wednesday, march 10,2004
news
the university daily kansan
3A
Fraternity members unite through dance and song
By Azita Tafreshi
aftreshi@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
The members of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity may no longer share a house, but they have found a new way to stick together.
Participating in the 2004 Rock Chalk Revue, an annual variety show and fundraiser to benefit the United Way, has enabled members of the fraternity to keep in close contact since vacating their house at 1510 Sigma Nu Place in spring 2003. Seventy-two of the fraternity's 85 members now live at The Legends apartment complex, 4101 W. 24th Place, said Joel Worthington, Lambda Chi Alpha Rock Chalk codirector.
The Overland Park senior said the arrangement has made it difficult for the fraternity members to interact as often as they did when they had a house, but Lambda Chi Alpha's involvement in Rock Chalk has brought the cast members closer together.
"It's been the number one way
for the guys that are involved to feel like they're part of a bigger group of people," Worthington said.
The 25-member cast has been working with their counterparts from Alpha Chi Omega sorority since last semester to bring their show "Winged Pintos Take Flight" to life this week.
Cast members have been practicing daily for at least an hour to put together their role reversal between a floundering football team and its cheerleaders, said Andy Kroeker, Overland Park junior and Lambda Chi Alpha Rock Chalk codirector.
"Every single day since we got back from break we've been seeing each other, and it makes a huge difference," Kroeker said. "I don't live in the apartments, so the only time I really see guys in the house is when we go to bars and through Rock Chalk."
Chapter officers have made it a point to organize more "brotherhood" events like cookouts and basketball games this year in an
"It just has forced us in a lot of different ways to be creative in how we act as a fraternity," Worthington said.
effort to integrate the members, Worthington said.
Rock Chalk has been a rallying point for the entire fraternity. Kroeker said.
The whole chapter is involved in some capacity, ranging from contributions to the community service aspect of Rock Chalk to simply coming to watch the show, he said.
"Even if they weren't involved in the actual work of putting the show together, they know what we're doing is reflecting them too," Worthington said.
Members of Lambda Chi Alpha have taken pride in the fact that the fraternity won best overall show in Rock Chalk last year, said Matt Pauly, Lambda Chi Alpha Rock Chalk codirector.
"We definitely try to have a good showing because without a house it's hard to recruit members," Pauly, Purcel sophomore, said. "Having a good
Amanda Kim Stairrett/Kansan
Matt Pauly, Purcell sophomore; Egan Waggoner, Beloit senior; and Andy Kroeker, Overland Park junior, rehearsed their show for Rock Chalk Revue last night at the Lied Center. The three belong to Lambda Chi Alpha. The fraternity does not have a house and Rock Chalk gives them an opportunity to bond.
showing in community service and Rock Chalk helps our recruitment."
The cast will perform its show
at 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday in the Lied Center. Tickets are available at the Student Union Activities office in
the Kansas Union for $14, $18 and $20.
— Edited by Meghan Brune
Hip-hop square off gives area DJs opportunity to compete
By Dave Nobles
nobles@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
Ian Sotomayor likens it to a track meet.
He said individuals could only condition themselves so much for the different competitions and then it was their talent that would take over.
The event is the Wax Clash, a DJ battle sponsored by KJHK. The hip-hop versions of sprinters, pole vaulters and like will square off at 10 tonight at Liberty Hall, 644 Massachusetts St.
The bi-annual competition pits performers against each other in virtually every aspect of the hip-hop culture. There will be competitions for scratching
mixing and emceeing. A panel of seven judges will decide the winners.
Sotomayor mixes under the moniker DJ Proof and will be participating in the show.
The show's fifth installment will feature breakdancers and artists who will interpret the music through their work will also be featured.
Sotomayor said that competitions required less last-minute preparation and more familiarity with material, which is why he compares a DJ battle to a track meet.
meet.
"I try to stay sharp all the time," Sotomayer said. "Not just for special occasions."
The show will feature 13 DJs from around Lawrence as well as
from other cities and states.
Among the performers will be two DJs from Arizona, one from Omaha and a 14-year-old - DJ Enercity - from Topeka.
Meredith Vacek, Lawrence senior and head coordinator for the show, said that inviting more performers to the Wax Clash would inspire each competitor.
"We try to draw people from other scenes," Vacek said. "A lot of cities around here don't have a lot of opportunities for DJs."
The scratching winner from last year's competition was Aaron Silver, Lawrence resident. Silver, who performs under the alias Aether, will be competing again tonight.
"I like to spur the competition," Silver said. "In my head, I'm expecting to win."
The 24-year-old has been Djing for more than six years and said he was trying new techniques to showcase at the event.
"I'm trying to challenge myself more than I'm trying to compete," Silver said.
Scratching is the "wikka-wikka" sound that has become an important part of hip-hop music.
Silver said that there was a subculture of DJs in Lawrence who created basement tracks and that the competition would help give some exposure to the scene.
"It's going to show the music culture that Lawrence has it going on." Silver said. "We've got it locked down and we rip it."
Justin Riley, Fayetteville, Ark..
junior, walked away from the last Wax Clash as the winner for mixing. Riley mixes under the alias DJ Omnes.
Mixing involves blending songs together to create different rhythms.
Riley, who also is a DJ on KJHK, said that when he started, his sound was more electronic, but that he had since expanded his style into hip-hop as well.
"At first, people didn't take me seriously because I wasn't playing hip-hop," Riley said. "It made me really pissed."
Riley said he entered the last Wax Clash under the alter ego DJ Special Pants.
He said although it was meant as a satire of the traditional dress of hip-hop DJs, the pseudonym might have influenced his victory.
Riley said that he felt a great amount of pressure to improve in tonight's show, but that incorporating new songs as well as scratching gave him confidence in this competition.
"I always look forward to good competition." Riley said. "I went all out last time, it's going to be hard to top what I did."
The show is $3 and is open to
anone over the age of 18.
CJ Wilford. St. Louis non-traditional student, and Kelly Bumpas, Wichita junior, will host the event. Both Wilford and Bumpas host shows on JKH.
Edited by Paul Kramer
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