Mount Hood

Campus music recommendations

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

“The one everyone’s talking about right now is Kendrick Lamar’s new album ‘DAMN.’ I’d recommend that one. It’s hip hop so, if you like hip hop, I’d recommend it.”
Daniel Villegas, sophomore, criminal justice

“John Mayer’s ‘The Search For Everything’ is a really good one. He uses a whole bunch of expressions in his lyrics that apply to everyone.”
Austin Monk, senior, interdisciplinary studies

“‘I’m the One’ by DJ Khaled, there are just a bunch of different artists in it.”

Tiffany Applegate, freshman, business

“I’d recommend Mac Demarco’s ‘This Old Dog,’ it’s a really good album for people who like alternative, psychedelic or indie rock.”

Lisette Cervantes, sophomore, psychology

The “Pageant” gets cancelled

By: Zoe Strickland
Managing Editor

This started out as a review of “Pageant,” the sophomore album of the would-be up-and-coming queer rock band PWR BTTM. However, due to recent allegations, PWR BTTM has been dropped by their label.

The record label, Polyvinyl, announced on May 12 that they were dropping PWR BTTM due to allegations that one half of the duo, Ben Hopkins, sexually coerced and assaulted people while on tour.

As a result of these allegations, the band has been taken off of the label’s website.

On March 13, Polyvinyl released a statement regarding the allegations, “Throughout our 20 years, Polyvinyl has purposefully operated on the core principle that everyone deserves to be treated with fairness and respect. There is absolutely no place in the world for hate, violence, abuse, discrimination or predatory behavior of any kind. In keeping with this philosophy, we want to let everyone know that we are ceasing to sell and distribute PWR BTTM’s music.”

Similarly, the label is offering full refunds to anyone who has purchased PWR BTTM products.

The story broke on Jezebel, where they interviewed a member of the LGBTQ+ community who accused Hopkins of being a “‘known sexual predator’ who has perpetrated multiple assaults, bullied other people in the queer community, and has made unwanted advances towards underage minors.”

Being let go from a label isn’t the only thing to happen to the band; touring members of PWR BTTM, as well as multiple tour openers, have dropped out of PWR BTTM’s upcoming tour and their management company has dropped their representation.

“These allegations are shocking to us and we take them very seriously. Further, the alleged behavior is not representative of who Ben is and the manner in which they try to conduct themselves … Our primary goal here is to ensure that a survivor of abuse has a voice, that their story should be heard and that people who cross the line should be held accountable,” read a statement from May 11 that was released by the band on their Twitter account.

The band has also set up an email account wherein survivors of assault can discuss the allegations against Hopkins. According to the statement released by the band, the only person with access to this email will be a neutral mediator.

PWR BTTM’s songs continuously preach messages of acceptance and advocacy, and Hopkins’ alleged actions represent the opposite of what the band tries to promote.

Contact the author at journalmanaging@wou.edu

Community spotlight: Second Chance Books

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Just down the road from Monmouth sits Second Chance Books, a used bookstore tucked into Main Street, Independence and a wonderland for book lovers. Shelves stand seven feet tall filled up with books of all genres. The store extends back through narrow corridors that are lined with even more books that lead to poetry, drama, travel and much more. Cozy chairs sit in some aisles welcoming customers to come in and stay a while.

“We opened in 1991. We were originally across from Highway 99 and then we moved to this location about eight years ago,” said Dina Carter, co-owner of Second Chance Books.

Dina runs the store alongside her husband, Steve Carter. The store is open seven days a week and provides something fun to do on lazy Sundays.

“Students get in a little bubble up in Monmouth and don’t seem to know that there’s anything over here, which isn’t all that far away,” added Carter. “We’re also open on Sundays too, where not a lot of places around here are.”

Second Chance Books doesn’t just sell books, they buy used books as well.

“If customers bring in their books that they don’t want, we’ll give them half of what we’ll sell it for in trade credit and that credit can be used for half of what they pick up at the store,” said Carter.

There was also a book signing being held in front of the store. Activities such as that can be found on Second Chance Books’ Facebook page.

Dina and Steve Carter also enjoy supporting Western, they’ve donated to the Smith Fine Arts Series and they’ve donated gift certificates to auctions at Western.

“I’m always happy to see students in and I’m always encouraged that they want the physical book as opposed to the electronic gadget,” added Carter.

Second Chance Books can be found right on Main Street Independence and is open seven days a week. Check out more on their Facebook page or online at their Abebooks.com page.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

Review: “Master of None” season two

By: Alyssa James
Staff Writer

The Netflix original series “Master of None” had many positive and raving reviews with its first season, released in 2015. Over the past two years, fans have awaited the return of Aziz Ansari’s comedy series. On May 12, the second season was released for streaming on Netflix.

Ansari, actor and creator of the show, nailed the second season with fresh new episodes following Dev, a 30-year-old aspiring actor from New York, and his life. The show focuses on many aspects that truly portray what it is like to live in the year 2017. One of the best attributes within this show is the focus on technology and social media and how it relates to the young people living in today’s age. It truly represents the dating culture that is present within society regarding technology.
Along with that, there are appearances from old characters. While there are old characters present, they are not the main focus of Dev’s life in this season. Adding new characters was a good choice because it opened up many more opportunities for episodes. While the last season focused mainly on his relationship with Rachel, this season shows a different side of Dev and how he now chooses to live his life.

On a 1-to-10 star rating scale, “Master of None” deserves a 10 for authenticity and originality. Ansari shows his true talent in his show, not only as an actor but as the creator of it. It brings humor into real life situations that leave the audience laughing and wanting more. More than that, it’s a binge-worthy show and super quick to watch. “Master of None” is perfect for a student wanting to dive into a new show but not wanting to commit hours on end to watching television.

Contact the author at ajames16@mail.wou.edu

Western trips the light fantastic

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Western students have been hard at work rehearsing for the 2017 Spring Dance Concert. Directed by Darryl Thomas, the Spring Dance Concert features 12 different dances from student and faculty choreographers, including a performance from Rainbow Dance Theatre and a guest piece from Tim Cowart.

Students have been rehearsing since January for multiple days a week for the performances, which will be May 11-13 at 7:30 p.m.

One student, Brooke Cross, sophomore elementary education major, recounted her experience preparing for Spring Dance Concert as a positive one.

“It was fun right away. I really enjoy learning choreography. Technique is good in dance classes, but I miss the whole learning a dance, performing it, having the lighting and costuming – everything like that is just really fun,” said Cross.

Cross is performing in two pieces, which has kept her swamped since the first auditions in January.

“I’m performing in a faculty piece done by Sharon Oberst. It’s a tap number and it’s done to three box songs. One is a minuet, one is a rondo and one is badinerie. We wear tuxedos and it’s very fun,” said Cross. “The other one, I’m in a student piece by Jordan Daniels called ‘The Place That Never Changes,’ she’s basing it off of a story about her grandparents house, a special place for her.”

The 12 dances each incorporate the different styles of the choreographers, and each dancer brings their own unique style to it as well. Coming from a dance team background, student dancer Jesse Johnson, first-year undeclared, expressed that working on these dances has been a much different experience than anything she’s done before.

“It’s not dance team, so staging and where your formation is doesn’t really matter necessarily,” said Johnson. “It’s not about the big overall movement, it’s about the little cool things that you get to do because you only have around eight people. Creatively you can do so much.”

The Spring Dance Concert auditions were open for any Western student, so the performance is filled with both dance students and students who just love to dance.

“It’s cool to see everyone from different dance backgrounds come and do a piece that a student choreographed. It’s really cool to be in something like this,” said Johnson.

Johnson is also performing in two dances, both of them student-choreographed.

“One of them is Caitlin Rose’s piece ‘Primordial Awakening.’ It’s kind of a druid dance. There are two main people and we fight until the end, until we come together. It’s powerful and really cool. It’s more ballet heavy, which isn’t my forte, but I really like the music, it’s very tribal,” recounted Johnson. “I’m also really excited for Brittany Hortert’s piece ‘Incognito.’ We’re pretty much running away from something the whole time. We wear sunglasses and a jacket, we look like spies the whole time. We get to play around with character and facial expressions, it’s just a lot of fun.”

Johnson also expressed her excitement for seeing some of the other dances in the Spring Dance Concert that will be performed alongside hers.

“There’s one piece that I’m particularly interested in watching called ‘Nasty Woman.’ It’s a solo piece and the way [Hayleyann Evers] has recorded some choreography ahead of time and will put that out as she dances to music is going to be one that I really want to see. It pertains to what’s going on right now and that’s really cool,” expressed Johnson.

Both Cross and Johnson are excited to put their hard work to the stage and to see the other dances that their fellow dancers have rehearsed.

“I’m excited to perform for the other students and the members of my family that are coming. I’m really proud of the dances that I’m in and I think they’re great,” said Cross.

The Spring Dance Concert will run from May 11-13, beginning at 7:30 p.m. each night in Rice Auditorium. Tickets are available now for $12, or $7 with a Western I.D.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

Editor’s picks

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Editor’s Recommendation
NPR Music is a great place to hear all about new music, popular artists and music news. Their Tiny Desk Concerts feature a great diversity of artists that actually come to the NPR offices and perform a small concert.
Tiny Desk Concerts will feature anyone from T-Pain to Adele to Alt-J. They’re a great way to see high quality performances from popular artists and to discover new music. The sets can go anywhere from 10 minutes up to 30 minutes.
Each year NPR holds a Tiny Desk

D.R.A.M. performs a Tiny Desk Concert on Jan. 4, 2017. (Claire Harbage/NPR)

Contest, where musicians can submit their own Tiny Desk Concert and one will win a chance to go to the NPR Offices and perform. 2017’s winner was Tank and the Bangas. In addition to their Tiny Desk Concert, the group also gets to tour through the U.S.
Tiny Desk Concerts support local artists and provide great entertainment. Tiny Desk Concerts are available at npr.org/music and on NPR Music’s YouTube channel.

Editor’s Disparagement
“Doctor Who” has had a serious decrease in quality over the last few seasons. Episodes frequently feel rushed and supporting actors rarely give passionate performances. The story arcs don’t pack the same dramatic punch as they used to and the Doctor has changed so much in the timeline that he’s lost a lot of the core values that made up his character.
The newest season is no different. The addition of new companions helped to make the show less repetitive, but the episodes are still rushed and the storytelling isn’t nearly as strong as it used to be. The new characters are fun and add a new dynamic to the show, but they aren’t enough to save it from the unmemorable “monsters of the week” and the deus ex machina at the end of every single episode.
Due to it being Peter Capaldi’s final season, the show promises a dramatic season with some familiar faces, but four episodes in, the quality is still subpar.

Review: “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2”

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” was a huge success in 2014. Featuring a cast of obscure characters that fans instantly fell in love with, “Guardians” expanded the Marvel Universe and laid the groundwork for many films to come. “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” is a fun film, like the original, but set on a much smaller scale.

At the film’s start, the team is established and stronger than ever before. Where the first film had to set up a team dynamic, this film just enforces it. The focus is put on strengthening the bonds between the characters, rather than simply making them tolerate each other.

The movie has an expectation that viewers have already seen the original, allowing for them to jump straight into the action. There’s no hand holding as the movie picks up speed, but the character interactions and some jokes would have had very little effect without having seen the original.

That said, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” fails to match the original’s huge scale. The stakes are lower, the villains are weaker and there’s nothing that feels too risky in the film. The original movie expanded the Marvel Universe so much, with connections to other films and diverse locations, that the smaller scale in “Vol. 2” feels off-putting and takes away from the movie.

Marvel is criticized for having overpowered heroes and forgettable villains, but Marvel toys with this concept in new and exciting ways in this film. “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” feels very different from other Marvel movies throughout based on its setup and dynamics.

The character interactions are definitely the highlight of the movie. The Guardians are each so unique and their actors have found their groove in such a way that the characters are both hilarious and sympathetic throughout. The newcomers, Yondu, Mantis and Nebula, offer even further depth and more laughs to the team.

Interactions between Starlord and Rocket Raccoon, as well as those between Drax and Mantis, stand out the most in the film. These characters were great foils of each other and added to the overall quality.

Just like the original, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” is a fun and hilarious film. Even on a much smaller scale, the sequel offers some fantastic moments of character interaction and humor. It’s not the best or most memorable Marvel film, but that doesn’t stop it from being some great fun.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu