Following the successful Mac Miller concert in September, Student Entertainment Events (SEE) announced that indie-rock band Ra Ra Riot will headline the fall concert, with local rapper Logic opening.

Coming out of Syracuse, N.Y., Ra Ra Riot is well known in the alternative music community for their energetic shows and use of unconventional instruments, like an electric violin and cello. In 2008, SPIN Magazine’s Peter Gaston called the group “one of the best young bands we’ve heard in a really long time.”

The band is closely tied with the likes of Vampire Weekend and Death Cab For Cutie, with DCFC’s Chris Walla mixing nine of the 10 tracks on Ra Ra Riot’s most recent album, The Orchard.

However, it is their up-and-coming status that has left some students worried. When this article went to print, tickets to the show were still available.

“To be honest, I have no idea who Ra Ra Riot is,” senior criminology major Kim Fullum said.

Others, like sophomore fire protection engineering major Steve Ernst, needed to do a little research before making the decision to buy tickets.

“I had heard of Ra Ra Riot before but never checked out their music, so when I heard that they were coming to campus, I checked them out and now I’m really excited to see them,” he commented.

But while Ra Ra Riot isn’t universally known (yet), students who do know and love the band are thrilled to have them come to College Park.

Freshman music education and vocal performance major Michael Brisentine said, “I know they’re gosh-darn good, and I’m psyched for everyone else to learn about them!”

“I think it was a good choice because they are a really good band,” freshman journalism major Jessica Wiley added. “I haven’t seen them before, but I’m sure it will be a good show. They seem like the kind of band that would put on a really fun live performance.”

Drake’s sophomore album “Take Care” is one of the latest new music releases to be leaked to the public – and he has had one of the most nonchalant reactions.

Upon discovering his album had leaked approximately 10 days before its Nov. 15 release date, Drake tweeted “Listen, enjoy it, buy it if you like it…and take care until next time.” In today’s musical climate, a premature album release isn’t the kiss of death it once was.

“Every artist now pretty much leaks,” senior government and politics major Cameron McKibben said. “Even Katy Perry’s albums leak.”

Do these leaks mean he’ll still buy an artist’s albums?

“I would never buy it,” McKibben said. “I would support The Beatles but not artists like Drake.”

“If it leaks and there’s a good song on it, I’ll check it out,” senior behavior and community health major Mohamed Kallon agreed. “I would really have to like the artist to actually buy it.

Lil Wayne’s album leaked five days early, and his reaction was similar. “”It just means people want to hear it,” he said to MTV News correspondent Jim Cantiello after the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards. “I mean, ’cause there’re people’s albums that come out that can be leaked and don’t leak, so
I’m glad mines leaked.”

Some artists have altered their album releases due to leaks. Dr. Dre is replacing some leaked tracks from his long-in-process “Detox” album with brand new material. Other artists have been able to avoid leaks completely. Kanye West and Jay-Z’s “Watch the Throne” album made it through the
production process without any leaked tracks.

While leaks can occur due to press copies of albums being uploaded online to physical CDs being lifted from assembly lines, the tough world of music sales in an Internet-based world could lead to other sources.

“It’s the business of people trying to figure out how to improve sales,” said Kallon.

So do musicians care, in the end, whether or not their album gets leaked to the public a few days ahead of schedule?

“I think they aren’t worrying about the business stuff,” said Kallon.

McKibben added, “They’re still going to get a decent paycheck.”

Nice

Wilco: The Whole Love

At first listen, the tracks on Wilco’s album seem disconnected. However, the lyrics provide continuity
that allows the opener, “Art of Almost” and the closer, “One Sunday Morning,” to serve as bookends.
The album is risky yet contained, a step forward but also a step back to what Wilco does best.

Jay-Z/Kanye West: Watch the Throne

“Watch the Throne” displays the collaboration between Jay-Z and Kanye. Jay-Z proves his lyrical abilities
yet again and Kanye brings his usual emotional heat. While most of the album involves the two talking
about themselves, the social commentary still pushes through and makes up for their bragging. Some
have called the album messy, but this isn’t one that requires a theme — the rhymes are just too good.

La Dispute: Wildlife

“Wildlife” by La Dispute is disturbing in the best way. Even if you’re not a fan of concept albums, this
one is worth a listen. Each track shines individually, but together they form a narrative about a writer
unable to tell the difference between reality and fiction. Morgan Burnett, a sophomore engineering
major, said, “Never before have I had to stop what I’m doing to just sit and listen to an album.”

Naughty

LMFAO: Sorry for Party Rocking

“Sorry for Party Rocking” is truly sorry. Do dance pop stripped bare and synth riffs over techno beats
sound like things you’d enjoy if you weren’t partaking in activities of questionable legality? If you
answered yes, have no fear – you won’t notice when the next set of trite party singles take over.

Lou Reed and Metallica: Lulu

The hilarity of the album is overshadowed by the realization that Metallica was involved. Lou Reed
recites the entire script of two 20th century plays over bad Metallica demos. I wish we could print the
lyrics; unfortunately it’s vulgar enough that you’ll have to look it up on your own.

Vanilla Ice: WTF

“WTF” is an accurate analysis of Ice’s latest album, on which the only connecting factor are his ridiculous
lyrics. Ice takes on every genre imaginable, from featuring Insane Clown Posse on “Born on Halloween”,
to the country classic “Good Times.” According to sophomore Alex Chacinski, “This I would never play,
not even in my car.”

In January 1967, The Rolling Stones were set to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show to perform their new single “Let’s Spend The Night Together.” However, that’s not exactly what happened.

Sullivan and CBS told the band that because of the suggestive title of the song, they had to alter it to “Let’s Spend Some Time Together” in order for it to be aired on TV. The band did as they were told, but not without a lot of attitude and eye-rolling that the cameras definitely caught.

Now, fast forward to May 2011 when Rihanna was set to perform the song “S & M” at the Billboard Music awards and was allowed.

“I honestly can’t believe that the line ‘sex in the air, I don’t care, I love the smell of it,’ was allowed on TV, but The Rolling Stones had to censor their song,” psychology major Hanna Hutter said. “It’s really crazy how much things have changed.”

Since the 1960s, people have become much more exposed to risqué lyrics and themes in songs. Though it took some time, each generation became freer with what they wrote about.

Though the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ultimately controls what can be aired, over the years they seem to have become more lenient with their policies.

“So many inappropriate songs are played on the hits radio stations,” history major Mandy Brownholtz said. “I only care because my little sister starts singing along to them. I think a little bit more thought should go into what can be heard on public outlets.”

On the other hand, our generation has basically become immune to the music that some would think is crude. It’s hard to tell exactly where in history that shift occurred, but at this point, there’s no turning back to stricter censorship.

“People are more okay with that stuff now,” psychology major Ryan Carmody said. “They’re just words after all.”

Picture your favorite childhood board game or toy. Think about how it looks, what the rules were, what the toy did. Chances are these toys and games recall memories of playing with your family or friends – not ideas for potential movies.

Classic board games and childhood toys have become source material for upcoming feature films, amidst the array of sink-or-swim adaptations from television shows and books that have at least been occasional successes.

Universal Studios is in the process of adapting several Hasbro products into movies, including the Stretch Armstrong toy and board games Battleship, Monopoly and Candyland. While it is assumed there will be more to the plots of these game movies than just actors moving around a board, some students have mixed reactions to the thought of films based on Battleship and Monopoly.

“I think that both these games have the potential to translate well on the big screen,” said junior environmental policy major Mia Zavilij. “I can definitely see Battleship becoming a very action packed movie, which people love. There’s a lot of potential for Monopoly as well – maybe it will be a movie about corruption.”

Junior electrical engineering major Jason Arora, however, isn’t so sure.

“[Battleship] sounds pretty terrible,” he said.  “It’s too simple, unless they added a storyline that would be completely different. Maybe they could do ‘Occupy Wall Street’ Monopoly, I don’t know.”

Eliza Rownaghi, a senior graphic design major, was also skeptical about how these movies would fare at the box office.

“The only way I see these movies being semi-successful is if they only loosely follow the game in the overall plot of the movie,” Rownaghi said. “Also, I think these movies are going to attract a much smaller audience. Depending on how they write the movie I could only see these working for little kids.”

While previously expected to be released in April 2011, “Stretch Armstrong” starring Taylor Lautner is still in the works.

“People will go see it if only because they had the toy and loved it – or they love Taylor Lautner,” said Arora.

Rownaghi said she thinks there are plenty of books that would provide much better plotlines than those inspired by a toy.

“Stretch Armstrong sounds like a terrible movie,” Rownaghi said. “This to me just seems like another desperate attempt from Hollywood to come up with another shabby movie idea where they use a popular actor to get publicity.”

Arora suggested the popular “Where’s Waldo?” series as a possible basis for a movie. If loosely adapted from the books, the movie could become “a Jason Bourne-type of thing – except he always has to wear red and white stripes,” Arora said.

However, Rownaghi was still skeptical.

“I feel like it would just end up being another stupid comedy movie rather than an actual movie people will like,” she said.

Watching holiday movies has evolved into a crucial part of the holiday experience. For many Americans, gathering to watch classic films like “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” or “It’s a Wonderful Life” during the holidays is as much a family tradition as exchanging gifts under the tree or lighting a menorah.

Photo by Krista Stuchhio

However, many recent holiday movies have failed to make it into the canon of revered holiday films, due to what some students identify as a shift away from classic values and toward the trite and the trivial.

“[Classic holiday movies] have such a powerful yet simplistic message. Back then, they didn’t really need all of the flash and bang or the drama to really make a really great movie that has stood the test of time,” said senior kinesiology major Kristina Dutcher. “Nowadays it’s more about marketing strategies, the demographics, and what’s going to hold their attention.”

In general, students seem to prefer modern holiday films that embody the magical holiday ambiance prevalent in classic holiday movies but also include a modern comedic spin. Dutcher cited the 1994 film “The Santa Clause,” which outlines the transformation of a cynical man (Tim Allen) into a jolly Santa Claus after he inadvertently kills the original St. Nick , as one of her favorite modern holiday flicks.

“It really just keeps the childhood magic of Christmas alive and that whole spirit within the movie,” Dutcher said.

Leonard Klady, a critic of the entertainment website Variety, praised “The Santa Clause” as a “hip, likable spin on the seasonal icon told with a deft mixture of comedy and sentimentality.”

The 2003 film “Elf” tells the story of a man named Buddy (Will Ferrell) who must struggle against his upbringing as an elf in the North Pole to function in the real world in the same fantasy-dramedy tradition. Mike LaSalle of The San Francisco Chronicle describes the film as “funny and intelligently made, a film for kids and adults that’s both sweet and sardonic.”

While students are captivated by movies like “The Santa Clause” and “Elf”, which provide a modern twist to classical tales of the holiday spirit, they rue films that omit the conventions of traditional holiday movies.

Freshman biology major Chloe Goldfarb said she disliked the 2008 movie “Four Christmases” and the 2004 film “Christmas with the Kranks.”

“They deal with relationships and not so much about family and Christmastime,” Goldfarb said. “They just made Christmas seem like a hassle and had unrealistic family drama.”

Critics seem to share Goldfarb’s contempt for holiday movies of this brand: “Four Christmases” received a 26 percent on “Rotten Tomatoes” and “Christmas with the Kranks” received a dismal 4 percent.

Although many students and critics seem to share a common love for sentimental, funny holiday films and a collective disdain for morally-dry Christmas flicks, there are also those who go against the apparent norm. Freshman kinesiology major Evan Singleton appreciated “Four Christmases” because “it’s a little different from usual Christmas movies.”

“Christmas is so uptight and people are always stressed out, and I guess that kind of mirrors it, but at the same time it’s really funny too,” Singleton said.

Tastes in movies may vary, but ultimately the most important characteristic of holiday films is their ability to bring families and friends together for quality time during the holidays—a priceless attribute that no film rating site or critic can adequately measure.

When the short, silent film “The Kiss” was released in 1896, it was considered extremely scandalous for its portrayal of a couple sharing a kiss. Audiences at the time were unaccustomed to this subject being portrayed so vividly and publicly.

Over one hundred years later, a lot has changed in the movie industry and in American culture. Kissing in films today is far from shocking, with children’s movies often featuring on-screen smooches.

However, films today are not immune to scandal, as it is simply the definition of “scandalous” that has changed over the years.

In 2010, the film “Blue Valentine” starring Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling garnered positive feedback from critics and generated Oscar buzz. It also earned an NC-17 rating from the Motion Picture Association of America for a sex scene between the two main characters. The film eventually won an appeal to receive an R rating with the argument that other movies featuring more graphic sex and violence were granted R ratings.

For junior Ashley Gallienne, the film “Borat” was one of the first movies to shock her with its sexual content.

“It featured a lot of sex acts, in a lot of different situations,” said Gallienne. She did feel that, despite such content, the movie’s R rating was fair.

Similarly to “Blue Valentine,” the 1997 film “Scream” initially received an NC-17 rating due to controversial content, in this case excessive gore. The filmmakers ended up cutting several seconds from some of the killing scenes, allowing it to pass with an R rating, according to “Scream: The Inside Story.”

While sex and violence have become more pervasive in films over the decades, some argue that violence is much more accepted by an audience than sex.

Junior psychology major Leyla Babaturk said she believes that the MPAA ratings system is flawed and allows violence to receive a more lenient rating than sexuality. As a result, younger audiences are being exposed to extreme violence that may be harmful to them in the long run, she said.

“Movies may be more leniently rated towards violence,” said Gallienne, specifically mentioning PG-13 ratings. “It seems more acceptable for a 13-year-old kid to watch a fight rather than to watch things of a sexual nature.”

Lareine Karpouzian, a junior public health major, agreed that violence and sexuality seem to be weighed differently.

“Films are getting more provocative than they used to be, and I think it’s because society is so centered around sex and physicality,” Karpouzian said. “Violence, however, is more acceptable because there seems to be some sort of taboo about showing nudity and sex.”

It’s all about family for the Terrapins gymnastics team.

“It has always been a family here,” coach Brett Nelligan said.

Nelligan took over the gymnastics program in May 2009 after serving six years as an assistant coach under his father, Bob “Duke” Nelligan, who led the Terps for 31 seasons.

Born and raised in College Park, Nelligan seemed destined to coach gymnastics. While his father coached the Terps, his mother coached at Hills Gymnastics in Gaithersburg, where she helped produced three Olympians. His uncle was a men’s college coach, and won a bronze medal at the 1976 Olympics.

Nelligan trained in Columbia and competed for the University of Massachusetts, where he helped his team qualify for NCAA nationals for the first time in school history.

After college, several universities offered Nelligan coaching positions, but he elected to return to College Park.

Nelligan used his years as an assistant to study to the Terps program, taking careful mental notes that have served him well since taking over for his father.

“I took everything that he built as the foundation and just intensified it,” Nelligan said. “Intensified training, the way we recruit, the way we market our meets. We are just bringing everything to the next level.”

The Terps went undefeated in East Atlantic Gymnastics League play last season, en route securing their third consecutive NCAA Regionals appearance.

“We are definitely a growing program,” junior criminology and criminal justice major Ally Krikorian said. “We’re just making our way to the top.”

Krikorian said Nelligan is a great motivator. He knows when to joke around, and when it’s time to get down to business.

“The vibe is all about positive reinforcement,” Nelligan said. “That’s what the program was built on when my father was here, and I believe in positive coaching and recruiting. We are either going to do it right or we are not doing to do it at all.”

Senior journalism major Becca Pang remembers when Duke and Brett both served the team.

“It was already like having a second family,” Pang said. “Brett is able to bring a new energy to the team, focus on recruiting top gymnasts and focus on the little things that make a big difference score-wise.”

The Terps set a program attendance record with more than 1,200 fans in a meet last year. They have set a goal to reach 3,000 fans for their breast cancer meet in February.

“I would trust Brett with my life,” Krikorian said. “He is easy to talk to, and he loves our team as a whole and wants us to be successful gymnasts as well as people.”

Nelligan’s focus has been about positive support and hard work, and that’s not just restricted to the gym.

“I get to see the student athletes transition from wide-eyed freshmen to women taking on the world,” Nelligan said. “We continue to set goals and learn new things, in and out of the gym.”

Photo by Chelsea Director

By: Rachel Barron

Stacy London and Clinton Kelly would have a field day if ever given the chance to see what some Maryland students dare to wear. While every day is not a fashion show, it is still important to stop and think: Should I really be wearing this right now?  For events like classes, parties and job interviews, there are particular items that should just be left at home.

Nothing says, “I just rolled out of bed and didn’t even brush my teeth,” more than showing up to class in pajama pants.  Whether the pants are plaid, striped, solid, or polka-dotted, they all send the same message; carelessness.

There’s a reason why pajama pants are called pajama pants, and that is because they are meant to be worn to bed not to class.  Even if class begins bright and early at 8:00 a.m., there is no excuse; a pair of jeans or shorts can be equally as comfy.

Photo by Chelsea Director

Freshman aerospace engineering major Lauren Powers said that “a little bit of extra effort in the morning can go a long way.  It is still possible to wear jeans and be comfortable yet presentable.”

At parties, everyone wants to put their best feet forward, but girls should think twice if that foot is clad in an UGG.

Freshman dietetics major Elizabeth Haaser felt that Uggs are “ugly and going to get ruined at a party from alcohol spilling all over them.”

Despite the prospect of destroying $150 boots, Uggs do not belong at parties because they are casual.  They are the kind of boots that are worn for the sole purpose of keeping feet warm on lazy days, not for making a fashion statement.

Instead, go for a pair of Steve Madden leather boots.  They will be comfortable enough to walk around in, yet cute enough to fit in with the dressier atmosphere at parties.

Unless one is going for the look of a Hollister or Abercrombie & Fitch model, ditch the polos when attending a job interview.

Carol Monical, program director of the University Career Center & The President’s Promise, asserted that “it is never appropriate to wear a polo shirt to a job interview…it is too casual.”

Not to mention that a polo with a glaringly obvious name-brand seagull or moose logo makes a prospective employee look immature and stuck in high school. For a more professional and mature look, go for a long-sleeve button-down.

Freshman physics major Gray Symon concured that wearing a polo to a professional job interview sends a bad message; it shows that the candidate “is not serious about the interview, doesn’t care about getting the position, or doesn’t know anything about how to interview properly.”

The sports world recently discovered that former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky was charged with 40 counts of sexual abuse of eight boys spanning several decades.

Amid the allegations, the issue of trust within sports has been the topic of many discussions. The seed of doubt planted in the minds of parents and young athletes is nothing short of toxic.

“If someone who is a sexual predator, as Mr. Sandusky is alleged to be, they use a position of authority to manipulate the younger person,” sports psychologist Casey Cooper said. “Typically, with their respect for authority and the desire to please this person that they look up to, there is usually not a lot of physical resistance.”

Most unsettling for the Maryland community is the fact that Sandusky interviewed for the Terps’ head football coaching position in 1991 and 1996.

The nightmare happening in a place many call “Happy Valley” could be happening in College Park.

In an interview with the Washington Times, former Maryland Athletic Director Andy Geiger said, “This is the worst thing I’ve ever seen. I’m sitting in my living room shaking I’m so appalled.”

Sandusky founded the non-profit youth organization “The Second Mile” in 1977. The organization’s mission is “challenging young people to achieve their potential as individuals and community members by providing opportunities for them to develop positive life skills and self-esteem,” according to its website.

Junior journalism major Josh Fendrick said the breach of trust in this situation could have a lasting impact.

“As a society, we are rapidly moving toward parents being overly concerned about their kids,” Fendrick said. “Now this adds a whole new layer of conflict to this because it wasn’t some random guy who was allegedly out there preying on kids. This was a beloved figure, a guy who had founded an organization that appeared to be doing very charitable work, but instead he was allegedly using it to prey on targets.”

Senior Zachary Crowley said there is too much emphasis on the scandal due to Sandusky’s high-profile stature.

“Just because he was a football coach, that’s why it gets all this coverage?” Crowley said. “This happens all the time. We just don’t want to think about it.”

As the nation struggles to find answers, renewed emphasis must be placed on preventing a similar scandal from arising in the future.

“If we can teach our kids from a young age, in a healthy way, to be cautious of all adults in terms of them walking on water, I think that is a good thing,” Cooper said. “These alleged victims were targeted for a reason, and that is because they are the least likely to report [a sexual assault].”