Kscopeforum

So we have our Democratic vice presidential candidate, and a “dynamic duo” has finally been birthed.  I use the term “dynamic duo” as an allusion to the crime-fighting couple, Batman & Robin, because the addition of Senator Joe Biden of Delaware to the ticket reminds me much of the addition of an irrelevant sidekick as back-up to one largely portrayed as an almost superhuman champion of justice.  The millions of Batman fans, excuse me, Barack Obama supporters who are only voting Democratic this year on a charisma and “change we can believe in” high weren’t crossing their fingers to be the first to know about a Biden-VP pick via text message at 3 a.m.  (The “Be the first to know!” text messages didn’t arrive, by the way, until about 2 hours after CNN had already begun to proclaim the good news.)  The folks want change!  Who cares about some old Senator from “the First State;” let’s talk about “the first black president!”

You know that guy that walks up to the bar with you (I’m just running off of television as I probably drink less than your average pastor’s wife) to kind of “talk you up,” projecting your most admirable qualities in an attempt to possibly get you a phone number or, if you’re super-lucky, a lipstick line on your upper right cheek?  Well, in any of the sitcoms or movies that I’ve ever watched, that guy—the “wing-man” I believe he’s called—never gets the upper right cheek-kiss, and, usually, that guy disappears into television limbo until the next morning when the main character just has to clue him in about the wonderful night that the wing-man helped to spark.  According to Alben W. Barkley, President Harry Truman’s sidekick, the real world equivalent to this television limbo is the vice president’s office.

In the last 8 years, we’ve experienced what some commentators, both liberal and conservative, have called a co-presidency, with Bush critics perhaps having more ire for Mr. Richard Bruce Cheney than they do for the commander-in-chief.  This two-term trend is sure to draw to a close, should the Democrats take the White House, for two obvious reasons:  (A) Having something in common with the Bush administration, a strong VP, would not be “Change,” and (B) Obama only has a vice presidential candidate because one is required.  Some of you may scoff at the latter reason, but really, Obamicans and Obamacrats, wasn’t an Obama-only ticket good enough for you?  I don’t want to imply that the Democratic hopeful is pompous or conceited, but if I had a statistical lead as I was and I had become a political and cultural phenomenon out of nowhere within 5 years by myself, the thoughts, “Dang, I wish I could just run it alone,” and “Somebody else is only going to drag me down,” would certainly cross my mind.  Maybe Barack’s a more humble fellow than I.

I don’t stir up this dust out of disrespect for Senator Biden’s public service—I respect the fact that a majority of Delawareans have decided for 35 years that Biden is very relevant guy to represent them on the Hill.  All I’m saying is that I see no way in which Joe Biden will ever become anything more than the hunchback of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, compared to the glory (read: hype) that is Obama.

The mainstream media has mentioned all week a possible “Biden Boom.”  The polls are in, and while Obama has pulled away to a whopping 2.20 increase against John McCain on the RealClearPolitics Poll Average, I can’t see why or where anyone would get the idea that a major boost would come from one of Obama’s former competitors in the primary season, one who, when speaking in 2007 of Obama’s lack of experience, said, “The presidency is not something that lends itself to on-the- job-training.”

Jared Sutton

Columnist

jsutton@uab.edu

One of the most telling things about a culture is their music, and China is no exception. Being an enthusiast of Asian culture, I frequently spend time doing research, and thanks to YouTube, I can share some of what I’ve found out.
Chinese music has some of the most unique and interesting sounding instruments. In this performance featured below, the instrument featured is the erhu. According to www.paulnoll.com, the erhu, which is a type of fiddle, became a popular instrument in the southern part of China during the Sung Dynasty, which was around 960-1279 A.D. The two-stringed instrument’s unique sound comes from the snakeskin that covers the resonator. The strings are usually made of silk.
Unlike how violins are held under the chin, erhus sit erectly in front of the left hip of the player. Also, unlike the violin, the erhu’s bow is placed between the two strings.
This is one of my favorite Chinese instruments; for me, it has one of the most iconic sounds of China. And the versatility of sounds it has-from languid to serene to quick and sharp-is really beautiful to listen to.
For more information about the erhu, visit
www.pallnoll.com/China/Music/mus-erhu.html.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnF1VRL6xJg

Monique Jones

Editor in Chief

uabkscope@yahoo.com

Barack Obama has chosen Delaware senator Joe Biden as his running mate for the 2008 presidential elections. The decision was to be announced via text message to Obama supporters early on Saturday August 23rd but was leaked to certain members of the press a few hours earlier than intended. This important selection comes just before the Democrat Party Convention which started Monday August 25th. This gives Mr. Obama some major publicity and puts him in the political spotlight once again. Mr. Biden is originally from Scranton, Pa. and still holds some importance in that critical state, which no doubt had some influence in Obama’s choice.

Biden is more than qualified in foreign affairs and is well respected internationally; he spent the past weekend in Georgia speaking with the country’s president about the conflict with Russia. Joe Biden is well liked in among Democrats and has immense experience in foreign affairs, he is the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee , something which Mr. Obama has been criticized for lacking. Biden also has the potential to help Senator Obama reach a few important demographics such as Roman Catholics and working class voters. Biden is an accomplished lawyer and has served as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Mr. Biden has been in Washington for a very long time, he first ran for the position as Delaware’s senator at the age of 29, and this will no doubt help to fill in some gaps on Obama’s resume as he is relatively inexperienced. By all accounts Mr. Biden seems to capable of taking over as president in the event that anything should happen to Mr. Obama while in office(as many of my friends seem to think might happen). At 65 year of age, Mr. Biden brings heft, experience, and some gray hair to contrast with Mr. Obama’s slick, young appearance.

With all of that said, there are all always cons to any decision and this one is no different. Mr. Biden is notorious for making statements that can sometimes get him into trouble and in 2007 declared the Mr. Obama was not yet ready for the presidency.This will surely be the focus of many attacks from Mr. Obama’s republican opponent John McCain. Mr. Biden has himself made a campaign for the presidency in 1988 and just recently in 2008, though he dropped very early each time. In ‘88 he dropped from the race after being accused of stealing portions of a speech from Neil Kennock, a leader in the British Labor Party at the time, and in 2008 he dropped out quite early due to low polling numbers.

Mr. Biden aslo initially supported the war in Iraq, Obama always opposed the decision, though he later changed his stance on the issue saying that it was wrong to give the Bush administration the power to start the war. Despite all the controversy that has surrounded him during his political career, there is no doubt that he knows his stuff and can bring alot to Barack Obama’s campaign and potential presidency; as long as he can overcome his own ego and submit to a much younger political player than himself.

Ryan Headley

Forum Editor

kscopeditorial@yahoo.com

When the Olympics began in August, I knew little about China, the host country. I knew that China was a communist country and that many people were opposed to the Olympics being held there for various reasons. There was also the fear that the country would be targeted by terrorist groups. I heard nothing positive about the country, so I knew that the Chinese would have a big job to do in trying to get many people to see them in a different light. Once the opening ceremonies began and the athletes began to compete, things began to change, at least for me. I began to learn more about China, its people, and the culture.

I can remember watching many Olympic Games on NBC, and what I was most impressed by was their coverage of the host country. This year was no exception. Despite the myriad of negative reports that had been done on China throughout the years, NBC broadcasters decided to focus more on presenting its audience with information about the country, its athletes, its people, and the culture. I found all of this to be very interesting. I can remember, between Olympic coverage, a NBC reporter dedicating a segment of the show to Chinese kites. She talked about the unique designs of a particular kite maker and kite flying in China. The “Today” show has done many reports on the Chinese since the Olympics began. I can remember watching many segments about some of the food in China. There have been Chefs and athletes who came on the show to cook some of their favorite Chinese dishes. There was also a segment done on the importance of tea in Chinese culture.

What I also found interesting was that not just NBC was doing reports on China. I watched a PBS show called “Wide Angle” which was reporting on the process Chinese children have to go through in order to get into a university. I found this interesting because it was so much more competitive than in America, and it took a lot of discipline at an early age. According to this report, the Chinese children had to take and pass a test in order to be chosen to go to a university. It was interesting to see how much the families were invested in their children’s preparation for the test, and whether or not they got into a university. Families from less affluent families were especially invested in their child’s education and success, because they realized that an education could give their child a better life.

I enjoyed watching many of the Chinese people cheer for their athletes. The athlete seemed to be so proud to have the opportunity to represent their country, and the people of China seemed proud of their athletes. Each time I saw reporters asking a Chinese athlete or resident something about their country, they seemed almost honored by the interest and proud to show some aspects of their culture to the rest of the world. A local news show did a report on Chinese residence in the Birmingham area, and some talked about being conflicted as to who to cheer for when the United States and China were competing. They also said that they hoped that, by watching the Olympics, more people would learn about their country, particularly more positive aspects of their country and culture.

Many of the negative things that I have heard about China both before and during the Olympics were in relation to their politics and/or government, not much focus had really been on the people living in China or their culture. I was happy to see so many news reports showing a different side of this country. It was almost like taking a class in Chinese history. There was coverage on the landscape, sites, history of Beijing/China, the culture, traditions, the athletes, and the regular people of this country.

What I will take away from the Beijing Olympics will be what I take away from all of them. I have a great deal of respect for the athletes and the dedication and discipline it takes to even make it to the Olympics. I also take away from this Olympics more knowledge about China and its people. China has been a controversial country to hold the Olympics, but maybe we should dedicate as much time to learning about the Chinese people and culture, as we have dedicated to learning about the politics/government in China. Perhaps learning more about anyone’s country/culture is a better way of opening the lines of communication with the people who live there. Maybe it could lead to a better understanding of who they really are. I think the ultimate conclusion that we can reach from these Olympics is probably one that the athletes have recognized/realized a long time ago, “we really aren’t all that different from one another,” and perhaps taking the time to learn about different countries/cultures would help to provide the proof for that statement.

Denise Honeycutt

Columnist

honey_deni@uab.edu

There have been a gaggle of controversies in the Beijing Olympics over the past week. They range from the simplistic to the idiotic and I don’t know which one deserves my attention the most. So here is a recap of all the bad press, along with my opinions, in bulleted form.
Note to the reader-The names featured in this editorial are written with the last name first to keep with Chinese tradition.

*Recently, a small uproar has been made about the footstep-shaped fireworks shown during the opening ceremony being computer generated. According to CNN.com, while the 29 footstep-shaped fireworks were real, television viewers and people inside the Bird’s Nest saw 3-D footage. Beijing organizing committee spokesman Wang Wei said that the footage was used in the case of hazy weather. “On the day of the ceremony there were actual footprints of fireworks from the south to the north of the city,” said Wei. “However, because of the poor visibility of the night, some previously recorded footage may have been used.”

How mad can people be about computer-generated effects? While watching the opening ceremony, I figured out that the fireworks being shown were computer generated within a few seconds of seeing them, and I wasn’t mad or offended. And if you happen to get offended at seeing fake fireworks, then you’d get equally offended with some American reality shows as well; if you happen to be a fan of FOX’s “Hell’s Kitchen,” you’ll notice a lot of computer-generated effects, particularly the fireworks they show at each finale. Other sky-related effects are also seen on shows like “The Surreal Life” and “Flavor of Love.” This “controversy” is barely a head-turner, unlike the next one.

*Remember the little girl singing during the opening ceremony? She was lip-synching to another girl’s voice. Bringing perfectionism to new heights, a member of the Politburo, China’s ruling political party, asked that Yang Peiyi’s performance of “Ode to the Motherland” be matched with Lin Maioke’s face, according to CNN.com. “The audience will understand that it’s in the national interest,” Chen Qigang, the ceremony’s chief music director, said in a video of an interview with Beijing Radio posted Sunday night. “The national interest requires that the girl should have good looks and a good grasp of the song and look good on screen,” said Chen. “Lin Miaoke was the best in this. And Yang Peiyi’s voice was the most outstanding.”

While a roaring debate is going on between the citizens of China, Yang feels honored to have her voice used for the ceremony. “I am proud to have been chosen to sing at all,” Yang is reported to have said.

Personally, I think Yang was cute enough to be a full part of the opening ceremony. The idea that Yang’s looks wouldn’t be in the best national interest of China is a bit upsetting and disturbing. The opening ceremony was already a beautiful production; one girl’s looks was not what the show hinged upon for success.

*The Chinese women’s gymnastics team has been accused of lying about some of their gymnasts’ ages. Nine months before the Olympics began, Xinhua, the Chinese government’s news agency, reported that He Kexin was 13, which would have made her ineligible to be on China’s Olympic team. But Chinese authorities, Olympic Chinese gymnast delegation official Zhang Hongliang, and He herself have said that she’s old enough to compete. “My real age is 16. I don’t pay attention to what everyone else says,” said He Wednesday, according to NBCOlympics.com.
For me, however, the problem isn’t that some girls may or may not be 16, it’s that it seems like no official in the Olympics saw fit to bury the speculation before the women’s gymnastics competition started, particularly since they have awarded China’s gymnastics team medals. The Chinese did what they could to bury speculation; according to NBC, the official English-language newspaper of the Chinese government, the China Daily newspaper, corrected their mistake of reporting He’s age as 14. And when the erroneous reporting of the Xinhua was spotted, that sports page of the paper’s website, www.hb.xinhuanet.com, has been shut down. But, at least from my perspective, no one in the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to continue to stop any wrong information from getting out to the rest of the world, or at least figure out once and for all the true age of He. To me, it would seem if the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique(FIG) or the IOC wanted to quell any misinformation from getting out to the public, they would have nipped this problem in the bud and got to the bottom of it. The real problem will start if they decide to take China’s gold medals away after the fact.
*Wrestling seems to have problems, too. According to NBCOlympics.com, Ara Abrahamian walked off the medals podium, dropping his Greco-Roman 84 kilograms bronze medal. His disputing a penalty call during his semifinal match with Italian wrestler Andrea Minguzzi wound up costing him, allowing Minguzzi to win gold. According to Abrahamian and his coach, Abrahamian deserved better than bronze. “I think the semifinals shows that FILA [Fédération Internationale des Luttes Associées, international wrestling’s governing body]  does not play fair,” said Abrahamian. His coach, Leo Myllar agreed. “It’s all politcs, and it’s all corrupt,” said Myllar.
In the Olympics, here are always going to be allegations and there’s always going to be a bit of corruption, so this is expected. Olympics enthusiasts interested in wrestling will only have to wait and see how this pans out for Abrahamian and if heads will roll.
*This is probably the biggest-and most ignorant-controversy out of the lot; the men and women’s Spanish basketball teams and Spanish women’s tennis team have posed for pictures with their fingers pulling their faces back to make slanted eyes, in an attempt to show support of Spanish basketball in China, according to CNN.com. The basketball team-which made the lurid gestures in an ad for the courier company sponsoring the team-meant no offense, according to CNN.com. The tennis team’s picture, which was taken after their team defeated Italy in the semi-finals, was discovered on the official website of the Spanish Tennis Federation. Again, there doesn’t seem to be any intentional offence meant, but the bad press associated with the pictures could be costly for Spain, who is trying to put in a bid for the 2016 Olympics.
I’m not sure what exactly made these individuals pose like this, but they should know about the state of political correctness in the 21st Century; those kinds of gestures do not fly today. Making slanted eyes is an odd way of showing solidarity with the Chinese, and I don’t know who the genius was behind that idea.

Hopefully this is the largest batch of bad press that will cloud the Olympics, but when there are large crowds of people-especially if the crowd is as large as the amount of people involved in the Olympics-problems and controversies are sure to follow.

More information about fake fireworks and the girl’s voice heard during the opening ceremony-http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/08/12/fake.fireworks.ap/, http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/08/12/olympic.ceremony.lip.synche.ap/index.html, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/olympics/2545387/Beijing-Olympics-Faking-scandal-over-girl-who-sang-in-opening-ceremony.html, http://www.nbcolympics.com/nbc/news/newsid=200300.html (this page was oddly unavailable, but perhaps it will work for you as time goes by.)
More information about He Kexin’s age confusion-http://www.nbcolympics.com/gymnastics/news/newsid=213588.html#age+chinese+gymnast+under+scrutiny
More information about Abrahamian’s bronze medal fiasco-http://www.nbcolympics.com/wrestling/news/newsid=218404.html#corruption+olympic+wrestling+stage
More information about the Spanish teams’ pictures-
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/olympics/2540221/Spanish-basketball-red-faced-over-slit-eyed-Olympic-photo.html (A link to the story about the tennis team is included in this story as well.)

Monique Jones

Editor in Chief

Anybody who has seen this week’s issue of the Kaleidoscope may have noticed that two of the regular columnists on the Forum have very opposite opinions on the recent devolopments in Russia and Georgia. One favors U.S. intervention in the issues and suggests a diplomatic approach before any military action is taken. The other is of the opinion that the U.S. has enough on it’s plate as it is and that we should, as a nation, stay out of it. The former makes the point that Russia is power-hungry and must be controlled before they can cause too much damage and the latter argues that any action that President Bush might take would be overstepping his bounds as an outgoing president. While it is always great to see diverse opinions in a student newspaper we here at the Forum want to know the opinions of more than just our paid writers. Please leave comments(as long as you would like) on this post with your opinions as a student. Should the United States intervene and to what extent?

A recent situation involving a friend of mine has gotten me pondering the very vague idea of “love.” There are so many different connotations of the word, that I think it has somehow lost it’s meaning. I realize that this is not an original idea, but – hear me out.

Love – as in compassion for other living things – seems to be innate within us. It can be observed in the animal kingdom when a dog mother nurses motherless kittens, or when a pack protects it’s weakest against attack. Animals are compassionate to one another, even though they seem – savage. They do what they must to survive, but they also will help one another out when, and if, they can.

So, let’s think about this in terms of humanity. When that nerdy kid on the playground was getting beat up, did I stand up for him? Actually, I was more relieved that it wasn’t me. What about that homeless man on the street? No, he looks a little creepy. And that lady in line at the bank that looked like she was about to burst into tears? Best not get involved. Every day, we are presented with the opportunity to show compassion, not just to our own “pack”, but for those outside also. Why don’t we act? Psychologists have studied this behavior and have come to many interesting conclusions – but what it all really boils down to is – we don’t know. It’s different for different people.

Here’s my theory. We are jaded. We’ve gotten this far in life and are just so glad we’ve made it through, we don’t dare get loaded down with anything more. If you’re friends with a depressive person, you are obligated to help them. If you are friends with a bum, you need to help them out too. We are so busy being happy with ourselves that we deny ourselves the basic emotion of compassion. My theory as to why people are so unhappy – because we are selfish. Until you understand the beauty of helping another, you don’t really understand happiness.

That’s something we’ve all heard before too. “You must give to receive.” I think most people agree. I think those that don’t, are probably afraid or else have gotten burned in the past.

Let me share a bit of personal experience. At the beginning of the summer, I went through a really rough spot. I’d been accused of being unneccessarily critical, and right out mean. At first, I shrugged it off. But then, I did some soul searching. One thing that all of us on this earth have in common is our capacity to love. Having “love” is what humanizes even the worst of people. (Think about it, a vampire in love isn’t nearly as scary as one who just wants to suck blood, is it?) So, after looking deep inside myself, I realized my bitterness came more from disappointment than from lack of love. I was disappointed that humanity had become so blind and so cold. But really – it doesn’t make me love them any less.

Somewhere along the line, I went from cynic to optimist. I try to see the best in people. I look for the fear behind the agressive act. The pain behind the cold demeanor. If you look hard enough – it really is there. Well, in most people. And once my attitude changed – my life seemed to snap back into place.

Why is that? Why is it that compassion aligns us? Why do we feel more fulfilled when we love than when we hate? I’m sure there is some scientific reason behind it. I’m sure that someday, somewhere, studies will be conducted – if they haven’t been already. For now, at least to me, it’s a mystery. And in a way, I’m glad. The mystery of love, not even in the romantic sense, is so deep and lasting that it mystifies me. The change that compassion makes in a life is unreal – trust me, I know from experience. And once we embrace that compassion, we see that alot of things we were so afraid of us, we were afraid of for absolutely no reason.

Brotherly love is one of the most raw, powerful, life-changing things I have experienced. And yes, it’s perfectly capable of happening without a religious experience. Because some things are just born within us.

Isn’t it time we stopped denying it?

Elizabeth Perkins

Columnist

lizbit@uab.edu

The lavish, artistic opening piece for the opening ceremony was set to the theme of “One World, One Dream.” The test, however, is to see how China and the rest of the world will live up to that dream during the 17 days of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Beijing may have been in a rapid seven year makeover for the games, but China has been an area of extreme change for centuries. It has only been in recent years that China has exposed itself to other countries. According to NBC, the Chinese government started opening their borders to the world through sports around the 1970s. And now, they are attempting to widen their status in the world by hosting the games. “This is China’s coming out party,” said Victor Cha, author of Beyond the Final Score: The Politics of Sport in Asia, to NBC on August 5. “They see this as the crowning achievement of three years of modernization.”
Also, the games will bring to light how China will handle itself during the 17 day period.  Protests about China’s treatment of Tibet sprang up throughout the international torch relay. Hotbed countries like Sudan, with whom the Chinese government does business with, will be in attendance. The potential for political protests about problems in and outside of China could very well spring up during the Olympics. To see how China’s government-which usually stifles any protestations-will handle possible protests at the games will be at the forefront of the political spectrum.
“Beijing, you are a host to the present and a gateway to the future,” said Jacques Rogge, the international Olympic committee president. Over the course of the Olympics and afterward, the world will see if Beijing will be the gateway to the future China wants to achieve.

Monique Jones

Editor in Chief

uabkscope@yahoo.com

I realize a lot of people are going to get onto Obama for his recent statements about oil usage in the United States. It is disappointing to the idealist to hear that the liberal champion may be ok with more offshore drilling and opening the emergency reserves for distribution. It is a temporary solution to a problem that is not simply going away. This is true. However, it is also true that we are in serious trouble with oil prices and need help now. I believe Obama recognizes that his current proposition will not be the end all solution to our gas problems. I also believe that he recognizes that American citizens want relief now. Research on alternative fuels is a great thing and needs to be a focus during the next administration. We have to be patient however, because the process is going to take some time. No matter who wins the election in November, we are going to be dealing with the results of our gas dependency for some time. Instead of placing blame on the politicians (though there is plenty to go around), we need to realize that we have created the demand that has allowed oil companies to charge us through the nose without consequence. While we are waking up now and realizing that we cannot continue to rely so heavily on oil during the future, it is too late right now to avoid the problems we are having with oil. This is something that experts have been saying was going to happen for years, which we ignored because it was inconvenient at the time.

You cannot expect a politician to do anything beyond following the will of the people (they don’t even do this half the time). Politicians take action often as a way of remaining in the good graces of the voting population and those who finance their campaigns. If we want real change in energy policies, we have to step up to the plate as citizens. If you don’t like the fact that big oil has such a voice in Washington, maybe you should actually vote, not just during presidential elections, but during every election. Research where each candidates funding comes from. Yes, it take time and effort, but if we want change, we can’t be lazy. Democracy depends on informed civic participation in order to work. The wrong voices are often heard primarily because they take the time and effort to ensure that they are heard. I’m not saying that Obama’s current position on oil isn’t a cop-out, but merely pointing out that he is a politician (albeit one who may be more honest than most), and is going to do things that make him electable. Instead of getting your feelings hurt by messiahs who are (gasp!) human, maybe we should look at ourselves and how we have contributed to the problems we are currently facing.

Philip Gibson

Columnist

philagan@gmail.com

I went to a show last night at Workplay. There was a band I loved back in High School called Wayne, and they got back together for the first time in years. The fact that they were still incredible and summed up everything I love about local is not the point of this particular article, however. The fact that Act of Congress, another local band I am particularly fond of, played a killer set of bluegrass fusion music that I can’t begin to explain, is also not the point.

The point of this article is that there is a wealth of local music in this city that has not been tapped into by the community as much as it should. We have such a variety of artists that are incredibly talented and represent our city well in the arts arena.

If you haven’t already, you should be going to Workplay on a frequent basis. Workplay is a great music venue that features local musicians on a regular basis and does a great job showcasing the talent we have here in the ‘Ham

The second thing you should do is promote your local artists. Find one or two or ten that you think are really good, and tell everyone you know about them. Birmingham hasn’t had a band break into the national spotlight in a while, and it’s not for lack of capable artists. What we need is for folks to demonstrate to the greater community that there is a lot of support for the bands from the Birmingham area. Record labels are quickly becoming less relevant with the advent of internet distribution, so the thing that really drives popularity is word of mouth and exposure. Both of these things can be done with the help of young college students such as those on the UAB campus. What I’d like to see happen is for you guys to respond to this article by suggesting artists people should be checking out in the comments section. I’ll start with a recommendation of my own.

Check out Act of Congress.Period. I could compare them to Nickel Creek, but it wouldn’t be quite fair. They have managed to successfully mix their own original music in bluegrass/acoustic rock/craziness form with amazing renditions of popular songs that go beyond simple covers. So there’s my plug for the week.

Philip Gibson

Columnist

philagan@gmail.com