I Can Be Your Number One

Bronsen Euard performing as an "Erie All-Star" to kick of the annual "8 Great Tuesdays" concert series at the Burger King Amphitheater at Liberty Park in Erie, PA. 

Bronsen Euard, 19, has rapidly gained popularity as a musician in the Erie, Pennsylvania area over the past two years. Originally from Lake City, Pennsylvania, Euard began his career as a singer/songwriter in 2012, performing in small coffee shops and bar restaurants. By the summer of 2014, Euard was a highly sought-after local musician booking some of the biggest music gigs in the Erie area. Now, as a freshman music production and recording technology major at Shenandoah Music Conservatory located in Winchester, Virginia, Euard has had to start all over.

Euard attended Girard High School where he graduated in 2014. Euard was well-liked among students and faculty in high school and involved in a variety of extra curricular activities. Ryan Barlow, Euard's best friend throughout high school, remembers Euard being extremely popular in school due to his likable personality.

"Bronsen's probably the most likable person you're ever going to meet," Barlow claims. "He is just a joy to be around. He always brightens up the room. He was always a favorite of teachers because of his personality and positive attitude."

Euard was a member of the

football team at Girard High 

School until a shoulder injury 

forced him to quit the team.

While he had always been involved in the music program at Girard, Euard admits he hasn't always given it his full attention. Up until his sophomore year, football was his top priority.

"For most of my life, up until my sophomore year, I played football and that was my big thing," Euard recalls.

After a shoulder injury ended his high school football career, Euard focused most of his time on music. He became very active within the music department at Girard, participating in show choir, bell choir, concert choir and concert band. Euard also starred in a number of musical theatre performances during his time at Girard. While he only had a small speaking role in his first show as a freshman, Euard got the lead role in the musical, The Wedding Singer, as a sophomore the following year.

Euard performs "Carmina Burana" with the
 2013 PMEA All-State Choir 

Euard excelled as a performer and was given the opportunity to represent Girard on a grand scale at the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) concert festivals. Euard first participated in PMEA choir festivals as a sophomore where he advanced through the All-District level to the All-Region level. Euard had even more luck the following year when he advanced all the way to the All-State choir. Entering his senior year, Euard decided to push his boundaries by auditioning for All-District Jazz Band for the first time. Euard was awarded first chair. Later that year, Euard once again advanced to the state level in choir.

Ryan Barlow talks about the PMEA Choir audition process. Barlow was sent as a representative of GHS along with Euard in 2012 and 2013. 

Euard has always had an interest in songwriting. He says he remembers writing music as early as fourth grade.

"It wasn't serious stuff. It was just something I generally enjoyed for quite a long time," Euard said. "I've always been the person who wanted to make my own thing rather than follow other people's lead."

It wasn't until his sophomore year that Euard began taking his songwriting more seriously.

"[His songwriting] actually really started taking off after a little high school heartbreak," Barlow joked. "He wrote one of the first songs that really got noticed around the area called 'Number One'."

"Number One" was one of the first songs Euard wrote and still a crowd favorite.

Bronsen Euard talks about how he got started as a singer/songwriter

Euard performing at the Erie Ale House. Photo courtesy of
 Elizabeth Mountain Photography.

Euard continued to write music and eventually began reaching out through email to a variety of small music venues in hopes of getting gigs in the area. Euard had his first show on July 14, 2012 at Brickhouse Coffee Bar. He played to an audience consisting of a couple friends, his girlfriend, and his mother. While playing to small crowds was sometimes discouraging for Euard, he pressed on and continued playing small gigs around town.

"You have to keep asking. Keep applying. You have to recognize the fact that this isn't a year process, it's not a year and a half process... It's a very continuous stretch of building connections and perfecting your art," Euard said.

Euard's constant emailing paid off. Euard was getting regular gigs at around town, being featured on local radio, building a following, and connecting with other local musicians.

"He was really starting to get popular in the Erie area. He was getting more and more shows at places like the Erie Ale House, the Crooked I," Barlow remembered. "Then over time he started getting bigger gigs, eventually getting shows like '8 Great Tuesdays'."

"8 Great Tuesdays" is an annual concert series held on Erie's Bayfront at Liberty Park. The series usually brings in national acts to play every Tuesday over the course of eight weeks during the summer. This year, the event kicked off July 8 by showcasing a number of local musicians and bands they called Erie All-Stars.

Bronsen Euard on taking part in the "8 Great Tuesdays" concert series. 

Euard continued playing small gigs, but also played at other larger local events such as The Gathering at Chaffees, The Color Run, Celebrate Erie and a featured performance for WQLN's summer concert series, Sounds Around Town.

Sounds Around Town promotional spot


Euard played some shows with a band which he called "Bronsen Euard and The Essentials" in order to achieve a fuller sound with bassist Mike Hammar and drummer Jake Mingoy as "The Essentials"

After his successful summer as a musician in Erie, Euard made his move to Winchester, VA where he is currently attending college at Shenandoah Music Conservatory, studying music production and recording technology. Euard chose the Shenandoah because of their unique program which focused not only on creating music, but also the technical aspects of recording music.

"Being around talented people is a great thing because they have high standards. You have to raise your standards and I certainly did," Euard said. "It's really a privilege to do what we do here. Whether we're playing jazz or singing in choir, you do it for the love of music."

Barlow talks about Euard's experience at Shenandoah

Upon first arriving at Shenandoah, Euard wanted to focus on his school work. As time passes and he becomes more comfortable with the course work, he hopes to able to start working on projects of his own again.

Euard explained, "Right now, I actually have writing on the back burner. I'm focusing on my work. Once that's done, I'm going to be right back in it. My goals are still the same. I just had to take some time to do this work because it's really demanding."

As far as the future goes, Euard admitted that while he would love to have a record deal, he can't make that his primary focus because he has to focus on his music as art. Euard said his biggest goal is to make an impact with his music.

"He is so talented and the sky is the limit with him," Barlow said. "His music can really take him anywhere."

Euard has an upcoming gig at the Erie Ale House over his winter break on December 19 at 10 pm. You can visit his website or Facebook page for more updates. Follow him on Twitter @bronseneuard.

Biography Proposal: Bronsen Euard

Bronsen Euard is a singer/songwriter from Lake City, PA.  He began performing in the downtown Erie, PA area at the age of 16. Over the next two years, he gained popularity and became a crowd favorite at various small live music venues in the area. By the age of 18, Euard was being featured on the websites such as MojoXpress, TribeofNoise, BlahLife, and other more.  Combining the instrumental world of jazz with the lighteartedness of pop and R&B, his music has been featured on Erie’s WQLN and Rocket 101 radio stations with live session performances, and on THE PLANET and UndergroundColumbus with recorded tracks. 

Euard has a warm, jammy guitar style with funk inflections and jazz and blues influences, often described as a similar style to John Mayer. In the summer of 2014, Euard performed at some of the largest music events in the Erie area, The Gathering at Chafee’s, 8 Great Tuesdays, and Celebrate Erie. Euard recently left the Erie area to attend college at the Shenandoah Music Conservatory located in Winchester, Virginia. Euard is studying Music Production and Recording Technology. Relatively unknown in the area, Euard is currently trying to increase his exposure by performing in as many music ensembles as he can.

Bronsen is a good friend of mine and one of the most talented and hardworking people I know. I think his story is an interesting one because he became so successful in the Erie area and now he has to start all over again. I think that could be an interesting angle to take on the story as he tries to once again attempts to gain a following in a new city.

A Christmas Carol makes its way to Slippery Rock University

Slippery Rock University's production of 'A Christmas Carol' closed November 20th. The above Meograph shares the history of the well-known holiday story leading up to its production at Slippery Rock University.

Meograph Proposal: A Christmas Carol

Slippery Rock University's Department of Theatre opened their production of A Christmas Carol Friday. The play was adapted and directed by Slippery Rock University theatre professor David Skeele. A Christmas Carol will run for a total of seven performances in the University Union multi-purpose room, ending its run Thursday, November 20.

A Christmas Carol, written by Charles Dickens, was first published in 1843. The story follows an old miser who hates Christmas. After a visit by the ghost of his departed colleague, Jacob Marley, Scrooge is taken on a journey of redemption with the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. The classic Christmas tale has been retold in many mediums over the past 171 years including books, plays, films, an opera, ballet, and a Broadway Musical.

It is said that the current state of observance of Christmas is largely the result of a mid-Victorian revival of the holiday spearheaded by A Christmas Carol. Even the popularity of the term “Merry Christmas” is largely attributed to the success of the book. According to historian Ronald Hutton, in superimposing his secular vision of the holiday, Dickens influenced many aspects of Christmas that are celebrated today in Western culture, such as family gatherings, seasonal food and drink, dancing, games and a festive generosity of spirit.

 

Having been such an influential piece of literature over such a long period of time and all over the world and being currently relevant to our campus and community as the theatre department’s A Christmas Carol completes its run, I think this topic is great for coverage using Meograph. .

 

Dodge for Paws event raises $500 for Butler County Humane Society

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. (Nov. 8, 2014) 1 p.m.--RockPRoductions Dodge for Paws event raised $500 for the Butler County Humane Society Saturday afternoon.

Dodge for Paws is a charity dodgeball tournament RockPRoductions has organized for the past three years at Slippery Rock University. To participate in the event, students paid $5 per person. This year, 11 teams registered to participate in the tournament.

"Skillz that Killz" prepares for the first round of the tournament.

RockPRodcutions raised $500 at this year’s event, the most the event has raised in its history. This is also the first year RockPRoductions gathered sponsors to help offset costs of the promotion of the event, and the event itself. Some of the sponsors also donated money to the Butler County Humane Society. The Dodge for Paws event sponsors include; The Heights, The Grove, HANZOFF GRAF-X, Domino’s Pizza and the Aebersold Recreation Center.

Michele Allen, Executive Director of the Butler County Humane Society, explained that the entirety of the donated funds would benefit the shelter animals.

“The proceeds of the event go to the Butler County Humane Society where we can use them for a multitude of things,” Allen said. “Food, medical supplies, anything that would pertain to the safe haven for the dogs and cats at our society.”

Michele Allen receives check from RockPRoductions.

The Butler County humane Society was established in 1897 and has been providing shelter for unwanted and neglected animals in the Butler County area for over 100 years. The society takes in about 700 dogs and cats each year. For more information on how you can support the Butler County Humane Society, visit their website.

RockPRoductions Secretary Chelsea Fryc contacted the Butler County Humane Society before the start of the fall semester to begin organizing this year’s event. RockPRoductions divided members into committees based on their interests.

Fryc explained, “We had some people work with design, writing, social media, photography…all the aspects of public relations.”

RockPRoduction is a student-run public relations firm organizes events on campus in order to give students hands-on experience in public relations with actual clients. RockPRoductions works with many local clients in the Butler County area as well as on-campus RockPRoductions President Kyle Dempster encourages students in any track of the Communication Department to join the organization. He explains that it’s a common misconception that the organization is only open to Public Relations majors.

“Our organization is not just limited to public relations majors, we invite all communication majors to join,” Dempster said.

Dempster explained that the experience gained through working with RockPRoductions is valuable experience for anyone in any major interested in working in any aspect of publicity and promotion.

If you're interested in joining RockPRoductions, weekly meetings are held on Wednesdays at 4:00 p.m. in room 201 Eisenberg Classroom Building. More information can be found on their website.

RockOUT Celebrates Pride Week with Candlelight Vigil

As a part of RockOUT's Pride Week at Slippery Rock University, a candlelight vigil was held Thursday evening in remembrance of those who have taken their own lives because of the bullying and hatred they faced due their sexuality. Students shared stories of others as well as stories of their own regarding the subject. This was one of the many events sponsored by RockOUT in honor of Pride Week.

KettleCorn Video Remix Proposal

 For my KettleCorn Video Remix, I think I would like to cover some of the events RockOUT is putting on campus for their 2014 Pride Week. It's somewhat newsworthy and will be ongoing all week so I think I will probably be able to get some good stuff for the project. I'm particularly looking forward to the Drag Show. I haven't ever been able to go, but I hear its always a great time. I think that portion of this week's events will be particularly fun to capture on tape. 

Big House Battle Timeline

Big House Battle on Dipity.

Slippery Rock University lost to Mercyhurst University in their third visit to the Big House on October 18th, 2014. Mercyhurst defeated The Rock with a score of 45-23. 15,121 people attended the game. The relationship between University of Michigan and Slippery Rock University began in 1959 when PA announcer Steve Filipiak announced the Slippery Rock score during the Michigan football game, the tradition continues to this day. 

Musical Theatre Society rehearses for next week's Fall Broadway Cabaret

Slippery Rock University Musical Theatre Society's (MTS) 2014 Fall Broadway Cabaret will take place October 15th and 16th at 7:30 pm in Swope Recital Hall. The cast rehearsed their finale ensemble number Thursday evening and began incorporating some of the elaborate costumes. "Freak Flag," from the popular Broadway musical adaptation of Shrek, features fairytale creatures, leaving the number as one of the most heavily costumed number in Musical Theatre Society's short history. MTS, founded in 2011, puts on multiple cabaret's a year as fundraisers for the organization as well as a performing outlet for their many talented society members. 

RockOUT Silent Witnesses peacefully protest street preacher at Slippery Rock University

Keith Darrell preaches to Slippery Rock students
Street preacher Keith Darrell preaches to Slippery Rock students as RockOUT Silent Witnesses peacefully protest behind.

RockOUT Silent Witnesses Peacefully Protest
RockOUT silent witness Joshua Batista explains the silent protest against Keith Darrells radical views.

Street Preacher accused of being on drugs
Street preacher Keith Darrell is accused of being under the influence of drugs as he preaches in the academic quad of Slippery Rock University.

Slippery Rock Students engage in religious discussion with street preacher
Slippery rock students argue with street preacher Keith Darrell about bible interpretation.

Standing Room Only: Pirates vs. Brewers, Sept. 20th, 2014

Affirmative Action: Encouraging Diversity or Discrimination?

Affirmative Action    (noun)

The practice of improving the educational and job opportunities of members of groups that have not been treated fairly in the past because of their race, sex, etc.  -Merriam-Webster Dictionary

The term "affirmative action" was first used by President John F. Kennedy in Executive Order 10925 on March 6, 1961 which stated that the government must "take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin." On September 24, 1965, President Lydon B. Johnson expanded upon affirmative action with Executive Order 11246 which prohibits discriminating in employment decisions on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

Affirmative action policies, though controversial, are not only common in the work force, but the educational system as well. The arguments for and against affirmative action in both the workforce and educational system are similar. While racial quotas have been ruled unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court in both the hiring and admissions process, race can still be taken into consideration during both processes.

Proponents of the use of affirmative action in college admissions argue that affirmative action helps minority students, particularly those from lower-income families, get opportunities they may not have otherwise been given. Supporters give credit to affirmative action policies for the exponential increase in minority employment in the United States since the 1960's. A common argument for affirmative action in the admissions process is that it encourages diversity on campus which is a better reflection of American society and benefits all students. Similarly, proponents of the use of affirmative action in hiring often argue that a diverse workforce is better for providing goods and services to a diverse national and global market.

Those opposed to affirmative action policies argue that these policies cause reverse discrimination by favoring one group over another purely based on their minority status rather than their skills and achievements. The reverse discrimination argument is based on the belief that affirmative action causes highly-qualified individuals to be overlooked because they are not a part of a minority group, which leaves white applicants at a disadvantage in the hiring and admission processes.  In fact, some even argue that affirmative action encourages racial prejudice, causing people to be mistreated based on the belief that they only achieved their success because of their minority status.

Affirmative action has been a highly controversial subject since its conception and no doubt will continue to be the subject of debate for many years to come.

Hello there...

My name is Karleigh Santry and I'm currently pursing a BS in Communication with concentrations in both Emerging Technology and Multimedia and Journalism at Slippery Rock University. I've been the Advertising Manager of The Rocket since I was a sophomore. I spent two years as a Community Assistant in the Residence Halls and now I work in the Office of Residence Life creating a variety of marketing materials. I was also recently selected as the Publicity Chair for the Musical Theatre Society on campus and actively participate in the musical productions we put on throughout the year. As you may have noticed, I like to stay as busy as possible. My life's always been a little chaotic, but I like it that way.

I've always known I wanted to work in the media in some way. While choosing the general area of interest was easy for me, with there being such a wide range of possible career options within this field, I'm having a hard time choosing just one. After my internship with a minor league baseball team this past summer, I've been leaning toward a career in sports media lately. However, if I'm being honest, I know I change my mind far too often to really take that thought too seriously.

I've always been interested in the media, especially social media and how it's become a vital part of our daily lives. I, like most, was on MySpace when Facebook first came out. Being thirteen and preoccupied with my choosing my Top Friends (which caused unnecessary drama in my middle school life), picking the perfect song to play when you visited my page (though really, everyone hit pause on the music player as soon as they visited anyone's MySpace page), and experimenting with all the fun and annoying things I could now do with my extremely limited HTML knowledge, I thought Facebook was a stupid ripoff of MySpace that would never amount to anything.

Still, I made a Facebook page due to my adolescent need to join every social media network possible to ensure I was always keeping up with the times. At first, I spent very little time on Facebook, but as I got older, I found myself spending less time on MySpace and more time on Facebook. Eventually, I deleted my MySpace page and officially migrated all of my social media activity to Facebook. Considering the joke MySpace is nowadays, I think it's safe to assume this is the way things went for a good portion of former MySpace users.

I've been on Twitter since early 2008, before it really took off as a major social media platform. I know thats the "hipster" thing to say... "I was using Twitter before it was cool," but it's true. It's most likely the only website I'll be able to have a username that consists of my first name alone. I know my name has a unique spelling, but I still consider my Twitter handle a huge accomplishment.

Lately, I've been fascinated with how social media seems to have completely replaced major news media outlets as my first source for breaking news. I hardly ever read the newspaper or watch the news anymore because I see the headlines all over Twitter and Facebook and just choose to do a little more research on the stories that catch my attention.

I do make a point to visit major news websites every so often just to make sure I'm aware of what's going on in the world around me. If I am resorting to a traditional news media outlet, I generally rely on CNN or CNN.com. It can sometimes be difficult to get objective news, as so many outlets try to put a conservative or liberal twist on what they do or do not report. I've found that CNN is generally fair, which makes them my go-to traditional news source.

As far as a non-traditional news source goes, I would have to say I probably spend what may be considered an unhealthy amount of time on BuzzFeed. I know most people only use BuzzFeed to take quizzes and read (and probably share) one of their thousands of relatable lists (i.e.: 25 Things All Basic White Girls Do During the Fall), but they also cover the news. They have news articles and videos in addition to all of their meme-worthy randomness. I've found that while most of their news coverage leans a bit to the left, I have much more fun reading the news when I can alternate between the heavy news stories and "24 Times Pug Tongues Just Could Not Be Contained."

I'm really looking forward to what I can learn from this class. It should be an interesting semester.

-Karleigh