By Alli Myers

Haunted houses are a Halloween classic. There’s always a handful of people who simply love to be scared out of their minds leading up to the 31st of October. The MSU Department of Theatre is the group behind the scenes of MSU’s very own “Haunted Aud”. Every year the department turns the Auditorium, located on Farm Lane and Auditorium Road, into a haunted house for students to go through during the weekend of Halloween. This year, the event was held from the 28th through the 30th. Anyone was welcome, students or not, from 8 p.m. to midnight.

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

This year’s theme was a psychiatric ward. The line waiting to go in was set up like the waiting room in a hospital, and the Auditorium was filled with actors from the department portraying the patients and doctors. When let in to the first hallway, visitors were greeted by the doctors and nurses of the ward, who were every bit as troubled as the patients. There was someone following you down almost every hallway, people screaming for help to get out of the psych ward, and amazing props. Among these were patients screaming chained to beds, body parts scattered around the rooms, chainsaws, medical devices and much more. All of this and more often made you forget you were even in the Auditorium.

“The Auditorium is creepy without even trying, so we make it even scarier,” said theater sophomore Shannon Melick. The fact that MSU’s Auditorium has all of the necessary props to put on almost any kind of show supplied them with everything needed to perform a complete makeover on the space.

Peter Martino, a junior in the Department of Theatre studying lighting design, was the master electrician for the event.

“My favorite part about Haunted Aud is having students come through and showing them that our department can do more than put on a play,” he said.

Turning the Auditorium into a spooky haunted house was done on a budget of about $500, Martino said. The event cost $10 for students, and was used as a fundraiser for the theater department.

Melick went through the Auditorium on opening night and said, “The only thing that made it a little scary for me was that I knew almost all of the actors.” She said that hearing her own name down almost every hallway gave her even more goose bumps than she already had, but at the same time reminded her more than others that it was all just a setup.

The theatre department has a few plays coming up for the end of the semester.

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

“The Beaux Stratagem” will be held on November 20 in the Arena Theater. Melick described the play as a “restoration comedy”. Written by George Farquhar in 1707, it centers around two men trying to find rich heiresses to marry in order to restore their fortunes. Following “The Beaux Stratagem” is the fifth annual Freshmen Showcase, running from Dec. 2-4, where all the new freshmen in the department show off their talent in a series of shows.

Also approaching are a few big events from the MSU Roial Players, a student-led theater group that runs through the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities. “Audience”, a short comedic play, will take place Nov. 17-20. Following “Audience” is “The Laramie Project”, described by Roial Art Director Megan Kelly as “a compilation of interviews surrounding the murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student from Laramie, Wyo.”

Between the theater department and the Roial Players, MSU has a lot of shows and events coming up. Tickets for the theater shows can be found purchased from the Wharton Center Box Office, and tickets for Roial events can be purchased at the door in the basement of Snyder-Phillips Hall.

By Emily Green

Since Starbucks opened its doors in Seattle Washington 1971, it has been satisfying coffee lovers and curing the caffeine cravings of people everywhere.  Whether you’re a coffee addict or not Starbucks is still a great place to quench your thirst with non-coffee beverages or to satisfy your sweet tooth with a variety of desserts. Now, 40 years later, nothing much has changed, except for the fact that the company has expanded their brand globally with over 17,000 locations, in 57 different countries, gaining dedicated followers like groupies to a rock band, and it keeps on getting bigger.

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

This year was Starbucks Coffee Company’s 40th anniversary, and to commemorate this milestone, Starbucks took the opportunity to spice up their already booming business.   A subtle change that Starbucks has made following their recent anniversary was to alter their long standing logo from the classic picture of a mermaid and the words “Starbucks Coffee,” to simply the picture. Starbucks also came out with a new blend of coffee, called the Tribute Blend, for the anniversary. The Tribute blend is made up of aged Sumatra, Papua New Guinea, sun-dried Ethiopia and Colombia coffee beans.

Also commemorating the anniversary is the publishing of a book by Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, titled Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul. In the book, Schultz writes about the struggles, like when Shultz decide to step back into the role of CEO in 2008, to help reinstate the company’s financial health, and the eventual success of the Starbucks Company.

“Starbucks is my favorite coffee shop,” said chemical engineering freshman Andrew Lantz. With statements like these we can see why there seems to be a Starbucks mania going on across the country.

Starbucks still appears to be a fast growing and competitive company with new stores seemingly popping up on every street corner. Michigan State is joining in on the mania – on September 26 they opened a new Starbucks store here on campus in Wells Hall, (and yes they do accept Sparty cash).

Jacob Mercado, one of the supervisors of the Starbucks in East Lansing on Grand River, said they opened in the new location because of “growth of the economy and simply because the space opened up.” Students on campus appear to be happy about it, as they anxiously wait for coffee in a line that winds halfway down the hallway.

Photo Credit: Jenna Chabot

“I don’t think that the new Starbucks will affect the business of Starbucks on Grand River, people go there when it is convenient for them, but they come here to relax and study,” Mercado said. We saw if this statement was accurate by seeing what actual customers had to say, after stopping by the Starbucks on campus.

“No, I only come when it is on my way to class,” was the response from both Lizzy Wacker, a kinesiology freshman, and Lantz, when asked if they come to this Starbucks regularly.

For the Starbucks veterans who think they know it all, hold on to your seats because you are about to find out some big news. Did you know that there is a secret Starbucks menu? So when the person in line before you orders a drink that takes longer to say than to drink, no, they did not just make it up on the spot. It really does  exist.  Have you ever heard of a Zebra Mocha or a Crunch Berry Frappuccino?  Well they are two of the fun flavors you might want to try the next time you go to Starbucks. If you are interested in checking out  any of the other  secret Starbucks  treats here is a link to a website that will show you quite a few of them: http://www.ranker.com/list/starbucks-secret-menu-items/secret-menu-items.

“The 40^th anniversary was a very big deal for Starbucks as a company,” Mercado said. “It was the first coffee shop of its kind. Starbucks opened up a whole new market and culture for coffee shops. Starbucks was the pioneer of the coffee industry,” Mercado offered enthusiastically.

Seeing someone who believes in Starbucks this much was refreshing. Starbucks has become more than a coffee shop, it is a place where people can go to hang with friends or relax, and it is a social hub buzzing with conversation and the smell of brewing coffee beans.

By Emily Green

When we think of poetry reading, we might visualize a coffee shop with cozy couches, people drinking cappuccinos, relaxing while listening to someone read a poem in a soothing voice. We can keep the coffee and the couches, but when you go see the MSU Slam Poetry Team perform, you might as well throw that tranquil, quiet notion out the window because they are anything but. Slam poetry are poems meant to be performed for a live audience in a competitive format.

“Slam Poetry is part spoken word, part rap without the music, part theater – and all soul… It’s basically poetry on steroids,” said Professor Rose Cooper, the MSU Slam Poetry Team advisor.

Brian Fritz performing; Photo credit - Katie Hoffman

A Poetry Slam is essentially an informal gathering of friends sharing their talents and the art of poetry with one another. However, when the first person stands up to perform, the mood shifts from socializing to a more serious tone and the performer takes center stage. The audience sits inclined slightly forward in their seats, listening intently to the story that is being written in the air through words, snapping their fingers with approval.

MSU’s slam team started in late 2007 and by early 2008 it consisted of only four members. By the next year, however, membership had more than doubled in size. Today the team consists of about 20 dedicated members.

“The slam team to me is the ability to step back from the week, take a break and focus on what I want to do. Writing is a big part of my life and no matter what I end up doing I will always love writing,” said creative writing and RCAH junior Austin Gorsuch, president of the Slam Team. It seemed to me that all the members of the team felt the same way Gorsuch did; they became and stayed a part of the team because they loved writing and each other.

The team members all knew each other by name, and said they had developed friendships outside of the club.

“I have made good friends here, people that I can go and talk to outside of the meetings for advice and help,” said English senior Briana Walz.

“One of my favorite parts about the team is that is keeps me writing, and one of the worst things for a writer is to stop writing,” said James Madison sophomore Nicole Stancil.

Inez Garzaniti performing; Photo credit - Katie Hoffman

Team members keep each other writing or thinking in the mindset of a poetry writer through various methods; for example, by playing a silly game or actually taking the time to write a new poem during the meeting. Whatever it is they might be doing, they do with a purpose.

“I joined because I saw a slam poet perform and I knew that’s what I wanted to do, I wanted to move people,” Stancil said.

Walz added, “I love the slam aspect of slam poetry it’s serious, but also fun I get absorbed into it.”

These two members of the team said they really enjoy the atmosphere of actual slams. They like performing as well as just watching others perform in slams. To them it is about the content and purpose of the poetry.

“I think the MSU Slam Poetry Team provides a voice of Spartan pride.  Our members are often called upon by MSU officials to represent State in spoken word at various events,” Cooper said.

Opportunities like these are essential to the team to show off their skills. It also shows that they must be good at what they do to be asked to represent MSU at events.

There is no other team like them on campus and it is a unique and beneficial experience to be a part of, “not only for aspiring poets, but for any person at MSU who would like to learn how to effectively express themselves verbally,” Cooper said.

This is true at the meetings where the team works on writing skills as well as the ability to speak comfortably in front of a group of people. The poetry slam team is about more than just the slams. It is an outlet for creativity and a place to gain skills in poetry and public speaking. If you want to find out for yourself, the team is open to all members and accepts anyone who wants to join.

“If you are interested in prose, poetry, public speaking, or just want to come listen, we are always looking for new people,” Gorsuch said.

Photo credit - Katie Hoffman

I had the pleasure of seeing the MSU Slam Poetry Team perform at their Halloween Slam on October 26. It sure was a treat, and I didn’t even have to parade around in a costume screaming  ”trick or treat” to experience it.

Here are the rules to a poetry slam:

As many of the members that wish to perform are welcome to. Before they begin performing, the team must find five judges to judge the poets on their performance. After the poem is over, the judges hold up the scores – the lowest and highest score for each person are dropped, then the remaining three are added together to form the final score for that round. After everyone has performed, the top four performers move onto the second round, and the highest score from that round wins.

This slam, however, had a little bit of twist. In honor of Halloween, during the first round all of the competitors were required to write a poem based on their costume, followed by a free-for-all second round. There was a dinosaur, Pocahontas, a rock climber and a grandma in attendance, to name a few of the costumes.

In the second round, there was a tie between competitors Inez Garzaniti and Robbie Craemer. To settle the tie, the two poets had to battle it out at Wanderer’s Teahouse and Café’s open mic night. The winner of the tie-breaker and the Halloween Slam was Robbie Craemer.

The team meets every Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the Bessey Hall Writing Center if you want to check them out, or like them on Facebook at MSU Slam Poetry Team.

By Julia Grippe

Some stores start putting out Christmas items as early as June despite the negative comments made by consumers.

The Christmas creep is a marketing and sales phenomenon where stores compete to get the early dollar, which results in the holiday season starting earlier and earlier each year.

Bonnie Knutson, a hospitality business professor at MSU and expert in buying trends and strategic marketing, says people have less money to spend in the current economy, but they are always willing to spend on their children and family.

“If retail stores don’t get their share during the Christmas season, they are going to have to work twice as hard the rest of the year,” said Knutson.

Knutson said that consumers have four emotions: happy, sad, glad or afraid. Consumers buy most when they are happy.

Retail stores tend to push the idea of Christmas because the holiday season is usually a happy time of the year. This results in consumers buying more, said Knutson.

Some stores, such as Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland in Frankenmuth, have made an industry of Christmas 365 days a year, said Knutson.

Even when on vacation in a warm place, Knutson said she always buys a Christmas ornament. People still think about Christmas even in the off-season.

Photo credit -- Julia Grippe

Retail stores are starting to advertise for Christmas more aggressively on the Internet. Knutson said people are doing more research online for what they want to buy so they can get their shopping done faster when physically in the store.

“The less time in the mall, the less time for impulse buying,” Knutson said.

The day after Thanksgiving, or better known as black Friday, is a strategic way to get consumers in their stores and to get the early dollar, Knutson said.

Typically, stores usually open as early as 4 a.m on black Friday but recently some stores are staying open for a full 24 hours. Other stores are even having online specials the day of Thanksgiving, said Knutson.

Erica Johnson, the executive team leader at Target in Okemos, said this year they are being more aggressive by opening at midnight like stores such as Walmart did last year.

Johnson said Christmas ads for Target go out the first week in November, and Christmas merchandise usually goes up right after Halloween decorations come down. Target must condense their Halloween items in order to put Christmas items up.

“We not only want the earliest ad but also the best and most creative ad,” said Johnson.

For craft stores, the holiday season starts even earlier than the end of October. Scott Pertz, store manager at Hobby Lobby in East Lansing, said the Christmas supply comes out as early as June.

“We could have Christmas stuff out year round and it would sell,” said Pertz.

Hobby Lobby receives Christmas shipment in April, and since Christmas is such a large area, they need to start putting it out early in order for the entire shipment to be out in time and look presentable, said Pertz.

Christmas items alone take up 26 aisles in the store, said Pertz.

Pertz said they start with the things people need to make and create crafts such as wreaths and ornament kits and then start putting out decorations and other merchandise.

Photo credit -- Julia Grippe

“If we put Christmas supplies out earlier, we have a better chance of selling it at full price,” said Pertz.

Hobby Lobby gets a negative reaction from its customers when they see Christmas items out in June and keep making negative comments all the way through September, said Pertz.

“They say things such as, ‘I can’t believe you’re putting this out already,’” he said.

He said the people who actually like the Christmas supplies out early don’t say anything at all.

Dale Wilson, a marketing professor at MSU said, “People love to complain.”

When it comes to the holiday season, many people argue that Christmas is commercialized.

Wilson said Christmas is a major holiday and retailers want their share of it.

Many of the MSU marketing students learn about the “cumulative effect,” said Wilson. This theory explains that as you see and hear different advertisements, the effect of those ads builds over time. “The first time you see an ad, it might not work. The third or fourth time, it becomes effective.”

When talking about Christmas advertisements, Wilson said there is an advantage to early advertising and putting out Christmas merchandise early.

“It can be annoying, but it works to have those types of items out early.”

Although a lot of people complain and say negative things, Wilson said he doesn’t think it turns anybody off from buying items from stores that put Christmas supplies out early.

“It’s not like they wont go back to that store,” he said.

One reason stores are more aggressive during the holiday season is because a lot of retail stores don’t make a lot of money until after Thanksgiving.

“The period between Thanksgiving and News Years adds to the profit.”

Sitting on the bus, walking to class, riding down Farm Lane on your bike… Do you ever wonder what the person next to you is listening to? They may seem completely entranced in their music or they may be mouthing the lyrics. Or maybe, you can actually hear what’s blasting through those headphones. Either way, you’ll never really know unless you ask them, like we did!  After witnessing Ty Currell’s video in New York City over the summer (click here to watch), TBG thought it would be interesting what you’re listening to. Watch the video below to see what Spartans have on their playlist.

By Alyssa Firth

Jersey Boys, a musical based on the life of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, has just finished up with its run at the Wharton Center. I had an opportunity to speak with Michael Lomenda while he toured in Omaha, Nebraska last month. Born and raised in Alberta, Canada, Lomenda tells TBG about how he got his start in musicals and what everyday life is like for a star in Jersey Boys.

Michael Lomenda, photo courtesy of David Leyes

Alyssa Firth: I haven’t seen the play, but I know your character is Nick. Can you describe him a little bit?

Michael Lomenda: Nick is the bassist of the group. He sings bass and he also plays bass, the instrument and he’s sort of the quiet, silent type, you know? He doesn’t say a whole lot in the group, but he’s credited by Bob Gaudio and Frankie Valli as sort of the arranger of the group. He created a lot of the great vocal arrangements and also Frankie sometimes talks about him as the guy who helped him early on with his voice and coaching his voice early on, so Frankie’s got a pretty distinctive style so that’s kind of an awesome credit to his name.

AF: When and where did you start performing?

ML: When did I start performing? That’s a good question.

You know, it was sort of a young thing. I guess I kind of got into it early on. My dad was a pro hockey player in the states in the 70s and I kind of didn’t take to that, so I think my parents wanted to get their kids involved in something, so I kind of took to the arts and started early on playing classical piano and all that kind of stuff. And then performing wise, I sort of kind of fell into it.

My small town was like population 5,000, so there wasn’t a whole lot of opportunity you’d think, but actually there was a surprising amount of opportunity. A young sort of drama teacher, an art teacher, came in and took me under their wing and it got me into the arts and gave me a lot of really great opportunities to perform and work with some great folks. And then I sort of moved out to Toronto for three years for Sheridan College which was a music theatre program and I had previously taken a year of acting in Alberta at Red Deer College and a bunch of my buddies were, you know, wanting to go on a trip to Toronto. It’s a four hour flight away from where I was taking school.

I said, “Sure, let’s go. Let’s go for a fun time. I’ll audition for this school.” And meanwhile, just really wanted to go out and have a good time and then I went to school, actually got into a school for three years and then it’s been around 10 years that I’ve been performing.

AF: I know you just rejoined the cast. Is this your first time being back with them or when did you come back?

ML: Well the Toronto Company was done in August of 2010 and there was about a six month hiatus where I did other shows and things like that and then they gave me a call and said they wanted me to come down and join this tour, the first national in Miami, because the guy who was playing Nick was going on a bit of a vacation. So I flew down to Baltimore and then I rehearsed with them in Baltimore for a week and then flew with them to Miami for three weeks, which was great, and then another five or six months passed and then they gave me a call and said they wanted me to come down as sort of a permanent person on tour. So I flew in not yesterday, but the day before, so I flew in Wednesday and I did some press in the morning. On Thursday I had to put in some rehearsal which is basically just, you know, you’re on stage with the cast and then last night I did my first show.

AF: How did that go?

ML: I think it went okay, this is certainly a very, I would say, a typical rehearsal process. Usually you get a couple more days to rehearse Usually you get your bearings, so this is a pretty fast process for me. It was kind of a roller coaster, but I think it went across okay.

AF: What’s an average day of rehearsal and performance for you?

MK: Well, we do eight shows a week and sometimes it changes. The schedules will change; different cities warrant different schedules. Usually you have evening performances around 8 or 7:30 and so you get up and I mean most theatre folks are not early risers because we sort of work at night, but I get up and go to the gym and grab a breakfast. I mean, I’m really excited about touring around the states and seeing the cities so I’ll be out, you know, being a geeky tourist, you know, taking in all the sights and going to the art galleries and all that stuff. Then basically, go for a half hour call for your evening show and some people arrive earlier, some people arrive later, but you have to be there at half hour, so I prefer to be there about 45 minutes early. And then you know you do your show and if there’s a rehearsal, they’ll call you during the day for probably about four hours and, you know, it’s pretty casual. Everybody sort of knows the rhythm of things around here, so they’ll go in for a rehearsal and work on whatever they need to and then we’ll go for dinner and then we do a show.

Yeah pretty simple. I think a lot of people think that we rehearse a lot and that’s not to say that we don’t. Sometimes there’s a lot of people coming and going from a company for whatever reason, whether they’re new swings or vacations or all that kind of stuff, that are coming in and things like that. There is a lot of rehearsal and lately there’s been a lot of rehearsal, but for the most part, you know, we have our weeks pretty much free which is great.

AF: What do you do personally to prepare for your role besides with the cast?

ML: Well, individually there’s of course I mean it’s sort of funny. The hair is kind of one of the big things about the period. It’s sort of 50s, 60s, 70s and if you go and look at some of those pictures online of that era and those guys during that era, they had some pretty awesome hair. So the hair takes a little bit of time cause you’re using- I certainly use a lot more hair gel and spray than I would use in my hair on a daily basis that’s for sure.

A lot of people do a vocal warm up, which is kind of key. especially Frankies. I know Frankies have very personalized, very specific warm up that helps them sing that hefty role. I mean, they sing 27 songs in the show and I think there’s like only 30 or something like that so they’re pretty much on stage for the whole show. They have a really extensive warm up. And like I said, it’s very specific. Some people don’t eat certain things during the day, like milk products and stuff like that because it’s harder to sing, but for me personally, I like to go to the gym ahead of time to get my body warmed up.

I get to the theatre about an hour to 45 minutes ahead of time and I like to go around and sort of chat with everybody and see how their day’s going and you know, just sort of connect with them cause we’re going to connect on stage in about an hour and it’s important to sort of touch base with everybody and then I start you know getting ready. I shave everyday, you put your hair on, you get your mic, you know, and you have to get all wired up and then you just sort of take your time to focus and do a little bit of a vocal warm up and what not and then you’re ready to go

AF: Did you always see yourself performing in broadway musicals? Was it what you had planned in the beginning?

ML: My life has a funny way of never really — if I don’t plan things, they just go in an awesome direction. That’s one thing I’ve learned. I just sort of go with the flow and let it take me where I’m going.

I mean certainly when you go to music theatre college and you study to go in the realm of music theatre, I think it’s a goal for everybody to do big, awesome broadway shows, especially like this one.

This is something that is, you know, it’s sort of funny it just kind of happened this way where I’ve come across this role at this point in my life and my career and I think it’s for me it’s been such a wonderful milestone for me to be doing this particular show at this point in my life, in my career. It’s just been the pinocle really for me and so yeah, I guess indirectly it’s been a goal to have something this gratifying to do at this point in my life and career, but I can’t say I’ve totally planned for it. It’s just kind of you know you sort of do your hard work and put your head down and hope that this kind of stuff happens.

AF: Have you performed at the Wharton Center before?

ML: No I haven’t. I have not actually been to Michigan before so I’m super excited. I’m doing my research online so that I can go around, pick up on all the history and all the arts and culture and night life and all that stuff, so I’m excited.

AF: Out of all the places you’ve performed, what’s your favorite city that you’ve been to?

ML: Well, I can say I was on a cruise ship at one point so I saw a lot of cities internationally that I loved and I went back to Barcelona and those things, but you know, it’s funny. It’s hard because I think every city is so different and there are  things like I’m noticing Omaha is really receptive to this show and they’re really excited and they’re listening and they’re great folks down here. And other times I’ve performed in audiences that are just bouncing off the walls and raucous and dancing in the aisles and you know.

So every audience is different, but they all seem to kind of, for this particular show, they all seem to kind of get up on their feet at the end of it. It’s kind of unreal. It’s like this crazy, phenomenon that this show has created and every night people are just up and dancing in the aisles and singing and you know, it’s kind of the unreal job to do, to be able to bring this story to everybody every night and have them walk out every night humming the tunes and being so excited about it

AF: We are a university, so what piece of advice would you give to an aspiring theatre student?

ML: Well, I think nowadays with the advent of you know American Idol and that kind of stuff, I think you now theatrically speaking, a lot more people seem to be interested in getting into music theatre which is awesome. And Glee and all that kind of stuff.

It’s really sort of changing the face of music theatre and I would say there’s just a lot of hard work that’s involved in doing what we do, which is sort of implicit in any career, but I think the key to it all is that you have to love it enough to get through the rough times because I think that’s where people tend to fall off in this career. You have to just know within your heart of hearts that you love performing and that you love the arts and all that kind of stuff enough to dedicate your life to it. Even when you’re working another job and running out and doing auditions and it can be really hectic and hard on you sometimes, you just have to make sure that that love is deeply routed within you. And I think also you have to really get to know yourself cause I think the best thing for artists and for people who perform is life experience and I think if you are limited with your life experience sometimes that can limit you as an artist, too, and I think that getting the most out of life and experiencing life to it’s fullest really informs you as an artist and really sort of puts your eyes and ears and your senses and I think that’s kind of a key to being a really detailed, exciting artist.

AF: Anything else you want to tell us about the show?

ML: Personally, I think this is a show that connects to a lot of people, not only because of the music because I think the music is sort of spanned so many decades and I think that’s why there’s so many different age groups that come to this show cause these guys just made incredible music for so many decades so I think it’s connected to so many people, but I think what people kind of want out of Jersey Boys is kind of a surprise about the story behind all of this music. I think it’ s kind of cool. It’s a backstage sort of pass to the goings on of this group of four blue collar guys who rose to fame and just kind of fell apart. And I think it surprises people cause it gets you with the story just as much as the music and that’s, I think, why people keep coming back and people are feeling so connected to this and that’s a really really special, incredible thing.

By Alli Myers

From yoga pants and moccasins to crackle nail polish and skinny jeans, guys with their names tattooed on their backs to girls strutting the “top-of-the-head” bun, we’ve all seen trends go just as quickly as they came. A trend that has made its mark on an immense number of girls everywhere is the feather hair extension fad. Just one glance around MSU’s campus will show you a multitude of colors and styles, adding flair at a small price supplied by many salons right here in the East Lansing area.

According to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the roosters that are plucked to create hair accessories are kept in small, stacked cages for about 30 weeks in loud, dirty barns. The roosters are bred and genetically enhanced to produce unusually long, luxurious feathers known as “grizzly saddle” feathers.

Photo taken by Jenna Chabot

These are the long, skinny black and white striped feathers that come from the back of the rooster. They are then killed and skinned, sometimes actually plucked for their feathers while they are still alive. This process kills them eventually, but it is a very slow and painful death for them.

The PETA Files, a website supplying information about animal cruelty and other campaigns PETA is a part of, describes these conditions, quoting the owner of Whiting Farms, a rooster farm in Delta, Colorado, who said, “We’re sentencing each rooster to a solitary cage for the last six months, with nothing to look at or listen to other than lots of other confined roosters.”

Grizzly saddle feathers are quickly increasing in demand, some of them selling for hundreds of dollars. Salons have been well known for hitting up local bait shops in order to get their hands on these. This angers serious fishermen going for the “good bait,” who use them to tie their fly on to the line. The feathers catch the attention of various types of fish, depending on whether you use a bright feather or a natural colored one. Right alongside the annoyance of the fly fishers is the even greater outrage it causes amongst animal activist groups.

Grand River Bait and Tackle is right off MSU’s campus located at 526 E. Grand River. The first thing Joe Mull had to say about the feather fad was, “Every time someone calls or comes in here asking about saddle feathers, I know they’re asking for hair. I haven’t been able to restock in awhile because there’s a shortage right now; all the birds are dead.”

Mull also said that he used to sell a pack of ten feathers for five or six dollars, and now sells them at six dollars or more each. The shop is currently out of saddle feathers because of the amount of salons coming in and buying out the stock.

“I get a lot of very unhappy fly fishermen coming in the store trying to buy them,” Mull said. “We’re always sold out of them these days. The majority of people that come in asking for them are hair stylists because one good feather can last a fisherman a couple years.”

PETA takes a stand against feather extensions. Strong supporter and a representative for the organization Ryan Huling said, “PETA is opposed to the use of feathers in the fashion industry because of the cruelty of animals involved. We strongly encourage people to choose alternative forms of these feathers, ones that do not harm animals in any way.”

Huling, even with his strong distaste for where the extensions come from, did not try to discourage the trend as a whole. He said that he thinks it’s a fun trend, and there is nothing wrong with synthetic feathers.

Huling does take issue with the fact that it can be difficult to tell the difference between a real feather and a synthetic one.

“This concept is kind of like faux fur,” he said. “PETA always promotes alternatives that are free of all forms of animal cruelty.”

He said that if you don’t want to give the impression that you are wearing real rooster feathers, wear something that clearly does not come from an animal. He laughed and said, “Like pink fur. You get the fluffy look of fur, but that clearly didn’t come from any animal.”

“I like the feather trend,” said marketing freshman Kelly Munzenberger, who got a feather extension over the summer.  “I think it’s a good way to do something different to your hair without dying it.” Munzenberger was surprised to learn that thousands of roosters are actually killed every year in order to supply the long, luxurious feathers that are used to make the extensions.

“I didn’t even know that some of the feathers were made from roosters,” she said.

Salon Meridian is one salon on the list of many that supply the feathers. Employee Carleana Delacruz said they sell between 30 and 40 feathers per month on average. Delacruz said she was shocked to learn about the mistreatment and slaughter of birds that takes place in order to make the extensions.

“I know that the feathers we use most often are real,” she said. “They are made from the same proteins as human hair, which is why we are able to style them, but I had absolutely no idea that the roosters were killed.”

She explained that clients have asked for alternative synthetic feathers stating, “The only difference in the synthetic feathers is that you cannot style them, but they look the same as the natural ones”.

Spanish sophomore Kaitlyn West also sports a feather, but hers is an authentic saddle feather. West said that she really doesn’t know much about where the feathers come from or how they’re made, real or synthetic.

“I would have gotten synthetic feathers if I had known they were available. I am such an animal lover, and I would have never intentionally gotten real feathers knowing now that it harms and kills the roosters. I think the trend is dying down. It was fashionable, but it definitely isn’t worth the cost of hurting harmless and helpless animals.”

According to MTV Style, Ke$ha is a big follower of the feather trend. This pop star, however, is an even bigger supporter of the synthetic options. She made a point of telling her fans about online sites that sell synthetic feathers making sure to emphasize that she is not involved in the killing of roosters just to add pizazz to her hair.

Any trend has its ups and downs and ins and outs whether short or long lived. Feathers may be the hot item right now, but who knows what will be “in” tomorrow. The trend, in a way, can be compared to choosing a vegetarian lifestyle. If someone is against ending an animal’s life to benefit themself, they simply avoid it. If you are against harming and killing roosters to add a feather extension to your hair, ask for synthetic ones at your salon or search around for an awesome one online.

Photo credit: Jenna Chabot

Harry Potter has been around since 1997. For most Michigan State University students, that’s practically their entire childhood. It all started with the books, then the movies and then endless merchandise. Now there’s even a theme park; The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort, where you can do anything from visit Zonko’s Joke Shop to ride Dragon’s Challenge.

“I first got into the books around 5th grade. I remember in 3rd grade, I thought it sounded incredibly dumb; I was not interested at all. So when my mom decided to read it to us during Hanukkah one year, I was vehemently opposed. But of course I listened as my mom read one of the greatest books ever, and the rest is history,” said second year international relations and political theory & constitutional democracy major and MSU Quidditch head coach Will Hack.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which opened its gates last June, is responsible for raising Universal Orlando’s revenues by about 20 percent last summer. The Wizarding World houses the most popular ride the resort has ever had, Harry Potter’s Forbidden Journey; the ride had its 1 millionth rider only a few months after the opening of the park.

The books that inspired this new attraction have been translated into 67 languages and have sold over 400 million copies. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince achieved platinum status, selling over 9 million copies, within the first 24 hours of release; a feat very few other books have ever accomplished. However, MSU students have their own favorites.

Some fans lean toward the suspense aspects of the books.

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was my favorite because I didn’t know exactly what was going to happen, not that I always did, but I felt like it was really hard to guess where it was going,” said mechanical engineering alumni, Matt Waggy.

Others go for the thrilling adventure.

“My favorite was Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban; it was before JK thought she needed to write 800 pages to make a sizable novel, so every moment was action-packed,” said Hack.

Now, 14 years after the release of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, J.K. Rowling is considering releasing the entire series as e-books, which may cause another jump in sales for the already record breaking books.

Having this enormously popular series available on medias such as Kindle and the iPad will encourage the transition to e-books that is already taking place and may mean the ultimate downturn of paper books.

The seven movies that have so far been released have also earned a hefty profit, grossing over $5.5 billion in sales worldwide, with over $950 million coming from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 alone, that’s more than all three Twilight movies combined.

The movies are no doubt a completely separate entity from the books. They change and adapt the story to be more concise and visual. However these changes do not necessarily take away from viewer’s enjoyment of the movies, it may even add to the excitement.

“I think it’s really cool the way that they bring the books to life. I just love to see the different ways they adapt the books,” said international relations junior Gina Herakovic.

The movies are even more intriguing for audiences that have never read the books, unlike for avid readers, every twist and turn is an entirely new and incredibly exciting adventure.

“The movies first came out when I was in fourth grade and just like we have all grown up, the movies have grown and progressed through the years.  They have gotten darker and have a deeper meaning with a more developed story line.  The final movie should be the best yet!” said engineering freshman Rebekah Koschmann, a passionate moviegoer.

The final movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, is due to be released (in 3D) July 15th of this year. Harry Potter fans have mixed feelings about the end of the empire that, when all is said and done, will include seven books and eight movies.

“I’m kind of sad, I wish it would go on longer but it was a good ending; all stories come to an end. Once they get drawn out too long they’re bad,” said microbiology sophomore Andrew Johnson.

“I’m a little sad; it’s been such a big part of my childhood. I started reading the books when I was in fourth grade and the last book came out after I graduated from high school so I’m kind of ok with the movies being done because then that part of my childhood is over and I’ll feel more like an adult,” said social relations and policy senior Kelsey Stuart.

The Harry Potter book fanatics had their ending moment in July, 2oo7 when the final book was released.

“I’m sad that no new Harry Potter materials will be coming out after the movie, although I have some hope that J.K. will produce more. Honestly though, I loved the books much more than the movies, so the release of the last book was really my cathartic moment,” said Hack.

How did people become so obsessed with Harry Potter in the first place? Every story is different, but the main reasons seem to be the life lessons and genuinely incredible story line.

“What makes Harry Potter so popular is that it is truly great literature, along with a great story. It’s achieved more success than Twilight because there is a lot of intrinsic value in the writing and morals of JK Rowling, so much so that the books are read in some literature classes. But the main reason Harry Potter took off is the story; all of us could use some magic in our lives,” said Hack.

The release of the final Harry Potter movie is truly the end of an era. But, even with no new books or movie to look forward to, the popularity and expansion of the Harry Potter dynasty suggests that it is here to stay and will potentially bridge generation gaps in the same way that The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia have.

The college of Art and Art History held their annual apparel textile design fashion show.  The featured student designers and models fast paced music and a huge crowd of spectators.  Designers were not limited to fabric, designers used everything from Doritos bags to hard-cover book bindings to create their looks on the runway. Nearly every seat was filled as the models walked the runway at the Pasant Theater.

Michigan is perfect growing crops AND musicians! Check out these local bands and artists who are working their way to the top.

Prussia

Hometown: Detroit

Genre: “Bop” or “Tropical” (according to their Facebook and Myspace)

Why you should check them out: They love Detroit! They constantly do shows at home and go out on tour. Their sound isn’t quite calming, but isn’t quite loud and I don’t know that I would quite call it tropical, but it would definitely fit in on the island scene. Definitely an indie band with their own unique style.

Check them out on Facebook or their website.

Tree Hut Kings

Hometown: Ann Arbor and East Lansing, MI

Genre: Jazz/Funk

Why you should check them out: True to the area, Tree Hut Kings constantly play at the Loft in Lansing. This four piece band packs a lot of punch into their groove-inspired songs, and they love to jam!

Check them out on Facebook or their website.

The Satin Peaches

Hometown: Detroit

Genre: Rock

Why you should check them out: Again, lovers of Detroit. But much different sound than the above band. Influenced by classic rock, Satin Peaches add their own modern sound and give a dedicated, energetic show.

Check them out on Facebook or their website.

Abigail Stauffer

Hometown: Ann Arbor

Genre: Acoustic/Folk

Why you should check her out: She’s fresh out of college and it’s not even for music! Linguistics major at U of M, Abigail writes and records her own musics and constantly performs in Michigan. Inspired Regina Spektor and Sufjan Stevens (another homegrown artists), Abigail has a soft and delicate sound with a lot of emotion.

Check her out on Facebook and her website.

Frontier Ruckus

Hometown: Metro Detroit

Genre: “Minutia-Obsessed Memorialism” according to their Facebook, but I’d say acoustic/folk

Why you should check them out: Up and coming and impressing many, Frontier Ruckus recently played a show at the Loft that many students enjoyed. I hear banjo, I hear keyboard, I hear trumpet and many other instruments in their, as they put it, “existential” sound. Very interesting sound, but not in a bad way.

Check them out on Facebook or their website.

Got any homegrown bands that you love to listen to?? Let us know in the comment section below!