The event went smoothly until the Brothers of Delta Tau Delta asked to delay their performance until 20 minutes after all other teams had completed.  Their chapter President, and Homecoming Candidate, Derek Ensinger said that the group was waiting for some of their Brothers to leave their Choir and Band practices.  There is no word from College Union Board as to whether they will be docked points or be disqualified for not being ready at their specified time.

Back to the fun – Here are all the performances…which is the best in your opinion?

Blockbuster Adds Games To “By Mail” Plans

While the company that used to be a behemoth in the rental industry flirts with bankruptcy and tries to compete with Netflix, it is trying to differentiate itself.  Blockbuster By Mail, their DVD rentals at home program, announced today that games would also be included.  So users can rent movies, games, and TV series at their home via the mailbox.  $9 a month will get you 1 DVD or vide game at a time, with plans going up to $17 a month for 3 DVD’s or games at a time.  The Total Access plans are only worthwhile if there is a Blockbuster in the area (the nearest stores are in Belpre and Parkersburg).

If you’ve been tempted by this deal, consider the major points between Blockbuster and Netflix.  Sure, you get to rent games with Blockbuster.  But at the same price point ($9) you could stream movies to your computer, XBOX 360, Wii, Playstation, and eventually, mobile phones.  Online streaming is separate with Blockbuster, and costs vary from rental to outright purchase (but offers streaming to computers, mobile phones, and TV’s).  So the question is, which do you value more?  Online movie streaming, or Video Game Rentals?

Netflix Gets More Online Movies

Speaking about the whole online streaming universe, Netflix announced today that it’s increasing their streaming library in a huge way.  New movies from Paramount, MGM, and Lionsgate will be able to be streamed online 90 days after their DVD release, starting September 1st.

This also means that their back catalogues will also be available, starting that same day.  According to the press release, this could mean nearly 3,000 new movies available for streaming via Netflix.  Like I mentioned earlier, $9 will get you one DVD at a time, and unlimited movie and tv streaming.

Hulu Plus Coming

Most students don’t have TiVo’s or DVR’s on campus, and with busy lives away from the TV, yet great shows on every day, it’s hard to keep up.  Hulu fixes that problem, for the most part, but if you were looking for more, it’s here.

Hulu Plus gives you access to previous seasons of shows, and unlocks a back catalogue of many other shows not available to the typical Hulu user.  It also allows you to stream Hulu Plus content to your TV, Playstation 3, iPhone, and iPad (supposedly more devices are coming soon, including the XBOX 360).  Costs $10 a month, but is currently in a limited preview, so you have to apply for the privilege to use the service at the moment.

Even with the monthly payment, you’ll still be forced to watch ads during the shows.  And don’t worry, free Hulu will still be around.

This is the life of Nate DiRuzza and the mood emitted through his music. A senior at Marietta College, his music invites listeners to slow down and find where they are in life. He would classify his music as “folk rock” inspired by artists such as Dave Matthews Band, Jack Johnson, Brad Paisley and the Eagles. He has recorded his first album and performed at various venues throughout Northeast Ohio and the Mid-Ohio Valley, including the Izzy’s Coffeehouse Series and opening for Blessid Union of Souls.

His story begins at his first-grade Christmas play, where he portrayed Elvis and became obsessed with the performer. He could easily be found singing and dancing on the coffee table impersonating his idol.

As his love for music grew, so did his interest in becoming a musician. DiRuzza taught himself to play guitar his junior year of high school because he couldn’t afford lessons. He wrote his first song about a girl he liked, “Only a Fool,” and then wrote “The Good Ol’ Fashioned Days,” both found on his first album.

As a high school senior, DiRuzza recognized his desire to not only write music, but also perform in front of crowds. With the push of his chorus teacher, he auditioned for the school play and portrayed the Cowardly Lion in their production of “The Wizard of Oz.”

“It was that play that built the confidence I have about myself,” he said.

That confidence was useful later in his first solo performance with his own music.

“I performed “The Good Ol’ Fashion Days” in front of 300-400 people for the first time. Everybody started clapping along and I got the chills,” he said.

Now a senior in college, DiRuzza is doing what he loves. He keeps a notebook with each of the 21 songs he has written, and has found that at different points in his life, he will write songs with similar lyrical vibes.

“I basically write about how I feel. I don’t make anything up, everything that I write about it true. When I get my heart broken, I write about it. When I’m in an extreme state of happiness, I write about it. I also write about experiences that I’ve had,” he said.

He hopes that others will be able to find themselves in his music.

“I want people to be able to identify with it. I want them to feel it, either with the lyrics or the beat of the song,” he said.

DiRuzza is expecting his second album to come out within the next few years. In the future, he would like to perform at the NACA (National Association for College Activities) conference. Here, he would be recruited by colleges and perform at their schools.

The glitz and glamour of a Hollywood musician is not appealing to DiRuzza, who would rather finish his college education and allow those he cares for most to take this journey with him.

“I’m not going to get in a dirty old van and just take off because I’m very family oriented and I don’t want to leave people behind. However, I would love to perform and travel on the weekends, and yet still live close to my family,” he said.

You can listen to some of DiRuzza’s music on his myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/natediruzza. You can also purchase his album from New Creation Studios in Parkersburg, W.Va., or from him personally. As we endure the hustle and bustle and craziness of life, he hopes we can all learn to live the message of his newest song, and “Take Life Slow.”

EDITOR’S NOTE:  This article is by Leyna Chovan, a Media Writing Two student at Marietta College.  If you are interested in writing for Writing on the Mall, send an e-mail to Patrick_H@writingonthemall.net.

Greek Week 2010 kicked off on Saturday with Community Service Day, but the week’s biggest event was Sunday night in Fenton COurt.  Lip Sync, the most highly coveted Greek competition, brought five of the six chapters at MC to the stage.  The chapters were given the task of finding songs between the late 80′s and 1999 (The Nickelodeon period, I guess you could say), but there was no actual theme for the night.  However, most chapters followed the Greek Week theme, which is Nickelodeon.

Lambda Chi Alpha took the stage first.  Their performance brought the first recorded mass-aww in Lip Sync history.  At the end of their show, they saluted the graduating seniors with a sign, and walked off to a standing ovation.  Here is Lambda Chi Alpha’s 2010 Lip Sync.  Songs included “Friends in Low Places”, “You’ve Got a Friend in Me”, “Paradise City”, “Fly Like an Eagle”, “Jerry Springer”, “Closing Time”, and “The Circle of Life”.

Next on the Stage was Sigma Kappa.  They titled their lip sync “Tales of the 90′s Flashback” and incorporated as many Nick shows and references as possible.  They opened with a dance to the song, “What is Love?”, and then later included some Backstreet Boys and S Club 7.  Also, an appearance from Will Smith was included.  The Kappas also included “The Fairy Oddparents” theme, marking one the of only show title songs used for a lip sync.  Here’s the video of Sigma Kappa’s 2010 lip sync, which earned them third place.

Chi Omega was the third chapter up.  The 2009 Lip Sync champions brought us a road trip across the country with the help of Google.  Their road trip took them to Miami, where they lip synced to “Welcome to Miami” by Will SMith (A popular guy tonight, eh?), then headed North to Chicago for “Straight Up” by Paula Abdul.  While in Chicago, we heard a bit of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal”.  The Chi O’s then headed across the country…making sure to avoid Texas, since “All My Ex’s Live in Texas”.  When they arrived in Los Angeles, the song “California Love” by Tupac was heard.  They finished with “Here We Go Now” by N*Sync.  Here is Chi Omega’s 2010 Lip Sync.

Alpha Xi Delta, who finished second in 2009, came back with their tour of AXi Studios.  They began with “Rugrats”, and went into the “Rugrats Rap” (yes…it does exist), and then went into “Baby Got Back”.  Next was a stop at “Hey Arnold”‘s set, where we were treated to Destiny Child’s “Say My Name” and Chumbawumba’s “Tubthumping (I Get Knocked Down)”.  On to the “Doug” set, we heard Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” and then were  ”Rick Rolled” with “Never Gonna Give You Up”.  They finished with “Time of Your Life”.  Here is Alpha Xi Delta’s 2010 Lip Sync, which was placed 2nd.

The last act up was Delta Tau Delta, who threw things back to “Salute Your Shorts”, which was the second live-action show on Nickelodeon.  As per usual with a Delt lip sync, conflict errupted between two sides, this time the Jocks and the Geeks.  Also included was their tradition chair dance.  The Geeks danced to Destiny Child’s “Survivor”, which came out in 2001, two years past the 1999 cut off.  The Delts also used “Yeah” by Usher, a song released in 2004, five years after the cut-off.  The two sides came together to dance to “It’s Tricky” by Run DMC.  They also used Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” and “Up in Here”.  Even with the songs outside of the requirements, Delta Tau Delta won the 2010 Lip Sync championship, and will receive a trophy for the achievement at Recognition Night on Friday.  Here is the winning Lip Sync.

(EDITOR’S NOTE – Patrick Hahe is a member of Lambda Chi Alpha)

• Roll on, Etta Express – The Pioneers Baseball team was recently selected as the 19th best team in the country.  The pre-season poll, assembled by the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, placed OAC for Heidelberg #14 in the polling.  Wooster, the team that won the 2009 Mideast Regional Tournament over Marietta, was ranked #2 in the nation, behind #1 St. Thomas of Minnesota.  The Etta Express will start its season in Memphis, TN over Spring Break.
• New VP Of Student Life – With the retirement of Lon Vickers this last semester, we now welcome Dr. Robert Pastoor, the new Vice President of Student life at Marietta College.  Dr. Pastoor has more than 25 years of experience in student life thanks to time spent at the University of San Diego, Carroll College, and Mount St. Mary’s University.  Dr. Pastoor will start around January 18.
• Do I Hear Whistling? – Don’t forget that the Harlem Globetrotters are stopping in at Marietta College on January 26.  Doors open at 6 PM, and the game starts at 7 PM in Ban Johnson Arena on Fenton Court.  Tickets for Marietta College students, staff, and faculty are $19.  Tickets are $22 for the general public, and can be purchased at any People’s News location in Belpre, Marietta, and Parkersburg.  If you’re more the online type, tickets can be purchased at www.ticketweb.com.
• CUB Events Now Known – Well, they wern’t very public about it, but the College Union Board has dates and times posted for all of their music, comedy, and tournament events for the Spring.  You can find them on our master calendar, along with all the Basketball and Baseball Games and other college events.  CUB’s first musical act of 2010 is The Heyday, a band from Denver that is currently touring the nation.  They are currently allowing their CD to be downloaded for free online, so check it out and come out for the concert.  They’ll be playing Friday the 15 at The Gathering Place at 8 PM.  CUB Comedy kicks of with Mike Winfield on Saturday the 16, also at The Gathering Place, at 9 PM.  As mentioned before, for a full schedule, check out the Writing on the Mall calendar and watch for pieces highlighting the acts.

• Breaking the Bank:  The Legacy Campaign crested $50 million in donations to Marietta College thanks to a donation from the Chlapaty family to the tune of $2.6 million.  The latest donation was earmarked to go towards renovations and upgrades at Don Drumm Stadium.  Their hope is to make the stadium more attractive and friendly for students, athletes, and potential Pioneers.  No word on what those renovations and upgrades will be, but as soon as I know, you will too.
• MC’s Top 10:  Writing on the Mall is working on it’s very own Top 10 list of news stories for the year, but for now, you can check out the official Marietta College Top 10.  The list includes everything from athletics, academics, growth, and the 175th anniversary.  We’re still taking your recommendations towards what you feel were the most important story lines of 2009.  Feel free to leave a comment with your input.
• Candid Camera – Late Night Breakfast Edition:  I was too busy enjoying the atmosphere of Late Night Breakfast to take photos and videos for the site, but have no fear.  Trusty photographer Jonathan “Jack” Brossart for the College has some pictures up on the College’s Flickr photostream.  Did you get photographed?
• DJ Correct In The House:  Still in Marietta?  Head over to the Thirsty Turtle (Route 47 in Parkersburg) to enjoy some great music and atmosphere.  December 24th (Thursday) is their College Night, with plenty of contests and specials for students.  DJ Correct will be providing the music.  He’ll also be there December 26th (Saturday).  Both nights start at 10 PM.  I haven’t been to the Thirsty Turtle, but hear it’s a pretty good bar to hang out at.
• Texts From Last Night:  Marietta College now has a Texts From Last Night group on Facebook.  It’s not really official in any way shape or form (as in, not officially TFLN sanctioned) but still worth a few good laughs.  Join the group and bust some winter break boredom.
• Post Your Events on The Mall:  Writing on the Mall is always looking to find out when your events are.  We try to post information for as many events as possible.  And we’d love to post your event.  Whether it is on campus, off campus, or online, we’ll post it on our calendar, our Twitter Feed, and our Facebook to help promote your event.  Just hit up the Contact page and send me (Patrick) an e-mail detailing your event or events for the Spring semester.  Things that would be helpful include the name of the event, a bit of background about the event, where it’s being held, what time its being held, and who it is open to.  Any other information can be provided

A friend and I talked with one of the band members after the show, and all he could ask is where everybody was.  Well…where was everybody?

I understand that there are several underlying factors.  One, it’s the weekend before Thanksgiving.  Everybody is working on projects or just staying in and getting ready to go home for a bit.  Also, there was a performance in the theater by Jay Sefton of “The Most Mediocre Story Never Told”.  There were a lot of good college football games on, and bands brought in by CUB can be hit-or-miss.

However, I think what it came down to was publicity for the event.  Most people only heard about AG Silver when I mentioned that they were performing.  Posters were put out, but it was a very passive advertising method.  Also, by this point in the year, students have been bombarded with poster and flyer after poster and flyer.  They’re all over the place, and blend into each other.

I think another problem was that there is the stigma that a Club 21 event is a pay event.  Let me inform everybody that it is free to attend ANY Club 21 event the college hosts.  The only charge comes if you are over the age of 21 and decide to purchase a wristband.  The experience is not detracted from if you are under 21.

So how could CUB improve attendance?  Why did, say, Blessid Union of Souls do so well compared to AG Silver.  Well, for one, Blessid played at the beginning of the semester as part of Welcome Back Bash.  Freshmen were heavily encouraged to go as part of their First Year Experience classes.  And yes, Blessid does have name recognition.  But looking past that, what did CUB do differently?

For one, they advertised in every form.  RSS feed?  Yep.  Facebook Event?  Yep.  Rock?  Pretty sure they painted it.  Banner on Gilman?  Yep.  Word of mouth?  Most CUB members wore shirts with the concert info on it.  Table Tents?  On every table in Gilman and Izzy’s.  And yes, there were posters that were hung up.  Also, advertising was put out more than two days before the event.

CUB does a lot of good work.  So don’t think I’m bashing them.  I’m just sharing ideas to help all organizations, not just CUB, advertise events better.

I will run any press release for an event at Marietta College, no matter which organization wrote it.  Just send it to me (check the contact page) and I’ll check it and post it if I think it meets my criteria.

Let me finish by asking this question.  Why didn’t you go to AG Silver’s concert?

The band is currently on a tour of colleges to promote their new album and and to help raise money/awareness for clean water in Africa.

The show starts at 9 PM, but doors open at 8.