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Read MoreMaryville College hosts annual “Earth Week”
Go green for one week – every year Maryville College organizes events for Earth Week during the week in which Earth Day, April 22, occurs. – This year, MC is hosting Earth Week for the sixth time. Adrienne Schwarte, associate professor of design and coordinator of sustainability studies minor, is co-coordinator of Earth Week at MC. Together, with Dr. Mark O’Gorman, professor of political science and coordinator of environmental studies program, and the Environmental Action Team she organized events for Earth Day previous to the establishment of MC Earth Week in 2011. “Earth Week is very much a collaborative effort, with many groups and individuals involved,” said Hannah Kirby, current leader of the Environmental Action Team. Students might wonder what the point of Earth Week is or think that they are incapable of creating change, but Schwarte thinks differently. She wants to remind students, staff and faculty that change starts with small steps and everything starts with an individual decision. “Individual action makes a difference,” Schwarte said. “My personal goal every year is more awareness, so that we can have a more sustainable impact.” Students have noted the importance of Earth Week on campus and say it has shown how much the MC community cares about environmental issues. “My experiences at MC have shown me that most of our students, staff and faculty actually do care about the environment, but they don’t know how to express their interest,” said Kirby. “Earth Week gives people the opportunity to get involved, even on the smallest scale.”. From April 18-24 MC celebrated Earth Week. They worked together in order to make a difference. A Court Street trash clean-up was organized for students to participate in. The documentary “A Fierce Green Fire: The Battle for a Living Planet” was screened, and an organic ice cream social without trash and energy took place at the solar docks in front of Pearsons. On April 20, “Lights Out” lecturing was encouraged. In addition to these events there were tree plantings, tours on campus, a symposium and a sustainability panel. The “Lights Out” Lecturing event was new. Participating faculty chose to use a limited amount or no power on this day in order to conserve energy. “I think we will definitely do it again,” Schwarte said. “It’s simple and easy to put together.” She pointed out that even the College’s post office participated. The Court Street clean-up is an event that has been on the schedule...
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Read MoreThe Importance of Local Politics
There is a major election happening in the United States this year, and it is not the presidential election. The election is for the next Blount County Clerk which will be held on Aug. 4. A county clerk election may not be as thrilling as Donald Trump versus the world, but it is just as important. The local government plays a key role in how we function in our daily lives. Jackie Hill, the Democratic nominee for Blount County Clerk, said, “Local politics are critical.” The local government is the first point of contact when it comes to interaction with the state. Our first responders, school budgets and the amount we pay in taxes are all managed under the local government. Even things as personal as obtaining a marriage license is in the hands of a local official, the county clerk. This position holds quite a bit of importance to Blount county. “Blount County clerk provides a variety of services to Blount County citizens,” said Hill. As well as issuing marriage licenses, the clerk’s office is in charge of tag renewals, issuing business licenses and handling many of Blount Countians’ most important documents. Another thing that county clerks manage is a citizen’s time. Considering the business of a county clerk, many will have to spend time in their office. This can be really challenging for people who cannot afford to have their time spent in an office. Valuing other people’s time is something Hill plans to focus on if elected. “I will go in realizing the importance of time,” said Hill. Being a college student and a wage earner, I know the importance of time. With the many ways local government can impact the everyday life of American citizens, I would expect more attention would be paid to this election. However, this is not the case. The lack of attention is not abnormal for local elections. Hill mentions that people typically do not have the same appreciation for local politics as they do federal politics, and she would be right. The University of Wisconsin studied voter turnout in local elections across the country. In 2011, less than 21 percent of eligible voters showed up to the polls. In the last presidential contest, voter turnout was nearly 55 percent. Low voter turnout can have a great impact on the local level. If there is low participation, the group of voters can be unrepresentative of the population. This can leave the...
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Read MoreSmoky Mountain Airshow returns to Knoxville
For the first time in 16 years, the skies over McGee Tyson Air National Guard Base were filled with fun, family-friendly performances on April 16 and 17. Many people enjoyed the Smoky Mountain airshow during its two-day run here in East Tennessee. For months, people have been anticipating the return of aerial acrobats such as the Blue Angles and the Aeroshell Aerobatic team. Military personnel geared up for an expected 100,000 people to be on the base to see the performances. However, this number was exceeded. More than 120,000 people were in attendance for the airshow weekend. This was the first airshow held in Knoxville since the September 11 attacks on the United States as military resources were needed overseas. The Blue Angels were the most talked about performers of the weekend. They traveled here with their C-130 aircraft named Fat Albert. There were a total seven aircraft, but only planes one through six were used in the show. Number seven was just a backup in case one of the others was to face issues. Other performances included Greg Koontz shows, Younkin shows, Jacquie B shows and Commemorative Air Force: Dixie Wing, the F-16 Viper, and the B-25. The F-16 Viper was a crowd favorite. It was loud and fast, and that is why many people were there. While it was just a single plane, it made just as much noise as all six of the Blue Angel planes together. Growing up at the airbase with my father, this was a very special event for me to attend. I was in attendance at the last airshow, however I was too young to remember it. I have heard about the amazing feats of the Blue Angels my whole life, but it was nice to see for...
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Read MoreSeussical: The Musical, a brilliant success
During three consecutive days starting on April 15, the cast of “Seussical: The Musical” brought the famous Dr. Seuss’ story “Horton Hears a Whoo!” to life. After weeks of rehearsal, hours of dancing and singing in the Flex Theater, MC students presented their work to the audience in the Ronald and Lynda Nutt Theater. The show opened with the Boy walking on stage, intrigued by a white and red striped hat sitting on stage. Soon appeared the Cat in The Hat, who started telling the Boy about Horton. During this time, the whole cast was behind the heavy curtains and was getting ready to join the Boy and The Cat in the Hat for the first song “All the Thinks You Can Think.” The audience saw for the first time all of the participants who performed during two hours. However, they are not the only ones who made the show as spectacular as it was. While the actors were rehearsing, a whole crew was working on costumes, props, instrumental accompaniment, advertisement, and stage preparation. The costumes were rather simple but represented the characters very accurately. Horton was wearing a hat that had two ears, the Grinch was wearing an entirely green outfit and the birds were wearing feathered boas as wings and tail. The props also created a very compelling setting. Decors, an enormous hanging vulture, swords, clovers, UV reacting hands and fish and many other handmade elements were made for the occasion. The musicians who accompanied the cast had only a few days to rehearse together before playing in the orchestra pit that was hidden from the audience. They played in harmony with each other but also with the singers, which is a very difficult thing to do, especially when actors and players cannot see each other. Their performance definitely added to the overall incredible talent of the actors. The advertisement part of the shows was successful as well, which was evident from the packed audiences at each performance. Younger and older people all came together to enjoy a refreshing, funny and touching story. Many came to see the talent of their children, friend, or fellow classmate. It was an opportunity for children whom all know Dr. Seuss’ stories to see the characters of their books come to life. One particular element that made the shows incredible was the positive energy that was coming from the stage. Indeed, during all of these hours of rehearsal, actors created strong...
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Read MoreStudents clean woods during KT Weekend
On Saturday, April 23, a group of students and alumni gathered together to participate in Kin Takahashi Weekend. This event is a student led version of KT Week, which is a week in the summer when MC alumni gather on campus to do service projects that improve the MC campus. The event was primarily led by two student organizations – the Non-profit Leadership Alliance (NLA) and the Environmental Action Team. They first met together in October to start planning the event. During the planning process, they were trying to get as many organizations involved as possible. They also reached out to the Director of Alumni Affairs and Stewardship, Angela Miller, to help get alumni involved with the event. At the event, the volunteers worked in the college woods. Projects included widening the trails, working in the orchard and cleaning up the abandoned spring house. Now the trees in the orchard are more protected and the spring house can be used once again. Both Emilie Perez, president of NLA, and Hannah Kirby, president of the Environmental Action Team, were very pleased with the outcome of the hard work the organizations put into the event. “It’s really community building experience,” said Kirby. “It strengthened the MC community and gave a sense of accomplishment to the volunteers.” Perez said she was happy with the turn out for the event and that there was a good mix of both students and alumni. She also mentioned how wonderful the alumni were who participated in the event were. The alumni actually provided snacks for the volunteers during the event. Kirby looks forward to getting more alumni involved in next year’s event. She talked about how she hopes the event will grow from year to year. As it does, she expects more alumni and students to gain an interest in it, which will ultimately lead to a larger number of volunteers. After all the work was done the volunteers gathered at McArthur Pavilion to enjoy a sustainable lunch that the Environmental Action Team planned with the help of Metz Culinary. Kirby considered the lunch a success and was pleased with Metz and the work they did to help with the event. The Student Programming Board also got involved by setting games up for the volunteers to use during the lunch. Maryville College students and alumni gave back over this weekend and encourage others to get involved. NLA is looking forward to next year and...
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Read MoreOn Nina Simone and Colorism
On Friday, April 22, Nina, the Nina Simone biopic was released. The film stars Zoe Saldana as the film’s title character. Many have not been happy about her portrayal. Much of the backlash is based in the choice of the actress. People do not believe that she was an appropriate choice for the role. Nina Simone was a civil rights activists as well as a music icon. She centered her experiences as a black woman in much of her art. More specifically, her experiences as a dark-skinned black woman. When asked about the casting of Saldana in a 2012 New York Times interview, Lisa Simone Kelly, Simone’s daughter, did not think she was the best choice. Kelly said, “My mother was raised in at a time when she was told her nose was too wide [and] her skin was too dark. Appearance –wise, this is not the best choice.” In the film, Saldana dons a wig and a prosthetic nose for the role of Simone. She also darkens her skin with makeup. This has led many to say that her portrayal was an act of black face, or as some have called it blacker face. Many have charged the casting of the film with accusations of colorism. Colorism is the discrimination based on the darkness of one’s skin color. Hiring an actress of a lighter skin tone to portray Simone is viewed as an insult to Simone’s legacy. Saldana was also hesitant to take on the role. In 2015, in an interview with InStyle, Saldana said, “I didn’t think I was right for the part, and I know a lot of people will agree.” She was right. Many have claimed that this casting hiccup has sparked a debate about colorism in Hollywood. “Sparked” connotes a beginning which really wouldn’t be appropriate considering this topic has been around for quite a while. The word “rehashed” would probably be a better term. This conversation seems as old as time itself. The representation of darker skinned black women in film and television has left much to be desired. The idea of a film that focused on the life of Nina Simone became a very big deal to many young women who could identify with Simone. A film that focused on a woman who embraced her dark skin, coarse hair and wide nose meant something. Simone’s face mattered. This is something that the casting directors and Saldana may have missed. Her looks were...
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Read MoreThe Capitol Theatre brings Hollywood to Maryville
It is a truth universally acknowledged that college students in possession of little money must be in want of caffeine, ice cream and a good party. One business within walking distance of Maryville College offers all three. Its name is the Capitol Theatre. You know the one, with the glittering marquee and rolling red carpet. Chances are you’ve seen it as you were driving down Broadway. Maybe the bench out front that is painted to look like a hot fudge sundae has caught your eye. Either way, you won’t regret stopping by to experience the theatre up close. The coffee shop is perhaps the most appealing feature to students, selling espresso drinks and ice cream dishes named for famous movie lines. Customers are encouraged to use the photo booth, equipped with an expansive collection of props. They may take on the personas of favorite movie characters by donning recognizable hats or posing with Stormtrooper figurines. The Capitol has been around far longer than the coffee shop, though. Its history dates back to 1934. It was originally a movie theatre with just under 1,000 seats, and late into the ‘40s, banners hung from the building to announce film premieres. People gathered to experience early showings of classics such as Gone with the Wind. Since the ‘70s, the building has changed hands several times and housed various other businesses, including a record shop and a wedding dress store. Current owner Heath Claiborne purchased the building in the early 2000s and initially used it as an art gallery. He painted in the theatre space and sold his works in the lobby. Eventually, he developed a plan for an art project of a grander scale. He decided to restore the theatre’s original Hollywood glamour atmosphere. In 2008, the Capitol Theatre reopened as the event venue it is today. The main space within the Capitol Theatre contains a performance stage, a dance floor and silver art deco tables that seat roughly 200 people. The red and black color scheme makes all who enter feel as though they’ve stepped into an old film. A fiber optic curtain and sparkling chandelier add ambiance to the stage area, and lighting sets the mood further. This room can be rented out for weddings, corporate events, birthday parties, awards banquets and more. The Capitol is an all-inclusive venue, designed to give customers everything they need so they don’t have to put as much work into planning. They offer a...
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Read MoreCommencement through the years
As the school year slowly winds to an end, many Maryville College seniors will begin to reflect on the fading year—recalling fond memories as they prepare for the Commencement Ceremony. Through its rich history, MC’s campus has been home to over a century’s worth of graduation sentiments. Though the class of 2016 will have an outdoor Commencement Ceremony on the lawn near the historic Anderson Hall, many alumni remember graduation a bit differently. “Until 1993, Commencement was held in the chapel,” said retired MC Registrar Martha Hess ’67. However, the term “chapel” has referred to different buildings over the years. From 1870-1907, the “chapel” was located on the second floor of Anderson Hall. In 1907, Vorhees Chapel was opened on the current site of the Clayton Center for the Arts. During Vorhees Chapel’s existence, daily attendance of chapel service was a requirement for every MC student. This well-used building housed both the Baccalaureate and Commencement Ceremonies until it burned to the ground in 1947. After Vorhees Chapel’s demise, both chapel service and the Commencement Ceremony were held in the alumni gym. The year 1954 saw the opening of the Samuel Tyndale Wilson Chapel in the same location as the former Vorhees Chapel. Though this structure housed years of graduating seniors, the student body had outgrown its walls by 1993, and Commencement was moved outside. “The Commencement period lasted the full week,” Gail Hafner ‘60said. At the time, students were not permitted to go to town except at designated times. With no part-time jobs or mid-week shopping trips, MC students “did more things together as a class,” said Hafner. Because of this, the senior class usually took the feeling of camaraderie very seriously. This can be clearly seen in the 1930 Commencement Ceremony’s program that lists the class flower, class colors and class motto. Up until the 1920s, student roles in the Commencement Ceremony were quite plentiful. As can be seen in the respective programs, students often read essays or poems to the gathered crowd. Additionally, if any graduating senior’s father was a minister, he might be asked to speak at Commencement. Girls from the junior class also had an integral part in Commencement from the turn of the 20th century until 1970. In a tradition whose origin has yet to be located in MC’s archives, female members of the junior class (chosen by a vote) formed two parallel lines and carried a “daisy chain” through which the procession...
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A tribute to Prince
“He was strange,” as my uncle described him. While many performers were caught up in the glitz and glam of 80’s pop, Prince somehow managed to mix R&B, funk, pop and rock and roll all harmoniously together. Add a short paragraph here about how we lost such an important icon. Bring up his death earlier on in the article saying when he died. Prince was a mastermind of music with the ability to play at least 27 instruments. Eric Clapton was once asked how it feels to be the world’s greatest guitar player, and he responded, “I don’t know, ask Prince.” The film titled Purple Rain which starred Prince was his first acting debut . The film won an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score and grossed a total of 80 million worldwide. As stated by Rolling Stone, “It’s impossible to imagine any of today’s modern pop stars playing a role like prince does.” Purple Rain followed the release of his album, also under the name of Purple Rain, which remained at Billboards number one for a solid 24 weeks. However, even though Prince was well known for his music, his influence as a sex symbol of the 80’s is undeniable. In a time where sexuality was repressed due to the fear and spike...
Read MoreWho am I?
I am lying in your bed. You wake up and touch me. You are not entirely awake yet, but you dedicate your first moments of your day to me. Maybe you fall asleep again until I wake you up once more. You get up, you go to take a shower, brush your teeth and anything else you do to get ready for your day. You take me with you for breakfast. I am your companion, your personal assistant. As soon as you are wide awake, you can finally give me your full attention. I let you know who tried to get in touch with you, if there are any important e-mails or messages. I keep you current what your friends are doing and what is happening in the world; you might think that I am omniscient. You leave home, and your day begins. I like to be in touch with you. Sometimes I distract you a little; look out, don’t walk into that girl over there! I like to be around you. I can shield you when you place me in between your professor and yourself during classes. A study found out that you look at me on average 135 times per day. If you have a partner, it is more than likely that...
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Maryville College hosts annual “Earth Week”
Go green for one week – every year Maryville College organizes events for Earth Week during the week in which Earth Day, April 22, occurs. – This year, MC is hosting Earth Week for the sixth time. Adrienne Schwarte, associate professor of design and coordinator of sustainability studies minor, is co-coordinator of Earth Week at MC. Together, with Dr. Mark O’Gorman, professor of political science and coordinator of environmental studies program, and the Environmental Action Team she organized...
Read MoreMC seniors fundraise for the senior scholarship
It is a tradition at Maryville College for the senior class to band together and give something back to the College in the form of a senior gift. In years past, the senior class has raised money for a variety of things including Frisbee golf for the college woods, but unfortunately, the senior gift is not always a success. When Brittany Miller became the senior class president, she knew she wanted to get seniors excited about giving again. Some...
Read MoreBad Pitches Only and Big Stix take home wins
With many rain delays taking part on scheduled games, the clouds parted just in time to kick off this season’s intramural softball games without a hitch. Teams made of friends, teammates and even random strangers formed in sight for the main prize: a free intramural softball championship shirt and eternal bragging rights. With the notice of one week before the beginning of the season, there was not much time to practice your ground balls or dingers. For Makayla Payne...
Read MoreGo and do good
Can it really be the end of the year? Already? Have I really been at Maryville College for the last four years? These are the questions that have been circling in my head lately as the end of my senior year has come. I keep thinking that I need more time—there is more to learn, more to do and more to love. Eighteen years of my life were not spent in this place, yet now it is hard to...
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The Importance of Local Politics
There is a major election happening in the United States this year, and it is not the presidential election. The election is for the next Blount County Clerk which will be held on Aug. 4. A county clerk election may not be as thrilling as Donald Trump versus the world, but it is just as important. The local government plays a key role in how we function in our daily lives. Jackie Hill, the Democratic nominee for Blount County...
Read More#Unfinished: Lady Scots advance to semi-finals in USA South Tournament
In a historic season, the Lady Scots softball team traveled to Rocky Mount, NC for their first ever bid since moving to the USA South Conference. The scots climb for the most wins since 2007 resulted in a campaign that reached all the way to the semi-finals of the conference championship. As a result of their 25-17 mark in the regular season, the Lady Scots advanced to the tournament in their campaign titled #unfinished by inspiration from player Alexus...
Read MoreSenior Wills
Graduating seniors leave their final reflections and legacies to the students and staff they leave behind as they begin the long and arduous journey of becoming real adults. Best of luck to all of you. Go make MC proud! I, Ariana Hansen, would like to will my comps study guide to Rachel Chestnut and my Maryville College design empire to whoever wants it. I, Claire Palmer, would like to will my collegiate sass and judgement to Halie Miller. I,...
Read MoreScots baseball awaits NCAA bid
The Maryville College baseball team endured a heartbreaking loss in the USA South Tournament on Sunday against the Huntingdon College Hawks. The Hawks won in the first game of the day, 1-0, before running away with game two and a 9-8 win to claim the conference crown. Maryville Scots were down by one with the bases loaded in a ninth-inning rally, before a hard-hit fly ball to short left field tragically ended Maryville’s tournament run. All-American honors were given...
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