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Difficulty of major possibly linked to familial upbringing Alahnah Ligon Contributor
seemed to know their music well. “The City of Our Lady” from new album “Monterey” began the set, a catchy song that immediately made it clear how talented both artists are on guitar. The duo’s voices harmonized perfectly as they played a mix of both new and old tracks. In one older song, “Heaven” from 2013 album “The Ash & Clay,” The Milk Carton Kids crooned, “Go ahead stomp your feet on the floorboards / Clap your hands if that’s really what you came here for.” The crowd enthusiastically obliged with footstomping and hand-clapping but somehow managed to get remarkably off beat —“Don’t really do it,” Ryan said.
If you enjoy Socrates or the symphonies of Beethoven, does that mean your family is rich? According to research outlined by a July 2015 article in The Atlantic, students who come from a high-income background are more likely to pursue “easier” liberal arts degrees such as classics, English or art, while those from lower income homes were found to pursue “harder” scientific degrees in engineering, mathematics or computer science. For UT students, however, this may not be the case. When Celeste Carruthers, assistant professor in the college of business, analyzed statistics of the annual household, she found that despite stereotypes which surround a student’s income background and subsequent educational pursuits, there is significant evidence to refute the claims of income background and college major — at least at UT. “There is a great deal of overlap between majors,” Carruthers said. “There are plenty of $50,000 (per) year families whose children study English, and plenty of $125,000 (per) year families whose children study computer science.” In line with Carruthers’ findings, Stewart Whaley, freshman in aerospace engineering, comes from a home with an annual household income of over $100,000. According to the trends presented in research, Whaley should pursue an “easier” liberal arts major, but he chose to pursue the sciences, citing parental influence and passion for aerospace exploration as deciding factors in his career choice. Kelly Moore, freshman in studio art, appears to follow the proposed trend, hailing from a household with an annual income of approximately $150,000.
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The Milk Carton Kids performed at the Bijou on September 17, 2015. Taylor Gash • The Daily Beacon
Folk acts deliver enthusiastic performance Katey Robinson Contributor
The Milk Carton Kids, a Grammy-nominated indie folk duo comprised of Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan, sang and strummed their way into Knoxville’s heart on Sept. 15 at The Bijou Theater. Opening the show was The Contenders, the gritty folk duo of Josh Day on drums and Jay Nash on guitar and lead vocals. “Meet the Contenders,” the band’s first album, starts out with track “The Contender.” Nash and Day followed suit with their performance, joking about the confusion that might result from so much repetition of the word “contender” in their work.
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The song kicked off the show well and created a great energy with Nash’s soulful voice taking on a bit of a country twang. Another highlight from the pair was “Lincoln, 1958.” This atmospheric ballad filled The Bijou with its quieter percussion and a slower tempo. According to Nash, “We went to great lengths to make our album sound like it was recorded in 1972.” The vintage image they’re trying to create definitely emanated from the stage throughout their act. Regardless of whatever it is that Nash and Day are contending for exactly, they were a pleasure to hear live and complimented The Milk Carton Kid’s subsequent set wonderfully. The Milk Carton Kids were met with warm reception from the crowd as this was their second time playing the Bijou, and many in the audience
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Thursday, September 17, 2015