FIRST COPY FREE 50£jeach ridCALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITeY SAN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER www.thecsusmpride.com TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2009 VOL. XXII NO. 5 THAT'S NSIDE Local band headlining SOMA show this Friday BY JACKIE CARBAJAL but things went well and the rest, as ns Editor In Chief they say, is history." Though Trains and Clouds' Face- On weekend nights, the doors at book page categories the band into SOMA open to fans of a range of the Indie/Alternative/Pop genre, the musical acts from the more main- band members themselves are hesi- stream such as Dashboard Con- tant to define their sound. fessional, Panic! At the Disco, and "I would describe the sound of Thrice to up-and-coming acts like Trains and Clouds as a mixture Forever the Sickest Kids and Boys of themes rather than a handful Like Girls. For local bands, getting of genres. To me, genres are silly the opportunity to perform at this because they are often times pinned hidden venue located across from to a certain lifestyle or countercul- fts & Entertainment the San Diego Sports Arena is a ture," said Macias. "When that hap- big step up from jam sessions in the pens, fens seem to alienate them- Sunshine garage. This Friday, Oct. 23, two of selves from genres of music because Hits of CSUSM's very,own will perform „theyiJon^ with the rest of their band, Trains and associated with those who do look Clouds, as the headliners at SOMA'S the part" next show. As a guitarist, Macias' techni- The band's current four-man roster cal influences include John Mayer, includes CSUSM's Philip "Felipe" Jesse Barrera (My American Heart), Macias on guitar and Ben RofTee on Justin Shekoski (Saosin), and Jona- bass, with locals Drew "Drewski" than Paine. Carillo on drums and Jonny Paine "In our music, there is a synthesis on piano and vocals. of a lot of different influences into Trains and Clouds originated back something that is straightforward and feSee Page 6 in 2007 when current members, relentlessly melodic. We're not some Carillo and Paine, teamed up with forcefully abstract, self-professed ricks & Treats two other long-time friends, Isaac 'experimental' pretentious indie rock Zagunis and Olin Brown. With the band," said Roffee. "There is some- band formation complete, they went thing natural and communicative in straight into writing music, develop- the way we write and it seems like a ing a distinct sound. In typical fash- lot of people have an easy time con- ion, however, the group had yet to necting to our music. We make no come up with a name. apologies for ambiguities in describ- During a brainstorming session, ing our music, there is so much more one member asked the others what explained in the process of discover- Images courtesy of Trams they each liked doing. ing it than we could ever try to iterate Armada, and Wintercolour. Tick- SOMA prides itself on exposing the "One of us said 'Stare into the in words." ets are $8.00 with doors opening at community, especially local youth, clouds,' while another answered, 'I This emerging band, with tracks 7:00pm. to music and entertainment in a drug like to think and gather my thoughts such as "Oh Sailor" and "Sketch "People should come out to the and alcohol free environment. on train rides,' so we put two and two Alley Memorial," promises to show show because we are a band that fills The venue also supports various together and came up with Trains the crowd a good time this Friday. the room with our energy," said Car- charities including "Stand Up Fear and Clouds' representing thought or "Our music is for everybody. illo. "If you enjoy a good live stow Kids" and "Street of Dreams: Musi- the thinking process," said Carillo. We try to create music for all age we definitely recommend coming cians for Education." By pre-order- p See Page 8 Shortly after the band began per- groups and tunes that people want out to our show this Friday" ing tickets online through hmatiks. forming at venues such as SOMA, to hear over again," says Macias. According to its website, SOMA com, a portion of the purchase goes op Scary Movies Zagunis and Brown opted out of the "The songs we write together are is committed to "teaching new talent on to benefit "Homeless Teens of band. Remaining members, Carillo our favorite songs, so it's even more how to market and progress through San Diego." and Paine, later added Macias and enjoyable when we can share them the industry while offering a safe and Anyone interested in checking out RofFee to the revised group. with an audience." energetic environment for those Trains and Clouds for music clips "When Jon told me that Trains and Openers and more information can visit Clouds was looking for a bassist, I for the Oct. out the band's various social asked them if I could try out," networking pages on Twit- said Roffee. "I didn't have any ter, Facebook, and real experience as a bassist Myspace. and only very minimal bass equipment Tuesday October 20, 2009 Viewpoint THE PRIDE THE (ÌBRIDE AB656 and higher education BY ALBERTO TORRICO already imposes an oil sever- ance tax and our proposed 9.9 EPITQRIAI STAFF For better or worse, "'Project Natal" Majority Leader of the California State Assembly percent is considerably less EDITOR IN CHIEF is going to change our world than the 25 percent tax levied JACKIE CARBAJAL California's system of in Alaska. Last year alone, FACES AND PLACES BY BILL RHEIN senses danger. higher education is at a break- Exxon Mobil earned a $45.2 EDITOR This is just ing point. billion profit, the most ever by MATT LEWIS Senior Staff Writer another example Last month, almost 10,000 a publicly traded U.S. company. ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Over this past of a private proj- students, staff and faculty at And the year before was nearly EDITOR summer, Microsoft ect that has poten- UC campuses literally walked as lucrative: Exxon profited SANDRA CHALMERS gave a jaw-dropping tial to inspire new out on the first day of classes $40.6 billion, Shell $31.3 bil- COPY EDITOR preview of Project technology. This in protest. The crisis is just as lion, British Petroleum $20.8 AMY SALISBURY Natal at the E3 video parallels Google's severe on our state university billion and Chevron $18.7 bil- lion. LAYOUT EDITOR game conference. work with NASA campuses and throughout our RUDY MARTINEZ Though home gaming to create Google community college system. AB 656 will redirect a frac- technology has sky- Earth, a map of In order to close the gap tion of these profits to the DISTRIBUTION MANAGER ARIANNE SCHULZ rocketed this decade, this new earth made from satellite caused by ongoing state place where California needs device is a serious leap forward. shots in the public domain, budget cuts, UC, Community it most: our higher educa- BUSINESS MANAGER & Essentially, Project Natal is a which everyone from survey- College and Cal State schools tion system. It has never been SALES REPRESENTATIVE ors to police officers utilize to more important to make sure KRISTINA LAWLER component for the XBOX 360 have proposed additional fee PRIDEJUDS#CSUSM.EDU that incorporates motion track- their advantage. increases up to 41% and cuts the Californian workforce is ing and voice recognition that As exciting as this is on a that would devastate aca- prepared with a quality edu- ADVISOR cation. A Public Policy Insti- JOAN ANDERSON turns the human body into a purely fun level for video demic programs and increase controller. Rather than handling games, it also harkens to sci- class sizes. tute of California study found SENIOR STAFF WRITERS a pair of joysticks, direction ence fiction horror. The actual This one-two punch of that at least 41% of workers BILL RHEIN pads, colored buttons, Natal device looks eerily similar to higher costs and reduced will need a Bachelor's degree PRIDE STAJFF WRITERS is a camera that watches the HAL9000, the homicidal and academic programs couldn't to meet the state's projected JORDAN VERDIN player and relates user activity psychotic computer system come at a more dif- economic needs by IRISH CORRIGAN the year 2025. But BLAINE H. MOGIL in actions on the television. from the Stanley Kubrick ficult time, as ARIANNE SHULZ Instead of pushing buttons to film, "2001: A Space Odys- students face skyrocketing JAMES ROCHE make a character run and kick, sey." Or if this got combined the worst job tuition and fee IVAN GARCIA with robots we may find our- increases will MAEVE CAMPLISSON the player can run in place and market in W^f swing their leg. Natal translates selves in the apocalyptic decades and put a quality this, or any activity into what world prescribed by the "Ter- are increas- college edu- appears on screen. The video minator" series. ingly bur- cation out of on the XBOX website reveals Yet nothing about this dened by reach for too all the early potential for this device is scarier than the idea mounting many Cali- project. of the government using it to debt. $ fornians. This device, backed by monitor and subdue the pop- It's time Our state's Steven Spielberg, will inevi- ulation in a future similar to to take action universities George Orwell's "1984." 0 tably change other aspects of to save Califor- °Hrtesy ofCatii *" generate billions life. A device similar to Natal For now, I am counting nia's higher education of dollars in economic could monitor the surgeon's down until Project Natal hits system.