OCR::/Vol_097_098/WLURG39_RTP_19970317/WLURG39_RTP_19970317_001.2.txt Lee University's 90th Fancy Dress 3' ~ . 4 x Washington and ,-,°§;§“‘~% M "t ea} in 4 gi I“: if /V(/ R; .. ‘-2: =? a W“ ‘ a r ‘ W , . c’ w 2 > .<< 3, <» - ‘ - W». 5. W «3: ,2 x , Fancy Dress Supplement The R1'ng—tum Phi .... 4, OCR::/Vol_097_098/WLURG39_RTP_19970317/WLURG39_RTP_19970317_002.2.txt Em Ame-was Rm Ema: Semen‘: March 17. I997 Circus changes with times Bg Anne Alvord Phi Executive Editor From Pompey’s Rome to today, the circus is a beloved fonn of family enter- tainment. Roman circuses, like those today, featured both animal and human enter- tainment. Athletes fought to the death, or to gain their freedom. Other enter- tainments in the Roman circus were chariot races and animal duels. During the dark ages, circuses as such died out, but traveling troupes of entertainers and musicians kept the cir- cus spirit alive. These traveling enter- tainers often had animals and acrobats as part of theirshow, just ascircuses do. The circus reappeared in Britain. A British cavalryman, Sergeant-Major Philip Astley, loved to show off fancy riding. Hetraveled through thecountry- side showing his riding, as was the fashion of the day. While stopping near London, he roped off a field for his performance. Soon, Astley perfected a circusringtoshowoffhisabilitytostand on the back of a cantering horse. The riding performance came tobemingled with clown antics. As time went on, Astley covered part of his ring with a roof and added The modern circus was born. Ast|ey’s advertising became more elaborate, and the enter- tainments of his show grew to include tumbling, rope-walkingandjuggling. The Amphitheater Riding School, as it was called, was famous. CnarlesHughwcompetedwithAstley. He not only ran the English Royal Circus, but trained trick riders. One of his pupils was John Bill Ricketts, who brought the circus to the colonies. In the new world, Ricketts perfonned attheRidingSehoolin Philadelphia. Accordingtohistorians,thefirstAmeri- can circus was held in 1793, in Philadel- phia. It was put on by Ricketts. The show was wildly successful, even attracting George Washington in its audience. The success inspired Ricketts to take the show on a traveling tour of the U.S.’s major cities, including Boston, New York and Charleston. Ricketts constantly sought to improve his circus. He added clowns, acrobats and mimes, and in the late 1790s, he built an amphitheater in Philadelphia to house the show. The amphitheater was destroyed by tire, and a discouraged Ricketts left America to retum to England, but he and his ship were lost in a storm. The horse-dominated shows were largely replaced in the early 19th century by traveling shows that pitched their tents on village greens. Lore says that these circuses were started by “Old Bet”, a Afri- can Elephant purchased by Hackaliah Bailey in 1815. Bailey paid a sea captain $1,000 for Old Bet and was successful enough showing her to townspeople that he purchased additional exotic animals from other ship captains. Bailey traveled at night to avoid free spectators, and exhib- ited his animals in barns and other build- ings. “Uncle Nate” Howes temporarily took possession of Old Bet and exhibited her under a round canvas top, the first record of such a stmeture being part of a traveling show. Many others followed Ricketts’ ex- ample and threw their hats into the circus ring. The mostfamousofthesewasPhineas T. Barnum, who would quickly eclipse Ricketts’ prominence. P.T. Barnum began as a newspaper editor. He sold his newspaper, the Herald of Freedom, in 1834 and moved to New York with is wife and children. Barnum purchased an elderly black woman, Joiee Heth, who claimed to be George Washington’s nursemaid. He ad- vertised in local newspapers, and attracted an audience curious to see the 161-year- old woman. An autopsy after her death proved the claim impossible, but Barnum had already begun his career of making money by entertaining people. For over 20()0 years, the circus has evolved with humanity. From the athletic contests and chariot races of Rome to the flaming hoops and clown cars of today's circuses, the circus continues to rcflect the cultureofthetimewhilemaintainingcom- mon traditions. SBIIIBSECI‘ OCR::/Vol_097_098/WLURG39_RTP_19970317/WLURG39_RTP_19970317_003.2.txt "”M‘arch1‘7,1997 . -. ,..‘p;:\s.- § It’s a big job, but somebody has to do it Melissa Courson, Fancy Dress Committee Chairperson, takes time out from the planning to talk to the Phi about this year s ball, its planning and her expectations. Why do you think this year's theme translates well for Fancy Dress? The theme we’ve chosen is fun and lends itself well to bright colorful decorations that stand out, that are recogniz- able for students to see. I think the decorations are bright and attract a lot of attention. What’s your favorite part of this year’s ball? The committee’s creativity will show in lots of the decora- tions. Everybody had a chance to contribute to that. How much money is be- ing spent on this year’s ball?Wheredoesthemoney come from? The budget this year is around $68,000, which is about normal for FD. We receive no money from the EC. We make it all through ticket and memorabiliasales. Is there anything differ- ent or remarkable about this year’s ball? I think we’ve created a really fun and exciting atmosphere. How many people are expected to attend? We usually expect about 1,200 of the student body, but that’s just undergraduate. lt doesn’t include faculty or any- thing either. ‘ Why is the theme kept a secret? It helps build suspense and keeps people interested. When we do release it, people get ex- cited and they speculate about decorations. lt’s a fun tradition to keep it a secret. Do you think FD should be a costume ball? I think that could be a really fun idea, but it’s also fun to see everyone in their formal wear. l know that’s how it used to be, and it might be fun to try again one year. How was the theme se- lected? When we take applications we ask people to suggest three themes. We put together a big list and narrow it down to five, then discuss the merits of each. Thenthewholecommitteevotes. What other themes were considered? Other themes we considered were Mardi Gras, Through the Decades, The Seven Wonders of the World, and a Las Vegas/ Monte Carlo/Casino theme. How are decorations se- lected and organized? We brainstorm when the theme is selected, and we de- cided we wanted to have more of an old—fashioned circus than a modern one. The committee is broken down into areas, and they de- cide and finalize the details of each area. Will there be entertain- ers or live animals this year? Therewillbeentertainers,but no live animals. What’sthehardestthing aboutbeing FD chair? Will being chair impede your good time on the night of the ball? The hardest thing is keep- g ing on top of every thing - decorations, invitations, memorabilia, the playbill.. There’s just so much plan- ning that goes into the ball. l’m excited to see all the committcc’s work come to- gether. Do you have any goals for this year’s FD? What part of FD are you looking forward to most? ljust want everybody to have agood time and be safe. l’m most looking forward to see- ing everybody have fun. How did you decide you wanted to be FD chair? How were you selected? I was on the steering com- mittee since my freshman year, and I decided I wanted to be a part of planning it. l interviewed with EC last spring. When do you start plan- ning the ball? We start planning in early October. That’s when the com- mittcc is chosen. How many committee members are there? We have 48 people on the committee. 10% off all meals on Friday and Sat- urday nights for Washington and Lee students and their dates. Southern Inn & Main Street Tavern Ifyou liked in in the ’30s... You’ll loveit in the ’90s Now offering FREE DELIVERY between 11:30 & 2:00 Featuring fresh seafood, steaks and friendl service in Lexington’s landmark restaurant, serving generations of families, business folks, visitors and friends. Next door, the remodeled tavern now offers an extensive bar menu and now serves, inaddltion to a fullili’iié’6f beverages, ice cold beer on tap. Plenty offree parking in the rear! Located in the Heart of Downtown Lexington 37 S. Main St, (540) 463-3612 OCR::/Vol_097_098/WLURG39_RTP_19970317/WLURG39_RTP_19970317_004.2.txt Page 4 4? G-Love and Speei m miss-:'au sane: swam alSauee merges musical styles Bg Darceg Livingston Phi Staff Writer You may have spied them on Country Music Television. Or on one of the side stages during the 1995 H.O.R.D.E. festi- val. You may have even seen G. Love performing in Europe with last year's Fancy Dress act-Coolio. lf there was only one word to describe the sound of G. Love and Special Sauce, it would have to be eclectic. The Times-Picayune described G. l.oveas“a youngwhitehipsterimmersed in black musical styles. Love doses his music with hip-hop attitude, but is also a disciple of old-school New Orleans R&B.” Also evident in the sound of G. Love are his early influences of the Beastie Boys, Run-DMC and blues guitarisat and hamionica player John Hammond. G. Love (a.k.a. Garrett Dutton) calls his group’s music “ragmop.” He told TheDenverPost, “I don’t think it’s blues in the traditional sense. lt’s our own form.” The group has gone through some personnel changes, but now consists of the original drummer, Jeff Clemens, and bassist King Kane. G. Love plays the guitar, harmonica, and Dobro (the “rack”) in addition to doing the vocals. G. Love and Special Sauce have re- leased two albums: a self-titled debut in 1994, and their follow-up titled, Coast to Coast Motel in 1995. A third album is now in the works in Philadelphia, and The Orlando Sentinel reported that it will feature a guest appearance by G. Love’s greatest influence——John Hammond. In addition to playing with Special Sauce, G. Love has a number of other bands on the side. One is called King’s Court, which has more of a country feel. But, as G. Love told the Sentinel, it is not country music in the traditional sense. “The country rceord’s cool,” said G. Love. “lt has the instrumentation of a country band, but it‘s definitely G. Love singing country music; I’m rapping over the country stuff halfthc time.” Another one of his side projects is a band called All Fellows. G. Love de- scribed the band’s music to the Sentinel as “Philidclphonic street-style blues, doo- wop, hip-hop, in a way. l’m really excited aboutthat. Drums, bass, pcrcussion,guitar, andweallsing. lt’sactually prcttymuchall dudes l’vc known my whole life, dudes 1 went to high school with.” G. Love and special Sauce are hot on stage, and their music ~ although practi- callyindescribablcAisthctypcthat makes everyone get up and dance. The Pavilion is definitely the place to be this Thursday, March 20 at 9 p.m. when G. Love and SpecialSauceopen-upforATribc Called Quest. ' March 17, 1997 Kings of Swing‘, Tyrone Smith Revue promise to keep ban guests dandng The Kings of Swing have been playingelassical swing and te best of Beach, Motown and rock and roll for over 20 years and still have people of all ages crowding dance floors up and down the east coast. From a festive open-air concert to the most ultra-formal black tie affair, the Kings of Swing have enthusiasm and showmanship that are sure to please. The exciting sound of the Kings of swing is being heard on cam- puses of major colleges and uni- vcrsities, at wedding receptions and retirement parties, and before elite audiences at major socail and special events. ln addition to playing several college events, the Kings ofSwing have appeared at the 1982 Inaugu- ral Ball of Governor Charles S. Robb and the 1989 Inaugural Ball of President George Bush. The 14-piece band originated 12 years ago when the members were students at the University of Richmond. Playing such favorites as Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Count Basic and Woody Herman, the Kings of Swing appeal to all audiences and are sure to delight their audience in the Big Gym Fri- day night. While the Kings of Swing play in the Big Gym, a band of an en- tirely different nature, the Tyrone Smith Revue, will be playing in the Small Gym. What separates the Tyrone Smith revue from other great dance bands in the Louisville area? Au- dience participation. Who wouldn’t what tojump up on stage with a 5’7” black man who wears a superman outfit? Surely not the guests at FD. Tyrone Smith and his wacky cohorts may well be the biggest clowns of all under W&L’s Big Top. ‘Smith originated the Revue when he was in college. Origi- nally called Tyrone Smith and the lnvaders, the Revue has been im- pressing audiences all across the Southeast. From clubs in Mem- phis and Atlanta to formal events in Richmond and Charleston, the Revue promises to get everyone hopping. From the Fancy Dress Playbill Coming soon to CHAMPZ Sportsbar March 19 March 29 April 9 April 16 April 23 April 30 Wild Shadow Magraw Gap Magraw Gap Sendemenous DJ 2G0 GREAT PRICES Khaos place advance orders bg p.m. Wednesday and E OY THE CIRCUS We have: 0pool table 0 big screen TV 161-3309 Odarthoard OCR::/Vol_097_098/WLURG39_RTP_19970317/WLURG39_RTP_19970317_005.2.txt March 17, 19917 Em Mme-mu Rm Ewes H all ebe fails, steal someone else’s date "6-Love and Tabasco Sauce‘ Mctvtanernin. Well, Fancy Dress time is here, which means one thing — lots of boring campus columnists are going to be yapping on about what to wear, whom to take, etc. Well, not this boring campus columnist. No, sir, this talentless hack is going to be telling you all about another fun FD activity —- stealing your friends’ dates. Allow me to set up the situation. You’ve decided to go with a “friend” (in other words, the Pope has a better chance of getting some this weekend), or worse. You may have relied on a random hook-up, or agreed to go with someone you’ve never met, but your friends say “has a nice personality”. Now, remember, saying someone “has a nice personality” is like saying that they're “well spoken”. In other words, you can’t think of a single real com- pliment to give. So you end up going with Bertha, the 300 pound Nazi lesbian biker chick. Or, for women, you end up with Dementia, the pale, 95-pound Marylin Manson fanatic who’s certain he's a vampire. Despite your date’s nice personality, you’re not having a good time. How can -I._‘ . .. \......-_.t _"_ . O QD-E:_ ._ .. .__—*—*~ .3? 3. 167 S. MAIN ST.. LEXINGTO . _.'/ 'u ,4 you salvage this weekend? All you have to do is steal the attrac- tive dates your socially superior dates have snagged. Butstealing, you say, isn’tthatagainst the Honor System? Well, yes, but no. You see, ifyou read the bylaws carefully, you’ll find that the Honor System is suspended during FD weekend. This law is meant to protect guys who might like to say “l’ll love you forever” or “Of course l’ll call” without worrying about being booted out of school for lying. (Note — If you actually read the by- laws, you'll find that [just made all this up. Now don't you feel like a dork for reading the bylaws?) The easiest way to steal a date is to get your friend nice and drunk, passed out, covered in his own vomit, lying fetal position in the corner. Then simply move in on the lonely date. Ofcourse, your friend might be one of those people who can handle large amounts ofalcohol without showing any signs ofdrunkcnness (slurring ofspcech, troublewalking, voting democratic,ctc.), In this case, more tact is needed. Try casually addressing one of the following phrases to your friend when his date is within earshot: ' “Pick up the phone, it’s your parole officer.” ' “Pick up the phone, it’s the VD clinic.” . . _ _ _-;_Y\.._\.. x VA 24450 (540) 4 .5004 «l3art«e:r%img| lfolr IFID atncl ‘BDA\lDlUA\l[lI‘DN IDa?ity Ilurnelh M3-e-ciarlls II3«eer at Wine §«eIIet:tii«om I'D!) cliifler-ent Ibeexrs |D«e|l?iv«eIry Ilmtwe-etn :¢D'D atnd «6::'DtD 4153-5'D'D4 ' “You know, you’re right. She is a bit chunky.” ' “Can l borrow your New Kids on the Block albums?” ° “Will you clean your room? You gay porno is all over!” ' “lt;s nice to see you can still get a date, you know, with your impotency problem and all.” - “Gcez, nice date! How much did Madame DcBauchcrie charge you for this one?” ' “l’m all out of heroin. Mind if I swipe some of yours?” - “So this is the one that turned you away from sheep, huh?” WARNING: The preceding column contained extremely naughty references to sex and drugs and practically advo- cated irresponsible drinking. If you are the kind of person who is easily of- fended by these things, you really shouldn’t have read it. Hmmm...l probably should have put this warn- ing at the beginning. Oh well, live and learn. Many thanks to the Fancy Dress Plagbill committe for their assistance with this supplement zuitfi tfie Iatfies) For most ol your FD neecls: /Cfiampagne, Dessert ‘Wines and Torts /.‘Micro5e’rImport5 /gourmet 5mzc.{.§ /Tremium Cigars (a 5g flit /gift fiasifiet Comfios Washington Street purveyors 1? cltscover. "\X/ine is, alaove all, pleasure. Tliose wlto W woulcl mal