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The Compass Digital — Vol. 1 Issue 4

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It's time to get spooky — check out our makeup tips, and our guide for not being a Halloween sellout

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Page 1: The Compass Digital — Vol. 1 Issue 4
Page 2: The Compass Digital — Vol. 1 Issue 4

CONTENTS2 — Around Campus

6 — Theater & Performing Arts

13 — Student Voices

18 — The Prerogative of the Creator

24 — Alt

Page 3: The Compass Digital — Vol. 1 Issue 4

Tis the Season for TofurkeyIt is currently 12:49 AM, and I just realized that

I forgot to write all of you a letter — not much of an editor, am I? With mid-terms being passed and registration right around the corner, it’s easy to set your sights on the future and not think about the rest of the semester here in front of us; it’s just Thanksgiving, Finals, and HOME.

Please don’t let that tunnel vision keep you from enjoying the rest of your semester, though; I promise that there’s still a lot left here at Lake State to enjoy. Go to the theatre, attend workshops, buy things you don’t need from bake sales; don’t nest in front of your desk and forget about having fun. The cool part of being a college student is the fact that you don’t just get to learn — you get to explore.

So do yourself a favor and go explore something. Anything. Just do it. Take a class that’s outside of your comfort zone, teach yourself to dance, or commit yourself to the gym without the delusional aid of ‘new year’s resolutions.’ Just do something!

Says the guy huddled over a keyboard at 12:55 AM.

M. Asher Stephenson

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Dakaboom Returns!!!

By A

man

da C

ady

September 30th — Students who showed up to the Arts Center at 8pm Tuesday night were greeted

by one of the longest lines seen on campus in a while. People crowded from the doors of the auditorium all the way back to the front door, anxiously awaiting the return of Dakaboom. The first time the two comedians made an appearance on-campus, they had their audience in stitches, so the student body had high expectations for the return of this show.

Tuesday night, the show started off with the duo’s own clever rendition of “You’ve Never Had a Friend Like Me” (We miss you Robin Williams!), which, of course, left the audience giggling. The comedians then belted out cheesy love songs, treated students to a sneak peek of what it’s like to be a bat, and shared their favorite childhood TV theme songs. Dakaboom also pulled an LSSU student up on stage to sing

a song just for her that ended in a kiss in front of the entire auditorium.

After the show, everyone in attendance stood and applauded, crowding around the performers to receive the free hugs that Ben and Paul had so graciously offered during the show. Although similar to their performance last year, it was well worth the wait, and we hope to see the comedy duo again next year.

Comedians Ben McLain and Paul Peglar are from Los Angeles and New York, respectively. They are roommates turned best friends, as is explained in their song “Dakaboom FAQ.” McLain has appeared on TV show “The Sing Off,” while Peglar is the original piano player on the first season of “Glee.” Together, they have quite an impressive performing resume.

Remember this?!

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Ruckus at the rockwall

October 13th —This year, GLSW started off on a high note. Literally.

The rock wall was open to students Monday night for a climbing challenge, highlighting the SAC’s recent — and

popular — addition. The event started as every GLSW event starts, with a free t-shirt. The ever-appreciated student-swag was followed by waivers, climbing harnesses, and excitement. A wide variety of climbers attended, some very experienced and others new to the wall.

Rules for the climbing challenge were straight forward: There were ten routes marked off with brightly colored tape, one being the easiest and ten being the hardest. A climber was fastened to a safety rope, and after the customary exchange of climbing phrases, they were off to the top. If climbers went off-route, they had to start over. If a climber was not able to complete a

route on the first attempt, points were deducted. In the end, the climber with the most total points would win the competition.

After a while, people just started climbing for the heck of it, no longer caring about points; it was all about getting to the top. The competitive atmosphere that was felt at first slowly melted into an environment where everyone just wanted to see others succeed. Climbers and staff helped the people actively climbing the wall to find good footholds while yelling out pointers and encouragement.

In the end, it was all about the climb. Everyone had fun and was satisfied with their experience. It was a great starter event for GLSW because it got students up on the rock wall who might not have climbed before, and it brought some of our Laker family a little closer together.

By Amanda Cady

LSSU STUDENTS ONLY*

SMOTHERED WITH 5 1/2 CUPS OF CHEESE AND YOUR CHOICE OF 1 ITEM FOR

16 X 16 big G deepdish pizza feeds 5-6 people 16 Huge slices

* current lssu id required

Call 906-635-0066

located behind taco bell

order onlinewww.guidospizzasault.com

or

must mention special at the time of ordering only $12.00

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Around

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GLOWing BrightBy Kaleb Chowen Pride prom and secret confessions:

Getting to know GLOW

“We’ve had issues in the past with putting up posters about our meetings and... coming back the next day and all of them are ripped down,” - Val.

“...GLOW is the new name of an old face at LSSU...”

Renamed and ready to go, GLOW gets ready for a semester of sexual diversity. Gay Lesbian Or Whatever,

shortened as GLOW, is holding a pride prom at Kewadin Casino next semester. Traditionally, pride proms have been held as an alternative to a regular prom to offer a safe haven for the GSD community. “It’s like a regular prom,” said Valerie Hirsch, a senior member of GLOW, “but less expensive.” For those who fear the judgment of others, this event will give them a safe place to bring their significant others.

While the event will not be held until the Spring, a great deal of planning has already gone into it. GLOW is also promoting a secret confession (not LSSSU confessions) survey that invites anonymous “secrets” that, as Valerie informed The Compass, can range from “I’m twenty-two and never been kissed” to “No one knows I’m gay.” So long as it remains PG, these secrets will be posted around the prom. As the date closes in, more information will become available.

GLOW is the new name of an old face at LSSU. Having previously gone under the name of Gay Lesbian Straight Alliance, the university’s local group for the support of those in the GSD (Gender and Sexual Diversity) community has changed their name in an effort to be more inclusive.

Even in this day and age, there is a lot of resistance to the GSD community and the Soo is no different. According to reports,

a number of local businesses have even refused service to the openly homosexual. In an effort to support its members, GLOW has created a list of those businesses. This list will not be published to avoid accusation of libel, but it will be made available for GLOW members and others in the GSD community.

Working to educate the community, GLOW has Partnered with the Diversity Committee to put on and publicize a showing of the movie Prayers for Bobby in Peacock Cove. The true story of a young gay man raised in a staunchly Christian household, the film reaches viewers of every orientation and background. The final act of the film is worth the two-hour run-time, but it may leave some in tears.

As the year goes on, look forward to more events from GLOW. “Do look out for us,” said Valerie, “we are planning to do some stuff around campus.” If you are gay, lesbian, or, well, whatever, and you are searching for a community where you are accepted regardless, contact Valerie Hirsch for more information about GLOW. Valerie can be contacted either by Facebook, or by e-mail at [email protected].

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By Miranda Emaus

Every college campus is bound to have a couple ghouls

wandering about, but Lake State is in a realm of its own. LSSU is unique in that the campus was once the military base New Fort Brady, operational from 1893 to 1944, and as residents can tell you, the school’s military history brings with it a heavy case of the hauntings. The most famous haunts on Campus include Brady Hall, South Hall, Administration, Huron Hall, and Erie Hall, but some of the newer buildings are rumored to have their own supernatural events as well.

Erie Hall is supposedly the most active building on campus. Inside the single person room on the men’s side, the closet door will not shut and a repelling force can be felt when attempting to close the door. Allegedly, the ghost of a young boy named Sam is in there, and every so often the boy’s bouncing ball can be heard in the house. Then there is “Roger’s corner.” Roger is said to not be quite as friendly as Erie’s other spectral residents and has been seen in photographs. Some have even speculated

that the reason Sam does not allow the closet door to close is because of Roger. The final, unusual resident of Erie hall is a woman in a white dress. She is a friendly ghost believed to have hung herself after Sam fell down the stairs; she is known for helping students up the stairs when needed.

Just down the row is Huron Hall, where Electric Voice Phenomenons (EVPs) have been captured on tape. Occasionally, footsteps can be heard running up and down the stairs on the west side of the house at night. Mysteriously, several students have had things rearranged at night while the bedroom doors were locked, voices have been heard, and a sink even turned on once while all the doors to the house were locked.

The most common stories from Brady Hall include lights being on in the attic, the sounds of drums, and footsteps in the hallway. One interesting story, however, involves the famous Civil War general Philip Sheridan who decided the strategic location of New Fort Brady; a student claims to have seen two people wandering Brady Hall - one gave the name of the general and the

other was distinguished as a quartermaster.

In addition to the housing, some of the administrative buildings have experience with the ghostly as well. Fletcher Center used to be the fort’s stable, and the horses are sometimes still heard these days. Before the South Hall renovation project was announced, boot prints had already been seen on the dusty floors, faces in the windows, and odd screams were heard around the old barracks. The administration building is simply known for weird footsteps and doors closing unexpectedly.

Whether these stories are truthful statements, fictional lore, exaggerations of an explainable event, or a means to cope with the unusual, these tales are sure to spook you this Halloween.

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Lake State’s theatre department has had a reemergence under the direction of theatre professor Jenn Hunter. Now in her third year teaching at Lake State, Jenn has fundamentally changed the program for the better as well as helped to grow the program into more than just one show per semester. When asked what her vision was coming to this program, Jenn said “I wanted to change the focus from just putting on a show to involving the community and families. This is why we have been choosing to perform more family friendly comedies.”

Theatre ClassesThe Lake State Theatre

Department has several classes to offer prospective students. Acting 1 and Acting 2 are the two core classes of the program and are set up to teach students how to perform on stage, how to audition successfully, and helps to refine their skills needed to be a believable character on stage. Students will learn the fundamental aspects of how to be a good performer, including how to get their character’s objectives across, and the different tactics you will use to get your character’s opinions across believably.

The theatre department also has a topics class where Jenn Hunter can pick a specific style of theatre that she wants to teach and the two she normally chooses are Improv and directing. The Improv class teaches many of the games played by the ComedySportz team. The class teaches students how to think on their feet through methods of word association. The directing class is an interesting way to help actors

understand the thought process of a director. It also teaches many of the methods on directing for prospective directors. Both classes allow students to excercise skills that they can apply to their abilities as a stage performer.

These classes aren’t just for performers, though; they teach valuable skills that any student can use. The acting classes give you the ability to remain calm in a stressful situation such as a job interview. The Improv class teaches students how

to think on the fly and cooperate with others. The Directing class teaches organization and how to build a vision and effectively turn it into something real.

Devised TheatreNext semester a new theatre

topic class will be introduced that is open to all students called Devised Theatre. In this class students will use Improv techniques to create scripts for short vignettes that address many topics that incoming students have to deal with. Topics will include time management, study habits, alcohol use, and sexual pressures. The end goal of this class is to create scripts that campus life can use to inform incoming freshman about these topics in a new and interesting way.

Jenn was approached by Ken Peress, the vice president of student affairs, to come up with an idea to use the theatre program in helping these incoming students. The first year of college can be challenging for new students. Many times these students don’t know how to deal with some of these stressors. Hopefully these vignettes will be able to better inform students how to deal with the new life of a college student. The class itself is sure to be interesting, and a good experience to create something new.

“Every student should take an acting class. Employers really like to see that on your resume. It shows that you can work well with people and are able to collaborate with a group.”

-Jenn Hunter

Lake State Theatre& Performing Arts

break a leg with

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Meet the Performing Arts Faculty & Staff

Jenn is a director, teacher, actor and improviser from Portland, Oregon. She is currently teaching and directing at Lake Superior State University. She graduated with an MFA in Directing from University of Portland. She also performed with several Portland theatre and improv companies.

Before attending University of Portland, Jenn was a director and drama teacher at University High School in Spokane, Washington, where she directed over a dozen musical and non-musical productions. She was the Artistic Director of

ComedySportz in Spokane and an actor/director for a national tour of Missoula Children’s Theatre.

Deb has been working as the Dance instructor here at Lake State for the past eight years. She started teaching at Northern before Lake State and devised a Dance program, but was turned down. After a successful proposition, Deb brought LSSU the first Dance program in the Upper Peninsula. She has had the pleasure of teaching several talented dancers, including eleven who have graduated from Lake State with a Dance minor.

Deb received her Bachelors of Arts degree in Dance from Alma University, and went on to earn her Master’s degree in education from Hamlin University. Currently she is working on a Professional Development Degree. She thinks of her students as her family and is excited to

continue to teach them the art of dance.

Tom’s career began in 1979, working for Telemation Productions — a Chicago area video production company as set designer and shop supervisor. Four years later, he became the president of Stagecraft Inc. based in Chicago, Illinois. The company designed and produced scenery, props, and displays for theatres, production companies, and photographers in Chicago area and throughout the Midwest.

Tom returned to the theatre full time in 1999, taking a position with West Shore Community College, and then in 2007 moved north to take on the challenge of Arts Center Director for LSSU. He has worked on every LSSU production, large and small, from booking music concerts, to sets and lights for theatre and ballet.

Karen founded the Soo Opera in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan in 2006. Fully staged productions with orchestra include Carmen, Hansel und Gretel, La Bohème, The Marriage of Figaro, Gianni Schicchi, Cosi fan tutte, Die Fledermaus and The Magic Flute with additional opera and broadway reviews entitled That’s Amore and A Grand Night for Singing.

Ms. Beacom serves as the Artistic Director of the Soo Theatre , is an adjunct professor of music at Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie, MI and is the Director of Music at Little Stone Church on Mackinac Island.

Tom Davis

Deborah Choszczyk

Karen Hughes Beacom

Jenn Hunter

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On November 7th, 8th, and 9th the Lake State theatre program will be performing the Pulitzer Prize winning play Our Town. Our Town was written by Thornton Wilder and tells the story of a small New Hampshire town called Grovers Corners. Jenn Hunter has wanted to direct this play for years and after student response in her theatre history class last year she knew that it was the right time. The emotional complexity of this play and its heartfelt story makes Our Town an exceptional theatre experience.

The cast of Our Town is headed by Jacob Northuis who plays the male lead George Gibbs, Susan Kirkman who plays the female lead Emily Webb, and Chantelle Adkins who plays the Stage Manager. This is the largest cast show that Jenn Hunter has directed at Lake State.

As with all theater shows, Our Town could only be completed with the help of the backstage workers. Tom Davis has led a team of set, sound, and light designers to create the visual and audio effects that will help drive the show. Tom has many student workers who dedicate their time to the preparation of the show, and most of them are not even theatre students.

The final element that rounds out Our Town is the inclusion of the Lake State Choir. With the help of this talented group of vocalists, Our Town is sure to be a hit on campus. The show will cost $5.00 for students with their ID’s and $7.00 for adults. Come join the theatre program next week for a great show.

The theatre department and other performing arts programs on campus are filled with talented professors from all walks of life. Show your support for the arts and the talented individuals by attending their shows. You will not be disappointed.

Our Town Comes to the Lake State Stage

In additon to performing in Our Town, the Lake State Choir is putting on their own Christmas performance event in partnership with the Soo Orchestra. Under the direction of Karen Hughes Beacom, this concert features songs by the choir in addition to performances by community members.

Lake State Choir Members 8

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In 2012 Lake State was introduced to a new form of entertainment in the form of the ComedySportz College Team thanks to Jenn “the treasure” Hunter. ComedySportz is a form of Improv comedy that is played like a sport, pitting a red team vs a blue team. Unlike other sports, athletic ability is not what wins the match; each team plays improv games with suggestions given to them by the “Loyal Fans” in an attempt to entertain the most people. The “Loyal Fans” then choose who will win the points of that round. In essence the fans choose who win.

ComedySportz started in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1984 by a group of comedians. Since then this organization of improvisers has become an internationally recognized name with members

including Wayne Brady of Whose Line Is It Anyways, Jason Sudeikis of Saturday Night Live, and our very own Jenn Hunter.

Since its conception, ComedySportz has branched out and now has over 23 locations around the world, including Michigan, New York, England, and Germany. Lake State is the only college to have an official ComedySportz College Team, and that is a lot to be excited about for theatre department.

The current team has 14 members including Susan “for a briusin” Kirkman, Kody “little red” Wagner, and John “green means” Golob. Each member of the team had to audition at the beginning of the semester to join the organization, and each member has since worked many hours to improv their improvisational

skills. The members also learn to live by the phrase “Yes and” which basically means that in life when we are given a gift, or opportunity, we will say yes, and then go above and beyond to give something back to the community.

So far the Lake State ComedySportz College Team has earned rave reviews for their monthly performances. Think you can do better? Every year open auditions are held for a spot on the roster. Next year you could be up on stage with the team. If you just like to watch as one of the “Loyal Fans” then keep you schedule open for the next match on November 14th. The team hopes to see you there, and wishes that everyone would live with “Yes and” I their hearts.

Improv Takes Center Field

Lake State Dance Presents 4th Annual Festival of Trees

Dance Company’s annual Festival of Trees is more than a fundraiser — it’s a family-friendly evening of dance performance. While they do have a silent auction, the real feature of the night is the show. Dance company members are joined by students from all dance classes at Lake State to dance their night away for all to enjoy.

Their performance is Friday, December 5th at 7pm in the Arts Center Auditorium. Admission is free.

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Oct. 16-17th — Seeing a student walking around in a full

suit-and-tie ensemble means one of three things: They are presenting their senior thesis; they received an invitation to a dinner party, or something interesting is about to happen. On October 16th, weirdness happened to be the flavor of the day.

Charlie Hunter and Ben Eisenman played the part of the host and waiter, both dressed to the nines as they approached a random couple seated at a table in the Galley. Armed with a table cloth, a bottle of sparkling cider and two glasses, it was surprising that the couple wasn’t blown away with the surprise date.

Unfortunately, the chosen couple had to get back to work in the next five minutes, so were unable to enjoy the gesture.

The next couple to be placed in the spotlight were much more receptive to the idea, and after being treated to flowers, cider, and cheesecake, Charlie, still playing the host, gave the couple two tickets to Comedy Sportz for their next date.

The show, which took place on Friday, October 17th in the Arts Center, was an hour of hilarious improvised slapstick, wordplay and audience participation. Jenn Hunter was in her element, leading the team through their games and shocking the audience

with their skill and cleverness. At one point, Susan Kirkman was asked to perform a version of charades on steroids and guess which sport or activity she was supposed to be doing. She successfully understood that she was playing a sport with J-Lo, and at one point the field turned into a sea of hammers. The audience was suitably impressed and with one of their largest crowds to date, the event was a huge success.

The next episode of ComedySportz will be Friday, November 14th in the Arts Center. Tickets are $5 per person, so come and check out this amazing group of college students perform on stage.

Surprise Date by Comedy Sportz!

By Ja

na L

uurt

sem

a

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October 11th —The Midwestern Symposium on

Undergraduate Research in Chemistry hosted by Michigan State University is one of the largest of its kind and, in 2014, five members of the Chemistry and Environmental Science Club and two professors made the drive down to present their current research, gather ideas for future research, and learn about graduate school.

About 129 undergraduates from 38 different universities attended this event with over 100 posters being presented throughout the day. From Lake State, Alyssa Ellsworth presented her poster on synthesizing N-alkyl and N-aryl substituted 2-imidazolines in the organic chemistry division; Danielle Hamann’s poster was on perovskite thin films and their potential use in solar cells for the materials section, and Julia Peterson displayed her research on the catalytic properties of mixed metal

oxides to hydrodeoxygenate lignin in order to potentially produce biofeuls in the inorganic division.

Outside of Lake Superior State University, there were undergraduate posters in analytical chemistry, biochemistry, and physical chemistry. Graduate students from Michigan State University also presented their research alongside the undergrads. Oral presentations were done on cystallography and powder diffraction by Dr. Brain Toby from the Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois. The “3D Printing as a Platform for In Vitro Pharmacokinetic Models” by Michigan State graduate student, Sarah Lockwood, and professor James Jackson’s, from Michigan State University, research of using biomass as an alternative energy source.

That weekend Michigan State University also held the Environmental Risk and Decision Making Symposium, which was the day before the

Chemistry Poster Symposium. There another Lake State Student, Unai Miguel Andres, presented his project on the impact of droughts on wheat productions in Canadian prairies.

This event was more than just an opportunity to present research and learn about projects at other schools; it was an opportunity to learn about graduate school, such as what to look for when deciding where to attend, what the research is like, and simply enough encouragement to go to graduate school. This cannot be done at Lake State because there are no graduate programs in chemistry.

Members of the Chemistry and Environmental Science Club will be heading to Argonne National Laboratory on November 7th to present research and learn about research done across the nation.

Chemistry and Environmental Science Students Participate in Poster Symposium at Michigan State

By Miranda Emaus

“...more than just an opportunity to present research...”

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It’s Halloween, you’re ready to go out for the night, and you know your costume is going to be the cutest one there...

until you find out that three of your sorority sisters are also going as flappers. Time for a quick costume change!

While you’re trying to figure out what to wear, I’m here to tell you what NOT to wear — don’t be a Halloween sellout this year. Here’s a list of the most overused costumes that should be banished from the parties this year:

Hunters – Throw on your hunter orange vest, some boots and camo face paint. Voila! You’re ready to go hunting on a moment’s notice, and it’s an instant costume. WRONG! It’s lazy. Obviously you don’t care about dressing up, since you wear that same outfit to half your classes every week. It’s almost as bad as that “This is my costume” t-shirt you can buy at Walmart.

Miley Cyrus – Last year we saw a lot of Mileys. Miley with a hammer, Miley on a wrecking ball, Miley grinding on Robin Thicke. Miley hasn’t really done much this year to parody, so please don’t reuse last year’s gimmicks. Maybe try Nicki Minaj with an anaconda instead?

The Avengers/Guardians of the Galaxy/Ninja Turtles/something-something-movie-franchise – With all the recent heroic movies that have come out, no doubt we’ll be seeing a lot of Rocket Raccoons, Groots and turtles at the club with Captain America, Ironman and Thor. Bad guys, beware.

Pirates – I’m not sure what the obsession is with pirates, considering they haven’t been

on the pop culture scene in a while. And yet, every year there is an abundance of pirates. This trend needs to walk the plank.

Zombie anything and everything – I know the Walking Dead has just returned to AMC, but don’t be inspired by the show. At the store I’ve noticed a lot of costumes have been zombiefied, including zombie prom queens, cheerleaders and fairies. Expect not to be the only zombie bride in the room.

Frozen – There are two reasons not to dress up as everyone’s favorite dorky princess and independent ice queen this year. One, it’s been almost a year since the movie hit theaters, so it’s old news by this point. Two, every little girl under the age of ten is begging their mom to let them be Elsa. Let it go. You don’t want to be caught in the same outfit as your little cousin, do you?

Slutty or sexy (insert occupation here) – It always bothers me when I see a nursing student dressed as a sexy nurse, or a CJ major as a Chip & Dale’s style cop. Do you really want to do that to yourself? It just looks...bad. Just wait until you’re in the teacher’s lounge in between bells years from now and your colleagues are laughing about your Bad Teacher costume. There’s one #tbt you don’t want to be tagged in.

Well, you can’t say I didn’t warn you. These are my predictions for the most overused costumes of 2014. Whether you decide to heed my advice and rethink your costume or decide to risk not being the only Elsa at the party is up to you.

Don’t be a Halloween Sellout This Year

By Amanda Cady

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October 14th — Taco Tuesday was supposed to be mixing it up for LSSU students. Regular cafeteria

food can be risky, and for students who don’t have a meal plan it costs a fair chunk of change. So with the huge number of flyers and e-mails flaunting this Quarterdeck event, it seemed that Taco Tuesday wouldn’t disappoint.

From the moment students stepped in to swipe their I.D. cards or to pay the “discounted price,” it was clear there was a lack of communication.

The employee checking I.D’s and taking money knew nothing about Taco Tuesday, even though he had his entire station decorated with flyers. After being shown the campus-wide email and double-checking with the manager, the employee still refused to take the discounted price. This employee’s disgruntled mood, not to mention the added

hit to students’ wallets, brought spirits down before Taco Tuesday even began.

On a more pleasant note, the tacos were very good, with chicken becoming a particular favorite and many different toppings being offered. For the amount of advertising this event received, however, students were shocked and confused to find that there was only one station serving tacos, with the rest being regular cafeteria food. ‘Taco Tuesday’ held no meaning for those students who didn’t even see the taco station, and passed along just as any Tuesday would.

While the food did taste good, the spirit of Taco Tuesday did not deliver and LSSU students left the Quarterdeck disappointed. Interested students shouldn’t write off this event completely, though. The program is still new and hopefully by next time the kinks will be resolved.

LSSU, We need to Taco ‘bout your disappointing Tuesday. . .

By Courtney Buzzell

Don’t be a Halloween Sellout This Year

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Student Voices

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On my mid-morning break, in between classes, I sit outside of Cisler and take in the sweet smell of the steel mill just across the river. As I ponder away the minutes of the two months I have left here at Lake State, there came the realization that it’s hard to be a laker.

Face it. LSSU is so off the grid, that the only time you will hear the fight song is at a hockey game...if you go. The only spirit apparel, or accessories, can be found at the overpriced bookstore on campus and at a select few businesses in town.

The Quarterdeck has the early bird special for dinner, so it’s only open from 4:30pm-6:15pm. What does that mean for me and my fellow lakers? It means you better have a snack ready when you’re up past midnight trying to study. Unless you are able to catch the Galley Plus menu times downstairs.

Hockey up here is religion, which is why it’s practically the only sport this university puts money into. This special hockey team at LSSU has unfortunately started off this ‘14-’15 season being 0-8. In those eight losses, the most difficult and painful losses were to our yooper rivals, Michigan Tech and Northern Michigan, on our own turf. LSSU is Division I in only hockey, yet, they haven’t seen a conference tournament since 1995.

Living on campus is where you get the true college experience, but the LSSU residence halls are nothing to brag about. At both Brady and Osborn Hall, community bathrooms are a living nightmare for those who enjoy their privacy. Those who unfortunately live in Osborn can’t maneuver through the hallway without bumping

into the walls. Within the dorm itself, there are bunk beds and a desk. That’s it. Nothing says LSSU like deer being slaughtered in the basement of Brady or having the dorms so small they can be considered a fire hazard. Fellow lakers try their hardest to jazz it up, but the sad truth is, our dorms are comparatively smaller than those of other schools.

Theatrically and musically talented students attending this university are not able to major in what they are talented in. Why? Only corresponding minors are offered. Imagine if LSSU had a theatre major. Imagine if LSSU had a music major. Imagine the musicals the theatre would be able to perform or the size and sound of the pep band. Imagine. As a university so heavily focused on engineering and criminal justice, having these majors will provide

some actual culture to this non-cultured campus.

The harsh, non-stop torrential downpours of autumn and the well-below zero degree temperatures of winter define Sault Ste. Maire, MI. Not bringing an umbrella to a class can be one of the biggest mistakes a laker can make. This little town itself is overshadowed by its sister city in Ontario. Summer is the only decent season to come up here, but even then one is rather limited to watching ships go up and down the Soo Locks or getting a brew. In Sault Ste. Maire, which proudly stands as Michigan’s first city, it is comprised of only tourist shops and bars. Many tourist shops and many bars.

If you too are coming to the realization that it might just be too hard to be a student here at LSSU, you are not alone. Your fellow lakers know how it feels.

Why It’s Hard To Be a LakerBy Courtney Buzzell

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By Ben Eisenman

Sometimes your make-up needs a make-over

A clown faced disaster looks scary, but not in the good way. Halloween is here today, which means that it’s probably a bit too late for you to fix all of your mistakes, but that doesn’t mean you can’t learn a bit in the process. Make-up is not the easiest of tools to use when trying to get the right look, scary or not. For those out there that do not frequently paint their face, here are a few tips for next time.

Quality not quantity.Everyone has heard the saying “less is more”.

It is notable here. Most who have never used make-up before, or at least not often, will make the mistake of loading on way too much on their face. They take a glob of face paint and smear it on their canvass. When they do this they end up with a messy, clumpy over-use of face paint that looks life someone shoved a pie in their face. Instead, use a small make-up brush or sponge and lightly apply the cream to your face and spread it evenly, and cleanly. This process may take a little longer, but the end result will be far more satisfying to look at, and wear.

Colors do matter.Remember in kindergarten when it was fun to

mix all the colors to try and make a swirly rainbow? Most of the time it just ended up being an ugly brownish mess. That is what happens on your face if you’re not careful with your application. To save yourself the embarrassment of mixing colors incorrectly, defer to the color wheel. Blue and yellow make green, and red with blue makes purple. Once you master this concept, brown will not be your only reward.

Correctly matching colors is also something you need to learn. Remember that ex of yours that just didn’t seem to fit because the two of you basically repelled each other? Colors are the same way. Some colors can be placed together and look amazing. Others look painfully grotesque.

Texture is your friend.The next step to reaching the level of a true

Halloweener is learning the secret of texture. First, you can use latex to create scar-like imperfections. Realistic scars can definitely sell the outfit. There are brushes and other tools that will give your skin a textured look as well, if you take the time to buy them. If you’re in a pinch, you can even use cereal, like Special K, to create a rough cratered look. The use of texture is more advanced, so many probably won’t attempt it, but if you do, you can take your costume to the next level. The process of texturing your appearance will take more time, but the outcome is worth it.

YouTube it.If you are a person who loves to dress as your

favorite movie, comic, or book characters then you should probably make sure you know how to correctly create the look. Some of those looks are harder to accomplish than others. In this situation go on YouTube and search for a tutorial. You will most likely find at least a short video that will teach you a basic way of doing the make-up for that character. Technology is here to help us, so embrace it, and take advantage of it.

Know what’s in it.The last tip isn’t so much how to apply make-up,

but rather be aware of what is in it. Most Halloween face cream make-up contains chemicals such as ammonia. This can negatively affect your eyes if the make-up is too close, giving them a glossy red look reminiscent of other “frowned upon” substances. Make sure you are not allergic to the ingredients; a bad break out, or rash on your face would not be desirable under any circumstance, so be careful.

Following these tips will not only help you have a more enjoyable experience on Halloween, but it will help those around you be able to enjoy your company.

Halloween Make-up tips

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Santa Vs. Satan:

Black cats and witches. Jack O’ lanterns and creepy ghouls. Timeless tradition of trick-or-

treating. These are the icons of Halloween, which define the entire month of October. Or do they?

When you go out for Halloween this year, take a look around. Is this what you remember from your childhood? Have the number of houses that pass out candy, or even decorate, for this kid-favorite holiday drastically decreased? It’s almost like Halloween has been competing with something.

The next time you go out to buy Halloween candy, decorations, or a costume, take a look around. What you see may shock you. Where are the Halloween aisles? It’s October, it’s Halloween’s month. More and more stores are following the trend of displaying more santas than satans, more Christmas trees than pumpkins, more reindeer than ghosts.

Don’t believe me? Head over to Walmart here in Sault Ste. Marie. They’ve turned their entire lawn and garden

center into a Christmas wonderland, and dedicated only a few lackluster aisles for Halloween.

Supporting retailers’ decisions, retaildoc.com thinks it is better for retailers to put Christmas decorations and gifts out before Halloween. Why is that? According to them, consumers who buy early for the holiday season won’t over spend when the traditional shopping time comes. Consequently, if retailers continue

this newly unnecessary trend, consumers will be sick and tired of Christmas before November ends. Some retailers aren’t even waiting until the end of September to start gearing up for Christmas; soon ‘Christmas in July’ will be a real thing.

In 2011, the International Council of Shopping Centers conducted a survey in which they found only 2% of retailers actually wait until after Thanksgiving to display all the sliver and gold. Three years later and still no improvement.

Hopefully no one will hand out candy canes tonight.

Halloween’s FateBy Courtney Buzzell

“...consumers will be sick and tired of Christmas before November ends.”

Fixi

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Santa Vs. Satan:

Have you ever had a bad day? Of course you have; you’ve had more bad days than The Galley

has Ben and Jerry’s to fix them with. But let’s get real here; the ‘bad days’ most of us have are pretty darn simple. You stub your toe, get caught in traffic or the kitchen light bulb burns out. Usually, you wouldn’t give these little things a second thought, but sometimes they can get to you in some pretty nasty ways. You’re late for work because you were stuck in traffic, your stubbed toe hurts so you couldn’t wear your favorite shoes, or you nearly break your neck on the ladder when changing the light bulb. Since it’s likely to be the string of ‘bad luck’ ruining the day and not the initial rising on the wrong side of the bed that does it, how do we fix it?

With our brains! *Cue dramatic music*Many people try to wait it out.

Everything looks better the next morning, right? Wrong. Sometimes even a comfy bed isn’t enough to cure a bad day, and the only thing worse than one bad day is a whole string of them. Instead, why not try to get a 180° spin on your attitude? If your perception of a bad day changes, then it follows that the day is no longer bad.

Often times, the best way to cure a bad day is to just clear your head. Those who prefer to embrace their inner flower child should take a walk. Go outside, commune with nature or whatever; take pictures, leave footprints, and come back happier. Or you can try Brain Bleach — also known as pictures of cute fluffy things you find on the internet. It’s impossible not to

react when you have a blue-eyed ball of fluff pouncing on a yarn ball in a never-ending clip of cuteness. Give yourself enough space from your problems that you can come back to them with new perspective.

On the other hand, if you can’t concentrate on much of anything but the problems when trapped in a crappy day, you can try distracting yourself with something you’re passionate about instead. Read a romantic book, watch poachers kill fluffy baby cheetahs, or watch a religious movie you disagree with. If you’re still lethargic to the point of melting into the couch, try watching the news. Getting into a shouting match with the T.V. will draw anyone out of a depressed mood, so long as you don’t break the screen. Fight fire with fire.

If none of these techniques work, there’s only one possible explanation: It’s Finals Week.

If this is indeed the case, then caffeine is always the answer.

Fixi

ng a Bad Day By Jana Luurtsema

Photo courtesy of Christopher MichelCopyright Christopher Michel, Attribution-Non-Commercial 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC 2.0)

Sometimes, life just sucks

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Limp Noodles: Let’s Get Shot

By Dani Ammel

When I was growing up, my mother always insisted that my brothers and I

receive flu shots before we went trick-or-treating. Since I love candy more than I love breathing, I’ve received a flu shot every year of my life since I can remember. I actually have fond memories of getting shots as a child - mom’s silly advice made me laugh and grandma would wait in the car with tootsie rolls. So for those who think they’re too afraid to be inoculated this season, let me pass on my mother’s advice : limp noodles.

Here’s what you do: believe your arm is a limp noodle, overcooked pasta incapable of feeling or moving. Sit there and make small talk with the nurse. Don’t look at the needle or even think about it. Tell him or her to go for it, just stick you already. Your arm is a limp noodle. Your limp noodle gets bitten by a mosquito (please don’t slap it), and you get an awesome band-aid with a cartoon character of your preference on it.

Congratulations, you’ve gotten your shot. You are now significantly less likely to catch the flu. Now, go get yourself some tootsie rolls.

The day George Lucas decided to release special editions of the classic Star Wars trilogy was the day that the

childhood of millions was put to slaughter. When Steven Spielberg turned the rifles in E.T. to walkie-talkies, he sprayed the eyes of fans with politically correct Mace. On the hour J. R. R. Tolkien changed the entire Riddles in the Dark chapter of The Hobbit, the outcry echoed into modern day.

Oh, wait. That last one’s not true. In fact, Tolkien’s publisher offered no pushback against the idea. When Tolkien wanted to bring The Hobbit, originally a standalone novel, into his world called Middle-Earth, he had to change some things to make it fit. One of those things was an entire chapter of the first edition. Originally, Riddles in the Dark played out much differently, with the creature Gollum acting amiably toward the titular hobbit. Gollum freely offered the One Ring to Bilbo since it was (at the time) only a simple, magic ring. After Bilbo won the riddle contest, Gollum showed him the way out and the two parted on good terms.

As the majority of us know, the second edition (and every subsequent version) tells a different story. Bilbo tricks Gollum and steals the Ring, follows Gollum to find the way out, then leaves Gollum to hate him and set in motion the events of the sequel, The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien saw a problem in his already-published work and went back to bring it into line with his vision. While modern creators are often lambasted for making similar changes, Tolkien is often let off without criticism.

The Prerogative of the CreatorBy Kaleb Chowen

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The fact of the matter is, until the author is dead — or they have signed away the intellectual rights — they have complete autonomy over their own creations. They can update, rewrite and revise to their hearts desire. Making attacks against their person for trying to improve upon their own vision gets us no where. It ends up being pointless bickering going around in a circle that ultimately leaves fans and critics in a state. Instead of arguing about their right to change things, we can instead analyze the differences between what they are presenting to us now, as opposed to what they were doing before. Does the altered information give us more insight into what the author intended to get across? Does the disparity between their vision shrink in light of this?

Admittedly, there are critics out there who do this, but more often than not they simply regurgitate the age-old saying, “They changed it, now it sucks.” The gospel truth is this: if you do not find that the changes make for a better story, if you do not find that it increases the depth of the work and the meaning you find within it, do the thing that won’t keep you up at night bemoaning change — ignore it. Keep reading the first editions. Keep watching those VHS tapes. They cannot take away your initial experience and they cannot stop you from reliving it. It is a creator’s prerogative to make their work best reflect their vision, whether it has been published once or a hundred times, but it is the prerogative of the media consumer to choose which version they imbibe. Don’t waste your time worrying over change. Instead, enjoy the media that resonates with your soul.

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To Busk or Not to Busk: a Guide to Surviving

Street Performers: 3 steps and why you should become one.

It’s Sunday morning, you’re lying on the couch in three-day-old jeans eating package after package of ramen because,

let’s face it, you just can’t afford to do anything else. Your three on-campus jobs and double shifts every Tuesday never cover all the dues, so your weekends are spent shirking responsibilities and wallowing in self-pity. I’ve been there too. Then I learned a word that has become both invaluable and monetarily rewarding: busk.

A busker, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is “a person who entertains in a public place for donations.” Up until recently, my experience with buskers, or street performers, was minimal. I knew of a few magicians, jugglers and “live statues,” but that was the extent of my contact with street performance. This past January, however, I picked up my own act when I was first learned how to hula hoop, and though hooping was nothing more than a new-found hobby, it was suggested that I go out on the street with a tip jar. I thought it was crazy, but went ahead and tried it anyway. The experience was rewarding, and I now want to teach you how to be a busker too.

By G

race

Rie

mer

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Street Performers: 3 steps and why you should become one.

Lesson 1: Making Money is Easy.The steps to being a busker are as follows: find a crowd, do something cool, and cash

flows. Granted, a little more thought goes into a street performance, but the steps are that simple. Pick a high traffic area — there should be a large crowd, but one that will move along again in a few minutes. Make sure you pick a spot to set-up your act, regardless of what it is, in a noticeable spot that won’t block or hinder traffic in any way; you do not want to upset any potential patrons. And of course, don’t forget to set up a noticeable tip jar. Be friendly with you crowd, maintain a professional composure and good eye-contact, and soon you’ll have enough to do an extra load of laundry every week. When I broke down my income into hourly rates, I was averaging about $25 an hour, all while doing something that I enjoyed and would have otherwise been doing in my backyard.

Lesson 2: Do What You Love and Love What You Do.This past summer I was honored to have attended a workshop hosted by famous juggler

“Crazy Richard.” Entitled So You Want to be a Busker?, Richard’s workshop described two principles: get your crowd and have fun. He did just that, spending the first 20 minutes yelling at people walking by to come see the show, and the latter half was nothing but jokes. Richard’s lesson was one that I took to heart, and is essential for beginner buskers. But more than just having fun, make sure you are doing something that you are passionate about. For instance, I love to hoop dance, I love seeing other people happy, and I love making money. Buskers deal with insults, dirty looks, catcalls, distressed parents, over-exuberant children, and a plethora of other stressors. Being passionate about your performance alleviates those pressures, and makes it easier to fall in love with what you’re doing.

Lesson 3: Embarrass YourselfYes, embarrass yourself. You have a good spot picked out, you’ve been working

on a slick new routine, and you’re already getting tips. Problemo numero uno: you could be getting more. People love a good laugh, so give them one. Keep wearing that smile, but try telling bad jokes, purposeful missing an “easy” trick and then ace the harder ones, or even let a child perform a safe stunt (pro tip: kids love to get involved and parents like to pay babysitters). Don’t be afraid to throw in a little sarcasm, a little jesting, and even - when appropriate - self-deprecation. More laughs equal more happiness, and happy people forget that dollars add up to more dollars, allowing one or two to slip right into that jar of yours.

So now you know what a busker is and how to be one. Time to put down the Minecraft and get off your couch, start brushing up your fancy skills and go earn some money.

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Hey Lakers!Looking to stay warm this winter without becoming a sell-out? The Compass staff can help you with that.

Have you ever been to a thrift store? If you haven’t, it may already be too late for your mainstream-loving trend-stroking self, but if you can get your head out of the vomitous cloud of crap that the corporate bigwigs are trying to clothe you with, and get down to your local thrift store, you may be able to save yourself some humiliation this season. At the thrift store, you can find older, out-of-date and downright unfashionable clothing for next to

nothing. Here are some helpful tips to start your thick-rimmed glasses steaming with anticipation.

Step One: Sweaters. If it doesn’t have a turtleneck, it is probably worthless. How can you survive the neo-vampire zombie cyber-apocalypse if you just leave your neck open to the elements. Those cyber-viruses are serious things, unlike the basic zombie plagues that Hollywood keeps trying to scare you with. If you absolutely cannot find a turtleneck, you may be able to get away with godawful patterns that will stop any sell-out from looking too hard in your direction for fear of blindness.

Step Two: Pants. The more ridiculous and bright the color of your pants are, the better. Nothing pairs better with a sweater — or a vest (more on those later) — than pants that make you want to burn your own eyes out from how clashing that neon-anything is with your mid-life crisis sweater. It is not a must, but if you want to make sure to distinguish yourself from the crowd and fulfill all your special snowflake needs, make them skinny jeans. They restrict blood-flow to your legs (and other, much more vital bits), but if you put some heat packs in your roller-blade packing shoes, you’ll be able to keep your temperature at safe levels and still retain that chicken-legged look that the mainstream pretends they don’t admire.

Step Three: Vests. Vests do not keep you very warm, but you cannot be complete in your middle-finger-to-society ensemble if you don’t have one. They aren’t really designed to go over a sweater, but who the hell asked the designer for their opinion on how clothing is meant to be worn. Get yourself a vest — preferably one that has a completely different eye-sore pattern than the sweater you are putting it over.

By Kaleb Chowen

Layering Up Without Going Mainstream

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October 10th — It has been a hard year for the Women’s Volleyball program. The team has been plagued by miscues and missed cues, resulting in loss after loss. While this trend was expected to continue, the game against Walsh showed a very different team. At net was a squad that just didn’t want to give up, and while they did end up losing it was not for lack of effort. In two matches they battled back from 12 points down against the Cavaliers, to which Jenna Kilmer was a large contributor.

In this game, it was obvious that they were communicating effectively for the ball and were ready to show some real aggression and determination. The overall team contribution has showed vast improvement — Janelle Nagy and Brooklyn Gerber bring excellent leadership to the floor. Their positioning is focused deeper on the court, allowing for better sets. The team is now keeping up with the competition; in the next two seasons you will see a firm contender for a GLVC conference title. Keep watching them improve!

October 22nd — Keeping the tradition alive, GSLW’s Battleship Tournament’s new rules brought fast play. Earlier in the year, students battled it out in the pool for the title of Battleship Champions. Wednesday night brought round two to the student body.

Played in front of a smaller week-night crowd, the event was still as fun as ever. The rules were more specific this time, with a few added due to previous discrepancies. There was a lot more staff in the pool as well to make sure everyone followed the rules. WLSO was also there to once again set the mood with an upbeat playlist.

There were nine teams of four, meaning that there were three even pools to start off the games. Each team was put in a less than fully functional canoe (they all had holes in them) and let loose with a collection of mismatched buckets.

After the preliminary rounds, it got competitive. The elimination rounds went quickly, with each heat only advancing one team to the next round. Entering into the finals, there was a debate over who would get a certain canoe. With strategy at the forefront of the final match, all of the teams were avoiding the middle boat.

One of the boats sank right away, leaving the last two teams, Edmund Fitzgerald and Hashtag Selfie, to battle each other for the title. Edmund Fitzgerald had a different water throwing technique that proved to be rather effective, while Hashtag Selfie seemed physically incapable of sinking Edmund Fitzgerald and, ironically, the team named after the sunken vessel proved to be victorious.

The finalists all received a t-shirt, and each first place winner also received a $25 gift card to Dunhams.

Sports Battleship: The Unsinkable Edmund Fitzgerald

Laker Volleyball Shows Promise

By Amanda Cady

By Brian Heeke

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The title to this lovely piece is my answer to everyone who doesn’t like rap - usually followed by some kind of rant about their musical Amerocentrism. I like to take rap haters and make them listen to MC Solaar and Supreme NTM, then I tell them to check out the soundtrack to Samaurai Champloo once they’re ready for something in English.

Why? Because different cultures play different music.

French music is my go-to reference because I’ve spent so much time reading essays from French theorists that the language has permanently infected my brain. Apparently, it’s all I speak when I’m really drunk. While I don’t remember my french-speaking

escapades well, I do have a fair memory of my french-listening escapades. Want 70’s electro-rock? Check out La Femme. Want 80’s indie rock? Check out Aline. Want dream pop? Check out Granville. Want enough spoken word to accidentally teach yourself French? Check out Fauve. Want synth-pop moody enough to induce involuntary montages? Check out Edimbourg.

If you’ve taken the time to listen to half of those bands (remember, these aren’t articles; they’re self-help guides) you’ll have noticed the fact that the French love their synth. They bask in it. Revel, even. Their rap is jazzy, their rock is electrified, their pop is tuned to the fine edge of harmless.

If you’re looking for a soundscape, it’ll be francophone (or made by Tycho, because Tycho).

On the other hand, we all know Germany is the best place to find industrial music. If you want it high synths, rusty chuggs, fast paced, with de-tuned vocals, really explore KMFDM. Look at their splinter bands and check out the difference between them and Megahertz or Eisbrecher. Look at their use of background vocals; the way they fill ranges more than they explore them.

Now this isn’t a ‘check these countries for these beats’ article — just head over to ReverbNation and filter by country (if you like metal, check out Norway). This article is about knowing how to

Try it in French.“....No matter what you do, you

need to listen to more music. Turn off the radio, log out of Pandora, leave the pre-made

lists behind. “

A.

Alt.By A.

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subvert your own expectations by looking outside your nationality or language. This is about looking at why we like or dislike music at a very rudimentary level — bpm, dynamic range, instrumentation, vocalization, lyric content, etc - and figuring out where our own tastes fit into that.

If you’ve made it this far, you should already know that France offers hip hop with higher registers, different rhythms, more synth, and less bass. You should know that Germany offers rock and metal that is more industrial and guttural than American music, but at the same time employs more female backup singers, a more diverse soundscape, and an inescapable cultural twist.

German music is German. French music is French.

(anyone complaining about my use of ontological descriptions of musical cultures would do well to remember that essentialism is a French invention, and Hegelianism is a German one)

So let’s say you’re looking for a sound that the genre’s you’re familiar with don’t contain. You’re looking for something that’s high energy with rough vocals, but not as dirty or heavy as metal. You’re looking for the inclusion of more instruments than just drums/

keyboard/guitars, but you’re not looking for some straight-up ska.

Have you ever heard of Balkan rock?

It has energy, it has rough vocals, it has unique instrumentation, and it’s not ska. It’s a genre headlined by Gogol Bordello and Balkan Beatbox (bands formed in America, ironically) and it pushes a sailor-grunge aesthetic that totally tops American grunge. Another term for it? Gipsy punk.

//Insert rant about Beats Antique being totally overplayed and not a true representation of the genre//

American music is popular in Europe because it’s marketed so damn much that people can’t help but listen to it. If you head over and check the European charts, though, there’s a fair bit of music that isn’t American. While we tend to saturate their charts, European music reaches America only through select channels (*cough* house/trance *cough*).

If you swing over to Finland’s top 20 and pull Elastinen out of the stack, you’ll find yourself treated to a beat that doesn’t match the American norm. Will you have to wade through some cultural copycats? Yeah, you will; no genre is free of that. The point is that good music can be

found by going against the grain, deconstructing the assumptions you’ve made about genre, and looking at what’s popular in different cultures.

Hopefully, anyone who’s taking the time to read a music blog knows that restricting yourself to ‘your own cultures’ music is idiotic. On the other hand, taking the time to understand the lyrics is a pretty big thing when you’re listening to foreign music; without it you have no context. You don’t have to hang your hat on what those lyrics mean to you or anything like that; feel free to ignore them once you’ve made sure you’re not listening to gibberish. The point is to make sure you understand the context of the song, and not belt it out on the subway in front of people acculturated enough to be offended.

No matter what you do, you need to listen to more music. Turn off the radio, log out of Pandora, leave the pre-made lists behind. Pick a genre that you struggle with, then pick a country you’re not from — where do they intersect? If you’ve done that with half of the combinations mentioned here, you should have found at least one interesting band.

And if you haven’t, you should probably stop reading.

Try it in French.

Alt.By A.

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GlitchHop is my favorite kind of electronica that isn’t Tycho. Berserk drops some glitch that is filthy, heavy, and funky in all the right ways.

There isn’t much on the net about Berserk, beyond the fact that his/her/their/xir music is associated with The Pooty Club Records, a Spanish label that runs Breaks, Glitch Hop, Dubstep, Electro House, Mid-Tempo, and DnB. All the signs point to Berserk being a fresh face on the Glitch scene with some strong potential, as long as enough work is done on the PR end to get their name out there.

Don’t Kill My Vibe is a two track EP that’s funky enough to be genre-bender for anyone who doesn’t know Glitch Hop. It’s a great entry point for anyone looking to expand their electronica tastes, as well as for those who are entirely new to the soundscape.

Hold on there — we need to talk about a dead guy. No, no, not Motzart, not Chopin, nothing old. We need to talk about Martyn Bennett.

Who? Yeah, Martyn Bennett. ...You’ve never heard of Martyn Bennet?We need to fix that.Martyn was a Scottish musician who

produced a kind of music that’s mostly known as Celtic Fusion; something I like to call Celt Tech. He took bagpipes, violins, traditional vocals, environmental sampling, and spot-on synth work and turned it into something worth listening to.

Unlike the up-and-coming musician at the top of the page here, Martyn won’t be producing any more muisc — he died, at the age of 30, from cancer in 2005. What he did leave, though, is a rich collection of distinct albums and a trust founded in his name, dedicated to supporting muscians with the same depth and talent that he displayed.

Why are you still reading this? Go listen to him.

Berserk — Don’t Kill My Vibe

Martyn Bennett A.26

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StaffWriters

Ben EisenmanBrian Heeke

Courtney BuzzellJessica McKay

Jordyn MuskovinKaleb ChowenMarie Gaedke

Miranda Emaus

Comic ArtistBen Bryer

Editor In ChiefM. Asher Stephenson

Managing EditorJana Luurtsema

Layout ManagerDena Bliss

Lead PhotographerDani Ammel

PhotographersMonique Daignault

Amanda Cady

EditorsGrace Riemer

Want to get in touch with The Compass? Send us an email at [email protected] or stop by our office in the basement of the Cisler Center. We’re always looking for more writers, more photographers, and more designers. Send us your portfolio, and we’ll see what we can do.

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