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April 08, 2004 - Image 11

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The Michigan Daily, 2004-04-08

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12B --The Michigan Daily - Weekend Ilie - Thursday, April 8, 2004

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Students often use
the spacious area of
the Diag to host
large rallies for
upcoming events or
past remembrances,
Including football
games, anti-war
protests and candle-
light vigils.

RALLY 'ROUND THE DIAG

By Ruby Robinson
Daily Arts Writer
MSA candidates, a capella singers and preachers inhabit the
:Diag daily. Unless you belong to a political student group, a cul-
tural organization or Random Acts of Kindness, you have probably
never been part of a rally or protest on the Diag. Well, today's the
day to affirm your rights as a student and take back the Diag to
publicize your own ideas.
Planning a protest or rally actually requires a sizable amount of
effort. Of course you don't need to have the lofty goals of legaliz-
ing marijuana, increasing health insurance among graduate student
instructors or ending the war in Iraq to receive a permit. The Diag
serves as the perfect venue to share messages with students and the
greater Ann Arbor community. For years, this spot has served as
the stage for many political demonstrations.
"The diag is a perfect forum to communicate my message with
hundreds of students," said Jonathon Goldberg, co-president of
American Movement for Israel. Goldberg adds that, students who
don't stop by his table are still exposed to his messages, which is
another important aspect of tabling on the Diag.
You just need to follow a few basic steps to reserve either the
area in front of the steps of the Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library,
a spot for a table or pretty much anything else in this well-trodden
space.

To begin, you should plan the time and date of your event
accordingly. "As far in advance as possible, depending on the
elaborateness of your request," said Ray Wixson, Office of
Student Activities and Leadership office manager. SAL oversees
Diag space allocation and usage. If your group does not require
an elaborate set-up, "one week's notice should be enough,"
Wixson said. Sound-amplified events usually occur between
noon and 1 p.m. only.
Now that you have the time and date resolved, it's time to visit
the SAL office, located on the second floor of the Michigan Union,
to hand in your Diag usage proposal. The proposal does not neces-
sarily have to include the message and purpose of your event.
Rather, it should consist of the means by which you intend to pro-
mote and share your message.
For example, you might decide to have a table with free hot
chocolate and fliers. Make sure that the proposal goes into detail
describing the means by which you intend to share your group's
message. If you plan on sledge-hammering a vehicle, make sure
you include a descriptive account for the safety of the group mem-
bers and those passing by.
SAL approval for Diag usage follows the guidelines of "content-
neutral evaluation," Wixson said. By this type of evaluation, the
University cannot stop a group from publicizing any message,
unless the manner by which it is done poses a physical threat to the

participants or the diag itself. SAL generally approves more than
95 percent of all Diag usage requests, he said.
Sometimes it might be helpful to include the content of the mes-
sage inside your proposal if you believe that it is controversial. If this
is the case, SAL will notify DPS to monitor the safety of both par-
ticipants and pedestrians. Saturday's Hash Bash rally in the Diag,
with its intense police presence, demonstrates DPS's role in keeping
an eye on the physical safety of more than 1,500 Hash-Bashers.
Demonstrators, whose presence jeopardizes the safety of themselves
and those partaking in the rally, will be removed by DPS if police
feel their presence and message is getting out of hand.
Remember to keep in mind a few University rules before, dur-
ing and after your event. One, "publicizing your event must only
occur following SAL approval," Wixson said. Secondly, it is
against University policy to sell anything in the Diag itself. This
includes anything from T-shirts and pins to cookies. Even charita-
ble organizations must not use "coercive" means (i.e. stickers or
pins) to motivate donations.
Using the Diag is one of the most effective means to disseminate
your message with the student body and Ann Arbor community. If
you are interested in reserving space for a table or the steps of the
Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library, don't feel intimidated. The
process is relatively simple and pain-free. For more information,
visit SAL's office or their website www umiche.edu/~salead.

The Hiss lack innovation in 'Panic Movement' q, W

By Matt Kivel
Daily Arts Writer

In early 2003, the easily excited
British music press found reason to
champion The Hiss as the heirs to the
British rock throne. With a debut
album yet to be recorded, The Hiss
served as a source of hope for fans of
*the mid-'90s Brit-pop scene. The
excitement grew as former Oasis and
Verve producer, Owen Morris, signed
on to record their debut album, Panic
Movement. The fate of the U.K. rock

sound now rests on the shoulders of
four young men from Atlanta.
"Clever Kicks" opens the album
with a swell of ______________
fierce guitars and The Hiss
pounding drums
that sets the tone Panic
for the rest of the Movement
album. "Back on Sanctuary
The Radio" is the
most blatant Oasis imitation on the
entire album. Its origins can be
traced back to Oasis's "Bring it on
Down," boasting an identical chord
progression and a solo worthy of
Noel Gallagher. The song may have

been a successful imitation if it were
not for the lackluster vocals of
Adrian Barrera. The passion and
swagger that Liam Gallagher project-
ed in 1994 is nowhere to be found
inside of Barrera, making the song
sound like a cover rather than an
original.
"Not for Hire" chronicles the
band's feelings of distrust as labels
flocked to sign them in 2003.
Barrera sings, "We know what
you've been eating in your fancy
restaurants / and we don't like it."
Barrera may have been taking a jab
at record executives or filet mignon

- it's difficult to tell. "Triumph" is
the album's best song with its hard-
edged guitar work and bluesy vocals
that create an ominous soundscape
to compliment its menacing lyrics.
Morris's production is stellar on this
track, as he finally seems to realize
that the band he is working with is
not actually Oasis.
"Ghost's Gold" is the moment
when The Hiss finally hit their stride.
A choir chants the haunting melody
while the guitar duels with a harmon-
ica, reminiscent of Gorillaz' "Clint
Eastwood."
The album is a huge disappointment

considering the massive hype that sur-
rounded the band. At this point, The
Hiss are a sum of their influences; they
need to stop emulating their heroes
and find their own sound.

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