Spring Break
Jay-Z is back. After his disappointing "Kingdom Come" of last year (remember those lame, cross-promotional Budweiser Select commercials?), Jay-Z bounces back with a slightly flawed, but good "American Gangster." Jay was so inspired by watching an advance print of the film that he rushed to the studio and recorded a concept album about his own street experiences.
As a film, Ridley Scott's "American Gangster" pursues greatness, but mostly chases its tail for two hours and 40 minutes. Predictably, it mires itself in the repeated value-inversion of the crime genre, of crooked cops and noble criminals. It is a film without suspense, drama, humor or a coherent ending.
Ultra-cheap, quick and tasty, these are all words used to describe Vietnamese cuisine. All those descriptions are true. Vietnamese foods can also be restrained and casually elegant. Sung Son Vietnamese Bistro, 4116 Pennsylvania Ave., capitalizes on the cuisine's simple elegance and matches it with the lovely jewel-box interior of the restaurant.
What separates the powerhouses of the music industry from those who barely scratch the surface? You know, those lucky enough to be a one-hit wonder that no one will remember three months from now? The superstars within the music industry have a certain sense of timelessness about their craft.
Through countless films and novels, the Midwest is portrayed as a hopeless flatland populated by simple people. David Thomson investigated this preconceived notion with a presentation appropriately entitled "Hollywood's View of Middle America: How Dark Can 'Dark Fields of the Republic' Be If I live there?" Sponsored by the Central Library on Tuesday, Nov.
From classic jazz to new standards, the Sam Wisman quartet catered to a variety of musical tastes at the Blue Room on Thursday, Nov. 8. Hardly a newcomer, Wisman's musical genres range from jazz and classical to big band and percussion ensembles. On the trombone was Kevin Cerovich, an avid performer around the clubs of Kansas City and a recent UMKC graduate.
Brad Hardin made a presentation for the new Building Information Modeling (BIM) system for engineers on Tuesday, Nov. 6. While this system has been in use for awhile, it is still not used by the Civil Engineering, Urban Designing, or Architecture departments.
The history of the African-American art song cannot be discussed without also discussing the history of slavery, for the two are intertwined. Dr. Ann Sears of Wheaton College in Massachusetts discussed these topics during her lecture "Fi-yer: Discovering African-American Art Song," on Nov.
Dr. Clancy Martin, professor of philosophy, is having philosophical discussions in front of Muddy's coffee house, writing scholarly work, teaching philosophy courses and writing his first novel. Martin has been working around a tight schedule to finish his first novel, "How to Sell.
Tuesday, Nov. 13 Fall Feast: Thanksgiving feast from 4:30 to 7 p.m. in the University Center cafeteria. Perfectionism Panel: A panel of female students will be discussing perfectionism and learning ways to cope from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Oak Street Residence Hall classroom.
