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CAMPUS CAMPAIGNS
orotijs push voting in Athens
Deadline to register
approaching soon
By TIFFANY STEVENS
The Red & Black
Community organizations, University
groups and politically active students are
organizing to encourage students to reg
ister to vote in Athens-Clarke County
during the upcoming midterm elections
in November.
Voter registrations must be post
marked by Monday in order for students
to vote in the elections.
University groups such as Young
Democrats, College Republicans and the
Women’s Studies Student Organization
have been registering students to vote in
Athens-Clarke County in preparation for
the upcoming elections. Some groups
have registered hundreds of students
since the semester began, in addition to
providing information about candidates
and providing forums for students to dis
cuss political issues facing candidates in
the election.
Savanna Reese, public relations direc
tor for the University’s College
Republicans, said the group had regis
tered at least 200 voters during its weekly
registration drives in Tate Plaza.
“For the past month, every Wednesday
we've been holding a student registration
drive in Tate Plaza," she said. “Every per
son that we’ve registered has seemed
very interested.”
For some groups, the number of stu
dents who want to participate locally is
encouraging.
Jenna Garland, Georgia organizer for
Southern Energy Network, said her com
pany partnered with WSSO to register
students at Tate Plaza and outside
Brumby Hall Tuesday.
“We wanted to fight the stigma that
with the 2010 election, since it’s not the
2008 election, not as many young people
would show up to the polls.” Garland
Students helm governor debate
By PAIGE VARNER
The Red & Black
Candidates in the
Georgia governor’s race
will have to answer to stu
dents Sunday night.
For the first time, a
Georgia gubernatorial
debate will be student-led
and student-focused.
Student Government
Associations from five col
leges the University,
Georgia Tech, Morehouse
College, Georgia College
and State University and
Georgia Southern
University organized
Sunday's debate.
A student from each of
the five colleges will serve
as a panelist questioning
the three attending candi
dates Republican
Nathan Deal, Democrat
Roy Barnes and Libertarian
John Monds.
SGA President Josh
Delaney will be the
University’s panelist.
Delaney said he wants
to know the candidates'
positions on three issues,
the depleting HOPE
Scholarship fund, a stu
dent representative on the
Board of Regents and
whether undocumented
students should attend
public universities.
“We want to get the
candidates on the record
saying things that really
matter to University stu-
METAL Caledonia to host 23 bands
► From Page 3
other bands and other
musicians,” Martin said.
“They’re usually accessi
ble, they’re super nice, so
this was just a way to
make the metal commu
nity that much bigger.”
After a year off from
Devilneck, Martin orga
nized a second event at
Lenny’s Bar in Atlanta.
Then this year. Smith
who had been booking
shows at Kingpin’s Bowl
and Brew took over
organizing, booked the
bands, and enlisted The
Caledonia Lounge as a ,
venue.
This year’s show will
continue traditions from
the past, cramming 23
bands including
Athens heavy hitters
Music Hates You,
American Cheeseburger,
and In the Lurch into
two aftemoons/nights of
ear-splitting rock.
For members of the
metal scene in Athens,
these events represent
nicely the niche they’ve
carved out for themselves
in this town’s crowded
music arena.
“It’s nice that [metal]
has grown enough to have
somewhat of a scene in
this town, but it’s not out
said.
“We’re encouraging people who would
be here and may not be going home, to
vote in Athens.”
Alex Foster, president of the
University’s Young Democrats, said some
students asked about absentee ballots,
but most wanted information about reg
istering in Athens-Clarke County.
“I think Athens has always been pretty
good about having a good youth turn
out,” he said. “Most people just want
information about voting in Athens if
they’re going to be here for a few years.”
Some individual University students
are also encouraging friends and class
mates to register to vote in Athens-Clarke
County.
GARLAND
important to vote,” she said. “Your home
is here, you purchase things here and
you’re under Clarke County law, so you
should vote here.”
Garland said she was encouraged by
the number of students who said they
were already registered, but that unregis
tered students should attempt to meet
the deadline.
“A lot of the people we’ve talked to so
far, when we’ve asked them if they’d like
to register, they say they already are reg
istered,” she said. “We hope that we have
a huge youth turnout. We’ve had nine mil
lion new voters turn 18 nationwide in
between the 2008 and 2010 registration.
We’re not the coveted voting block when
it comes to elections, but in 2016 this gen
eration will become the largest voter
block, so it's very important.”
STUDENT-LED
GUBERNATORIAL
DEBATE
When: Sunday, 7-8 p.m.
Where: Georgia Public
Broadcasting in Atlanta at 260
14th St. NW
More Information: Students
can submit questions for
panelists to ask at the debate's
website - gastudenNote.com.
VIEWING PARTY &
PUNDIT ANALYSIS
When: Sunday at 6:30 p.m.
Where: MLC 101
dents,” Delaney said.
Delaney said he thinks
Sunday’s debate will be
particularly tough for the
candidates because stu
dents are asking the ques
tions.
“Students have the
ability to hear through the
sound bites,” he said.
Zach Mullins, Georgia
College’s SGA president
and debate panelist, said
he submitted questions
about “big picture” issues.
He referenced Deal’s
nearly $2.3 million busi
ness loan due Feb. 1 that
of control or anything,”
said Chris Holcombe,
drummer for Subrig
Destroyer and Guzik. “We
at least have a nice little
circle of friends and fan
base around here now, it's
not so hard to get a show
here anymore.”
Zach Hembree, bassist
for Stone Mountain
Freeway, agreed with
Holcombe, and even feels
like this event will be sim
ilar to a family reunion for
him.
“I’m not excited Just
about playin' a show. I’m
excited about bein’
around what I consider
family,” Hembree said.
“About 90 percent of the
people that are gonna be
there, I’ve known half of
my life, and I would take
a bullet for all of them.”
Fans should expect the
unexpected.
“It’s just good to all
get together and get
rowdy and hug each
other, play loud music,
spit beer at the crowd,
talk about Venom and
Lynyrd Skynyrd, stuff like
that.”
Martin also agreed, but
is at the same time excit
ed about giving an oppor
tunity to the non-metal
lovers in Athens to sam
ple the music he loves.
NEWS & VARIETY
Kayla Calhoun, a senior
flrom Colquitt, said she’s
voting in Athens as a way
of giving back to her com
munity.
“I think it’s important
to register in Clarke
County. We as students
take a lot of resources and
are a big part of the com
munity. So it’s important
to volunteer and give back
in that way, but it’s also
exceeds the net value of
everything Deal owns.
Mullins asked. “How
can Mr. Deal manage state
finances given his personal
financial situation?”
Mullins also wants to
know Barnes’ position on
giving in-state tuition to
illegal immigrants and why
Barnes and Deal are “tak
ing stabs at one another”
in campaign ads.
The University has 60
seats available at the
debate, and about 20 have
not yet been filled.
Interested students
can contact School of
Public and International
Affairs Senator Wes
Robinson at wesleyrobin
son9iagmail.com.
Those who can’t make
it to the debate can watch
it live on WGTV or at the
viewing party in the Miller
Learning Center room 101.
Pizza will be served at
the viewing party.
Afterward, four SPIA and
Grady College professors
will provide a pundit anal
ysis.
" Delaney said students
should participate in the
debate by attending or
watching it on TV
because the University is a
public institution.
“I think who’s governor
can often more directly
afreet what happens on
campus, more so than
who’s president,” he said.
“You wanna branch
out for other people and
have other people experi
ence what you like and
what you see as interest
ing,” Martin said. “Your
hope is that people that
normally wouldn't come
to a metal show would
come and actually appre
ciate it.”
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4
Mug
ill
Courtesy Los Meesfits
▲ Originally envisioned to be a mariachi band by lead vocalist Eric
Hernandez, Los Meesfits has received incredibly positive response.
Los Meesfits mix salsa
grooves and retro punk
By PATRICK HOOPER
Th>: Red & Buck
Take a handful of salsa,
add a tablespoon of the
horror punk rock band the
Misfits, shake vigorously
and you might wind up
with something resem
bling Los Meesfits, a
Spanish-speaking Misfits
cover band slated to take
the stage tonight at Little
Kings.
Lead vocalist and
bongo player Eric
Hernandez, otherwise
known by stage name
“Enrique Diablo,” said Los
Meesfits was the result of
a conversation with his
Mends about what band
would make the best jump
to a more Hispanic flavor.
“I have a unique taste
for Hispanic jokes, being
Hispanic myself,”
Hernandez said.
Hernandez had origi
nally envisioned Los
Meesfits as a mariachi
band, but it took a differ
ent direction when he
unexpectedly had to put it
into practice.
“It was kind of a joke at
first, but everyone kept
telling me it would be awe
some,” Hernandez said.
The idea of Los
Meesfits finally came to a
head when a Mend booked
the hypothetical band for
a show, which gave
Hernandez a mere month
to put a team together.
Hernandez and the rest
of the band haven’t
looked back since.
The band began with
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just three members
Hernandez, guitarist
Adam Hebert and upright
bassist Geoff Teriy —but
it has since swelled to a
seven-person group, which
has presented anew prob
lem in organizing so many
schedules.
“We’ve had to say ’make
it if you can. If you can’t,
you’ll probably suck at the
next show,”’ Hebert said of
band practices. “That’s my
motivation. I just don’t
want to suck.”
Rirther complicating
the band’s efforts is the
simple fact of not settling
for less.
Percussionist Matt
Kurz who also draws
crowds as the one-man
band The Matt Kurz One—
said they sing “all
Spanish all the time,” and
only songs from former
front man Glenn Danzig's
tenure.
Hebert admitted to
having some difficulty with
the Spanish lyrics, but he
said he enjoys the learning
process.
“I’m not concerned
with a literal translation so
much as what sounds
good and sounds natural."
Hernandez explained,
emphasizing rhyme and
style over straight transla
tions.
The members also try
to match their instru
ments to the salsa flair,
with Hebert eschewing an
electric guitar in favor of a
ranojtaio
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classical one and Kurz also
playing a marimba, which
he described as a “wooden
vibraphone.”
Percussionist Celeste
Josephine takes the stage
with a custom-made
AMcan drum Hernandez
refers to as “the big bad
drum.”
Further setting Los
Meesfits apart from the
typical band are the resi
dent dancers.
Kurz said featuring
dancers Lauren Traetto
and Carlos Alberto Hung
Rivas was a natural fit for
Los Meesfits. Traetto and
Rivas made a habit of
attending every show
decked out in eye-catch
ing costumes and ft-antic
dancing.
Hebert said the two
have only continued to up
the ante since joining the
band, incorporating fake
blood and butcher knives
into the act in emulation
of the shock rock theatrics
that typify the Misfits.
Despite a few awkward
moments with devout
Misfits fans, the members
said the response has been
incredibly positive.
Hernandez said the
name alone has allowed
them to draw quite a
crowd.
“Someone actually took
Misfits songs and
reworked them into salsa
songs," Hebert said. “It’s
so ridiculous you have to
see.”
5