On Jan. 31, Delta Chi’s annual January Jams concert was held in Wink Arena. Local band Unlisted opened for the headliner at this year’s event, Chevelle.

Unlisted started the show shortly after 8 p.m. After playing seven songs, the local rock group turned over the stage to Chevelle at 8:30.

“We’ve never played a show this big,” said Unlisted’s lead guitarist and vocalist Dave McNeil on the crowd of 1,547 people. “We did see some familiar faces, though.”

Chevelle’s crew changed the set in about half an hour, including instruments and backdrop. The three person band came out, introduced the name of the band and immediately started playing.

The band’s set, which included 15 songs, started at 9:07 p.m. Songs were played from each of Chevelle’s four albums, including their major hits “The Red,” “Send the Pain Below,” “The Clincher,” and “Vitamin R (Leading Us Along)." The band only stopped a couple times to talk to the crowd and never introduced themselves individually as many bands do.

Chevelle played a song from their 2007 album, “Vena Sera,” before exiting the stage at Wink Arena.

The original rumor going around Ferris was that this was the first leg in Chevelle’s first tour of this year. Sam Loeffler, Chevelle’s drummer, said that the show is a couple weeks before the first true date of the tour.

The Chicago-based band said that the final decision to play at Ferris was due to the location to their home base.

“It was close so it's easy to do,” said Sam.

The tour will start in about two weeks and the band will be traveling throughout the U.S. for about seven weeks initially. They will then be playing sporadically throughout the summer.

The band wasn’t always playing for crowds of thousands and touring the nation. In fact, the band had a very typical beginning in a suburb of the Windy City. As brothers, the boys had a hobby.

“We got started like most people. We were just interested in music,” said Sam in an interview held last Tuesday.

Shortly after two brothers started to play seriously, Pete and Sam’s little brother, Joe, joined the band as a bassist.

The band name came from a car of the 60's and 70's, the Chevy Chevelle.

“We weren’t really a band yet when someone asked us if we wanted to do a show. We needed a name,” said Sam. “Other kids went to fairs and movies. We played around cars.”

For the concert, they named themselves Chevelle.

“We would have never done it if we knew it was going to stick,” Sam said.

With influences like Tool, Alice in Chains and what some would call a strange influence for a heavy rock band, Sinead O’Connor (“Pete liked strong singers”), Chevelle started chugging along the Chicago music scene before they finally got their big break with a record label called Squint. It was with Squint that Chevelle initially got the rumors that still linger around them.

“The label was owned by Word Entertainment. They distributed gospel and Christian music. [Squint] was backed by that company, so they got that stigma. We did as well.

“We didn’t want to be a part of it. Money [for religious concerts] could go to the church itself or the homeless. We never wanted to be a part of that. We never felt that was right.”

It was said in a previous interview with einsiders.com that the members of Chevelle are Christians that believe religion is something to keep separate from their careers, and never felt like they should stand on a stage and force someone to believe in something.

Their first album, “Point #1,” was popular, but it was when Squint closed and the band went to Epic that their fame reached stardom levels.

“Send the Pain Below” was one of the band’s first major hits and it was when stardom hit them. Well, as much as it can hit a band who never watched television on tour or got to see how popular the song became.

“We disappeared for 100 shows and when we came back, people said ‘We know who you are’,” Sam said.

Shortly after their album “Wonder What’s Next” became a top hit, the band played on the main stage at Ozzfest. This was not their first time with the tour; after Squint closed, Chevelle played the second stage at Ozzfest, but it proved difficult as a promotional technique because the band didn’t have any records to sell.

The main stage was better for Chevelle.

“I remember specifically when someone said, ‘You are selling more [albums] by yourselves than all the other bands combined.’ It was a big moment.”

They didn’t get to think about that big moment for long because the band was back in the studio to create “This Type of Thinking (Could Do Us In)."

However, a rocky road soon met the band when Joe was excused from the band. Or did he quit? Sam set the record straight for me.

“[Joe] was just unhappy with travel. He likes to tell people he was fired--and in a way he was--but he did quit. He quit plenty of times and we had had enough of his back-andforth ways. We had to put restrictions on it.”

This left the band without a bassist. Sam and Pete soon found someone to take up their missing piece. His name was Dean Bernardini, a longtime friend and their brother-in-law.

“Dean was very natural for us. We’ve known him for so long and sometimes his bands would open for us or we’d open for them. That’s what’s cool about it. We were together all the time.”

Sam says that Dean brought a different type of feel to Chevelle.

Dean’s recordings showed up on the band’s fourth effort, “Vena Sera”. Sam claims that no Chevelle album strays away from the sounds they like, but some progressions were added to their latest piece.

“This was conceptual. It had long bridges and long intros...we wanted to make more song-songs,” Sam said.

Chevelle traveled last year to promote their album and they were happy to be on the road, even though it’s hard on everyone.

“You can make a lot of friends on the road and see a lot of places,” Sam said. “However, the hardest thing is finding a place to do your laundry and brush your teeth. Another one is finding a clean bathroom. There a lot of things people take for granted, like a loaf of bread so you can make toast.

“I’ll take them any day to get this.”

The last tour ended sometime last year, but the band has been doing an occasional show here or there. “We’ve been touring because the shows are there.”

Which leads us back to around 11 p.m. on Jan. 31, where the band was standing in a dirtied and unusually bright Wink Arena. I talked to Sam and Pete there.

“It’s just different to play at colleges. We’re used to playing in dirty, dark venues where people destroy the place. They don’t try to keep the place clean. We’re also used to a crowd that’s been under the influence, so to see a sober crowd is a different feel as well,” said Pete.

When asked if they had any final words, Sam replied with an uncommon piece of advice:

“Make sure you pay your hospital bills so insurance rates do not go up.”

As a part of Live! At Williams Performing Arts Series and the Festival of Arts the “Jump Rhythm Jazz Project” will be performing Saturday, Feb. 9 at 8 p.m. at the Williams Auditorium.

This event is brought to the community by the Performing Arts Fund.

Led by Emmy Awardwinning artistic director and founder Billy Siegenfeld, the “Jump Rhythm Jazz Project” is a company of dancers who travel internationally to perform and teach their techniques. Their style is rhythm based combining aspects of jazz, free movement, as well as vocalizing along with the beat.

Siegenfeld founded the group in 1990 as a non-profit organization and it has been based in Chicago since 1993. He was credited by the magazine “Dancer” for “inventing the first genuine jazz technique in forty years,” according to the organization’s Web site jrjp.org. Along with touring and performing, the dancers also teach at several colleges including Northwestern University.

The performance is based on the Emmy Award winning documentary “Jump Rhythm Jazz Project: Getting There,” by Siegenfeld. The documentary is based on extreme jazz dance techniques.

According to Williams' Auditorium Manager Michael Terry, the performance will consist of a mix of different types of music, new and old, with everything playing off of the rhythm.

“They are a dynamic and interesting group of performers and they have something to say,” said Terry. “It’s hard to describe what they do in words but watching them perform speaks for itself.”

The “Jump Rhythm Jazz Project” emphasizes the importance of dancing from the inside, states jrjp.org. Dancers focus less on the way they look and on releasing the rhythmic and emotional energies within the human body.

“Part of going to an university is being exposed to things that you wouldn’t normally be exposed to and this group is definitely unique and worth seeing,” stated Terry. “This is a great event for the entire community. It’s something that they haven’t seen before and I think that everyone who comes will really enjoy watching them perform.”

Not only will the group be performing, but they will conduct a Master Class on Saturday Feb. 9 at 10 a.m. until 12 p.m. at the Artworks Underground Dance Studio located at 106 N. Michigan Ave.

The interactive workshop will consist of a lecture and a demonstration which will involve audience participation. The class is open to all age groups and experience levels. According to Terry the participants will work with the dancers to gain insight about their technique and to learn some of their basic dance moves.

The class is free of charge but is limited to the first 50 registered participants. You can register for the demonstration at Artworks or by calling 231- 796-2420.

As for the performance Saturday evening, you can purchase tickets at the Williams Auditorium box office. The cost for students is $8 in advance or $10 at the door. For adults it is $16 in advance or $20 at the door.

For more information about either event, you can contact the Williams Auditorium box office at x5600. To learn more about the “Jump Rhythm Jazz Project” visit their Web site jrjp. org.

“Art washes the soul from the dust of everyday life,” President David Eisler quoted from Piccaso.

This was the vision of the festival of the arts that was being kicked off with this opening ceremony. Bruce Dilg, among others, wanted to bring some light into this dark and dreary winter.

Professor Dilg began by describing the strenuous process of getting the festival underway. He described the many different contributors as different parts of a sail boat. Dilg described himself as the rudder, keeping the boat in the right direction. Eisler was described as the ocean, giving the boat a sea to fare.

“I can’t tell you what it’s like to work with Dave Eisler on this project,” Dilg said.

Many others completed the boat as the sails, to keep it moving, the hull, and the wind. Artworks has played a huge role in helping Dilg make his dream come true. Near the end of his opening speech, Dilg described the many events that will be happening with excitement in his voice. He ended by saying, “Next year we want it even bigger.”

Next up to speak was President Eisler. Eisler put up a lot of funding to get this festival underway, and gave the support of the university. He started by saying, “We all know that Bruce is the real person that got this project started. Many of the speakers avoided to take claim as the head of such a grandiose achievement.

“We have such wonderful arts in Big Rapids. I think it’s just such an extraordinary thing,” Eisler said.

Eisler is hoping that everyone participates in the events and experiences something new. He hopes that these arts will brighten and liven up these dark days.

Eisler passed the microphone on to Teresa Pecht, director of Artworks. She started by describing Dilg as a man that does not know what N-O spells.

“There’s so much to participate in,” she said. “There’s something for everybody, and best of all you can’t beat the price.”

After Pecht, Carlene Rose, president of the downtown development authority, came to speak.

“Arts are alive and well in our community,” Rose said. She went on to describe the festival, saying that 50 different art events will be celebrated in 30 days.

“The excitement and enthusiasm is only equaled by the amount of gratitude we should express to all of the visionaries who have brought this project to life,” Rose said.

Rose, owner of Old Pioneer and Emporium, was glad to be able to sponsor such an event.

“We will dance, laugh, cry, and participate in all of these events,” she said.

Dilg came back up to introduce the three winners of the banner design contest. Third place was given to a student named Eric Ham. He created a banner that depicted a tree with a man painting leaves on them.

“I was trying to go for simplicity,” he said.

Mark Yager placed second in the contest. He created a poster that used simple squares of different colors to describe the different events.

Finally, for first place, displaying a very intricate design, was College of Business student Joe Polasek.

“Art isn’t just painting or drawing, it’s also architecture, and dancing, and so much more,” he said.

The key note address was finally given by a professor of art, Robert Barnum. Barnum started the Michigan Art Walk, created the Presidential Art Exhibit, and is most known for the mural in the Arts and Science Commons. He has won over 30 jury art awards.

Barnum started by quoting Mark Twain as saying that in 20 years we will be more disappointed by the things we didn’t do then by the things we did.

“We have 30 days of an aggressive agenda. If you were a cynic that might be a bit small,” Barnum said. He went on to say that people might not think it's practical. He said, “But that’s the beauty of the art world, it only takes one to have a dream.”

Following in step, he said that he did not belong at that podium. Barnum said, “I’m a dreamer. Bruce Dilg and David Eisler are the ones that should be up here.”

Barnum said that dreamers are the most dangerous people on the face of the earth. He said that he had been dedicated to a cause for his entire professional life.

“Art makes you feel good. It makes you happy. Maybe you’ll bring some sunshine into someone’s life… what a crock!” Barnum exclaimed.

He went on to talk about how America has changed the arts into a feel good medium, and has taken the real emotion and choice away from them.

“It is moving us further and further way from the emotional conversation, and even further from the emotional response,” Barnum said.

He also talked about how art is the most interesting profession in the world. He described it as something a person works at all of his life but can never perfect.

Barnum closed his key note speech by quoting Jim Morrison from the Doors.

“I’d like to close this talk with a prayer,” he said. “I always like doing this at state universities.”

He went on to quote, “Oh, great creator of being, grant me one more hour to form more art to perfect our lives.”

With Angelina Jolie’s perfect pout, Nicole Kidman’s lengthy legs and Pamela Anderson’s killer cleavage, one might agree I could have the perfect body according to Hollywood’s standards.

But has Hollywood gone too far? For many young girls the price to pay for the perfect body can cost thousands of dollars, as well as the luxury of living a healthy lifestyle.

Those flawless thin images you see on the big screen and in magazines are far from being realistic. The reality is that many Hollywood women can credit their stick-thin appearance to disorders like anorexia or bulimia.

During the era of Marilyn Monroe, beauty was skin deep but now it is bone thin. According to EDRefferal.com, celebrities like Kelly Clarkson, Mary-Kate Olsen, and Nicole Richie have all suffered from eating disorders.

Hollywood’s women are wasting away and creating an impracticable icon for girls to live up to.

According to a poll in People Magazine, 80 percent of women admitted that the images of women on TV, in movies, and in magazines contributed to their body image insecurities.

They were so insecure that 93 percent have tried to lose weight, 34 percent have had or would consider cosmetic surgery, and 34 percent said they would be willing to try a diet even if it posed a slight health risk.

The average cost in the United States for breast augmentation is $5,000 to $8,000; a nose job can range from $4,000 to $6,000, lip augmentation costs anywhere from $600 to $2,000, and a tummy tuck will put about a $7,000 hole in your wallet, according to infoplasticsurgery. com.

A study by the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders reported that five to 10 percent of anorexics die within 10 years after contracting the disease; 18 to 20 percent of anorexics will be dead after 20 years and only 30 to 40 percent ever fully recover.

They also reported that nearly half of Americans personally know someone with an eating disorder. That leaves me to believe that someone out there reading this article knows someone who is battling this deadly disease.

I hold it to you to get that person the help he or she needs. There are hundreds of services readily available for women and men who are struggling with eating disorders.

One of those services can even be found here at Ferris. The counseling center on campus offers services and screenings for eating disorders. You can contact them at x5968, or visit their web page through the scroll down on ferris. edu.

I can’t say I have never thought about limiting my food intake or making frequent bathroom trips after a meal, because I have. Am I wrong when I say I think every girl has had the thought cross her mind once or twice?

If I am, I apologize. But the fact of the matter is that you can’t survive by starving your body the nutrients that it needs. There are many healthy ways to get thin, and if that’s what you strive for, do it the right way for yourself.

As far as cosmetic surgery goes, I pity the girls who can’t live with the body they were born with and resort to investing in superficial adjustments. College is an investment, a nose job is not.

As for Hollywood’s perception of what looks good, would someone please give Barbie a cheeseburger?

It’s finally February, and amidst the snowy weather and Valentine’s Day buzz, arises the glittering and glamorous Academy Awards.

Planning to continue its duty to honor and recognize some of the best and brightest contributors to the film-making industry, the 80th annual Oscars Awards show will take place on Sunday, Feb. 24, where the audience will be overflowing with the biggest names and faces, or will it?

This year’s nomination lineup is one of the closer races in Oscar history, so it would be a shame to see them picketed and forced to either ad-lib the entire show or present “history and packages of film and concepts” not normally shown at the awards, according to the Los Angeles Associated Press.

As is expected, many of the nominations are for a lot of the same movies, but there are a few surprises. According to Oscars.com, the nominees for Best Picture are “Atonement,” “Juno,” “Michael Clayton,” “No Country for Old Men,” and “There Will Be Blood,” which are all very predictable and respectable nominees.

These movies are basically the groundwork for many of the other category nods as well, including nods for their directors, actors, screenplays, music scores, and editing.

In reference to nj.com, the existence of favorites in this year’s awards is slim, but there are a few ideas of whom and what may be possible winners. “Michael Clayton” is said to be a possible front-runner for best picture, in accordance with its significant presence in other categories also, receiving additional nods for best director, best original screenplay, and for three of its actors; George Clooney for best actor, Tom Wilkinson for best supporting actor, and Tilda Swinton for best supporting actress.

In the fields of best actors and actresses there were a few surprises amidst the previously praised and predicted nods. Johnny Depp for “Sweeney Todd” and Daniel Day-Lewis for “There Will Be Blood” are seemingly the top picks for the Best Actor category, both having a fairly rich Oscar history; which doesn’t leave out George Clooney for “Michael Clayton” however, as he is also a persistent Oscar favorite.

Slightly more unexpected, but still admirable nods, were for Viggo Mortensen for “Eastern Promises” and Tommy Lee Jones for “In the Valley of Elah,” which was definitely not a box office topper, to say the least.

And in the category for best actress, Cate Blanchett unearthed new ground with her startling nod for “Elizabeth: The Golden Age,” which will be her second Oscar nod for playing the same role, not to mention her second nod this season for best supporting actress for “I’m Not There.”

The other previously predicted and notable actresses in the category are Julie Christie as an Alzheimer’s patient in “Away From Her,” Marion Cotillard for “La Vie en Rose,” Laura Linney for “Savages,” and fresh face Ellen Page for her offbeat and memorable performance in “Juno.”

The 80th annual Academy Awards, taking place at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, is scheduled to run as planned, although the Writer’s Guild strike is still battling pending results.

Going on three months, the strike has not come to any conclusion, and with the awards coming dangerously close, there is a question of whether or not they will be able to go on at all.

The Writer’s Guild has already declared that they will not interfere with next month’s Grammy or Image Awards, but no such luck has been bestowed upon the Oscars.

The Awards have only been cancelled three times in the past, during the Los Angeles flood in 1938, the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, and the shooting of Ronald Reagan in 1981. The Oscars have overcome one strike previously, in 1988, but to insure the best show a conclusion must be reached.

Regardless of whether or not the strike will come to an end, or at least allow the awards to continue without fear of picketing, I will surely have my television set to ABC on Feb. 24 in hopeful spirits to see some of my favorite movies, actors, and actresses honored with such prestigious awards.

I cannot believe how people have changed these days. My dad is back at playing video games (seriously), and my 12-year-old sister and 11-year-old stepsister are watching teen movies like “Date Movie,” “Epic Movie,” “Accepted,” “John Tucker Must Die,” and oldies like “Spaceballs” and “Robin Hood: Men in Tights.”

I never knew six grade girls liked high school and college movies. I mean, I don’t think they are inappropriate for them (to a certain point); I just never pictured those kids watching movies most thirteen to sixteen year olds would watch.

Disney still comes on strong with popular movies like “Cars,” “The Incredibles,” and “Meet the Robinsons.” However, those movies are not just attracting kids; they are also attracting adults too.

I see these kid movies because the previews are hilarious. It looks funny and humor draws attention!

That is another thing; I think the previews for any “family” movie are put together in a certain way so as to attract both kids and adults alike.

Previews play a huge part in promoting movies. If someone likes the previews, like me for example, and can remember lines like, “I have a big head, and little arms!” from “Meet the Robinsons,” most likely that person would remember to go see that movie.

Kids acting like they are sixteen would watch movies more for that specific age. You know, movies with innuendos towards sex, and crude humor, etc.

On the other side, adults or parents would probably laugh at seeing the previews for “Meet the Robinsons.” They want to have that feeling of being able to play and have fun again. So they go, some with their kids, and see movies like “The Incredibles,” “Cars,” or “Finding Nemo,”

Now tweens and teens act older and more mature, therefore showing adults they can watch movies they probably should not watch. According to some magazines, like “Entertainment” magazine, “Harry Potter” has become more dark and sinister each year. It doesn’t matter to anyone though because it will always be considered a “family film.”

I think many different people will try to act sixteen for awhile. The age might fluctuate over certain periods of time, but it does not matter because kids or tweens will still go see movies made for adults.

These tweens have learned to act older and have learned to handle everything they see in movies because this is a popular thing to do. If you act older, you have more privileges to see and do what you want.

Adults on the other hand, do not act younger; they just do certain things to make them feel younger. People act and feel in so many different ways. Teens act like kids one day, then mature adults on another. It is just the way they are and how they think they should be from one day to the next.