Solomon/Nov.11/"About a Week Ago!!"

Solomon/Nov.11/”About a week ago!!”

“About a week ago!!!” These are four words I will never be able to say without singing. They are simple, contagious, catchy and a prime example of how music has become less about content and more about gaining popularity. This quote comes for the popular song by Bobby Shmurda. If you take the time to watch his music video for “Hot N*gga,” which got over 34 million views on YouTube, you’ll hear catchy lines about using guns as well as a reference to a day that happened the week before; you’ll also see his ever popular “Shmoney” dance.

Although entertaining, this type music allows many individuals to get a negative connotation about the African-American community. I grew up in neighborhoods where violence was seen as the only way to handle problems, but this isn’t something that we should teach to the future generation. I can honestly say that I have tried to do the “Shmoney” dance, but the meaning behind the lyrics of the song is disheartening.

When Nas, a multi-platinum rapper, released his 8^th studio album titled “Hip Hop is Dead,” he recalls receiving backlash. He later said in an interview, “I am someone who cares about Hip Hop music that much… I wanted a reaction… that statement was needed.” This goes along with the Rap vs. Hip Hop debate. Many see the two as the same, while others like Nas feel that Rap artists need to step it up. You may ask, “What is the difference?”

Well……. Hip Hop is about expressing hardships. The artists may have catchy lyrics, but the words always tell a story about the neighborhoods they grew up in, the households they were raised in, as well as ways of coping with loss. Rap music, on the other hand, is about being flashy. Most rap music revolves around topics like popping bottles (expensive), making money, and laughing at those that aren’t doing the same.

There is a difference! If you don’t agree, have fun doing your “Shmoney” dance; I’ll be more focused on the current week.

Last Season for Keno Drive-In, Again?

Strauss/Nov. 10/Blog Post

The last local outdoor movie theater, the Keno Drive-In, may finally be closed for good.

Rumors have been circulating about closing the historical Keno Drive-In for the second year in a row. This season has been particularly poor for the Keno Drive-In, according to the Kenosha News. Spreading the word that the theater is closing could be a tactic to attract more moviegoers to their theater.

However, there may now be something officially in the works.

The Kenosha News stated that Pleasant Prairie Community Development Director, Jean Werbie-Harris, met with property owner and president of Bear Development, S.R. Mills, to discuss a plan that calls for development of the land which is currently home to the Keno Drive-In. The plan is in its preliminary stages, but is in the process of being firmed up.

Whether or not the theater is actually going to close, we will have to wait and see.

How to Make Interviews A Little Less Scary

As college students, the goal is to graduate and get a job. Graduating, while tough, is the easier goal of the two especially in this day and age. Soon we will be embarking out into the real world and trying to find jobs for ourselves. Once the resume is down pat and you land an interview then what do you do? How do you make an impression in the interviewer to stand out against all of the other people sitting in your same seat? Jon Youshaei from Forbes magazine has some tips.

The first is to make sure that you know about the company the interview is with. Never go into an interview without having background knowledge on the company. It is suggested to research earnings calls, quarterly reports and blog posts by outside research and stay up to date with a service like Google Alerts. Also it wouldn't hurt to take a social sweeper app to your social media to remove any less than ideal pictures or statuses. Craft a story statement before hand so when you are asked the age old question of "tell me about yourself" you do not sit there and silence. After you have that answer down, prepare for sharing what your weaknesses are and a few instances that you solved problems. During the interview, be sure to have intelligent questions ready to impress your interviewer. After the interview be sure to send a thank you email or card to show you appreciated the experience.

If you want to read the full article check it out here: http://goo.gl/Hf3SrS

-Crystiana Schlitz

Solomon/Nov.3/ThePerfect'Body'

   Solomon/Nov. 3/ThePerfect'Body'Blogpost


      Great figures, little to no clothing, pretty faces, and perfect hair. What’s the first thing that comes mind? Victoria’s Secret, the most popular retailer of bras and underwear, has been receiving backlash recently. In order to advertise for their new bra, Body by Victoria, they created an ad, which showcased 10 models. The models were wearing nothing but undergarments behind large letters spelling out “The Perfect ‘Body’” If you have ever walked passed one of their stores, you would know that they only photograph models with a certain body type. Since Victoria’s Secret tends to use the same models in every catalog, where is this uproar coming from?

     It’s the play on words getting many women’s knickers in a twist. (tongue twister) ‘Body’ does have quotations, which shows that the ad is referring to the bra, but that doesn’t exactly mean the women aren’t included as well.  Everyday women turned to social media and created #Iamperfect. This hashtag, which gained a large amount of popularity in a matter of days, shows the responses of women that were offended by the wordplay. @Katdixon2012 wrote “@VictoriasSecret take responsibility for the damage you’ve caused. Women don’t deserve this disrespect.” There are also parodic pictures that showcase women of several different body types in their undergarments.

   The ‘perfect’ body in the 60s was curvy, but as time progressed, being very thin became the ideal.  There are so many crash diet, pyramid schemes, and surgical procedures done to make the ‘average’ woman ‘perfect.’ The meaning taken from this ad may not have been intended, but these ideals are very real.

     We are coming into an age where women of larger figures are beginning to gain acceptance. Songs like “All About that Bass” by Meghan Trainor and “Anaconda” by Nicki Minaj have lines bashing skinny b*tches. Either way it goes, one body type is being ridiculed by the other.

The main thing all women, whether ‘skinny’ or ‘fat,’ should learn to accept is differences. Two women could wear the same pants size, but have a completely different shape. As the popular quote from “Mean Girls” say, “… calling someone else fat won’t make you any skinnier.” And calling someone a skinny b*tch won’t change the views you have of yourself!!

Rangers in Madison

Tomorrow is the big basketball game between the UW Parkside Rangers and the UW Madison Badgers.
       The game will take place at the Khol Center in Madison, Wi. It is the one of the first times in a long time that UW Parkside is playing UW Madison. UW Madison is a division 1 league and UW Parkside is a division 2 league, therefore it is not often that these two universities play one another.

Because of this exciting match the Parkside Student Government along side the Deans office and Athletic department are sponsoring a"Fan Bus" with free tickets to the game for students.

The sign up for the game was available last week tuesday and all 72 spots were filled within the first hour of the sign up being available. This was an exciting thing to see how students were so eager to cheer on their Rangers.

The Sign in for the Fan Bus will be in the Student Center Atrium at 4:00pm. The Bus will leave at 4:30pm, and tip off will be at 7:00pm. Students are expected to arrive back at UW Parkside around 10:00pm the same day.
Lets go Rangers !
~Gabrielle Krawczyk
Parkside Student Government-Vice President

Krimmer/October 31/Localization/Gas Prices

Krimmer/October 31/Localization

One thing that Americans can look forward to these days is the dropping of the gas prices. It seems as if gas prices haven’t been this cheap in quite some time now; it’s nice to see the price under $3 per gallon. This drop in price seems so prominent right now because it is such a steep decrease from what Americans are used to paying for gas.

Krisjan Aukland, Racine native, tells how this drop in price per gallon of gas is the normal supply-demand transition from summer to fall. Aukland says that the decrease in price seems like a big deal right now because the price hasn’t been this low in a while.

Gas prices will slowly creep back up once Thanksgiving comes due to the increase in travel, making the demand for gas a lot higher. As for right now, though, these prices seem like a luxury and should be enjoyed by all while they last.

Perez/Nov. 1/Localization Story

For the first time in a very long time, we have seen a drastic decrease in gasoline prices. Over the last couple of days, gas prices have fallen below $3 in Wisconsin.

When asked about the low gas prices, UWP senior Ruben Torres said, "I haven't seen gas prices fall below $3 in a very long time. It is exciting because I can fill up my tank for so cheap." Ruben, an Illinois native, went on to mention the price difference from Wisconsin and Illinois. "This past week I made sure to fill up my tank in Wisconsin before I went home to Illinois. Gas here is much cheaper than over there."

According to market watchers, gas prices are expected to lower a couple cents more across the United States and once they do, it is likely prices will stay this low for some time.