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10B - The Michigan Daily - Weekel Magazine - Thursday, March 25, 2004
REBECCA RAMSEY - A COMPROMISING POSITION
The Michigan Daily- WeekenldhMapa
Local electronicists push the musical
SENIORITY RITES OF SPRING
Y ou've entered a heated room
that is full of 12 hot, hip-gyrat-
ing girls - some of them
scantily clad, some of them even bra-
less - and you intend on getting hot
and not all bothered with them all night
long. Is this some sort of orgiastic fan-
tasy dreamland? Maybe, but its more
likely that you're at a bar during the
second semester of senior year.
Seniors, now that I have your atten-
tion, we have less than six weeks to get
some before graduation. Gasp!
There. That should be enough to
either scare you or inspire you.
I think we all knew that this time of
"get it while it's hot" attitude of ram-
pant sexuality would arrive, just not so
quickly though. Amidst fears of life
after college, we may feel that we
haven't fully taken advantage of our
time here in Ann Arbor, that we have
not sowed our wild oats (which a pro-
fessor had once recommended to one
of my classes). So we better accom-
plish our goals before we are temporar-
ily living at home with mom and dad
- not a good location for hooking up.
This frisky mentality reminds me of
one afternoon at Greek's last year. I, a
- I
Sotheby's INSTITUTE OF ART
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mere junior back then, had overheard a
group of senior guys straight out of a
Porky's film: laughing and congratulat-
ing each other on their sexual con-
quests, yet still radiating with immatu-
rity nonetheless. As they applauded
their abilities to woo girls back to their
bedrooms on Tuesday, Wednesday and
Thursday evenings (they still had the
weekend to look forward to), they oh-
so-cleverly patented the phrase "Senior
girls: Get 'em while they're horny."
To my dismay, I initially scowled and
shot them an icy stare, but then I
laughed at their ignorance. One year
later, however, I am beginning to see
the validity of their remarks. So far this
semester, and especially after the
Spring Break bacchanal, social life for
seniors has turned into a meat market
of sorts - full of herds (some of which
stampede), assorted curings (such as
tequila and vodka) and even a few
whispers about issues of, ahem, size
and choice cuts. It has never been so
much fun to attend this school, right?
By now, you must have noticed that
the seniors here are getting antsy, and
for good reason. Our time here remains
only of a handful of weekends, and that
is the reason why more of us find our-
selves out Monday through Saturday
even though we have homework and as
a result, the line at Rick's has never
been longer. To put it bluntly, people
are looking to hook up.
I'm willing to guess that many of my
fellow seniors will agree with me when
I say this month marked the unofficial
beginning of a March Madness of
another variety. With many a hormone
still raging after Spring Break, and with
numerous sightings of tank tops and
tanned bodies, the masses have come
out of hibernation. Who cares that it
semi-snowed earlier this week? The
sporadic and unexpected heat waves
are all it takes to remind all of us 'tis the
season for ... well, anything. On that
note, let the games begin.
Similar to NCAA March Madness,
the senior version here consists of pair-
ings, moving along to the next oppo-
nent once another has been finished
off, heated rivalries and people who are
just happy to be in the tournament
itself. There is even an NIT-ish tourna-
ment for those who did not fare so well
during the past four years (known to
wannabe players as Needing Intimacy
Tonight!).
Athletics aside, it is time to stop pin-
ing for that cute girl in your Econ lec-
ture or that mysterious guy working at
the nearest Starbucks. As corny as it
sounds, we should all have that last
hurrah before we are finished here.
Whether it means kissing someone you
have always been attracted to or having
a threesome with the two girls you
could never decide between, a lot of
you do not want to leave here with any
regrets. On a similar note, be careful
that you do not do anything in the next
few weeks that you will regret!
Those senior guys from last year had
a good point: Many senior girls are
looking to have some sort of fun while
we are here, and that is the reason why
so many of us frequent the bars. Maybe
this is why some often think that senior
girls are horny, but are they really com-
plaining? Sex isn't the only thing on
our minds; we want to enjoy these last
weeks with our friends and we want to
relish this time of pseudo-security. It
really isn't a game for us.
Some say that our college years will
be the best years of our lives. While I
have had a blast here, I still like to
believe that I have a lot to look forward
to (and I feel sorry for those who con-
sider a drunken, sloppy fling as the
highlight of young adulthood). For
now, seniors, I wish you a wild and
memorable time before graduation.
That cheesily said, what are you doing
still reading this? Go out and get some.
- Rebecca is ready to tally up points
from her special brand of March
Madness bracket. Contact her at
ramseyr@umich.edu.
By Jared Newman
Daily Arts Wr*ier
"It all starts with acoustic sounds,"
said Rick Kowal, co-creator of Ann
Arbor-based electronicists Full. The
energetic sextet, which recently left
town in search of a record deal, repre-
sented the louder - if not more main-
stream - portion of Ann Arbor's
innovative electronic music scene. The
other faction, which incorporates a
more artsy and experimental approach,
is decidedly smaller but equally dedi-
cated to incorporating the digital age
into its music.
Perhaps a definition is in order.
"Electronic music" in this article does
not refer to the techno genre or to the
craft of the DJ. Instead, the term refers
to the creation of sounds using elec-
tronics - the use of familiar noises or
instruments to fashion new and unfa-
mi l ia r elcto
ones. The "When
real-time hear (our music
aspect is
what sepa- Sounds cool."
rates per-
former s
like Full
from any old band using run-of-the-
mill studio trickery. "When electronic
(music) peeps hear (our music), they
think it sounds cool," Kowal said. "But
when they see us live, and we do it
from acoustic instruments and not
(digital ones)."
Full left Ann Arbor last year for
greener pastures - well, Seattle - it
ic
left Ann Arbor's task of forging new
sonic territory to the little guys. Enter
the Canterbury House, a small Episco-
(music) peeps ch ur ch
they think it with a
friendly
and inti-
- Rick Kowal m a t e
Co-creator, Full a t m o s -
phere that
made the church a great venue for local
experimental music.
The concert series, which began in
the '60s, was designed as a folk/protest
gig, hosting such names as Joni
Mitchell and Neil Young. It was the
Rev. Matthew Lawrence and Music
Prof. Stephen Rush who revived the
series about five years ago. "The '90s
version of the Series was still focuse
on expression and protest," concei
organizer Jason Stein said, "but rathe
than folk music, the vehicle of suc
expression was improvised music, fre
jazz and electronic music, as the mor
fringe, creative music of the time."
Composer Greg Laman, a compute
consultant at the School of Music
knows the Canterbury House well
Credited by Stein as one of the House'
"more notable electronicists," his grou
- consisting of Regina Sadowski o:
violin, Jeremy Edwards on drums an
percussion and Laman on laptop com
puter - features electronic music in
fully improvised setting.
"Both Regina and Jeremy have expe
rience playing in a wide range of musi
cal styles - contemporary classical
--C
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