Volume 2. Issue 5 of The Falcon

Volume 2.

Issue 5.

The Falcon

A Keen Eye For News

IN THIS

ISSUE

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Monday, February 11th, 2012

Congratulations Gold Side!

News

Arts & Culture

The Falcon Guide Remains of a King to Summer Music found in unlikely Festivals place page 3 page 6

Pope cites waning health in resignation CAMPUS

CROSS Lambda Chi Alpha Masquerade Ball February 12th Main Street Tavern 10 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Cafe Escape (BCM) February 13, 11am – 1pm BCM Happy Valentines Day Thursday, Feb 14, 2013 Party of the Quad February 15, 2:00pm – 4:30pm Main Quad Bonfire and Food February 15, 5pm – 7pm by the soccer field

Glow Party After Party February 15, 7pm – 9pm Student Retreat

Submit announcements facebook.com/ thefalconmontevallo

by Andrew Mechum Associate Editor

In a move that hasn’t been seen since the Middle Ages, Pope Benedict XIV announced early Monday that he would be resigning February 28.

In his resignation announcement Benedict cited his failing health as the primary reason for stepping down, “In today’s world, subject to so many rapid changes… both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me.

“With full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals.”

Benedict

added that he would like to continue to serve the church and God, “through a life dedicated to prayer.”

Benedict, who became the 265 pope in April of 2005, will become only the fifth pope to resign. The last papal resignation was

by Pope Gregory XII in 1415. His abdication wasn’t voluntary however, unlike Benedict’s.

Gregory left the Vatican to settle a dispute over claims to the papacy. The last pope to willingly leave the posi-

tion of Bishop of Rome was Celestine V in 1294.

Since becoming pope, Benedict has had his fair share of obstacles while leading nearly 1.2 billion Catholics worldwide. He has had the task of being pontiff during the child sexual abuse scandals that rocked the Church. His personal butler, whom he later pardoned, leaked his private papers, causing a firestorm in regards to the Vatican’s business dealings.

A speech he gave in Regensburg, Germa-

ny where he cited this quote by Byzantine Emperor Manuel II, “Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached,” incited protests in the Middle East.

Benedict has also garnered infamy on the Internet by having pictures of him compared to, or altered to look like, Emperor Palpatine from the Star Wars films.

Big wins at the BAFTAs and the Grammy’s

by Jake Smith Staff Writer

The British Academy of Film and Television Awards, or BAFTAs, and the 55th annual Grammy Awards were both held on February 10, 2013, and both shows were full of surprises, excitement and spectacle.

The BAFTAs featured a multitude of categories to be awarded, but despite the name of the academy presenting them, all of the awards were focused on film rather than television. Ben Affleck’s “Argo” took home two

of the biggest prizes of the night by receiving Best Picture and Best Director despite Stephen Spielberg’s popular “Lincoln” competing in the most categories with ten nominations.

Even Affleck was surprised as he jokingly stated, “I feel like there must be some mistake” when asked how he felt about his victories.

Among the other notable winners was Emmanuelle Riva who, at 85 years of age, became the oldest BAFTA winner of all time for her starring role in “Amour”. Equally exciting was a victory from the latest entry in the James Bond franchise, “Skyfall”, which won the Outstanding British Film award over the hugely successful “Les Miserables” and criti-

cal favorite “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”.

On the other side of the Atlantic, music was busy having its biggest night of the year as the 55th annual Grammy Awards commenced. The awards show, hosted for a second year in a row by LL Cool J, began in grandiose fashion with a vibrant performance from Taylor Swift.

Throughout the course of the evening, a handful of the world’s most successful musicians would play some of their most popular material from the past year in music. Performances were given by The Black Keys, Kelly Clarkson, Mumford and Sons, Jack White, Frank Ocean, Fun, Elton John and Ed Sheeran among others. Perhaps most

moving among these was a tribute to the late Levon Helm, drummer and singer for The Band, which featured the talents of Elton John, Mumford and Sons, Brittany Howard and Mavis Staples just to name a few.

The winners of the night’s big awards were spread out among a wide variety of the

musicians present, but there was no doubt that the Black Keys were the rock category’s biggest winner. The Akronbased duo took home Best Rock Performance, Best Rock Song, and Best Rock Album for their late 2011 album “El Camino” and its lead single “Lonely Boy”.

Country music saw awards presented to

These comparisons often alluded to his past when he was a member of the Hitler Youth during World War II. He, nor his family, were ever members of the Nazi Party however.

The pope’s resignation will leave an empty seat at Saint Peter’s Basilica, but only temporarily.

The College of Cardinals will convene in the first of March and are expected to elect a new pope within a months time.

Follow me at @amechum

Carrie Underwood for solo performance and Zac Brown Band for album, and Frank Ocean took home the first ever Grammy for Best Urban Contemporary Album for his “Channel Orange”. Ocean would not, however, take home Best New Artist. That honor was awarded to Fun who continued page 7

The Falcon

news

Page Two

Monday, February 11th, 2012

“Impossible is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools” -Napoleon Bonaparte

President upstaged Boys will be boys by neurosurgeon

by Andrew Mechum Associate Editor President Obama sat mostly stonefaced at the Fellowship Foundation National Prayer Breakfast as neurosurgeon Dr. Benjamin Carson blasted Obamacare and addressed the national debt.

Carson, 61, is the Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

He noted how big a problem our country’s $16.5 trillion debt is. According to Carson if one were to count to 16 trillion, one number per second, it would take 507,000 years.

He compared America to the fall of Rome.

Carson stating moral decay and fiscal woes are what brought down the world’s most powerful war machine so long ago, and that we should be afraid of the same thing happening here.

Looking for a better way to tax the people and rescue the nation from fiscal irresponsibility Carson suggested looking to the Bible. “God has given us a system. It’s called a tithe.”

“You make $10

billion, you put in a billion. You make $10 you put in one,” said Carson, adding, “Of course you’ve got to get rid of the loopholes.”

The loopholes he is referring to are the ones that enable the very rich to keep funds in offshore accounts, such as the 602 banks in the Cayman Islands. “That money needs to be back here building our infrastructure and creating jobs,” said Carson.

On the subject of Obamacare Carson offered up his own solution to the broken healthcare system, “When a person is born, give him a birth certificate, an electronic medical record, and a health savings account (HSA) to which money can be contributed -- pretax -- from the time you're born 'til the time you die.

“Instead of sending it to some bureaucracy, let’s put it in their HSAs. Now they have some control over their own health care.”

In an interview on Fox News the following day, Carson said his comments weren’t left or right wing, “It was just logic and common sense and this is what people are starving for coming out of Washington D.C.”

got an idea?

E-mail us at thefalconeditor@gmail.com

by Reed Strength Arts & Culture Editor

The Boy Scouts of America postponed a decision Wednesday, February 6 that could possibly overturn their policy of no homosexual membership.

The BSA originally won the right to ban gay members from their ranks after the 2000 Supreme Court Case “Boy Scouts of America v. Dale.” In a five-four vote, the Supreme Court allowed the ban based on the BSA’s status as a private organization.

After a two year internal review of the ban, the national board of the BSA announced they would uphold the ban in July 2012. However, groups like Scouts for Equality kept pressure on the board by asking the funders of the program to reconsider their contributions based on the organization’s “discriminatory” laws.

Their strategy worked. Intel, UPS and Merck dropped their donations to the scouts based on the controversial policy. The national board then announced they would reconsider the matter again on January 28, beginning discussions on February 4.

When the time came for the decision to be called, the board stated they would postpone a decision until May due to the high amount of feedback they received from concerned parties. Key political figures have offered their insight into the situation as well.

President Obama, who is the honorary president of the scouts by the organization’s bylaws, confirmed in an interview with CBS that he believes the ban should be lifted.

“My attitude is that gays and lesbians should have access and opportunity the same way everybody else does.”

Conservatives, however, have spoken out against lifting the ban. Texas Governor Rick Perry was a boy scout and worries that lifting the ban would cause too much controversy and re-education in the organization, while distracting scouts from their duties.

Fellow former presidential nominee Rick Santorum accused the “mainstream media” of attempting to “advance a liberal cause while vilifying a theistic-based organization standing by its outdated principles of developing boys into men.”

Santorum is partially correct about the Boy Scouts being a theistic organization. When the Scouts of America was established in 1910, it had no ties to a religious doctrine. Accord-

ing to a timeline of the history of the scouts published by the Deseret News, the Mormon Church was the “first religious group to sponsor Scouting as part of its ministry” in 1913.

That number has grown in the lifetime of the organization. Religious affiliation for a troop is based on the charter of the organization that sponsors it.

According to the Scouts official website, “69.7 percent of all units are chartered to faith-based organizations.” Those units that are faith based also hold more youth in their total units than the two other types of nonfaith based charters.

Within the Scout’s Official Oath they pledge “to do my duty to God and my country.” Many conservative groups have also pointed to the use of the word “reverent” in the Scout Law as further evidence of faith based values. While the word can mean to be “worshipful”, Merriam-Webster does not specify if the word indeed means “worshipful” in respect to a religious faith. ` Parents of scouts that were against lifting the ban rallied outside of the organization’s national headquarters in Dallas on Wednesday when the decision was supposed to be made. As the Los Angeles Times reports, several parents at the rally spoke on lifting their children out of the organization if the

ban is done away with.

This worries current and future scouts.

There is a demographic of scouts that have been working toward the ultimate honor of Eagle Scout for years. While UM student Jared Kornegay reached his eagle scout status long ago, he is concerned for other members that haven’t reached that honor as well as the dignity of the organization itself.

Kornegay says the controversy of lifting the ban lay not with homosexual scouts, as much as homosexual scout leaders. A concern among many parents is that overnight camping trips and activities would tempt gay scout leaders to indulge in inappropriate behavior with their children.

However, according to Kornegay, “under no circumstances” are adults and scouts allowed in the same tent during overnight trips. Despite this misjudgment of scout regulations by parents, Kornegay states that he is nonetheless against lifting the ban.

His concern is that by allowing gay members in, the board is infringing upon the belief that the “homosexual lifestyle” is wrong by several faith based units of the Scouts.

While the individual councils will ultimately have the power to decide if they would allow the inclusion of gay memcontinued page 7

Hostage rescued in Midland City

by Teddie Taylor Staff Writer

The Midland City, AL boy who was kidnapped on January 29th has been safely returned to his family. His kidnapper, Jimmy Lee Dykes, was not as fortunate to walk out of the bunker where he held the child until February 4th.

Sixty-five year old Dykes boarded a Dale County school bus and demanded the driver to give him two children. Bus driver Charles Poland, who was blocking the aisle of the vehicle while children escaped, was shot by the trespasser who then abducted two children. Ethan was taken to Dykes’ home while the other child somehow escaped. The Vietnam veteran had no relation to the children he took or the bus driver he murdered.

On the afternoon of February 4 the SWAT

Jimmy Lee Dykes suspect in kidnapping team killed Dykes while entering the bunker to rescue the child. The kidnapper sparked the raid when he made it apparent that he had a firearm. Two bombs, one of which was in the pipe used to communicate with the federal agents above ground, were discovered in the dugout room. An FBI hostage negotiator had been speaking to Dykes

via a pipe running underground; Dykes had even allowed food and a toy to be given to Ethan.

Legislation was passed on February 6 in an Alabama Senate committee making trespassing on a school bus a crime. The bill, if signed into law, will be named for the slain hero who took as many as four bullets from the armed Mr. Dykes.

Ethan, who has Asperger's syndrome and attention deficit disorder, was released from the hospital on Tuesday and celebrated his sixth birthday at a local church on Wednesday. As with all children who experience traumatic events, he will have to rely on a strong support group to guide him through the healing process.

The Falcon

Page Three

Monday, February 11th, 2012

Remains of English King discovered in an unlikely place

by Reed Strength Arts & Culture Editor

During an archaeological dig in Leicester England, the body of English King Richard III was unearthed in a small grave.

The excavation was in the Leicester City Council parking lot originally thought to be the old site of Greyfriar’s church.

King Richard III ruled England from 1483 to 1485. He died at the Battle of Bosworth when warring with Henry Tudor.

When King Richard fell, Tudor took up the crown, thus ending the ruling of the Plantagenet Kings and beginning the reign of the Tudors. Richard’s naked body was ridden into Leicester after and put on display in the town.

The body was reportedly abused during this display, and was then “unceremoni-

ously” buried in a small grave by the Grey Friars.

In August of 2012, scientists began the archaeological dig that led to the discovery of Richard’s body. After slowly uncovering the structural remains of the friar they were hunting for, a body was discovered within the choir of the friary.

When scientists examined the body several elements of the remains cued them to the possibility of them belonging to Richard III. The skull and back of the skeleton showed what was a battle wound that would’ve matched the same fatal injury Richard III suffered at the hands of Henry and his army.

In addition to the fatality of that wound, several places on the body showed small signs of abuse, which also matched the historical mistreatment of

Ex-Navy SEAL and veteran gunned down

by Pablo Urbina Contributing Writer On February 2, 38-year-old Chris Kyle and 35-yearold Chad Littlefield were fatally shot at the shooting range of the Rough Creek Lodge and Resort in Texas.

The suspect is 25-yearold former Marine Eddie Ray Routh, who is currently being held on a $3 million bond.

Chris Kyle has the distinction of being America’s deadliest sniper. He has 160 confirmed kills as a Navy SEAL sniper while serving five combat tours in Iraq. Kyle is also the author of the best-selling book American Sniper, an autobiographical account of his military career and experiences in Iraq.

Kyle left the service in 2009. Soon after retiring, he helped found the FITCO Cares Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides aid to U.S. war veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Kyle and Chad Littlefield were both very active with the organization.

Eddie Ray Routh is one of the many ex-Marines that Kyle and Littlefield attempted to help. Littlefield and Kyle both

received a call from Routh’s mother, who was seeking help for her son. The two men apparently took Routh to the shooting range as part of a plan to help him with his PTSD. This is not the first time that Eddie Ray Routh has been in legal problems. On September 2 of last year, Routh, furious that his father was going to sell his gun, threatened to “blow his brains out” according to his mother’s report to the police.

He was promptly placed under protective custody and admitted to Dallas’ Green Oaks Hospital for a mental evaluation.

Upon killing Kyle and Littlefield, Routh left the scene in Kyle’s black pickup truck, and drove to his family’s home. There, he admitted to them that he had killed Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield, but did not give a reason for doing so. They called the police after he left the home. Police soon caught him and Routh is in jail awaiting trial.

The motive for Routh’s actions is unknown. Based on police reports, the three men were the only people present at the time of the shootings.

Routh is currently on a 24-hour-suicide watch.

Richard III’s body when transported to Leicester after the battle. Scientists noted several marks on the ribs as proof of abuse, CNN reports.

The final and most accurate evidence came from a matching DNA test scientists conducted with two distant living relatives of Richard III’s. Canadian cabinet maker Michael Ibsen is a direct descendent of Richard III’s sister, Anne of York. The other DNA contributor has remained anonymous according to reports.

Mitochondrial DNA was extracted from the remains and tested with the donors.

The two samples were a perfect match. After the test results, scientists announced on February 4 that they were convinced “beyond reasonable doubt” that the remains were indeed those of the King.

The remains

King Richard III remains found are set to be buried in Leicester Cathedral, with a proper memorial honoring the King.

However, there is debate on whether Leicester is the proper burial place for the King. As The Guardian reports, the town of York is claiming that Richard III wished to be buried in York Ministry because of his childhood years spent in the city.

Despite the ar-

gument, the York Minister made a statement on its website that gave full burial rights to Leicester. “When the possibility of an excavation of the Greyfriars site began, it was agreed from the start any remains found would be re-interred in Leicester,” the statement read.

With the remains found and a proper memorial taking place, historians hope that the

darker legend of Richard III will be buried with his body. Richard’s appearance has long been depicted as a small hunchbacked man with disproportioned limbs.

While the skeleton’s spine does show signs of scoliosis, it was not as deformed and bent as some historians claim and William Shakespeare dramatized in his historical play “Richard III”.

Saturday’s not alright for mailing

by Jake Smith Staff Writer

Beginning August 5, 2013, the United States Postal Service will stop all delivery and collection of letters and other types of first-class mail on Saturdays. Packages and P.O. box mail, however, will still be delivered.

The organization began Saturday delivery in 1863 and it has only been briefly suspended a handful of times throughout their history.

This bold move was declared by the Postal Service in response to Congress’ indecision throughout the development of an everincreasing fiscal predicament. The move is expected to save the Postal Service an average of $2 billion a year. Although this may seem like a big gain for the company, it is not nearly enough as the Postal Service continues its recovery from a $16 billion loss reported in 2012.

Postmaster general and CEO, Patrick

These trucks will not run on Saturdays Donahoe, expresses optimism for the company despite all of this saying, “It’s a responsible decision. It makes common sense.” Donahoe also acknowledges the downsizing that will be necessary for the plan to work. He expects approximately 22,500 jobs to be impacted by the change.

The nature of these impacts is currently in question. However, Donahoe maintains that changes can be made without resorting to layoffs. He instead plans to focus on buyouts, elimination over time, and reliance on part time staff.

The service’s woes began in 2006 when a congressional mandate required the pre-funding of healthcare benefits for future retirees. Billions of taxpayer money has gone into the support of the service since then. Because of the Postal Service’s status as a private

company, the use of congressional money to help support the business has been called into question recently as well, however, no conclusion has yet been reached on the matter.

Last year, the situation reached its ugliest point yet when the Postal Service defaulted twice on payments totaling $11 billion and exhausted a $15 billion line of credit from the U.S. Treasury. This dire loss, on top of the already mounting strains placed upon the company, resulted in the decision to make the Saturday delivery cuts this year.

This dependence on congressional money has also raised a problem on whether or not the Postal Service has the right to stop Saturday delivery in the first place. In the past, the Postal Service has had to wait on Congress to make laws allowing it to make changes of a simi-

lar nature. This problem is likely to be solved in the coming months, however, it remains untouched for now. Donahoe expresses a positive outlook though, stating, “We think we’re on good footing with this.”

Currently the primary opposition to this plan comes not from Congress but from unions who have been fighting these kinds of cuts for the past several years. Their only current statement is to say “USPS executives cannot save the Postal Service by tearing it apart.” It appears the unions’ concerns are falling on deaf ears. The Postal Service has made no response to them and does not appear to have any intent to do so.

The cuts have not run into any significant barricades yet.

More news on the Postal Service will be provided as it is announced.

The Falcon

Page Four

Monday, February 11th, 2012

College Night13’ Another homecoming has come to an end

by Mandy Steadman Staff Writer

The main event of College Night is the student-created musical productions. These musicals are written, directed, choreographed, conducted and performed by the students of each side. This year both sides had great musicals that must have made the judging process fairly difficult.

Palmer was packed with Purple and Gold pride Wednesday night. The evening started with a speech from our SGA President, Ashley Lowe. The festivities and spirit raised as each side performed their cheers and Purple/ Gold side songs. Once the songs were sung and the cheers were chanted, students could finally begin final preparations for their musicals.

The Purple side’s production was called: “Taking Up Space.” It had a space/

Star Trek theme where a crew would answer distress calls from different planets and explore the galaxy. The crew were called Space Cows and were lead by an extremely cocky captain.

While the play was very humorous and the songs were very catchy, the Palmer Staff sound was very off. Some microphones were working when others weren’t, some microphones were turned off or down when they should have been up, and some microphones were too loud and drowned out other singers or actors onstage.

The costumes in this show were absolutely spectacular.

The Space Cows wore sweaters that were similar to the ones on Star Trek. The alien costumes were made of special fabric and the alien actors had special

makeup that glowed in black lighting.

The black lighting gave the coolest effect when the lights turned off and the aliens danced to an Africaninspired number. This brought the audience to their feet with applause.

The costumes were done by student costume designer, Lelani Hayes, and her assistant, Clark Stackhouse.

The set included pieces of the spaceship, a giant monster, and pieces of rock forms that made up the unknown planet.

The Purple side show was extremely entertaining and had a great presence on the stage.

The entire audience laughed and applauded throughout the show.

The Gold side’s show, “A Sweet Sensation,” was also very creative and, as usual,

very organized and precise. It was very cutesy and was done in an old-fashioned style with traditional bobbing of heads and overlydramatic gestures with arms and reactions (gasping, fainting, etc.).

The play was based in an old-fashioned small town in the time of jukeboxes and afternoon milkshakes.

In the show, a brother and sister move in and open a hair salon. Secretly, they are owners of a rival candy company and are plotting to destroy the famous McElroy Candy Factory located in the town.

One standout actor was Cody Webb who played the evil and conniving Neil Fletcher.

Webb’s character wants to see the McElroy Candy factory destroyed.

He had an amazing stage presence and a beautiful voice. The au-

dience cheered and applauded after every song he sang and danced in.

The costumes for this show were very welldone and well-researched. All of the costumes fit with the time period and fit with each character well. Costume designer, Haley Evans, and her assistant, InMi Matsunaga, really did a fine job with the organization and execution of the costumes.

Overall, the Gold side show was very organized, clean, and entertaining. The cutesy-ness was a bit too over-the-top for my liking, but it worked for the script and time-frame.

It was extremely difficult to enjoy the Gold side show fully.

The Gold side audience members were cheering loudly every five minutes and it did not help the rest of the audience get into the

show. It was more annoying than spirit lifting for those who were just there to watch the shows.

There is a time to cheer on your friends and a time to let the exciting moments speak for themselves. The cheers during the show included screaming of the actors’ names, yelling, “GV,” and the usual loud whooping and hollering. It was just too much and made it difficult to invest attention to the show fully.

Keeping only the shows in mind, it was really difficult to predict who would win College Night 2013.

Both sides had great shows and either one deserved to win.

Congratulations to the Gold side for their third win in a row. We’ll have to wait and see what next year’s College Night will bring to the table.

College Night in your words James Kinney (sophomore, GV): "To me, college night is the epitome of the Montevallo experience. It means to me finding your family and it has brought me the greatest sense of pride that I believe I have ever felt.”

Christine Jones (senior, PV): "College Night to me is a friendly competition that, while at one point seems to be pulling the school apart, it actually seems to be pulling the school together because no matter which side wins this was all done by the students."

Amber Chapman (junior, PV): "For me college night is about a diverse group of people using their unique skills to have the best college night season possible."

Mary Kinney (sophomore, GV): "More than it being a rivalry it is just so unique and interesting and there is so much work and different aspects that go into it and there is a place for everyone no matter what side you're on. It's really great."

Melissa Lawler (sophomore, GV): "To me, College Night means having a family of other people on your side and all working towards the same goal. Whether you're purple or gold, you have a support system and family and I think that is amazing! And what better way to describe Montevallo than having competitive musical theatre for homecoming!"

Victoria Houston (junior, PV): "For me it's a wonderful experience that can only happen here because it's because it's the only thing in the state that is like this. It is absolutely amazing. Yes, there is a rivalry, but it is a very loving rivalry most of the time."

The Falcon

Page Five

Monday, February 11th, 2012

sports

Soccer scandal shocks Europe

by Neal Embry Staff Writer

Last Monday Europol released the findings of an 18-month investigation into the alleged fixing of soccer matches across Europe.

According to the report, nearly 700 matches were fixed from 20082011. The fixing took place in the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Champions League, qualifying games for the European Championship and World Cup qualifying games.

Europol, which is the joint police organization for the European Union, said that a crime syndicate based in Singapore was at the center of the scandal.

“This is the first time we have established substantial evidence that organized

crime is now operating in the world of football,” said Europol director Rob Wainwright.

The scope of the scandal reaches throughout Europe, involving 400 individuals in 15 different countries.

The U.S. has not been indicated in the report.

The matches were fixed by bribing officials and players.

Special Feature

by Jennifer Ellis Contributing Writer

After seven years in the United States Army Infantry and three tours in Iraq, Andrew Mechum recognized the disconnect between what happens in war and what the news media presents to the public. He noticed that the things the news was saying didn’t match up with the things he actually experienced in war, and the American public was getting a “watered down version of the news,” Mechum said.

It was this experience that set him on the path toward studying journalism with the goal of someday becoming a war correspondent. Mechum is a mass communication major at the University of Montevallo, the associate editor of the student newspaper The Falcon, news editor of The Alabamian and the recipient of a prestigious yearlong mentorship with the deputy managing editor of The Wall Street Journal.

Mechum signed up to begin his military career when he was a student at Auburn University. With a 1.98 GPA, Mechum wasn’t a very good student at that time, he said. “What I needed was motivation and some direction in

my life, and I needed to learn responsibility,” said Mechum. He wanted to join the Infantry, and just two weeks after signing up in the recruiter’s office, he was on his way to boot camp.

Throughout his time in Iraq, Mechum lost several friends to the war, and he used his writing as a way to deal with the emotional turmoil of being at war and of losing loved ones. Some of Mechum’s soldier friends told him that he was a good writer, and that sparked his interest in writing as a career.

Mechum decided that he wanted to provide the American public with true news accounts of what happens in war. “A lot of the coverage is sanitized. War is ugly. War is brutal…Americans need to be aware of that,” said Mechum.

“We only show you these little snapshots, so people don’t know what it’s really like.”

Mechum began attending the University of Montevallo in the fall of 2011. “I wanted to go to a smaller school because I felt like a number at Auburn,” he said.

As a mass communication major, Mechum only has great things to say about the university and the staff. “[The professors] know who I am,

According to Europol, gamblers collected nearly $11 million in profits and spent $2.5 million to bribe participants.

The Singapore police have said they will assist Interpol in finding the people responsible for the match fixing. No arrests have been made in the case as of yet.

This isn’t the

first time match fixing has affected the game of soccer. In the 1960s and 70s, Dezso Solti, a Hungarian “fixer,” worked for Italian club Inter, bribing officials and players in order to ensure victories for the club. In 1980, several teams in the Italian leagues Serie A and Serie B were found to be guilty of throw-

ing games for money.

However, the magnitude of this scandal goes beyond anything the game has seen in the past. Nevertheless, FIFA, the worldwide governing body for soccer, has downplayed the significance of the report.

“Football is so big, we will overcome. [Match-fixing]

is a small percentage. Football will not die,” said Sepp Blatter, president of FIFA. What are your thoughts on the scandal?

What should leagues around the world do? Contact us on Twitter @TheUMFalcon or via Facebook.

Follow me at @nealembry

From rifle to pen

they’re generally available to talk to me, and they’re willing to give me advice and to help me,” he said. Mechum works as the associate editor of the student newspaper, The Falcon.

He develops and writes stories, helps to edit and advises staff members.

Mechum’s military background provided him with an amazing opportunity to further his writing career, and he applied for the mentorship with The Wall Street Journal through Student Veterans of America. “I think the thing that gave me the edge was the fact that I went through a group

that specifically targeted veterans,” said Mechum.

When Mechum discovered he received a yearlong mentorship with Jim Pensiero, the deputy managing editor of The Wall Street Journal, he couldn’t have been happier. “I was actually surprised to hear back from them since it had been so long since I’d contacted them,” Mechum said.

“It’s the number one paper in the country.”

Most importantly, Mechum appreciates The Wall Street Journal’s lack of biases.

“They’re one of the last embodiments of what newspapers should be,”

Andrew Mechum stationed overseas

said Mechum. “They put the truth out there.”

Mechum will be mentored by Pensiero over the phone and through email. “[Pensiero] told me that it’s not a way to network, and it’s not a way to get a job,” Mechum said, but he said he hopes that the mentorship will help to better his journalistic writing skills.

While Mechum participates in the mentorship, he will continue taking classes at the University of Montevallo, and he plans to “keep going to school… and try not to screw up this mentorship.”

Mechum’s long-

term goal is to become a war correspondent so he can provide the public with an accurate depiction of how devastating and brutal war can be. Whether or not he achieves this goal, Mechum intends to keep writing. “It’s not about money. It’s about doing what you want to do,” he said.

“At one point, I signed away my life to the U.S. government, and they gave me a rifle. I’m looking to do the same thing with a news organization that will give me a pen and paper.”

The Falcon

&culture

arts

Page Six

Monday, February 11th, 2012

The Falcon Guide to Summer Music Festivals

by Teddie Taylor Staff Writer

Music festivals around the United States have begun releasing their 2013 lineups and tickets are selling fast.

Throughout the spring and summer there are countless multigenre festivals that cater to music lovers.

If your goal is to see a number of different bands for a reasonable price, a music festival is better for your wallet than a typical concert. All festivals, whether two, three or four days, offer general admission weekend passes for less than $400; early bird tickets are available for most events and will save you a bit of money. Certain venues sell individual day passes should you only care to see a specific day of performances.

The most reasonable drive for Alabama residents is Hangout Music Festival in Gulf Shores. From a musical standpoint the event offers one of the widest varieties of any festival; last year the lineup included the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jack White, Skrillex, Mac Miller, Cage the Elephant, Dave Matthews Band and many more. With your toes in the sand and music all around you for three days, Hangout Fest is a vacation to the beach with thousands of friends. The lineup is set to be released within the next week.

Many of the

Photos: Reed Strength

summer music festivals take place near the southern region of the US and seem to focus on certain genres.

Rockville in Jacksonville, Florida and Carolina Rebellion in Charlotte, North Carolina, are near Alabama and share similar acts such as Alice in Chains and Stone Sour. Wanee Music Festival in Live Oak, FL and Shaky Knees Music Festival in Atlanta, GA offer similar styles of music; lineups for the two events range from The Allman Brothers Band and Widespread Panic to The Lumineers and Band of Horses. Bonnaroo, held on a farm in Manchester, Tennessee, is one

of the most popular of the southern festivals.

However, they have yet to announce a lineup or to begin selling tickets.

Larger festivals such as Coachella in California and Sasquatch in Washington are quite a distance away but have larger bookings than many nearby festivals. Vans Warped Tour has 41 dates from March 28 to August 4 in cities across North America and includes over 50 bands that perform on various dates. Whether a smaller scale indie festival or a massive festival encompassing two weekends, there is an event for every musical niche.

The most im-

Hangout Music Fesitival in Gulf Shores, AL

portant aspect of the festival experience is to revel in the music. If you feel the need to be close to the stage, VIP tickets are a worthwhile indulgence. Opting for a general admission ticket and arriving a few hours early to a stage will allow you to befriend like minded attendees while awaiting your favorite artist to begin their set. An elevated stage and no designated seats make it difficult to have a “bad spot” at any music festival.

Researching any festival you plan to attend will ensure ease in finding stages, maneuvering through crowds and generally enjoying the event. Many of the

Album Review: Unknown Mortal Orchestra - II

by Matt Sanderlin Former Arts & Culture Editor

There are albums that can be and should be played at maximum volume on loud speakers for full appreciation.

Other albums are the quiet-but-lush type, and need a great set of headphones for complete understanding. And then

there are albums that are just great no matter how you listen to them.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra's highlyanticipated second album (II), is somehow both a "car stereo" album and a "headphones" album at the

same time. The album starts off quietly, like an entry from a hippie's diary ("From the Sun") - Hushed harmonies melt naturally over gentle acoustic guitar picking, and little bass bubbles and drum gusts float by as the song progresses. This, of course, is the subdued side.

And then there are tracks like "No Need for a Leader." The metallic electric guitar scratches steadily build a violet and red undercurrent, and the punky drums and serious bass bleed black and blue.

And then, about four and a half minutes in, the band shifts comfortably into a brief jam session, chugging ferociously like a psychedelic Clash.

The band's ap-

petite for blending savory blues chords and 60's rock rhythmic structures is the key to their success on II. Influences as far-reaching as George Harrison, Pink Floyd, and even Jimi Hendrix marinate the already flavorful, lo-fi soundscape with fitting synths or fuzzy electric guitar tones.

If "magical" wasn't an already-overused (and often humorously-applied) adjective, I'd be tempted to deem II as such. Whatever word fits best - it's dreamy, layered, and absolutely entrancing.

One of the year's best so far, without a doubt. Try "Swim and Sleep (Like a Shark)" and "Faded in the Morning," and let the rest follow from there.

more widely attended festivals have apps available that provide maps and lineup schedules.

While the purpose of attending a music festival is to listen to music and mingle with fellow music lovers you cannot forgo the basics of living. It seems trivial but when you are standing on the beach in ninety degree weather surrounded by thousands of people, bathrooms matter. When your festival releases a map find the port-apotty groves and memorize their locations.

Most food vendors will have hamburgers and fries on the menu, but when partnered with close quar-

ters and heat these may not be the best food choices. Drink plenty of water and eat healthy to keep hydrated and upright throughout the day.

With Buku Music + Art Project kicking off the major festivals on March 8 and 9 in New Orleans there isn’t a dull weekend throughout the rest of the spring and summer.

Here is a fantastic resource for exploring the vast number of festivals taking place in the US and finding those which appeal to your interests. Any vacation is surely supplemented by spending a few days in the presence of live music and passionate fans.

General Tips -Wear light colors as dark colors attract heat -Wear comfortable shoes since you’ll be on your feet for hours -Pack light -Keep hydrated and eat well -Invest in a rechargeable phone case -Common sense and manners will make the experience more enjoyable for everyone -Bring cash instead of cards

The Falcon

Monday, February 11th, 2012

Page Seven

Album Review: My Bloody Valentine - m b v

by Reed Strength Arts & Culture Editor

“Loveless” is one of those albums that every semi-serious underground music fan runs into at some point. The record’s legend and legacy are kept alive by the rabid fans that claim that the album is “majestically incomprehensible.”

What makes the album so unique is summed up perfectly in its famous cover.

The front of a guitar is swallowed by a haze of heavy pink fog . While “Loveless” didn’t write the book on experimental guitar work, it certainly pioneered several chapters of it.

The album is first and foremost a “sonic” album. The songs are bathed in a thick and meticulously crafted guitar noise via mastermind Kevin Shields. Shields and his band used these strange noises to cover up what would otherwise be highly unimpressive songs.

Despite years of rumors and false claims,

BOYS

continued

bers if the ban is lifted, Kornegay says that the “chartering organization” that sponsors his troop would disband instead of “going through the legal issues.”

He notes that a family member is close to achieving eagle scout status. If the troop disbands, however, his cousin will lose that opportunity. Kornegay fears that more scouts will lose this chance as organizations disband because of the change in membership guidelines.

Kornegay is suspicious of the board’s sudden reconsideration of the ban. “If the national committee de-

the band has officially released a follow-up album to the mighty “Loveless”. While the self-titled “m b v” seems to still put major focus on the sonics around the songs, Shields and company seem to bite the bullet and play to their old strengths while experimenting with new song structures.

Album opener “She Found Now” picks up right where Shields left off in 1991. Thudding, cavernous distortion surrounds and envelops his cooing voice as lighter guitar chords blink in and out. The track also sets the bar for what a My Bloody Valentine album should sound like in 2013.

One universal flaw of “Loveless” was its poor mixing. Whether due to lack of funds or an experimentally brittle recording technique, the album was known for containing incredibly loud songs at low volumes. “m b v” on the other hand is mixed just right. The loud points sound huge while the softer moments float and glow with detail.

cides to change, it’s not based on what’s right or what’s wrong. It’s more based on money.” He says the funding cuts to the organization from donors have forced the board to reconsider the membership policy for the sake of these “donation dollars.”

Whatever the board decides in May, the Scouts will endure despite controversy within units and a possible decline in membership. As Kornegay summed up, “I’m an Eagle Scout, I’m proud to be from the boy scouts,” and regardless of which side the board lands on, “I will always say ‘I am proud to be an eagle scout’…. that will never change.”

AWARDS continued

of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. Gotye also won big by taking home Record of the Year for “Somebody That I Used to Know” and Best Alternative Album for “Making Mirrors”, his sophomore solo album.

The biggest award of the night, however, went to none of the above. The coveted Album of the Year went, instead, to

the British folk group Mumford and Sons for their second album, “Babel”. Ironically, the album did not win in any of the other categories in which it was nominated.

When the night was over, both the BAFTAs and Grammy’s provided their share of givens and surprises. Stick with The Falcon for more coverage as the awards season rolls on.

The Falcon Playlist New music is added every week on Spotify.

Come listen to what we’re talking about...

“m b v” can be seen as a three act play. While “She Found Now” is slow and hazy, “Only Tomorrow” sets a chugging pace of guitar and drum while Blinda Butcher whispers sweet and unintelliglble things over the cacophony.

Beginning with “Is This and Yes”, the album moves into a synth driven and guitar-less middle phase.

Shields’ guitar playing is sorely missed throughout this passage.

While songs such as “If I Am” and the angelic “Is This and Yes” are pretty, they don’t hold up well enough on their own without Shields’ magic touch.

On its final act, the album is doused once again with Shields’ “jet engine” guitar work. This phase is much more aggressive with the drums acting as frenetic beat makers against harsh backdrops of guitar noise. Instead of a chorus, “In Another Way” crafts an almost pop hook out of Shields’ throttling his guitar in tune with the driving dance beat behind him.

Closing track “Wonder 2” is the harshest of all of the songs on the album. The track is a typical guitar driven My Bloody Valentine track, but one that sounds as if it were thrown down a furious wind tunnel. The cyclone effect whips around the tune as Butcher’s vocal melody is drowned out by it and a humming guitar effect by Shields.

All in all, “m b v” is a gapped album, a direct follow up to a “master piece” that just happened to be 22 years late to the party. While old fans may view it as the album they thought they’d never see, “m b v” could very well be the current generation’s answer to “Loveless”.

To say “m b v” is better than “Loveless” is to graffiti several years

of pent up religious adoration by fans and critics alike. By all accounts, the album is barely even a month old. But as I listen to “She Found Now” and feel myself get lost in its heavy thud and gentle melody, it feels more current and mine than “Loveless” ever has. The Falcon gives this album an 8/10

The Falcon

next week’s issue

Monday, February 11th, 2012

the staff

Page Eight

Editors Editor-In-Chief: Kyle Jones Associate Editor: Andrew Mechum

- Pope Resigns -Alabama Artist to showcase in Bloch Hall -Darwin’s Birthday Celebration -Gun Control and UM -Music -Politics -Return to Happiness

Art & Culture Editor: Reed Strength

Staff Writers

Mandy Steadman Neal Embry Matthew Lord Clarke Stackhouse Jake Smith Teddie Taylor

Contributing Writers

and more...

February 18th, 2013 Web www.facebook.com/thefalconmontevallo @theumfalcon www.thefalconat.tumblr.com

is accepting articles and applications for staff positions contact us at thefalconeditor@gmail.com

Jennier Ellis