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Life and Art

That's ,te Uas
What canpossibly go wrong during
a week of fun and sun?Just nameit
By TEREZA NEMESSANYI
Daily Pennsylvanian, U. of Pennsylvania
Mechanical breakdowns, broken bones and just plain bad breaks
- it's not called Spring "Break" for nothing.
The annual week-long college rite offers the rare opportunity for
thrill seekers to whet their appetite for adventure, usually set
against an exotic backdrop.
But there's trouble to be found, even in paradise.
Just ask the group of U. of Arizona students who planned to
spend their vacation on a houseboat on Lake Havasu two years ago.
A wrong turn made the five-hour drive stretch into eleven. And
once they finally arrived, the boat's propeller broke on the first day,
forcing the vacationers to remain docked for the entire week. Not
allowed to use the boat's toilet, the students monopolized a public
restroom on the beach. Unable to handle the volume, the toilet
clogged and exploded.
"It smelled so badly that someone threw up in there," said senior
Jen Lindley. "When the man came to fix it, he started hyper-
ventilating. He was white as a ghost."
Lacking a sense of adventure, one pristine student bailed out.
She called the mayor of the Lake Havasu community at 5 a.m. and
had him take her to the airport to catch a flight home.
The other more hearty souls, however, stuck it out.
"It was quite an adventure and it wasn't what we expected, but we
still had fun," Lindley said.
A relaxing week of camping and hiking with his family in the
Grand Canyon was what U. of California, San Diego, senior Matt
McLean had in mind. Instead, he spent his break Eskimo style.
"The weather was fine at first, and we hiked down," McLean said.
"Then it snowed." And snowed. And snowed.
McLean spent three days stuck in the tent, playing cards and
listening to his stepfather worry that the family would get fined for
not sticking to the ranger's rigid itinerary.
Chad Rogers, an Ithaca College senior, would have been happy if
his taxi driver in the Bahamas had simply obeyed the rules of the
Students face bald facts
By CHARLOTTE FALTERMAYER
The Review, U. of Delaware
While celebrities like Michael Jordanc
depict baldness in a positive light, most
college men would rather forfeit the process
of premature hair loss.
"I really didn'tswant to be 18, 19 or 20 years
old and be bald," said Bret Chittenden, 18, a
student at Delgado Community College in
New Orleans who began losing his hair in
high school. "It puts a damper on your6
appearance at that age," he said.
According to the American Hair Loss
Council, 35 million males have Andro- JIM VOLLBRECHT, ID
genetic Alopecia, or male pattern baldness. Early balding can be en
And while losing one's hair can be devas- U. of Delaware who h
tating at any age, early onset male pattern bald since the age of1
balding, which generally afflicts men in their made fun of as a child.
teens and early 20s, is particularly traumatic. "They would say, '
Mike Mahoney, AHLC president, cited Kojak!' Some people
early signs of aging and a sense of lack of and said, 'I'm sorry yoc
control as reasons for anxiety over baldness. For Matt McMaster,
"It's like losing part of their identity," he said. Lutheran U., thec
Dean Levengood, 19, a sophomore at the distressing that he im

COURTESY OF SOUTH PADRE ISLAND VISITOR & CONVENTION BUREAU
Spring Break is a time-honored tradition among college students
looking for adventure, freedom and unforgettable memories.
road. Assuming he was used to vehicles driving on the left side of the
street, he didn't comment as the taxi driver swerved all over the
road.
"He slammed into a big cement street divider," he said. "He
didn't say anything, he just went into reverse and drove us back to
the hotel with three wheels. Sparks were coming out of where the
axle was supposed to be."
Matt Smith, however, isn't so fainthearted. The Syracuse U.
sophomore let this curiosity get the best of him last year in a Daytona
Beach clam bar, where close examination of a raw oyster provided
him with a flash of collegiate creativity.
"What'll you do if I snort this oyster up my nose and spit it out my
mouth?" he challenged his fraternity brother.
"Dude, I'll eat it if you do that," was the reply.
The mollusk briefly lodged behind an eyeball, Smith said, before
"this big gale-force wind heaved out of me and it flew."
His buddy kept up his end of the bargain as well.
"It was great," Smith recalled nostalgically.
of premature hair loss
his doctor, who prescribed Minoxidil.
"I was scared because, of course, image is
a big deal these days," said McMaster, whose
hairline has filled in from applying the drug.
According toJeff Palmer, a spokesman for
Upjohn, which sells Minoxidil under the
brand name Rogaine, the drug must be
used continuously. "Once you stop using it
you'll lose what you've gained," he said.
Levengood has never used Rogaine, but
has tried "a million weird things."
"I used to wear this ugly flowered bathing
cap to bed that used to be my grandmoth-
er's," he said. "It was really embarrassing."
AHO ARGONUT, U. OF IDAHO Dante DeLeo, 21, a junior at Southern
notionally disabling. Connecticut State U., said he has been
tas been completely offered plenty of advice on how to stop his
12, said he was often hair loss, such as refraining from wearing a
hat and cutting down on junk food.
Hey baldy!' or 'Hey But according to Dr. Jerome Shupack at
even came up to me the NewYork U. Medical Center, these types
're dying,"' he said. of suggestions have "no validity whatsoever."
21, a junior at Pacific "One of the options is always learning how
experience was so to live with your hair loss," Mahoney said.
mediately contacted "As men age they seem to accept it."

Generation X
misses making
societal mark
ByALISON FORBES
IndianaDaily Student, Indiana U.
Everyone, it seems, is "talkin' 'bout
my generation."
We twentysome things have been
called every name in the book, most of
which revolve around some form of the
word "apathetic." We apparently have
no goals, no future and no ideals left to
follow, say several aging baby boomers.
But whether we're saving the planet or
going to hell, we're the almost 48 million
humansbornbetween 1961 and 1971.
Pegged as "Generation X," "baby
busters," or just "lost," we may best be
unraveled by an Xer himself, Douglas
Coupland, author of "Generation X:
Tales of an Accelerated Culture."
And, as in the novel, we've quickly
learned the realities of life. Our econ-
omy continues its roller coaster ride,
drugs and divorce are daily events, and
the environment faces permanent
damage from what were once thought
to be technological advances.
But if mulling over large decisions is a
trait typical of Xers, it might be because
of the problems previous generations
dumped on us, opting for the tempo-
rary quick fix. Long-term solutions are
what we're looking for, said Beth
Jaquish, ajunior at Indiana U.
"We're coming out of the 'me'
generation and becoming more aware
of the world around us," she said.
While some reject the so-called
American dream, others would like to
capture some of the dream's stability.
But thanks to the economy, stability
might always be elusive. It will be
harder for people in our generation to
live as "comfortably" as preceding
ones, according to Time magazine.
For many, graduate school seems to
be the way to go, said Allen Brown, a
second-year medical student at the U.
of Alabama, Birmingham.
"I'm obviously locked into a specific
field," he said. "But there's plenty of
college grads that are sitting at home,
still looking forjobs."
Financial insecurity has influenced
other aspects of Xers' lives. Many opt to
remain single longer rather than adding
the pressures of marriage and family.
Careers definitely come first, said
Rena Perlmutter, a sophomore at the
U. of Maryland.
"But I think most people want
marriage and career both," she said.
"Also, because of AIDS and divorce,
most people are going back to the
monogamy of the '50s."

Concrete Blonde
A new album, a new
outlook, a new life
ByMONA BLABER
Doily lfini, U. of Illinois
Pain makes for great art. But as Concrete Blonde's
Johnette Napolitano knows, it makes life aliving hell.
It was emotional turmoil that spurred Concrete
Blonde's breakthrough multi-platinum album,
Bloodletting, and its heart-wrenching hits, "Joey" and
"Caroline." But while even more problems have beset
band members since recording that album, the
outlook on their upcoming release, Walkingin London,
seems to have brightened a bit.
"That was a very bad year for me," said Napolitano,
the group's singer, bassist and primary songwriter, of
the time spent recording Bloodletting. "I really wanted to
hide after that record was made. I felt like, God, I've
really cut myself open here. It's so ironic that it did well,
because if there was any record that I would have rather
locked ina closet, itwould have been (Bloodletting)."
But more problems were to follow. While on tour to
support the album, Napolitano's back fused from the
constant weight of her bass. Then, while in Mexico City,
she contracted salmonella, but wouldn't seek treatment
because she doesn'tlike doctors. When she finallywent
to a hospital, physicians couldn't find a pulse. One
doctor told her mother that Johnette was 20 minutes
away from dying. Although that experience will keep
the band from touring while she recuperates, Johnette
said it motivated her to stretch hercreative limits.
"These near-death experiences are really great for
your priorities," she said. "I laid there and said, you
know, I'm 34 years old, and if I go, I don't nearly have
the volume of work behind me thatI should have."
So she set out to create Walking in London. While the
album showcases much of the the deep-seeded angst
that made "Joey" and "Caroline" hits on the last
album, it also expands into a few more upbeat themes.
"I'm pretty pleased with the progress that I have
made, and I appreciate a lot of things more. I'm able to
be stimulated and inspired by different things more
than justbeing miserable, and I think it shows."
Despite these setbacks, Napolitano has also carved a
niche as a role model for fans tired of seeing women in
rock portrayed solely as sex symbols. Like vocalists
Natalie Merchant of 10,000 Maniacs and Edie Brickell,
Napolitano takes pride that she doesn't have to "wave
my tits in front of the camera."
And even if Walking in London, (due in stores March
10), doesn't eclipse the impressive sales and reviews of
Bloodletting, Napolitano knows she's walking in the
right direction. The woman some call the best female
vocalistin rock 'n' roll nowcan enjoy her ability.
"I think if you can do art that enables someone to
forget about their day-to-day existence and take them
somewhere else, then you've done a very important
thing for people," she said. "I'm a lot happier now with
my ability to do that. I think it's a gift."

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VINCE GOLDBERG, DAIcY CALIFORNIAN, U. OF CA.IFORNIA, BRRELtT
COVE PHOTO BYJOHN STOOPS UREGUN DAILtEMERALD, U.O OREGON
Can college DJs bite the hand thatfeeds them?
By LAURA SCHMIDT ubiquitous and overwhelming. Stations that used to get a
ColumbiaDaily Spectator, Columbia U. majority of recordings from independent labels were
flooded with major label "alternative" or "college" material.
When Nirvana's major-debut, Nevermind, topped the Eric Rose, music director for KUSF at the U. of San
Billboard charts inJanuary, a statement was made. Francisco, says although there are some promoters who are
A few years before, the plaid-clad nihilists were an understanding of his station's programming philosophy,
underground sensation for the alternative label Sub Pop. "there are some who will go to any length to get their record
Now they're selling more albums than Michael Jackson or on our station." Such lengths extend from promoters calling
Garth Brooks. Alternative music is no longer alternative; it is stations every day for weeks, asking music directors to give a
big business. certain record another chance - all the way to threatening to
Nowhere is the trend more visible than cut service if a record is not added to the
in college radio. Once the medium for stations' rotation.
innovative, fearless and thought- Carter, however, says that's all part of
provoking music, critics argue college the game. "There are some people who
radio is now just another tool of the apply pressure to music directors. But, by
notorious industryrmarketing machines. and large, threats (to cut service) don't
"It sucks," Matador Records Co- 'happen," he said. "(Promoters) are
Manager Gerard Cosloy said of college salesmen. They obviously try to trump up
radio. "It's completely awful. Very their music."
homogeneous. The only difference Dave Rosecrans, promotions director
between college radio and commercial for Sub Pop, states it simply. "While I
radio is that someone's listening to couldn't give a shit about college radio, I
commercial radio." still want them to do what I want them to
Daniel Makagon, music director of do," he said.
KXLU, the station at Loyola Marymount But others in the music industry say
U., in Los Angeles, agrees. f college radio is to blame for its own
"(College radio) blows," he said. "It demise. Makagon, who wrote his senior
was, at one time, the only challenging thesis on independent music, says major
musical outlet as far as media goes.... But labels may be a corruptor - but only the
now it's watered down." weak can be corrupted.
How did the status of college radio COURTESY OF GEFFEN RECORDS "The pressure's part of it, but music
disintegrate from that of a true artistic r COkEotOF ROROy directors... don't want to seek anything
outlet to something looked upon with Nirvana smells like lots of money. new and they don't want to help
near-revulsion? Many in radio point their encourage their DJs to find something
fingers at major labels. They say that when the big labels new," he said. "If they were go-getters and open-minded
identified college students as music-loving, money-spending enough, they would be able to say (to a promoter), 'Fuck
individuals, college radio - the easiest method of "hooking" you. Your music's trash, and I'm not going to play it."'
this consumer gold mine -was doomed. Les Scurry, music director for KFJC at Foothill College,
Major labels started signing any angst-ridden young band Calif., agrees college radio needs dedicated talent.
with bad hair they could find. They started their own "(College radio is) mostly college students wanting to be
subsidiary labels which, according to Scott Carter, national cool," Scurry said. "One guy joined our station because he
director of college promotions for A&M Records, "operate thought he could get laid. That doesn't show much interest
and are staffed like an independent label." Then they in radio."
brutally phased out vinyl - the only format most beginning College radio, the independent labels say, must seek out
bands can afford. new music. If a station isn't taking musical chances, they say
And, most importantly for college radio, labels started a they shouldn't be expected to take financial ones. Most
veritable mill of promotional pressure: hours of phone calls, indies are proud that they don't equate musicwith money.
gobs of promotional flyers, thick and hairy hype about "this As Matador Records' Cosloy puts it, "If we were in this for
new band" and "that new record." Major label service - or the money, we would sell crack, child pornography... or
sending free recordings to the media - was consistent, Nirvana records."

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