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The Cornell Daily Sun (https://cornellsun.com/2002/02/21/test-spin-brer-brian-the-man-with-the-artichoke-heart/)

February 21, 2002

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Test Spin: Brer Brian – The Man with the Artichoke Heart

By wpengine | February 21, 2002

The word “independent” is used a bit too freely in the current music world. Brer Brian, on the other hand, is genuine, down-home “DIY” artistry in the purist. The Man With The Artichoke Heart reveals the inspiration of guitar reconstructionist John Fahey and the eccentricities of Zappa and Captain Beefheart, but Brian is ultimately his own man. The disc’s no-frills production lends itself to the songs, carried by Brian’s guttural guitar work and cleverly comical lyrics.

Brer Brian certainly has the potential to take the helm of this new generation of anti-folksters. Artichoke Heart begins with the salvation-seeking, hymn-ish “The Good Word of God.” Then, Brian somehow makes the swing classic “Sing Sing Sing” sound energetically full with just six strings, some makeshift percussion and a chorus of his friends. His own songs, such as the lovely ode to his brain, “Oh, Cerebellum,” are equal parts heartfelt genius and mischievous hilarity. The title track is a wonderfully quirky narrative dripping with distortion. Brer Brian performs this Friday at Collegetown Bagels.

Archived article by Ben Kupstas

Related

S.A. Approves Distribution of Free Papers

By wpengine February 22, 2002

Don’t be surprised if shortly after Spring Break you see someone picking up a copy of the New York Times, USA Today or the Ithaca Journal without paying. Last night, the Student Assembly (S.A.) approved a four-week pilot program to offer those papers free to students in residential halls as well as Trillium dining and at the Straight. The free trial period is part of the College Newspaper Readership Program, which currently sells papers at a discount rate in bulk to 185 colleges nationwide. The program is designed to encourage readership among college students; after four weeks, membership in the program is paid for by the student government or the administration. “We get four weeks of free papers. Who can disagree with that?” asked Michael Moschella ’02, vice president for finance. The program has attracted opponents among campus newspapers at the University of Louisiana at Layfette, Western Michigan University, Vanderbilt University and Pennsylvania State University, according to an article in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal. Papers at those schools have cited concerns about lost advertising revenue and decreased circulation because of the program. “What we’re proposing is simply a pilot program,” said Robin Irwin, regional marketing manager for USA Today. “We have worked with other school papers and they have worked well with us.” Representatives of The Sun attended at the meeting to express their concerns about the program. The Daily Collegian, the student newspaper at Pennsylvania State University, reported a 9 percent drop in circulation following the implementation of the program, The Wall Street Journal reported. Still unclear is what will happen when the pilot program ends and the free papers stop. When the S.A. debated this issue in November 2000, a representative from The New York Times estimated that the papers would cost $10 to $13 per student per semester. He added that the University had told him that it would likely not fund the program. “When something is given to you for free, it is harder for it to be taken away,” said Daniel Braun ’04, Arts & Sciences representative. A permanent readership program would likely be funded by a combination of the student activity fee, the office of the Dean of Students and the office of Campus Life, according to Moschella. The S.A. plans to measure the trial program’s success at its conclusion and then choose whether to begin paying for the complete program. The S.A. also unanimously passed a resolution commending Travis Mayer ’05 and Hanna Hardaway ’03. Mayer won the silver medal in the men’s freestyle skiing competition and Hardaway came in fifth place in the women’s. Esther Tang ’04, Hotel representative, announced that effective today, Ezra’s, the coffee and snack shop in Community Commons, would close due to a lack of student patronage.Archived article by Peter Norlander
Slope Day Changes Accepted

By wpengine February 22, 2002

President Hunter R. Rawlings III has approved the preliminary recommendations for prospective changes to Slope Day submitted by the Slope Day Steering Committee. In a letter to Dean of Student Kent L. Hubbell ’69, Rawlings approved the main recommendation, which was to prohibit hard alcohol and bottles on the slope, including glass, breakable, and unlabeled containers. According to Hubbell, support for the idea was almost unanimous, and there was discussion about methods for limiting soft alcohol as well. “The University wants to see Slope Day as a great celebration. It is certainly not desirous to have a situation where students are endangering themselves,” said Henrik N. Dullea ’61, vice president for University relations. “The ban on hard alcohol is the biggest thing that students will have to give up,” said Uzo Asonye ’02, Student Assembly (S.A.) president and member of the Slope Day Steering Committee. Rawlings also endorsed the proposition of returning to the “great feast.” The event, which was a part of Slope Day in the late 1970s, was a barbecue and involved the distribution of alcohol. However, Cornell Dining would staff such an event this year and would not distribute alcohol, according to Hubbell. “We would really like to keep this a ‘bring-your-own-beverage’ event,” Hubbell said, referring to the majority opinion of the committee. One major issue still uncertain is how the committee will address the possibility that students will turn to pre-parties at fraternities and sororities to consume more alcohol. “We do need to make sure that students drink safely everywhere on campus,” Hubbell said. One alternative suggested was to provide limited catering to fraternity and sorority parties to reduce the amount of alcohol consumed by students. A third recommendation was a provision to allow a disc jockey to play music on the slope, most likely during the afternoon hours. The S.A. has expressed interest in sponsoring a D.J., according to Asonye, but budget constraints may prevent the S.A. from doing so. However, there were some suggestions made by the committee that were not met with enthusiasm, such as fencing in the slope and providing check points. Fencing the slope in would “change the nature of sponsorship of the event from the students to the University,” Rawlings stated in the letter. “I’m happy that it looks like we’re going to get rid of the fence and the check points,” said Asonye. He attributed the opposition to the fence to the students who voiced their opinions in two open forums hosted by the steering committee earlier this month. Steering committee members have not completely abandoned the idea. However, they have suggested enlisting more police and volunteer staff at key entry points to the slope to enforce rules and handle any problems that may arise. The committee discussed the possibility of tents at main entries that would limit the flow of people into the area. Rawlings also asked that the committee consider the timing of the events on the last day of classes. Committee members have suggested sponsoring class celebrations as alternatives to drinking on the slope. Two proposals included holding a senior class party where alcohol would be provided, or hosting a breakfast for freshman to celebrate their last week on North Campus. The Slope Day Steering Committee plans to meet next week to deliberate on what final recommendations it will make to address these changes and other unresolved issues. Rawlings also encouraged the committee to “continue its deliberations concerning the type and amount of alcohol that will be permitted on the slope to be sure that all that is reasonable is being done to make this event as safe as possible.” “We’re trying to get feedback, and we’re trying to make it safer, so hopefully everything will work out,” said Asonye. Archived article by Mackenzie Damon