Sidelines Online - 11/28/12

MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY

NOV. 28, 2012 EDITORIALLY INDEPENDENT

Brothers’ blood runs blue on the basketball court

CONTENTNEWS

RANTS AND RAVES

FEATURES

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

OPINIONS

SPORTS

Sidelines Lens

Sidelines Staff

6 Part II: Local family finds support through inspiring video By Becca Andrews

COVER STORY8 Knight brothers’ bond goes beyond the court

By Jordan Powell

121314

ABC’s ‘Nashville’ over dramatizes life in Music City By Lauren Mandrell

Ten best places to nap during finals week By Nick Georgiou

Lana Del Rey continues soulful reign with extended album By Meredith Galyon

10 Check out local happenings By Nick Georgiou

Becca [email protected]

Richel AlbrightManaging [email protected]

Asher HudsonOnline [email protected]

Chris BishopOnline [email protected]

Alex HubbardCampus news [email protected]

Emily WestCommunity news [email protected]

Emily KubisFeatures [email protected]

Jane Horne Arts & Entertainment [email protected]

Mark MizeSports [email protected]

Alex Harris Opinions [email protected]

Kelsey KlingenmeyerDesign [email protected]

Matt Masters Photo editor [email protected]

Rebecca HuddlestonAd [email protected]

Leon [email protected]

Senior marketing major Brian Morton and sophomore psychology major Bereniz Lopez expe-rience MTSU’s culture festival in the Student Union. Photo by Davion Baxter.

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Editorial: 615-494-7648

2 SIDELINES |Nov. 28, 2012 | www.mtsusidelines.com

University’s Fulbright push pays off in prestigious ranking By Jordan Powell

GOP must relax immigration views to appeal to more voters By Torrie Tovar

43

Professor makes $1 million investment in mall By Emily West

5 Transfer students’ benefits increase with new partnerships By Amber Dougherty

15

Sun Belt football coming of age 12 years after join-ing FBS ranks By Mark Mize

Cover photo by AJ NetherlandCORRECTIONS

Last week’s opinion piece, “U.S. needs to change its approach to education,” was incorrectly credited to Alex Harris in the Table of Contents. It was written

by Torrie Tovar. Sidelines regrets this error.

NEWS

Thanks to a recent educational ranking, MTSU is in a new part in the academic world.The university cracked the Chronicle of Higher Education’s list for the first time as a top pro-ducer of United States Fulbright students in the 2012-13 academic year and is one of only 17 in the Master’s Institution category. The Fulbright Scholar Program is an interna-tional education grant that allows students to serve as educational ambassadors in host countries. The purpose of the grant is to further the recipient’s studies, build relationships and promote understand-ing between scholars from the U.S. and other countries. MTSU produced nine Fulbright Scholars since 2001, but has never made the Chronicles’ Top Producers list be-fore. This year, the uni-versity had 13 students apply, three of whom received the award.Since 2008, the MTSU Honors College saw an increase from an aver-age of five applicants for the Fulbright Schol-ar Program to around 11 students a year, said John Vile, dean of the Honors College. “Part of it has just been drumming up interest,” Vile said. “I know of people who brag that they made one nominee to Fulbright and that person got it, so they have 100 percent. And our strategy has

been different. It’s been, ‘Let’s see how many people are qualified that we can nominate, and then we’ll let the gov-ernment sort out which ones will get it.’” Vile said the univer-sity’s philosophy has to do with the numbers of students who apply and the probability of winning. “You can’t win the lottery if you don’t play,” he said. “If you have 10 applicants, you have a lot more chances of three or four people getting it than if you only send two or three.” The success of the university as a top producer of Fulbright scholars is due to a joint effort by the Honors College, the study abroad office and the international relations and political science departments, said Laura Clippard, academic ad-viser and undergraduate fellowship coordinator. “I think that the goal of the Honors College and the undergraduate fellowship office is to consistently have stu-dents apply every year,” Clippard said. “We want to try to identify appro-priate students for the Fulbright and help them through the application process.” Another key to the university’s success is a greater emphasis on internationalization. The university is encourag-ing more students to study abroad, and that sparks an interest in applying for a Fulbright, Vile said.

“Part of having high-er numbers of Fulbright winners is educating people about the Ful-bright,” Clippard said. “It’s not a study abroad; it’s not a trip you take to see the world. It is to take on the world – be-ing a cultural ambassa-dor is its true purpose.” One of the most recent Fulbright recipi-ents, Kaitlen Howell, a winner in 2010, was informed about the Fulbright early on from classmates and the Honors College staff. Howell said she re-ceived information and help from Clippard and Vile starting in April 2009, six months before the application was due.The former Fulbright scholar said Clippard helped her revise and rewrite her application several times throughout the summer of 2009. “I received constant support and feedback and encouragement in the process, and they really believed in me,” Howell said. Although the univer-sity’s game plan proved itself in the last four years since the univer-sity started actively pushing Fulbright inter-est, Vile said the future will not always be about the accolades. “It’s a good affirma-tion that we’re on the right track,” Vile said. “I’m always a little ner-vous when somebody says, ‘Okay, you’re a top producer. Are you going to be able to do it again?’ I think we will. But, I’m honestly less concerned about . .

. ‘Did we get three this year?’ as ‘Did we have eight or more people apply?’” “Our primary objec-tive is just to ‘Let the word go forth,’ as John Kennedy said – that we have an office that will work with students, we’re very interested in it,” Vile said. “We’ve had success, and we want to build on it.”

University’s Fulbright push pays off in prestigious rankingBy Jordan Powell

Staff writer

Kaitlen Howell, Fulbright scholar, speaks about her experiences in Germany at a November presentation in the Honors College. Photo by Taylor Humphrey.

SIDELINES | Nov. 28, 2012 | www.mtsusidelines.com 3

CRIME BRIEFS

DRUGSMcHenry HallNov. 16, 5:06 p.m. Officers responded to assist Residential Life with a complaint of marijuana being smoked in a residence hall room. MTSU ad-ministration will handle the disciplinary sanc-tions in this matter. No criminal charges will be filed at this time.

ASSAULTRecreation CenterNov. 18, 8:06 p.m. During an event at the Rec Center, of-ficers observed a large fight and separated the parties involved. It is unknown, due to the large size of the crowd, who was involved. The event was closed down early and the crowd dispersed.

ALARMJames Union BuildingNov. 13, 6:26 p.m. Officers responded to a fire alarm activated by a smoke detector. Murfreesboro Fire Department responded and found no fire, but smoke was present in the snack bar/kitchen area of the cafeteria.

VANDALISMDavis Science Build-ing LotNov. 15, 3:33 p.m. A complainant reported that his tire had been slashed. The officer observed no cut or puncture marks on the tire, but the victim believed that the tire had been deliberately flattened.

A complainant said the fight was between rival fraternity mem-bers. The complain-ant received medical treatment after the fight and had stitches in his lower lip. The victim declined to press crimi-nal charges at this time, but preferred to work with the university ad-ministration to resolve the matter.

THEFTCorlew HallNov. 19, 11:57 p.m. A complainant reported her backpack stolen from the 7th floor lounge of Corlew Hall.

-Rickey Fuquay


After 40 years, the Hickory Hollow Mall aims to rebrand itself with a group of inves-tors who plan to give the facility a face-lift from the inside out. MTSU professor Rajesh Aggarwal and his wife, Reita Agarwal, are a part of the invest-ment group and desire to see the mall become more than just a place to shop. “I am a risk taker,” Aggarwal said. “I felt the chances of suc-cess are good for this project. The thought that someone would tear down this large of a structure is awful. I wanted to save it from the bulldozers.” The mall property sold for $1 million with 700,000-square-feet retail shopping space on top of 25 acres of real estate. “The price for the fa-cility is pretty fair,” said Mark Nobles, spokes-man for the investment group. “But the price doesn’t take into consid-eration to upkeeping the mall, since the majority of the stores are dark.” Hickory Hollow opened in the late 1970s as the primary mega-mall for the Middle Tennessee area. With the construction of stores such as Opry Mills and The Avenue, shopping steadily de-clined over the years. JCPenny left in 2006 with Dillard’s following in 2008. Both Macy’s and Sears closed in 2012, leaving the mall

NEWSProfessor makes $1 million investment in mall

By Emily WestCommunity news

editor

The once-popular Hickory Hollow Mall was recently acquired for $1 million by a group of investors, which included MTSU profes-sor Rajesh Aggarwal (pictured above) and his wife, Reita. Photos by Matt Masters.with no anchor store since May. “It doesn’t surprise me that most college-aged students have never been to Hickory Hollow,” Nobles said. “It truly was the shop-ping back in the 1980s with shoppers coming from all around, seeing as it really was the only place for people to go.” Currently, the mall carries five stores and

own business as the only Electronic Ex-press in Antioch,” said Leon Harris, manager of Electronic Express. “Even then we would like to see to more foot traffic. Hickory Hol-low has a persona, and I think a rebranding is going to be great for the mall.” Hickory Hollow has room for 130 retailers to occupy the store.

Nobles said he real-izes one of the primary battles of rebranding the mall is the already pres-ent stigma of the area. “There is no one quick solution,” Nobles said. “It takes time to change.” To help overcome some of the current problems, Nobles said increased security pres-ence will man the store at all times.

With all of the chang-es, the Aggarwals see a different way to use the space. Reita Agar-wal practices medicine locally in Rutherford County, and both envi-sion designing half the space into a medical facility and designating the remaining area for shopping and food. “We would like to have diagnostic labs, among other things,” Aggarwal said. “We want to lease the new spaces for doctors and physicians to their medical practices.”The ideal atmosphere for the new vamping of the mall evolves from 100 Oaks Mall in Nashville. “We want to have retailers unique to the region,” Nobles said. “We want to welcome Middle Tennessee and Nashville businesses to come be a part of the mall, and we have several retailers that are already looking forward to coming back.” In addition to retail and physician’s spaces, the mall would of-fer a variety of dining options by way of an entirely new food court. “We want this to a one stop shop for food,” Nobles said. “We plan on giving consumers lots of options with food from all over the world.” The grand reopen-ing of the mall is slated for spring 2013, but the group has not set an of-ficial date.

one restaurant after 60 retailers’ leases ran out earlier in November. As of late August, Nash-ville State Community College leases the for-mer Dillard’s space as a satellite campus.Outside the mall, Elec-tronic Express sits on the outskirts as one of the only regular retail businesses in the shop-ping center. “We generate our

NEWS

Following recent partnership with Jack-son State Community College, Middle Ten-nessee State University continues to reach out to community colleges to guide students in their higher education pursuits. The university has partnerships with Nash-ville State Community College, Chattanooga State Community Col-lege, Motlow State Community College, Columbia State Com-munity College, Dyers-burg State Community College, Roane State Community College and the Middle Tennessee State Education Center in Shelbyville. Students from these colleges possess the opportunities to receive their bachelor’s degrees and dually enroll at MTSU. “I have been working with the presidents of community colleges on an understanding about how the university cooperates with their schools,” said Sidney McPhee, university president. “The univer-sity is developing the programs so students do not have to wait till they transfer to figure matters out with MTSU. The university is working with them in every way necessary.” The dual admissions program allows students to gain MTSU class credit while at their community college. Students can get help in course planning and other services provided by the university.

“Dual admissions allow access for com-munity college students to get advising from MTSU in their chosen major,” said David Gotcher, assistant dean of University College in the academic out-reach focus. “Academic Outreach visits the community colleges for advising on their own campus. The advising ensures a smooth path-way for the students to go down. Other services are available as well. In essence, they are MTSU students.” The partnerships will make adjustments seam-less for transfers, but need to remain dedicat-ed to their programs. “Students should be diligent in their stud-ies and keep an open mind,” said Tori Cliff, director of communica-tion at Jackson State Community College. “The university campus and class sizes are dif-ferent from community college. Students should use the advising that is provided.” The new program make furthering degrees possible at a lower cost and the credits at community colleges equivalent to those at the university. “Community college prepared me well for MTSU,” said Roger Shaner, a junior media production major. “Go-ing to community col-lege first was easier on my wallet. The classes are the same quality of education and have many of the same pro-grams.” The partnerships also are beneficial for adult

learners to further their degrees, while hav-ing several two-plus-two programs, degree advancement programs and articulation agree-ments that will strength-en communities. “There are paths that lead you down all the right courses,” Gotcher said. “The adult-learners may not know about all of the possibilities that are available.” For more informa-tion on student transfer options, visit tntrans-ferpathway.org to see available degree op-tions.

Transfer students’ benefits increase with new partnershipsBy Amber DoughertyContributing writer

President Sidney McPhee and Jackson State Community College President Bruce Blanding seal an agreement for dual enrollment between the schools with a handshake and a ceremony. Photo courtesy of News and Public Affairs.



FEATURESPart II: Local family finds support through inspiring video

Lacey sighs and stretches her legs out across Christopher’s lap, resting a free hand on her stomach. The other hand plays with Christian’s hair while he sits on the floor in front of his parents, who are seated comfortably side by side on their couch. They have seen their share of anger at the world and at their God. “We met in church; we went to church; I was teaching Sunday school; Chris was run-ning the sound system at church; I was singing praise and worship; we never missed a service, we were involved as we could possibly be,” Lacey listed, frown-ing slightly. “We were considered leaders in our church at our age because we were so involved. And then this happens. “We don’t drink, we don’t smoke – you know, it’s like, ‘Really, God? C’mon.’ On top of that, friends around us were having babies, and they were all healthy. We were just like, ‘This is totally unfair.’” Lacey and Chris were feeling a host of emo-tions they had no idea how to process. They found themselves ques-tioning God in a way they never had before. “Our pastor would try to comfort us with [Jer-emiah 29:11] ‘I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper and not harm you.’ And we would be like, ‘How are these good plans? How is my kid being blind and hav-

ing a massive cleft; how is that good?’” As Christian stabi-lized and his parents fell more and more in love with him, their anger turned into hope, and the family found a new, stronger kind of faith. “It was an emotional roller coaster and defi-nitely a jab to our faith, but it bought us to this place of strength, where it’s more than just

something to do every Sunday– it’s our lives; it’s who we are,” Lacey declares. “We have a lot more trust in God, to carry us through the difficult times, where at one point it was more of, ‘Well, nothing bad’s gonna happen,’ and that’s what our trust was in. Now it’s more like when those bad things happen, we’re gonna be okay. It’s not as scary

By Becca AndrewsEditor-in-chief

(L): Christian takes some of his first steps using a walker and encouragment from his mother Lacey. (R): Christopher Buchanan plays with his son on a Saturday morning. Photos by Emily West

anymore.”

***

As the video of Lacey and Christian gained popularity, sup-port poured in from all around the globe. The family received encour-aging Facebook mes-sages thanking them for sharing their story, and some of the more dedicated “fans” sent

money and gifts. The positive feed-back, they confirm, far outweighs the negative. “Any time someone says something rude, they have thousands of people harassing them back for it,” Lacey chuckles. Lacey describes her-self as “high-strung,” and the assessment is an accurate one. She vocalizes her

feelings without hesita-tion or fear, generally letting it all out via Facebook or on her blog. Her frustration with Vanderbilt’s care has been no exception, but it caught the atten-tion of someone who wanted to help. A new friend who found the Buchanans through their highly visible Internet pres-ence suggested a chil-

FEATURESdren’s hospital in Ohio for Christian’s next surgery, which aims to close his palate and form his bottom eyelids. “I’ve talked to two surgeons who would be performing the surgery up there on the phone– 20, 30, 45-minute conversations,” Lacey explains. “That’s how I know they really care about Christian. I never spoke with a surgeon at Vanderbilt.”

***

At the end of each day, Lacey and Chris still strive for one thing– to be good par-ents. “Being a father, it’s the greatest thing I ever could have done,” Chris said. “I don’t see myself as a father of a special needs kid – I see myself as a father.” The couple hope to instill confidence in Christian, along with a firm belief in God. “I want him to stand up for what’s right and be responsible; I want him to be a god-fearing man,” Chris declares, leaning forward intent-ly. “I’ll be teaching him things along the way that come from my own experiences. I’m not done. As I learn, he’s going to learn with me.” Lacey runs her fin-gers through her hair, smiles at her husband and nods in agreement. They are proud of Christian and have hope for his future. So far, they point out, he has not shown any signs of mental impairment. “His motor skills are awesome for his condi-tion,” Chris observes. “He’ll just get up and walk to the toy box and get a toy–”

“No, he won’t,” Lacey interrupts, gig-gling. “He (Chris) does that all the time. He’ll be like, ‘Man, I just walked into Christian’s room, and he looked up at me,’ and I’m like, ‘No, he didn’t.’” The two look at each other and smile. Lacey rolls her eyes play-fully at her husband and settles back into the couch. Over the past year and a half, they have

learned to laugh in spite of the situation.

***

Lacey rises, walking over to a corner of her living that holds a small silver walker. “Christian, let’s walk. He’s probably not going to do it,” she continues, glancing back at her husband. She leans down and arranges Christian’s per-fect, tiny hands on the


Christian plays with the front door, enjoying the light across his face, and giggles at the sounds his rocking horse makes. Photos by Emily West.

handle of his walker. She pushes him slightly forward to encourage him. Shakily, he began to take a step, deliberately placing one foot in front of another. Lacey and Chris are transfixed. “He’s never walked this much,” she blurts. The next hurdles the family anticipates are the two surgeries in Ohio. Denied insurance coverage because the

procedure would be done out of state, they are waiting on the hos-pital to tell them how much help they can get financially through the institution. “They told us they would help however they could,” Lacey says. “ We have a little money saved up, not much, but a little. We’re gonna get him the surgeries he needs when he needs them, even if we have to

pay out of pocket for them.” The family also is looking to make room for a new addition. “We’re expecting in May,” Lacey announc-es, her eyes shining. Her hand gently returns to her stomach. Chris grins. “We’re hoping it’s a girl.”


COVER STORYKnight brothers’ bond goes beyond the court

On Nov. 13, the Middle Tennessee men’s basketball team played in the state of Georgia for the first time since 1990. The win over Savan-nah State University was not only the team’s second win of the sea-son, but also a special win for two brothers who took the court as Blue Raiders. Brothers Marcos and Trantell “Tweety” Knight played – and won – together in their home state in front of family and friends for the first time since joining the team. The Rentz, Ga. natives have been playing basketball together since the age of five and have the rare opportunity of playing together again on a col-lege court. “[Tweety] knows me like the back of his hand . . . we’ve been playing together so long, we know each other. We know what the other is going to do,” said Mar-cos, who was recruited by Head Coach Kermit Davis out of Chipola Junior College Tweety, also a recruit out of Chipola, is joining Marcos on the collegiate level for the second time in their lives. The first time this duo competed together in college, the result was a championship with the Middle Georgia Warriors. With the Blue Raiders coming off of a historic 27-win season, the Knight brothers have the Sun Belt Con-ference title and, ulti-

mately, a NCAA berth square in their sights.MT has competed in the NCAA tournament six times since 1975. However, the university has not sent a team to the NCAA tournament since 1989, when the team lost in the second round to the Virginia Cavaliers. Last year, the Blue Raiders were unable to snap that streak, as they lost to Arkansas State University in the quar-

By Jordan PowellStaff writer

Marcos Knight follows through after shooting a basket in a game against Alabama State on Nov. 9. Photo by Jay Bailey.

continued on page 9

terfinals of the Sun Belt Conference tournament, a loss that would cost them their ticket to the “Big Dance.” The broth-erly guards hope that the chemistry they bring to the team, both on and off the court, can be a factor in bringing the Blue Raiders back into National Championship contention. “We try to keep each other together and tell each other what we’re doing right, what we’re doing wrong,” Marcos

said. “We coach each other a lot within the team. If one of my teammates isn’t do-ing something right, that they aren’t giving enough effort, we’ll go to them and tell them.” Davis said that he isn’t putting tourna-ment aspirations on the Knight brothers, but he hopes the team will make progress with the added chemistry while building off the success of last season. “They really compete

on the floor,” Davis said. “They have a great desire to win, and when you put them both on the floor at the same time . . . that brings a lot to our team.” The chemistry that everyone sees between Marcos and Tweety did not develop overnight. “We played recre-ation basketball together . . . through middle school. We played together through high school, college; we’ve been playing together

for our whole lives,” Marcos said. “In junior college, we played together at Middle Georgia. We won our first ring together, so that was really special, and now we’re back together here at Middle Tennessee.” Growing up, the brothers were musi-cians for their church – Marcos played the keyboard, and Tweety played the drums. “We do a lot of

COVER STORYcontinued from page 8

“Tweety” Knight guards the ball against the Alabama State Hornets. Photo by MT Athletic Communications.

things off the court together,” Marcos said. “We’re really close. We treat each other like real brothers should treat each other. We do a lot for each other. We really love each other, and we’re really close off the court.” Though they claim not to have any rivalries off the court, it is not all brotherly love for these two point guards. “We got into a little scuffle earlier this year. [Tweety] was checking me. He pushed me; I pushed him. Coach Da-vis loved that,” Marcos said. The success that both enjoy comes from the skills that they devel-oped together playing and sharpening each other while shooting hoops in the backyard.“We were very competi-tive with each other. We played a lot of one-on-one in the backyard. Many times you just go out early in the morning and play; go out late at night and play,” Marcos said. Tweety said that they “compete at every position” at practice. Marcos, more of a scor-ing point guard, said he tells his brother to guard him in every position in order to make both of them better players.“[Tweety] is a great defender. Most of the time, I get the best of him because I’m a lot tougher than he is,” Marcos said, sharing a laugh with his brother. “We don’t let each other get away with any-thing.” The brothers also claim that they have a special, on-court aware-ness with each other.

“We know what the other is going to do. He knows all my go-to moves, and I know all of his go-to moves,” Marcos said. Marcos added that just a glance can com-municate what the other is about to do, and it allows one to play off of the other. “Whenever I see him going to a certain move, I know exactly what to do . . . It’s just nature now,” Marcos said.The Blue Raiders’ game against Savannah State University was a homecoming of sorts of the Knight brothers. The Georgia natives had the opportunity to play in front of their family and friends.

“They can watch not one, but two of their family members play,” Marcos said. “They haven’t seen us play together in about two years, so going back and playing in Georgia was a great experience for both of us and our family. We had a lot of family members come out and watch us play.” Marcos, the Blue Raiders’ top return-ing scorer, made a big impact in his first year at Middle Tennessee. The senior guard started every game last season averaging 11.8 points per game. Marcos had a career day at his home-coming game at Savan-nah State, putting up 21 points to cut down

on the Tiger’s 12-point first-half lead. Tweety averaged 8.8 points a game and was ranked tenth in the Florida College System Activities Association (FCSAA) in steals per game during his last year at Chipola, averaging almost two per game. Tweety adds depth to the Middle Tennessee roster at guard, joining Bruce Massey who averaged 6.1 points and 1.5 steals a game last season.Being reunited on a college roster is some-thing very special to the Knight brothers. “It’s my senior year, and last year that’s all we talked about – play-

ing with each other again, maybe for the last time . . . on the col-legiate level,” Marcos said. The Blue Raiders were unanimously selected to win the Sun Belt East Division this season by the Sun Belt Men’s Basketball Pre-season Coaches’ Poll.Winning the Sun Belt Conference and earning an NCAA berth is not only important to the Knight brothers, but to the team. “It’d mean the world to me,” Marcos said. “Being a senior and having my brother here in my last year with me . . . win the conference and then go

to the NCAA tourna-ment is something that MT hasn’t done in . . . awhile.” Marcos said that the team is going to continue to work hard in pursuit of a “great experience” for them. “Ain’t nothing like celebrating with your brother, just winning the conference and then going to the NCAA tournament,” Tweety added.


RANTS AND RAVESWednesday, Nov.

28PUJOLTidballs

522 Morris Alley Bowling Green, KY

Admission: $107 p.m.18+

Yes, it’s getting down to the wire. Yes, finals are coming up. And yes, we probably all need a little road trip. This show is in Bowling Green, Ky., so it’s a bit of a jaunt, but if you and some friends want to get away mid-week and see some good music before the final

push, the PUJOL show might be a cool chance. With energetic tunes and a garage-inspired sound, PUJOL sounds like modern raw-rock (rawk?) should sound. His debut full-length album, UNITED STATES OF BEING, is hard hit-ting with tunes you’d

expect to hear at PacSun. PUJOL is named after singer/guitarist, Daniel Pujol. A road trip up to Bowling Green could be good for your heart and some local support could be good for his.

Thursday, Nov. 29Cameras & Community

ActionThe Frist Center for the

Visual Arts919 Broadway

NashvilleAdmission: Free w/ Col-

lege ID5 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Photos have a unique ability to move us in many ways, either to ac-tion or to tears. Most of us probably take pho-tos on a regular basis, whether it’s of ourselves, ourselves and our BFF or things in our commu-nity we find noteworthy, which is exactly what this

exhibit is all about. The Frist gave out a thousand disposable cameras for people in Middle Tennes-see to photograph things that they found moving, disturbing or worth notic-ing. This exhibit features a collection of 500 photos and is located on the education corridor. It’s

pretty much a still-frame, exhibit-hall documentary about our own pockets of community here in Middle Tennessee. This exhibit will run until Jan. 13, so you have no excuse not to see it.

Thursday, Nov. 29Ray LaMontagneRyman Auditorium

116 5th Ave. N. Nashville

Admission: SOLD OUT or $100+ on Craigslist

7:30 p.m.

What really needs to be said about this show? It’s Ray La-Freaking-Montagne. Not just a Ray show, but it’s a Ray LaMontagne show at the Ryman. Ray has songs like “Jolene” and “Beg, Steal or Borrow,” among other monster hits. His sound is uniquely refresh-

ing with steel guitars, and his soft, raspy voice sing-ing songs about a life that sounds so rough it hardly seems possible that the life would be his. But it is, and his songwriting reflects it. The good news is that Ray is playing at the Ryman. The bad news is that it sold out. For

shows this epic, it’s kind of impossible to let you know about them before they sell out. But you can take your chances, scalp some tickets outside the venue or probably find them on Craigslist for twice what their owners paid for them.

Friday, Nov. 30 “Special Engage-

ment” James Gregory, the Funniest Man in

AmericaZanies Comedy Club

2025 8th Ave. S., Nashville

Admission: $237 p.m., 9 p.m.

18+

It’s a bold statement to call oneself the funniest man in America. That claim tends to make most people skeptical from the get-go. But James Gregory has had some very real success and is a hard-working, touring performer. He’s enter-tained sold-out crowds all

over the country, and he continues to do so three or more days a week, 46 weeks a year. That’s a hefty touring schedule, folks. He’s been on Rick and Bubba, John Boy and Billy and other pretty successful radio shows. His comedy is based around a pretty unique

type of humor – his Southern drawl and zany appearance is warming, and the delivery of his bits seems so natural. If you like Southern-style humor, then you might just find James the funni-est man in the world.

Friday, Nov. 30 The Delta Saints with the Black Cadillacs

Exit/In2208 Elliston Pl.,

NashvilleAdmission: $10

9 p.m.18+

Nashville has this magical, uncanny ability to bring bands together. Not like a, “Hey, I know you,” kind of together – I mean like, “Let’s start a band,” kind of together. The Delta Saints formed after moving here for college and just clicked. Their roots-blues style

and modern electric twist makes them a feel-good rock-and-roll band. And there’s a harmonica. The big news here is that this show is a CD release party for their debut full-length album. Opening for The Delta Saints are The Black Cadillacs, a six-piece rock outfit with

tunes that sounds like the Stones and The Who with a hipster spin. They have two albums out, Run and All Them Witches. Light-ning 100 is putting on this show, so if that’s any indication, you’ll know it’s good music.


RANTS AND RAVESFriday, Nov. 30

Keb’ Mo’Franklin Theater419 Main Street

FranklinAdmission: $52-$72

8 p.m.

It’s a wonderful thing to still have the Franklin Theater around, and Keb’ Mo’ is playing there three nights this weekend. He is a sick guitar player and a great blues singer. He’s had some serious TV success with the show “Memphis Beat” on TNT, which he wrote and com-

Good classical music can soothe the soul. Good jazz can spice up a romantic dinner. Good classical jazz can open portals of your mind you never thought pos-sible. And good classical jazz is happening at the Nashville Symphony this Saturday. Bramwell

posed the theme music for. He even appeared in an episode of the show. Keb’ Mo’ released The Reflection last year, which was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Blues Album. This album came after two years of work and is an accurate reflection

Tovey will be guest conducting George Ger-shwin’s piano concerto with Terrance Wilson on piano. Gershwin was a master at fusing classi-cal music and jazz, using American styling and an understanding of how humans connect to music. This show is the last of a

of his deep soul, gospel, blues and American folk influences. It really can’t be stressed enough how strong of a musician Keb’ Mo’ is. He plays from the soul and is worth check-ing out.

three night series, so try and make it Thursday or Friday. If you buy tickets to the Nashville Sympho-ny, you get free tickets to the Frist. It can’t be said enough for college students – free is good.

Saturday, Dec. 1All That Classical Jazz feat. Gershwin’s Piano

ConcertoSchermerhorn

Symphony Center1 Symphony Place,

NashvilleAdmission: $23-$109

8 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 1Porter Flea

Marathon Music Works1402 Clinton St.

NashvilleAdmission: Free11 a.m. – 6 p.m.

We can be proud of a lot of things here in Middle Tennessee. But one thing that takes the cake around here is this – how much we love locally produced, quality, handmade things. Porter Flea is a flea mar-ket day with a massive collection of craftsmen from all over the area.

There will be vendors like Modern Arks there with some amazing handmade furniture and vendors like Shutters and Shuttles with textile and sewn goods. Just imag-ine, if Etsy had a flea market, this would be it. You can also bet a pretty penny that there will be

some of Nashville’s hot-test food trucks on site to fulfill your craving for a cast iron chicken taco, a bowl of traditional jam-balaya or a grilled cheese sandwich.

Saturday, Dec. 1LambsCroft Homeless

OutreachGarret Boyd Gym

3016 Nolensville Pike Nashville

Admission: Free2 p.m. – 8 p.m.

As it’s getting colder, the homeless commu-nity suffers more as the temperature drops degree by degree. This is an op-portunity as we approach Christmas, to spread some cheer and holiday spirit. They are a Chris-tian organization, but you don’t have to be a Chris-

tian to help serve people in need. LambsCroft’s mission is to provide an environment that is safe for the whole family to get involved in, and they work with schools around the area, giving them an opportunity to serve. They provide all types of care and service to those

in need from haircuts to a hot meal. The good folks at LambsCroft can use all the volunteers they can get. Consider giv-ing the one of the most precious gifts you can give this holiday season; your time. For more info, email [email protected].

Sunday, Dec. 2Eric Hutchinson with

Benjamin Francis Left-wich and Jessie Payo3rd and Lindsley Bar

and Grill818 3rd Ave. S.

NashvilleAdmission: $20

7 p.m.

With hits like “It’s Alright With Me,” “Oh!” and “Rock & Roll,” Eric Hutchinson is a pretty big deal. His Gavin Degraw-ish vocal timbre makes his tunes the kind that make you want to sway to the beat. His song “Rock & Roll” is certi-fied Gold here in the

U.S. and Platinum in New Zealand, Australia. His first album, That Could’ve Gone Better, was released in 2003 and he’s come a long way since. His latest album, Moving Up Living Down, released earlier this year and is packed with soul driven tunes that are in

pitch with his unique sound. Opening for him is Brit rocker Benjamin Francis Leftwich and Jessie Payo. Leftwich is fresh off his first U.S. tour and is scheduling a headlining tour for later this year, and Payo is self-described as classic American music.


12 SIDELINES | Nov. 28, 2012 | www.mtsusidelines.com

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENTABC’s ‘Nashville’ over-dramatizes life in Music City

When ABC’s “Nash-ville” premiered on Oct. 10, it proved to be nothing but a primetime soap opera that seems to show the city in a light really isn’t accurate. “Nashville” is about two country sing-ers – one who is an established star, Rayna Jaymes (Connie Britton, “Friday Night Lights,” “American Horror Story”), and another who is the next big thing to hit Music City, Juliette Barnes (Hayden Panettiere, “Heroes,” “Remember the Ti-tans”). It is very easy to draw connections between the stars on the show to real life country singers, and this makes the audience wonder who the stars are based on. But the show also depicts the city of Nash-ville in a light that may make people who are not native to the area perceive it as something it is not. Throughout the show, the audience is taken to some of Nashville’s most famous spots like The Bluebird Cafe, Tootsie’s and The Ryman, as the actors name-drop the iconic places more than any lo-cal would in a lifetime. In the first episode, Rayna asks her lead guitarist if he would like to go get a drink at Tootsie’s with her. It is difficult to imagine a big country singer – a Reba McEntire or Faith Hill-esque figure – do-ing this because they would end up with no

privacy and arms full of demos shoved in their faces from music hope-fuls.It is obvious to anyone

who is from Nashville that this show com-pletely distorts the way of life here. It is rare to see a hundred people

walking around the Wa-termark in the Gulch, unless Old Crow Medi-cine Show was playing at the Station Inn, which

makes this critic wonder if that will be their next stop to fabricate. The writers of “Nash-ville” have also done

their research on more than just famous spots, they drop the names of country music roy-alty at a rate that would make most locals sick. Most people figure that modern country sing-ers are inspired by the classics, but mentioning current stars four times in one episode is a little excessive. The drama does a good job at being a soap opera and showing that even country singers can be the biggest divas in the world. Honestly, why can’t they have their diva moments? They are just like any other pop stars these days. The most notice-able conflict is between Rayna and Juliette, as they both fight for the respect of everyone around them, including each other. Rayna can’t accept that she isn’t what is new and “sexy” anymore, and Juliette just wants to be loved, but only knows how by sleeping with whoever she thinks will get her to where she wants to be. For the most part, “Nashville” is just an over dramatized story about a town that isn’t the way the show’s creator, Callie Khouri, who hails from Texas, thinks it is. It is clear she didn’t spend time here and only heard stories about the places online. Maybe she and the writers should have spent a little more time in Nashville before they wrote a show about it.

By Lauren MandrellContributing critic

Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere star in the country music soap opera about two competing stars facing the trials of the music industry and their personal lives. Photo courtesy of ukmix.org

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENTTen best places to nap during finals week

1. Your car. Let’s be real. We’ve all seen the poor, exhausted soul with the classic pose of feet propped up on the win-dow, jacket over face, as we walk the parking lot back to the car or on the way to class. And if you’ve seen it, you’ve no doubt judged. You’re forgiven. Go forth, young padawan.

2. A hammock on the quad. There are trees here on campus that are the perfect distance apart to hang a hammock and swing yourself into slumber. Just make sure you tie it tight, or those falling dreams might not actually be dreams.

3. The Library. Curl up on one of those awful loveseats on the second floor or find a booth near the bank of outdated, dinosaur computers to sprawl out on. If you’re not into the whole need-noise-to-sleep thing, then try the quiet areas. If you don’t want to see a soul, head up to the encyclopedia section.

4. The Student Union. There has to be some secret tunnels or some hidden compartments somewhere in the laby-rinth that is the newest addition on campus. Channel your inner Indiana Jones, and try to find them. Then head up to the second floor by the fireplace. It’s warm, cozy and will practi-

cally draw the covers for you.

5. The Fitness Center. Got some rebel hid-den deep down? With loud music, very awake people and sweaty dudes in shirts that only cover up to their navel, the gym makes for the perfect place to make a statement while catch-ing up on some much-needed shut-eye. Want some fungus in your life? Try napping on the wrestling mats.

6. Your class. If you haven’t done it yet, you might get away with it. If the person next to you is doing it, you’ll never get away with it. Make sure you sit somewhere new. If the professor sees you in your usual spot, he’ll know. Dark sunglasses help too.

7. Any upper divi-sion science class. Skip your 2:40 class and go to the Davis sci-ence building. As you walk the halls listen for the sound: it sounds like Ben Stein using words like “mycobacterium” and “oligonucleotide synthesis.” Slip in the back, make yourself comfy and dream on.

8. Your girl-friend’s/boy-friend’s dorm.This can get messy. There are RAs to worry about and roommates that might have a prob-lem with it, but while your significant other is being diligent and studying at the library, you could sneak in and

commandeer his or her couch, bed or recliner to get some temporary sleep.

9. Photography Building. Dark room. There is at least one of these bad boys in there, and there’s probably only room for one person. Take something to de-fend yourself from the hoards of people want-ing to nap there as well and let the soft glow of the Kodak 13 Safelight Filter light set you free.

10. Jimmy Johns. They give away free smells. They also give away free naps. When you wake up, you can buy a sandwich. Which begs another question – is the meal you eat after waking up from a nap breakfast too?

By Nick GeorgiouStaff writer

Students take advantage of opportunities to get some shut-eye on campus. Photos by Matt Masters.



ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENTLana Del Rey continues soulful reign with extended album

Lana Del Rey has extended her reign as pop’s sexy, soulful diva and released a deluxe edition of her debut album, Born to Die.Born to Die: The Para-dise Edition features eight brand new tracks, in addition to the 15 tracks from the original album. The release of this album came as a bit of a surprise to fans, as Del Rey told Vogue earlier this year that she prob-ably would not make another record, saying she had said everything she needed to say in the first one. The general vibe of the new record is more soulful and less hip-hop influenced than previous songs. The first single, “Ride,” is a soulful pop ballad with a piano and string-driven melody that really shows off Del Rey’s deep vocal range. The lyrics are in her typical style, talking about dying young and escaping life’s everyday trials and tribulations. The song “Ameri-can” displays a similar-ity with former single “National Anthem,” showing her influence from American culture by making allusions to popular icons such as Bruce Springsteen and singing the line, “Be young, be dope, be proud…like an American.” Another noted American culture reference can be heard in “Body Electric,” with the title inspired by the poem “I Sing the Body Electric” by Walt

Whitman. Throughout the song, she references Elvis, Marilyn Monroe and the Grand Ole Opry while crooning over a dark, sultry melody, making it one of the standout songs on the extended album. “Cola” and “Gods and Monsters” are two of the more explicit songs on the album and take a different direction from those

originally released on Born to Die. Both songs are also more upbeat and hip-hop influ-enced than the rest and provide relief from the other slower, string-laden tracks. “Gods and Monsters” stands out with a heavy drum beat and lyrics written about Del Rey’s former wild lifestyle, such as, “No one’s gonna take my soul from me, I’m livin’

like Jim Morrison” – another allusion to a historical icon. Del Rey’s cover of popular ‘50s song “Blue Velvet” was recorded to use in a promotional video for H&M, a cloth-ing line that Del Rey recently became the face of. Her version sticks closely to the vibe of the original and makes for an interesting listening experience.

“Yayo” is fashioned more like a retro piano ballad with light percus-sion and strings and gives credibility to her reputation as playing the role of a lounge singer. The album concludes with “Bel Air,” a light and whimsical song that really captures the beauty of Del Rey’s voice and makes for a powerful ending.

These songs are available on iTunes in a package with the origi-nal tracks from Born to Die, or as a separate EP by themselves. If you are a Del Ray fan and already own the first album, adding these tracks to it is definitely recommended. There is a good chance that this might be our last chance to hear new songs from her.

By Meredith GalyonStaff writer

Lana Del Ray’s latest album has more depth than her previous releases. Photo courtesy of crazybee.forumactif.org

SIDELINES | Nov. 28 , 2012 | www.mtsusidelines.com 15

OPINIONSGOP must relax immigration views to appeal to more voters

If Republicans want to gain more politi-cal offices in the next election cycle, they are going to need new policies – they need a change that supports all Americans, not just their party. Republicans have generally relied on white American voters. One way they appealed to voters is through anti-immigration rhetoric and policies. However, if this election taught them anything, it should be that they can no longer solely count on the “white vote.” The Grand Old Party needs a new platform before it sinks. According to the 2010 United States Census, Latinos account for 16.3 percent of the population in America, while black Americans account for 12.6 per-cent, making Latinos the largest minority in the U.S. This suggests that if the Republican Party doesn’t change its stance on immigration, it won’t see the inside of the White House. Most Hispanics are conservative and share GOP views, according to a recent report by the Wall Street Journal titled “Lost in Transla-tions: GOP struggles with Hispanics.” They are not going to vote for members of a party whose policies prevent their family and friends from being here nor for a party that won’t let the children of

illegal immigrants re-ceive the same financial aid to go to college as the children of citizens, though these children of immigrants have been in the U.S. most of their lives. Additionally, a major-

Torrie Tovar

By Torrie TovarContributing

columnist

ity of the Latino popu-lation is also Catholic, which is a faith that openly denounces the use of birth control, which the Republican Party believes taxpayers should not be required to pay for. Most Latinos are against abortion as well. They believe children are a blessing from God, so not only do they see it as murder – they see it as a treachery against God. Republicans need to loosen its reins on immi-gration, point-blank.

Most Hispanics iden-tify as conservative, but even so, they are not likely to vote for Republicans who dis-play anti-immigration rhetoric or who support laws and policies that stereotype Hispanics as illegal aliens. The Republican Party has to get off its high horse and accept that it cannot count on the “white vote” anymore. If it can make this change, it will broaden the number of voters it appeals to. Some Republicans are beginning to realize this. Sean Hannity, a super-conservative pundit for Fox News,

Hispanic immigrants. Hopefully other Republicans will follow in this viewpoint, and recreate the party’s core beliefs in a way that includes help for all Americans, while still maintaining its conser-vative principles. It seems sometimes that Americans forget this is a nation of im-migrants. There have been times in the past when it has benefited our nation to seek immigrant labor-ers to help build this nation, such as with the railroads in the 1800s. But once the projects were done, we wished to send them all back, because this is “our”

come from Mexico, among other Latin American countries, to help build up our coun-try. But when the Great Depression hit, Repub-lican President Her-bert Hoover endorsed legislation sanctioning that more than 2 million Hispanics – 1.2 million of whom had been born here – be exiled from the country. This was done so that American citizens could find jobs, though 1.2 million of those exiled were indeed citizens. Yet the U.S. has yet to apologize for these indiscretions – now known as the Mexican Repatriation. With Republicans’ reputation among the Hispanic populations, it is no wonder as to why they do not vote Repub-lican.These actions are reflected in the rhetoric of the Republican Party and tend to turn off La-tino voters. If the GOP would only develop more compassionate and welcoming poli-cies for immigrants in general, then the Latino population would be

more likely to vote for Republicans. But Republican rhetoric on a lot of policies tends to cater to the nationalistic and xenophobic minds in the country. They blame all of our problems on im-migrants and treat them as inferior to natural-born citizens. Now the time has come for them to change their stance and be aware that immi-grants should be treated as equals, not as if they were unwelcome pests, such as roaches or rats that need to be eradi-cated. If the Republican Party can overcome these outdated xenopho-bic policies and views, it indeed could have a shot at being in the White House come next election. One can only hope that our nation contin-ues to move forward in our fight against poor policies and ignorant politicians. If the Re-publican Party doesn’t choose to move forward in its policies, they may become irrelevant in the future.

recently said he now believes we should provide a pathway to citizenship for the undocumented people living in the U.S. who haven’t had any le-gal troubles, after we tighten our control over the borders. Additionally, Ten-nessee Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey recently told reporters in Nashville that he felt like it was time for the GOP to take a new approach to immigration, especially considering the conser-vative nature of most

land.Before the Great De-pression, we had people

‘‘ One can only hope that our nation continues to move

forward in our fight against poor policies and ignorant

politicians.”


SPORTSSun Belt football coming of age 12 years after joining FBS ranks

The completion of Week 13 of this year’s Sun Belt Conference football season has yet to bring an answer to the conference’s final outcome. On Dec. 1, Middle Tennessee and Arkansas State will face off in a winner-take-all bout in Jonesboro, Ark., that will decide the Sun Belt Champion. So much for the Sun Belt not having a cham-pionship game. A record five teams have all reached bowl eligibility, despite the conference only fielding two guaranteed bowl tie-ins. With Penn State, Ohio State, North Caro-lina and Miami (Fla.) all having been rendered ineligible thanks to NCAA or self-imposed bowl sanctions, the possibility still remains that at least four of those teams could find themselves in no fewer than 10 different bowl destinations this holiday season. A lesson that could be taken away from what may seem to national experts as a nearly impossible season to predict in the Football Bowl Subdivision’s youngest conference is that the conference is in fact coming of age just months after confer-ence officials learned that long-time members Florida International and North Texas would leave for Conference-USA. In the Sun Belt’s 12 years since adding foot-ball to its list of sports, the conference has

never before seen the level of parity that it has enjoyed this season. Middle Tennes-see, which was picked eighth in the coaches’ poll, now controls its own destiny for its first outright Sun Belt title just one year removed from a (2-10, 1-7 Sun Belt) season. ULM, picked sixth, has already secured its first winning season since joining the Sun Belt and has won eight games, including an upset over SEC team Arkansas behind the arm of Kolton Brown-ing. Western Kentucky now even has back-to-back seven win seasons after struggling for a combined two in its first two seasons as a foot-ball member. The 2012 season has also been marked by a handful of high-profile, out-of-conference victories for the Sun Belt, including two SEC wins, an ACC victory and perhaps most im-portantly, a 6-2 record against C-USA teams, the conference that the Sun Belt is most fre-quently compared to. Furthermore, the Sun Belt looks to have finally established its brand of football amidst a changing college foot-ball landscape, fielding teams with wide-open offensive attacks and shedding its former reputation of being an easy victory for BCS conference teams. Prolific passers such as Browning, Kawaun Jakes, Logan Kilgore, Ryan Aplin and Corey Robinson have helped conference starting

quarterbacks throw for over 14 miles of yard-age this season. High-octane offenses have reached the endzone over 400 times this season, and conference athletic directors could soon find themselves struggling to schedule as many games against Bowl Championship Conference teams look-ing to pad their chances at bowl eligibility. Next season will undoubtedly involve the aches and pains that come with adding two new conference members to replace the departed North Texas and FIU, but, for now, the Sun Belt faithful can look forward to what could be an exciting fin-ish to the 2012 football campaign.

By Mark MizeSports editor

Quarterback Logan Kilgore is one in a host of gunslingers who are part of what has made 2012 arguably Sun Belt football’s best. Photo by Drew Gardonia.

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