Volume 2. Issue 12 of The Falcon

Volume 2.

Issue 12.

The Falcon

A Keen Eye For News

IN THIS

ISSUE CROSS

CAMPUS National Eggs Benedict Day Apr 16, 2013

History Day April 16, 12pm – 2pm Carmichael Library Foam Party April 16, 6pm – 8pm Near Peck and New Res Run for Research Run/Walk April 18, 3:45pm–3:45pm SAC UM Opera “Albert Herring”

by Benjamin Britten April 19, 7:30pm – 9:00pm LeBaron Recital Hall

Sherlock Holmes Interest Meeting April 20, 7pm – 8pm Hill House

thefalconat.tumblr.com

Monday, April 15th, 2013

Thoughts and prayers to Boston

News Can you Belieb the nerve of some people? page 2

Arts & Culture Yeah Yeah Yeahs first new album in four years page 4

Tragedy strikes in Boston

REED STRENGTH

Arts&Culture Editor | @ReedStrength

Around 2:45 p.m., two hidden bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. The blast killed two people and injured close to 100 spectators and runners on the scene.

So far, a Saudi national man is in custody and is reportedly linked to the attacks, authorities have labeled the event as a terrorist attack, though an offensive organization has so far not been identified.

After the explosions, bomb sniffing dogs were employed to search the streets. A third explosive device was found and a bomb squad managed to disarm it.

Another explosion at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library was at first thought to be linked to the attacks, but it has since been revealed that the fire was due to a mechanical failure.

Submit announcements facebook.com/ thefalconmontevallo

Je M’appelle Marriage Equality JAKE SMITH Staff Writer|

On Friday, April 12, 2013, the French Senate approved a bill that will allow for marriage and adoption for gay couples all across the nation. The French lower house, their other legislative body, has already approved such a bill. However, the Senate made ten additional amendments to the bill while it was reviewed in their session.

Before it is approved, though, the bill must go through another reading in the National Assembly and go through a final reading in the upper house. If it is approved in both situations, then the bill can be made into law. According to CNN, Dominique

Berinotti, the French minister of the family, called the advancement of this legislation a “beautiful victory”.

Various polls of the French populace have been taken over recent months and all show a slight majority in support of gay marriage. These polls have been narrowly increasing as time has gone on.

Still, more conservative constituencies, mostly consisting of the nation’s large Roman Catholic population, have shown vehement opposition to the bill. These groups continue to throw their support behind “traditional marriage” though it is worth noting that this group has been decreasing in size as the years have passed. In recognition of this op-

position, UMP party senator Jean-Pierre Raffarin said “Nothing is definitive and the debate continues”.

Though the nation, like many others, will likely not see full marriage equality for a fair amount of time, this

step is one of many like gay marriage debate, it that are leading much stick with The Falcon. of the western world in this direction. For more coverage on the

The Falcon

news

Monday, April 15th, 2013

The Best Korea Report: House of the Rising Sun KYLE JONES

Page Two “The good outnumber you, and we always will.”

-Patton Oswalt

Bieber draws ire over Anne Frank remark

Editor-In-Chief | @TheUMFalcon

ANDREW MECHUM

Associate Editor | @amechum

A Glorious and Momentous Occasion for Your Pleasure for You! Today North Korea celebrates the “Day of The Sun” or the 101st Birthday of Kim Il Sung, the nation’s founder. Despite conspiracy theories, the current Glorious Leader Kim Jong Un, is not dead, as he was in attendance to honor his late father and grandfather at their mausoleum.

What better way to celebrate the Kim Dynasty, in a land deemed unsafe for foreigners by the DPRK, then to invite 14 nations to compete in the 26th Mangyongdae Prize Marathon! Competing against the other international nations, and 237 North Koreans(stacked odds?), Ethiopian runner Ketema Bekele Negassa took first place for the men.

While “Best” Korea celebrates a glorious day in their history, everything wasn’t so peachy south of the border. At a South Korean protest of the North in central Seoul, protesters lit up effigies of the North Korean Holy Trinity, the Great

Leader Kim Il Sung, the Dear Leader Kim Jong Il and current leader Kim Jong Un. Where’s the decency?

In a very strong move, North Korea has denied the offer of coming to the table “in a responsible way”, as the capitalist pig dogs of the West put it, to try and come to some sort of agreement and to prevent any future conflict. The DPRK has seen through this ruse as “a cunning ploy to hide the South’s policy of confrontation.”

In response, today in Tokyo, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry reaffirmed the U.S. stance on their negotiation conditions, stating “the North has to move towards denuclearization, indicate a seriousness in doing so by reducing these threats, stop the testing, and indicate it's actually prepared to negotiate."

When will the West realize their confrontational stance against North Korea is futile? Let us know at @TheUMFalcon for a chance to have your tweets featured in our next issue.

Justin Bieber is making headlines yet again. Only this time it isn’t for his questionable choice in clothing or his album sales. During a concert stop in the Netherlands last Friday, Biebs dropped by the Anne Frank house and left a note in the guestbook that sparked outrage.

Bieber spent about an hour touring the Anne Frank House presumably taking in a bit of history and hopefully learning a thing or two. Apparently, decorum wasn’t one of his lessons.

The comment he left in the guestbook can be found on the Anne Frank House

Contributing Writer |

thefalconeditor@gmail.com

A n o t h e r user simply wrote, “What a self indulgent little prick.”

Over 2500 comments were left on the Facebook post, most of them berating Bieber for turning, as one user put it, “an inspiring moment into something about yourself.”

Of course when you take into account the fact that Frank was a normal teenage girl known to have put pictures of her favorite pop artists up on the walls of the annex her and her family hid in during World War II, she may very well have been a beileber.

Let us know what you think of Bieber’s comment on The Falcon’s Facebook page.

Food for thought, what are GMOs?

MEGAN ROBERTS

Established 2012 An Independant Student Newspaper EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Kyle Jones ASSOCIATE EDITOR Andrew Mechum ARTS&CULTURE EDITOR Reed Strength STAFF WRITERS Neal Embry Mandy Steadman Jake Smith Teddie Taylor Matthew Lord Clarke Stackhouse Connor Bucy CONTACT US AT:

Facebook page and reads, “Truly inspiring to be able to come here.

Anne was a great girl.

Hopefully she would have been a belieber.”

For their part, the people at the Anne Frank House said Bieber’s visit was a positive one and there is no indication they put his message on their Facebook page with ill intent.

For those not in the know, a belieber is someone who is a fan of Justin Bieber, usually the more ardent fans.

Bieber’s comment triggered an onslaught of angry posts from Facebook users.

“Glad he went,” wrote one user adding that they thought Bieber missed the lessons taught by Anne Frank.

It is often said that you are what you eat, but in today’s world do we really even know what that is? For centuries scientists have been cross breeding plants and animals to create the most desirable foods, but with today’s advances the ethics that surround this issue have become blurred. Scientists now mix DNA from different species and as a result create genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. Like with any controversial issue there are pros and cons. By creating GMOs, they are bio-engineered to withstand certain conditions and resist insects and pesticides. This

ultimately means they will be more profitable for the company and affordable to the public.

GMOs may have also increased nutritional value as they can be injected with extra vitamins.

Ethically, how far is too far? When should science stop and let nature take its course? There are also questions as to the longterm effects of GMOs. With a lack of long-term studies on the effects, researchers fear that some of the possible problems may include antibiotic resistance, reproductive disorders, and accelerated ageing. Also, with the increased number of cancers and autism, one has to question if what we

consume plays a role.

The worst part is that without the requirement of proper labeling most people are eating GMOs without even knowing it. About 80 percent of all packaged foods contain GMOs. Surprisingly, at least 85 percent of soybeans, corn, sugar beets, and canola are grown from GMO seeds. Shouldn’t people have the right to know what they are serving their families?

The only sure way to avoid GMOs is by switching to organic foods. The USDA certifies that organic foods are not bio-engineered in any way. Although organic foods are a little more expensive, you are getting what you pay for.

J

The Falcon

Page Three

Monday, April 15th, 2013

The still prevalent slave trade REED STRENGTH Arts&Culture Editor | @ReedStrength

The turnout for “At the End of Slavery”, a short documentary on the still prevalent slave trade, was thin. The majority of participants were organizers of Freedom Week while a small group of other students gathered for soul the soul

purpose of extra credit.

With a 45 minute run time, the film focused primarily on child labor and the sex trade in third world countries.

The caste system, a social branding tool used by many far east countries and the Indian subcontinent, normally determined the slave status of most of the children.

Most of the footage shown comprised of interviews and blurry action shots of former slave children stacking bricks or girls standing on the side of the street as they would in prosti-

tution. Small snippets of hidden camera footage were shown, the most striking a fake deal involving the filmmakers buying three young girls for their services and then promptly arresting their pimps.

The film’s statistical readings provided insight into the enormity of the often unspoken of trade. 30 million men, women and children are enslaved in some type of indentured servitude.

Of those, 2 million children are exploited in the sex trade. Continuing with the trend, human

Making a difference

trafficking currently stands as the 3rd largest criminal enterprise.

The documentary presented the efforts of organizations such as the National Bureau of Investigation and the International Justice Mission to utilize law enforcement to eradicate modern slavery. By securing a strict legal policy, the groups hope to quell efforts to further the trade.

These efforts have worked to an extent. As the film referenced, the slave trade has dropped by 70% in

the last two years in the trafficking hub Phnom Penh, Cambodia due to law enforcement efforts.

While the amount of students who attended the screening was low, all gave a hefty round of applause at film’s end.

While aware-

ness efforts for this issue engulfed our campus last week, hard results only further efforts. As a young girl, one of the saved in the fake transaction admitted,”For me, freedom is something I can believe in my heart when I have nothing to fear.”

Six degrees of interpretation

MANDY STEADMAN Staff Writer |

MEGAN ROBERTS Contributing Writer |

Several states away an elderly man in a wheelchair plays tugof-war with a dog that visits his senior center every day. Some would say that this dog has changed a life, but in reality this dog’s life has been changed.

This dog traveled from Shelby County Alabama and was given a second chance at life, a chance to brighten the lives of others, like the elderly man in the wheelchair. Executive Director of the Shelby Humane Society, Sara Shirley, gets emotional as she tells this story.

Thousands of similar stories are made possible because of the programs that the Shelby Humane Society have to offer. One of these life saving programs is known as Shelter Partners. Shelter Partners was founded in 2006 as a volunteer driven program and has since transported over 6,000 animals to partner shelters in other states in the northeast. Shirley says she believes that this program has truly made a difference. “There is no question that those 6,000 animals, it might not have been those same exact animals, but

6,000 animals would have died,” she says.

The Shelby Humane Society offers a very resourceful website, www.shelbyhumane.org, in which the public can easily donate to this program, sponsor an animal for the trip, and sign up to drive the Shelter Partners van. Each trip costs $750 to $850.

Although money is a great gift, time is as well. “You can never have enough volunteers in this business,” Shirley says. The Shelby Humane Society offers many volunteer opportunities for the public to get involved. Everything from dog walkers to photographers are welcomed and appreciated. With over 200 animals in the shelter on a daily basis, it’s hard to find enough time.

Another great program offered is foster care. “It takes a special kind of person to be able to provide that care for two or three weeks and then be able to give them up,” Shirley says. The foster care program allows an animal to become socialized before making the trip to a partner shelter. Shirley warns

of “foster failures”, falling in love with your animal and not wanting to give them back, that is, and that’s ok too.

The difference between the Shelby Humane Society and a typical animal shelter is the abundance of programs offered to help with animal retention.

“Instead of just readily accepting, we want to know what we can do to help you keep that pet,” Shirley Says.

The Shelby Humane Society does just that by offering community outreach as well as low cost spay and neuter.

It‘s the love, hard work, and dedication that sets Shelby Humane Society apart from your average shelter.

It’s the heartwarming stories like the man in the wheelchair that inspires that love, hard work, and dedication.

Shirley says she sees the difference that the Shelby Humane Society is making. “It all comes to light when I’m working the reports and I see the live release numbers go up and the euthanasia numbers go down. That gives you that feeling of we’re doing something right,” said Shirley.

The University of Montevallo Theatre Department raised the curtain on another brilliant play, directed by Professor Marcus Lane.

This play, “Six Degrees of Separation”, explored the themes of racism, imagination and lies among personal connections. The play is best described by this:

“It really boils down to this: that all life is interrelated. We are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied into a single garment of destiny.

Whatever affects one destiny, affects all indirectly,” said the great Martin Luther King, Jr.

Lane has been known in his past works to bring in his own vision and signature to each of his plays. In this show he explored the abstract nature of art and culture by having the cast members who weren’t onstage at the time to sit upstage on the left and right where the audience could see them, yet not upstaging the current action downstage near the audience.

Lane also began the play with all of the actors walking around the stage looking at all of the paintings and admiring them as if they were in an art gallery. It was almost mesmerizing to watch as each actor analyzed each painting in their own way.

This play is about this well-to-do married couple, Ouisa and Flan, who are art dealers. While having a dinner party, an injured black college student, Paul, comes to their door asking for help claiming to have known their children.

He

charms them with his intelligence and seemingly high standing.

A few days later their house is broken in to, but nothing is taken. They soon learn through the people they know that Paul is not who he says he is.

Through connections and a startling suicide of a man from Utah, Paul is soon charged with fraud and murder. He reveals his only wish was to become Fran and Ouisa’s friend and to have a high-class life.

It was impressive that this play clearly addressed how everything we see or do is connected to the people we know or have known. Our lives are turned at least six degrees in our lives.

Toryn Washington, who played Paul, gave a good performance, but his monologues seemed not to build up at all. It did not help that the monologues were filled with many intellectual facts ranging from a thesis on Catcher in the Rye to discussing a double-sided painting

by Wassily Kandinsky.

He also stumbled through parts of his lines as if they were hard to say or remember. It took away from the realism of the show. He did, however, have great emotion behind his performance towards the end when his character reached out to Louisa for help and guidance.

The actor that shined the most was Michael Cleary, who played Rick. Rick is a married man that Paul meets and swindles

money from. He is unable to face his wife after giving Paul everything, so he commits suicide.

Cleary gave an extremely emotional and real performance during his monologue when Rick realizes what he has done. He shed tears and had everyone in the room on the edge of their seats.

The theatre was dead silent once his last line was said and cheered the loudest when he took his final bow.

The most memorable moment of this show was when Ouisa, played by Mia Shirley, was talking on the phone with Paul towards the beginning of the show. However, there was no phone as a prop. The scene consisted of Shirley facing the audience centerstage sitting on a couch and Washington facing the audience behind her on a high platform.

This gave a great image and intrigued the mind with the use of levels. The actors, as well, really seemed to be talking face-to-face when in all reality they are facing forward not looking at each other.

They had great chemistry and really connected during this moment.

“Six Degrees of Separation” was an intriguing play and was performed fairly well by all of the actors onstage. It was an abstract show and it may not have appealed to many college students who saw it, but it did achieve its purpose and at least fascinated everyone in the theatre.

The Falcon gives this performance an 8/10.

Page Four

Monday, April 15th, 2013

The Falcon

Yeah, yeah, yeah another album review JAKE SMITH Staff Writer|

It’s been four years since the Yeah Yeah Yeahs released their last album, “It’s Blitz” and vied for commercial success with rock n’ roll superstardom. In that time, the band has done a great many things, but perhaps the most interesting thing the band did was not become the superstars “It’s Blitz” was designed to make them.

Now it’s 2013, and the floodgates of creativity are open. On their fourth release, “Mosquito”, the trio has ditched nearly every aspect of their sound from that previous record and instead decided to create something a bit more ambitious and challenging as if in response to the lackluster sales of their previous try-hard record.

“Mosquito” begins with the lead single “Sacrilege” which gets the blood flowing right away as a steadily rising musical backdrop eventually bursts into a church service of sorts.

Karen O’s vocals are

gradually overtaken by a gospel choir who rides the song right to the end with a fiery passion. The song is placed at the front for maximum effect, and it achieves nearly everything it sets out to do.

However, as “Sacrilege” dies down, the band begins to settle into a more subdued mood. “Subway”, the following track, is perhaps the most unique New York City song ever written. Rather than write about a city that never sleeps and moves at a hundred miles per hour, the band opts for a slowly lurching piece which highlights the dreary, sleepy-eyed qualities of the band’s home.

While not as immediately accessible as “Sacrilege”, “Subway” is perhaps the more interesting song as it shows both an attention to lyrical content and an ability to surprise the listener and confound expectations. The next few tracks play it a bit safer but the reggaeinspired “Under the Earth” and the thumping “Slave” still are by no means dumbed down.

The albums greatest strength lies in its ability to change gears like this repeatedly.

Unfortunately,

this constant shifting can also give way to a disjointed feel as “Mosquito” feels less like an album and more like a playlist. While this is not inherently a bad thing, it’s disappointing to see so many threads abandoned from one song to the next. Such connections could have made the album infinitely more intriguing.

Songwriting also falters a bit from time to time as the illadvised science-fiction rocker “Area 52” sounds highly uncomfortable both from a produc-

tion and performance standpoint. More offensive than this, however, is the song “Always” which contains a single monotonous melodic figure that repeats seemingly without end for about four minutes while boring instrumentation noodles without purpose behind the vocal. Add to that some of the cheesiest lyrics the band has produced, and you have what is easily the album’s low point.

Things do pick up in time for the end, though, as the two closing ballads “Despair”

and “Wedding Song” find the band striking a solid balance between experimentation and melody. The lyrics are also more poetic than anything Karen O has ever sung before. When she sings “In flames I sleep soundly with angels around me / I lay at your feet / You’re the breath that I breathe”, there is an unquantifiable and intangible passion that radiates from the vocals and sweeps right into your heart.

Those two final tracks are among the strongest songs in the band’s now

What makes this movie so successful is it’s historical accuracy. This includes the timeline of events and the attitudes of people towards the Jim Crow Laws. These laws were more like guidelines of how people of different races should act and live in society and were often prejudicial toward blacks.

The director and screenplay writer, Brian Helgeland, even made sure to include the fact that Robinson served in the military during World War II, but was court-martialed for refusing to sit in the back of an army van.

Helgeland also took great care in choosing his cast and crew. The costumes and sets fit the post-war times and the cast really brings the movie to life.

It is really refreshing that Helgeland handles the subject of race in not such an

overdramatizing way.

Yet, what he did incorporate is still successful in getting an emotional reaction from the audience and showcasing the effects of Robinson’s career.

He also demonstrates the bravery of those who stood up to racism, whether they were black or white, in major scenes throughout the film. For example, Helgeland includes scenes of some of Robinson’s teammates defending his right to play and helping the color barrier officially break in baseball in the north and south.

What really hits home is Helgeland chose to film some of the scenes in Birmingham, AL. One of the first scenes shown on screen is Robinson playing baseball with his friends in Birmingham in a dirt field. The different sites include Birmingham’s Rickwood Field,

Legion Field and outside the Tutwiler Hotel.

Chadwick Boseman, who plays Robinson, gives life and creativity to his role. He portrayed a passionate and clever man who wanted nothing more than to play ball and win; a man who gave way to a new era in baseball.

The most surprising performance is given by Harrison Ford playing Brooklyn Dodger president, Branch Rickey. A role such as this is unusual for Ford and he is barely recognizable in this movie.

His change in gait, voice and movements added to the realness of his character. One thing that has not changed, though, is him creating a character that all audiences love and respect.

The movie “42” is extremely entertaining and very inspiring to all that watch this film.

The perfor-

mances by the cast are young children to see.

Falcon gives absolutely astounding The and honors the legend this film a 9/10 of Jackie Robinson.

This movie is not recommended for very

Yeah Yeah Yeahs Mosquito Alternative Rock Interscope Michael Bublé To Be Loved Pop Reprise Records Kid Cudi Indicud Rap Universal Republic Records, Iron & Wine Ghost on Ghost Alternative Nonesuch Records Meat Puppets Rat Farm Punk

Jackie Robinson immortalized in new film MANDY STEADMAN Staff Writer |

A new inspirational film has graced theaters all across the nation. “42” tells the story of Jackie Robinson, the first AfricanAmerican to break the Major League Baseball color barrier in 1947. It’s currently at the top of the box office, selling over 27 million tickets, as seen on movietickets.com.

R o b in s o n ’s sports carrier did not start with baseball though. According to the official Jackie Robinson website, he was the first athlete to win college varsity letters in four sports including football, baseball, track and basketball.

R o b in s o n ’s work and inspiration continues to astound people today and his story is passed down to every generation. “42” is a great film that told Robinson’s story to millions.

New this week

will.i.am #willpower Hip-hop Interscope substantial catalog, and they have done well to include them here.

As a whole, “Mosquito” is probably the band’s most hit-andmiss album yet, but the high points rank among the very best these three have to offer. It is certainly a worthy addition to their discography and is worth a good number of listens as 2013 rolls on. The Falcon gives “Mosquito” a 7 out of 10.

The Falcon

Our two cents

Monday, April 15th, 2013

THE FALCON STAFF “Music Journalist”

THE SHOUTING MATCHES Grownass Man

MILK MUSIC Cruise Your Illusion

One black night, you find yourself in a really nasty trailer park somewhere in the

I think I’ve finally figured out what Jusmountains. Before you survey the landscape, tin Vernon’s greatest talent is: making the boring a fist crashes into your face and you fall to the decidedly unboring. By all accounts, an old-school ground. Tasting dirt and a little bit of warm Cocaroots rock record should be a total snoozer in our Cola, you lie there. Before you can collect your staunchly anti-basic 2013, but this band delivers thoughts into a manageable linear narrative, the the goods. The world needs more seventies. punching perpetrator scoops you up and hugs you MOUNT MORIAH tightly, crying into your denim jacket. You hug him back, recognizing him as a brother of some Miracle Temple long lost clan that died out years ago. Through a dry throat, he begins to hum “She’ll Be Comin’ Round the Mountain” as you lean on each other and walk through broken bottles and bent lawn chairs.

The most interesting thing about this altcountry album is its bass playing. I’m serious.

Never before has the low-end spawned such an impressive outing. Dubstep bass drops be damned!

I’ll let you decide for yourself if that warrants a listen or not, but I, for one, enjoyed it.

THE VIRGINS Prima Materia

KURT VILE Wakin’ On A Pretty Daze

This Philadelphia long-hair loves marrying the uber complicated world of finger picked guitar with the sleepy ruminations of a man on a misty mountain top of urban sprawl. Vile could care less about entertaining you. He’d rather swath his listeners in swirling patterns of acoustic bliss; “phone ringin’ off the shelf/I guess it wanted to

If you miss the happy-go-lucky feel of 80’s kill itself” he muses. So don a flannel, sip some sort of cold beverage and set your ears to a Spring pop and have a little over eight minutes to spare soundtrack for a languid bloom of satisfaction. you could do worse than give this EP a listen.

Then again, if you’ve got eight minutes to spare during finals you may be doing something wrong.

Page Five NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK 10

Do you know what fear is? Listening to this album by yourself and hoping your roommate doesn’t come home. “No I promise I’m just listening to write a stupid little paragraph review for the newspaper!” Anyway, if this was the late 90s and the “Kids” weren’t old and kind of creepy this album would be all that and a bag of chips.

KATE NASH Girl Talk

This is the soundtrack of your next girlfriend who is way too cool for you. You’ll wake up everyday praying it takes her awhile to figure that out. She smokes cigarettes and wears Doc Martens and it’ll be all good until one day you remark “Wow, I didn’t know girls could rock this hard”, that’s when you’ll find yourself on the curb with a crate full of only half your records.

JAMES BLAKE Overgrown

There is a ancient and mysterious playlist that I can’t really talk about here, but it is filled with a collection of singers whose voices put your mind and body at ease if you catch my drift. Rest assured this sultry gem will be added to that. Bonus Round!

BASTILLE Pompeii

This release is only an EP, but the catchiness of these two songs garners it a spot in our pages. I don’t have anything particularly insightful to say and I’m devoid of a true story to make up.

Simply, go listen to this, and thank me when you do.

MAJOR LAZER Free The Universe

One annoying thing my friends will tell you about me is I love to force the various genre’s of Jamaican music on them at parties. I’m usually greeted with a room full of screwfaces, and think to myself what bumbaclots. I promise I will never subject you to this album. You were supposed to be the chosen one Diplo! Jah Bless...

DEVICE Device

I’m assuming this is a debut album. I assume because I don’t care to look it up. That generic metal singer of that generic metal band always playing on that one station you keep programed in your car because they played that one song you like that one time. Yeah, either it’s that guys new band, or multiplying. Please make it stop. Or, if you’re into that sort of mediocrity, this is the best generic rock album I’ve brought myself to listen to.

The Falcon

Page Six

Monday, April 15th, 2013

freedom week

Sammy Schiffman poses with freedom week signs in support

Montevallo students help end modern-day slavery NEAL EMBRY

Staff Writer | @nealembry

For the second year in a row, Montevallo’s Freedom Week raised money to go toward ending human trafficking worldwide.

The events of the week included the prison project, in which Montevallo professors and students went into a prison constructed by Freedom Week leaders, and raised a set amount of money as their “bail.”

Professors Dr. Sally Hardig from Communication Studies, Dr. Rosa Stoops in Foreign Languages and Montevallo President John Stewart took part in the project.

To start the week, the leaders put on a worship night in WOW. Daniel Birdsong came and played, as did the Baptist Campus Ministries worship team.

There was also a documentary shown that detailed the problem of human trafficking, also known as modern-day slavery.

On Wednesday night, speakers from three different organizations came and spoke to a group of students in Palmer Auditorium.

Due to the rain, fundraising and promoting was cut short on Thursday, but Montevallo still raised more than $3,000 to go to She Dances, Freeset and Make Way Partners.

Ecclesia, the college ministry of the Church at Shelby Crossings, headed the project with help from other students.

Kaitlee Daw, a 20 year-old Communication Studies major, says students’ faith played an “immense” role in the project.

“I don’t think I would have the humility or compassion to be involved if I didn’t receive mercy and justice from Christ.

Those involved with Freedom Week do this because, while physical bondage is real, what is also even more real is spiritual slavery. We are in bondage until we accept the love and freedom of Christ,” said Daw. The event

started in 2012, after Ecclesia attended Passion Conference in Atlanta where founder Louie Giglio charged college students to help end modern-day slavery. They were captivated by the horrors of human trafficking, represented in the following numbers. (See cut out)

One of the many challenges facing the fight against modern-day slavery is the issue of prostitution in the United States. Currently, laws punish prostitutes, instead of seeing them as victims and pursuing justice against the pimps involved. Daw says this must change.

“People need to realize that these women don’t choose this life. When they get there (the sex trade), they’re forced to take drugs, and they’re kept there by their pimps,” said Daw. Daw also noted that there are almost no after-care homes for those in prostitution, and that we treat them like criminals instead of treating them like women.

“These women

are women, and they have rights as a human being, and as a woman, and no one has the right to control and manipulate them,” Daw added.

Students can help by continuing to donate online to these organizations, pursuing jobs and volunteer work with them, and by being careful about what they buy.

According to Slavery Footprint, things we buy here in America affect workers in other countries. Daw said, “Chances are, somewhere, something in our home has a link back to slavery.” This can happen through funding factories that abuse employees, employ children illegally and those that conduct corrupt business practices.

We can avoid these things by purchasing items with the Fair Trade mark and making sure that the things we buy are made in fair working conditions. All it takes is a little research.

One of the organizations involved in Freedom Week,

Freeset, helps do this by employing 100150 men and women in a factory in India, providing them excellent pay and benefits as they make bags to benefit others.

The speaker for Freeset, Kristi Griem, adds,

“Buy a bag, and we don’t have to buy her body.”

Another organization, Make Way Partners, works in high-risk areas of the world to prevent human trafficking, educate citizens and do mission work.

All three organizations are faithbased organizations.

The final organization, She Dances, works with girls that have been trafficked in Honduras.

The founder, Jeremy Springer, spoke to students at Freedom Night in Palmer. His message, to the handful of people in attendance, emphasized what even a small group of students can do and reminded attendees why they should be involved in the movement.

“If you want to

change the world, give it Jesus,” Springer said.

He told the story of an eightyear-old girl named Sophia. After being rescued and brought to the home, Sophia was, at first, scared to sleep at night, and was very shy because of the trauma she experienced while in the sex trade.

But after providing her with a meal, he says she knew she would be okay, because of their work and their love for her.

“Every girl deserves to be free to dance. We believe 12 year olds should be painting nails, playing on the playground and dancing,” Springer added.

This week, Montevallo gave their time, money and hearts to help these girls be free to dance. Here’s hoping millions more are freed to dance.

What did you think of Freedom Week? Let us know on Facebook or on Twitter, @TheUMFalcon.

Slavery by the numbers -

-

27 million people estimated in slavery (some estimates set it at 30 million) $32 billion industry, behind only drug trafficking for largest in the world.

- Average age of entry is 12 - 80% of victims are women and children - 2 million children are in the sex trade

The Falcon

presents a

featured essay Page Seven

Rock, rock, Indie Rock High School REED STRENGTH & JAKE SMITH

Arts & Culture Editor| Staff Writer

In writer Steven Hyden’s seven part series “The Winner’s History of Rock n’ Roll”, he attempts to break down the success stories of seven era defining acts. While he focuses mostly on the kind of bands that your parents love but otherwise always incite groans , his final entry concerns the rising stardom of Akron, OH blues duo The Black Keys.

In trying to break down the band’s status as both a mainstream and indie act, he makes the following observation: “In the indie rock high school cafeteria, this band was the kid with the wispy mustache and acid-washed jean jacket.”

From that sentence, staff writer Jake Smith and I have expanded on Hyden’s metaphor to define several other notable indie acts and explore the genre’s unique and sometimes controversial inner-politics through the eyes of an undiscovered artist. We encourage exploration of the referenced groups during this piece, and equally encourage a read through of Hyden’s fabulous and thought-provoking treatise on mainstream vs. underground ideology.

Harken back to high school for a moment and remember the very first day you walked into that place. Picture the cold brick walls, the dull white lighting and the noisy, crowded hallways. Odds are your first day wasn’t the most awkward thing in the world, but you certainly didn’t know the way things worked yet. For example, picture the cafeteria. Nowhere else in the school are the social groups, cliques and constituencies laid so bare before you.

Now take that image of the polarizing high school cafeteria and throw the world of indie music on top of it. Suddenly similarities start to appear. Some groups of rowdy teenagers begin to look a whole lot like one of your favorite underground punk groups. Elsewhere, an artsy, shy kid is reminding you of some experimental solo artist whose true name is unknown.

As you stumble up the steps of the school, your first meeting isn’t exactly the friendliest. Two boys, sporting wispy traces of moustache and acid washed jeans, smoke near the entrance. Seeing they’ve spotted you, you offer a weak wave of hello. The pair cooly blow smoke into the air, and step roughly by you. “Look kid, you’re new, so we’ll give ya a break. But with this school, you ain’t gonna learn much about making it in music.”

You watch them stroll through the front lawn before snapping out of it and walking into the front office. After a blurred experience of signing forms and waiting in uncomfortable office chairs, you’re told that someone is waiting for you outside of the Caf. Meet your guide. You walk up to a skinny, pale boy with dark black hair. He reaches out to shake your hand and introduces himself as Conor Oberst. Conor claims to be an astute observer of his peers who carries unique insight into every single group in the lunchroom.

He notices that you seem new and lost so he offers to help you get to know the system. You thank him for the offer and sheepishly accept, hoping to find where exactly you’re going to fit in here. Then, Conor starts talking.

“Well I guess the first thing I should tell you is that we may all go to the same school but we are very, very different from one another. We’ve essentially got a group to fit every single oddball who comes our way, so don’t worry. Remember: This is the first day of your new life.

“We’ll start at the corner. That’s the teachers’ table. See the old, quiet ones? They’re Yo La Tengo, and they teach the core subjects of quiet and loud. The twitchy ones are Sonic Youth. If you’re into the noisier, more experimental side of sound, they’ll be your guides.

Also, the beaten up, older one is Coach Paul Westerberg. He’s been here forever really. From what I hear, he led the Replacements to glory, but he’s apparently just a figurehead now. Seems to always have a headache.”

Conor seems to be getting more excited as he continually speaks. He hurriedly turns his attention away from the teachers. He gestures to the several lengthy student tables that fill most of the cafeteria. He points at a group of strangely dressed but very happy sounding guys and girls.

“Those are the Decemberists, or the ‘theatre kids’ if you will. They always seem to be up to some crazy, creative scheme. From sea shanties to folk operas, a lot around here wonder why the hell they don’t leave and become established authors and playwrights.

“Now look over there. See those kids in the sharp calico clothes? Those guys are called Vampire Weekend. They’re loaded and brilliant, but they tend to act about half their age. Their privilege also tends to make people disdainful of them at first. But they marry a brilliant blend of afro-beat sensibilities with sweet pop hooks. You WILL NOT beat them at their own game.”

Conor turns out to be a more in depth guide than you thought he’d be. He takes you by the hand and forcefully drags you out farther into the cafeteria. He points very obviously at a drably dressed and messy looking girl who promptly gives Conor the finger.

You start to mumble something about her blatant rudeness, but he shuts you up. “That’s Fiona Apple. She’s great, top of the class.”

You gaze at her natural beauty, her icy blue eyes barely registering your existence. Oberst abruptly grabs you and drags you back. “As great as she seems, her piano prowess is fierce. Believe me, she’s not to be toyed with,” he warns.

As you walk into the food service area, you notice a group of melancholy guys hunched together at a table. Their gray suits and tired demeanor invoke the image of overworked businessmen, not students.

“Ah, yeah. Those dudes are the National. Can’t seem to shake off the feeling that they work underpaid day jobs instead of normal school hours. That guy in the middle, Matt, all he seems to want to talk about is silver cities and how he owes money to the money he owes and...I dunno. I’d say you could get along with them, but they might convince you to file an early tax return,” Conor shrugs.

He guides you to the beginning of the line. Instead of lunch ladies, fat guys donning t-shirts are scooping assorted papers onto trays. Not knowing what you want, as you don’t recognize the documents as anything familiar (or edible) you take a helping of everything.

You ask Conor about the strange meal plan. “Yeah, it’s kinda sad. People in this community like to make a lot of these kids read their own press. They call it constructive, but I’m never so sure. It’s smart to pick the pieces that agree with you. Some like the sharp and critical Pitchfork, while others prefer the more bombastic SPIN. Trust me, avoid Rolling Stone.”

You consider what Conor has told you as you find yourself sitting across from a rugged, lamp chopped fella in a flannel t-shirt and trucker hat. “Meet Isaac Brock. He and his buds call themselves Modest Mouse. They’ve kept a low profile for the past couple of years, but they’re stuff is classic.” Isaac grins, but you’re not sure if it’s because of what Conor said or because he notices you staring dismally at your tray of reviews and interviews.

Conor pats you on the back. “Don’t worry. It gets a lot better once you start to make a name for yourself. Go ahead and read through a couple, I promise you’ll learn a lot.” Reading through a few, you realize how good this school could be for you. With a guy like Conor so eager to show you the ropes, maybe making it won’t be so bad after all.

Behind you, you hear a loud burst of laughter. A chorus of “Heys!” and “Whoah-ohs!” fills the Caf with a fresh sense of warmth. You turn to spot a large group of jolly kids stumble and run into the room. Their engaging smiles and jaunty outfits interrupt the somewhat insular vibe you’ve gotten from the rest of the cliques you’ve met.

You turn to Conor questioningly. “Different, huh? That’s Arcade Fire, the biggest contemporary success story to ever come from this school. Those guys have the recognition and awards people like us aren’t accustomed to. But it’s weird. They seem content to stay in this place regardless. We could learn a lot from them, believe you me.”

The bell rings. Exiting, Conor gives you his number and a copy of “I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning”. “Enjoy your classes, and don’t worry about a thing. This place may seem threatening at first, but everyone is vying for the same goals and is normally more than happy to lend a helping hand!”

The Falcon

Page Eight

Monday, April 15th, 2013

Established 2012 An Independant Student Newspaper

next week’s issue

tech tip

-Freedom Week -6 Degrees of Separation -Indie Rock Cafeteria -Music -Tech -News

and more...

April 22nd, 2013

CONNOR BUCY Staff Writer |

Last year, a controversial new guideline for policing the Internet and combating piracy was adopted by service providers across the U.S. The Copyright Alert System, also known as the “six strikes” policy, provides a system for service providers to gradually warn and as necessary, punish users for unlawful file sharing and copyright infringement. All of this comes, however, at the cost of the user's privacy.

While the punishments vary between service providers, one problem remains: All internet traffic is now monitored. Perfectly legal use of peer-to-peer file sharing may result in infringement accusations and possible throttled connection speeds.

Rather than have your web browsing subjected to unnecessary scrutiny, you can cir-

cumvent this new policy. The use of a VPN, or virtual private network, renders your online activity entirely anonymous, leaving you 100% unaffected by six strikes and ISP monitoring.

A virtual private network essentially extends a private network across a public one such as the internet.

Along with it come all the benefits of using a private network, such as privacy and security.

A VPN allows you to maintain total control over your own connection, allowing you to view blocked websites and keep your browsing hidden from prying eyes. Currently, many services across the web provide use of VPNs, some at a cost and some free. Many use click and connect software, allowing even less technologically-oriented users protect themselves.

Web www.facebook.com/thefalconmontevallo @theumfalcon www.thefalconat.tumblr.com

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

The most highly acclaimed VPN service is TorGuard. While TorGuard's privacy comes at a price, it offers both a bittorrent proxy for anonymous peer-topeer file sharing and a VPN service for anonymous browsing. In addition, TorGuard features unlimited bandwidth and keep no connection logs, so even they don't know who's using their network. For those seeking extreme caution, using both TorGuard's proxy and VPN service is the best option.

Regardless of your opinion on internet piracy and file sharing, privacy and freedom of information are universally important. While your service provider may not agree that a user's right to privacy are inalienable, you can keep your browsing a secret, whether you're a pirate or not.