THE PENDULUM
WEDNESDAY. JULY 28. 2010 // PAGE 13
The Pendulum
SEE MORE. DO MORE ONLINE.
www.elon.edu/pendu^m
FOLLOW CURRENT AND BREAKING NEWS « VIEW ONLINE-EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ■ CHECK OUT SPECIAL MULTIMEDIA PACKAGES INCLUDING VIDEOS,
PODCASTS, BLOGS, SLIDESHOWS AND MORE • LEAVE COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK
RESPOND TO THE PENDULUM IN WRITING, ON THE FACEBOOK FAN PAGE AND TWITTER
NEW MEDIA
TWITTER
www.twitter.com/elonpendulum
TWEET Oelonpendulum
The Pendulum’s main Twitter feed Is used to direct followers to main stories from
the print edition and stories that are more timely and only online.
Twitter, LIVE UPDATES
www.twittercom/pendulumlive
The Pendulum's live coverage feed is used for minute-by-minute updates of events
such as athletic games, speakers, awards shows and more.
PRINT EDITIONS OF THE PENDULUM
http://issuu.com/penduium
The Pendulum posts its print versions online so it can be viewed even after it’s
swiped off newsstands.
YOUTUBE
www.youtube.com/user/ThePendulumOnline
In addition to embedding Pendulum videos with their respective stories on The
Pendulum Web site, you can view and comment on all videos through YouTube.
FACEBOOK
www.facebook.com/thependulum
Become our fan. The fan page is used for the dissemination of information through
status updates and shared links that show up on fans’ news feeds. It's also for
your feedback and comments. You can also share Pendulum stories on your
ovwn facebook vrall by clicking the facebook button next to any web story.
THIS WEEK ONLINE
BLOGS
OPINIONS
Anna Johnson's take on the Postal
Serviced current business model.
pendulumopinions.wordpress.com
PENDULUM SPORTS
Pam Richter’s take on softball icon
Jennie Finch's retirement
pendulumsports.wordpress.com
ENTERTAINMENT
The Pendulum reviews ‘‘Inception".
Does it live up to the hype?
http://pendulum8.wordpress.com/
Imagining the Internet’s coverage of IGF-USA
httn: //iqfusa. wordoress. com/
Elon in LA blog
httDV/elonlnla.vTOrdpress.com/
Elon in NYC blog
httD://elonlnnvc.wordDress,CQm/
Rip_Chord among the top in national competition
FILE PHOTO
Rip.Chord placed among the top in their first national competition. The group tried out for The Sing-Off. an American Idol-esque show for a cappella groups this summer.
Lauren Ramsdell
Arts and Entertainment Editor
Ask anyone around Elon University
with a pair of working ears who Rip_
Chord is, and they will probably look at
you like you've sprouted a second head.
Who is Rip_Chord? they will ask,
looking you up and down. How can you
not have heard of Rip.Chord?
The all-male a cappella group
is popular on campus, making
appearances at events like Midnight
Meals and performing regular concerts.
However, they are not as well known
around the United States. President
Christopher Kilgore wants to change
that.
“We're looking to expand the Rip_
Chord name," he said, “And put our
name out there at the national level.”
To that end, the group participated in
their first national competition during
the summer. Rip.Chord tried out for
The Sing-Off, an American Idol-esque
show that features a cappella groups
rather than soloists. Due to potential
breach of contract with NBC, the show’s
producer, Kilgore was not allowed to
say their final slot in the auditions. He
was allowed to say that they did well.
“We made it pretty far in the audition
process,” he said. “We were in it right up
until the end.”
But though they didn’t make it to
the show, Kilgore said he believes that
Rip_Chord did an exceptional thing by
just making it to the auditions.
“We don’t see not making the show
as a bad thing,” he said. “We see it as
how far we’ve come. Because we were
able to do it, and do it well, we want to
pursue things like that more.”
Those other things include
potentially trying out for more TV shows
and expanding their competition out of
the Southeast and onto a more national
scale. They are also in the production
stages of their newest CD.
After two long weekends in the
McEwen studios - the first weekend
totaled 24 and a half hours of recording
- Rip_Chord’s second CD has been
successfully recorded. They are
currently auditioning producers to give
the album a bit of shine.
Senior Jacob Daniely was with them
through the recording process and,
according to Kilgore, was very patient
with the group.
“I don’t know how he put up with
us,” Kilgore said. “He is a saint.”
The new CD, name withheld in lieu
of pending album art and just a little
bit of suspense, features more current
Rip_Chord material than did the
previous CD.
“The last CD featured a mix of new
and retired songs,” Kilgore said. “This
one, all of our fans will know the
songs.”
Kilgore says the main aim of the CD
is to reach fans with Rip.Chord’s more
familiar songs, like the ever-popular
Disney Medley. But, the other goal is
to further spread the Rip.Chord name.
The men plan to send some tracks to
BOCA, or the Best Of College A cappella,
to feature on a compilation CD.
“Sweet Signatures frequently gets on
the CD,” said Kilgore. “We’re looking for
that kind of national recognition.”
The CD will likely be released at
Rip_Chord’s fall concert in either late
October or early November. Between
now and then, the group is looking
for new talent. Last year they lost
seven members to a combination of
graduation, schoolwork and study
abroad.
“It’s going to be very hard to fill
those spots,” said Kilgore. “The people
who just graduated are the people who
basically started the group.”
He seems optimistic, though, about
the incoming freshman class and hopes
to recruit heavily from their numbers.
Among Rip_Chord’s concerts this year
is an appearance at Catch the Fire, the
freshman greeting event, though they
will only be nine guys on stage.
“There is a lot of space to fill,” said
Kilgore.
Despite what some may see as a
setback, having to find so much new
talent, Kilgore and the other men of
Rip_Chord relentlessly look to the
future and breaking in to the national
a cappella pantheon of stars. With the
notoriety they already have on campus,
it may not be that difficult to garner
fans.