:30pm

Movies & theater Film Screening Krannert Art Museum and Kinkead Pavilion 7pm

FRIDAY 24 Classes, lectures, & workshops Friday Forum Presents “From Structural Adjustment to the Post-Washington Consensus and Beyond: Paradigm Shifts in Development Aid” University YMCA 12pm

Live music & karaoke Decadents & Sonny Stubble: Live at Memphis on Main Memphis on Main 8pm Papadosio Canopy Club 9pm Late Night with DJ Belly Radio Maria, 10pm Emily Otnes ft. An Evening with Your Mother Indi Go Artist Co-op 8pm DECADENTS~Train Company~Sonny Stubble! Memphis on Main 8pm Sun Stereo Cowboy Monkey 10pm John McMahon Band Rosebowl Tavern, 9pm

Mind, body, & spirit Open Yoga Practice with Corrie Proksa Amara Yoga & Arts 5:30pm Yoga Classes Krannert Art Museum and Kinkead Pavilion 12pm

Power Flow Yoga with Corrie Proksa Amara Yoga & Arts 12pm Vinyasa Krama Yoga with Don Briskin Amara Yoga & Arts 4:15pm Happy Hour Flow Yoga with Luna Pierson Amara Yoga & Arts 5:30pm

Fragments: Recent Paintings by Kenneth Hall Parkland Art Gallery 12pm Bringing Faith & Art to Life: Works of Shari LeMonnier Unitarian Universalist Movement of UrbanaChampaign 8am

Movies & theater

Live music & karaoke

Evening Movie Rantoul Public Library 7pm Doubt: A Parable Channing-Murray Foundation, 8pm

Second Annual Bluegrass Festival Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center, 5pm

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PERKPUG'S FREE AND A GREAT COMPANION

Mind, body, & spirit Fragments: Recent Yoga Fundamentals with Linda Lehovec Amara Yoga & Arts 9am Kettlebell RKC Russian Style Truly Fit, 10am

Movies & theater Doubt: A Parable Channing-Murray Foundation, 8pm

SUNDAY 26 Classes, lectures, & workshops West African Dance Classes with Djibril Camara Channing-Murray Foundation, 6pm UFL Reads! Celebrates Local Authors--The Dead Sea Codex by Sarah Wisseman Urbana Free Library, 2pm Industry Night Radio Maria, 10pm

Mind, body, & spirit

Yoga for Men, Dudes and Regular Guys with Jim Rector Amara Yoga & Arts 6:30pm FOLLOWTHEPUG.COM Slow Flow Yoga with Kate Insolia Amara Yoga & Arts 2:30pm ZOO IMPROV Happy Challenge Yoga BK Productions SoDo Theatre with Maggie Taylor Karaoke 8pm Amara Yoga & Arts El Toro Bravo 4pm 9pm SATURDAY 25 Gentle Yoga with Mother Get Down! Art & other exhibits Memphis on Main Rebekah Deter Amara Yoga & Arts Warriors, Guardians, 8:30pm 9am 90’s Daughter w/ and Demons Spurlock Museum, 10am Escaping Neverland at Ayyám-i-Há Carolee Schneemann: Boomerang’s Bar and Urbana Baha’i Center 12:30pm Within and Beyond the Grill Boomerang’s Bar and Premises Sports, games, & Grill Krannert Art Museum recreation 9pm and Kinkead Pavilion DJ Belly 9am Big Dave’s Trivia Cowboy Monkey Kids@Krannert Cowboy Monkey, 7pm 10pm Krannert Art Museum DJ/Karaokee and Kinkead Pavilion MONDAY 27 133 West Main 10am Art & other exhibits 9pm Scott James Vanidestine Opening Reception Salsa night with DJ Drama of Black & White Juan Indi Go Artist Co-op Asian American Cultural Radio Maria 7pm Center, 9am Art @ the Y Presents 10:30pm Art @ the Y Presents Paper Quilts: Musings Outlaw Karaoke DJ Paper Quilts: Musings Angela’s Place from the Mailbox from the Mailbox University YMCA, 9am 8pm University YMCA, 9am

THIS WEEK WIN PRIZES @ LATTE DA!, CAMPUS LIQUOR, PEKARA BISTRO

Paintings by Kenneth Hall Parkland Art Gallery 10am “Wise Animals: Aesop and His Followers” Exhibition U of I Main Library 8:30am Bringing Faith & Art to Life: Works of Shari LeMonnier Unitarian Universalist Movement of UrbanaChampaign, 8am

Classes, lectures, & workshops

Winter Reading Program for Teens & Adults Rantoul Public Library 9am Lounge Night Radio Maria, 10pm

Movies & theater Fordson: Faith, Fasting & Football The Art Theater, 7pm

Sports, games, & recreation Bingo Night Memphis on Main, 10pm

TUESDAY 28

Live Career Help Rantoul Public Library 2pm Poetry Workshop Red Herring Coffeehouse 7:30pm Live Adult Education Help Rantoul Public Library 2pm Live Homework Help Rantoul Public Library 2pm

Art & other exhibits

Live music & karaoke

Food & festivals

‘80s Night Highdive, 10pm Lounge Night Radio Maria, 10pm

Carolee Schneemann: Within and Beyond the Premises Krannert Art Museum and Kinkead Pavilion, 9am

Classes, lectures, & workshops Seize the Date! Strategies for Overcoming Procrastination University YMCA, 7pm

Wine Night Radio Maria, 4pm

Live music & karaoke Tango Tuesdays at

Mind, body, & spirit McKinley Foundation Restorative Yoga with Maggie Taylor Amara Yoga & Arts 7pm Hatha Yoga with Grace Giorgio Amara Yoga & Arts 5:30pm Power Flow Yoga with Corrie Proksa Amara Yoga & Arts 12pm

Miscellaneous Children’s Winter Reading Program Rantoul Public Library 9am Winter Reading Program for Teens & Adults Sign-Up Rantoul Public Library 9am Children’s Winter Reading Program Rantoul Public Library 9am

McKinley Presbyterian Church and Foundation 7pm Piano Man Canopy Club, 9pm Open Mic Night Cowboy Monkey, 10pm Ryan Groff & Justin Kessel @ The Clark Bar The Clark Bar, 7pm

Mind, body, & spirit Vinyasa Flow Yoga with Maggie Taylor Amara Yoga & Arts 12pm Slow Flow yoga with Amanda Reagan Amara Yoga & Arts 5;30pm

Sports, games, & recreation 1867 Society Presents: “Wii Support Illinois” Activities and Recreation Center (ARC), 6:30pm

WEDNESDAY 29 Art & other exhibits Carolee Schneemann: Within and Beyond the Premises Krannert Art Museum and Kinkead Pavilion 9am Fragments: Recent Paintings by Kenneth Hall Parkland Art Gallery 10am

FEBRUARY 23 - 29, 2012

buz z ’s WEEK AHEAD

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COMMUNITY CHOICES FUNDRAISER Boltini Lounge 211 N. Neil St., C. Wednesday, Feb. 29 6 - 8 p.m. Community Choices, a local human services organization, will host a fundraising event at Boltini Lounge to raise money to support, empower and provide life skill services to people with disabilities. Community Choices’ goal is to help those with disabilities feel active and motivated within their own communities. Consider this fundraising event to be a two-hour long, dress to impress cocktail party. Drinks and free appetizers will be served, and there will also be a raffle ($5/ticket) to win certificates to local eateries and other establishments both on and off campus. Plus, Joey Busse, lead singer of Good Luck Jane and intern at Community Choices, will be performing a variety of hit songs throughout the event. For more information about Community Choices, please visit: http:// www.communitychoicesinc.org/ — Amy Harwath, Community Editor

Classes, lectures, & workshops Live Career Help Rantoul Public Library 2pm Live Adult Education Help Rantoul Public Library 2pm Live Homework Help Rantoul Public Library 2pm

Live music & karaoke Open Decks with DJ Belly Radio Maria, 10pm 312 Vibe Night Canopy Club, 9pm Open Decks with DJ Belly Radio Maria, 10pm Tango Dancing Cowboy Monkey, 8pm Salsa Dancing Cowboy Monkey, 10pm

LAMPS WITHOUT LIGHTBULBS SKETCH COMEDY Canopy Club 708 S. Goodwin Ave., U.

Saturday, Feb. 25 7 p.m. $5

HEY! Do you like Portlandia? Me, too. Especially those two feminist bookstore employees. IF YOU WANT, YOU CAN SEE SKETCHES THAT ARE HILARIOUS LIKE THOSE LIVE IN PERSON! Go to Canopy Club this SATURDAY night! You can drink! It’ll be fun! Come on out there! — Nick Martin, Movies & TV Editor

Moving PICTURES

Photographic

artists Larry Kanfer &

Mind, body, & spirit Open Yoga Practice with Corrie Proksa Amara Yoga & Arts 5:30pm Yoga Wednesdays at indi go Artist Co-Op! Indi Go Artist Co-op, 7pm Kettlebell RKC Russian Style Truly Fit, 6:30pm Yoga Wednesdays Indi Go Artist Co-op, 7pm Hatha Flow with Linda Lehovec Amara Yoga & Arts 5:30pm Ashtanga Full Primary Series with Lauren Quinn Amara Yoga & Arts, 7pm Yoga Fundamentals with Grace Giorgio Amara Yoga & Arts 4:15pm

Sports, games, & recreation

Karyl Wackerlin NATIONAL TOOTH FAIRY DAY Everywhere Tuesday, Feb. 28 Cost: Teeth The tooth fairy exists, and she’s pissed because nobody believes in her. So on National Tooth Fairy Day, she’s getting her revenge, and there will be blood. If you haven’t lost a tooth in the past year, she’s yanking out your teeth, and there’s nothing you can do. Luckily, she’ll pay you a quarter for each tooth because she’s not a bad fairy. Au contraire, she’s actually going to give you a coupon to use the Cinco Eye Tanning System so that you can say to all your friends, “Me, me! I’m a tan man!” — Adam Barnett, Music Editor

February 24, 7:30 p.m.

Krannert Center

MUSIC director and conductor

Steven Larsen

Champaign

urbana symphony

orchestra

Pokemon Fan Club Rantoul Public Library 6pm buzz

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• PLEASE CHECK YOUR AD! Report errors immediately by calling 337-8337. We cannot be responsible for more than one day’s incorrect insertion if you do not notify us of the error by 2 pm on the day of the first insertion. • All advertising is subject to the approval of the publisher. The Daily Illini shall have the right to revise, reject or cancel, in whole or in part, any advertisement, at any time. • All employment advertising in this newspaper is subject to the City of Champaign Human Rights Ordinance and similar state and local laws, making it illegal for any person to cause to be published any advertisement which expresses limitation, specification or discrimination as to race, color, mental handicap, personal appearance, sexual orientation, family responsibilities, political affiliation, prior arrest or conviction record, source of income, or the fact that such person is a student. • Specification in employment classifications are made only where such factors are bonafide occupational qualifications necessary for employment. • All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968, and similar state and local laws which make it illegal for any person to cause to be published any advertisement relating to the transfer, sale, rental, or lease of any housing which expresses limitation, specifications or discrimination as to race, color, creed, class, national origin, religion, sex, age, marital status, physical or mental handicap, personal appearance, sexual oientation, family responsibilities, political affiliation, or the fact that such person is a student. • This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate that is in violation of the law. Our readers are informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal oppportunity basis.

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February 23 - 29, 2012

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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY ARiES

(Mar. 21- Apr. 19)

At one point in his book *The Divine Comedy,* the Italian poet Dante is traveling through purgatory on his way to paradise. American poet T.S. Eliot describes the scene: “The people there were inside the flames expurgating their errors and sins. And there was one incident when Dante was talking two an unknown woman in her flame. As she answered Dante’s questions, she had to step out of her flame to talk to him, until at last she was compelled to say to Dante, ‘Would you please hurry up with your questions so I can get on with my burning?’” I bring this to your attention, Aries, because I love the way you’ve been expurgating your own errors and sins lately. Don’t let anything interfere with your brilliant work. Keep burning till you’re done. (Source: “A New Type of Intellectual: Contemplative Withdrawal and *Four Quartets,*” by Kenneth P. Kramer.)

TAURUS

(Apr. 20 - May 20)

GEMINI

(May. 21- Jun. 20)

If you’ve been holding yourself back in any way, Taurus, now’s the time to unlock and unleash yourself. If you have been compromising your high standards or selling yourself short, I hope you will give yourself permission to grow bigger and stronger and brighter. If you’ve been hiding your beauty or hedging your bets or rationing your access to the mother lode, you have officially arrived at the perfect moment to stop that nonsense.

In the cult blaxploitation film *The Human Tornado,* the main character Dolemite brags about his prowess. “I chained down thunder and handcuffed lightning!” he raves. “I used an earthquake to mix my milkshake! I eat an avalanche when I want ice cream! I punched a hurricane and made it a breeze! I swallowed an iceberg and didn’t freeze!” This is the way I want to hear you talk in the coming week, Gemini. Given the current astrological configurations, you have every right to. Furthermore, I think it’ll be healthy for you.

CANCER

(Jun. 21- Jul. 22)

Astrologer Antero Alli theorizes that the placement of the sign Cancer in a person’s chart may indicate what he or she tends to whine about. In his own chart, he says, Cancer rules his ninth house, so he whines about obsolete beliefs and bad education and stale dogmas that cause people to shun firsthand experience as a source of authority. I hereby declare these issues to be supremely honorable reasons for you to whine in the coming week. You also have cosmic permission to complain vociferously about the following: injustices perpetrated by small-minded people; short-sighted thinking that ignores the big picture; and greedy selfinterest that disdains the future. On the other hand, you don’t have clearance to whine about crying babies, rude clerks, or traffic jams.

LEO

(Jul. 23 - Aug. 22)

*L.A. Weekly* praised the music of drone-noise band Barn Owl. Its review said that the listening experience is “akin to placing your ear against the Dalai Lama’s stomach and catching the sound of his reincarnation juices flowing.” That sounds a bit like what’s ahead for you in the coming week, Leo: getting the lowdown on the inner workings of a benevolent source . . . tuning in to the rest of the story that lies behind a seemingly simple, happy tale . . . gathering up revelations about the subterranean currents that are always going on beneath the surface of the good life. It’s ultimately all positive, although a bit complicated.

VIRGO

(Aug. 23- Sept. 22)

In the coming days, you could do a lot to develop a better relationship with darkness. When I use that word “darkness,” I’m referring to confusing mysteries and your own unconscious patterns and the secrets you hide from yourself. I mean the difficult memories and the parts of the world that seem inhospitable to you and the sweet dreams that have lost their way. See what you can do to understand this stuff better, Virgo. Open yourself to the redemptive teachings it has for you.

February 23-March 1, 2012

LIBRA

(Sept. 23 - Oct. 22)

SCORPIO

(Oct 23. - Nov. 21)

SAGITTARIUS

(Nov. 22 - Dec. 21)

Jonesin

by Matt Jones

“Going Negative”--totally in denial.

Sister Jessica, a character in Frank Herbert’s *Dune* books, says, “The greatest and most important problems of life cannot be solved. They can only be outgrown.” I encourage you to use that theory as your operative hypothesis for the foreseeable future. Here are some specific clues about how to proceed: Don’t obsess on your crazy-making dilemma. Instead, concentrate on skillfully doing the pleasurable activities that you do best. Be resolutely faithful to your higher mission and feed your lust for life. Slowly but surely, I think you’ll find that the frustrating impediment will be drained of at least some of its power to lock up your energy.

A few years ago, the Hong Kong company Life Enhance sold briefs and boxer shorts that were supposedly designed by a master practitioner of feng shui. On the front of every garment was an image of a dragon, which the Chinese have traditionally regarded as a lucky symbol. To have this powerful charm in contact with your intimate places increased your vital force -- or so the sales rap said. By my estimates, Scorpio, you’re not going to need a boost like that in the coming weeks. Without any outside aids whatsoever, your lower furnace will be generating intense beams of magical heat. What are you going to do with all that potent mojo? Please don’t use it on trivial matters.

There are times in your life when you do a lot of exploring in the outer world, and other times when your pioneering probes are directed primarily inward. In my astrological opinion, you’re currently more suited for the latter kind of research. Take an inventory of all your inner voices, noticing both the content of what they say and the tone with which they say it. Some of them may be chatty and others shy; some blaring and others seductive; some nagging and needy and others calm and insightful. Welcome all the voices in your head into the spotlight of your alert attention. Ask them to step forward and reveal their agendas.

CAPRICORN

(Dec. 22 - Jan. 19)

AQUARIUS

(Jan. 20 - Feb. 18)

The Oxford English Dictionary, an authority on the state of the English language, adds an average of two new words every day. In the coming weeks, Capricorn, I’d like to see you expand your capacity for self-expression with equal vigor. According to my reading of the astrological omens, you’re due for an upgrade in your vocabulary, your clarity, and your communication skills. Here’s one of the OED’s fresh terms, which would be a good addition to your repertoire: “bouncebackability,” the ability to recover from a setback or to rebound from a loss of momentum.

We turn to Dr. Seuss for help in formulating your horoscope this week. He told a story of dining in a restaurant with his uncle, who was served a popover, which is a puffy muffin that’s hollow on the inside. “To eat these things,” said his uncle, “you must exercise great care. You may swallow down what’s solid, but you must spit out the air!” Drawing a lesson from these wise words, Dr. Seuss concluded, “As you partake of the world’s bill of fare, that’s darned good advice to follow. Do a lot of spitting out the hot air. And be careful what you swallow.” I expect your coming week will be successful, Aquarius, if you apply these principles.

PICSES

(Feb. 19 - Mar. 20)

You should be like a rooster, Pisces: dispensing wake-up calls on a regular basis. You should be nudging people to shed their torpor and shake themselves out of their stupor. What’s your personal version of “Cockadoodledoo!”? It shouldn’t be something generic like “Open your eyes!” or “Stop making excuses!” Come up with attention-grabbing exclamations or signature phrases that no intelligent person can possibly ignore or feel defensive about. For example: “Let’s leap into the vortex and scramble our trances!”?

Stumped? Find the solutions in the Classifieds pages. 44 GM service Across 47 Chaz’s mother 1 Stations in some labs 48 “Oh yeah, like I’d ever see a 4 “Mama’s Gun” singer Erykah guy with a ruffled shirt and 8 U.S. Surgeon General under heaving chest in real life...” Reagan 53 Ad line spoken while 12 “Play something better!” grabbing a box of cereal back 13 Prized cards, to collectors 54 ___ Lingus (Irish airline) 14 Polite refusal 56 Year, to Yvette 15 Tip collector 57 1970s model Cheryl 16 Spoiler in a familiar saying 58 Wu-Tang Clan member 18 “Oh 7, why’d you have to 59 Suffix after Brooklyn go and eat 9? And 6, did 60 Lat. and Lith., once you help 7 out of fear? I’m 61 Drops in a field shocked!” 20 Swamp beast 21 National chain of “bakeryDown cafes” 1 Simple sammich 22 Caprice 2 One of a pair of newscasters 23 Big cheese in Holland 3 Group of sisters 27 Bodily sac 4 ___ mi (Vietnamese sandwich) 28 “I can see you on a cold day 5 Vicinity and you’re like a cloud...I’m impressed...” 6 Red ink 32 Twisted, like a smile 7 Mil. branch at Lackland 33 Falls on many honeymoon 8 It’ll floor ya trips 9 Hawk relative 34 Rum ___ Tugger (47-down 10 Canadian NHL team character) 11 Test in H.S. 37 “Hmmm...I’m stumped as to 13 Campus recruiting org. how you landed a role on ‘The 14 Serpent deity group, in Addams Family’...” Hinduism (in RUN AGAINST) 39 Without leaves 17 Quick swim 42 Those ladies, in Tijuana 19 Grave marker 43 Radio choices 22 Dir. opposite ESE

23 Do some video production 24 Early info-sorting program 25 Mythical giant with 100 eyes 26 Ben Stiller’s mom Anne ___ 29 “Would You Like to Buy ___?” (“Sesame Street” song) 30 Greek war god 31 Body art, for short 34 It’s swi ped to check in 35 Command in some games of tag 36 “North by Northwest” film studio 37 Stinging herbs 38 Mayor of Los Angeles, 20012005 39 Meticulously-trimmed tree 40 Name 41 They’re given in the “Wheel of Fortune” bonus round 45 “Ellen” actor ___ Gross 46 Czech play where the word “robot” came from 47 It left Broadway on Sept. 10, 2000 49 Has dinner 50 Diamondback stats 51 Host Ken of MTV’s “Remote Control” 52 Russian fighter jets 55 Like some sugar

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FEBRUARY 23 - 29, 2012

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