The Vol. XCVIII. NO. 6 Look inside for winter ou’wester break movie ideas SNovember 28, 2012 e Fortnightly Student Newspaper of Rhodes College See Page 6 Relay for Life Expands Rhodes Drag Show Fundraising with Dance Party Cabaret a Success Chip Slawson S t a W r i t e r photo courtesy of R. Schmelzer Rhodes College’s chapter of Relay for Life, the member of Kappa Delta brings invaluable connections fundraising arm of the American Cancer Society, is to the table. [Johnson] approached me this year wanting already a commanding fundraising presence on this to be involved with Relay, and I knew he would be great campus after their $15,000 haul last spring. Now, they as one of my fundraising chairs. He heads up one of our are looking to expand both their event o erings and highest fundraising Relay teams for this year’s event.” Above: Tyler Adams ‘15 made his drag debut as the lovely money raised for cancer research by hosting a dance With such talented help, Schmelzer then turned Tatiana at the Caberet Drag Show. party this ursday. her attention to seeing how they could host an event Below: Mallory Crabtree ‘14 and Akosua Aggrey-Bekoe ‘13 And We Danced, scheduled for ursday, that would be fun for students, raise money, and be performed the infamous Lonely Island song “Dick in a Box” and November 29, will have a $3 admission fee, and will inexpensive to host. took home the rst place prize. be held in the gym behind the Lair. Sophomore Tyler “It’s not going to cost us any money because it is a Marshall, perhaps better known to some as T.Marsh, will bene t, and Tyler Marshall’s doing it for free. We also be DJing for the event, which will start at 9:00 pm and don’t have to pay to rent facilities at Rhodes,” Schmelzer run through 1:00 am. said. Rachel Schmelzer, a junior, chairs the Rhodes ey don’t pinch pennies for its own sake, chapter of Relay for Life, and saw the dance party as an however. Relay’s presence at Rhodes has grown rapidly exciting new opportunity to supplement Relay’s keynote since Schmelzer founded it after watching both her overnight fundraiser in the spring. grandmother and a close friend succumb to cancer. “I had heard of [Relay’s dance parties] being held at Last spring, on its rst year, they raised $15,000, well other schools and I had never heard of one being held at in excess of their $10,000 goal. Empowered by their Rhodes. I’m very dedicated to bringing new and exciting successful venture last spring, Relay is seeking to double ideas to Rhodes, which for this fundraiser could be a their funds raised this year. dance marathon,” Schmelzer said. “We’re trying to double our goal this year. We’re Realizing that many hands would make light aiming to increase our teams from 21 to 30. Each work, Schmelzer tapped sophomore Shelby Scott and team has 8-12 people, and each person is asked to raise freshman Jason Johnson to help her fundraise and $100. We ask that you send out 10 emails requesting organize the events. donations, and people are usually more than willing to “Knowing [Scott] came from such an active Relay donate at least $10,” Schmelzer said. “ at translates high school, I knew I de nitely wanted her on my team. into $30,000.” Her involvement on campus with the track team and a photos courtesy of A. Aggrey-Bekoe Page 2 Opinion Wednesday,Wednesday, November October 28, 3, 2012 The Sou’wester We Need A Little Christmas… Editor-In-Chief Jasmine Gilstrap Layout Editor Just Not This Very Minute Erica Morozin Patrick Harris Executive Assistant Opinion Editor Radhika Puri Every year, starting around Halloween, I continuous loop without raising eyebrows. norms of civilized life in the aim of snagging Copy Editor recommence a thankless, bitter struggle with For the Gentiles among us, alas, there is just a sweet deal on a flat-screen television. Why, Megan Barnes American popular culture when it comes to enough musical variety to justify my home- you ask? Because Christmas is coming, damn Opinion Editor Christmas. While I appreciate a little Yuletide town radio station playing non-stop Yuletide it! Patrick Harris cheer as much as the next man (heck, I watch jingles from November 1st to New Year’s. “Do The marathon approach to the holiday A Christmas Story on a nearly annual basis), You Hear What I Hear?” Yes, and I’ve been season is so exhausting that most revelers are News Editors the sheer excess that goes Julia Fawal into the run-up to the holi- Lydia Holmes day is aging me before my A&E Editor time. Curmudgeonly cater- Shelby Lund wauling about Christmas is a well-established pastime, Sports Editor but I’m not interested in Brendan Goyette lamenting either how com- mercialized or how secular- Executive Photo Editor ized the season has become; Swati Pandita that ship sailed a long time Business Manager ago. I have a rather more Alex LaBat question to pose: Is it really, really necessary for Christ- Advertising Manager mas to last two months? Cierra Martin There are those who might view my question as downright Scroogish, sup- How to Reach Our posing that since Christmas is ‘the most wonderful time Authors and Us of the year,’ dragging out As the official newspaper of Rhodes that time as long as possible College, The Sou’wester is produced entirely can only serve to further by students on staff. It functions indepen- human happiness. I admire dently of faculty and administration. The these persons for their fes- newspaper is published weekly throughout tive disposition while ques- the fall and spring semesters, except during exam periods and breaks. tioning their sanity. The The Sou’wester is a member of the concept of ‘too much of a Student Media Board, a consortium that good thing,’ while cliché, includes the editors of all student media exists for a purpose. I recall The Peanuts gang seems to be singing carols earlier each year. Good grief! outlets, class representatives, and at-large a cashier in Europe some representatives from the student body. years ago who successfully All staff editorials published in The sued her employer for sub- Sou’wester represent the majority opinion jecting her to all-day Christmas music for hearing it for eight friggin’ weeks. eager to haul down the tinsel and box up the of the Editorial Board composed of section weeks on end. This woman is a heroine. Her While I stipulated that I wasn’t going tree as soon as December 26th blissfully ar- editors and executive editors. Opinions case should awaken all of us to the uncon- to whine about commercialism, honesty de- rives. This is precisely how Christmas is not expressed in opinion columns and letters- scionabilitiy of being assaulted by the same mands we point a censorious finger at retail supposed to work. Remember the “Twelve to-the-editor do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Sou’wester Editorial Board. ten novelty songs from the 1950’s for a full and advertising for their role in all this. The Days of Christmas?” The holiday ought to Letters-to-the-editor are encouraged, but sixth of the calendar year. expansion of the ‘Holiday Season’ into late consist of a day of joyous merriment followed cannot exceed 350 words; all letters must The musical tales of Rudolph, Frosty, and October and beyond exists first and foremost by a gently lingering spirit of good cheer up be signed and will be edited for clarity. that dimunitive percussionist are charming as a device to empty our wallets on the altar of until the New Year (or Epiphany, if you’re a the first time you hear them in a given year. Q4 Earnings Reports. I could devote an entire stickler). As it is, Christmas has become the They may even have some merit on the tenth column to the evils of Black Friday, but suffice frantic climax to two months of feverish, Reaching The Sou’wester go-round. By the third week of December, it to say that whoever is responsible for tak- manufactured jingle-jangle-jingling. If we Phone: (901) 843-3402 when I have heard Peter, Paul, and Mary and ing big-box store employees away from their have any self-respect, we should demand that E-mail: [email protected] the Barkenaked Ladies sing the same Christ- families on Thanksgiving evening to satisfy Christmas cuddle us for a while, not hurriedly Address: mas medley forty-seven times, conversion to the ravenous avarice of the hoi polloi should get dressed and leave. Otherwise we just wake The Sou’wester Judaism begins to look promising. After all, be horsewhipped, preferably on national tele- up on the 26th with an eggnog headache and 2000 North Parkway one can hardly broadcast “Dreidel, Dreidel” vision. As it is, retailers make a killing encour- the distinct feeling that we’ve been taken ad- Memphis, TN 38112-1690 and Adam Sandler’s “Hanukah Song” on a aging the American people to disregard all vantage of. Disclaimer: All staff editorials published in The Sou’wester represent the majority opinion of the Editorial Board composed of section editors and executive editors. Opinions expressed in opinion columns and letters-to-the-editor do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Sou’wester Editorial Board. Letters to the Editor can be sent to [email protected] The Sou’wester Wednesday, NovemberOctober 3, 28,2012 2012 Opinion Page 3 My Rosanna Cappellato The weekly sassy Sarah Tchang bisexual column Campus does drag Xany Moore If you weren’t at the Cabaret Show the Thursday before Thanksgiv- ing, you missed something big.