PROM NITE

This mouth i when to see prom nite. I thought the movie was going to be really boring and i was going to feel like it was a waste of money but instead it changed my mind. The movie was good, It made me jump and i rarely jump in a movie. The movie was about a man who was a teacher that fell in love with a student. He wasnt tooken to jail after they found out he was just fired from his job and was order to stay away from the girl .He got so mad at that and just felt that he need to have that girl, so he went to her house and he found she wasnt there so he try to make her family tell where she was. He killed her brother and father. When she walked in she seen them dead so she heard her mother and him yelling at each other so she ran to her room and hide under the bed. He killed her mother right in the front of her eyes. He was put in jail for a life time but for some reason he couldnt get the fact that he was never going to have her, so he broke out of jail and head her way. By this time it had been three years and she was ready to graduated from high school but first she had to go to prom. She went to prom with her boyfriend and friends. It was six of them all together. But only 2 of them made it alive after that night. After prom they were planing to go to the hotel and have sex. Put instead it was a night of pain rather then joy. The man had came to the hotel and killed workers and friends. At the end of the night the girl was tooken home safely, so she thought. The man had got out the hotel and came to her house. He end up killing her boyfriend and the police. He end up getting killed at the end.

From Libby

First Semester I went to the Planetarium with this guy I met in my photo class. He's from Kansas and has always wanted to go to the Planetarium because they don't have a Planetarium where he's from. We kept planning on going but it never worked out until the last day he was in town before he was transferring back to Kansas for school. So it was a windy and cold day on the day we decided to go. He met me in front of my building and we began to walk towards the Planetarium. It was a long long walk in the blustering wind and slight rain. At first I thought it was going to be a friendly little outing but apparently he thought we were going on a date. It was also a Tuesday afternoon so once we got there the planetarium was completely empty except for us and the people who worked there. So it was emcredibly awkward from the start. We got out tickets to see "Star of Wonder" because both of us heard it was good. And we walked around the exhibits for awhile and skimmed the noninteresting facts about the solar system. Then we finally got into the giant theatre where they projected the show above our heads on a dome and everyone got to sit in big black cushy chairs that tilted back. Once the show started I knew it was going to long and boring. The voice that projected out all the facts was dull and sounded like a person reading out of a text book. The whole show was about the birth of Christ and it seemed somewhat interesting in the beginning but after awhile I couldn't strain to understand the content any longer. Once we left we both agreed the show could have been better. We road the bus home and my friend tried to take a Polaroid picture of the both of us but failed and only got his face in the picture. And that's all I have to say about that.

The Sox Game

I went to the Sox game on monday, it was my first Sox game I'd ever gone to and it was free. My roommates mom bought me, my roommate and our friend laura tickets because my roommate lied and told her mom she had to go for class. I don't really know much about baseball but i'm always down to go to games. Unfortunitly it was cold that day but it didn't matter because the alcohol was keeping us warm. We got to the game about 30 mins before it started and decided to sit in someone else's sits that were super close until the people came to clam them. Happy no one ever came, so we got to sit in amazing sits. Threw out the night we became very friendly with everyone around us, especially the couple sitting infront of us. They said we were the best drunk people they ever met at a game. We took a million pictures that night. My roommate Olivia actually got yelled at by some guy because she was cussing to much, he was like " HEY! I HAVE KIDS HERE, WATCH YOUR MOUTH". She just completey blew him off, she could careless. Before we knew it the game was over, we didn't even know it was over till we saw people leaving. So if you couldn't tell already we didn't watch any of the game, we were to busy running around and talking to randoms. I don't care that I didn't watch the game, I had so much fun and i've been to a million Tigers games in Detroit. After the game we had to wait like 10 mins just to get threw to the train. i've never seen so many people on the platform before. My friend olivia made friends with some random guys from Depaul while we were on the train. They said we were going no where in life because we went to columbia. We went to the UC so Laura could get her stuff because she was staying at our place. Thats when we learned that Laura didn't have guest prilvlages and me and Olivia were banded from the UC beucase of a party that got busted there in Febuary. After Laura got her stuff we went back to our place and had people over and hungout.

From Malcom

Today I went to Navy Pier and the John Hancock observatory. I have been to Navy Pier before when I was younger but it was a little bit different form when I was younger. This time I felt more free because I was by myself and my parents weren't with me to stop me from going where I wanted to. So I just walked around and just kinda looked because there wasn't' much going on, so I just went for the scenery. I really like the Navy Pier scene it's just fun and relaxing, well it's relaxing when no one else is there. If you go all the way to the back of the pier you get a good view of the water. When you turn around you can see the city and all the building. When there all light up it just looks so amazing. They had the rides going but I didn't get on any of them. After I left there I went to the John Hancock Observatory. I don't know why I wanted to go that high but I felt like I had to see what the city looked like. When I got into the building I was a lil nervous about the elevator but who wouldn't be it's ninety-four floors. When I got to the top it was the most amazing thing in the world. I stepped off the elevator and all i saw was water then i went to the left to walk around and see the city. You can see all the stores, an all the little food places around in the area. It's really amazing to look at the city that i've been living in for a year form that high up. And the craziest thing of all is that it's such a beautiful sight of all different kinds of buildings and shapes and sizes, but they all come together as one and make one big piece of art. While I visiting these places I did a lot of thinking about life. I thought about how to be able to see all these great sights in the world whenever I want. I wanted to be able to shop at the stores that I saw form the Hancock building, I just want my own shit and be selfish about it and not let anyone use my stuff. See when I was growing up I had to share everything with my little brother. I would get my own stuff but in the end I had to share with him. I made a big deal out of it then because I was younger but there are still times I just don't want to share. I know it's crazy but I used to hate selfish people but now I see why people would be selfish or some. I'm selfish with my stuff because other people don't respect my stuff either because it's not theres or they just don't care. So after visiting these two places I realized I got to make it in the music business because there just so much that I want and i gotta have no matter what. And there always going to be somebody trying to bring you down or talk about you behind your back. But In the music industry you want people to talk about if they talk about you negative or positive then your doing the right thing and thats what I want. I know that I still have a lot to learn and real life is just beginning and as it goes on i'll learn way more but for me to get where I wanna be I gotta be a selfish person it drives me to go harder than I was.

From Mackenzie

March 14th came and went quickly but the things that occurred throughout the day have stained my memory ever since. Plague Bringer is one of my favorite grindcore bands and on that Friday, I took the chance to see them play live. I let my friend Mikie in on their music and he liked what he heard, so he came up to Chicago to share the experience.
Mikie arrived and we hopped on the blue line, riding in anticipation all the way to the California stop. Back on the sidewalk, a bum steps in front of us, putting his hands up like a boxer and says, "Put em up, put em up." We laugh inside at his drunkenness. It's Saint Patrick's Day weekend and we are more drunk people around us than desired. Now we're walking around, without much of a clue to where we're going, just trying to find The Green Lantern, where Plague Bringer is playing.
We spot The Green Lantern from across the street and cross anxiously, like little kids chasing a balloon, forgetting there is an outside world with cars and such. A bit confused, we arrive at the door leading up to a Mario Kart 64 style staircase which in turn led to a small room filled with drunk people, and people well on their way to getting drunk. This is not what we had expected. It's like a big party with badass bands playing.
We stood back and observed as Parsley Flakes performed their set. Their electro punk sound didn't fit my typical musical taste but I was able to take it in and appreciate it for what it was. Once they were finished, Lone Wolf and Cub played, another band I hadn't gone for. Their performance was heavier than Parsley Flakes but in my mind, all I wanted was to see Plague Bringer, and then it happened.
Lone Wolf and Cub wrapped up and it seemed to take Plague Bringer forever to set up. In the process, I let myself get pushed up to the front to where I actually had to try not to step on the guitar player's pedals. I looked to my right and remembered the guy standing beside me from The Black Dahlia Murder concert I went to last month. He was the guy who made fun of me for my Thursday sweatshirt and now he's drunk and acting like an idiot.
Plague Bringer has their laptop set up in the middle for their drum machine; they refuse to use a live drummer. In my opinion, it gives them more of an industrial sound. I try thinking of what else they can do by using the machine. Finally, they start the show, playing songs from their new album, Life Songs in a Land of Death. The floor feels like it's ready to collapse and there is a tiny pit started in this tiny room.
The show goes on and they proceed to play their first album, As the Ghosts Collect, the Corpses Rest. When the last song is played, the vocalist comes out to the crowd and sings in the middle of the chaotic fans. I've never seen anything quite like that. And then it was over. I looked at Mikie, we walked to the back room to buy some merch, and found our way back to the train station.

Dance

I went to this dance party called Blow The Speakers, which they usually have once a month. My friend Kyle Woods aka Kid Color Dj's at the event. He's one of the best Dj's I know, some of the songs he's known for are "Digital Pussy" and his 30 minute mix called "My First Mix".The party was held on a saturday at Subbterran which is right off the Blue Line. It usually cost like 10 dollars which sucks, because I'm broke as hell. My roommate and I arrived early so we could hangout with Kyle and basically have the club to ourself before everyone got there. Most people wear outrageous outfits that are fun and different, it fits perfectly into the event. It didn't take a long time before it was completely packed. It's so much fun to dance your ass off for 4 hours. It only takes about 10 minutes before your completely drenched in sweat. My hair was completely curly by the end of night. I think going to these things are nice because your not just being at someone's house playing beer pong, it's a nice change. The only bad things about these things is so many people get kicked out for drinking, because the people that work there don't look like they do which makes it a lot easier to catch people. I'd recommend that everyone goes to one of these party's at least once, because its awesome.

From Randell

This past weekend I was involved with promoting a well known rapper of Chicago named Twista. Twista is the fastest rapper in the world and still holds the record for the most words spoken in a fast pace. You can find him in the Guiness Book of World Records. His performance took place in Palatine Illinois at Dirty Nellies. This was the clubs first time having a major artist perform live. The tickets got sold out pretty quickly but I didn't have to worry about that since I was going to be on stage with him and his entourage. I was not attending this performance by myself, my good friends attended with me along with the group he was promoting, the AG Squad. The AG Squad went on stage first and got the crowd really hyped up. The doors opened at 9:00pm so by 12:00 it was packed. Everyone came there to see Twista perform and he didn't end up making it on stage till about 2:15am. The performance was a major success even though people were not that happy that he came in so late, but once he got started the crowd tended to forget about that.
I put about 2000 dollars into promoting Twista at this event and after the tickets sales sold out by the end of the performance night I raked in about 5500 in profit. I would say that pretty good considering I wasn't the only one doing promotions. The next performance that my friend and I are going to have will be in March in Elgin Illinois. We are supposed to have Kanye West Perform for a couple hours and sing some new songs off his new album. I'm hoping to make more money off of this performance and see what happens after that. I like being able to meet major artist in the game. I work for Atlantic Records every summer so I have already gotten to meet a great deal of important people in the music industry but my focus is more on money, not trying to know everybody and get on there good side. I'm doing this because this is part of my career and I plan to continue to strive and make as much money as I can and try to have as much fun as possible while doing so.

Meet the Browns

This mouth i went to movie to see meet the browns. It about this women who lives in Chicago with her three kids and has no one to help her but her crazy spanish friend. She has a baby sitter who is an old women that is getting tired of not being paid so she says she is not watching the youngest child any more. The women gets a letter in the mail that says her father had died. The brown family didn't know they had another sister besides LB. He was the oldest son. At first she wasn't going to go until her friend talked her in to going. When she got there she was ready to go because a her son was a good basketball player and the man that wanted him live by the Browns. When her father died he left her a torn down house that she didn't want. She and her kids would of rather stayed in the projects. Before she went back to chicago she and the man that liked her agreed that he could work with her son on basketball. The man would come back to Chicago twice a weak. But before the man could help the boy had get in some trouble. The boy over heard his mother and father talking and he over heard the father say he never wanted the boy and she should of had him aborted. The boy got mad and ran out of the house to go with his friend to see drugs so he could pay some of his mother bills but not knowing he was going to get shot and almost ended his basket ball life. He got well quick. While he was getting better his mother decided she need to get away so they all move where the browns where. When she got there her house was fixed from top to bottom thanks to the browns and her new boyfriend. She thought life would be happy after that until she over heard her sister talking about the man was just using her son for his basketball so he can pay off his debt. She confronted him and the broke up. Her son was then darfted to the NBA  and she relize that she was so wrong about her boyfriend and she got him back. The next movie to come is Meda goed to jail.

Trip to the United Center

The last time I went to a Bulls game was when Michael Jordan was on the team. I remember going to dozens of games in those years but barely recall the games in detail. Before I was ten years old, the Bulls had won six championships. Watching the games from the luxury of a skybox was amazing; I just wish I was old enough to appreciate the dominance that Jordan and the Bulls had over the NBA. Going to games with my dad and brother was a ritual until my dads company sold the skybox seats. When Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippin, Dennis Rodman and all those other great players left the team, I felt like Chicago was never the same; when people thought of Chicago in those years, they thought of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. I miss that team a whole lot.

This past month, my dad, brother and I went to a Bulls game just like the old days. When we pulled up to the United Center, I felt the warmth of some great childhood memories there. I was really excited to see the new heroes on the Bulls in person. We had great seats, about eight rows behind the visiting bench, who were the Portland Trail Blazers.

Before the game, I looked around at all the festivity around me, when all of the sudden a little mini basketball landed right in front of me. Surprised, I looked up to the court to see a dude with a basketball hoop at the end of a pole going up his back. I remember I had always wanted to take a shot on one of those since I was a kid. So I grabbed the ball and threw up a shot. It was a perfect shot. Swoosh! My dad, brother and some people sitting around us give me a cheer even though I was the most impressed with my shot. I didn’t expect to make a perfect 20-foot shot.
When the lights went out, the crowd roared and the Bulls intro song began playing. That familiar feeling of excitement before Bulls games came upon me. When the starting lineup was announced I imagined Jordan running out to the court. I don’t think a team will compare to the ’98 Bulls any time soon, but nonetheless basketball makes for great entertainment. Going to Bulls games, or any sports event, really gives me a sense of unity among the hometown. In the final seconds the Bulls were down by three. The crowd was almost silent when Ben Gordon tried to tie the game with a three. Instead it bounced off the rim and other team made the rebound. Where’s Jordan when you need him?

searching for the spots

From Libby

I try to visit the photo exhibits at the Art Institute every time they change. Especially since I can get in there for free its fun to just stop by and see what new things they have up. The photography gallery is probably my favorite thing exhibit that the Institute has because the atmosphere they create is really intimate. First of all, it’s located down stairs through a set of glass doors. Already it’s a quiet and peaceful place apart from the rest of the museum. The lighting is really soft and dim and all you can hear once you get past the entrance is the quiet moaning of the old wooden floor boards beneath everyone’s feet. The works of art are fastened to the white walls evenly spaced all around the room at eye level. Usually there is a bunch of annoyed students taking fake notes on not any specific piece. I feel some exhibits are annoying if I’m not interested but the photo exhibit is not one of those places. I am always up for experiencing new photography.
A couple weeks ago I went the photo exhibit. I can’t remember what the show was called, but it was focused on portraits of teenage girls and how they change when throughout the years when they grow up. Some prints were almost life size and some were post card size. Most of the prints were in color, which bummed me out a little bit because I enjoy black and white prints the most. My first thought about the exhibit as I walking into the room was that I wasn’t going to like it very much. I felt that way because I don’t usually like working on or looking at many portrait prints. Its not really my style of photography and all of the pieces hanging up in this particular show was a portrait photo. Two of the portraits stood out to me because it reminded me of my childhood.
One picture was of a little girl sitting on a white princess like bed. Fresh pink walls and lace dripping off of every surface. The little girl was dressed in a white puffy dress complete with a bow on top of her head. Sitting on the bed she was looking at her father who was talking to her. The look in her eye is infinite as she gazes back at her father. The picture was crisp and clean, standing about six feet tall. Next to this picture was another one the same size and style. It was obviously the same girl except grown up. She was about ten years older and the camera captured the image from the same angle as the last photo peering over the bed into the room. On the bed, instead of lace and ribbons was an empty Parliament cigarette box. The teen was standing beside the bed, staring inside the camera with one hand clutching her waist and in the other hand she was holding a lit cigarette. Next to her the teen’s father was leaning over the bed looking into the camera with a stern look on his face dressed in businessman attire. These pictures were taken of the same people in the same room with the same objects except 10 years apart.
I could relate to that feeling the little girl had in her eyes when she was looking at her father. I have felt that before. When I looked at the other picture when the girl grown up with her somewhat angry father, I knew what that felt like as well. The mood of both photos together changed drastically. Once I looked at the little girl compared to the older girl there was obviously a lot of negative feelings that happened between the two people in the photos once the girl grew up. I was incredibly close to my father when I was little and then once I grew up in high school he and I quit speaking because I turned into somewhat of a wild child. I didn’t turn out the way he wanted. And that hurts him when he looks back at when we used to be close when I was six. I am the way I am and when I look in the eyes of the more recent photo in the show I feel that from the teenage girl smoking that cigarette. I can relate so much to the girl growing up, that right away when I saw the two photos together I knew I wanted to write about it.

from Matt

Of the “hotspots” to go to in Chicago. The one thing I can talk about though is the train system. The train is the only means of transportation that is easy and hassle free. You don’t have to worry about anybody cutting off or running into the train. It is underground and has its very own trail.

The craziest stuff happens on the L. Of course people have seen bums asleep on some of the seats, and even late at night on Fridays and Saturdays, there is a chance you’ll be involved in an “L ride party.” People were jumping on the seats singing, “boots with the fur!” It was insane, beer and alcohol was getting passed around like water at a triathlon. You got to be careful though Fights have gone down in the L. People here in Chicago will fight because of a glance. There really is no reason for this but some people find it necessary. A man who had possibly been on the train for over an hour or so, thought he would sit in the back half of the cart and smoke a cigarette. Another man of shorter stature was sitting in the middle of the cart; he smelt the smoke then turned around and stared at the man with the cigarette. The shorter man stood up and ran towards the guy with the cigarette. All in one motion he jumped up grabbed the bars near the door and kicked the man with the cigarette in the face. The man fell and dropped his cigarette; the shorter man then stepped on the cigarette to put it out. There was no reason for him to even get up, he could have turned around and asked the man to put it out. It was a ridiculous way to put out an obviously unwanted cigarette.

Although the train seems like a crazy ride, it doesn’t always make it on time and sometimes the carts smell like a dirty gas station restroom. It is stupid to think that the people who have to use the L everyday are usually the ones that mess up the carts and they make the ride horrible and gross. There is no reason for any one to have to urinate on the train. If it is beyond the point of where you cant hold it then you need to get off at the next stop and find a restroom. We live in a society where we have places to go and dispose of our waste properly. It has to suck being the worker who has to clean up the carts early in the morning before the rush of people get on to go to work. Although the L does have its random crazy take on transportation, but for students like myself living in downtown Chicago, the L is an entertaining way to travel through out the city.