Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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THE GAMECOCK ♦ Wednesday, November 28, 2001 I-1 H \/l I X THEY SAID IT k If I My ALFRED LORD TENNYSON: “Who are j m m wise in love, love most, say least.” , r> K|we all havla NEED FOR _n Rhy An Evening of World Percussion Nov. 28-29 8 p.m. Recital Hall, Room 206, School of Music $5 students, $8 adults Percussionists and dancers to perform at USC BY JILL MARTIN THE GAMECOCK “Crazy drumming and crazy dancing.” That’s what percussion in structor Chris Lee says audi ences can expect at An Evening of World Percussion, featuring the two groups he di rects, the West African Drum and Dance Ensemble and the Palmetto Pans Steel Drum Band. The West African-Drum and Dance Ensemble will feature 11 drummers and about 30 dancers. According to Lee, the group had only five of each when he started it in 1995 to tap into a new interest in that style of music. “It’s music that you don’t usually hear on the ra dio,” he said. In fact, according to drum mer Laura Rich, the rhythms the group performs go back hundreds of years. “It’s some thing that just grabs you in such an ancient way,” she said. “Maybe it’s because we all have a heartbeat; we all have a need for rhythm.” The drummers use hand drums such as djembi, doundoun, sengban and kenkeni to play authentic African rhythms. Rich says there are usually two or three accompaniment parts and one lead drum, which also plays breaks. Drum breaks give dancers their cues. But breaks aren’t set—sev eral factors, including how well everyone is performing and how tired they are, go into the timing — and if the drum mers “get to jamming and don’t play a break,” dance di rector Cindy Flach says, “we don’t dance.” Third-year business major Shaina Andrews, who is in her second year with the group, de scribes the dancing as “energetic, rhythmic, freeflowing dance.” Fifth-year physical educa tion major Nikki Wilson says audience participation makes the performance more exhila rating. “You feel happy, excit ed, and you can share that ex citement with the audience.... As much energy as they show, that comes out in you.” Wilson says cooperation be tween the drummers and dancers is key; because differ ent drum breaks signal differ ent dance steps, dancers and drummers must know the oth ers’ parts. Flach said, “We feel like our drummers and dancers are one big family. We sweat together, dance togeth er, play together.” For. An Evening of World Percussion, Flach says the en semble will play six numbers. She said they will parade in from all entrances of the School of Music’s Recital Hall, and, “from then on, it’s non stop drumming and dancing.” Opening the evening will be the 15-member Palmetto Pans Steel Drum Band. The band will play calypso, soca and panora ma music on drums handcraft ed from 55-gallon oil drums. Calypso is a music style that originated in Trinidad and Tobago and was used for social commentary. Soca, which was popular in the 1970s, is calypso with a disco beat, and panorama pieces are arrangements designed for com petition that shows off all the types of drums in the ensemble. Lee says the group either buys its arrangements or arranges songs itself. Featured in the Palmetto Pans’ part of the show will be “A Visit to Hell,” a lead tenor pan solo performed by gradu ating senior Andy Akiho, and Lee’s arrangement of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” Program offers insight to minority freshman about how to survive first year at college BY KAMILLE BOSTICK TIIK QAMBCOCK The semester is almost over, but its lessons are sure to endure. Those involved in the Minority Assistance Peer program can at test to that. The first semester of college is a critical time in a student’s career, and the MAP program is designed to help minority freshmen adjust. MAP brings upperclassmen and first-year students together in a program in which upperclassmen serve as mentors to incoming freshmen during the fall semester. MAP holds academic meetings that serve as information sessions and open forums twice a month, has social gatherings and sched ules a monthly community service project to extend beyond the USC ca'mpus its goal of giving back. The program strives to foster a supportive relationship between mentor and “mentee.” Mentors share tips about how to have a good semester and offer insight into the workings of col lege life, as well as develop a one on-one relationship that is one of the program’s most enduring re sults. Nicole Montgomery, a fourth year student in the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management, remembers her ex perience in the program as bene ficial and influential. She was in MAP her freshman year and has spent the past two years as a coun selor. This year, she served as aca demic chair. “When I was in MAP, my coun selor took me under her wing,” Montgomery said. “The entire ex perience was fun and interesting.” Embedded in the MAP program itself, the contact and guidance that counselors offer to first-year students creates an invaluable network. “MAP provides a place to cre ate a bond; you gain so many con nections between the counselors and your fellow freshmen. Being in the program made you feel as if you were a part of something — that you belonged somewhere,” Montgomery said. Marcus Alexander, a second year engineering student and MAP counselor, understands the difference participating in a program such as MAP can make. “MAP lets me have a positive impact on minorities, be a posi tive influence and set a positive ♦ MAP, SHE PAGE 6 CD REVIEW Hip-hop CD offers medieval feel EVEN IN DARKNESS Dungeon Family ★★★ outof*"£r*'£r# BY WILLIAM MILLS THE GAMECOCK A new collaborative hip hop group has hit the top of the charts. Outkas J and Goodie Mob have joined with several other Atlanta artists to form Dungeon Family. Also working on the project is Organized Noize, the production team that helped define the sound of these seminal rap groups in the mid-90s. The name of the album is Even In Darkness, a name that accurately describes most of the album and reflects on the group’s name. This album is loaded to the top with funky, fun Outkast-style rhymes that are tainted with a darker influence. This influence is felt throughout the album in a way that is reminiscent of a castle dungeon. While some songs make the listener feel like the one being tortured in the bowels of a castle in England, others induce a feeling of unity against a common enemy. Horns and background vocals in the track “Excalibur” induce the feeling of being in a medieval war. This song could most definitely end up in the next film about Camelot. Though 12 other artists contribute to the party in the album, the presence of Big Boi and Andre 3000 of Outkast is truly felt. The smooth beats and harmonies of Outkast’s last album, Stankonia, are noticeable in the track “Trans of Express.” This song certainly has the hit ♦ DUNGEON, SEE PAGE 6