With less than a couple of days left in the semester, students can feel the infectious summer breeze flow throughout Grand Rapids Community College halls.

“I am going to be stuck working a lot this summer,” said Samantha See, GRCC student and former Elections Commitee chair for Student Congress.  “Maybe laying out in the sun if I have time.”

We at the Collegiate do not want our readers to go without some fun summer plans.  Whatever you are into,  West Michigan has a lot to offer.  Avoid spending money on expensive trips.  Take a chance and explore your own backyard this summer.

Good Food

Take time to dine out in the city.  With a diverse selection of restaurants that suits everybody’s needs.

If you want to experience exotic and authentic Etheopion  food.  Little Africa, located off of fulton and Diamond is a good deal for deliscious food.

If you are into more of an organic or vegetarian type lifestyle head on over to east town.  Marie Catribs offers a unique meal solution to meat-eaters and vegans alike.  Pair your meal with some Turkish coffee to liven up your day.

So you like burger? Give the Cottage Bar a try.  The Cottage Bar is one of downtown Grand Rapids oldest working pubs and restaurants.  Enjoy a meal there in a warm and casual setting.

The Great Outdoors

In West Michigan, we are lucky enough to be surrounded by natural beauty.  From lakes to sand dunes and trails to parks.  There are numerous hidden gems to explore over the summertime.

“This is going to be a relaxed summer for me,” said Tonja Lofton, Former GRCC Student Congress President.  “I really enjoy going out to hike in Saugatuck.”

Besides the crystal clear harbor at Saugatuck, South Haven is another cute lake town to visit. Visit Café Julias and make sure to enjoy some of their baked goods.  Enjoy the unique shops including Black River Books. Where you can go to find classic used books. Then off the evening with some Italian cooking at Venezia pizza.

Grand Haven is a classic retreat for many Rapidians looking for a great escape.  With a large city beach and the the states best corn dogs at Pronto Pups. You will be in for a fantastic time.  After a long walk, enjoy a beautiful sunset and evening water show.

Mountain Bikers might want to give Canonsburg a try this summer.  With challenging hills, it is certain to be an experience. Less experienced riders and walkers can go just alittle bit further down the road to Cannon Township Biking and Walking Trail in Rockford, Michigan.  This paved trail is about four miles long and leads you by beautiful Sunfish Lake.

Nightlife

“During the day I will be stuck at school, but at night I am ready to let loose,” said Michael Burndt, GRCC student.

The B.O.B.’s brewery is a stylish lounge and pub is great place to take in a drink.  They also provide live entertainment on the weekends.  Founder’s Brewery is a favorite for many locals.  They brew their own beers in their micro brewery to perfection.  Another hot spot to stop at is Hop Cat. This bar has been awarded as the third Best Beer Bar in the world by BeerAdvocate.

For a laugh, stop in at Dr. Grin’s Comedy Club.  This venue has been a host to many famous and local comedians.

Museums and Art

There is no shortage of local day activities around Grand Rapids.

The Public Museum and Gerald R. Ford Museum are great places to go for fun and to gain a little bit of knowledge.  The planetarium in the Public Museum can provide for a surprisingly fun date night.

On the northeast side of town you can take in the beauty and wonder of nature at Frederick Meijer Gardens.  Be sure to visit the butterfly exibit.

If you have kids head over to John Ball Zoo.  Expect to see chimps, spider monkeys, and even a Komodo dragon.

And lastly for a classy experience head over to the Grand Rapids Art Museum.  The current exhibit features world famous artist and photographer Rauschenberg and visitors.

For more information on fun summer activities visit http://www.experiencegr.com

As Grand Rapids Community College prepares for the upcoming summer semester, faculty and staff will be doing so with a decline in student enrollment.

In the report by the Michigan Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (MACRAO), it reported that the head count at GRCC is down 16.57 percent, with a total of 6,277 students enrolled over the summer, and the overall change in credit hours is down 18.53 percent.

“We have been trying to reach out to returning students, informing them that they may have Pell Grant money left over,” said Eric Mullen, Student Life Director. “Fall and Winter semester were down, so we are anticipating that again.”

Mullen explained that the college is doing what they can to try to draw students to the school but also said that state and federal funding is gone for adults who are looking to return to school.

“We are putting yard signs on campus, doing calling campaigns, and putting out Facebook ads asking students to be a Raider for the summer,” Mullen said. He explained that because of this campaign, the college is seeing an increase in guest students.

According to GRCC’s website, a guest student is any student who takes classes at GRCC and is enrolled at another Michigan college or university.

With enrollment down so much for the summer semesters, Associate Dean for Operations Mike Vargo explained that the college will have to close some classes.

“We will definitely be closing classes for the summer,” Vargo said. “Rest assured however.  If some late enrollment surge presents itself after we do this, we will happily open additional sections to meet student demand.”

“We cancel sections of classes that have the smallest impact on students,” Vargo said. “If we happen to have two poorly enrolled sections of one class that meet at the same time, we just combine the enrollments and create one class. Barring that, we tend to cancel the classes that have the fewest number of students already enrolled in them and that have open seats available in other sections that the affected students might move into.”

Eric Mullen said one reason for the low enrollment is that there just aren’t that many student prospects out there.

“There is a dip in students coming out of high school,” Mullen said. “There just aren’t a lot of students coming through the pipeline.”

While the low enrollment will affect the classes students can sign up for, it will also affect the faculty at the college.

“With such a sharp reduction in enrollment numbers, our need for sections is reduced, and there will be a corresponding reduction in the number of courses available for faculty to teach,” Mike Vargo said. “While we try to spread the reduction as evenly as we can, it is quite possible, and probably even likely, that there will be adjunct faculty who will be teaching fewer sections than they have taught in the past.”

The report by MACRAO stated the summer enrollment numbers for 16 community colleges around Michigan.

Of the 16 colleges, only Henry Ford Community College saw an increase of 2.63 percent compared to the previous summers’ enrollment numbers.

Of the 15 colleges that were seeing a decrease, St. Clair Community College was seeing the largest decrease in enrollment at 23.8 percent.

As for the fall 2012 semester, there is still time before officials will know the numbers.

“We aren’t sure about the fall 2012 semester yet,” Mullen said. “We won’t know until open registration begins on May 8.”

Opinion Editor

The “Bullied” article on Page 1 of this issue shows that  GRCC Cares created a version of the “It Gets Better Project” for students.

The fact that students put on an event to help wipe out discrimination and ugly thoughts, and tell people affected by these negativities that it will get better, is nothing short of exemplary. It gives me a great deal of pride that fellow students strive to be leaders of a movement, and it gives me hope that there is still good in the world.

Looking back to the history of discrimination, particularly the Civil Rights Movement, a large number of people were totally against a certain group of people–the black people, in this case. And there were hateful comments spouting out of ignorant people’s mouths, only repeating what their parents taught them. It was the societal norm, so it was perfectly acceptable to show public displays of racism.

It took that initial small amount of people to stand up against the prejudices before we, as a society, could move forward.

That is what needs to happen today, particularly in the LGBT community. Ignorant people are quick to spread so much hate just because they grew up with a certain idea in mind. And it is socially acceptable to belittle people of that community, so there is often not much of a backlash when someone offends.

But in reality, it is not OK. Treating innocent people as less than people is never OK. When I see or hear of someone just spouting ignorant comments, I wonder what is even going through the person’s mind. How can people think it’s acceptable to ridicule someone for who he/she is?

We all hear of kids who are bullied in school, gay or not, and most of us believe it’s just part of growing up. This true in some cases, but where is the line drawn between child and adult? When does it stop being all right to bully or be bullied?

From instances I’ve heard, there is no line for some people. Hearing there are college students—adults—who harass other people disgusts me.

People need to wake up; they need to open their eyes and really think for themselves, not just listen to what their parents say or what society tells them. People need to understand that not everyone in this world is born the same. And how dare anyone make people born differently feel rejected?

Whether you believe being part of the LGBT community, or being different in any way, is a choice or not, we can agree that the teens depressed enough to commit suicide did not choose to be bullied, and they did not choose to have the severe depression that came from it.

It’s time for people to stop the hate. It’s time for people to open their minds to those with lifestyles different than their own.

As it happened in the 1960s during the Civil Rights movement, people must be willing to stand up and be ridiculed for fighting against the hate. Congratulations to the members of GRCC Cares for being some of those people.

The resolution was proposed by StandOut and has received positive reactions from groups like College Democrats and other campus organizations.

The concept of gender-neutral bathrooms is not a new idea. Bathrooms like this already exist on the campuses of Harvard University, University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Brown University, University of California, Stanford University, Ohio State University, University of Iowa, and several more.

Many argue that transgender people should not receive special privileges for a special bathroom, but being able to use a bathroom in a safe and comfortable manner is not a privilege—it is a right and necessity.

Lambda Legal and the National Youth Advocacy Coalition (NYAC) include a statement in kits to assist advocating gender-neutral bathrooms including, “Some transgender people avoid using restrooms altogether, which can lead to health risks if physical needs are constantly ignored.”

That aside, gender-neutral bathrooms are not just for transgender people.

Gender-neutral bathrooms would also be used by persons with disabilities and parents with children.

Student Congress representative for StandOut Jessica Cole said, “I think people are caught up by the transgender issue but I’m thinking about parents who have to bring their children with them to campus one day who don’t want to take their young child into a bathroom with a large group of people in the room.”

On GRCC’s website, the College’s values are listed, including “diversity,” “respect,”  with them defined as “Diversity – We create an inclusive learning and working environment that recognizes the value and dignity of each person” and “Respect – We treat others with courtesy, consideration, and civility.” Finally, “integrity” is defined as “We commit to GRCC values and take personal responsibility for our words and actions.”

The time has now come for students of GRCC to call the administration of the college to adhere to these policies by creating bathroom facilities in which the diverse needs of our students are respected.

It is now time for GRCC to join the ranks of Harvard and Stanford, in creating gender-neutral bathrooms on campus to meet the needs of its students who feel they are at risk of health problems and being oppressed due to inadequacies of the campus.

We all have to go to the bathroom, so let’s make sure we can all go comfortably.

News Editor

Reality TV has become a fact of life.  Like drinking during happy hour or paying rent, it has become unavoidable.

Sure, it can be a great guilty pleasure.

Some weeknights I will close the blinds to my apartment, turn off all the lights, take the phone off the hook, and put on some old episodes of Jersey Shore, not ever to be considered good TV, but an excellent time waster.

However, the amount of reality singing competitions has become ridiculous.  There is no guilty pleasure in that; it is just mind numbing.

Jessica Towell/The Collegiate

The motto of the show being, “Two is better than one.”  How lazy have TV executives become?

With judges like Kelly Clarkson and Lionel Richie, Fox hopes to draw in crowds.

What has happened to scripted TV,  dramas or comedies that carry out the wit of seasoned writers or the creativity of new voices?

Perhaps I am bitter because I have been forced to sit through these shows year after year.  My mother, a very intelligent teacher of 30 years, is an “American Idol” junkie.

Season after season, she has been a devotee to this fad Even though these shows have started to become monotonous.

All of these talent shows have the same basic formula:  three to four judges, usually overexposed celebrities whose careers have lost traction plus a B-list host, plus  desperate wannabees, plus commercial suspense for some flavor.

Stir quick with messy speed and bake till cheesy.  Oh, and of course, don’t forget to garnish with horrible tryout videos of disillusioned people who know how bad they are but refuse to give up.

I still have PTSD from watching William Hung’s cover of Ricky Martin’s “She Bangs” music video.

When “American Idol” first came out, it was innovative and interesting.  Finding a star on live TV, being able to vote for your favorites, it WAS epic for about the first three seasons.

Then the concept became over-saturated.  How many Idols can you churn out year after year?

Some idols have been successful, but it is arguable to say that any of the winners have truly taken over the charts, and half of them are not even relevant anymore.

After American Idol came out there was a new rush for contestant reality TV shows, like “Married by America” and “America’s Next Top Model.”

It seems like America had seen an onslaught of these “talent” shows in the last couple years.  There is “American Idol,” “The X Factor,” “The Voice,” “America’s Got Talent,” “The Next Country Star,” and “Sunday’s Best.”  I believe P. Diddy also jumped on this band wagon when he tried to start a boy band search on MTV.

I don’t think that the contestants’ dreams are inconceivable, but going on these types of shows is probably not always the best idea.

Most contestants have been delivered to the American public in cheap cookie cutter form.

To me, there is nothing like discovering a new artist that pops into the mainstream, not one that has been covering songs for most of his/her career on a TV show.

Let’s go back to the era when we didn’t rely on these cheap cop-outs of television shows.  Give me a classic “Seinfeld” comedy or Rachel and Ross love story.

I want to think about what I am watching, instead of being force-fed this drudgery by the top networks.

I have a message for the big networks and my mom: the “singing competition” dish is overdone.

Thump.  Thudump. Thudump.

Deavondre Jones has always felt the beat reverberating throughout his body.  The music he hears courses through his veins, it rolls down his spine, crawling through each limb.

“I can’t explain what happens when I start to dance,” said Deavondre Jones.  “I was never trained; I picked this up from my surroundings.”

Jones talked about how he would hear spiritual music at his church growing up.  He said that at a young age he would just start to move to the beat of the songs. Now he dreams of going anywhere where he could get a college education.  Being a first generation college student he has a lot to live up to, and aims to set an example for his younger siblings.

“Wherever I end up going I want dance to be my minor,” said Deavondre Jones.

A Mother’s Blessing

“He is talented, caring, understanding, outgoing, and a very lovable person,” boasted Pam Jones, Deavondre’s mother.  “He has the gift for dance.  It is just in him.”

Deavondre grew up in a single parent household.  His mother raised him and his two younger siblings.  His dad was around when Deavondre was a kid, but as he grew older he saw him more sporadically.

“There was a time when my mom didn’t support me in this,” said Deavondre Jones.  “It led to a lot of sneaking around behind her back.”

He explained that the church they went to in Benton Harbor had a lot of restrictions on what they could do.  Dance was one of them.

“Hip-hop wasn’t accepted,” said Deavondre Jones.  “So of course dancing to hip-hop wasn’t.  One time a higher member of our church saw me practicing.  She went straight to my mother.  My mom was freaked out that it was making her look bad.  That is when she tried to stop me.”

Pam Jones eventually accepted the fact that her son was growing up and that this was what he really wanted to do.  She saw that once he put his mind into doing something that he could do it 100 percent and follow through.

“She saw my passion and determination and she let it go,” said Jones.  “Now it doesn’t matter if she comes to one of my shows or all of them.  I know that she is going to be supportive.”

Pam Jones acknowledged that dancing does run in her family.  Saying that not only do all of her kids dance, but both she and her father were dancers.

“It is just in our genes,” she said.

Earning the Reputation

“In seventh grade I went to public school for the first time,” Jones said.  “The first time I danced was in a contest at school.  It was an impulsive moment.  I saw the other guys and they were terrible so I stepped out there.  As soon as I finished everyone started cheering.  I can’t remember what the prize was, but I did get a girl’s number that day.  I decided then I could get used to this.”

From there Deavondre Jones became involved with a dance group at the beginning of high school.  The group was called “I’m Saving Myself,” a high school organization designed to help kids stay away from kids and alcohol.  The group ended up performing in places like New York, Los Angeles, Minnesota, and more.

“Our instructor would always say ‘look at Deavondre,’” he said. “Because no matter what was going on in my life, if I got up on stage I would give it my all.”

After high school Jones moved to Grand Rapids at the suggestion of his friend and Mentor Brandon Stephens.

“I wanted him to get a world view outside of his comfort zone,” Stephens said.

Deavondre Jones and Stephens have known each other since 2008.

“He is very mature for his age,” said “His work ethic is infectious and can rub off on the people around him.”

Eclectic is the word that Stephens uses to describe Jones’ form of dancing.  Meaning that Jones can adapt his movement to a lot of different styles.

When Deavondre Jones first came to Grand Rapids he began to dance with a friend of his from GVSU.  Jones would dance while his friend filmed.  Eventually people started to come to him and ask him to perform at various events.  He was recently seen at GRCC’s Global Experience Festival.

His star power really shot up this past year when he participated in an online dance competition.

Through the annual online competition called Jingle Dreams, Jones and a friend uploaded a video of himself dancing.

“You send in this video and you talk about what city you’re from, what’s your goal through the New Year, and you show that goal through your video,” Jones said. “I wanted to be a professional dancer and that is what I showed.”

The video they uploaded shot to the top 8 in the competition and was featured on Wood TV News 8.  Unfortunately due to copyright issues with the song they used, the video was disqualified.

“I was mad at first, but I always have the philosophy that everything happens for a reason,” Jones said.  “And the people that won looked like they really deserved it.  It was their year for this blessing.”

What the Future Holds

“It doesn’t matter what I do,” said Jones said  “Even if I would be able to go on tour with Madonna, I am going to get a degree and have that to fall back on.  Even though I love dancing, I still love the industry of business.”

Deavondre Jones is going for a four year degree in marketing, with a minor in dance.  The schools he’s looking to get into are MSU, Columbia University in Chicago, and Columbia University in New York.  Like his move, Brandon Stephens also played a part in his choice to pursue a degree in marketing.

“Brandon got me an internship at whirlpool when I was a sophomore in high school,” said Deavondre Jones.  “There we went through marketing, sales, human resources, accounting and other fields.  In the end the people who judged us said I was really good at sales.”

One of the women who judged Deavondre Jones stated that if there was a room full of women, that Jones could sell them whatever was in the store room.

In his first semester at GRCC, Jones has already dived into the world of Business.  He was excited to take a sales class this past semester.

“I see GRCC as a stepping stone,” said Deavondre Jones.  “I want to do everything that I can here, build relationships and network.  Once I am able to finish my two years here I will move on. I hope that when I leave Grand Rapids that I have the support of this city like I do from Benton Harbor.”

“Everywhere I go I want to make an impact,”  Jones said.

Deavondre Jones’ advice for upcoming dancers is to practice.  Practice everywhere and anywhere that is available.

“That may sound cliché, but it’s true,” Jones said.  “Whatever you put into it, you will get out of it.”

Jones has put his heart into everything he has done.  Into school, and his passion for dance.  With performances like the one at the Global Experience festival, that raw passion shines through.

This year SiTE:LAB took a walk on the dark side.

Kay Brown was just one of the many students who participated in the unusual event, which took place on Friday the 13th of April at 109 ½ South Division Ave.

“The PO230 class did a ‘Punishment’ theme for the SiTE:LAB event to commemorate the rituals that took place at the Knights of Pythias, a fraternal order about a hundred years ago at the old Harris building,” Brown said.

“A lot of us went in our own directions and had our own interpretations of punishment,” Katie Brennan, a PO230 photographer, said.

The event included a photo exhibit among several other art installations. A two-part play started and stopped in jerks in the enormous ballroom, causing all the visitors to scramble into corners while men wearing Minotaur heads and carrying swords play-acted around the center stage.  Hannah Rose Graves sang a song to soothe their anger (see photo on page one).

“It was a great experience, and learning experience, and I’m grateful to have had it,” Brennan said.

The praying mantis of rock had me harping right down to my size 12 shoes as I flung myself like a rag-doll into the fray of The Pyramid Scheme Bar April 18.  In all honest discretion the place gives me the heebie-jeebs  at times with its Pyramid eyeballs that stare into the back of your skull, but the band Secret Geometry was playing pinnacle with plastic idols on stage so’s I could forget more accurately.  Like all the other dog-eared, long-locked, Pyramid Scheme cohorts, I was wooed by the Secrets’ mop-head glam appeal.  From their singers frothy spill of Sassooned locks to his ankle high combat poop-stompers.

Unfortunately the serenity of their gloomy Kodak band kitsch began to disintegrate like the facade of a pimple-popped junkie under hot lamps when the rift between swaggering singer and raging bassist became almost painful to the pupae.  While the scrawly bass player sucked lemons through his invisible straw with each breath, his forgettable sludge poured out like Tourette’s syndrome over razored eye-lid and dead head-drums.  Walnut sized signs of abuse marked the bassies’ puss leading me to believe that the lead guitarist/singer was a thrill to kill for.  The out-of-tune axes were the only thing I dug satiating my discordant vibes and raw ribbing.  I had become so intrigued by their “Behind the Music” sensationalism that the next thrash band Abortion Survivors was in full sexual swing before I could spit my Black Label.

Bathed in the primordial ooze of the trance-inducing spot-lights, these boys from a doomed womb writhed and cried “96 tears” for anyone with a hate on their plate.  They smelled too much like a poorly-aged crockery machine; didn’t grip my friendly ghost bulge and tear it asunder enough to sock the shocks.

Everyone & Their Empty Cups kicked up dust next and made me sneeze up cigarette smoke from my teen years.  Their set sounded with a brooding build-up and before you could eat your peas we all had rotten, rock plaque coating our chompers.  Harkus was riding the bass like a horse up-stream, and their finale fueled imagery of a detached uterus blown to pieces in a deadly roulette game from hell!  The band was well versed in the art of writhing on the floor like slicked maggots on trash.

Next, Bat Cave, another band from Kalamazoo, kicked in the mental walls  like spiteful dream police and stole our black hearts right from under us.  I tasted shreds of Joy Division and the Fall in their cooking as these moody, bastard children cruised through one song after another.  Their drab, bespectacled singer was not fashionable at all which threw pies at the ineffective qualities of Secret Geometry and sexual identity in general.  Their sound was all over the place like an exploded bowel after the artist inserts painted enema stick!

The band, Trinket, shut the set to death with sharp crystallized vigor via Lena’s upper registers and plushy smiles.  In the swampy wings you could feel something building like hunger pains of the famished, but in this well-chisled moment everyone was sold by Lena’s vox and goof guitars.  Chad chunked through the stink bubbles, tearing drums like some tear ass.  I was shackled to how he would pick pockets of the drum I never would expect to make sound but happily enough the drum winced and mooed like it was bound to pop a calf soon.

Suddenly, like a half-remembered wet dream doused in leather, the tables were flipped, and the band Planet of ID popped in between Trinkets’ schizo-showcase!  It was a pearl in a swirly skurl oyster as Planet’s singer Derek grabbed Lena’s guitar quickly filling all holes of it with electric doo-hickies and unadulterated noise which terrorized anyone in ear-shot.  I loved and lived for his menacing, expressions that rained down with the hail of guitar shriek like the atomic fire from frieght bombers.  The whole slobbering world came loose while Derek danced a full moon jig of ages in subliminal glory!

This shock-wave swirled well as the Trinket tumult restarted itself and their bastard boy flew coop.  Chad was back on vox and axe; drawing us through odd alleys and restless shadows as my whitey tighties grew tighter with each obtuse scream.  You know its a helluva show when you forget to drop trow until you get home to find yourself messed!  I followed the moon home in a dizzy daze thanks to these crazy, psychic kids!

If any of you kids out there were caught like a deer in the headlights by News Editor Lizz’s inquiry about your summer plans in her “Summer in the city” article and had no good answer other than “I’ll probably work, or maybe learn macrame,” I’ve got the perfect cure for your encroaching summer-time blues: five excellent music events, all  within West Michigan, and I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

Founders Fest 2012
-June 23
Founders Brewing Company is not only known for their unique, and delicious brews, they’re also known for some kick-ass musical events.  Founders Fest turns Grandville Avenue into a raging party in downtown GR.  Starting in the afternoon and going past sundown, the beer and music event is the perfect way to spend a summer Saturday.  This year the funk/jazz trio Soulive will be headlining the party.  The psychedelic rock group, Ultraviolet Hippopotamus, and Four Finger Five are joining the line-up as well.  Just a word of advice: if you show up early and start throwing back the super-hoppy, delicious brews, pace yourself!

Electric Forest
-June 28 to July 1
Just so everyone is aware, this is NOT ROTHBURY.  Yes it’s a large music festival held at the Double JJ Ranch in Rothbury, but the theme has gone predominately electronic.  Now that said, what better way to experience some great house, trance, jam/electronic, and of course some trailer park disco (aka dub-step), than in a dreamlike forest saturated in the neon glow of psychedelic lighting and décor.   Now, not all the artists are carrying the banner of total electronic music.  Jam-band juggernaut, The String Cheese Incident, will once again be headlining the event with three performances, and the instrumental, electronic jam band STS9 will rock with two performances.  Bassnectar, Girl Talk, and Big Gigantic are among the other must see shows at the four-day music event.
City and Lights Music Festival
-August 17 and 18
For festivals, we do pretty well for ourselves here in GR.  City and Lights Music Festival held at the Calder Plaza is a sure fire way to get down this summer without going far.  Local DJs will keep you dancing all day with this  outdoor groove-fest, and this one certainly won’t break the bank.
Local First Street Party
-June 9
This will be the ninth annual Local First Street Party in Grand Rapids.  Held downtown, outside Bistro Bella Vita, Local First throws this little shindig and features local food, local musicians, and Founders beer.  Running from four in the afternoon to midnight, this is, once again, another excellent way to party down in the city this summer as well as support local businesses and artists.

Buttermilk Jamboree
-June 8 to 10
Don’t worry, I didn’t forget about you folksy, hippie types.  Buttermilk Jamboree held in Delton, just south-east of GR, is an easy get-away to the country and will have some great folk, rock, and world-beat music for all you barefoot tree-huggers to get down to.  This year’s line up includes  Crane Wives, Funkadesi, Seth & May and many more.

With the NFL draft right around the corner, there seems to be one or maybe two certainties.

The first is that Andrew Luck, quarterback from Stanford University, will be the number one pick.

The second near certainty? Robert Griffin will be the number two pick in the draft. From there, everything is up in the air.

General Managers are studying hours of game tape trying to figure out if Ryan Tannehill deserves to move into the top 10 or if he should go in the mid-twenties where I believe he belongs. They are checking the statistics and looking at work-outs to make sure that come draft day, they get their player.

On the day of the draft, many college players lives will be changed forever and below are a list of five players who could change a team for the next 10 to 15 years.

Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama- Remember Alabama running back Mark Ingram from last year? Add speed and the ability to make tacklers miss and you have Richardson. Coming out of the SEC, Richardson is a tough, hard runner who could make a difference early in his rookie season.

Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State- With the emergence of Calvin Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, and other big, strong wide receivers in the NFL, teams are drooling over the chance to get the next great receiver. Listed at 6’1”, Blackmon has huge hands, long arms, and speed to blow by NFL cornerbacks. Couple that with the ability to spread the field and you may have the next Calvin Johnson.

Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College- Every team needs to be able to tackle and whoever adds Kuechly will be drafting a tackling machine. Kuechly has the strength needed to play inside linebacker in the NFL and the speed to match it. While he may be a mid to late 1st round pick, Kuechly could be the anchor to a team’s defense for years to come.

Michael Brockers, DT, LSU- In the pass first NFL we see today, the ability to disrupt the timing of the offense is crucial. Brockers is a big body who should be able to add pressure up the middle into the faces of opposing quarterbacks which should force them out of the pocket. While playing against top college talent, Brockers excelled at putting pressure on the quarterback and stopping the run.

Kevin Zeitler, OG, Wisconsin- Zeitler was a staple of the Wisconsin offensive line this past season and was instrumental in Montee Ball’s unlikely run at the Heisman Trophy. He had good footwork and should excel at the NFL level with pass blocking.

It’s not a flashy pick but it’s a pick every team should consider making at some point. Would be a steal late in the first round or early in the second.

Come draft day, the days, weeks, months, and years of hard work will finally pay off for a lot of players. Some will be busts and some will become stars. With the NFL draft, there really is no sure thing.