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Voices

Hopkins is a diverse university where an incredible mix of cultures, academic interests and personalities coexist and thrive. Here is the section where you can publish your unique thoughts, ideas and perspectives on life at Hopkins and beyond.

Amen Break: Granddaddy of Music Samples

By ALEX HUROWITZ | November 2, 2012

For the past 30 years or so, musical sampling has attained a significant role in the music industry. What is sampling exactly? According to Wikipedia, music sampling is taking a portion of one recording and using it as an instrument in a different recording. Through samples, one can create an entirely different song from the origin of said samples. An example of this is Endtroducing… by DJ Shadow. Released in 1996, it has been cited by the Guinness Book of Records as the first album ever to be created entirely with samples. If you were to listen to the original material the samples come from, you would see how they do not sound anything like the instrumental hip hop and trip hop feel that DJ Shadow falls under.

The Godfather: A true classic now and forever

By KEVIN JOYCE | October 25, 2012

I’m turning back the clock a bit and examining a pivotal landmark in the history of the film industry, “The Godfather.” Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 masterpiece might be the single defining work of his career and perhaps the most critically acclaimed film in cinematic history. Before the film was even in pre-production, studios knew it was going to be well-received (both critically and commercially). There was a fierce bidding war over the rights almost immediately after the novel was released. Studio executives and directors alike knew they had a gem on their hands.

Seeing The Colbert Report live: What it’s like and why you should do it

By CARTER BANKER | October 25, 2012

Recently my travels took me to the Big Apple where I was able to witness the wonderful spectacle that is “The Colbert Report.” Getting tickets is not as easy as you might think. The Twitter account Spiffomatic64 (I have no idea where the name comes from) gives you automatic updates on the tickets available for “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report.” I kept the Twitter page open in my tabs and it still took me weeks to get a ticket. You have to act really fast because the tickets are free! But I finally succeeded in getting two tickets, one for me and one for my boyfriend for the night of Thursday, Sept. 27.

What exactly is your family label?

By AMANDA GARCIA | October 25, 2012

My older sister has four children. This year Ahava, Cirillo, Alejandra and Jose will be nine, three, two and one years old, respectively. She lucked out since she has the best of both worlds, two boys and two girls. Anyways, these rascals keep us all young with their endless energy. Not to mention, they’re also the ultimate form of entertainment.

Is James Blunt retiring?

By NICHOLAS DEPAUL | October 25, 2012

On Monday, I awoke to the news that James Blunt had retired from the music industry. “I just want to take some time out for myself,” he told The Daily Mail, “I haven’t got any plans to do more songwriting.”

From Making Big Money to Fashion Tips : AskMani

By ASKMANI | October 25, 2012

Dear AskMani, So I’ve been inspired by Drake’s song  “Motto” and something about “25 sitting on 25 mill” just resonated with me. I’m currently 21 and far from on pace. Do you have any advice for making $24.999999 million dollars in four years? Sincerely, I Wanna B Rich

That time I was almost sold for monkeys

By Ellen Brait | October 18, 2012

When I was a mere sophomore in high school, I decided it would a brilliant idea to travel to India on a service project with my school, despite the fact that I cannot stand spicy food. I would spend the two weeks there eating lots of naan bread and not much else.

The Foo Fighters: Saviors of Music or not?

By ALEX HUROWITZ | October 18, 2012

On Oct. 2, Dave Grohl, the founder of the Foo Fighters, announced via their website that the band would be going on hiatus for an undetermined amount of time. Obviously, after winning 5 Grammy’s with their album Wasting Light, going on a massive world tour and just being one of the most popular rock bands around, this is terrible news for a fan to hear. Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters were the saviors of music; they are that one rock band that is as, if not more, popular than the big names within the current electronic dance (EDM) trend in music. But upon further analysis, are the Foo Fighters really the saviors of music? Are they actually bringing anything new to the table?

Woody’s Taco Island Truck: A Success

By GEORGINA RUPP | October 18, 2012

If you’re in need of a new Friday food fix, look no further than the colorful and whimsical U-Haul sized truck parked on N. Charles Street. The truck is unmistakable due to its bright design depicting a flamingo, a parrot and a turtle, to name a few, enjoying tropical drinks at a tiki bar on the water. Nevertheless, it can be easy to barrel past this rainbow-hued vehicle as you hurry home after your last class of the week or rush into CharMar for yet another box of sushi because making the trek toward any other food option seems too exhausting. Next time, take a moment to stop and browse Woody’s Taco’s brief yet appetizing menu; you may realize that some Caribbean grub is the perfect capper to your week.

Yes, it’s possible to fail first grade gym

By RACHEL WITKIN | October 18, 2012

I’m so uncoordinated that once, my gym teacher had to ask my parents if they locked me in a closet all day at home. Instead of talking about academics at my parent-teacher conference, they apparently talked about my inability to do any kind of athletic activity. My teacher had given me an “N” in physical education for that quarter, which was the lowest grade. I don’t know what it stood for, but probably something like “not a real human being.”

Charles Commons, the darker side you don’t see

By BRIDGET BAIRD HARKNESS | October 18, 2012

With its completion a mere six years ago, in 2006, Charles Commons presents itself as a sort of housing mecca for underclassmen. Freshmen make or break roommate relationships for the sole purpose of securing a high enough lottery number to attain entrance beyond the mechanically operated turnstiles. Sophomores yearn for late night companionship with any Commoner, seduced by the privacy that walls of a single bedroom can provide. Yet beneath the shining, freshly painted exterior lurks a darker, more sinister presence.

The Essential Top Six Partying Movies

By KEVIN JOYCE | October 11, 2012

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote an article on what I thought were the best movies for a college student to watch. This week I’ll narrow my focus on one (very important) facet of college life: partying. You’re not usually going to be watching a movie during a party (because that would probably be a pretty boring party) but it’s not a bad idea to have one going on in the background of a pregame, or even to watch one before a pregame to get you pumped up and excited. Here are some of the top films you can watch to get you excited for going out.

Death Grips: "NO LOVE DEEP WEB" Leaked

By ALEX HUROWITZ | October 11, 2012

When I last wrote about the experimental rap/punk/rave group Death Grips for The News-Letter, they had just released their critically acclaimed debut album The Money Store. So after mentioning them before, why would I be doing another “check these guys out”/review article of their music? Well, just last week, Death Grips leaked their second album, NO LOVE DEEP WEB: a major label LP.

A selection of the best bars Sydney has to offer

By CARTER BANKER | October 11, 2012

A few weeks ago, I wrote a column outlining a 5-day visit to Sydney, Australia, but I left out a key part of the experience: the bars! Like it or not, drinking is a pretty big part of Australian culture. So here’s a list of some of my favorite bars in Sydney.

Want to graduate? You have to live in an igloo

By Ellen Brait | October 4, 2012

By sharing this story, I am more than likely fueling the stereotypes that Canadians live in an igloo-filled, barren, snowy wasteland. Just to clarify, my high school was considered strange even in Canada, and this type of trip was by no means normal.

Ambassador Brunch is always a good idea

By GEORGINA RUPP | October 4, 2012

It’s Sunday, and late morning sunlight is pouring into your room mocking you for how late you’ve slept and the mountains of work that await you in the library. You stay in your bed unwilling to detach your head from your pillow in protest against the upcoming week. The thought of even seeing a campus building right now pains you. As you lie there, you cringe at the thought of eating yet another boring and unsatisfying bowl of cereal for breakfast. Maybe you consider a trip to Tambers, but you seriously fear the possibility of running into someone there with whom you’ll be forced to make conversation. So you decide this is a day to treat yourself to Sunday brunch at the Ambassador Dining Room.

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