\IU HH>\1 cV 1\IR\rSS VOL. 104 ISSUE 15 FOGHORN.USFCA.EDU Sophomore Filmmaker to Produce Wyclef Jean Music Video Students Watch LAUREN O'BRIEN Primary Results StaffWriter Unfold on Campus ophomore media studies major Alex Piatt is weU-acquainted with having RICKY ANGEL her work air on USFtv, but now, her S StaffWriter next big project wiU appear on national television. Piatt was selected to direct, edit ebruary 5, The lights in Crossroads and produce the upcoming music video for Cafe shone brighdy, casting dark Wyclef Jean's newest single, which is to be shadows across the room walls. On a remix of his song "President." Parts of F one side of the room a projector hummed, the video wiU be shot at this year's Home­ projecting MSNBC's latest exit poU fig­ coming concert, for which Jean is sched­ ures on the waU, while on the other side, uled to perform, and other parts wiU be a group of students gathered to watch the shot around the USF campus. The video, CNN coverage of the primaries on the big being sent to MTV, wUl bring national at­ screen TV. The entire room buzzed with tention to Piatt and the entire USF com­ excitement as the results from Super Tues­ munity. day filtered in. What started as a phone caU to Jean's Just outside, a table of candidate litera­ manager in regards to filming the concert ture was offered to students. Not everyone took a huge turn when his manager asked was at Crossroads for the event - some Piatt to take on the entire music video. "It people barely realized it was occurring. was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. I However, as the night wore on, Crossroads was kind of freaking out," Piatt said. She became increasingly politicized. Men, explained his vision as the concert being women, students, teachers, Democrats and his political speech for the music video, Republicans showed up for the event. and that "he wanted it to have a 'film stu­ Sitting on a stool, politics professor dent' feel." Corey Cook watched the primaries with Hunter Patterson/Foghorn The song, a remix of his original song amusement. "It's going to be a long night," "President," wiU be more focused and rel­ Alex Piatt poses for a photograph at an editing station in the USFtv office where she serves as programming director for the station. She will now put her film production skills to the test on her upcoming project shooting a music video for Wyclef Jean. he said. "Electoral reform hasn't happened evant to the upcoming presidential elec­ yet, so we're stiU counting baUots the old- tion. "One of the lines is 'Obama, HUlary, "You're going to be on camera. Ladies, coUaborating with a hip-hop beat. New York" as being a song that hits home fashioned way." you've got competition,'" Piatt said. She blow dry your hair, get your naUs done. Jean has been in the business for over for him. He said, "It takes me back to my Though Cook was unable to predict also mentioned that Jean envisions a video Everyone, wear something fresh." 20 years, starting when he was a teen and chUdhood." His Haitian background in­ who would prevaU in the race between with a community feel centering on the Jean describes his music style as "a his mother bought him a guitar to stay out fluenced his music and his message. "The Obama and Clinton, he said, "Senator city of San Francisco and the USF cam­ continuation of Bob Marley," but also of trouble. "That guitar changed my life. idea was to take what people thought was Barack Obama had performed unprece­ pus. "He wants to be on campus and meet "eclectic," because he incorporates many It made me feel like living, like I was rel­ a negative and make it a positive," said dented acts in California by not only going people. It's all about coUege students," said different genres of music into his sound. evant and there was a purpose for living," Wyclef. to the media and avidly campaigning, but Piatt. With lyrics like, "If I was president, I'd get Jean said. Wyclef wUl bring his eclectic style and even going door-to-door." elected on Friday, assassinated on Saturday, Since the theme of the video wiU be He moved to Brooklyn, New York from his positive message to USF this Friday Students were definitely taking no­ and buried on Sunday," the song "Presi­ "Wyclef for President," Jean asked that Haiti at the age of nine and had to adjust at the War Memorial Gym, where he wUl tice. Earlier that day, Lone Mountain had dent" conveys a political message about students attending the concert make signs, to a new way of life. "I couldn't speak Eng­ perform at 8:00 P.M. He stressed that he been flooded with flyers promoting Barack the importance of expressing the truth to posters or anything that could reiterate the lish, and I had to try to find myself,"he said. wanted everyone know about the music PRIMARY: Continued on Page 2 political theme for the concert. He said, the people. It's a mix of reggae and guitar, Jean commented on the song "Heaven's in video and come looking "fresh." Mary Madden Speaks on the Future of the Internet LAURA PLANTHOLT digital footprint is the key to appeasing beta testing phase, wiU use facial recog­ News Editor these worries. "Americans are becom­ nition software to scout out pictures of ing more aware of their digital footprint," people, regardless of whether their name n the beginning, man created the in­ Madden said. She noted that a recent Pew has been tagged to that photo. Even tech- ternet, and it was difficult to navigate, poU had discovered 47% of Americans had sawy Madden seemed fearful of this con­ Iand people had personal home pages "Googled" themselves, or entered their cept. She said, "I'm hoping that it won't that they cluttered with blurry photos and name into a search engine. WhUe 47% is work that weU and people won't want to animated gifs. Then, the people were given a lot, she said, "That means more than half participate." Ultimately, like many sites Livejournal, MySpace, and Facebook, and of Americans have not searched for them­ out there today, Polar Rose would rely on there was much rejoicing. They caUed this selves." user participation. new internet Web 2.0, and it was never to Performing such a search does not al­ Sites relying on user-generated content be the same again. ways yield accurate results, Madden not­ are becoming increasingly popular, and As a part of the Spring 2f)08 Davies ed. She learned this firsthand when she are the signature feature of the new Web Forum on Digital Literacy, Mary Madden, searched for her own name, and learned 2.0. Yelp and Amazon, for example, which an internet researcher for the Pew Internet of another Mary Madden, who not only rely on users to review places and products and American Life Project, came to USF shared her name, but also shared her pro­ respectively, are themselves a puzzle to be to speak on the evening of February 7. fession as an internet researcher. When the studied. Davies Forum professor David Maddens research specializes in teens' and two began erroneously receiving each oth­ SUver said, "I don't know who aU these coUege students' use of the internet, from ers' e-maUs, they were forced to commu­ people are writing book reviews on Ama­ how they employ social networking sites nicate and straighten out their identities. zon or restaurant reviews%on Yelp, but it's to issues with inteUectual property rights, "We actuaUy discovered we had quite a lot incredibly generous," he said. music and movie piracy. WhUe there is a in common and had a good laugh over if," What would inspire so, many individu­ lot of discussion of the benefits of the new, Madden said. Ultimately, a person's digi­ als to write these incredibly eloquent and interactive world wide web, Madden asked tal footprint may or may not portray who detaUed reviews for no monetary compen­ "What are the trade-offs of embracing this they reaUy are, and this can be worrisome sation? Madden suggested it may even be Alexandra ViUegas/Foghorn technology?" to some. an answer to Americans' hopeless sense Mary Madden, a researcher for the Pew Internet and American Life Project, was the first speaker in this spring's Davies Forum on Digital Literacy. Madden suggested that having some In fact, it is becoming such a prevalent of consumerism. "We are aU consumers," kind of presence on the web will become concern that businesses such as Reputa­ she said. "It is part of our identity in the virtuaUy unavoidable as the internet be­ tion Defender are popping up with the U.S. But when people can share their ex­ many diverse reasons is what sparked the eracy could maybe even be a core course comes more incorporated in American sole purpose of cleaning up people's on­ periences with others, it makes them more course's conception in the first place. "I'm someday. These issues affect everyone." life. She cited that 75% of adults and 90% line presence. Reputation Defender is a than just consumers." part of the Digital Literacy Task Force on Senior Amber McChesney-Young, who of teenagers regularly use the internet, and service that, for a fee of $10 a month, wUl Madden was just the first in a line of campus," SUver said, "which gets input for is one of the seven Davies Forum students, one in ten people are required to maintain scour the internet for a customer's name Davies Forum speakers to come to the students, deans, people in Computer Sci­ has found the class to be reaUy enlighten­ an online identity for their careers.