arts entertainment
Shannon Sees the Light on Martha’s Vineyard
Press Release
Just as the lighthouses of
Martha’s Vineyard provide
a beacon for ocean travelers
approaching this tiny Island in
the Atlantic, the Contemporary
Music Center offers guidance,
instruction, and hands-on experi
ence for select college students
who wish to dive into the music
industry. Montreat’s own Mike
Shannon has set out to prove
this trip worthwhile, and is
deep in the creative waters of
this off-campus study program
sponsored by BestSemester.com
and the Council for Christian
Colleges & Universities.
The CMC offers classes
and real-world experience in
songwriting, studio recording,
performing, artist management
and marketing. Having elected
to focus on the business side
of music. Shannon serves as
manager and booking agent
for several artists, while also
sharpening his skills in concert
promotion, marketing and pub
licity. Shannon also uses his time
to perform both in the studio and
in live performances. In addition,
he can also be found working
hard as a studio engineer.
“The CMC is the only school
1 know where the professors are
cooler than their students,” Shan
non says. “This is the perfect
place to learn and be challenged
if you plan on making music
your life’s work simply because
you can’t live without it.”
The CMC is one of eleven
semester-away study programs
created by the CCCU and
BestSemester.com. Students
can choose to go to China,
Russia, Egypt, Latin America,
Oxford, England, Australia,
Uganda, Washington, D.C.,
and Hollywood to explore the
interaction of faith and learning
in various disciplines. CMC
Director, Warren Pettit, explains,
“In the five years that we’ve been
open, the CMC has helped nearly
300 students from more than 75
colleges prepare for careers in
Contemporary music. We’ve
already had alums sign with
major record labels, and there are
nearly 100 who have begun their
careers in the music business in
New York, Nashville and LA.”
For further information about
the Contemporary Music Center
or the CCCU’s other programs,
check out
WWW. bestsemester. com.
iWfeh
DISCOVER THE UNSEEN
“In the spring of2003, three young Americans from California left in search of a story. What they found was a tragedy that disgusted and
inspired tLm. Come, and discover the unseen. The film is fast paced, with an MTV beat, made for the young and young at heart. This won
derfully crappy rock-and-roll documentary is something truly unique. To see Africa through young eyes is funny, and heart breaking, quick
and informative - all in the very same breath. ”
www.invisiblechildren.com
by Josh Weeks
Recently the documentary
Invisible Children was shown
in Howertown and Anderson
Halls for convocation credit.
The Story: Three American
college students traveled to
Africa to learn more about the
violence there. They created a
documentary about their experi
ences called Invisible Children.
The documentary is a powerful
exploration of the brutal politi
cal war in Uganda and the unbe
lievable oppression the native
children go through everyday.
For those of you who have not
seen it, I would encourage you
to get a copy and watch it.
Although it is very moving
and powerful, I do feel that it
is lacking a few things. For
starters, the documentary itself
is not wonderfully put together.
It relies heavily on the audi
ences’ emotions, giving little
information about the situation
in Uganda. Not to mention the
little information that they do
give could be organized and
portrayed more clearly.
On top of this, the solution
that is presented at the end of
the movie is unrealistic and
unattainable. Their hope is to
raise $20 million and essen
tially rebuild Uganda; making
communities with - housing,
schools, and hospitals in order
for the people to be safe and the
children to start going to school.
Please do not get me wrong, I
feel this is a great dream for
Uganda and feel that it might
even be possible many years
from now. However, this is
not a realistic goal for the near
future for one main reason: it is
simply doing nothing more than
Americanizing a country that
is very far off from American
culture. This goal is trying to
bring current American social
justice (which took many years
to develop) to a country that is
starving to death. For instance,
while America was being estab-
fished, children worked and did
not go to school, all the while
minorities of all kinds were
treated unfairly. Obviously nei
ther of these situations was just
or fair but neither one of these
situations changed over night
either.
This is not at all to say that we
should have done nothing for
children or minorities nor should
we do nothing in regards to the
situation in Uganda. Something
has to be done! People are dying
by the thousands and many
of them are children. Human
beings are being treated with
less respect, dignity, and worth
than animals. Yes, something
has to be done. However, these
are very complex situations, we
must start with liberation and
then start meeting their basic
needs. We cannot jump past the
basic needs of food, clean water,
health, clothes, and jobs straight
into American-like schools and
town housing.
In closing, the documentary
is well worth the time; it is
powerful and very eye-opening.
It sheds light onto a situation
that needs immediate attention.
However, we first need more
information than the documen
tary gives in order to know how
and what to do that is in the
best interest of the people of
Uganda.
For more information on invis
ible children visit
WWW. invisiblechildren. com
Courtesy ofinvlsibIcchildrcn.com
Page 8, Mar. 2,2006
The Whetstone