Magazine Info
September 2012 atownmagazine.com
Executive Editor
Bryce Mills brycemills@atownmagazine.com Twitter: @lastgeek
Graphic Designer
Kara Kirschenmann karajayde@atownmagazine.com Twitter: @KaraJaydeK
Layout Designer
Elizabeth Zappa Lizzappa@atownmagazine.com Twitter: @LizZappa89
Contact us
P.O. Box 533 Aberdeen, S.D. 57402 staff@atownmagazine.com
Advertising Inquires sales@atownmagazine.com
Check Us Out Online
www.atownmagazine.com www.facebook.com/atownmagazine/ www.twitter.com/atownmagazine/ A-Town Magazine is printed monthly by Short Run Printing, Ltd., and is distributed for free at various businesses throughout Aberdeen. Content in this magazine or on the website should not be copied in any way without written permission from the executive editor. A-Town Magazine assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. Materials will only be returned if accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope, so it is preferred material simply be sent via email. Content and opinions expressed in the A-Town Magazine are solely the opinion of their writers. A-Town Magazine neither condones nor condemns the content of these articles, advertisements, or editorial material. Š 2012 A-Town Magazine. All rights reserved.
September 2012 atownmagazine.com
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pg. 4
September Fashions p. 6
Band Spotlight: The Boomerang Kid pg. 9
Table of Contents
September Events Calendar
Recipes for the Cook in Everyone pg. 12
Creative Writing: I Think ‘I Do’ pg. 13
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Feature: Zachary Anderson for State House pg. 14
Health and Fitness: Supplements pg. 17
Video Game Review: Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance pg. 18
Art Review: Chris Francis, Nick Fischer, Chris Heier, and Lacey Lee pg. 20
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Drink of the Month: Tallgrass Oasis Imperial ESB pg. 22
Music Review: Ape Up! Kemosabe pg. 24
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Book Review: Let’s Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir pg. 25
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September 2012 atownmagazine.com
September 2012 atownmagazine.com Executive Editor Gamer, geek, and multimedia graphic design student. Writer, photographer, and founder.
Kara Kirschenmann
Graphic Designer Fashion expert, mother of two adorable kids, and Advertising Design major. Enjoys hitting the town for a night out with friends.
Contributors
Bryce Mills
Liz Zappa
Layout Designer Enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, listening to music, and writing novels, short stories, and poetry. Does freelance writing, editing, and designing.
Brennen Bollinger
Health and Fitness Guru Enjoys music, video games, hanging with friends, but mostly hitting the gym and getting his sweat on. Loves helping people with their fitness goals.
Victoria Lusk
Book Reviewer Loves reading novels, especially with a glass of wine. Thinks pedicures are God’s greatest gift to mankind. Loves shopping, traveling, and spending time with family.
Matt Schaefer
Artist/Curator/Art Dealer/Art Critic Exists somewhere between the realm of brilliance and madness.
Erin Wolter
Band Reporter Rock ‘n’ Roll Enthusiast. Musician, plays bass guitar, editor-in-chief of the Northern State University campus newspaper, The Exponent.
Dylan Wolters
Music Reviewer An amateur writer and a professional drinker. Have an article idea and/or want to be a contributor? Email us: staff@atownmaagazine.com
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Events Calendar
September 2012 atownmagazine.com
September Events Music September 1 Subconcious Monthly with Rad Jackson The Red Rooster. Techno DJ.
September 1 Soap
Wild Oats Sport Bar.
September 7 Dinky Beats Entertainment’s Back to School Bash
Dakota Event Center. Featuring EMPHATIC with special guests ShowBaby and Fivefold. Tickets available at the Hub City Radio offices and Mavericks, $15 in advance, $20 day of the show. $30 VIP tickets include early entrance, meet and greet with the bands and special section with private bar and service. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., music starts at 7:30 p.m.
September 22 Multi-Band End of Summer Bash 5 p.m.-1 p.m. The Shed - Westport. Ages 21+
September 27 Rehab & The Red, White & Booze Tour 7:30 p.m. Dakota Event Center. Featuring The Moonshine Bandits & Soulcrate. All ages.
September 27 Carolyn Cruso The Red Rooster.
September 29 Subconcious Monthly with Rad Jackson The Red Rooster. Techno DJ.
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In and Around Aberdeen Art September 1-15 “Day Country” Art by Jacob W. Bosmoe Dacotah Prairie Museum. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday. 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday.
September 7-8 Fallout Art & Music Festival
Free. Downtown Aberdeen. Creation stations, 25+ musical acts, awesome Happy Fun Land, Super Activities Arena.
September 13 |20 Fallout Art & Music Night
Free. The Red Rooster. Get Creative with Free Art Supplies, Free Food, and more.
September 15-16 NESD Celtic Faire and Games
All Day. Brown County Fairgrounds. This event provides an exciting venue for all individuals who have interest in Celtic heritage or history, arts, sports, and entertainment.
September 27-30 South Dakota Film Festival
Full Festival Pass (all films, parties, workshops) $30. VIP Pass (all films, parties, workshops, filmmaker lounge) $100. Individual Sessions are $10 at the door. Students receive a 50% discount with current student ID.
Have an upcoming event you want added to our Events Calendar? Email us: staff@atownmagazine.com
September 2012 atownmagazine.com
September 1 PC Saints Men’s Soccer vs. Providence 2 p.m. Saints Field.
September 1|15|29 PC Saints Football Swisher Field.
September 1|15|25 PC Saints Women’s Soccer Saints Field.
September 5|8|15|16|29|30 NSU Wolves Soccer Jerde Field.
September 7 Brown County Speedway
7:30 p.m. Brown County Fairgrounds.
September 7-8 Aberdeen Wings vs. Topeka Roadrunners 7:15 p.m. Odde Ice Center.
September 8|22 NSU Wolves Football Swisher Field.
September 11|18|28 PC Saints Volleyball Strode Center.
September 18|28|29 NSU Wolves Volleyball
Events Calendar
Sports
Activities September 1 Pink Heals Tour
Firefighters and police officers are traveling across the country in pink fire trucks as part of the annual “Pink Heals Tour.” They will be at the old Econo Foods parking lot from 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. From there they will make stops at Kesslers and Kens before ending at Wiley Park from 7-9 p.m.
September 6 Aberdeen’s Got Talent Auditions
The Red Rooster. Audition for community talent showcase - finalists will compete at the Art and Music Festival Friday night. Winners will perform on the main stage Saturday afternoon.
September 8 “Driving the Yellowstone Trail”
All day. Free. Donations appreciated. Dacotah Prairie Museum. 2012 marks the 100th anniversary of the Yellowstone Trail, a transcontinental auto road connecting Plymouth Rock to Puget Sound. The Trail was the brainchild of Joseph Parmley, an Ipswich, SD., businessman. This exhibit shows the development of the road from its original path between Aberdeen and Ipswich to both coasts.
September 6|13|20|27 Farmers Market
3-6 p.m. Central Park (1st Ave SE and Kline Street). Goods sold consist of various fresh produce, homemade items such as jams, salsas, breads or other baked goods, as well as plants and flowers. Products can change weekly.
Barnett Center.
September 22 Aberdeen Wings vs. Brookings Blizzard 7:15 p.m. Odde Ice Center.
September 9 Ice Cream Social
1 p.m.-4 p.m. Melgaard Park. General Admission $2.50 in advance, $3 at gate. All proceeds go to local youth charities.
September 29 Living History Fall Festival
10 a.m.-4 p.m. Granary Rural Cultural Center Groton.
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Fashion
Modeled by Christine Herr
Feel like dressing things up a bit? Put on some skinny jeans to go along with a dressy top. This cream cardigan is more on the sophisticated side, but still fun enough to wear on any occasion and looks great over a dark colored shirt. Remember, layering is never a bad thing! Adding a tummy belt makes the outfit complete, giving it a bit more character.
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September Fashion
Daytrip cream cardigan - $16.50 Daytrip black and gray long sleeve lace v-neck - $14.50 Braided fabric black tummy belt - $9 Express teal layering tank - $10
Plaid is in! We live in the Midwest; we can embrace it while still having a sense of style. Layer it up ladies and gents, you’ll have people’s heads turning.
Mossimo Supply Co purple, orange, pink, button up plaid long sleeve shirt - $9 BKE flow cut yellow long sleeve shirt - $10 Braun silver etching brown belt - $6 Aeropostale teal layering tank - $5 Dexter brown buckle flats - $13 The original Arizona Jean Company navy, green, purple plaid button up thermal - $13 Hollister blue sweater - $17.50 Authentics Signature by Levi Strauss & Co straight dark jeans - $14.50
Modeled by Joshua Wisniewski and Kaye Leiferman 14
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Fashion
This outfit is perfect for fall weather. The plaid top is warm enough to keep you warm in the fall breeze, but the sleeves can be rolled up on a sunny day. The colors maroon, navy, and cream help give you the fall look.
Hollister White, Navy, Maroon, v-neck t-shirt - $10 Maurices maroon, purple, blue, black, cream plaid long sleeve shirt - $9.50 Express teal layering top - $10
All outfits were found at Urban located on South Main Street. Find great priced clothes for your generation!
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Make-up by Heidi Jenson
September 2012 atownmagazine.com
Musician Spotlight
Marcus Hooks:
The Boomerang Kid
Age: 22 Hometown: Aberdeen Style: Folk, folk-punk (“I play guitar and sing�) By Erin Wolter
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September 2012 atownmagazine.com
H
ow long have you been going at this? I’ve been playing guitar since I was fourteen. As for this particular project? About three or four years. I had a band for about seven years, then kind of split off of that. As of now I’m a solo act, I don’t really have anyone else to play with. When did you become the Boomerang Kid? That would have been my senior year of high school, so about 2008, 2009. In the middle of sociology class, I was looking through our book, [saw the definition for “boomerang kid”] and thought, “Hey. I like that! That’s mine.” We were talking about kids that leave home, then come back because of monetary issues—which I’d done about three times by senior year. My parents had a house that got condemned after the flood [of spring 2007], so I moved out because they had found an apartment, but they didn’t have room for me. So I moved out and got my own place, then had a job but quit the job. Then I was like, “Hey! I don’t have money to pay rent! ‘Well, you’re gonna have to move out.’ Okay.” So, I moved back with my parents. Who are your influences? Since I really found what I’m doing— like my style, my voice, if you wanna be Hillary Duff about it [laughs]—I guess my influences, as far as that goes, are Chuck Reagan, Hot Water Music, and Against Me!. Gaslight Anthem is a big one; huge influence. I always like to cover The Replacements because they’re my favorite band of all time. They’ve always been a constant influence on me as far as playing and writing music goes. It’s always tougher to write than it is to play the music. As far as playing music, and playing covers, I
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cover what I know. The first band I ever learned to play songs by was The Pixies, and I learned about fifteen songs by them pretty quickly. Any albums to speak of? Any releases? Not lately. I’ve made two EPs, one of which I never released due to personal reasons. It was kind of an experiment. The first one I did, I recorded all by myself. I had this little recorder and I recorded it in my parents’ basement. Then I gave it to my friend, Jeremy, to master it, and I was really happy with it. With the second one, I’d given him
ey to do a seven inch release. That’s one of my goals as a musician: to hear myself on a record. Any original songs? Currently, not very many. Actual songs I can remember how to play? Like, six. But I play Capture the Flag songs all the time—that’s the band I was in. I play those songs all the time live and put my own little spin on them. Lately, I’ve been trying to not do as many covers, especially live. Covers are what people like to hear, but that’s not going to get me a fanbase just playing covers. I want people to actually know what I’m trying to do. What’s one of your most exciting moments as a musician? Last summer, it was super hot one day and I lived in a little sh*tty trailer out at Lakeside. I had moved my AC from my living room to my bedroom, since no one was hanging out in there, and I was like, “F*ck this. I’m just gonna go hang out in my room with the AC on.” It was just cold and nice in there, while it was so hot in my living room that as I’d walk through it I’d immediately start sweating. But I was hanging out, and I had recorded this quick version of this Chuck Reagan song called some sort of equipment and he was “California Burritos,” which is one of like, “Hey, wanna record an EP?” and my favorite songs ever written. Then I said, “Sure.” So we did a full band- I put it on the internet, like on Tumtype thing, and I liked it, but I was just blr, and I linked it to Chuck Reagan via kind of thought, “I don’t know if this is Twitter, and he retweeted it to, like, six what I want to do.” It really wasn’t my thousand people and I thought, “Awestyle. I like it, and I still listen to it oc- some!” I was actually so excited I was casionally, I just never really officially, shaking. It’s like, “Oh my God, I’m gonphysically released it. I give it to people na cry, one of my heroes just retweeted for fun—or now you can get it on my my cover!” Who knows if he listened BandCamp page for free. So right now to it? Probably not. But that got me all I’m not really looking at getting CDs motivated and I thought, “Cool! I need done. Right now I’m actually trying to to go write another song!” So I went write a full album. Then, hopefully, by and wrote a song about how hot it was. next Christmas I can get enough mon- And it seems like a lot of my songs are
September 2012 atownmagazine.com about weather. I hate the wind—I have about two or three songs that mention wind—but for some reason, I can’t stop writing about it. What do you like most about your music? I hate my music [laughs]. Nobody likes their own music. Well, except for KISS. They like their own music [laughs again]. No, I don’t hate it. I like playing it; I like the energy it brings. If I’m not super enthusiastic about the song that I’m playing—like, kind of a couple songs that I’m really like, “Oh man, this is a really good song! I’m so glad that I wrote this. I can’t believe I wrote this song, I’ve been looking to write this song forever,” then I don’t mind listening to it. But if it’s like, “Eh. I wrote this song, whatever,” I don’t really care about it. I try to write music to get people’s energy going; get their blood flowing. When I play here (at the Rooster), it’s a lot harder to do because no one wants to dance to acoustic music. Nobody wants to rock and party. I’m not as chill as the Red Rooster. [Aberdeen] used to be punk shows! We opened for this punk band at one of our last shows [as Capture the Flag] called Flatfoot 56, this Celtic punk band from Chicago. They’re awesome, and they’re not huge, but they’re far bigger than us. It was one of our huge milestones. We were like, “Man, that was such a fun, fun time!” I wish we could do that more often. That kind of show gets people’s hearts racing, gets them moving around the room dancing— you know, stuff like that. But now, when I play here acoustically, it’s kind of like, “Man, I should just keep it quiet. What’s the point in shouting here? Nobody’s gonna get up and move around, they’re just gonna sit there and watch.” And when I play at Slackers,
I do the same thing. I stand and play and sing, and whatever, and everybody doesn’t really move, but they stomp, and they scream along with me. Their energy gives me energy. It’s possibly because they’re drunk and I’m playing what they want to hear—songs about drinking. As far as musical goals go, what are your plans? Staying in Aberdeen, or... ? No. that’s kind of everybody’s thing, is that no one wants to be in Aberdeen. Not that I dislike Aberdeen—I like Aberdeen—but I can’t grow musically here. It’s impossible. It’s so limiting when there’s only two, maybe three venues to actually play. But what can I do? I don’t have money to leave, so, for now, I’m stuck here. As for Aberdeen’s music scene… It’s like it’s growing and getting stronger, but at the same time, it seems to be getting smaller… it’s still underground. It’s always been growing, but now, it seems like it’s growing in a downward slope, I guess. If that makes sense. It’s going downhill, but not in a bad way. It’s like it’s growing into a basement—you know what I’m saying? Instead of growing into big huge stadiums, it’s growing into basements. It’s deciding where it wants to go, and I guess that’s how it has to be. When there’s not a whole lot of places to play in Aberdeen, you have to kind of take what you can get and have to do what you can, which isn’t much, obviously, because you don’t have many options. How often do people see you? When and where? I try to do a show a month, around town, whenever I can, whenever I’m asked. I played Final Friday in April [at Slackers]; what I’ve been calling it is “Brass Messengered.” I got interrupted
by a band from Minneapolis in the middle of my set.That was pretty fun. Now it’s kind of a joke. I’ve been playing impromptu shows there, just going there and asking, “Hey, you guys want music tonight? Alright!” and I’ll just play for an hour and a half, playing for tips, or beer, or whatever. Just to kind of get people riled up, to get people in the door. Just support local music, man. You can check out Marcus’s Facebook page, Boomerang Kid, and his BandCamp page by the same name.
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Recipes
September 2012 atownmagazine.com
Pepperoni Spinach Quiche
Ingredients 1 tube (8 oz.) refrigerated crescent rolls 1 large tomato, diced 1 tbsp olive oil 1 garlic clove, minced 5 eggs, lightly beaten 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 1/2 cup fresh spinach 1/4 cup sliced pepperoni, cut into strips 1/4 cup half-and-half cream 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese 1 tbsp fresh parsley or 1 tsp dried parsley, minced 1 tbsp fresh basil or 1 tsp dried basil, minced Directions Separate crescent dough into eight triangles; place in an ungreased 9-in. pie pan or round casserole pan with points toward the center. Press onto the bottom and up the sides to form a crust; seal seams. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Pour into crust. Bake at 375째 for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.
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Pasta Carbonara
Ingredients 2 cups uncooked mostaccioli 8 bacon strips 1 cup mushrooms, sliced 1/2 cup red onion, diced 3/4 cup half-and-half cream 1/3 cup butter 1 teaspoon fresh parsley flakes, minced 1 teaspoon garlic, minced 1/4 tsp dried dill 1/4 tsp chili powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup tomato, diced 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/3 cup sour cream 1/4 cup sliced green onions Directions Cook mostaccioli according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain. Brown mushrooms and onions in drippings. Remove to paper towels. Drain drippings from pan. Add the cream, butter, parsley, garlic, dill, chili powder, and salt if desired to the skillet; cook and stir over medium heat until butter is melted. Drain mostaccioli; add to cream mixture. Stir in the bacon, mushrooms, cheese, and tomato; heat through. Remove from the heat. Sprinkle with green onions.
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lue – the color of the napkin I used to wipe the toast crumbs from my mouth. The same napkin that was used to clean my mouth of that same breakfast after it reappeared. I couldn’t even keep toast down. This is a bad start to the biggest day of my life. Why am I so nervous? This is a happy moment, a milestone that little girls dream of. How can my stomach feel like this when I’m supposed to be so happy? Everyone else is overflowing with joy and spewing hugs and smiles every chance they get. So why does my gut mimic the time I ate that rotten chicken at my favorite restaurant? I know this is more than cold feet; my stomach is about to jump out of my throat. As my mother, grandmother, and sister huddle around me to adjust my veil, I look at my sister. Her face in the vanity mirror surprises me because I’m so accustomed to her ratty ponytail and lack of makeup. It’s rare to see such elegance on such a crass girl. She smiles warmly and my shock intensifies. Is she actually going to be supportive and gentle on this life changing day? “Thanks for being here for me. I know it wasn’t easy for you to fly in a plane. And I’m sorry you had to miss some classes,” I say apologetically. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll have a hundred more classes in my life, but my sister only gets married a handful of times.” And her smile disappears. There’s the cynical girl I grew up with. Thanks; very reassuring. Leave it to my sister to wash away any sense of hope I have left and drown me with a sea of doubt. Blue – the bracelet my grandma gave me as my “something blue” token. She wore it on her wedding day in 1934. I’ve seen it before but never noticed
I Think ‘I Do’
how old it actually was.The years were present on its loose crystals and aged silver clasp. Looking at this bracelet, I envision what my grandmother looked like as she walked down the aisle so many years ago; what my grandfather was like before he turned into the hateful bitter man he was in his last years. I imagine them as young and happy – so unlike what my grandmother is now. The years of turmoil are still evident on her sad, wrinkled face. Will I have the same fate? Will I come home to an angry man with a dark heart? Maybe this was a bad idea. Did I say yes out of obligation? Does anyone actually say no to a proposal? As I picture my life going down a very sad and lonely slope, I feel my lungs turn into stone and the weight of this day is stealing any oxygen I have left. The walls of the bathroom begin to invade my space. And I need to get out. Blue – the soothing waves crashing in the Pacific. It’s at this point that I’m grateful for having my wedding on a cruise ship. The feeling of entrapment on this stranded ship is suddenly washed away by the cool breeze and swaying water. For the first time today, I can breathe. As my eyes open, I’m at the altar. I’m not ready. This is way too soon. Can’t we just stay engaged forever? People do that, right? Oh no, here’s that feeling again. I can see the walls charging towards me. If I had anything in my stomach this is when it would surely make its appearance. How many people would despise me if I walked away, I wonder. My hands begin to sweat and I feel a light squeeze. That’s when I finally meet his gaze. Blue – his piercing eyes, calm and
By Aleece Jung steady.There’s not an ounce of doubt in his face. Guilt instantly floods my brain, replacing all fear. A smile creeps across his mouth. How can he be so reassuring? Can he sense my uneasiness? If we go through with this, he’ll undoubtedly hate me in a few years.Will our children see through the staged kisses and forced affection? What if his love for me fades just as my grandfather’s? I do love him, and want to spend my life with him, but marriage seems so permanent. I don’t think I can handle any more of this. And I feel myself swagger in my heels. How can this be happening? This isn’t what a little girl dreams of. Maybe if I “accidentally” drop the unity candle on my dress they’ll call off the ceremony and rush me to the nearest first aid kit with minimal burns. No, let’s not be irrational, Brittany. Just as I’ve convinced myself to subtly shoot my brother a look for the “if anyone objects” moment, my father catches my eye. He isn’t smiling; he rarely does. I can’t help but think he somehow knows exactly the frenzy that’s occurring in my head. The look on his face can only be described as solemn. He gives me a slight shrug as if to say, “Go on, girl. Shit or get off the pot. I’ve got things to do.” He’s right. If this is what I want, I should suck it up and toss my doubt with the anchor. Blue – the bridesmaids’ dresses, my shoes, the groomsmen’s ties, and the bow on the unity candle. In the pictures I’ll see later, this is the part where I actually look happy. Blue – the beads on the rosary hanging from the taxi’s rearview mirror. Blue – the pen I’ll use to try to explain how sorry I am to him for leaving him standing there in front of our families watching me run away.
Send in your creative writing to staff@atownmagazine.com for a chance to see it published.
Creative Writing
September 2012 atownmagazine.com
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Feature 14
Zachary Anderson for State House
By Bryce Mills
C
an you tell us a little about yourself? What political experience do you have? My name is Zachary Anderson and I am the Democratic Nominee for the South Dakota District 3 House of Representatives. I was born in Sioux Falls but ended up in Nebraska after my parents divorced. Growing up I learned how important it was to stand up for what you and people around you believe in. In high school, I was not too involved in politics until I ran for and was elected Senior Class President. I entered that race for the same reason I felt compelled to enter this one: the people would have been misrepresented had I not. I went on to graduate from South Sioux City Senior High School in South Sioux City, Neb.When choosing a college, I decided to return to South Dakota to be closer to the majority of my family. I decided to attend Northern State University and study political science because it is a small campus and a very welcoming community. While at Northern, I have had the opportunity to be the Chair of the College Democrats as well as be involved in plays, music, television, and a member of our Student Association for the past three years. I am also serving as the President of the South Dakota Young Democrats as well as the current President of the Northern State Student Association. What office are you running for? What makes up District 3? I am running for the District 3 House of Representatives against Bill Antonides, David Novstrup, and Dan Kaiser. District 3 encompasses most of Aberdeen except for precinct 8 and stretches to include the town of Bath and some of the farm areas around the area. What main issues do you wish to address as District 3’s representative? What issues that specifically affect Aberdeen will you address in the State House? My main issues are education, economic development, and youth voice. The South Dakota Legislature seems to have put education at the bottom of its priority list and
September 2012 atownmagazine.com we need to put it at the top. Education is an investment towards the long term prosperity of our state and our nation. We need to put more energy into education so we can keep the best teachers in our state and produce the best students. Economic development in Aberdeen has been growing but the lack of long term career opportunities in the area prevents long term growth. We see students come to Northern State and Presentation College for their degrees and then are forced out of the area towards bigger cities because they cannot find jobs in their field. My goal is to promote Aberdeen and South Dakota to businesses and keep students who were raised here and those who chose to come to this area to stay and become long term residents. The Aberdeen school district is a great school district and we need to get even more people to see that and want their students to attend there. We also need to keep our best teachers rather than having them apply for jobs at Aberdeen Central High School and see them get a year’s experience and then leave the area. Job creation needs to continue to grow as well as career creation in order to bring new people to Aberdeen as well as keep our current people in the area. The last issue I will bring up is the absence of a youth voice. The 18-25 age group is a significant percentage of the population of Aberdeen, and yet our issues are not being heard. Too often the inexperience of youth is misinterpreted and cast aside. Youth will always be a voice that may have some points missed by other groups and will continuously need to be heard. All of these issues affect Aberdeen because they all pertain to how we can grow and become an even better community. Is high-quality education sufficient to keep students in South Dakota in the long term? What other opportunities do we need to offer students to keep them in South Dakota after graduation? To me, this is a simple answer. We need
to give them an opportunity towards a career. High-quality education is a great way to get people to our state, but if the jobs are better somewhere else, students are going to leave for what they think is a better life. Being highly educated can be a great thing but it could also create a more difficult time getting a job. If an employer is looking for an individual with a college degree then the graduate may fit perfectly for that job. However, if an employer is simply looking for a laborer the college degree may make them over-qualified and the employer may be afraid that the applicant is going to be constantly looking for newer better jobs and the employer may hire someone less qualified. In order to keep students in the Aberdeen area, we need to make more careers available. How can the state fix the problems currently present in South Dakota’s smaller school districts? Can the needs of smaller districts be balanced with larger schools? How can we best address school funding? I believe that the state can fix some of the small school issues the same way that they can fix the big school issues: by putting education higher on the priority list. Most teachers do not teach for the financial gain, but other states offer other benefits that draw the best and brightest away from our state.The way that I would balance the small districts would be to redistribute some of the money that goes into the big schools into smaller schools. The big school districts have more available resources to close the gap, whereas the small districts are falling farther behind and being forced to Co-op in order to give students an education. This is a situation again of job loss in South Dakota. What programs and policies currently in effect would you like to see changed in South Dakota? Because House Bill 1234 is still in place, I feel that the biggest policy I would like to change is House Bill 1234. This is an
issue at hand that I feel has not been addressed with this bill. As written, the policy would create a program that makes it more affordable for teachers to go into the math and science fields while in college and teach one year longer than the amount they used the program for. There is a program in place called Dakota Corp that already does such a task. Another problem with this policy is that the bill is written as if education is a business. With the bonuses that they are proposing, there would create a possibility of tension between teachers as well as my personal fear of nepotism. If my grandfather is the school board president and my dad is the superintendent while my aunt is the principal, if I were to receive that bonus, even though I may have worked to deserve it, all the speculation will be against me that nepotism is the only reason I received the bonus. The last thing that hits home about this policy is the abolishment of continuing contract. As a college student, I know that collegiate tenure and what is called high school tenure are completely different. Right now it is not too difficult to relieve a teacher of their duties, but because we are a right to work state, under this policy the administration will not need a reason to not renew a contract. This could cause an even bigger problem with the nepotism and student favoritism. For example, if the coach/teacher benches the superintendent’s son during the state championship game in football, his contract renewal could potentially be in jeopardy. Continuing contract gives a little stability to teachers to stay in South Dakota. Do you find current tax revenue sufficient to meet the state’s needs? How would you change taxation in South Dakota to reflect its needs? I believe that, for the time, South Dakota makes the budget work. It shows with the surplus that we received this past year, but I believe that if we found a good way to tax people, whether that be income tax or raising taxes during high
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Feature
September 2012 atownmagazine.com tourist times, we could reapportion the funds we receive to where South Dakota can prosper and create more reasons for people to come other than low taxes. How can we improve economic development in Aberdeen? What sort of incentives can we offer to current and new businesses in the Aberdeen area? We need to promote the two colleges to outside vendors. The two colleges in town create a work force while students attend college as well as a possibility towards educated workforces with Bachelor and Masters Degrees. Northern State and Presentation offer degrees that will allow businesses to come to Aberdeen and have able applicants waiting for them. To answer in a quick phrase, I believe that as a community, we need to promote Aberdeen and the people who are here. You’ve worked as an intern for Senator Tim Johnson. How has this experience prepared you for representing our area in the State House? Though Senator Johnson is on a national level, while in his office I learned the value of listening to the people you represent. Senator Johnson’s office works diligently to listen to every concern of every person who walks in. While working there, I worked to get constituents’ problems solved. As a state representative, I will do the same thing; working to make the people of District 3 happy to have me as their representative. Senator Johnson has shown me that working hard can get you places you never would have expected. He was once in the South Dakota Legislature before Washington, and though I do not plan to follow in his footsteps, he has enlightened me with certain bits of knowledge that will help me along my life path. How do you think District 3 has been misrepresented in the past? The best example is HB 1234. I attended Governor Daugaard’s address in Aberdeen about his education plan. At the
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conclusion of the address, most of the room stood up in opposition to the plan. However, the incumbent representative voted for it. Do you have strong opinions about social issues including gay marriage, marijuana legalization, and abortion? This topic really pertains to the question asked. There are certain aspects of each of these social issues that I agree with and certain aspects I oppose. I have my beliefs on each of the topics, but I will vote based upon what I believe the people of District 3 would want and how the bill will directly affect the people of South Dakota. How do you plan to balance the needs of the district with the needs of the state as a whole? As a representative, I will be in Pierre standing for what I believe the people of District 3 will want for our community and our state. I have heard it many times from county members that Aberdeen needs the small communities around it as much as the small communities around Aberdeen need our city. I will stand for the things that create a better life style in Aberdeen and the whole state. Other than Education and Economic development, what other issues need to be addresses in South Dakota? What role do you see agriculture playing in the area and how do you plan to support agricultural interests? I see the youth voice as another issue that is often over looked. Many times during my tenure at Northern, students have told me that they do not express their opinions higher because they feel they are not heard. If the youth of South Dakota does not feel they are being heard, why do we expect them to stay in South Dakota? This is a very important voice towards our future that I feel is often not represented properly, if at all. As far as agriculture goes, it is a huge part of our culture, especially in Aber-
deen. I am not personally familiar with agriculture and I am not going to pretend I am. I will listen to individuals with agriculture-related issues and I will reason with them why I voted for or against agriculture bills, but I will stand by the people of my district and what I believe the people want. Do you have any plans to improve funding for infrastructure in your district? At this time I do not know how the budget lays out, but I will always vote to make South Dakota a better place to live. If there is money that is designated to infrastructure, I will promote Aberdeen like any representative should to make our area an even better place to live by bringing better businesses in and creating better quality of life. Do you have any plans to improve or change technology’s impact in South Dakota, including greater access to affordable high speed internet and education for those interested in going into the technology field in South Dakota? Technology is an invention that is constantly changing. At this time, I know there are certain programs available to make internet and cable affordable. With affordability, everyone has their own definition. I will vote to make technology available to everyone, but like I said, affordable is a definition that fluctuates. Anything else you would like to say? I would like to thank A-Town Magazine for this opportunity and hope that everyone studies the candidates to become more educated in the election process. Voting party lines is the easy way out. Bill Antonides and I are both Democratic nominees for the State House of Representatives, but we have very different views on many issues. Vote for the person you believe stands for what you stand for. On November 6th I would greatly appreciate your support and hope that everyone gets out to vote!
Know of someone or something in Aberdeen that we should feature? Let us know! staff@atownmagazine.com
September 2012 atownmagazine.com
S
upplements will never replace proper nutrition, but they can help you hit your fitness goals faster. Supplements complement your diet and help cover nutrient gaps, ensuring that your body has what it needs for peak performance. No matter what your training goals are, the right supplements can help improve your health, performance, and physique. Assuming you already use a multivitamin, these five items will help you build a solid supplement foundation. 1) Protein The first and most obvious step to getting enough daily protein is through food - preferably through animal sources (complete proteins). This can be time-consuming and expensive. Eating every 2-to-3 hours isn’t possible for some people, while others just don’t want to eat that frequently. That’s where protein supplementation factors in. Protein supplements act fast and enable you to comfortably and affordably meet your daily protein goals, even when you’re busy at work. At certain times, especially after a workout, protein supplements may even be more beneficial than food. Because whey protein is digested quickly and easily, it’s the ideal post-workout protein source. My personal choice for protein is Combat Powder by Musclepharm. 2) Fish oil Fish oil is a supplement with numerous health benefits that everyone, bodybuilder or average joe, should be taking on a daily basis. These benefits come from
its high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, particularly EPA and DHA. Omega-3s are considered “essential fatty acids,” which means they’re necessary for human health but aren’t made by the body. Omega-3 fatty acids are also present in various non-animal products, such as Brazil nuts, walnuts, and flaxseeds. Omega-3 fatty acids support: • Cognitive function • Normal, healthy immune system function • Heart health • Healthy skin • Vision • Joint health 3) Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) The BCAAs I speak of here are leucine, isoleucine and valine. Naturally found in foods high in protein, BCAAs are already part of anyone’s diet. When taken during training, BCAAs can improve prolonged performance and promote recovery. BCAAs may also reduce muscle breakdown (catabolism), potentially leading to more total muscle growth. They’re also useful on non-training days to help maintain lean body mass. My personal favorite way to take BCAAs is in a flavored powder form; something like Xtend by Scivation. BCAAs may: • Increase energy • Enhance protein synthesis • Boost strength and power • Improve muscle-building potential 4) Glutamine It’s the most abundant amino acid
in skeletal muscle and also plays a vital role in immune system health and the wellbeing of the entire body. In supplement form, glutamine can yield additional benefits to help build muscle mass as well as reduce muscle catabolism, promote normal and healthy immune system functions, as well as gut health. Glutamine is particularly beneficial after workouts because it has the ability to re-synthesize muscle glycogen and glutamine levels lost during exercise without the release of insulin. This is great news for people who workout several times per week, especially on a low-carb diet. 5) Creatine Creatine is one of the most wellstudied supplements on the market. It has been shown to improve sprint times and boost the performance of athletes engaged in high-intensity activity, such as weightlifting and strength training. Creatine can boost maximal strength and energy output during exercise, allowing you to lift heavier, longer. It also acts as a “cell volumizer,” making muscles fuller. While there are multiple forms of creatine available, creatine monohydrate has been around longest and is the best-tested and therefore my choice. So there it is, a list of some essentials that should be in your supplement stack. There are many other supplements out on the market that you can most certainly include if you feel it’s necessary. But when it comes to my cabinet of supps, these 5 are always on hand. Thanks for reading. Now go push some iron! 17
Health and Fitness
Supplement Guide: 5 Basic Supps that should always be in your arsenal By Brennen Bollinger
Video Game Review
September 2012 atownmagazine.com
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Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance (Nintendo 3DS) By Bryce Mills
I
t’s been 10 years since the release of the first Kingdom Hearts game for Playstation 2 and the series has become one of the most popular and beloved in gaming for those who grew up playing its unique blend of Disney and Square Enix characters in a new story. In those 10 years, there have been seven games released in the series over three systems that continue and expand the story of Kingdom Hearts, the latest of which is Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance for the Nintendo 3DS. I’ll start off with a warning for anyone who is interested in getting into Kingdom Hearts through this game or someone who has only played Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2.
The story of Kingdom Hearts 3D ties together all six games that came before it in a way that wraps up old storylines and gets them ready for what will most likely be Kingdom Hearts 3. If you haven’t played every one of the Kingdom Hearts games you will be lost during a majority of the story. While KH 3D attempts to make up for this by providing a brief description of the story of each game, it doesn’t allow for the beauty and touching moments that are found in each game. That being said, if you have played all the Kingdom Hearts games it’s a no-brainer to add this to the list. The story picks up with Sora and Riku attempting to prove themselves worthy of wielding the famous Keyblade. Master Yen Sid sends them on a test to unlock seven sleeping keyholes and wake the dreaming worlds. To complete this test, Sora and Riku end up visiting the worlds of familiar Disney stories including: “The Three Musketeers,” “Hunchback of Notre Dame,” “Tron Legacy,” “Fantasia,” and “Pinocchio.” Unknown to the heroes, Organization 13 has secret plans for them. In terms of gameplay, Kingdom Hearts: 3D has some unique
aspects that set it apart from the rest of the series. First off, you are playing as both Sora and Riku but separately. As you play, you will switch between the two characters when your drop meter at the bottom runs out. At that point, you will switch to the other character at the last point you were playing them, so you could switch between characters in separate worlds. Beyond that, KH 3D plays like most of the other Kingdom Hearts games with its blend of fast past action and RPG elements borrowed from Final Fantasy games, with a few tweaks here and there to utilize the 3DS’s touch screen like “Reality Shifts” that ask you to swipe, drag, or touch the screen to do more damage. Kingdom Hearts 3D has a lot of unique changes to keep things fresh for Kingdom Hearts players. However, KH 3D tends to drag after awhile since you will be essentially replaying each world twice, retracing the same places with Riku as you did with Sora. Not to mention the five versions of the final boss you’ll have to fight before finally wrapping up the game. All that said, for Kingdom Hearts fans this is a game that needs to played, as it will bring back every character and every storyline from the old games including characters you thought were gone for good. If the prospect of Kingdom Hearts games sounds cool, you should start off with Kingdom Hearts 1 and play the story in order. It’s definitely worth it.
September 2012 atownmagazine.com
Happy Hour
9-11 p.m. Monday-Friday
$1.50
Domestic beers
$2
Micro-brewery and imported beers
Ladies’ Night Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 7p.m.-Midnight
2-for-1 drinks
Ask about our College Student Discount! Pub open Noon-2 a.m. Attendent on Duty Located just one block North of the railroad tracks
Art Review
September 2012 atownmagazine.com
The Gallery Scene
By Matt Schaefer
Chris Francis, Nick Fischer, Chris Heier, and Lacey Lee will be our focused artists this month. While there are many other artists featured at Gallery Go and even more being added from the surrounding states, due to amount of work and commitment to supporting local art, I have selected these four.
Chris Francis
Chris Francis is an artist from Madison, S.D. East of Egan Studio & Gallery - Featuring the work of Chris Francis is his artist page on Facebook. Not only an amazing artist, but Chris is also one of the hardest working art promoters in the state. His work mostly consists of abstracted landscapes. He often uses photo transfer, painting, and pastels to recreate and enhance South Dakota’s geological beauty. The Badlands and Black Hills are often represented.
Nick Fischer
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Nick Fischer, another local artist of Aberdeen, is an extremely skilled realist/ expressionist. He is in no way limited to this, as he is a talented abstractionist as well. All these elements add to very powerful, emotionladen portraits of the people that have passed through his life. He has work in many hospital collections as well as being a very prolific muralist. His wife, Nicole, an equally talented artist, collaborates on their many murals, projects, and workshops.
September 2012 atownmagazine.com
Lacey Lee is an artist from Sioux Falls who is very active in the scene. Lacey’s paintings are very bright and colorful, with a heavy element of drawing. The size, quality of the work, and her very modest prices reflect the enthusiasm for her process. The energy of her line, brushwork, and color juxtapositions reveal an artist who simply loves creating. Her next show is with Derek Meier, another Sioux Falls artist, in Madison at The Brickhouse.
Chris Heier is a local photographer who experiments with a variety of techniques and subjects. Chris’s latest series are alley shots from around Aberdeen, demonstrating his amazing eye for great compositions and beauty that most pass by without noticing. His photos are not just of his subject but of its essence; consistently he finds a way to view the world that opens our eyes to a new reality. He is one of the most collected artists in Aberdeen.
Art Review
Chris Heier
Lacey Lee
Drink of the Month
September 2012 atownmagazine.com
Tallgrass Oasis Imperial ESB ABV (Alcohol By Volume): 7.2% IBU (International Bitterness Units): 93 By Jon Hepola Co-owner of Slackers Bar
T
he name Imperial ESB is a bit intimidating for someone who hasn’t seen those words before, so let us clear that up before the review. An ESB stands for Extra Special/Strong Bitter. This style of beer originated in England and is known for having a perfect balance of malts and hops. Imperial is a prefix applied to beers that means this beer has more intense flavors and more
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alcohol, so when you pick up an Imperial ESP you should be able to expect a higher ABV masked by strong flavors but no one flavor overpowering the other. Appearance: Beer was poured out of the can into a 10.5 oz. tulip glass. A moderately aggressive pour leaves a 3.5 – 4 fingers width of ivory colored head, which disappears fast enough to see it moving but remains present for a few minutes. Aroma: Caramel malts are prevalent along with citrus fruits, possibly a hint of pine. Taste: A sweet malted start, toffee and caramel flavors in the front of the taste; the bitterness soon arrives but doesn’t kick
the sweetness out. Pine and grapefruit flavors take over more at the end. Mouth feel: Lightly carbonated and medium bodied. At the end, a nice dryness that pulls everything but a lingering citrus from your mouth. Comments: The hop presence may be a bit more pronounced; not enough to cause it to be something other than an ESB but it is easy to confuse it with an India Pale Ale, which has happened a lot. Overall: 95/100 In my opinion, for the money it is the best beer at Slackers. This beer should be enjoyed often and with friends.
Sept 22nd A-Town Roller Girlz vs Sioux City Roller Dames Doors Open at 5:30pm Skating Starts at 6:30pm
$10 in Advance $12 at the door
Discounts for military and students Bring a donation for Humane Society
Music Review
September 2012 atownmagazine.com
Ape Up! Kemosabe Released: May 24, 2012 Genre: Pop-Punk Label: Count Your Lucky
Stars
Number of Tracks: 9
By Dylan Wolters
C
hances are you have never before heard of the Boston, Mass., pop-punk outfit Ape Up!. That’s not to say the band isn’t going places fast, though. With a unique blend of incredibly angular yet pleasantly catchy guitar riffs thrown on top of blasting drums and led by gruff vocals, Ape Up! is doing more than making music. They are making music fun again. With their first “full length” release, Kemosabe, Ape Up! doesn’t hold anything back. From the first moments on the opening track “Nothing Serious” the band pulls you in, throwing an incredible balance of melody and energy in your direction. The album continues with an immense amount of passion and energy through the next three tracks before they slow things down with the unexpected instrumental interlude, “Drainbow.” But, the album doesn’t slow down any after the breather. You are soon
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greeted with a catchy, pounding drum riff and an equally catchy guitar melody on the next song “When I Was the Good Guy.” The album is fast, though, make no mistake. Clocking in at just under a cool 20 minutes, Kemosabe is definitely a shorter album than most but it never feels rushed. In fact, after the first time through you might find yourself restarting the album for a second go-around, catching yourself humming to the guitar parts and even picking up on some of the gang vocals. Narrowing in on one or even two tracks to recommend on this album is tough. The band has done something that a lot of artists seem to fall short on and that is creating an album filled with songs that seem to work so well together that the whole collection would never work
without one of the songs. But if I was forced to choose I would land on the side of track three, “1-800-WILD-DAD.” The song seems to strike a chord with me. Filled with lyrics about growing older and learning about yourself and your friends, it’s a song that will most likely leave you looking back on a few things. Kemosabe is filled with inspiring lyrics and great sing-a longs, catchy riffs and intense passion, and–most important of all–a genuine sense that these songs were written by a few dudes that really love playing music. Ape up! is certainly leaving a mark on the music scene right now. They are blazing a path for new bands, showing others that it doesn’t have to be about playing perfect or looking right but rather caring about those around you and having fun.
September 2012 atownmagazine.com
Let’s Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir
By Victoria Lusk
L
et’s just call it like it is: a series of blog posts gone rogue. Let’s Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir starts out completely hi-lar-ious. Unfortunately, because it reads like a blog and descends into random ranting like a blog, it does not take long for it to lose its charm. I laughed out loud on page one of the introduction . . . and then again towards the end, roughly 300 Kindle pages later. I’m conflicted: either it really is not that funny or I’m a horrible person that just doesn’t find it that funny, which I feel like I should . . . and yet I still don’t. In an odd way, it is like any other book in that it should teach the reader a life lesson or two, such as just because a rattlesnake looks like roadkill doesn’t mean it is and there’s no place like home when it’s not home anymore. The author, bloggess Jenny Lawson, blatantly declares herself better than a South Dakota fave: Laura Ingalls Wilder. I admit that she has something Laura never had: a raw sense of humor and a knack for making the most of really sh*tty situations, mostly because her social anxiety pushes her to make a non-situation a desperate attempt at spinning it into something it clearly is not: humorous. But, heck, this knack earned her hundreds of THOUSANDS
of followers on Twitter, loyal blog readers, and a [more-thanone] book deal, so maybe I am being a little hard on her. Maybe. I am actually contemplating those very facts as being at the root of what makes me not laugh at this book—She jumped on the “oncea-blog-now-a-short-story-memoir” writing bandwagon. (Or should I say blogwagon? Hey, if she is funny, I can be, too.) It’s something that has been done and redone by celebs such as Chelsea Handler and Betty White, and more relatively, Justin Halpern with Sh*t My Dad Says (which, by the way, IS actually laugh-out-loud funny). I do like her tendency to make up new words, mostly because there are two kinds of people in this world who can get away with making up new words and they are pretty much the same kind of people: English majors and people who write books [or enmajthors—see, it’s that easy]. The fact that I was one of those and aspire to be the other is probably why I find the book more annoying than funny—there are things “we” pick up on that the general public fails to notice. Small
Book Review
Jenny Lawson
minor details, such as the double use of the word box, read the way fingernails on a chalkboard sound. The book is also plagued by editor’s notes that Lawson not only failed to follow but also failed to remove, which is also a BIG no-no in the world of enmajthors. Throughout the hit-and-miss humor, I can promise you will laugh—at least once. It will probably be about the dead mouse dressed as Hamlet, because for some reason, in all of her attempts at humor, THAT is what got me to laugh a second time. Ha ha, a mouse dressed as Hamlet. A Hamlet mouse. Alas, Horatio, it still cracks me up.
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