Northwestern College, Iowa NWCommons The Beacon, 2011-2012 The Beacon 9-30-2011 The Beacon, September 30, 2011 Beacon staff Follow this and additional works at: https://nwcommons.nwciowa.edu/beacon2011 This News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the The Beacon at NWCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Beacon, 2011-2012 by an authorized administrator of NWCommons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Volume 84 - Issue 3 September 30, 2011 Campus welcomes ARCICAL alumni F BY CHARITY SPRINGER This Homecoming and family weekend there will be ANTASY a number of different events F for students and families to enjoy together. To kick off Homecoming, Northwestern’s production Children’s show gives of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will open at 7 new look to ‘Midsummer p.m. Friday, Sept. 30 in the DeWitt Theatre Arts Center’s Night’s Dream’ Proscenium Theatre. There will be a second showing at 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1. by Tyler Lehmann Later Friday evening, 2005 NW graduate Laura Gould will be giving a concert in the Hub at 8 p.m. Gould lives in New York City and has an album called This Heart on iTunes. During her performance, the Hub will take one dollar off of every drink ordered. The Red Raider Road Race will begin at 8:30 a.m. PHOTO BY BOB LATCHAW Saturday at the De Valois Junior Shelby Vander Molen acts out one of the many characters she plays from the department’s new children’s play, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Stadium. The race is open to Shakespeare’s fantastical world, complete with the evening of Sept. 30, at 7 p.m. in the theatre’s This minimalistic cast plays mixed-up lovers, all ages. Participants can run a troublemaking fairy, a donkey-headed man Black Box. with each actor playing four to six separate either the 4K or the 8K course. and a magic wand showdown, was set loose in The playful take on Shakespeare’s classic character roles. Registration costs $15 or $20 Northwestern College’s theater. comedy of mistaken identity and unrequited love “The most difficult thing for me was working depending on the course and A frolicsome adaptation of “A Midsummer is directed by NW theatre alumna Rachel Foulks on making my characters distinct so they didn’t Night’s Dream,” chosen by NW’s theatre department and features a cast of four students: junior Shelby slide into each other and start to blend,” See “Homecoming” on for this year’s children’s play, premiered on Vander Molen, sophomore Isaiah Custer, junior Page 12 Thursday and will open for general audiences Ali Sondreal and junior Tiemen Godwaldt. See “Midsummer” on Page 4 Parachuting gerbils in chapel set high bar for NW pranks BY STEVE MAHR next may be remembered Whatever the sound, right A victorious ping rang forever as the best prank after, three floating rodents its digital chime into the ever pulled in the history of came out of a small hole, sacred chapel air, tipping off Northwestern College. gerbils to be precise. Gerbils students that somebody up Mark Bloemendaal, wearing parachutes. in the balcony had just scored Director of Alumni and “There was a huge gasp,” a touchdown on Mattel Class of 1981 alumnus, was Van Oort said. Football video game. sitting in the back of the Not only were they Up at the podium was chapel. Chaplain Harlan Van parachuting gerbils, but a theatre professor Scott Oort (Class of 1982) and Vice banner was attached wishing PHOTO COURTESY OF NORTHWESTERN COLLEGE Patterson. Or maybe it was President for Advancement, the crowd well. Prior to the construction of Christ Chapel, Northwestern students attended services in the old building Rev. Jerry Sittser. At the time, Jay Wielenga (Class of “Then out of the hole came that stood in the same location. Iowa’s Lt. Governor was 1982), were sitting in the a banner with the words slowing their descent, but I don’t remember that, to grow on campus as Terry Branstad, Seth Rogen balcony. Bill Koster (Class ‘Merry Christmas from the the gerbils’ legs scurried just a great deal of laughter speculation grew. was in diapers and up in of 1981) was smack dab in 100-something Airborne,’” quickly. The chapel was and applause. I think even “It was the talk of the the chapel attic were some the middle. He remembers Bloemendaal said. filled with laughter. the professors and the campus for many weeks, and mischievous men. Who these an alarm clock going off. With strings tied tightly “As the legend grew, administrators applauded many legends surrounding men were remains a mystery. Wielenga and Bloemendaal around their torsos and girls screaming and chaos such creativity,” Koster said. But what followed remember a whistle. miniature parachutes breaking out was reported, The story continued See “Pranks” on Page 5 2 Blink-182 all (or at least mostly) grown up BY KATI HENG The guitars and the drums proudly hold their head high. while he’s singing about A&C EDITOR sound familiar, but that’s The maturity the band inner demons. F o r m a n y c o l l e g e about as far as comparisons has gained over their years The boys of Blink-182 went students, Blink-182 was as between the old and the new apart is evident in every song. through enough hard times big a part of the music of their Blink-182 can go. Lead singer Although the songs may and life changes during their youth as the Backstreet Boys, Tom DeLonge’s voice has lost be bleak, they have a much time off to justify the change N*sync or Britney Spears— that disrespectful whine that more real quality, and less of in maturity level, and then except Blink-182 was cooler. was so attractive. The fact that an “all-my-problems-stem- some. DeLonge has admitted They were punks. They Delonge has passed his 35th from-hot-girls” makeup. to addiction to painkillers, had tattoos covering their birthday during the time off In fact, maturity is present the band’s main producer, arms. They came out with undoubtedly hasn’t helped. in nearly every aspect of the Jerry Finn, passed away in albums titled obscene things The lyrics that once used album. Take the title, for August 2008, and less than like “Take Off Your Pants and to celebrate having fun and instance. “Neighborhoods” a month later, Travis Barker, Jacket” and “Enema of the being free have become bleak sounds so family-friendly the band’s drummer, was in State.” Mothers hated them, and rather depressing. in contrast to some of their a plane crash that killed four and little brothers weren’t The most unfortunate previous album titles. and left him barely alive. allowed to look at their album part of their new style is that Mothers might mistakenly The guys of Blink-182, like covers. Anyone who listened nothing on their new album approve of this one. their music, have been forced to them was a rebel. has the irresistable catch-on Listening to DeLonge’s to grow up. So when this new album, appeal of their old songs. aged voice may not show his “Neighborhoods” is “Neighborhoods,” came However, that’s not to connection to the rebellious certainly not the same out, it was only natural for say that “Neighborhoods,” teen generation as it once did, Blink-182 album that fans of their favorite punk rockers try, and aren’t offended by those who grew up listening standing by itself, is a poor but it is nice in its own right. grew up on. Those who will be disappointed. swearing and talk of sex, will to Blink-182 to feel a slight album. It’s different, but it’s The whine was fun, but this looked to the album hoping However, those who are be pleasantly surprised. betrayal by their new style. still great. Blink-182 can still voice can be taken seriously for a new set of the old sound willing to give the album a ‘Birds Swirl’ brings a new rush of sounds BY CORINNE VANDEN BOSCHE distinguishable lyrics and a foreign feel The album ends with a tranquil song The typical view of electronic music seeps through the fibers of the sound. named “Summer Teaser” that leaves the has been broken, thanks to the Russian “Birds Swirl” is a fun song that has the listener relaxed with calls of birds and artist Monokle and his latest EP album, taste of an oriental atmosphere. Through the echoing guitar notes. “Birds Swirl.” song, it gains bass, percussion and electronic “Birds Swirl” is unique from any other Vlad Kudryavtsev, who releases music squeals that flow in an unusual way. kind of music. The sounds that are used can under the name Monokle, specializes in The song “Coast” features a tropical sort be contradicting and can seem more of a electronic music that ranges from energizing of drum, hints of vocal accompaniment and discord of noises at some points. to deeply relaxing. a cute little beat that you can’t help nodding However, Vlad Kudryavtsev should be Most of the audio in these songs your head to. It instills a sense of happiness applauded for trying out and producing a is synthetically created, there are no with the lively flow of notes. blend of peaceful and synthetic music. ‘Vice Verses’ has Switchfoot fans singing Professor Playlist BY EMILY BROUWER contains so much passion and power and echoes a phrase feat.