Photo courtesy Ubisoft

While the summertime may bring blockbuster flicks to moviegoers and outdoor concerts to audiophiles, many in the gaming community will find themselves twiddling their thumbs awaiting the fall for the big releases, and that sentiment is only compounded when new consoles or on the horizon. So what is there to play while Xbox and Sony puff their chests at one another from across the convention floors? Well, look no further than your console’s shop for the excellent awesomeness that is Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon.

Many already know what Far Cry 3 is all about, but for those who don’t, here’s a quick crash course; you play as Jason Brody, a UCLA student who goes on the vacation of a lifetime with his brothers and friends to an island in the middle of the Pacific to soak up some sun and do a little adventuring. What he didn’t expect, of course, was to have himself and his loved ones kidnapped by pirates. You then see yourself become the ultimate warrior in a first-person RPG shooter that has gotten awards and accolades from numerous gaming sources. And since it had such universal acclaim, it’s no surprise that they would release some kind of downloadable content to cash in on that success and expand the story of the island dwellers, right? Well, not quite.

Blood Dragon is a bit of a far cry from, well, Far Cry, insofar as it has absolutely nothing to do with the original game. Sure, you’re on an island and there are bad people, but Blood Dragon stripped away everything that made Far Cry 3 what it was and made it into an entirely different beast. Rather than roaming through jungles with an AK47 hunting down pirates as Jason Brody, you’ll find yourself sprinting heroically through cyber-looking night jungles with a laser hunting down robots as none other than Rex Power Colt, a cyber-commando and veteran of Vietnam War 2. So yeah, it’s different.

Blood Dragon more or less power-tosses you into the plot of a bad 80’s action movie, but it’s very tongue in cheek in its approach, though that’s not to say it doesn’t have good 80’s elements, specifically having 80’s icon Michael Biehn (star of films like Aliens and Terminator) voicing Rex Colt. Jokes will be made about 80’s movies in general, the game’s very own plot, and the bulk of the jokes are aimed at videogames themselves.

The majority of the time spent with Blood Dragon will have you pausing the game to have a good chuckle at a corny line or a hokey joke, and that’s okay. All of its campiness is very intentional, and is made to give you a bit of a reprieve from the seriousness of most other games. The reasoning behind making Blood Dragon is still a bit of a mystery, as the folks at Ubisoft still have yet to release any actual expansions to Far Cry 3, but that doesn’t mean Blood Dragon is unwelcome. At a low price of only 14.99USD, it’s hard to avoid this bad boy. If you’re a lover of the 80’s, or just someone who enjoys a “so bad it’s good” movie, Blood Dragon might be blasting out of your TV soon.

Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

It’s hard to find a way to bring new life and originality to a series that is as coveted and densely filled with history as the Star Trek franchise is. Yet that is exactly what the team at Bad Robot did when they released the 2009 reboot to the continuity that delighted both longtime trekkies and new fans alike, myself included. That’s why I found myself itching for the sequel, Star Trek: Into Darkness, to finally land in theaters and hopefully capture the same sense of wonder and excitement the first one brought about. Sadly, I was less than impressed.

Utilizing the same tools that made the first flick so successful, director J.J. Abrams brought back all of the same cast and creators from the first film and once again dove into Trek lore, bringing his sense of new blockbuster entertainment to the franchise while still remaining faithful to the old. Writers Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof are no strangers to sci-fi, and their expertise should have provided viewers with an invigorating summer movie experience, but many may find themselves walking out of the theater feeling confused and in the dark (pun intended).

This is not to say the film is completely without merit. The magnificent cast once again brings its A-Game to the project, and blows away all familiarity audiences may have with the actors. Each character feels like just that, a character. Many blockbuster movies don’t have enough flesh and blood being pumped into the characters, so they feel like husks of people rather than real people. Into Darkness certainly doesn’t have that problem, although it could be said they didn’t spend enough time doing it.

Another gold star to be given to the film is the waning use of lens flare. Abrams must have heard from various reviewers how difficult it was to enjoy the first Star Trek when there were bright lights completely covering the actors’ faces, but Into Darkness seems to have found the dimmer on that switch.

Now onto the negatives; without listing every nitpick, suffice it to say that Into Darkness just didn’t feel finished. A lot of plot points feel slightly fuzzy, and the fact that the antagonist wasn’t clearly explained for a good chunk of the movie felt very odd. Granted, it’s intended that the villain not be defined, but it wasn’t really a welcomed concept. That being said, Benedict Cumberbatch was absolutely delightful in his role as Khan. He felt incredibly malevolent and sinister, and definitely filled the role of the love-to-hate villain, especially when his resonant voice rumbled the theater during his monologues.

Into Darkness toyed around with many concepts about character archetypes, relationships, and plot structure, but none of those really came to fruition. If I could have made a single suggestion to the team behind the film, it would be that the 132-minute runtime could honestly have been extended for a while. Allowing more time to develop some of the ideas that were established and not have them be cramped together in that tight time allotment, Into Darkness could have risen to greatness in my mind.

We’re re-introduced to our bridge crew with Jim Kirk (Chris Pine) and Bones (Karl Urban) trying to distract a tribal planet society as Spock (Zachary Quinto) is lowered into an active volcano as an act to save their civilization. Something goes wrong and Sulu (John Cho) and Uhura (Zoe Saldana) are forced to return to the Enterprise which is seated at the bottom of the sea where the two other in command, Scotty (Simon Pegg) and Chekov (Anton Yelchin) await for them. Kirk is forced into a reckless decision to save Spock, which leads them to breaking their undercover position and causing uproar amongst the planets inhabitants.

And from that opening scene the action hardly pauses for a moment for the viewers or the characters to catch their breath.

Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

There are two major faults with this film that keep me, and I’m sure others, from loving it blindly. One is the villain; the other is J.J. Abrams missing what Star Trek really is about.

Benedict Cumberbatch is a phenomenal actor. He has a masterful physicality in this film and commands attention but it goes to waste on such a thinly drawn villain that relies heavily on prior fan knowledge than an actual three-dimensional character. He serves a purpose, and while he does so better than Eric Bana’s Nero, the villain is still the weak portion of the film’s overall success.

And secondly, Abrams clearly misses the point. I love a good action flick, I love the adrenaline, the break neck speed and the inability to relent for a second and I still love these versions of the series. However, Star Trek was such a monumental period of entertainment despite its hastily painted alien planets, hammy acting and super miniskirts on its female crew because of its hope for a better future. The original series was about how mankind could do better, how despite your race, sex, etc. you were invaluable to the universe. It was about helping those who needed it and accepting the help from those willing to provide it. Star Trek Into Darkness shares the same ship, the same characters and even adds in some wonderful nods to the original series but it doesn’t quite capture the same ideals.

This movie succeeds in its ability to encapsulate the camaraderie of the crew of the Enterprise and allowing each character their own moment to shine. Spock is an action hero like we’ve never seen before a character that is so well-known for his precise movements, level-headed emotions and logic. Urban proves that his uncanny likeliness to the late Deforest Kelly wasn’t a fluke in the first film and continues to be a highlight in the film’s success, albeit an underused one, Saldana gets to play more than the girlfriend to Quinto’s Spock.

However the two standouts are Simon Pegg’s Scotty and Chris Pine’s Kirk. Pegg was very obviously the comedic heart of the first Abrams installment – there to provide a moment of laughter and nothing else. However in this film we get a fully developed character and possibly the most developed character since the 2009 film. As his Captain makes the decision to chase after a known terrorist to seek revenge he’s the one who calls him out for it, asking if they’re a militant-based crew now or if they’re the explorers they’re supposed to be.

Scotty gets the grasp of the series premise better than the director does.

However, this is Kirk’s show. Pine’s Kirk is an interesting hero because he gets knocked down a lot. But, he always gets back up to fight again and there is something admirable about a hero who doesn’t get the easy side of things but refuses to lose easily. He’s hot-headed, he’s vulnerable and he’s charismatic, all that makes a well-rounded protagonist.

There’s a lot to love about this film, Michael Giacchino’s score is breathtaking, Abrams (lens flare aside) creates some truly other worldly shots, and the script is moving, if not riddled with a few flaws here and there. It’s thoroughly enjoyable, wonderfully acted and action-packed to the brim. Maybe it’s not suited for the Trek fans among us (guilty) but it is more than well-suited for the new wave of fans who are just meeting the crew of the Enterprise for the first time, waiting for Sulu to put it into warp speed.

It bridged the new and the old and while I’d hoped for more it’s still more than many could expect.

“This is my very first tour but I have been playing in New York for about two years. We’ve played in so many venues all throughout New York, I’ve decided to see what’s happening outside of New York City,” said Benjamin of his recent tour.

Photo by Soleil Barros

The polka dot lighting was reflecting onto the hardwood floors changing from blue to green to red and then back to yellow. With a silent samurai film playing off in the distance, All Asia made for the perfect atmosphere to hear Benjamin’s tunes on a cold Friday evening. Even among the chatter in the small and scattered venue, the songs performed by Benjamin like “Find Somebody’” made for a soothing rainy night.

“We’ve been doing acoustic sets for about a year now. On the guitar is Sunny and Cozy Levy plays the Cajón,” said Benjamin, “I think the instrument comes from Peru.”

After moving from New York to Israel at a young age, Benjamin has been exposed to working and producing many different types of music.

“We’ve been playing and recording and really enjoying what we do, so we figured this was the next step. We definitely wanted to see what else is out there,” said Benjamin.

It wasn’t difficult to tune out the Boston sports fan goers while the energy was very subtle, being such an intimate venue there was no way that the listeners in attendance could avoid tapping their fingers and feet. Benjamin even had a fan of his music drive three hours just to check out his music live at All Asia.

“I knew I wanted to do music for a while. In Israel I was a songwriter writing music for other people,” said Benjamin while revealing what inspires his music. “Picking a favorite song would be difficult, it’s like picking your favorite kid.”

The members of Benjamin’s band each displayed different personalities through their appearances, varying from Vans to vintage-looking oxfords, and even Benjamin wearing his brown boots unzipped while he strummed away on his guitar.  You can tell that these guys all have different personalities, just looking to play a few tunes together.

After strumming a few songs Benjamin crosses his legs and casually states, “This next song is called lonely boy.”

Loren Benjamin carried the essence of a modern day young Bob Dylan in his Greenwich village days, playing his authentically written songs whole-heartedly while wearing his unzipped brown boots despite the evening’s running sports event playing on the television above the bar.

“I just start playing piano or guitar, I usually just start with my guitar and hope something comes along,” said Benjamin on his originally made tunes, “I really believe writing a song is a special kind of work. It just doesn’t come, you have to work at it and grab it.”

The two different essences of the occurrences happening at All Asia on this evening, made Benjamin’s set that much more unique, truly showing his young talent. Covering a Foo Fighters track, Benjamin added a lovely acoustic twist to the famed tune that made for a sweet surprise in his set. Loren Benjamin’s music can be found on his website, along with a few great performances on YouTube. Benjamin presents the perfect acoustics and sweet summer sounds that you have been searching for.

Photo by Soleil Barros

Wednesday, May 29 Boston welcomed the famed Kelly Rowland to the Wilbur Theater on Tremont Street just steps away from campus. Setting off on her ‘Lights Out’ Tour, performing and life on the road is nothing new to this talented singer. As a former member of Destiny’s Child, Rowland has embarked on a musical journey of her own and fondly proves with her live set that she is nowhere near putting the fire out any time soon.

As soon as the opening act, The Dream, enters from the side curtains onto the stage and starts to sing his melody into his gold microphone, the entire audience sways along with the sound of the music and singing along like a fun massive version of karaoke amongst the crowd. Georgia bred, The Dream stayed true to his signature attire of ‘all black everything’ sporting a black button up with his name, along with other lettering stitched in red lettering on the back.

After a few songs The Dream slips off his jacket and lets the crowd sing along with the chorus while he takes a breather, seeming to be enjoying his time on the stage. As the purple and red lighting settles in to make for special atmospherics, The Dream hits a soft spot sharing with the audience, “Boston strong. No matter what they did or what they say, we are the greatest nation there is.”

Seemingly harmonizing effortlessly throughout the course of the show, The Dream performed fan favorites including “I Luv Your Girl” and “Falsetto” as audience members of all altos hit every note along with the R&B artist. As he ends the set with, “Boston, I love you,” the curtains fall and the excitement in the atmosphere rises as the audience anxiously awaits Kelly Rowland.

As security settles in slightly between the front audience members and the stage, it was revealed that it was one of Rowland’s first engagements playing in such an intimate venue and was a tad nervous. After speculation, the excitement in the vintage-looking venue rose as members of the audience chattered about how much more they respected the superstar and her commitment to her fans in attendance.

As the shining artist appeared on the stage, it was very apparent that every member in attendance on this rainy evening had made their way to the Wilbur Theatre to show their support for Kelly Rowland. Equally as energized as the audience, Rowland was sporting oversized boyfriend shorts with a black bedazzled leotard, black leather vest and black biker boots sharing a unique but very real stage appearance. Dancing around to her melodies, with many smiles and waves to the crowd,Rowland was heartwarming,  setting a friendly and fun vibe throughout her entire performance.

Rowland’s ‘Lights Out’ Tour is in celebration of Rowland’s new album featuring popular tracks “Dirty Laundry” and “Kisses Down Low,” but also sharing a few other favorites including “Like This” and “Motivation”. Rowland even sampled a few of the more popular Destiny’s Child tracks, which made for a great time swaying along to all of the throwback tracks from the Y2K including “Survivor” and “Soilder”. As the red lights reflected off of Rowland’s long curly black hair, she took a seat to perform her controversial track saying it “can be taken out of context,” but shared that it was truly just her experience in song.

While performing the catchy track, Rowland hit an emotional strain singing with tears in her eyes as members of the audience sang along and showed their support by chanting lovely complements to the heartfelt artist. After regrouping, Rowland sang her heart out in this particular song that made the entire show and sincerely proved that Rowland absolutely carries that sweet heartfelt sound that we all know and love. Rowland plays a few more fun melodies before closing her show by waving to the audience and coming to the corners of the stage to blow kisses to members in the mezzanine.

Rowland drew an eclectic crowd of all types, girls and guys of all ages and interests made for a uniquely fun experience. Rowland’s new album Talk a Good Game will be released June 18 and is highly anticipated due to her most recently released singles. Kelly Rowland is hitting a new avenue, she clearly is not afraid to show the world that she still has the seductive sweet sound that we have always loved. 

Photo courtesy of Warner Brothers

At the start of the film we meet the narrator, Nick Carraway, played by Tobey Maguire, as he recounts his experiences living in New York next door to millionaire, Jay Gatsby, played by Leonardo DiCaprio.  Carraway observes Gatsby’s many luscious and exuberant parties from his small cottage just over the fence from Gatsby’s mansion.  Gatsby is also in love with Nick’s cousin, Daisy Buchanan, played by Carey Mulligan, and continues to persuade her to leave her husband Tom, played by Joel Edgerton and live across the bay with him.

Let’s start on a positive note. The representation of the time period in this film was remarkable in every way.  The costumes, the setting, and even the music were all well-chosen, especially during the party scenes at Gatsby’s mansion.  Despite choosing to play modern day music instead of the stereotypical jazz commonly heard during the twenties, the film was not hurt, rather enhanced.  Even a cover of Beyoncé’s “Crazy in Love” did not seem out of place.  All in all, the visual aspect of this film is stunning and worth seeing if for no other reason.

Some of the characters, though, were poorly represented.  Most obviously, the character of Nick Carraway is changed dramatically from the original novel which, in turn, changes the atmosphere of the entire film.  The novel paints a picture of a very different Carraway; one who is a quiet and reserved bystander to the events in the story.  Luhrmann’s version portrays him as someone who is much more aware of himself and involved in what is going on around him.  In fact, the entire film is essentially a flashback in Nick’s memory as he re-tells his experiences to a therapist.  In the novel, it is not until the very end when Nick realizes what he has seen and thus starts to realize who he is and where he lives.  The film brings that information into the character from the start, which seems to damage the original artistic integrity.

Carey Mulligan’s character, Daisy Buchanan, is also among those misrepresented. The scene at the Crown Plaza Hotel is one of unbearable tension in the novel because of Daisy’s hidden fears.  But, in the film, especially during this scene, she is overly bold and confident, removing a great deal of the tension in the room.  Choices like this are made with Daisy throughout the film. Whether they were made by Mulligan or director, Baz Luhrmann, is unclear, but someone is at fault.

While Mulligan and Maguire gave satisfactory performances, others did an outstanding job.  Most notably, Elizabeth Debicki as Jordan Baker, and of course, Leonardo DiCaprio as the title role.  So, on to the elephant in the room. Will DiCaprio finally earn his much desired Academy Award for playing Jay Gatsby?  It’s hard to say.  In the first half of the film, other than giving a troubled accent on the over-used phrase “Old Sport,” DiCaprio does nothing note-worthy.  However, in the second half, when Gatsby begins to break down, DiCaprio’s performance turned completely around and blew away the audience; that alone is worth his Oscar.

As to whether or not the film will go down in history and be remembered forever is up to the loyal fans.

Photo by Flickr user JoellenLove

Magazines and “Fashion Police” show the latest trends in attempt to convince consumers that “you can to!” They all seem good in theory but it is honestly quite difficult to know what you are getting into before you buy that shirt you thought was cute or that make-up product that yelled “Look at me!” on every edge of your magazine. So before you make any life altering decisions regarding your summer wardrobe, read the following tips on the latest trends by a fellow college student who loves fashion just as much as you and can’t afford any style mistakes.

Printed leggings. These gems have been a trend for a while and I say it is time to let them go. Stars and tribal prints are really fun looking they really are, but when they are skin tight they become a monster all their own. With a pair of plain black leggings you look casual and provides a slimmed down look, where as with printed leggings it does just the opposite.

Candy colored nails by Essie, Maybelline, and a few other make-up companies have created special limited edition nail polishes specifically for the summer and they are hot. Corals, sea blues and exotic purples to really make your summer look even cooler. These are easy to use and go with essentially everything. Make a statement nail or try them on the tips with some nude polish for a different look.

Maxi and midi skirts,.With these timeless pieces coming back into fashion last summer, this summer is where they really are going to shine. Sheer pleated styles along with hi-low are fun, flirty and can be dressed up or down. There are also more fun prints like paisley could give you more of a bohemian look.

Dry-oil instead of a heavy body lotion  gives you some sweet hydration. They make your skin so soft and makes  skin glisten. It would be a way to show off the great summer tan. Garnier Fructis dry oil for both body and hair is great for taming frizz and fly-aways.

Beach hair spray. Speaking of hair, this is a trend that has exploded with companies this season. This product is meant to give your hair that fresh from the beach waves and texture. I would say tread lightly when buying this product, it isn’t meant for everyone. It works best for people with layered hair that already has some fullness in it. For some, it can make the ends crunchy and fine hair stringy so if there is anyway to test it before buying it, please do.

Summer sweatshirts. Everyone needs a sweatshirt they can wear when they at the barbeque and when the sun goes down. Something light with a cute print or in pastel are great for this summer and transfer very nicely into fall.

This goes the same for denim jackets. They’re great to keep around spring, summer and fall. One note is to get a color that will stand the test of time a dark or medium denim is great. Know if you get white or another color it may not last you as long.

Printed chiffon tops. Chiffon is awesome. Add prints to it, palm trees or polka dots (the popular looks for the season), and you have a classic piece in the making. Get long sleeves or sleeveless, they are light and airy and can be great for the office and straight to the beach.

Many companies have been trying to add SPF to everything and I love it. Pale skin people rejoice. From foundation to lotion to lip care, these products will make your everyday routine a little safer and keeps you from aging prematurely.

Peplum brings us back to the time of martinis and cat-eye make-up and I don’t mean last night. This vintage style is redone into modern shapes and fabrics. It is a very feminine look great for girls with slim hips giving them more of an hourglass shape. Girls with more shape, if you want to give this trend a try, wear peplum shapes that don’t jut out as far but are tight in the waist giving that curvy look without giving unnecessary volume.

Lace cut-offs. These have become really popular to see this season. And the best part is that you make them at home. There are tutorials all over Pinterest, which are great. If you are looking for a low commitment summer project, that might be for you. If you don’t love shopping around, they can be found at Free People and Bebe, a bit pricey but some could argue a sound investment for something feminine and easy.

Some styles are not meant for everyone, I hate saying it but it’s true so the best advice to give is try on clothes and test products before a purchase. It seems simple but when you know what you want it easy to forget. If you have no way of testing out something, make sure to figure out a stores return policy.

Now when you are out and about this summer, you will have the fashion know-how and won’t be caught in anything else but illuminating summer fun.

Last Thursday evening students were recognized at the 6th annual Rammy Awards. The awards acknowledge excellence in broadcast work, short fiction films, and photography.

The night was emceed by professor Dana Rosengard, Ph.D., and the audience included Suffolk President James McCarthy, among other notable individuals.

Students and faculty filled Suffolk’s Modern Theater dressed to impress.  Rosengard donned a sequined vest and nominees appeared in dresses, suits, and ties.

There were nine categories, a student winner chosen in each, with the exception of one photography category where there was a tie.  Professors from the Communication and Journalism Department took the stage throughout the evening to announce the winners in each category.

The students who are recognized are chosen by professionals all over the country and world.  What is great about this, according to Rosengard, is that people who would otherwise have no idea, find out that Suffolk University students are capable of producing this kind of work, and to such a high quality.

The night began with a strobe light and a fast paced montage of Boston streets, flashing images of pedestrians and cars, which introduced the faculty members that would be present through the night.  Then the awards began.  Nominees were listed and then short clips of student work were shown on the stage’s large screen.

All the students gave acceptance speeches when they were awarded. Many thanked professors, some thanked family and friends, and some showed gratitude to their peers. Heidi Walsh told a short story on her winning broadcast story in the Feature News category, which featured a Suffolk University student who is a woman in combat.  She spoke on how the woman in her story risked so much to speak with her, and Walsh was moved by that dedication.

Another notable acceptance speech was by Anthony Mangini.  However, he did not have just one speech; he had three.  He was awarded in the Photo Spot News, Photo Black and White, and Photo Color categories.  Professor Ken Martin spoke on his dedication as a student before handing him one of his glass Rammy Awards.

Other students awarded included Kathryn Babb as Magini’s tie in the Photo Color category, Kellie Mchugh for Photo Essay, the team of Jared Pelletier, Anush Elbakyan, Dan McCarthy, and Matt Irwin for Hard News, Dan McCarthy for Sport Reporting, David Lawlor for Fiction Short, and Tyler Fisk and Mason Marino for Music Video.

“I think my favorite part [of the event] was being able to shout out to the audience just how many people it took to get that hard news piece out,” said Rosengard.

“I thought the student work looked professional and was stunning to see what students are capable of creating,” said Suffolk freshman Jared Doherty, a broadcast journalism major.  “It’s encouraging knowing I will be taking those same classes and hopefully creating these same pieces of work.”

Doherty, like others in the audience, was very impressed by all of the work.  He says the music video was his favorite piece, that it was “stunning” and “looked and sounded very professional.  Submitting work and being nominated is a hope of Doherty’s for the next few years.

After the first two categories, the Suffolk choir group Rampage took the stage for a musical performance.  Dressed in sleek red and black outfits, the performers sang and danced in a uniform fashion to “September” by Earth, Wind and Fire.  After awarding a few more students for their work, Rampage took the stage again and performed their own medly of Queen songs.

One of the most memorable moments of the night was the introduction of the Lifetime Achievement Award in honor of Professor Gerald Peary.  A notable movie critic, Peary is now beginning to star in, and direct, movies.  He is beginning phase-in retirement, and was honored to have this new Rammy Award as recognition of his career.  Photographs of Peary traveling abroad were shown to students, a clip of him acting in his new movie was played, and he gave a short, thankful acceptance speech.

Rosengard ended the evening with an invitation for everyone to attend a reception at the Back Deck on West St., and to also keep working hard and submit work for the 2014 Rammy Awards.

“The event was a great success,” said Eryn Gordon, Editor-in-Chief of Venture. “The entire editorial staff worked tirelessly throughout the semester to perfect not only the magazine, but this event.”

Venture welcomed Fred Marchant as their keynote speaker. Marchant is a professor of English, director of the Creative Writing Program and co-director of The Poetry Center at Suffolk. He is the author of the 1993 Washington Prize for poetry winner Tipping Point.

With the extended deadline, there were a record amount of submissions for this year’s issue. The magazine was about half the typical size; the staff was more selective with entries this year than in previous years. Of the nearly 300 submissions, approximately 70 made it into the 100-page edition.

“As we were going through edits, we noticed a lot of submissions complimented one another,” continued Gordon. “This helped us decide on a certain sequence in which to present the pieces in the magazine. The majority of submissions came from incredibly talented students on campus, and I have learned throughout the past few months how artistic our student body is.”

The Donahue café was nearly unrecognizable beneath the decorations. Black fabric surrounded the event, while burgundy, earthy gold, and ivory balloons floated above each table. Each long table, complete with table cloths and center pieces, also had a neat pile of Venture magazines for those who attended the event. Artwork featured in the issue was displayed around the perimeter of the room

For years, Venture has acted as a service to Suffolk students where they are able to submit and publish their literary and artistic work. It provides the first step for students who are unsure of how to approach publication of their personal work.

“What Venture represents is a voice; it’s a vessel of communication that individuals use to become an entity,” Gordon said in her introductory speech at the event. “Communication is vital; it’s what keeps us from living inside of our own minds. Art and literature break down these thought barriers between people. It is a common language among those who may not even relate. Art is the enrichment of one’s soul; the answer to a question never spoken out loud. When we bond through expression, we speak in volumes louder than any verbal ques. In the realm of art and personal expression, there is an ultimate harmony; fluidity of movement; universal understanding.

As one of its few print publications, Venture is a valuable part of the Suffolk community. They publish poems, fictional and non-fictional stories, and any kind of artwork. Submissions for next year’s issue will be accepted beginning in late September. Venture is now welcoming applications to be a part of next year’s editorial staff.

Self-proclaimed as the best rapper alive, Lil Wayne has certainly had a long and illustrious rap career. Starting at the age of nine he has escalated to be one of the most popular rappers ever. He returned last week with his release of I Am Not a Human Being 2, the follow up to his unsuccessful mixtape/album release I Am Not A Human Being  in 2010. I was surprised when I heard that IANAHB was getting a sequel, as I thought that was one of Weezy’s weakest attempts. Howver, if the second part of this saga was anything like Tha Carter IV, I was well on board with it.

It had been a while since Wayne released anything substantially new (unless you like listening to “Love Me” for the 100th time on the radio). While a few party worthy gems make up IANAHB 2, the majority of the album seems rushed, and not as hyped or well promoted as Tha Carter IV was in 2011. IANAHB 2 barely made the iTunes top ten, and sold less than any “Weezy” album ever. It seems Wayne is only half-interested in the tracks, and does not have the same power and prescience he used to. He continually raps about sex, drugs and money, without offering any lyricism that the listener can take seriously. The three tracks that will at least get your head nodding are “Rich As F*ck” “Gunwalk” and “No Worries,” all of which contain shallow lyrics about sex and making money. However for the most part in the place of songs like “Mirror” are shallow and bland attempts.

The beats, overall, are awful. The obnoxious high hats of “Trigger Finger,” the awkward rock influences on “Hot Revolver,” and I have no idea what’s going on in “Lay Me Down.” While the range of features from Nicki Minaj to hip-hop veteran Dr. Dre are impressive, it is not enough to save the tracks from becoming insipid and repetitive. While I believe Wayne is one of the hardest working rappers in the game, he has to mold his craft with the ever-changing times. Swag Rap is a dying breed. With the recent success of Kendrick Lamar and Macklemore, provocative lyricism about struggle and positive moral ambitions are what sell in 2013. Weezy’s recent OD brought with it a loss of fan base for the rapper.

His escalating ego is turning into weak songs. It seems he is no longer concerned with working hard but just maintaining his “ultimate high” of codeine and marijuana. It would have been a much better album if Wayne went into his life, perhaps even into the OD, and discussed his future.

At this point I do not know what’s in store for Wayne, he already retired once before, hopefully the second time is around the corner because IANAHB 2 is not even worth a listen, and contains nothing unique that Lil Wayne should be proud of.  Spend your time waiting for Major Lazer’s new release, or dare I say Fall Out Boy’s.

Director Robert Patton-Spruill introduced his film Squeeze and how it got inspired by his own past experience. The film was based in Boston, explaining the dangerous life of teenagers. There were three main youths who starred in this film: Tyson, a teenage African American, and his two best friends named Hector, a Latino, and Bao, Vietnamese.  The three teenagers were involved with a gang and got into trouble. When seeking for help and shelter, the three friends later joined a youth center, which was run by an African American man named JJ. Then, JJ became a guidance and mentor for these three teenagers in surviving drugs and violence.

Writer and director Robert Patton-Spruill grew up in Roxbury, MA and was dealing with a similar situation with drugs in his youth. Patton-Spruill wrote this film based on his life and had written the main character as him when he was younger. He currently teaches an acting class, where the actors in this film came from. “I chose the best actors in my class for this particular film and it only took one to two shots to make this film work,” said Patton -Spruill. “I wrote the script in ways they  can act out; therefore, they didn’t need many rehearsals.”

In the film, the three friends got in trouble with a gang and avoid this particular gang as much as possible. More problems arise when Hector was dealing drugs and experiences a severe beating. The three friends thought the only way to get respect was to have money. They started out collecting change from the gas station, then later met JJ, and ventured the “Red Shirts” club, where the teenagers cleaned the city as they enjoyed the security and solidarity of the youth center.

Overall, director Robert Patton-Spruill has created an engaging film that shows how a mentor can make all the difference in the world to young teenagers who were becoming adults, dealing with life-threatening violence and drugs. “I was raised to do this,” Patton-Spruill says of filmmaking, “but I didn’t know it until I was 21.” Squeeze remains an inspiring story of how young teenagers suffer from gangs and violence, and who seek to grow out from it.

“We were very happy when we found out we placed. It was a mixture of happiness and surprise because Seriously Bent has always historically been ranked in the top four,” said team manager Andy Cataluna.  “We were even happy to be there at the nationals to begin with. Suffolk even sent a photographer out to Chicago, we were very honored.”

The first place title was given to the University of Houston’s improv trope, Glaundor, UBC Improv from the University of British Columbia, and third place appointed to Paperback Rhino hailing from the University of Iowa. The teams in attendance each performed for a set of 40 judges tuning in from various parts of the country, all with the first place title gleaming in their eyes throughout. Although there were judges in attendance at the national College Improv Tournament, many of the judges participated in watching the performances via webcast on mtvU’s online website.  All of the judges in attendance participated in order to assure fair and diverse judgment of the students different comedic styles. With mtvU being a sponsor and broadcaster to the tournament, it gave students performing their literal 15 minutes of fame.

“A big part of what we really enjoy in being a part of Seriously Bent is the playfulness. If you are not having fun, the audience isn’t going to have fun with you,” said Cataluna. “You get to know your team members really well and make great friends out of them working so closely together on the stage.”

The team headed to the windy city a few days early in order to find inspiration in the Improv capitol of the country. Taking in as much experience and culture as four days would allow, the team took the extra effort to draw a bit of inspiration from the tournament’s surrounding city.

“We flew out on March 20 and stayed for four days in Chicago. We set nights aside to see certain shows while we in town, Chicago has such a rich Improv scene. We wanted to see as much improv as possible,” said Cataluna. “We saw a cool show at the Improv Olympic and got to meet some of the performers; we also got to see Neofuturists which was really cool.”

Established in the year 2000, Seriously Bent has rapidly become a part of Boston’s local comedy scene. Seriously Bent has developed a close relationship with the North End’s famed Improv Asylum and long-time performers. In preparation for the National College Improv Tournament, Seriously Bent participated in a few workshops with the team’s alumni looking to get a few pointers on their classic style.

“The eye opener for us was the different styles of improv that the teams used. One team did a structure that never would have occurred to us. Houston’s performance was fun to watch and be around.” said Cataluna.

Seriously Bent performances can be found every Thursday in the basement of 73 Tremont residence halls at 10 p.m., open to all members of the Suffolk community.

Over the weekend Suffolk’s Performing Arts Office (PAO) presented Avenue Q a coming of age tale that uses Jim Henson-style puppets in order to tell the story of Princeton, a recent college grad trying to make it in New York City. Though the musical is told with similar style puppets, it does not follow the themes of the beloved Sesame Street. Avenue Q takes more of a raunchy side in this musical adventure that tackles everything from being gay to sex and the ability to be as loud as you want when doing so.

The PAO managed to bring this musical to life, requing more than just acting and singing skills, but the ability to use puppets and act through them. The cast did a wonderful job, not only their singing but their voice acting as well. Though the cast did a wonderful job, Delton Hulbert and Jess Ialacci, who played Trekkie Monster, and Joey Graham who played Rod, were the standouts of the night. They voiced and maneuvered their puppets in a way that helped the audience suspend that reality the way it was meant in this play, and made you forget that they were puppets attached to people. Though Trekkie Monster required puppeteers, it was all Hulbert and his voice work that carried the character, and Ialacci’s movements that helped bring him to life. While Graham brought a sense of life to Nicky that went past just to his work with the puppet but how he carried himself as the puppeteer.

Both Dan Lampariello and Jillian Couillard should not only be commended for their acting, but singing and puppeteering as well. Lampariello, who played Princeton, was a stand-out with his opening of “What Do You Do With A B.A. English?/It Sucks To Be Me” which set the scene of the rest of the show. While Couillard, who played Kate Monster, brought real personality to the character and evoked real feeling in “There’s a Fine, Fine Line,” had you feeling sorry for a set of star-crossed puppet lovers.

Graham, as Nicky, brought the audience a great conflicted character that impressed with his rendition of “My Girlfriend Lives in Canada” which had the audience in stitches. The same way that Hulbert and Couillard had to pause during “The Internet is for Porn” in order for the audience to regain their composure, after they delivered a hilarious rendition of the song. Finally Mariah Giovannucci gave a great and sultry performance as Lucy the Slut which she not only carried through in her puppet work but also in her movement and singing. All of the puppet work proved to not only be excellent in the movement of the puppets but in how the puppeteers carried themselves, not only in voice but in facial expressions. Each song and scene was followed by not only clapping from the audience, but also loud laughs and just a fun atmosphere.

Not only did the leads carry themselves well and made the show entertaining the rest of the cast proved to be just as strong not only in their singing but their acting as well. From the two bad idea bears played by Elizabeth Alden and Zoe Wells, who caused nothing but havoc to Arissara Chounchaisit who played the sassy and funny Christmas Eve the whole cast worked so well with each other they brought together the whole neighborhood of Avenue Q and made you feel as if you were with old friends.

The whole show was not only funny but it was also over the top in the best way possible and each cast member brought something amazing to the table. From the strong puppet work to the singing. PAO’s presentation of Avenue Q was well done and proved that not only the cast but the crew worked hard in order to put on the amazing musical. That delivered not only raunchy songs, but wonderful laughs and just a good time for all who got to experience this weekend’s performances.

Winter may not be quite over for us Bostonians, but don’t fret because spring is right around the corner. And with the new season, who can resist the new fashion trends seen on the runways? The spring 2013 trends feature everything from bold stripe, graphics, and patterns to black and white and anything but your usual ensemble. Read through to see what styles will be on everyone’s shopping list this coming season.

Big and bold stripes are all the rage this spring as shown by designers like Tommy Hilfiger, Marc Jacobs and Oscar De La Renta. Move over from the classic black-and-white stripes to thick, edgy, colorful stripes, stripes with a barcode-esque and even a little hint of gold! Pair stripes with denim for a classic all American look or with anything navy for a nautical-chic look!

Don’t be afraid to show a little skin with peek-a-boo pieces. Daring cutouts, baring midriff, and sheer fabrics will definitely be seen for the spring. Not to worry for the girls who aren’t too into baring skin because the beauty of this trend is that there is a peek-a-boo option for any body shape and you can adjust to your level of modesty. To be a little daring, you can pair crop tops with a high-waisted fitting graphic pencil skirt or to make it more girly rather than edgy, pair crop tops with a flowy maxi skirt. You can also find dresses with mini bare midriffs which only show a hint of skin.

The classic black and white color combination is back and will be seen more than ever in the coming season. The trendiest thing about this is that it actually isn’t a trend at all! It’s one of those classic looks that never goes out of style. With changing seasons, there are different ways to play up the color combination.

The best thing about it is that it’s flattering and anyone can pull it off at every budget. You don’t have to be a risk taker to follow through with this trend. You can change it up in many different ways to create a unique look that reflects your individual style. Go from work to date night effortlessly. This trend is the definition of wearable. For a simple look, try a white casual top with a black maxi skirt or for a little edge, switch up the maxi skirt for leather leggings.

No outfit is truly complete without accessories.From knee-high sandals and low heels to structured bags and metallic, the spring 2013 accessories are definitely something to be excited about. With all the different pieces, you can certainly find something that suits your personality. The knee-high gladiators are the shoes of the season. Versace, Altuzarra, and Alexander Wang were among the few designers who displayed these on the runway. Some with thick platforms whereas others with open toe. Structured bags add the perfect touch to any look and they are big enough to fit everything you need for the day. Metallic will definitely be taking a leap and everything from jewelry to even bags and shoes, metallic accessories will certainly be the statement for the spring. Add chunky metallic necklaces or gold rings to your outfit to complete your spring wardrobe.

“I think this idea that President McCarthy has of better integration between the departments is great,” Nichter said. “Students don’t get the chance to see what goes on at NESAD; the Adams Gallery is much closer to the rest of campus.”

For their pilot exhibit, the faculty decided which of their own pieces would go into the show. They were given two weeks notice and were ready in time for their well-attended opening on Feb. 1. The exhibit features painting, drawing, sculpture, installation, and photography created by NESADSU faculty members.

“We want the rest of the university to see what we can do, the level of expertise we have,” Nichter said. “One of our main questions is how can we offer added value, not just for artists, but for everyone?”

Matt Aaron Templeton’s archival digital print titled “Ideas” features sketches of a “Project Evaluation Confessional” and a “Martini Briefcase,” among other fictional objects that merged innovation and creativity in a fun and inspiring way. The exhibit provides a great way for the NESADSU faculty to express themselves to the rest of the Suffolk community and showcase their ideas.

Two works by Wallace F. Marosek reveal the true talent of the NESADSU faculty. His watercolor “Poppies in Provence” is a breathtaking piece tucked in the corner of the gallery and “Tuscan Spring” is an oil painting on canvas that demonstrates his overarching artistic abilities and creativity. Both pieces feature beautifully vibrant colors that can stop gallery-goers in their tracks.

“Natural World 2” is a digital print by Randal Thurston that looks like a pretty, yet nondescript, design from afar. Looking closer, insects, beetles, butterflies, plants, and lizards are imaginatively intertwined to create a thoughtful pattern that reveals the hidden conformity and beauty of the natural world.

One of the most interesting pieces in the gallery is Ilona Anderson’s “Dwell,” a work created using pearlescent inks, gouache, Lascaux acrylics, and gel pens on black and grey archival papers. Anderson is from South Africa who addresses apartheid and women’s issues in her art. “Dwell” is a tall and unique piece that features various figures, structures, industry, fashion, and even a zebra. The details of the thought-provoking piece are small and require a lot of attention, but searching its intricacies is a pleasure more than a task.

“This gallery could be the inspiration for creativity and innovation, and not just in the arts,” Nichter commented. “The Business School, the Law School, and the College of Arts and Sciences can benefit from it.”

Nichter revealed that the abandoned plan for 20 Somerset originally included a gallery that would be used for their professional and student shows. Now that they have full use of the Adams Gallery, the committee hopes to bring in guest curators and speakers and provide an outlet for advanced students and guest lecturers. Last spring, there was a faculty exhibit at the Arlington location that very few Suffolk community members were aware of. Nichter, and NESADSU as a whole, sees the Adams Gallery as a great way to introduce creativity and art on the heart of the Suffolk campus.

“There’s a crossover between innovation and creativity,” she said. “This benefits everybody. Our world is changing so quickly, people have to learn how to think creatively. People have to adapt and begin thinking in ways they normally might not.”

The faculty exhibit will be on display until March 5 and an exhibit of student’s illustrations will begin on March 16.

Buckcherry was one of my favorite bands in middle school. Their hiatus comeback album is still on repeat when I feel like listening to some raunchy explicit rock and roll. When I first heard their new album Confessions, which released on Tuesday, I debated not even reviewing it, for the last eight years their post 15 albums have been abysmal. Black Butterfly {2008} was too ballad heavy, and provided minimal opportunities to rock out, which is what the band is known for. All Night Long (2010) was the complete opposite and was filled with party songs that were shallow and all sounded exactly the same, and some even seemed under produced.

As it seemed impossible for the band to gain back that balance they had on 15 they released Confessions after a three-year break. While they still have a long way to go before they gain back the support of those they lost during the slump of the last eight years, Confessions shines a light of hope on the band, that maybe it is possible to teach an old dog new tricks.

The highlights of the album are no doubt “Gluttony” and “Dreaming of You,” both completely different rock songs. “Gluttony” through thick guitars and Josh Todd’s crackling vocals tell the story of a man addicted to danger and partying. The track is formulated in a unique way to make a statement they’ve been attempting to make since 15, that they are a hardcore party hard rock band. If anything the track inspires one to go out on a Saturday night and paint the town red just like Sunshine did back in 2005. “Dreaming of you” is a simple, yet well-written love song, and shows a softer side to Josh’s voice. Even though I believe Todd’s vocals are unsuitable for ballads, “Dreaming of You” shows a maturity in lyricism that I haven’t seen from the band since “Sorry” and “Carousel”. Other gems such as “Greed” and “Air” gain the same kind of party-hard/love making response from the listener, and overall the musicianship sounds well-constructed. While some tracks are still under-developed and seem almost rushed in production {“Envy” and “Lust” for example}, the album shows a change in the band’s style, and overall a maturity that hasn’t been visible in the last eight years. I thought my favorite guilty pleasure band was dead and gone, but with Confessions they’ve made my little eighth grade  heart beat again, if only on every other song.

This past Saturday night, New York band Stone Cold Fox and Los Angeles duo Broken Anchor joined together for a show at Café 939 in Boston, and brought forth powerful tunes and wonderful stage presence.

Broken Anchor, a musical duet from Los Angeles, made up of guitarist and vocalist Austin Hartley-Leonard and percussionist Mike Duffy didn’t always aim to be just two. “We never really went into this imagining we would be a duo,” said Hartley-Leonard. “Originally I was just looking for a percussionist to help jam, but it kind of turned into what we have now.” And what they have is a very unique thing, bringing forth musical prowess that spans multiple genres. “I have a pretty strong Latin background in my music, and Austin has a lot of punk influence, so those are two pieces that show up in our music,” said Duffy.

Much akin to bands like The Black Keys, these two guys are capable of producing a lot of sound for only having two people onstage. While they do have a computer accompanist, it’s often only secondary to the real music being produced. “I remember saying to him that this works, this duo we have. The technology is still being worked in slowly, but for now what we have really works,” said Duffy.

Meanwhile across the United States, a young indie band from New York is making its way around the area. Stone Cold Fox, a five piece band from the Brooklyn area, presents a bit more pace in their music. Where Broken Anchor delivers a channel to the heart, Stone Cold Fox brings music more to the hips and the feet. “I would say our influences are bands like The Walkmen or The Strokes,” said lead singer and guitarist Kevin Olkenhenthorn. This influence is definitely visible in such songs as “American,” and “Pictures.”

These five young men all come from strong musical backgrounds according to bassist Justin Bright. Having mostly met in college, they are familiar with each other and how they work together. “We all have different ideas of what our sound should be like, so when all of us come together, we all bring something to the table. Our music making process is a lot of yelling, but we’re yelling together,” joked drummer Dave Tedeschi. “We really look for the roots of good song writing, like what’s the core of the song that we’re trying to get to,” said Olkenhenthorn.

Both bands are producing music at a quite fast rate. “We got together in I think April of last year, and we’ve done three EP’s so far. Our first album is coming out in September,” said Duffy of Broken Anchor.

“We’ve been playing for I think a year together, and so far we have the one EP, “The Young.” Our single is airing on MTV the 21st, and then an album will follow after that,” said Olkenhenthorn of Stone Cold Fox.

Both bands have had music featured on various television shows, and are rising very quickly. “If you were to have told me a year ago that I would have been sitting here in Boston as a part of a musical duo, I would’ve told you you were nuts,” said Hartley-Leonard. “We’re just really blessed,” replied Duffy.

Between these two groups, there is something to like for just about everybody. The softer, more direct sounds of Broken Anchor can be tied together extremely well with the more upbeat and faster sounds of Stone Cold Fox.

When asked what bands they could open for, no matter how outlandish, both bands had interesting responses to give.

As soon as Stone Cold Fox was asked the question, drummer Dave Tedeschi jumped at the opportunity to say “the original Broadway cast of Cats!” Broken Anchor’s Austin Hartley-Leonard responded very quickly with “Little Richard, definitely! All of the people in the crowd would be like ‘Wait, who are these dudes? This is nothing like Little Richard!”

Lansdale, Penn.-based pop-punk band The Wonder Years started off 2013 with a brand new album; it marks the band’s third album, but can it really be called that? It’s really a collection of unreleased tracks that spans much of the band’s career. The songs released on the 18 track album show a five-year timeline of the band’s sound, prior to the release of their The Upsides album in 2010. It’s a different side to a band most people in the pop-punk community already know and love.

Unlike 2011’s “Suburbia I’ve Given You All and Now I’m Nothing” there is a variety of sounds that showcase the band in a different light. One of the stand out tracks is “Zip Lock” which is a total blast from the past for anyone who grew up listening to Blink-182 and Sum 41 with a heavy guitar-laden intro and intricate drum patterns, backed with a strong melodic vocal track. Many of the other tracks have this kind of strong guitar pattern that is a reminder of the early 2000’s pop punk movement. A great example of this is “Let’s Moshercise!!!” which opens with a strong mix of guitar that carries through the song and eventually slows to just a strong strum while Dan “Soupy” Campbell shouts his way through the vocal track before it picks back up with a strong mix of drums and guitars.

“Christmas at 22” is the typical acoustic track that sounds like it was recorded in someone’s basement with a melodic slow use of acoustic guitar as well as a mix of jingle bells; the band proves that they are more than just screaming. Campbell can sing as well, which is what he does on “Hey Julie,” the second acoustic track off of the album, which also relies on the guitar and Campbell’s voice. It is a catchy little song about a bad day that most people can relate to.

Many of the songs on the album are not only geared to fans of the band but to all pop-punk fans, especially for many people who grew up in the 2000’s on a steady diet of Green Day, Blink-182, and Sum 41. The album is fun and shows that The Wonder Years have not only grown within their genre but as musicians as a whole, bringing not only a piece of Pennsylvania into their music but just a general sense of fun. This album is an example of that; not only are they reaching out to their fans, but to anyone who likes music. The Wonder Years prove that they are connected with their fans and know what their audience wants, but know that they can appeal to more than just the pop-punk crowd.

Currently signed with label Hopeless Records and already marked at a few show stops deemed as “SOLD OUT” The Wonder Years will be embarking on a new spring tour with special guests Fireworks, Hostage Calm, and Misser. Starting in March, the band will begin a month long journey across the U.S. delivering their sultry tunes.

While the award show made history welcoming fantastic talent like Frank Ocean and the Black Keys, Wax on Felt celebrated their annual Valentine’s Day show with an impressive lineup presenting a few Boston’s finest budding talents including band Ripe and songwriters Miranda Inzunza, Micah Schure, and Hailey Rowe along with a few other young acts. The annual celebration attracted a diverse crowd of students, friends, and lovers.

“It was a good show. We love playing with Wax on Felt, they are currently our label and it’s always a good time playing over at Emerson,” said Ripe guitarist Kevin Basko, a student at Berklee College of Music. “The fact it was a snowy Sunday show celebrating an early Valentine’s Day, I thought there would be 10 or 15 people but there ended up being about 40, 50, maybe 60 people. Regardless of the amount of people in the audience we will always put our best foot forward and play a great show.”

Displaying nothing but smiles and sing-alongs, the multi-colored spotlights shining on members of the audience in the intimate venue added a special unpracticed effect that served to be more fulfilling than the illuminating LCD television screen. From soft acoustic performances delivered by Schure and Rowe to the live heartfelt band Ripe, the artists performing each served a sweet friendly set of tunes that set the perfect atmosphere in the spirit of Valentine’s Day.

“I enjoyed trekking out to the show, we got to hear real music! It wasn’t the played out and we had the opportunity to see raw talent instead of the same music we always hear,” said New England School of Art Design student Nielle Alfred. “Ripe was great, they gave a lot of energy, people were dancing and moving and were not shy to participate. The lead singer went out into the crowd and pulled someone up on stage, where as at the Grammys if a celebrity did that security would arrest someone.”

Despite the low temperatures outside the doors of the venue, witnessing members of the audience either tapping their feet or snapping photos of the performers provided an extremely welcoming and warm environment making for an extremely warm evening. Thanks to Wax on Felt Records students and attendees enjoyed sweet acoustic sounds just prior to hearing instruments bumping loud, allowing for a diverse yet fulfilling night of young talent. Warming up the evening Schure and Rowe serenaded the audience with their melodic voices and affectionate self-composed song lyrics, sharing fun stories of life and love inbetween tunes. Ripe closed the show with a surprise, inviting the crowd to dance and sing along to Lion King’s “I Just Can’t Wait to be King” which went over well and welcomed everyone to put on their dancing shoes.

“There is more appreciation listening to live music, you can walk away from the Grammys or turn the channel whereas at the show you have the live experience, you get to stand there and listen to the music,” said Alfred. “At the Grammy’s you don’t get to see the artist’s raw talent, whereas at the show the artists seemed to be putting their hearts out on the stage.”

Following a long uneventful  weekend filled with snow and more snow, music enthusiasts had the grand opportunity to escape from their homes in search of live great tunes and warm spirits.  Setting a great note (literally) to the new week, ‘Get Felt Up!’ not only spread just the right amount of love leading up to the special holiday, but also sent music lovers home Sunday evening with a warm feeling to get through the week.

While the world drools over Fall Out Boy’s unexpected reunion, a much more popular artist released a new single this week that completely slipped under the radar. Drake, the highest paid R&B artist of the 21st century, released a new single on Tuesday called “Started from the Bottom.” As his incredibly successful sophomore effort “Take Care” moves closer to achieving three times platinum, he released a teaser of a single to show his fans new music is soon to come. I use the term “teaser”  because it seems to me to be an almost reproduction of the “Over My Dead Body” intro from “Take Care” which, despite being one of my personal favorite tracks off the album, didn’t provide the punch that “Underground Kings” or “We’ll Be Fine” did. While the beat is no different from Drake’s formula of hollow drums and atmospheric 808’s, the song in itself seems a bit empty, and would serve better as an introduction to a more expansive recording. Also, Drake’s continued repetition of “started from the bottom now we here” is the poorest excuse for a chorus I’ve seen this year. As an artist I have immense faith and respect for Mr. Graham, and know that when the timing is right he will hit the public with another chart-topper.  As for now he has only left me wanting more, which is perhaps what he meant to do anyways. “Take Care” for me is still on continuous repeat, and considering it was only released a year ago, I am completely willing to let Drake take his time in making his next record. For now his sophomore effort still has me satisfied.

The show’s newest episode was bookended with action but featured a lot of cleaning up. Rick’s team helped to free both Daryl and Merle; the two ultimately set off on their own after Rick’s insistence that Merle could not join the group at the prison. Walkers broke into Woodbury, causing momentary havoc which Andrea and The Governor took care of. Back at the prison, Carl and Hershel did their best to get to know Tyrese and his companions.

When Rick arrives back at the prison, Beth hands him baby Judith. For the first time since, we get a glimpse of the Rick who spoke to ghosts on the phone. Hearing her cries reminds him of the day Lori died, and it echoes in his head.

The brilliance of the midseason premiere was its admission that the main characters are finally breaking beneath the pressure of the zombie apocalypse. Lori’s death early in season three was a huge shock for viewers and the audience has seen the characters fall to pieces ever since. Maggie and Glenn are facing turmoil in their relationship after they were captured and interrogated by the Governor. Andrea is unsure of her role in Woodbury as she watches the town crumble. The show has assumed a darker tone in its third season and Rick is at the core of the anguish.

In the final minutes of Sunday’s episode, Rick meets Tyrese for the first time. Tyrese hopes he will allow them to stay in the prison and he has all but convinced Hershel that he and his cohorts would be valuable additions to the group. Rick is denying them when he sees the dark figure of Lori in her wedding dress on the prison’s mezzanine, just as he saw Shane aiming a gun at him in the midseason finale. This time, however, he starts yelling. He screams at Lori, asking what she’s doing there, and orders Tyrese out of their side of the prison, ending the episode on a rampage.

Audiences have journeyed through nearly three seasons with Rick, but it’s unclear whether he will continue to be the anchor of the group or fade into insanity. The previews for the remaining season three episodes show Carl trying to take a more dominant role and Daryl returning to warn the group that the Governor is headed to the prison. Unless Rick can find a way to cope with his morbid visions during stressful moments, Walking Dead viewers may be looking ahead to a drastic change in leadership.

Today the music community typically doesn’t put too much weight on the possibility of earning a Grammy. While winning the award may have proven the worth and talent of an artist, as of recent years it’s proven to be more of a cash grab, inviting and nominating anyone who’s made good deals with their companies, gets good face time and is a big sell on popular radio stations. More people are going to tune-in to see Katy Perry walking down a red carpet, dressed to the nines by top designers, than to see a group such as Frightened Rabbit and Mewithoutyou, who arguably have been releasing great albums for years and are groundbreaking in their particular genres, yet don’t have the immense audiences such as the “Taylor Swifts” of the world.

This isn’t to knock that particular style of music, and there have been plenty of great pop albums over the past few years (such as Ke$ha’s Cannibal or Kelly Clarkson’s Stronger,) the problem is the ceremony to allow a celebration of numbers dominate a celebration of musical prowess.

With this past Sunday’s award ceremony, it’s worth wondering if we’re seeing a change, albeit slow, and a progression back into celebrating all of the music community rather than the ones singled out by Top Hit’s charts.

Gotye won Record of the Year against the likes of Taylor Swift and Frank Ocean (which I might add, is a shame,) Mumford and Sons’ second album won Album of the Year, Fun. won song of the year for “We Are Young” and Breakout Artist (despite being on the scene for almost ten years,) and Adele won Best Pop Solo Performance. All great performers, all of whom with the exception of Adele being surprise wins in their  categories. I doubt anyone would have been surprised if the song “Call Me Maybe” had won best song after it had managed to become an insufferably catchy summer hit, and after Gotye managed to annoy every car radio listener ever, I was surprised it still managed to fall into good graces.

While none of these bands/groups are far from the limelight of their particular music scenes, they are all smaller groups who managed to gain a littler notoriety from a catchy song or two, and then double the fanbase they would have had before. While this may not have been Fun.’s best album that would be Aim and Ignite it is the one that will help them to continue making music as the financial backing of such success will guarantee a more stable longevity. Mumford and Sons’ win seems a little more out of left field, especially since Babel lost some of the magic of their debut, but what it does accomplish is garnering conversation around how Frank Ocean should have won, giving attention to two wonderful musical acts.

The Grammy’s aren’t the most enjoyable of televised award shows with the three-and-a-half-hour runtime, and being forced to see Chris Brown in an audience and in a community where he’s still widely accepted. Many of the live performances were stale this year, however if this year and Arcade Fire’s recent win in years past is any reflection of what’s to come, it may start to become more well worth the watch.

The Broadway hit-musical Sister Act was performed in Boston at the Opera House through the weekend of Feb. 3.  Fans of the original 1992 film starring Whoopi Goldberg were defintely in for a surprise but were not disappointed.  A new musical score has been added, written by Glenn Slater and Alan Menken; but not to worry, it’s the music that has truly become the new star of the show.

Lonely nightclub singer Deloris Van Cartier, played by Ta’Rea Campbell, witnesses her boyfriend Curtis Jackson, played by Kingsley Leggs, commit a murder.  She is hidden in a convent run by Mother Superior, played by Hollis Resnik, until she can testify in court.  Her new friends, Sister Mary Patrick and Mary Robert, played by Florrie Bagel and Lael Van Keuren respectively, help Deloris teach the nuns how to sing to spice up their service mass. Hilarity ensues.

Audiences were left tapping their feet and even dancing as the curtain came down, humming the catchy tunes and reliving the new moments in the story.  The Act I show stopper “Raise Your Voice” had the audience particularly engaged, giving the show a “Disneyesque” feel.  The finale “Spread the Love,” presented special effects that practically turned the theatre into a disco, – everyone leaped up in excitement at the sight of singing, sparkling, dancing nuns.

Campbell and Resnik were the clear stand outs in the cast, playing their characters with such conviction that they were utterly believable.  Campbell created a character that was well-developed and did not play homage to Goldberg’s original but rather approached the role from fresh eyes.  Deloris has a rocky relationship with Mother Superior throughout the musical, and Hollis Resnik played the aggravation and stress of her character very convincingly.  Other notable mentions in the cast included Leggs, Bagel, Van Keuren and E. Clayton Cornelious as “Sweaty Eddie.”

Overall, the show was a fantastic experience, preaching the value of teamwork and living life to the fullest.  However, the show seemed a hard sell in this city, having only played performances for just over a week.

The establishment is co-owned by Suffolk alumn Tim Oliveri and head chef Thomas John. The two met when Oliveri was CFO of Au bon Pain and John was the head chef within the organization. They decided to go into business together, starting a Mediterranean themed restaurant.

“It’s one of my favorite cuisines,” said John. “We looked at the trend of healthy eating and how people value fresh food, we thought that this would be a viable business opportunity.  The name itself is the Greek word for pepper.”

Piperi uses fresh ingredients for all of their dishes and offers a variety of toppings for their flatbread sandwiches, including feta cheese, olives, hummus, and a choice of three different sauces (yogurt cucumber, tahini, and spicy tomato.)  The bread for their sandwiches, called Gozi, is John’s take on traditional Gozleme bread from Turkey and is made fresh each day from the restaurant’s own dough.

Just as good as the food at Piperi is the service. Oliveri is frequently present at the restaurant to greet his patrons, and the staff prides themselves on professionalism and service. Both Oliveri’s and John’s passion for making and serving great food is prevalent, and both are grateful for the opportunity to serve Suffolk students on a regular basis. As a Suffolk alumn, Oliveri is excited for the chance to give back to his old campus and serve the local students great food. They also proudly accept the university Ram Card.

Suffolk students should waste no time in getting over to Piperi and trying the excellent food. Each day this week, from 2-6 p.m., Piperi is offering free falafel plates to Suffolk students. Just walk in, show your school ID, and Tim or one of the staff members will serve you up a free falafel plate, which also includes Gozi bread and fresh greens.

“It’s something to offer to the students so that they can get to know us and see what else we offer,” John said of the promotional deal.

Piperi is a great new restaurant, a break from same old mundane college food. With reasonable prices and delicious, filling, and healthy food, Suffolk students should make the restaurant a regular destination for lunch and dinner. The professionalism and passion of Oliveri, John, and the staff are only an added bonus to the great food you will find at this establishment.

“We want to be known for great food and great service,” John says.

It is clear that they succeed at both, and Piperi may become a hot spot around campus for many years to come.

While it may not be my type of music, there is no denying Justin Bieber has immense talent. Despite him having inspired many jealous vendettas in the testosterone- -fueled community, the Canadian singer/songwriter has become an international pop sensation. When Believe was released last year, it solidified Bieber’s reputation as a more mature pop artist. The days of “One Time” and “Baby” were behind him, Bieber was ready to leave his tween audience behind and join the ranks of pop’s biggest male stars.

Despite many of the songs being over-produced on the original album, Believe (Acoustic,) which was released early last week, shows Bieber

doing what made him a celebrated artist in the first place: playing guitar and

singing. While many of his live performances have evolved into the classic Chris Brown “Dance-And-Lip-Sync” routine, the acoustic album reassures his fans that he became famous because of his talent in constructing catchy, well-written love songs.

While I wish Bieber had taken the time to strip down the entire album into acoustic ecstasy, (especially the horrid duet “Right Here” with Drake, which would have been better than the original release) the material Bebier provides is satisfying. The two new songs “Yellow Raincoat” and “I Would” give Bieber an almost Bruno Mars-sounding acoustic, and I would be severely disappointed if Bieber took the sound of raw auditory guitar strums and turned it into a beat.

While I cower in my dorm room writing this review to avoid teasing from my friends, I have no problem in saying that Acoustic goes farther than its predecessor did in providing catchy, satisfying pop music. Anyone who’s ignorant about Justin Bieber should at least give the ten songs provided on the album a try, and see that maybe the pop sensation has some value to it. At the tender age of 19, he’s done more than most will probably achieve in a lifetime, and the music speaks for itself. The hype surrounding Bieber will likely never die out, so we might as well get used to him.