Harry Potter captures world-wide attention

By Gabrielle Wiegand - Feature Writer

What can I say about Harry Potter- the man, the myth, the legend? I mean, c'mon, what is it about a lil' magical orphan from England that has captured the attention and imagination of people of all cultures and ages?

In 1998, the world was blown away by the first book to tell of a shy young boy of 11 who is invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry Potter was orphaned while still a baby so his evil aunt and uncle raised him, until he received his invitation to magic school. "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" tells of Harry's reintroduction to magic, as he battles Voldemort, the Darth Vader of the wizarding world, and adjusts to his celebrity status because he is "the boy who lived."

Since that first installment, each eagerly-awaited book chronicles another year at Hogwarts for Harry. There have been six novels so far: "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" and the latest which came out this summer, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." As Harry ages, his battles against the Lord of Darkness intensify and each book is darker then the last and more mesmerizing.

Most great works of fiction are prompting turned into feature films (think "Gone with the Wind") and J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter is no exception. This Friday (the day after tomorrow!!!), the fourth Harry Potter film is opening to the joy of children and adults everywhere.

"Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" has a new director and a new rating. Mike Newell is the first British director the series has had and this will be the first film to be rated PG-13, instead of PG. This year the students have another new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher - "Mad-Eye" Moody - and the Tri-Wizard Tournament is being held at Hogwarts. With his two best friends, Ron and Hermione, at his side, Harry battles evil and maybe goes on a date.

Harry Potter's story is enthralling in part because of the eccentric and colorful characters. The Harry Potter books are filled with characters you can love and empathize with and characters you are more then willing to hate and despise. Rowling created a world that is so rich and detailed the reader believes, not that it is true, but that wouldn't it be wonderful if it all did exist. The powerful tale of right versus wrong, good versus is evil, is tempered with charmingly exciting subplots and misadventures.

I think maybe we love Harry Potter because it is an escape, plain and simple. We allow ourselves to become lost in a magical world were the battle between good versus evil takes precedence over our grocery shopping or paying the bills.

All I know is that this Friday morning at 12:01 a.m. I will be at "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" (maybe dressed up, maybe not) because the story of Harry Potter is captivating, and for just one night, I too want to attend Hogwarts and join in the fight against Lord Voldemort. He is so going down.

'Digital Enviroments' comes to art gallery

By Gabrielle Wiegand - Feature Writer

During the month of November, the chair of the UIS Visual Arts Program will have his work on display in the Visual Arts Gallery. Michael Miller's "Digital Environments" combines "the unique appearance of digital imagery with traditional painting and printmaking processes, producing hybrid works of luminous color."

Miller, who teaches painting and drawing, has over a dozen works on display at UIS. "Digital Atlas" is a mounted collection of diverse digital images from abstract pixels, video game characters, architectural renderings, an Edward Ruscha painting, and a Buckminister Fuller dome. Each image evokes individual meaning and feeling, but together they create something totally different.

The mammoth "The Screen Becomes the Sea" is 64 feet by 141 feet and blends dark blues, greens and whites to look like the sea's tides and ripples. The piece depicts the conflict between nature and technology. The uniqueness of "The Screen Becomes the Sea" is not just in how large it is, but also how it was created- through a silk-screening process.

Perhaps my favorite of Miller's works on display is "T-Zero." The piece is very linear but the color palette used brings to mind Monet's "Giverny." The soft greens and blues are mixed with darker colors to stir conflicting emotions in the viewer.

"Qfwfq's Eye" is another beautiful little work that shows fingers of a dark shadow on a bright sunny orange-yellow backdrop. Keeping in mind Miller's goal of depicting­ the tension between nature and technology, the sunny bright background could be nature in all its glory and the dark lines over it might be technology and its effects on the natural world.

"In the most general terms my work has always explored the transience of human experience and the mental and visual structures we use to combat uncertainty and "fix" meaning," said Miller. "Just as the popularization of photography in the 20th century altered the thinking of artists and thus their practice of making art, digital imagery will alter the appearance and content of all future art."

Miller's works have been part of exhibitions all over the country. They include "TechArt" at the South Shore Art Center , Cohasset , Mass. in 2003; "Biennial 2002," at the Peninsula Fine Arts Center , Newport News , Va. ; "Vision Version 1.0," at Napa City-County Library, Napa , Calif. ; "Digitally Propelled Ideas," at California Polytechnical State University , Pomona , Calif. ; and "New Works/Nine States," at Art Saint Louis in St. Louis .

Miller holds a master of fine arts in painting from the University of Michigan and a bachelor of fine arts in painting from Texas Christian University . His work will be on display until Nov. 23.

Panic! At the Disco bursts on the scene with 'Fever'

By Stephanie Orr - Assistant Editor

If you're looking for a unique and high octane musical experience you need to listen to "A Fever You Can't Sweat Out," the first studio release from Panic! At the Disco.

The band's style is hard to describe because it's a little bit of everything in one glorious mix. The music is made up of everything from guitars, electronic keyboards and drums to organs and accordions. The sound swings from techno to dance to rock and even includes a little bit of vaudeville.

The CD opens with a short musical introduction, and then jumps right in to the music with "The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide is Press Coverage." Yes, that's the title of one song on the album. And it isn't even the longest title.

That's one of the things I like best about this band, the fact that they have these outlandishly long and weird titles that end up not being obviously connected to the lyrics in their songs. Some of the other titles include "Lying is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off," "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" and "There's a Good Reason These Tables Are Numbered Honey, You Just Haven't Thought of it Yet."

PATD doesn't just produce super fun song titles though; they also deliver super catchy music.

The band doesn't seem to really believe in intros to their songs, instead they plunge right in to the music and the first thing you're likely to hear is the first note and the first word all at once. Every song is upbeat and begs you to bounce your head, tap a foot or engage in some other form of movement.

The music, though composed of extremely dissimilar instruments, flows smoothly and is much more developed than you would expect on a band's first CD.

The lyrics, written by band member Ryan Ross, are refreshingly unique and strangely wise. In "I Constantly Thank God for Esteban" vocalist Brendon Urie melodically tells the audience "Gentlemen, if you're going to preach, for God's sakes preach with conviction!"

"There's a Good Reason These Tables Are Numbered Honey, You Just Haven't Thought of it Yet" is another of the knock-out songs on this CD. The sound is reminiscent of the 1930s with piano and a bouncy beat. The lyrics tell the story of a woman's failed night out on the town and advises that she should visit the ladies' room and, "Talk to the mirror, choke back tears and keep telling yourself, 'I'm a diva!'"

Another good one is "Build God, Then We'll Talk." This track borrows from The Sound of Music's "My Favorite Things," altering the melody to be a lot more rock and explaining that "There are no raindrops on roses or girls in white dresses, it's sleeping with roaches and taking best guesses." The song is mostly about the hypocrisy that can be found in relationships and also states "What a wonderful caricature of intimacy."

Basically this is an amazingly well-done CD. Even though this is PATD's first release it has the quality of an established band that has all the time and money needed to perfect their sound in countless studio hours.

And the sound is perfect. It's nothing like the tween based emo/screamo formulaic "rock" that has been flooding the market recently. It's unique, it's fresh. It's everything music should be.

Grade: A+

Harry Potter captures world-wide attention

'Digital Enviroments' comes to art gallery

'The Sea Inside' rocks the boat