College Times - May 18, 2017

ABANDONED HIDDEN ARIZONA GEM 8 FORGOTTEN & FORBIDDEN PLACES

ASU ALUM MAKES WEARABLE ART

WOMAN OF THE WORLD

CRONKITE STUDENT WINS A TRIP TO JAPAN

MAY 18-JUNE 28, 2017

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POP QUIZ

WE KNOW HOW MANY TESTS AND QUIZZES YOU TAKE, BUT WE THINK THIS ONE WILL BE YOUR FAVORITE. HERE IS A QUICK QUIZ ON SOMETHING POPULAR OR IMPORTANT WE THINK YOU NEED TO KNOW.

What is “Shaggy” from Scooby-Doo’s real name?

PUBLISHER

Steve T. Strickbine EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Niki D'Andrea EDITOR

A. Norville Rogers

Madison Rutherford

B. Orville Burrell

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

C. Albert Shaggleford

Melody Birkett, Connor Dziawura, Carson Mlnarik, Jessica Alvarado Gamez, Christina Fuoco-Karasinski, Kevin Palacios, Samantha Pell

Answer: A. The cowardly hippie from the Scooby-Doo franchise’s real name is Norville Rogers. Orville Burrell is the real name of JamaicanAmerican rapper Shaggy, who got his nickname from the iconic character. Albert Shaggleford is the name of Shaggy’s rich uncle in Shaggy and Scooby-Doo Get a Clue!

NUMBERS House cats can fall an average of 5.5 stories without getting injured.

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William Shakespeare invented about 1,700 words in the English language.

It would take 11 Empire State Buildings, which is more than 1,400 feet tall, stacked on top of each other, to measure the Gulf of Mexico at its deepest point.

DESIGNER

Christy Byerly CIRCULATION DIRECTOR

Aaron Kolodny STREET TEAM MANAGER

Wearing headphones for one hour will increase the bacteria in your ear by 700 percent.

The 57 on Heinz ketchup bottles represents the number of pickle varieties the company originally had.

Chuck Morales III DISTRIBUTION FIELD MANAGER

Mark “Cowboy” Lucero ASSOCIATE ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER

Nadine Whitehead

Every year, nearly 98 percent of atoms in the human body are replaced.

The most money ever paid for a cow at an auction was $1.3 million.

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It took Leo Tolstoy 6 years to write the 1,225-page War and Peace.

1 in 5,000 American lobsters are born bright blue.

The average person makes about 1,140 phone calls per year.

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11 THINGS YOU PROBABLY DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT…

STUDENT LIFE

CARSON MLNARIK • COLLEGE TIMES

T

he month of May means Memorial Day weekend, and if you’re in Phoenix, that means Phoenix Comicon. The comic book/movie/video game/every geek thing imaginable convention has grown exponentially over the past 15 years. This year’s convention takes over the Phoenix Convention Center and Hyatt Regency in Downtown Phoenix from May 25 to 28. This year’s guests should expect the unexpected, whether they are con regulars or getting in touch with their inner geek for the first time.

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8

THE ROOTS

GEEK SWARM

Phoenix’s biggest comic convention started as Phoenix Cactus Comicon in June 2002 and was a one-day, six-hour event in Ahwatukee. Now, it takes up four days in the Phoenix Convention Center.

10 GET SOME CLASS

9 STARSTRUCK Comicon always brings some of the biggest names in books, movies, comics and gaming. This year’s guest list includes Alan Tudyk from Firefly, Bonnie Wright from Harry Potter, Danny Trejo from Machete and even Dick Van Dyke!

7 SMACKDOWN This year’s con hosts PUGS (the Phoenix Ultimate Geek Smackdown). Geeks whose expertise range from Star Wars to Mario Kart will duke it out for the bragging rights of being Phoenix’s biggest geek. The smackdown is free for anyone at the con.

6 FIND YOUR ESCAPE This year, the convention will feature two escape rooms, testing attendees’ wits and skills. The two experiences, “X-Child” and “The Cell,” will test just how geeky you really are.

5 SHOW ME The con hosts a variety of shows and parties throughout the

4 GEEK ALL YEAR LONG In 2014, the convention expanded to host a smaller convention during the fall and winter months called Phoenix Fan Fest. This past year’s fest featured Millie Bobby Brown and John Cena.

3 FEST IN A CON Phoenix Comicon hosts its own film festival throughout the convention’s duration, showcasing sci-fi shorts and features, teen, adult and kid cartoons and even comedies and documentaries.

2 COSTUMED Cosplay and costumes are taken super-seriously at Phoenix

Comicon — everyone does it!

You might see a character from Jurassic World chatting it up with a character from Fallout 3. The convention even hosts a masquerade costume contest.

1 FAST PASS That’s right! Phoenix Comicon has reached Disneyland status.

One membership option for the convention is a Phoenix Fast Pass, which includes full event access for all four days and dedicated line access for photo ops and autograph sessions. Proceeds from the first 100 passes go entirely to Kids Need to Read. For more info, visit phoenixcomicon.com. CT

ECOLLEGETIMES.COM | MAY 18, 2017

If you’re gonna hang with some of Phoenix’s biggest geeks, you’d better be pretty smart. The programming at Phoenix Comicon ranges from discussions about science and politics to onstage Mad Libs Harry Potter fan fiction to a class specifically designed to teach you how to dance to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”

Last year’s con set attendance records, with more than 106,000 attendees and approximately $5 million in revenue for the City of Phoenix.

weekend, including “Talk Nerdy to Me: A Byte of Burlesque,” a burlesque show of video game and comic characters, as well as a Drinks With Authors meet-up and an anime muscle-man Macho Café experience.

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GTFO! SCIENCE WITH A TWIST: SUPER VILLAINS Who says the Arizona Science Center is just for kids? Take science to a whole new level for a night of supervillain-inspired cocktails, DNA mutation demonstrations, costumes and screenings of some of nature’s darker documentaries, including Great White Shark 3D. Arizona Science Center, 600 E. Washington St., Phoenix, azscience.org, 6 p.m., Friday, May 19, $12 and free for members.

DIRTY DISCO For any EDM fan looking for an excuse to get down, the eighth annual Dirty Disco returns to Rawhide promising one dirty vibe, stage and

DO YOU RSELF A FAVOR CATCH AND THESE 1 0 E VENTS YOU’LL OR BE FEEL ING SOM SERIOU E S F.O.M .O.

night. This year’s lineup features a variety of up-and-comers, including Berg, Code Black, Matt Dunn and Sam Groove.

Rawhide Western Town and Event Center, 5700 W. North Loop Road, Chandler, ticketfly.com/event/1441601, 6 p.m., Saturday, May 20, $35-$60.

THE BOOK OF MORMON This may be more of a musical for fans of South Park than for fans of Grease. However, it’s proved itself a hit on Broadway and across the country.

Returning to Tempe after a sold-out engagement in 2015, the show tells the story of two mismatched missionaries who travel to a foreign country. Two acts of comedy, religion and dancing ensue.

ASU Gammage, 1200 S. Forest Ave.,

CARSON MLNARIK • COLLEGE TIMES

MODEST MOUSE

Tempe, asugammage. com, times vary, Thursday, May 18, to Sunday, May 28, $50$330.

PHOENIX COMICON Dick Van Dyke, Ryan Hurst, Jenna Coleman, Bonnie Wright. Whether you’re all about comics and sci-fi, you dig Harry Potter or you prefer to throw it back to Mary Poppins, there’s someone for you to be excited about at Phoenix Comicon. In addition to the large celebrity guest list, this year’s convention will feature exhibitors, vendors, panels and parties.

Phoenix Convention Center, 100 N. Third St., Phoenix, phoenixcomicon. com, times vary, Thursday, May 25 to Sunday, May 28, $30-$299.

This quirky alternative band sells out every time it visits the Valley. With a show just as strange and engaging as the lyrics, the group has built a solid fan base of hipsters and diehard fans with songs like “Missed the Boat” and “Float On.” Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix, crescentphx.com, 8 p.m., Wednesday, May 31, $40-$43.

STOP DRAGGIN’ MY HEART AROUND Fleetwood Mac or Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers? We know, we know, it’s an impossible question to answer, but six cover bands have vowed to duke it out till the decision is made. In a night of tribute, local bands like Black

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Void where prohibited. Entries must be received by 11:59 am on Friday 5/26 to be eligible to receive a code. Winners will be contacted via EMAIL to receive their code. Sponsors not responsible for incomplete, lost, late or misdirected entries or for failure to receive entries due to transmission or technical failures of any kind. SEATING IS LIMITED, SO ARRIVE EARLY. PASS DOES NOT GUARANTEE A SEAT AT THE SCREENING. Refer to pass for further restrictions.

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Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is rated PG-13. Participants must be 13 years or older. Supplies are limited. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Limit up to two (2) passes per person. Entries are due by Sunday 5/22. Winners will be contacted by email. The screening will take place on 5/23 at 7:00 PM. Seating is first-come, first-served. Employees of all promotional partners and their agencies are not eligible. Void where prohibited. Refer to screening pass for further restrictions. SEATING IS LIMITED, SO ARRIVE EARLY. PASS DOES NOT GUARANTEE A SEAT AT THE SCREENING.

MAY 26

Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe, luckymanonline.com, 6 p.m., Saturday, June 3, $20-$35.

PAINTING IN THE PARK If you’ve ever been taking in a baseball game and felt the sudden urge to express your creative side, this D-Backs experience is for you. Before the team takes on the San Diego Padres, enjoy the weather from the PetSmart Patio with a paint experience as well as wine and all-you-can-eat ballpark food.

You get to take your masterpiece home, but you have to leave the buffet hot dogs behind.

Chase Field, 401 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix, m.mlb.com/dbacks/tickets/ group/paint, 5 p.m., Tuesday, June 6, $45.

AUTHORITY ZERO CD RELEASE Local band Authority Zero is dropping its newest album, Broadcasting to the Nations, and celebrating in style at Tempe’s Marquee. The guys behind ska hits like “Over Seasons” and “One More Minute” are also bringing Guttermouth and a few other local bands, including Torn at the Seam.

JULIANNE AND DEREK HOUGH

It’s not often that America finds an “A” and “C” that work well together, but in Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen, they’ve found two. The journalist and talk show host, both known for their big personalities, unite for an unscripted and uncensored night of conversation, focusing on deep talks and shallow tales.

Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington Street, Phoenix, comericatheatre.com, 8 p.m., Friday, June 9, $58.50$353.50

They’ve danced with the stars, they’ve sung their hearts out, and one of them dated Ryan Seacrest. The Hough sibling duo embarks on their third tour after two sold-out trips around the country. Expect intense choreography, multimedia and an inspired stage show based around the elements.

Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix, comericatheatre.com, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, June 10, $38.50-$282.50.

student life

Bottom Lighters, Vintage Wednesday and Jane N’ the Jungle will exclusively perform covers from the two iconic bands.

Last Exit Live, 717 S. Central Ave., Phoenix, lastexitlive.com, 7 p.m., Friday, June 2, $12-$15.

AC2: ANDERSON COOPER AND ANDY COHEN

CT

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ALL abandoneD 8 FORBIDDEN & FORGOTTEN SPOTS AROUND ARIZONA

E

NIKI D’ANDREA & MADISON RUTHERFORD • COLLEGE TIMES

ven though Arizona is barely 100 years old, its vast, dry landscape is home to a number of longforgotten places and objects. Once bright and burgeoning, these sites now lay deserted and collecting dust. Though the barren deserts, mountains and valleys DECAYING DOG TRACKS While both of the abandoned dog tracks described below have been well trodden in the past by urban explorers/trespassers, they are located on private land and visitors are not allowed.

Black Canyon City Dog Track Located about 40 miles north of Phoenix, just off I-17 near Black Canyon City, the Black Canyon City Dog Track has been ravaged by vandals and the elements since being abandoned at the end of the ‘80s. Built in 1967 by the Funk family, the dog track ran greyhound races until closing in 1982. Swap meets subsequently took over the space throughout the decade, but by the mid-’90s, the track was completely desolate and at the mercy of squatters, who busted most of the stadium chairs, shattered all the glass, stripped the plumbing, and spray-painted the walls. The pigeons have pretty much taken over now.

ECOLLEGETIMES.COM | MAY 18, 2017

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Phoenix Trotting Park Construction of Phoenix Trotting Park began in 1964 on what was then a barren stretch of desert along what is now the bustling I-10 near Goodyear. The park closed in 1966, after hosting just a handful of races, due to low attendance and its remote location. The colossal building has sat vacant and in decaying disuse ever since, with a few exceptions like a motorcycle show in 1988, a swap meet in 1991, and most notably, the 1998 film No Code of Conduct starring Charlie Sheen, in which the windows of the trotting park were blown out for an explosion scene near the end of the movie. Visit phoenixtrottingpark.com PHOENIX TROTTING PARK to learn more about a citizens group dedicated PHOTOS • PHOENIXTROTTING PARK.COM to preserving the history of the park.

of Arizona are freckled with nearly as many forgotten sites as it is with saguaros, here are just a handful of highlights that serve as vestiges of Arizona’s neglected past.

Arizona has no shortage of ghost towns at varying levels of decay. Once booming and blossoming with promise and kitschy mystique, these spots now serve as sad, hollow skeletons from a simpler time.

Santa Claus Built in 1937 as a garish tourist gimmick, the town of Santa Claus was a popular Route 66 destination for a few BLACK CANYON CITY DOG TRACK solid decades until business declined in the ‘70s. The Christmas-themed village in Mohave County achieved full-on ghost town status in the mid-‘90s. The town was built by eccentric realtor Nina Talbot, who had high hopes for a year-round holiday haven. The quirky town’s only restaurant, The Santa Claus Inn, was a big hit in its heyday, as was the town’s post office, which saw an influx of letters to Santa. Talbot’s vision of a village where children could sit on Santa’s lap 365 days a year now lays in disrepair, with sporadic red and green remnants as the only reminder of a once lively roadside resort. A weathered wishing well, vandalized, boarded-up buildings and a bubblegum pink train (derailed and decomposing) now stand as the town’s only source of Christmas spirit.

GHOST TOWNS From forgotten mining towns to relics from Route 66, the state of

TWO GUNS

student life THE BONEYARD

THE BONEYARD AERIAL PHOTO • Creative Commons by ShareAlike, author: Aeroprints.com

Two Guns About 30 miles east of Flagstaff in Winslow, what’s left of this former souvenir shop/gas station/campground has been taken over by nature and graffiti artists.

A few dilapidated structures are scattered across the area, including the gutted gas station, an empty pool and a weather-beaten building with the word “KAMP” painted across the A-frame roof. Two Guns was operational between the ‘60s and ‘80s, but now the roadside ruins are only good for a quick photo op off the I-40.

ABANDONED AIRCRAFT With Luke Air Force Base near Phoenix and Davis-Monthan Air Force Base near Tucson, it’s obvious that Arizona has a longstanding history in military aviation.

However, the Grand Canyon State is also home to an abundance of abandoned airplanes that have been silently dwelling in the desert for years.

Gila River Memorial Airport This dilapidated former airport, which consists of a half-dozen large airplanes in various stages of decay, lies still in the middle of the desert in Chandler. Built in 1942, the airport once played host to aerial operations during World War II. Today, it has become a popular destination for daring taggers, photographers, videographers and adventurous Instagrammers. However, the moldering aircraft rest on the Gila River Indian Community, and a permit is required to visit or photograph the planes. Don’t even think about trying to scope out this spot unless you’re prepared to sweet talk your way out of a trespassing ticket.

The Boneyard The 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) , commonly referred to as “The Boneyard,” is the final resting place of more than 4,000 military airplanes and helicopters spanning over 2,000 acres on Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson. It is the largest “airplane graveyard” in the world. Unlike Gila River, the planes are kept in pristine condition and are open to the public, but they are only accessible on weekdays through guided tours presented by the Pima Air & Space Museum.

Painted Planes at the Pima Air & Space Museum If you are an aficionado of abandoned airplanes, but can’t catch a tour of The Boneyard, you can check out “The Boneyard Project: Return Trip,” which features seven planes painted by international street artists outside the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson. Curated by gallery owner Eric Firestone, the project repurposes unused military planes into works of art.

DESERTED DOMES

Casa Grande Domes This cluster of curious, deteriorating circular structures in Casa Grande has been vacant since the ‘80s. The domes are empty carcasses of a computer hardware headquarters that never transpired. However, these mysterious modern ruins look more like abandoned alien spacecraft than the vestige of a vintage tech venture. The large, UFO-shaped objects have captured the attention of supernatural enthusiasts, graffiti artists, urban explorers, conspiracy theorists and local teens looking for a secluded place to get sloshed. The PIMA AIR & SPACE MUSEUM bizarre buildings have even appeared on the Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures. Last December, the county condemned the domes after the largest one collapsed. Though the structures are slated to be torn down, they will remain one of Arizona’s biggest mysteries, and certainly one of the creepiest. CT

PHOTO • CASSANDRA TOMEI.

One of the painted planes at the Pima Air & Space Museum

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION • CHRISTY BYERLY

ECOLLEGETIMES.COM | MAY 18, 2017

CASA GRANDE DOMES

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ENDLESS SUMMER

A local’s survival guide to the best summer spots NIKI D’ANDREA, CARSON MLNARIK & MADISON RUTHERFORD • COLLEGE TIMES

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f you’ve never spent a summer in Arizona, you’ll quickly learn why it requires a survival guide. The struggle is real during those scorching few months when temperatures hit triple digits, you start sweating in places you didn’t even know it was possible and everyone seems to say the same thing: “Why

SALT RIVER

ECOLLEGETIMES.COM | MAY 18, 2017

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SALT RIVER It sounds somewhat poetic: The Salt River is a stream formed by the confluence of the White River and the Black River in eastern Arizona, and it flows through russet mountains, Ponderosa forests, and lower desert tributaries of metro Phoenix. But in the summertime at the Mesa launch point of Salt River Tubing, the river is really a jampacked party on water, with people of all ages angling to cruise their tubes away from the crowds and crack open a can or several of beer.

Do: Put something sturdy on your bum.

Thick denim shorts should do the trick. Just make sure they don’t already have holes in the arse.

Men’s shorts might be OK give or

take a butt cheek or two, but bikini bottoms are doomed if the wearer, say, gets drunk and sinks down in the hole of the tube and relaxes before drifting rear-first into a rock.

Do: Bring beer.

Ice chests are available to rent onsite, or you can bring your own cooler (Styrofoam coolers are “not recommended”). All ice chests and coolers will be checked for glass bottles.

Don’t: Pack glass bottles.

They are prohibited at Salt River Tubing and the Lower Salt River Recreational Area. And why would you bring glass anyway when aluminum stays so much colder?

Do: Wear shoes.

Not flip-flops or Birkenstocks, but actual sneakers or tennis shoes

would anyone build a city in the middle of the desert?” The answer to that is simple: There’s a slew of awesome spots to soak up the sun; you just have to know where to look. Gather ’round, desert dwellers: Here’s where to go to beat the heat and how to avoid looking like a total newb while doing it.

– something with soles to protect your feet from the rocks on the river bottom and the occasional broken bottles thanks to the assholes who somehow got glass past the cooler checks.

Don’t: Tie your tubes together.

Some people might think it’s fun to tie their innertubes together to form a chain and “snake” down the river, but what really happens is they usually become a tangle of ropes and rubber blocking others peoples’ paths down the stream.

Do: Slather your skin in sunblock.

Seriously. According to saltrivertubing.com, the minimum recommendation is 30 SPF, but you can stand a whole lot more. Apply before and during your excursion, unless you want to look like part of an intoxicated lobster parade.

Don’t: Forget to bring a lot of water.

Beer is great, but water is life – especially in triple-digit temps with the sun beating down on you. Drink a minimum of one to two 24-ounce bottles per hour.

Salt River Tubing, 9200 N. Bush Hwy., Mesa, saltrivertubing.com, open every day from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; float times range from two to five hours, $17 per person or tube (includes tube rental, shuttle service, and free parking at the Salt River Tubing Recreation tubing terminal).

TONTO NATURAL BRIDGE A series of trails traverse through

TONTO NATURAL BRIDGE

and around Tonto Natural Bridge (the largest natural travertine arch in the world) and features grottos with hanging greenery and caves with cascading waterfalls. That’s nature-speak for the perfect spot for panoramic pictures and Instaworthy scenery.

Do: Grab a map.

The park’s two trails are easily confused and your five-mile hike could easily turn into 13 miles if you make a wrong turn.

Don’t: Wear flip-flops.

LAKE PLEASANT “Survive Lake Pleasant” sounds like the title of a comedic horror film, right? But Lake Pleasant Regional Park is seriously cool, if you follow a few (yawn) rules and play nice.

Do: Wear sunblock.

This should just be Phoenix’s ROCKY POINT slogan everywhere all summer.

Don’t: Bring an inflatable pool raft.

Why would you bring a thin latex blowup swan to a cactus-dappled desert lake anyway?

Don’t: Swim after your inflatable pool raft if it blows away.

Oh no you didn’t. Better hope some hottie in a speedboat saves you from drowning.

Do: Cook with gas.

Gas and propane grills are permitted year-round in the ramada areas and developed campsites.

Don’t: Start a fire.

Maricopa County Parks and Recreation instituted its annual fire ban on May 8. Smoking is not SAN DIEGO prohibited, but no longer considered cool.

Do: Also check out Tempe Town Lake.

FOSSIL CREEK FALLS

It’s closer to the ASU campus. Granted, it can be a lot more crowded than Lake Pleasant on account of not being out in the middle of nowhere, but that also means less privacy.

Lake Pleasant Regional Park, 41835 N. Castle Hot Springs Road, Morristown, 928-501-1710, open 24/7, $6 per day.

WATER WHEEL Why overpay to spend the day at a waterpark when you can visit a less-crowded equivalent surrounded by nature? Water Wheel near Payson offers a scenic outand-back hike that gives way to a waterfall and swimming hole with a natural wooden staircase and rock slide.

Warning: This scenic spot is like buried treasure – annoying and tedious to find, but well worth the hunt.

Do: Camp nearby.

If sleeping under the stars is your style, there are a number of campgrounds close to Water Wheel that make it easy to get up and go.

Do: Wear a bathing suit.

It’s imperative that you wear comfortable hiking attire and sturdy footwear for the trek to the swimming hole, but there’s nowhere to change into your swimming gear once you get there.

We recommend rocking your suit under your clothes for a seamless post-hike dive into the water. Don’t forget to bring a towel to dry off or lie out for optimal lounging on the surrounding rocks.

Do: Bring Fido.

Most of the spots on this list require you to leave your four-legged friends at home, but Water Wheel hike is mellow enough for those with a tail to tag along (as long as they’re on a leash, of course).

Do: Make a pre-hike pit stop.

There are no bathrooms once you head out on the hike, so make sure you hit the powder room (aka Porta-

LAKE PLEASANT

Potty) in the parking lot before you go.

Don’t: Get caught up with fancy footwork.

The entire area is pretty wet and rocky, so we don’t recommend practicing your moonwalk here.

The “ladder” at the edge of the main waterfall is especially slippery, so use caution if you choose to climb it.

Water Wheel Falls, located in Tonto National Forest near Payson, 928-474-7900, $6 for a parking permit. CT

ECOLLEGETIMES.COM | MAY 18, 2017

FOSSIL CREEK FALLS You probably won’t find any fossils on the mile-long hike to the Fossil Creek waterfall, but you will find clear, cerulean and turquoise water and lush greenery unlike anywhere else in the state. Fossil Creek offers opportunities for cliff jumping, swimming and sunbathing. You know what that means, kids – sunblock and hydration are a must.

Do: Buy a permit.

During the summer months, a permit is required to park your car or hike. Permits can be reserved or purchased online at recreation.gov, but they’re not available onsite.

Do: BYOF (Bring Your Own Food).

There are plenty of places for a picnic by the water, so whether you throw a few bags of chips or a three-course meal in your CamelBak, Fossil Creek is a great place to grub.

Do: Go for a dip.

With the sun relentlessly beating down and all that refreshing water, this is no time to just sit and tan, people.

Don’t: Risk it.

We get it – capturing a backflip off the waterfall would kill the Snapchat game, but always remember to take a moment to assess the situation. If a cliff looks too high or the water looks too shallow, don’t make the dive.

Fossil Creek, Fossil Creek Road, Strawberry, 928-203-2900, open every day from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., $10 for a daily parking permit.

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The rocks, water and brush are sure to guarantee a slip.

Do: Bring your camera.

The waterfall off the bridge makes for a super-solid Instagram photo op.

Don’t: Forget water.

Once you start on your hike, there aren’t any freshwater sources. Trust us: You don’t want to be the dude trying to use the fall as your own personal water fountain.

Tonto Natural Bridge State Park, located in Tonto National Forest near Payson, 928-476-4202, open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (last entry at 4 p.m.), $7 per person.

WATER WHEEL FALLS

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PLANTING THE SEED:

LOCAL ENTREPRENEUR USES GREEN THUMB TO BRING LIFE TO DOWNTOWN PHOENIX JESSICA ALVARADO GAMEZ • COLLEGE TIMES

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t’s only been open since February, but Michael Lanier’s new nursery, Pueblo, has already brought a plethora of unique plants to Phoenix’s Garfield neighborhood.

ECOLLEGETIMES.COM | MAY 18, 2017

“We want people to come in and be excited to see things they haven’t seen before,” he says.

Growing up, Lanier would travel among Queen Creek, northern New Mexico and Alaska to visit his grandparents. He often spent his time wandering forests and deserts, studying the plants and wildlife in their habitats.

His exposure and experiences with the flora of different locales led him to start his own businesses and he quickly become known as Downtown Phoenix’s greenthumb.

In contrast to his other shop, The Bosque on Roosevelt Street, which has been open since July 2015, Pueblo was designed to complement the historic Brill Pharmacy building in which it’s located.

Diverse selections of plants are displayed on antique wooden desks, while vintage maps of Arizona are placed throughout the shop to evoke an authentic, local atmosphere.

“The building was built in 1926 so we tried to keep it as historical as possible,” Lanier says. “To go with it, we tried to not have anything be super-bright, dim or colorful, so the plants could stand out on their own.”

Lanier says he doesn’t like the idea of mass production and “cluttering five things into one pot,” because it takes away the individuality of each plant.

“We do it like this so you can recognize what each one is on its own and for what it is,” he says.

According to Lanier, weather is a big factor when owning an outdoor nursery, so he takes his time observing each of his plants every morning to make sure 10 they’re thriving.

“We basically water the plants day by day,” he says. “The indoor plants have more leeway, but we’ll spray everything down and we’ll go through to make sure to mist things like the air plants and succulents.”

Lanier says the shop does not carry anything fake, plastic, manufactured or high-maintenance.

“We try not to sell things that are too tricky,” he says. “If I can’t take care of them or a regular customer couldn’t take care of them, we wouldn’t want people to have them.”

Lanier says the shop’s focus is to make sure customers get the most out of the plants they purchase.

“The goal is that hopefully they return, but it’s not like we try to cheat someone on something so they come back,” he says.

“We want it to live,” he continues. “If we know it lives, they’ll appreciate it enough to probably get another one.”

With the short amount of time that Pueblo has been open, it has already gathered a number of regulars who visit the shop.

“We have people that come in every few days or weekly,” Lanier says. “We try to know everyone by their first name by the second or third time they come in.”

Lexi Akinbinu, who has visited Pueblo a few times, says the shop could suit anyone’s style.

“I talked to the owner for a while and I could see how passionate he was,” she says. “He was also very educated and definitely knew what he was talking about.”

Lanier says is content with where he is now.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MICHAEL LANIER

Michael Lanier is known as Downtown Phoenix’s greenthumb.

“When I first opened, someone was like, ‘It’s like having a baby’ and I was like, “There is no way,’” he says with a laugh. “But it really is. You have to take care of it, make sure it’s nurtured, and you can’t forget about it or let it slip up.”

“I’m here and this is what I want to be doing.”

Pueblo is located on the corner of 10th and Pierce streets in Phoenix.

Hours: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday Follow Lanier’s endeavors on Instagram at @the.pueblo and @thebosque. CT

voices

Pueblo does not stock anything fake, plastic, manufactured or highmaintenance.

ECOLLEGETIMES.COM | MAY 18, 2017

11

voices

Antique Jewelry:

The New ‘It’ Thing?

FROM THE RELIQUARY CREATES A TIME-WORN AESTHETIC JESSICA ALVARADO GAMEZ

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ECOLLEGETIMES.COM | MAY 18, 2017

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• COLLEGE TIMES

rom the Reliquary is a hand-wrought jewelry line created by Phoenix-based artist Alex Ozers, who utilizes a variety of metalsmithing techniques to create antique-like jewelry from scratch.

From hammers to mandrels, Ozers uses rustic textures to shape mixed metals into bold, one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry that feature a time-worn aesthetic.

“If you go to the mall and you get a really nice silver ring and it starts to tarnish, that’s a problem,” Ozers says.

“The way I make stuff is, if it starts to tarnish, that’s part of it and its growth as a piece.”

Ozers creates his pieces to not only withstand the test of time, but to get better with age.

“It will just get better because it already has that texture built into it,” he says. “It’s meant to look old.”

Ozers’ jewelry-making process has two main stages: design and production.

According to Ozers, the designing aspect of a piece can be very difficult.

“You have to be in the right mood to design, and the more detailed I get, the more tedious it becomes,” he says.

Once Ozers settles on an interesting design, he moves on to the production stage, when he takes his time to craft an authentic piece of work.

Ozers says people tend to be drawn to concepts that are familiar and feel

intimidated by playing with things that are a little different.

“Some of the jewelry I make is very bold, and I think that can frighten some people,” he says. “But once you put them on, I feel like you’d feel much more confident and powerful wearing them.”

Ozers says he tries to avoid basic or classic ideas that can be found anywhere.

“The further along I get into my artistic career, the more interested I am in pushing boundaries and doing new things,” he says.

Ozers says it can be disappointing when something he’s excited about doesn’t translate visually to other people.

“Making things from scratch and putting so much detail and intensive labor (into them), people might not see that unless you know the process,” he says.

Another obstacle is the fragility of his resources.

“I can be an hour and a half into a piece, and if it melts or breaks, then it’s gone,” he says. “I remember one time I was working with cyanite, which is a really pretty blue stone that’s fragile, and I was prong-setting it into this ring and

voices

?

PHOTOS • FROM THE RELIQUARY

Alex Ozer creates his pieces to withstand time, and to get better with age.

the stone just snapped.”

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Ozers attended ASU, where he took art classes such as painting.

“I wanted to paint, but paintings fall under the umbrella of fine art that I felt like I was cheating myself,” he says. “I didn’t want to paint paintings that would just look pretty over a couch.”

Ozers also took a metalsmithing class, where he learned how to make jewelry.

At first, Ozers made jewelry and gave it as gifts to friends and family, but he quickly learned that making jewelry was “freeing” and “refreshing.”

“What’s great about jewelry is that there’s no political agenda or heavy-duty theories you could put down behind a pair of earrings,” he says.

“That freed me up to just be fine in making the prettiest and coolest thing I could come up with.”

Ozers says his favorite piece is his shield-bearer earrings, a design that took him years to perfect.

“I’ve changed it up a lot,” he says. “I’ve embossed it, changed the designs on it… sometimes I’ll form them more or less domed, but even though I change it,

everybody always loves them, which is great.”

Lisa Olson, who owns Practical Art in Downtown Phoenix, carries Ozers’ jewelry line and has him as a featured artist there.

“We’ve been working with Alex for the last six to seven years,” she says.

“What caught our attention was his bold statement jewelry, and the texturing he did in his work was amazing.”

Olson owns a pair of Ozers’ shieldbearer earrings and says she loves that they’re lightweight and unique.

From the Reliquary is currently being sold in 15 stores in Arizona, Wyoming and Portland.

“I never thought I was going to have a creative job,” Ozers says. “I assumed that I would be in debt from our school and work at a part-time retail job.”

Three years ago, Ozers left his parttime job at Made art boutique to pursue his interest in jewelry.

“I felt like I was okay and that I could actually do this,” he says. “It was really incredible to be completely in charge.”

For more information on Ozers, visit fromthereliquary.com or follow him on Instagram at @aozers. CT

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SUCCESS & MONEY

U. S. E G G: From left to right: Oscar Gebran and his sons Mike Gebran, Mario Gebran, Gebran Gebran and George Gebran.

A TALE OF FOUR BROTHERS MADISON RUTHERFORD • COLLEGE TIMES

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ECOLLEGETIMES.COM | MAY 18, 2017

ebran Gebran grew up at his father’s diner in Iowa. However, the ASU alumnus, who moved to Phoenix to pursue a business degree, swore he would never get into the restaurant business.

But it was in his blood.

In 1991, a year after he graduated, Gebran opened the first U.S. Egg location with his father, Oscar, and his three brothers, Michael, Mario and George. The popular breakfast and lunch eatery now has six locations in the Valley, including Scottsdale, Chandler and Phoenix.

So what’s the secret for serving up stellar service and tasty fare for over three decades?

For Gebran, the answer is simple: “Love what you do.”

“I look forward to coming here. I look forward to seeing the staff,” he elaborates.

“We have staff that’s been with us for 15 to 17 years. We really take care of our staff and our guests. It’s kind of like a little family.”

Gebran, who identifies himself as a “huge foodie,” says satisfying customers and supplying a product he can be proud of are a fundamental part of the business.

So what’s on the menu? U.S. Egg is home of the Phoenix-famous Protein Pancake, a hearty hotcake filled with fresh blueberries, homemade granola, cinnamon and sliced almonds. Gebran says he eats them five to six times a week. Some of his 14 other favorite menu items include their

skillets, salads, homemade soups, burgers and BLT sandwich.

The restaurant also has a secret menu that includes re-imagined versions of regular menu items. It includes meals like a jalapeño scramble with chorizo, cilantro and sour cream and a ham skillet with green peppers and jack cheese.

“You’ll never leave hungry, believe me,” Gebran guarantees.

In addition to making sure their patrons are full when they leave, U.S. Egg is also committed to helping the community through local charities like Packages From Home, which supplies care packages to deployed soldiers from Arizona and Mana House, which provides relief to homeless veterans.

“We’re very proud to do that,” he says.

U.S. Egg is open seven days a week from 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. This schedule allows Gebran and his brothers to do things like eat dinner with their family or go out with their friends in the evening.

“There’s a great balance there, so you still have a life,” he explains. “You really need that balance. Otherwise, I think you get burnt out and that’s not appealing to anyone.”

Gebran says he and his brothers share the same foundation, beliefs and values, which make running a business together seem effortless. However, each brother has something different to bring to the table.

“Each one of our personalities is completely different,” he says. “We’re not

copies of each other by any means.”

According to Gebran, his brother Michael is meticulous, detail-oriented and dedicated. George is creative and skilled at marketing and Mario handles everything on the culinary side, like coming up with new menu items. One trait they all possess is persistence.

“You have to have persistence,” Gebran contends. “That’s been the secret to success.”

He also says staying humble and facing problems head on doesn’t hurt either.

“Every day you’re going to have something; it’s how you deal with those situations that determine if you’re happy or not,” he says. “It’s the little things. It’s a nice cup of coffee, it’s a nice conversation, it’s a nice drive, it’s a sunny day, great food, Protein Pancakes on a Sunday morning and a Bloody Mary.”

One of those “little things,” Gebran says, has been watching the relationship with his brothers, who are all two years apart, evolve.

“Watching my brothers develop from children into men, working together as a family and growing this family brand that I’m very proud of,” he says. ”Our relationship gets stronger, it doesn’t get old.”

According to Gebran, another thing they will never grow out of is practical jokes and prank phone calls. They may have a rock solid synergy, but that doesn’t mean they don’t give each other a hard time behind the scenes.

Any problem they have is solved over food.

“We go have a bite to eat and all is well,” he says. “There’s nothing a plate of spaghetti or a steak can’t solve, you know?”

Another secret to success: “Never take each other too seriously and make sure the relationship always comes first.”

“Our strength is our unity… And our commitment to each other before business, before anything,” he says. “When you’re not concentrating on money… And you’re concentrating on relationships, and putting out a product that you’re proud of… everything else just falls into place.” CT

success & money

REPORTER ACROSS BORDERS JOURNALISM STUDENT WINS REPORTING TRIP TO JAPAN MELODY BIRKETT • COLLEGE TIMES

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION • CHRISTY BYERLY

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s a junior at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at ASU, Olivia Richard, 21, already has an impressive reporting resume.

“I’ve been able to report on the Rio Olympics,” Richard says.

“I’ve done the Special Olympics World Games. I’m currently working on a lot of investigative stories.” the radio broadcast category.

While the students are in Japan, they’re expected to produce one story.

“Personally, I’m hoping to do more than one story while I’m there because this is such an incredible opportunity,” she says.

Richard has come a long way in a short period of time. “I’ve had an amazing experience with journalism, especially for somebody who came into college with no journalism experience…

I actually almost switched majors.”

Why? Richard says her peers had so much more experience and she didn’t know if she could compete.

In high school, Richard was interested in journalism, but it didn’t work with her schedule to take classes in the field. She picked ASU since it’s a big university, figuring if she ended up not liking journalism, she could find something else to major in.

“I really wanted to immerse myself in the journalism opportunities,” Richard says. “That way I could figure out really quickly if it was something I liked.”

“So I volunteered at Cronkite News…

I volunteered operating cameras there and I worked at the State Press and I hung out in as many newsrooms that people wouldn’t kick me out of,” she says with a laugh. ”And I just fell in love with it.”

Richard also interned at Arizona PBS, National Public Radio affiliate KJZZ, and KNBC-TV in Los Angeles.

She grew up in Los Angeles and is an only child raised by a single mother.

Her goal after college is to become an international reporter in Europe or Egypt.

Richard hopes the trip to Japan will give her a boost in finding a job overseas.

“You don’t get a lot of opportunities to go abroad and build a resume that shows you have that international

experience,” Richard says. “And without that, it’s really hard to get a job as an international reporter.

“So this was an incredibly exciting opportunity for me because not only do I get to go to another country and experience their culture and their customs, but I also get the opportunity to report and do something that’s going to potentially help me get a job I really want. I’ve always been interested in Japanese culture and so I’m really looking forward to it.”

Richard has grown to love journalism because she enjoys meeting “incredible people and learning about so many different cultures.”

“I feel really, really blessed to have this opportunity,” Richard says. “I know there were a number of incredible candidates. To just be one of those students who have an opportunity to go, I just feel really grateful.” CT

ECOLLEGETIMES.COM | MAY 18, 2017

She also just won a reporting trip to Japan through the Scripps Howard Foundation’s Roy W. Howard National Collegiate Reporting Competition.

Richard left on May 11 for the allexpenses-paid nine-day trip. She’s one of nine journalism students from across the country given this opportunity.

“It’s a competition based on a body of work that you submit,” Richard says.

“I submitted a series of radio stories, a couple of video packages and a print story.”

After that came the interview process.

“It’s a mixture of a study trip and a reporting trip. We’re going to be in Kobe, Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo,” Richard adds. “We’re going to different media outlets and news agencies to see how the media industry works in Japan.”

Print, television and radio students are embarking on the trip. Richard is in

Olivia Richard is the seventh Roy W. Howard National Collegiate Reporting Competition winner from ASU.

15

SPORTS CYBER JOCKEYS

LOCAL SPORTS TEAMS ENTER NEW ERA WITH VIRTUAL REALITY TECHNOLOGY SAMANTHA PELL • COLLEGE TIMES

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ECOLLEGETIMES.COM | MAY 18, 2017

hat is it like to catch a fly ball, run the bases, take batting practice or face a major league pitcher?

The Arizona Diamondbacks are allowing their fans to find out using innovative virtual-reality technology the team recently unveiled at Chase Field.

Next door at Talking Stick Resort Arena, the Phoenix Suns introduced their season ticket holders to virtual reality with kits sent out in January.

The team is also using the technology with some of its business partners.

The Diamondbacks added the Cox Connects VR Bullpen at Chase Field, which lets fans use provided virtualreality headsets to get an inside-thescenes look at what it’s like to be a Diamondbacks player.

“Our goal with Cox Connects VR Bullpen is to really bring fans as close to the action as possible,” says Graham Rossini, the Diamondbacks’ vice president of special projects and fan experience. “So with the headset, we basically put them in the middle of major league workouts (to experience) what it’s like to be in the batter’s box facing great pitching, what it’s like to be fielding ground balls, fly balls, etc.”

The VR Bullpen is available to fans at each game from the time Chase Field’s gates open until the end of the seventh inning.

“Only a few people get a chance to say they were a Major League Baseball player, so when you do get to stand in the batter’s box and get to understand how good (Diamondbacks pitcher) Taijuan Walker is, how fast those pitches are coming in, the movement of a breaking ball, it’s a really cool perspective,” Rossini says.

Five virtual-reality headsets are available, allowing several fans at a time to experience the technology.

Scenes include going inside the bullpen, 16 running the bases, fielding ground

balls and fly balls and being inside the Diamondbacks dugout.

Two monitors in the virtual-reality area, which is located on the concourse in centerfield, let fans waiting for headsets see what other participants are experiencing.

“It’s really convenient,” says Sienna Villa, a member of the team’s in-game entertainment crew, the Diamondbacks Rally-backs. “A lot of people walk by, so it’s a good place to have it. People will walk by and say, ‘What is that?’ The curiosity will lure them in.”

Rossini says an average of 350 fans visit the virtual-reality area per game.

“It was so great to try it out,” Villa says. “It’s a great experience to be put into the situation the major league players are in. It’s cool to see them in the dugout when they are messing around before the game. It’s cool to be on the field with them while they are playing the game.”

The area has both HTC VIVE Virtual Reality headsets as well as Samsung Gear VR headsets. Rossini says as the virtual-reality technology improves, the team is open to trying out new devices.

Discussions about bringing the technology to Chase Field began early last season.

The initial VR content was created during Cactus League play at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale.

The team positioned 14 cameras around the game field to capture 360-degree video from multiple locations.

“We had base-running drills where the camera was right in the middle of a rundown,” Rossini says. “We had the camera in the middle of the cage during batting practice. We were in bullpen sessions having the catcher’s perspective of what it’s like. The beauty of spring training is really that behindthe-scenes footage that you can’t get during the year.”

The content was captured and

produced by R&R Partners, a Phoenix marketing firm. New content, shot at Chase Field, will be added throughout the season.

“We got some great footage at opening day of the opening day lineups, the giant flag, the flyover,

PHOTO • SAMANTHA PELL/CRONKITE NEWS

Sienna Villa tries out the virtual reality headsets in the Cox Connects VR Bullpen at Chase Field.

the walkoff celebration,” Rossini says.

“So as we have big moments over the course of the season, our hope is to capture those and make those available in virtual reality.”

Even the Diamondbacks got into the virtual-reality experience. Rossini says the players were curious about the devices during spring training, and as they became more comfortable with having the cameras around, they began interacting with them.

“The players are blown away,” Rossini says. “They give each other a hard time as well. They are pretty loose in the clubhouse and like to give each other a hard time whenever they can, so as they’ve had the experience (they’re) certainly talking about, ‘Hey, I can hit that pitch’ or, ‘Oh, how did you miss

that ground ball?’ Kind of having some lighthearted fun with it.”

The Boston Red Sox are the only other MLB team to have a virtualreality space in their ballpark.

“We saw it become a little more mainstream in sports, and so a couple other teams have done it,” Rossini says.

“The NBA has been using VR, and not many baseball teams have taken advantage of it yet, so we really wanted to take advantage of the access we have at spring training and the fact that our players are really excited about the technology and baseball is such a unique game. There (are) so many fast moments using the technology to let fans look behind the scenes.”

continued on pg. 23

ALL THE BEST SPORTS EVENTS TO CATCH, TACKLE AND HIT KEVIN PALACIOS AND CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI • COLLEGE TIMES

ARIZONA VS. ARIZONA STATE Arch rivals Arizona State and Arizona baseball square off in the traditional Duel in the Desert. You can expect Sparky the Sun Devil to try and one-up Wilbur the Wildcat in an always entertaining match-up that features the two biggest schools in Arizona.

Phoenix Municipal Stadium, Papago Park, 5999 E. Van Buren Street, Phoenix, 866.848.8499, vividseats. com, 6 p.m. Thursday, May 18, $11$45.

ARIZONA RATTLERS VS. SALT LAKE SCREAMING EAGLES The Screaming Eagles visit the Valley for the first time as they play the Rattlers in their second encounter of the season.

Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 800.745.3000, ticketmaster.com, 6 p.m. Saturday, May 20, $8-$145.

BLACKLIGHT WARS

FC ARIZONA VS. CITY OF ANGELS FC FC Arizona and City of Angels FC are in their inaugural seasons in the National Premier Soccer League, and both are trying to emerge as the Southwest conference powerhouse.

John D. Riggs Stadium, 1230 S. Longmore, Mesa, fcarizona.com, 7 p.m. Saturday, May 27, $12.

In their game earlier this year, the Rattlers kicked a field goal with 1.5 seconds left and emerged victorious against the Nebraska Danger. You can expect the Danger to come to the Valley with revenge on their minds in what should be another close game.

Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 800.745.3000, ticketmaster.com, 3 p.m. Sunday, May 28, $10-$145.

FLAGSTAFF EXTREME BIG PINES RUN Indulge in the climes of Flagstaff with the Big Pine Trail Runs at Fort Tuthill County Park. Runners will experience the Soldiers Trail and Highlands Trail Loop, which winds through the ponderosa pines above 7,000 feet. Hosted by Aravaipa Running, the Big Pines Run eventually tops out on a mesa with expansive views of mountain landscapes before returning to the trees.

Fort Tuthill County Park, 2446 Fort Tuthill Loop, Flagstaff, aravaiparunning.com/big-pine/, 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 10, and Sunday, June 11, $32.07-$96.21.

PHOENIX MERCURY HOME GAMES The Mercury only have three home games in June, but two of them are special events. June 16 against Chicago is PRIDE Night, presented by Coors Light, and when Minnesota comes to town on June 30, the hometown squad will pass out 5,000 orange pompoms.

Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 800.745.3000, ticketmaster.com, 7 p.m. Saturday, June 10, 7 p.m.

Friday, June 16, 7 p.m. Friday, June 30, prices vary.

FLAGSTAFF PRO RODEO This action-packed weekend features bull riding, barrel racing, steer wrestling, tie-down roping, bareback riding, saddle bronc and team roping.

Coconino County Fairgrounds, 2446 Fort Tuthill Loop, Flagstaff, flagstaffrodeo.com, 5 to 9 p.m.

Thursday, June 22, to Saturday, June 24, $10-$50.

SUN DEVIL BASEBALL SCHEDULE

WASHINGTON MAY 12-16, SEATTLE ARIZONA MAY 18-20, PHOENIX UTAH MAY 26-28, SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH NCAA REGIONALS JUNE 2, TBA NCAA SUPER REGIONALS JUNE 9, TBA COLLEGE WORLD SERIES JUNE 17, OMAHA, NEBRASKA

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Come soak the competition in Liquid Glow at the world’s first neon-colored battle. Participants can take their pick of Liquid Glow water balloons, Glow Soakers or Glow Balls. The event is dedicated to childhood cancer awareness.

Tempe Diablo Stadium, 2200 W. Alameda Drive, Tempe, 602.559.4076, blacklightwars.com, 6:30 p.m. Saturday, May 20, $50.

ARIZONA RATTLERS VS. NEBRASKA DANGER

This fun-filled event allows people of all ages to embrace their inner child. Backyard Games Day at WestWorld features inflatables, bounce houses, a Kids’ Zone for children 5 and younger, and its capstone event, the second annual Arizona State Cornhole Championships. The 120,000-square-foot space will also house vendors from Front Porch Pickins Vintage & Handmade Market and music by DJ Dangerous.

WestWorld of Scottsdale, 16601 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale, kbkornhole. com/BGD, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, June 17, $10, free for children 12 and younger. Registration required to compete.

sports

SPORTS CALENDAR

BACKYARD GAMES DAY

17

THE RIGHT TRACK A PEEK INSIDE THE PLAYLIST OF PHOENIX’S MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE

F

reddie Paull is a visual storyteller, but music is steadily stitched into the seams of his career.

song to cry-sing into an empty bottle of wine while dancing around your home in only the undies your ex gave you. I guarantee it.”

“Where’d All the Time Go?,” Dr. Dog The filmmaker and photographer was born and raised in England and now resides in Phoenix, where he owns a production company, Electric Legend Pictures. He has directed short films and produced music videos for local bands like Harrison Fjord, Bogan Via, Draa, Blissing Room, Captain Squeegee and AJJ. Paull has an eye for striking colors and crisp composition, and an ear for soul, psych rock, indie folk and ’80s English rock. He’s all about matching visual elements to the vibes he feels in his favorite music. Below are a few of his favorites – excluding Beatles songs; he needs a separate list for those.

DESCRIBE YOUR VISUAL PROCESS WITH MUSIC “When it comes to my process for conceptualizing visuals, it’s all about the dynamics of the song combined with a mood. I start with a single moment in a song that stands out to me, whether it’s the transition from a chorus to the bridge or a single line of lyrics. In my mind, that moment has some sort of visual movement and aesthetic to it, whether it’s a slow dolly push toward something or a slow-mo zoom-out to reveal something, etc.

Then I build a story outward from that.”

ECOLLEGETIMES.COM | MAY 18, 2017

18

TOP 10 FAVORITE SONGS OF ALL TIME “Five Years,” David Bowie “Bowie is my all-time favorite artist.

His constant need to change up his style and push himself to new extremes just to satisfy something deep within himself really resonates with me. ‘Five Years’ is the opening track of an album that changed my life. It immaculately sets the stage for the story of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.”

“Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now,” The Smiths “If you’re ever looking for a song to bolster your Saturday night blues, look no further. You won’t find a better

“When I was a teenager, I only listened to music from the ‘60s, convinced that anything modern was mass-produced rubbish. Dr. Dog was the band that bridged the gap for me.

My best friend, Austin, introduced me to their album Shame, Shame, which led to me making a fan-made video for their song ‘Control Yourself.’ The band’s merch guy, Forrest, ended up seeing the video and invited my friends and I to meet the band at Crescent Ballroom – my first time there. Not only did this result in a friendship with the band, but I ended up working for Crescent as their first and only house photographer a few weeks later. Anyway, I took making music videos more seriously after that night.”

“If This World Were Mine,” Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell “I’ve always imagined this song as the introductory theme of an aspiring dictator in a film. I think it’d be a fun moment. I’m a huge fan of soul music, and this is one of the few songs from Marvin Gaye’s early career that he wrote by himself. It has a certain cinematic value to it, and I hope one day to use it in a film.

Pecknold’s words bring me right back to those simpler times, now from the perspective of a man who has made five years’ worth of mistakes, but also a man who has never been more grateful for the opportunity to fail once more.”

Freddie Paull

“Eyes Without a Face,” Billy Idol “This is a very special song to me. It was introduced to me by my old friend Imrul the evening after he rescued me from the Chittagong airport in Bangladesh after getting stranded there on my 21st birthday. He introduced it to me late at night while driving through the deserted streets of Dhaka. It still remains, in my humble opinion, one of the best night driving songs out there.”

“Real Love (Piano Demo),” John Lennon “This is a song that was unreleased when John died. Lyrically, I think it’s one of the most beautiful things he ever wrote, and I feel that he really encapsulated that feeling that everything is about to change when you fall in love. While I enjoy his piano demo version of this song the most, Paul, George, and Ringo came together in the ’90s to finish his song and release it as The Beatles.”

“Take the Long Way Home,” Supertramp

“Kevin Parker continues to wow in all his most recent compositions, but this track from my favorite album of theirs, Lonerism, is very special to me.

It has provided me with a lot of visual ideas, and it’s the song to which I edited my production company’s first reel.”

“This song reminds me of my childhood. My dad is a big Supertramp fan and used to play this album all the time in England. When he moved to the United States a year before we did, this was on one of my favorite CDs he left behind. Still reminds me a lot of my dad, and all the things I looked forward to about moving to Arizona.”

“Montezuma,” Fleet Foxes

“Life’s a Gas,” T. Rex

“Apocalypse Dreams,” Tame Impala

“One of the first times I ever went to my favorite campsite, Ashurst Lake near Flagstaff, I remember blasting this song across the water with two of my closest friends, Zach and Noah. The sun had just set, the sky was a million hues of purplish blue, and the lake was as smooth as glass. I’ll never forget it.

Now that I’m older, the song has taken on a whole new meaning to me. Robin

“It truly is.”

FAVORITE SONG BY A LOCAL ARTIST “Exorcism (of Loneliness),” Harrison Fjord “While this song hasn’t yet been released, I’ve never heard anything like it before, locally or even

internationally. It blows me away every time I hear it and I sincerely cannot wait for the day the whole world can enjoy it too. Hopefully, that day will come soon… But until then, ‘Approximately 906 Miles’ by Fjord is a close runner-up.”

FAVORITE SONG FROM A MOVIE SOUNDTRACK “The Court of the Crimson King,” King Crimson (From the Children of Men soundtrack) “Alfonso Cuaron is an absolute master when it comes to complementing a scene with the right track, and this scene exemplifies that brilliantly. Theo is being taken into the wealthy part of the city, and we get our first glimpse at the lifestyles of government employees and the wealthy elite. His cousin runs the ark of the arts, a facility designed to safeguard the world’s most treasured pieces of art. It’s subtle, but the song continues playing from the overhead speakers of the facility once he gets there because King Crimson is a beloved British band, and thus, this song is a treasured piece of art.”

PREFERRED WAY OF LISTENING “I listen to Spotify pretty much throughout the entire day, every day; it has completely revolutionized music discovery for me. I also have an extensive collection of vinyl that I dive into when I’m trying to think/write, or just enjoy a specific album as a singular piece of art.”

GUILTY PLEASURE TRACK “Wow,” Kate Bush “My dad used to fondly refer to this track as ‘the car alarm song’ due to the oscillating nature of Kate’s vocals in the chorus. I still love listening to this one from time to time when I’m alone in my car late at night. Such a night song.” CT

entertainment

BIRDS’ EYE VIEW

A LOT LIKE BIRDS’ NEW ALBUM SOARS IN NEW DIRECTION

PRESS PHOTO • JADE EHLERS

MADISON RUTHERFORD • COLLEGE TIMES In the music world, “divisi” is a term that denotes a separation from a single section of the same instruments into a subsection of different instruments.

It’s a fitting title for Sacramento-based rock band A Lot Like Birds’ fourth fulllength, released on Equal Vision Records on May 5, which marks a definitive departure from their previous posthardcore sound. Unlike their two most recent releases, Conversation Piece (2011) and No Place (2013), DIVISI is virtually devoid of the screaming vocals that define their previously heavier sound.

Instead, it is characterized by frontman Cory Lockwood’s clean, high-pitched voice. The five-piece band embarked on a 32-date tour in support of the album in April, which ends in Scottsdale on June 2. College Times caught up with Lockwood to discuss what to expect from what he describes as “the DIVISI era.”

Your vocals are much “cleaner,” for lack of a better word, on the two singles from your upcoming album

Your lyrics are very visceral and really quite poetic. Can you tell me about your writing process and how it’s evolved?

I’ve always said that screaming is similar to rapping in a way; you have a lot of freedom and you can get a lot across and just make variations in cadence to fit pieces together. But singing is a whole different world, so I had to approach the lyrics by writing them free-form the way I always have, but be pretty strict with myself on making sure that they fit the melody and that it wasn’t getting too wordy for the part.

Is this new sound the direction that you see yourself going in or are you going to go back to more hardcore screaming elements?

I think it’s hard to say because we’ve never really had a game plan further than what’s directly in front of us when it comes to music. We’ve never been one of those bands that can write a record and release it and then immediately start writing the next; we always need some sort of rest and reprieve. Each record from one to the next has just been whatever came out of us at that time, so when the next record process comes along, I don’t know where we’ll be

creatively. I don’t know if we’ll continue to explore this path. I don’t know if we’ll go back into heavier, more frantic stuff.

That’s sort of the nice thing about this band: the uncertainty of knowing what we’re going to do next. We don’t even know until it happens.

Your single, “For Shelley,” is about your late mother. What was it like writing about such an emotional experience? Did you find that it was easy or difficult to write about something so personal to you?

It was difficult in the respect that I felt this pressure that I absolutely needed to write something that I couldn’t look back on later and go, ‘I wish I’d done this instead.’ So I rewrote that song more than any of the others, but I think it was easy in the respect that when a line did feel like it fit and described what I was trying to convey, it was non-negotiable, like as soon as the line came out, it was like, ‘OK, that’s it. I can move forward and move onto the next part of the song.’ I think a lot of that is worrying about what those lyrics might mean to somebody else because I was so deeply involved in writing that song for myself; I wasn’t even sure it was going to be an A Lot Like Birds song. The evolution of that song from a song that might not have even happened whatsoever, to being our very first glimpse of the record was a little bit of a journey.

Tell me about your other single, “The Sound of Us.” Is that equally as personal?

No, that’s actually almost at the opposite end of the spectrum. That lyric style is more old-school A Lot Like Birds: very, very imagery-based. I wanted to write this long story and it’s literally about two people traveling through space. That song meant a lot to me because it was such a blending of the two styles with this album, so the old familiar lyricism that people were used to from No Place, which is just one very longwinded story.

There’s been a few changes in the lineup since you started, most notably the addition and departure of Kurt (Travis). What can you say about that and what is the dynamic of the current lineup?

One of the things that has always been fascinating to me about A Lot Like Birds was the nature of constantly changing and constantly evolving and never really settling down. The very first album that we ever made had like 12 or 13 different members. We had trumpets and violins and just a mess of people and I wasn’t supposed to be a permanent member; I was supposed to be a guest vocalist, so I think it’s just a natural progression and just a way of making this the DIVISI era of A Lot Like Birds.

Tell me more about the upcoming album and how it differs from your previous releases. How do you feel when you go back and listen to your first full-length?

DIVISI is something that’s hard for me to try to envision as one song or one single or a handful of songs. It just feels like an album that has to be perceived as a whole. It feels like such a natural A Lot Like Birds album and it has everything that all of our old albums had, it’s just a variety of range, heavier songs, softer songs, flows of energy, themes that make themselves present through some songs and some songs have standalone themes.

It’s got the backbone of a real A Lot Like Birds album, but it’s just in a different skin. CT

A Lot Like Birds, Pub Rock, 8005 E. Roosevelt Street, Scottsdale, pubrocklive.com, Friday, June 2, 7 p.m., $13-$15.

Check out the full interview at ecollegetimes.com.

ECOLLEGETIMES.COM | MAY 18, 2017

Tell me a little about yourself and your background in music. What did you grow up listening to and how do you think that informs your current sound?

When I was young, I listened to a lot of classic rock because that’s the only stuff that my parents kept in the house.

That’s what I knew — these long, epic songs that told stories. It wasn’t until I graduated high school that I started to branch out and listen to other music.

Our guitarist, Ben (Wiacek), and I were friends in high school and he started showing me bands like Circle Takes the Square and Fall of Troy and that was the first time I’d really heard anything experimental or ‘non-radio friendly’ and I was just hooked at that point. That blend of both of those worlds — trying to approach storytelling in writing and mixing that with experimentation and always trying to push boundaries brought me to where I am now.

compared to your last few releases.

Can you talk about that and why you decided to do a shift in sound?

I felt like screaming had a place in our music, but if I wanted to approach every single song with screaming, it would be somewhat forced. I would always write melodies and try and incorporate them into more of our songs; there are small segments of songs on Conversation Piece and No Place that I was singing on, but they weren’t huge features. All screaming on this album is just points where I felt that screaming was the best way to approach it vocally. They’re pretty few and far between, but I’m really happy that they are where they are.

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A FITTING TRIBUTE DEMETRI MARTIN’S ‘DEAN’ TACKLES A PARENT’S DEATH AND GETTING THROUGH IT CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI • COLLEGE TIMES

W

hen comedian Demetri Martin lost his father 20 years ago, he felt alone. His mother and father were young, and she was going through her own grieving process.

ECOLLEGETIMES.COM | MAY 18, 2017

Two decades later, the 43-year-old is paying tribute to his dad through the indie film Dean, which opens in wide release on Friday, June 2. The dramedy tells the story of loss, grief and love through the eyes of Dean, a New York illustrator who falls for an L.A. woman while trying to prevent his father from selling the family home after his mother dies. It stars Kevin Kline as his father and Mary Steenburgen as a real estate agent.

The tie to his father? His name was Dean.

“The original title for the movie was The First Thing You Never Get Over,” says Martin during a recent interview at Café Pino in Scottsdale. “I changed it as a tribute for myself in case I don’t make another movie.”

Martin, whose mom is suffering from early onset Alzheimer’s, says death is alienating. His life changed.

“At my dad’s funeral, I remember thinking, ‘This is the worst day of my 20 life. No contest.’ It was horrible when

he was sick. Don’t get me wrong, but it was that finality. Then, I remember thinking that someday I’ll be able to talk about this without crying.

“It took a while. Talking about this movie is therapeutic, for sure. I’m connecting with people in ways I didn’t expect. You don’t know who’s walking around dealing with what.”

His mother, Lillian, is shown in a home movie with Martin as a 3-yearold at the end of Dean. These days, she doesn’t recognize Martin and can’t speak.

“The movie is also about losing my mom, who’s technically still alive,” Martin says. “It’s tears of a clown and everything. I wanted to find some humor in grief, or trying to come out of it. What happens when people aren’t thinking about it when they see you?

Life goes on.”

The movie isn’t without Martin’s trademark dry humor, though. It may have its sweet, funny moments, but it was challenging to film. He’s looking at

Demetri Martin in Dean, to be released by CBS Films on June 2.

it through rosy glasses now.

“I can feel my brain correcting and making it a rosier picture, though,” says Martin, who returns to the Valley to perform at Talking Stick Resort on Saturday, July 29.

“I’d rather remember Dean as more of a fun thing,” he says. “It was a lowbudget, intense, 20-day shoot. I was going as fast as I could. There weren’t a lot of takes. It felt like life or death, but I have a movie and I’m proud of it. I’m grateful that it worked.”

A newcomer to making films, Martin learned as he went along.

“They say, ‘You don’t know what you don’t know,’” says Martin, who’s forming ideas for two more films. “I really felt it on this. I was so in over my head – producing, getting locations, where to park the trucks. With all of the logistics, I had no idea. This was the stuff that kept me up at night. I felt OK, but the producing, I thought, ‘Man, this is hard.’”

Martin says Dean inspired him to

revamp his live show.

“I’m trying to open up a little more on stage,” he says. “I have plenty of jokes for the show. I want to connect with the audience in a different way, though. I’m not necessarily going to tell my life story up there. It’s just going to be based a little more on how I feel, not what I think.

“It’s just tricky. I’m not used to it. You want to grow as a creative person and I’m trying hard to do that. It’s nice to connect emotionally with people, not just intellectually. I feel like I’m doing that with Dean and my shows.”

In the end, he’s hoping to help people with Dean.

“It’s totally validating, especially for people who have experienced loss,” he says. “Hopefully, it makes you feel a little less alone in the world.”

Demetri Martin, Talking Stick Resort, 9800 E. Talking Stick Way, Scottsdale, 480.850.7777, talkingstickresort.com, 8 p.m. Saturday, July 29, tickets start at $40. CT

ECOLLEGETIMES.COM | MAY 18, 2017

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LIVE MUSIC

CALENDAR MAY 18 Afton Showcase Rhythm Room, 6:30 p.m., $11-$14 As It Is Pub Rock Live, 7 p.m., $13-$16 Branches w/ The Senators Rebel Lounge, 8 p.m., $12 Kool A.D. w/ Ceschi, Chisme, Cultdays Last Exit Live, 9 p.m., $12-$15 L.A. Witch w/ Mr. Elevator Valley Bar, 8 p.m., $12-$14 Witchaven w/ Deathblow Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., $12

MAY 19 Brother Ali Club Red – West, 7 p.m., $18-$65 BulletBoys BLK Live, 8 p.m., $20 Chris Stapleton w/ Brothers Osborne, Lucie Silvas Ak-Chin Pavilion, 7 p.m., $30.75-$207 Cold Shott and the Hurricane Horns Rhythm Room, 9 p.m., $8 JoJo Livewire, 7 p.m., $17 Michael Ian Black Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $22-$28 Mickey Avalon w/ Dirt Nasty Marquee Theatre, 7:30 p.m., $20 Trace Bundy Musical Instrument Museum, 7:30 p.m., $33.50-$38.50 You’re Welcome Fest The Pressroom, 6 p.m., $35.50-$80

MAY 20 Adrianna Marie and Her Groovecutters Rhythm Room, 9 p.m., $10-$12

Banana Gun Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $10-$12 Billy Childs Quartet Tempe Center for the Arts, 7:30 p.m., $40 Black Bear Livewire, 8 p.m., $20-$30 JJ Grey & Mofro Marquee Theatre, 8 p.m., $25 Mother Mother Last Exit Live, 8 p.m., $20-$25 The Orbiting Human Circus featuring The Music Tapes Trunk Space, 8 p.m., $15 SIX60 Valley Bar, 7:30 p.m., $12-$15

MAY 21 The Damned Marquee Theatre, 8 p.m., $23-$99 Flynt Flossy and Turquoise Jeep Valley Bar, 8 p.m., $15 Marmalade Skies Rhythm Room, 4 p.m., $15 Redneck Nosferatu Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free Shining w/ Revenge, Wolvhammer Joe’s Grotto, 6 p.m., $17 The Sweet Remains Musical Instrument Museum, 7 p.m., $30.50-$38.50 A Toast to the Rat Pack Chandler Center for the Arts, 3 p.m., $29$44

MAY 22 Brian Wilson presents Pet Sounds Celebrity Theatre, 7:30 p.m., $60-$130 Catfish and the Bottlemen The Pressroom, 8 p.m., $25 Hoops Valley Bar, 8 p.m., $10-$12

MAY 23 ECOLLEGETIMES.COM | MAY 18, 2017

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An Evening with Acoustic Hot Tuna Musical Instrument Museum, 7 p.m., $48.50-$53.50

MAY 24 JOHN LEGEND

Ann Wilson of Heart Celebrity Theatre, 8 p.m., $40-$65 Bishop Briggs Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $20-$23 Celtic Woman Mesa Arts Center, 7:30 p.m., $43.82$112.97 Never Shout Never Rebel Lounge, 7 p.m., sold out Piñata Protest Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free

MAY 24 An Evening with Acoustic Hot Tuna Musical Instrument Museum, 7 p.m., $48.50-$53.50 Brian Chartrand, Jay Allan, Matthew Thornton Perform Tom Petty’s Wildflowers Rhythm Room, 8 p.m., $10 Esham w/ Mastamind, Skitzo, Daniel Jordan Last Exit Live, 8 p.m., $20-$25 Goya Valley Bar, 8 p.m., $8-$10 Hail the Sun w/ Capsize, Eidola, Limbs Pub Rock Live, 7 p.m., $13-$15 Harmony Orchestra Mesa Arts Center, 7 p.m., $5-$10 Highly Suspect Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., sold out John Legend Comerica Theatre, 7:30 p.m., $52.50$332.50 Kikagaku Moyo The Flycatcher, 9 p.m., $10-$12 Marsha Ambrosius and Eric Benét Tempe Center for the Arts, 7:30 p.m., $58$155 Never Shout Never Rebel Lounge, 7 p.m., $23-$25 Shonen Knife Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., $15

MAY 25 Decker. w/ Bear Ghost, Upsahl, I Am Hologram Valley Bar, 8 p.m., $8-$10 Deva Premal & Miten w/ Manose Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7:30 p.m., $40-$108 Highly Suspect Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., sold out Lisa Fischer Musical Instrument Museum, 7:30 p.m., $53.50-$73.50 Melissa Etheridge Salt River Grand Ballroom at Talking Stick Resort, 8 p.m., $40-$640

Comerica Theatre, 7:30 p.m., $52.50-$332.50

Randy Jackson of Zebra Last Exit Live, 7:30 p.m., $17.50-$25.50 Vamps Marquee Theatre, 7 p.m., $20 Voodoo Swing w/ Whiskey Kiss Rebel Lounge, 8:30 p.m., $5 Western Settings w/ ESE Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free

MAY 26 Austin John of Hinder RockBar, 6 p.m., $15 DJ Z-Trip Crescent Ballroom, 9 p.m., $18-$20 Haydn Symphony No. 45 Symphony Hall, 7:30 p.m., $25-$93 Living Colour BLK Live, 8 p.m., $22.50 MEGA Funk Fest Celebrity Theatre, 7:30 p.m., $55-$75 New Kids on the Block w/ Boyz II Men, Paula Abdul Talking Stick Resort Arena, 7:30 p.m., $35.20-$990.25 The Sugar Thieves Rhythm Room, 9 p.m., $10 Vallis Alps Valley Bar, 7:30 p.m., $12-$15

MAY 27 Bag of Tricks Cat w/ Justus, Tommy Will, BRIXX Joe’s Grotto, 7 p.m., $15 Blunt Club 15th Anniversary featuring Pickster, Hyder, Organic Element, DJ Melo Yucca Tap Room, 7 p.m., free Chico Chism Birthday Remembrance Celebration featuring The Rocket 88s Rhythm Room, 8 p.m., $8 Dead & Company Pre-Party featuring Xtra Ticket Last Exit Live, 4:20 p.m., $12-$15 Eli Young Band Livewire, 7 p.m., $22-$25 Gabriel & Dresden Monarch Theatre, 10 p.m., $15 Mon Laferte Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $25-$75 Purple Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., $20 Taake Club Red, 6 p.m., $18-$20 Twiztid Marquee Theatre, 6 p.m., $25

MAY 28 Dead & Company Ak-Chin Pavilion, 7:30 p.m., $40-$706 Native Bash Yucca Tap Room, 5 p.m., free Phoenix Blues Society Fundraiser Rhythm Room, 2 p.m., $10 Souvenirs Valley Bar, 8 p.m., $10-$12

Don’t miss contemporary soul singer and piano virtuoso John Legend when he brings his Dark and Light Tour to Downtown Phoenix. Dark and Light is the fifth studio album of Legend’s lofty career and features an eclectic lineup of guest vocalists including Chance the Rapper, R&B maestro Miguel and Brittany Howard, frontwoman of blues rock band Alabama Shakes.

MAY 29 Ty Segall The Pressroom, 8 p.m., $20-$25

BJ Barham Rebel Lounge, 8 p.m., $15-$17 Black Stone Cherry Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $27-$30 Booze & Glory Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., $10-$12 Frontier Ruckus Rhythm Room, 8 p.m., $12-$15 Sam Outlaw Valley Bar, 8 p.m., $12-$15 Xandria Club Red, 6 p.m., $18-$20

MAY 31 Barrows Rebel Lounge, 8 p.m., $8-$10 Capture Pub Rock Live, 7 p.m., $13-$60 Crown Larks Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free Elephant Revival Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $17-$20 K. Phillips Last Exit Live, 9 p.m., $10 Modest Mouse Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., sold out The Wailers Marquee Theatre, 8 p.m., $20 Wavves The Pressroom, 8 p.m., $20-$23 CT

VR continued from pg. 16 Rossini says the team might even explore doing a virtual-reality game broadcast in the future.

“I think we are going to use this year to really test it out and capture a lot of content over the course of the season, make it available to fans month by month and then understand what the possibilities are moving forward,” Rossini says.

SUNS AIM FOR VR FUTURE TO EXPAND The Suns are approaching virtualreality technology in other ways, using it to market their product and those of their partners.

Suns President Jason Rowley says there are no plans for a virtual-reality area like the Diamondbacks have at Chase Field, but the Suns hope the technology can be another way to attract fans to games.

“It’s always that tension in sports, and we are not the only league or team to face this, but the at-home viewing experience is so terrific,” Rowley says.

“You still want people to come to your game.”

“You have got to make sure you are doing the things in both areas of your business so that you are continuing to generate fan interest and fan affinity,” he says.

Rowley says there are so many NBA fans globally that only about 2 percent of the team’s fan base will ever actually attend a game at Talking Stick Arena.

Knowing this, Rowley says there are advantages and disadvantages of trying to expand the virtual-reality access to those fans.

“Long-term, you want to develop obviously all of those relationships and be able to leverage that level of affinity,” Rowley says.

While virtual-reality access for all Suns fans is still a work in progress, the team’s first jump into the world of VR was distribution of kits to season ticket holders. Suns star Devin Booker is featured in the VR footage, urging season ticket holders to renew.

There are also VR clips of game and practice footage with a voiceover from Suns broadcaster Al McCoy. The content is all produced in-house.

“You have a pretty wide range of fans who are young and might have a better level of comfort with that type of technology, and then you have some older fans where it’s something that

they are not quite used to,” Rowley says. “There was an education process, but overall the feedback we got was terrific, and obviously something we will continue to build on.”

The Suns are also discussing using virtual reality in a basketball setting as a recruiting tool for potential free-agent signings. Rowley says it is a vision in progress and, as with everything, the Suns want to make sure they have perfected it before deploying it.

“When you have guys across the country, it might be a slick thing just to send them a phone and the VR to show what it is like to play a game here in Phoenix,” Rowley says. “Not just here in the arena, but showcase the city as well. Go to some great locations, some restaurants, Old Town Scottsdale, the Phoenix Open, whatever, to showcase what it’s like to live here so that’s another utilization.

“As you start thinking about it, it just opens up an entire world of possibilities in terms of being able to communicate with people on a different level, remotely,” Rowley says.

“It still feels extraordinarily immersive, and (demonstrates) what it’s like to be here in the building, in a game, or somewhere else in the market as well.”

entertainment

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Check out the latest part-time and full-time jobs, careers and internships.

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ECOLLEGETIMES.COM | MAY 18, 2017

To place an ad in gigs, contact us at: (480) 898-6465 or gigs@ecollgetimes.com

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WE DON’T BELIEVE IN

TOTALLY ACCURATE PREDICTIONS YOU SHOULD PROBABLY TAKE WITH A GRAIN OF SALT AQUARIUS (JANUARY 20-FEBRUARY 18) School is out and you can finally relax. Binge on 13 Reasons Why, read a book for pleasure or just take a nap… because you have two whole days till you start your summer job!

PISCES (FEBRUARY 19-MARCH 20) You’re yearning for connection and you just might find it this summer. In fact, you might just be on the heels of it right now. But not with Harry Styles, so stop staring at that picture of him in the pink jacket on The Today Show and move on, sister!

ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 21) Without the added stress of school, it’s time to boil down to your essence and streamline. Find organization, begin planning for next year, take time to clean things out, pour some ice on it. Yes, this is our secret way of telling you to finally try cold brew.

TAURUS (APRIL 22-MAY 20) Take your sunglasses off and peek down every once in a while. You might find you need to bring yourself down a bit this week — and invest in another self-tanner that doesn’t turn your skin green.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 21) With a summer birthday, this is usually your season to shine, but you’re feeling tired more than anything else.

Before it hits full swing, take some time to rest. Read a book, take a yoga class or just eat a really good bagel.

ECOLLEGETIMES.COM | MAY 18, 2017

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CANCER (JUNE 22-JULY 22) The stars are saying your chances of dropping your phone in a hot tub have increased by 300 percent this summer.

We’d invest in that OtterBox case, Cancer, just saying…

LEO (JULY 23-AUGUST 22) With the year almost half over, now’s a good time to check in on your New Year’s resolution. Was it to “stay awesome”? Because you’re doing great, baby.

VIRGO (AUGUST 23- SEPTEMBER 22) Sparks will be flying this season as your love life looks like it’s in peak position for a summer romance… or at least a really good sing-along sesh to “Summer Lovin’” from Grease.

LIBRA (SEPTEMBER 23-OCTOBER 22) An old friend will resurface this month. This friend’s name is your bed at your parents’ house, and it wants you to know it will always love you.

SCORPIO (OCTOBER 23-NOVEMBER 21) A funk in the air has kept you feeling off your game these past few weeks. With time to breathe, find the source and get rid of it – whether that’s cutting off a friend or getting an air freshener for your car.

We recommend Hawaiian Breeze.

SAGITTARIUS (NOVEMBER 22-DECEMBER 21) Summer break has just begun and you’re already itching to hit the road and camp, hike and drive. The itch is really bad, actually. Don’t forget to pack some bug spray.

CAPRICORN (DECEMBER 22-JANUARY 19) Take a different invitation and get a chance to know some newer friends on a more personal level. You might find your new soulmate or new crew… or you might find you need to get out, stat. CT

SUMMER HIATUS SCHEDULE:

Enjoy your summer!

Housing Issue-June 29 College Survival Guide-July 27 Regular August issue-August 17