Face
4entertainment Totally Kyle
Pick up the pace, please
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K, hypothetical situation. Let’s say that you are running late one morning, and you burst through the doors of school, rushing to get to chemistry before the tardy bell rings. Now, from the Kyle Keith office to the far-reaches of Y-hall is a good three-minute walk, depending on your pace. However, will you make it there in three minutes? Of course not. No one could make it to class on time with all the make-out sessions (and that’s the only form of PDA I feel comfortable writing about. Trust me; people do worse), pointless conversations and people just standing around. This very situation happened to me last week when I was walking to Mrs. Zalevskiy’s room from Madame Boyd’s room. I could’ve made it with time to spare and finished the last question on my homework with a little help from my peers. But did this happen? Most certainly not. The two girls in front of me (most likely freshmen) walked at a sluggish pace and proceeded to shout at their friends (also most likely freshmen). Then here’s the real kicker: one of the girls walks past Mrs. Ferrell’s room, drops her backpack off inside the door and continues to walk slower than Christmas with her equally slow companion in front of me all the way to Mrs. Zalevskiy’s room. Needless to say, I didn’t make it in time and I didn’t get my full 100 for that day’s homework. Do I blame these turtles, I mean underclassmen, for my low homework grade? Of course not, that would be malicious and vindictive, something I don’t do. I am a nice guy. However, I am simply suggesting that we all pick up the pace, save the heavy petting for the back seat of the car and attempt to think of other people besides ourselves. Let’s all band together and sprint to class. Who is in charge of freshman orientation? Why are they not instilling this lesson into our rising freshmen? Why am I not a tour guide? These are the questions I ask myself every day. What is the appeal of the hallway or PDA? Forget fixing the pool on the roof, or renovating the theater (that’s next on the list, right Mr. Jones?) West needs to invest in stoplights. Perhaps turning lanes, fast lanes and slow lanes. We could be a model for the rest of the country for freshmen management — I mean, hallway traffic control. Perhaps the teenage pregnancy rate would also go down? The benefits go on and on. Granted, this column is riddled with four years of bitterness and my usual sarcasm. But the hallways are a true problem. So here is my final plea to better West. Please, for the love of Pete, pick up your feet and move forward!
wingspan • june 4, 2010
the
West students attend nationallyknown summer music festivals; others host their own festivals
Music
Students attend Bonnaroo and other music festivals “I like the atmosphere of the people at good shows and how it’s more free love,” senior Ethan Wilkins said. “Where everyone’s just moving with the music and there’s s senior Katelyn McCoy walks on festival grounds, no people that are uptight and standing in the back that she smells the natural aroma of the lake nearby. shouldn’t be there — they don’t fit in. People there don’t The scent of nature relaxes her. As boundaries dis- care what you’re doing.” appear, the connection between the artists and audience There are many musical activities that Bonnaroo is being made. The mood of music festiprovides as entertainment for fans. The vals is laid back, open and free. music consists of genres such as indie, “Festivals are a mind-blowing exjazz, Americana, hip-hop and electronFestivals are a perience. I would love to go to more of ic. Also available to the Bonnaroo pubmind-blowing them,” McCoy said. “You’re in your own lic are various activity tents. These tents world with your friends and no worries. become most popular with the night experience. I It only lasts for a weekend, and going crowd with activities set up such as “The would love to go back to reality is heartbreaking. It’s like Silent Disco” tent and several other club going back to school after the summer.” or bar-themed venues. to more of them. One such festival, Bonnaroo, is held “The Silent Disco” allows for particiGoing back to every summer on a 700-acre farm in pants to enjoy the excitement and fun of reality afterwards a dance club without disturbing nearby Manchester, Tenn. It is a four-day music festival that features hundreds of wellcampers. Each person upon entering is heartbreaking. known artists and will be held this year the tent is given a set of headphones on June 10-13. The word “bonnaroo,” that syncs with the DJ and the music, so Katelyn McCoy popularized by New Orleans R&B giant everyone is listening to the same song senior Dr. John with his 1974 album Destively through the headphones while appearBonnaroo, means for “a really good time.” The name was ing from the outside to be dancing to no music at all. chosen both for its literal meaning and to honor the rich Other activities include the Comedy Tent where coLouisiana music tradition that inspired the organizers’ medians from Mike Birbiglia to Flight of the Concords desire to provide many styles of quality live music for ap- have performed. preciative fans. “There are even places for your kids, for yoga and ev-
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Bella Bonnessi Feature Writer
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dave matthews band • kings of leon • stevie wonder • jay-z • tenacious d • weezer • the flaming lips • the dead weather • damian marley & nas • phoenix • norah jones • michael franti & spearhead • john fogerty • regina spektor • jimmy cliff • LCD soundsystem • the avett brothers • thievery corporation • rise against • tori amos • the national • zac brown band • les claypool • john prine • the black keys • steve martin & the steep canyon rangers • jeff beck • brandi carlile • the xx • they might be giants • miranda lambert • OK go • edward sharpe & the magnetic zeroes • ingrid michaelson • carolina chocolate drops • NEEDTOBREATHE • tokyo police club • B.o.B. • joshua james
erything,” junior Sara Wallace said. “I’ve heard every year that they bring new stuff in. The experience that I had was great though. I know this year they’re going to focus some more on the art. When we went, there were only two or three art shows, but I think this year they’re really going to make it an art and a music festival.” During Bonnaroo, when it is hot and humid, people will go out and enjoy a cool, refreshing splash from one of the giant mushrooms that continuously dump water throughout the day. Students say that other festival-goers are friendly and calm, and it’s a great opportunity to meet others with similar interests. “It’s mostly easygoing,” Wilkins said, “and people that just love live music are laid back and you don’t really have to worry about getting your stuff stolen.” Although music festivals are an amazing opportunity, some are expensive and require extra effort to pay for the tickets. Students such as Wallace and McCoy were fortunate enough to have their tickets bought for them. Wallace went to Bonnaroo with former student Daphne Reed in 2004. Wilkins has a job at a local Ingles and said he is trying to raise the money to go to Bonnaroo this year and afford the $250 ticket price. “I’ve worked hard to earn the money to go to some summer festivals,” Wilkins said, “and all of the hours I put into it will be totally worth it.” Junior Katie O’Shea said, “I don’t think festivals are becoming more popular,” she said. “They’re actually diminishing because of the financial crisis, and the people at Bonnaroo can’t get enough money for the best artists.”
bands at
Junior hosts music festivals on her family’s property
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Brandon McArthur Staff Writer
t was late at night during the Tri-Numeral 2009 music festival, and junior Riley Holcombe was having a good time, listening to several bands play while wandering through the crowd and talking to various people. Her friends were getting some food, so Holcombe remained by the stage, enthralled by the latest band. For several minutes she was completely concentrated on the band’s soothing music. Unfortunately, her thoughts would soon be focused on a more pressing matter. “Someone brought a glass orb, just a little ball that lit up in the middle, and he was playing with it and it broke. I was walking around barefoot because I hate shoes,” Holcombe said. “All of a sudden, you hear a bunch of people complaining, ‘Ow, my foot! What is that?’ The guy dropped the ball and glass was scattered everywhere, and he didn’t bother to clean it up; he just walked away. So I was using my cell phone light to pick up all the glass so no one else hurt themselves.” Holcombe is the daughter of Deidre and John J. Redden, co-owners of Deerfields, a 940-acre retreat in Horse Shoe that hosts weddings, parties and music festivals. Riley said that she attends various events at Deerfields. “I’ve been to pretty much all of them. This year, we’ve had a slower season, mainly booked with weddings and events, private parties, some company parties,” Holcombe said, “but we had a couple of small festivals, too.” Riley has attended concerts at Deerfields for 12 years. Of all her time spent at Deerfields, the concert that stands out the most was the 2009 Tri-Numeral music festival. “I think the most fun I had at a festival was probably Tri-Numeral 2009 because of the group of friends I
had with me and the amazing bands that were playing. I “It’s really fun because everybody at the concert is saw Pretty Lights and Glitch Mob,” Holcombe said. “Tri- always extremely happy and just excited to be there,” Numeral is kind of a play on words, but each festival is O’Shea said. “The energy is up and everybody’s just dancheld when the three parts of the date are the same, like ing and having a good time for no reason other than to the ninth day of the ninth month of the ninth year.” just enjoy themselves.” While Deerfields appears to be large, it is relatively Another friend that Holcombe invites is junior Sarah small for a concert area. But this limitation doesn’t deter Hinshaw. Hinshaw said she feels blessed to be able to go Deerfields from setting up large concert events. On Me- to concerts that she usually would not be able to attend. morial Day in 1998, the owners of Deerfields collaborated “I know they have lots of music festivals there, espewith the producers of Bonnaroo in pulling off one of the cially during the summer and fall. It’s around $100 for a largest festivals at Deerfields. ticket, but when I go, Riley gets me in “We used to work with some of the free,” Hinshaw said. “Riley’s parents producers of Bonnaroo, and we put on are there, too. You always meet people Music is involved a festival called Black Mountain Music there, which is really cool.” in every aspect of Festival. That was a huge draw for DeerOne of Hinshaw’s favorite bands to fields,” Holcombe said. “We’re actually perform at Deerfields was the Miami what I do. It just kind of a small venue. Lately, the biggest based band ¡Suénalo! She enjoyed the connects me with music because of the band’s Latin flafestival we had was about 3,000 people. The Black Mountain Music Festival was vor and upbeat tempo. myself on such a around 10,000.” “It was at Loki Music Festival a while high level. There’s back. ¡Suénalo! came and it was really Holcombe will often invite friends to join her at the music festivals, giving fun because we got to meet them afsuch a spiritual other students the opportunity to enjoy ter the show and their music was reconnection. the concerts with her. One of Holcombe’s ally upbeat,” Hinshaw said. “We were frequent guests is junior Katie O’Shea. in the front near the stage and everyRiley Holcombe “During the summer, they have a one was dancing. The music was really junior few festivals and Riley always invites me loud and I was just grooving.” to come and hang out with her,” O’Shea Holcombe said music festivals have said. “I see tons of different jam bands and funk groups, become fully integrated into her life, and she doesn’t so I’m able to see different musical acts.” know what she would do without music. “It is such a huge O’Shea enjoys the concerts for the music and the at- inspiration in my life. Music is involved in every aspect of mosphere of the festivals. She said that one of the impor- what I do,” she said. “It just connects me with myself on tant reasons to go to a festival is to dance and hang out such a high level. There’s such a spiritual connection. It’s with different people. the one place I can turn to.”
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