18
February 12
ENTERTAINMENT
American Idol: Most memorable auditions by Rachel Driver, Stang Staff This year on American Idol the judges are once again, Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, and Steven Tyler and the host, as always, is Ryan Seacrest. These judges have had quite the experience during auditions; to say there is a diverse group of performers auditioning is an understatement. American Idol’s ratings are also decreasing. Big time. Every year the show’s ratings go down since Simon Cowell left. From 2011 to 2012 the show’s ratings have decreased by at least 30%. Despite the crumbling reviews, the show is still funny, and entertaining. Though I have not been a devoted fan to the series, I took the time to watch the recent 2012 auditions. These auditions were crazy; some crazy good, and some just crazy. These are the most memorable auditions to date. From the best to the worst, they are all here. In this list, there are for sure some winners. My top three are Shelby
AUDITIONS BEGAN WITH Heejun Han,
a viewer favorite. Han shocked the judges by his surprisngly melodious voice when he sang “How am I supposed to live without you” by Michael Bolton.
Tweten, Phillip Phillips Jr., and either Ashley Robles or Jairon Jackson. The winners for the worst audition are Magic Cyclops, Mawuena Kodjo, and Joshua Chavis. The one to watch has to be the Wolf, Wolf Hamlin. I’m excited to see the winner on this season of American Idol.
Ali Shields (liked) Ashley Robles (loved) Aubree Dieckmeyer (liked) Jane Carrey (liked) Jayrah Gibson (loved) Jennifer Diley (hated) Kyle Crews (loved) Wolf Hamlin (liked) Eben Christian Franckewitz (loved) Hallie Day (loved) Heejun Han (so odd I loved him) Patty Novacek & Samantha Novacek (so odd I kinda hated it) Reed Grimm (so odd I loved him) Shane Bruce (didn’t care for) Travis Orlando (liked) Amy Brumfield (liked) David Leathers, Jr (loved) Gabi Carrubba (loved) Jessica Whitely (I’m sorry I hated it) Joshua Chavis (hated) Lauren Mink (loved) Mawuena Kodjo (so odd I HATED it, poor guy) Phillip Phillips Jr. (loved) Schyler Dixon & Colton Dixon (loved her & loved him) Shannon Magrane (loved) Shaun Kraisman (liked) Alanna Snare (hated) Angie Zeiderman (hated) Curtis Gray (liked) Haley Smith (loved) Jairon Jackson (loved) Jenni Schick (loved) Magic Cyclops (my gosh I hated that, painful) Shelby Tweten (“beautiful!” loved it) Tealana Hedgespath (ya no)
Mardi Gras 2012: No Regretz by Alexa Reinhart, Stang Staff
Mardi Gras is an exciting celebration that originated in New Orleans, Louisiana. Fortunately, Houstonians can celebrate Mardi Gras just around the corner in Galveston. This year, the Mardi Gras season in Galveston will run from the tenth of February through the twenty-first. There will be live performances from Hot Chelle Rae, Josh Abbott Band, Nakia, and Fred Andrews & Honeybrowne. Besides the endless amounts of beads that
are thrown out from floats and balconies, there are other traditions that you can participate in. Most people wear the traditional colors of green, purple, and gold. These colors are carried out through the beads, food, floats, and almost everything else. Another way to get in the Mardi Gras spirit is to buy a king cake for a party, or just to enjoy. The king cake has a small baby inside of the cake and whoever gets the piece with the baby has to provide the king cake for the next party while enjoying the good luck for the new year. Although king cakes are usually served the weeks leading up to Mardi Gras, it is still a tradition that many
participate in during Mardi Gras. If you plan to host a party, do not forget about the shrimp, gumbo, and other Cajun dishes. If you are lucky enough to head down to Galveston one of the weekends, it is a must to attend one of the many parades. This is where the beads and other trinkets are thrown. There is tons of music, food, dancing, and just people having a good time. It is truly an event that everyone should participate in at least once.
E! News by Gianna Tiedemann, Stang Staff Heidi and Seal…What? If fans of top model Heidi Klum thought her marriage to singer, Seal, would never come to end, well, they thought wrong. After six long years of blissful marriage, the couple has decided to split. The couple’s sudden split leaves many fans with one question: why? According to TMZ, Klum broke it off because of how her husband’s alleged anger issues were negatively affecting her children. Other sources say that this divorce had been coming on for a long time due to distance issues caused by their extremely separate careers. Although Klum has made her final decision to divorce Seal, the couple has been seen still wearing their wedding rings. Overall, the couple has decided to end their marriage on a happy note and will continue their lives separately. justjared. buzznet.com
Demi Moore--What had she been smoking? After an emergency call to 911 due to convulsions on January 23, suspicions were high that Demi Moore had been smoking something. From the 911 call, it was said that Moore and been smoking something along the lines of incense. After examining her, Dr. David Baron had stated that it was not unreasonable for the substance the celebrity had been smoking was Salvia, which is in the drug family. You may be wondering, where’s Ashton Kutcher in all this? Well, after he was notified about the accident, he flew from Brazil, where he was working on a photo shoot, to L.A. just two days after she was hospitalized. According to sources close to Kutcher and People Magazine, “Ashton is deeply concerned for Demi.” Whether the two have seen each other since his arrival and her hospitalization is still unknown.