Rocky Mount, N.C.
VOL. 15, NO. 6
''Wesleyan's Student Voice Since 1984''
FRIDAY, MARCH 3, 2000
Newgrass Blue thrives at Wesleyan
WESLEYAN STUDENTS FORM NEWGRASS BLUE.
By ALISON KIRCH
Staff Reporter
If you can imagine a combina
tion of funk, the blues, and south
ern rock, you might have an idea
about the sound of Newgrass
Blue.
If you have ever seen this band
play, you may have heard them
cover anything from the Allman
Brothers to Pearl Jam, from Jimi
Hendrix to the Goo-Goo Dolls.
Newgrass Blue consists of
three Wesleyan students and their
friend: Mike Dixon (vocals,
acoustic guitar), Jeremy Gamba
(electric guitar, lead and acoustic
guitar), Brent Harrell (drums) and
Tremayne Coppedge (bass gui
tar). These four come from en
tirely different states and musical
backgrounds, and it is only North
Carolina Wesleyan that has
brought them all together.
Mike Dixon came to Rocky
Class in constitutional law
holds annual mock protest
For the second spring semes
ter, the students in Dr. Tom
O’Conner’s Justice Studies 410
class in Constitutional Law staged
a mock protest on the steps of the
Braswell Administration Build
ing.
Although it is a class project,
the grievances set forth were bona
fide, not simply tongue in cheek.
While this year’s group of Justice
410 students may have been less
flamboyant in dress than last
year's, their list of gripes seemed
lo be more thoughtful.
Surprisingly, no one diss’ed
the food, normally a perennial stu
dent target. The list included a
wide range, from the college’s
need for more full-time profes
sors to new equipment for the
weight room.
The purpose of the mock pro
test is for these students to learn.
It’s an exercise in putting into
action the First Amendment, not
just the articulated rights, but also
the unarticulated rights,” said
0 Conner. "The students were
supposed to take real grievances
and figure out the most funda
mental. most expressive, and most
outrageous ways to express
them.”
Some students had costumes;
O’Conner had encouraged them
to dress as 60’s hippies. The most
recognizable element from the
60’s were the beads.
The grievances, which were
pre-approved by their professor,
fell into three categories: aca
demic, facilities, and student life.
The class was divided into three
groups, each group taking one
category. There were eight or nine
grievances in each category, and
the students spent two class peri
ods refining their ideas, and how
they could present them within
the confines of the First Amend
ment. Some of the articulated re
strictions included not using ob
scenities, no fighting words, no
rioting or routing.
Among other things, the
amendment protects freedom of
expression, the right to petition
for grievances, and freedom of
association.
The students’ list of grievances
included the old, hard wooden
desks, which Cynthia Kent said
must have been from the begin
ning of the school, and she
pointed out how hard it was on
one’s posterior to sit in one of
them for two hours. She also com
plained about the lack of parking
close to classroom buildings,
making it tough for older non-
traditional students to walk so far.
Robert Pike brought a com
plaint about the current lack of
full-time professors. Pike asserted
that they weren’t enough on cam
pus and they weren't compen
sated highly enough. He argued
that the lack of professors would
equal lack of prestige for the
school.
“It is more important to have
the professors than the facilities,”
he said, “any kind of money-tak-
ing facility.”
Another speaker complained
there was not enough financial
Mount from Bowie, Md. He be
gan playing the guitar in middle
school, but never owned one of
his own until his first year here at
Wesleyan. In fact, he credits Jer
emy and another former Wes
leyan student. Brad Henderson,
with teaching him how to play.
Jeremy Gamba learned the gui
tar from his father, back home in
North Augusta, S.C. He lists his
musical influences as blues greats
such as Stevie Ray Vaughn.
Albert Collins and Robert
Johnson, but admires the uncon
ventional song-writing style of
Elvis Costello. Both Brent and
Tremayne agree Jeremy is the best
guitarist they have ever worked
with.
“Dazed and Confused.” by
John Paul Jones, inspired
Tremayne Coppedge to begin
playing the bass guitar. This was
six years ago in Minneapolis.
Minn. Tremayne has background
in classical, orchestra, and jazz
music.
Brent Harrell is from Rocky
Mount and learned to play the
drums in Enfield Academy’s con
ceit band. He mastered the fun
damentals of the drums through
the school's instruction, but con
tinued to develop his own style
beyond that.
Both Brent and Tremayne are
described by the other members
of the band as well-trained musi
cians with c.\pansi\c musical
backgrounds.
Newgrass Blue was formed
roughly a year and a half ago.
Mike and Jeremy had played to
gether informally, teaching each
other songs and sharing a com
mon passion and inlcrest in inu-
sic. Then Jeremy met Brent
through Wesleyan's jazz band,
and Brent knew Tremayne. Fi-
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*11
ROBERT PIKE MAKES POINT AT ANNUAL PROTEST.
aid or academic scholarships, and
that the business office doesn't
communicate well with students
or accommodate them.
Other grievances included the
lack of public telephones around
the campus, security issues, not
enough financial aid, problems in
scheduling courses and the lack
of variety of courses, and weight
room equipment that is too old
and even rusty. Additional griev
ances were pre.sented about the
right to live off campus and lack
of communications to off-cam-
pus commuter students during the
closings of the college during the
post-hurricane flooding and the
recent snow.
Another speaker indicated
there wasn't enough diversity in
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