How to Ea

t on a Coll

EgE BudgEt

Plan B B

randing

SwitCH u

P Your Sil

HouEttE

intErviE

w witH CHa

nEl aKa CC

indiE rEv

olution

and tHE o

SCar goES

to...

GREAT SHOPPING MINUTES FROM CAMPUS!

NANETTE LEPORE J BRAND DENIM HOUSE OF HARLOW MONROWDANI BLACK MARK + JAMES CHAN LUU TRACY REESE GENETIC DEMIMBLACK HALO PINK LOTUS SOLD DESIGN LAB REBECCA MINKOFF MIILLA MINK PINK ORYANY SANCTUARY FIFTEEN TWENTY ENVI

4818 N Prospect Rd ~ PEORIA HEIGHTS309.688.0100

www.azuraboutique.comwww.facebook/azuraboutique

Beco

me

a FA

CEB

OO

K FA

N a

nd re

ceiv

e ex

clus

ive

FAN

ON

LY s

peci

al d

isco

unts

!c u s t o m c a m p u s a p p a r e l y o u w o n ’ t b e e m b a r r a s e d t o w e a r.

c o n t a c t y o u r c a m p u s r e p t o d a y | w w w. g a i n l i g h t . c o m | 3 0 9 . 9 8 1 . 0 0 2 3

Welcome to Toga Mag! We are here to show you the best of campus life by sharing unique articles about food, music, entertainment, fashion, and current events as well as providing valuable resources and tips for everyone from incoming freshman to outgoing graduates. In the words of Daft Punk, this is “The prime time of your life, do it now and live it today”.

~Toga Staff

6. History of the Toga10. Greek Myths

16. How to Eat on a College Budget19. Chow Main20. Staples for Dorm Dining

24. Plan B Branding30. Illinois Fantasy Land of Lincoln

36. Switch Up Your Silhouette42. The Art of Shaving44. FAQs for First Time Renters

48. Interview with Chanel AKA CC54. How to be a Hugely Successful Indie Rocker58. Indie Revolution

62. Death Valley64. And the Oscar Goes to...67. Queue Tips68. Zombie U70. Free Apps for More Naps

74. Places in Peoria76. Toga TP's Your Town79. Coupons

Food & Beverage

Sports

Lifestyle

Music

Entertainment

32

Kristina Mazzucawriter

Kristina is a 2009 graduate of Illinois State University. She majored in English, was an active member in her sorority, and participated in a study abroad program in Canterbury, England. She currently teaches freshman and sophomore English at a high school in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. For TOGA, she writes the essay on Greek life and its image on a college campus entitled, “Greek Myths.”

Bonnie Burkertwriter

Bonnie is a digital music pro, currently running indie label Imaginary Music after years with the majors including Sony, Rhino and Capitol. She is a longtime champion of the baby band.

Mark Cartier writer

Mark is a writer and producer of film and television based in Los Angeles, CA. A former Creative Executive at Paramount Pictures, Mark currently contributes to numerous publications and works full time as a screenwriter and as the head of the Hollywood-based production company North of Two, which develops, sells, and produces film and television content. He is married, and reproducing.

Dennis SlapeEditor-in-Chief

Sarah ScottGraphic Design Intern

Nicole BlackburnGraphic Designer

Cheryl NeumannSales Director

Derek Oddo Editor

Matt Lakics Director of Operations

Daniel J. Haaswriter

Daniel graduated from the University of Illinois in May of 2010 with a degree in advertising. He is an avid college football fan and has been playing fantasy sports for the past 12 years. He’s proud to boast he was one of the first to jump on the Ray Rice bandwagon in 2009 and most recently, Arian Foster last season. Be sure to check out his blog at dynastydomain.blogspot.com.

4

Views expressed

within the pages of

Toga Mag are those

of the contributors

and not necessarily

those shared by the

publisher. All content

is believed to be

correct at the time of

printing. Unauthorized

reproduction of any

editorial content or

images is strictly

prohibited.

©2011 Toga Mag, LLC

All rights reserved.

CONTRIBUTORS

Bonnie Burkert

Mark Cartier

Daniel J. Haas

Larry Little

Kristina Mazzuca

Ivan Minsloff

Jonathan L.A. Phillips

Tina Pizzuti

Anastasia Samoylova

Menelaos Tzafalias

5

One of the first examples of a modern toga party was one held by Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, as a tongue-in-cheek gesture towards those of her husband’s followers who thought of the great man as a “new Ceasar” who would tame the raucous American republic, just like Julius Caesar had.

Interestingly, in ancient Roman times, the toga was a sign of belonging, of being a citizen. And incidentally, it had nothing to do with ancient Greeks.

“The toga was a purely Roman article of dress, with principally Etruscan origins. The

Roman poet Virgil, in the Aeniad, defines Romans as gens togata, i.e., toga-wearing. It was the official dress, especially from the age of the emperor Augustus (27 B.C.–14A.D.) and, with few notable exceptions, only Roman citizens were allowed to wear the toga,” says Stylianos E. Katakis, a lecturer in Roman Archeology at the University of Athens.

According to Katakis, we don’t know when the toga first appeared, nor from which material it was made. It was white with a red-purple stripe on the edge, while only a general or the emperor would wear a fully purple toga and only during triumph ceremonies. The length of the toga was about 4.8 to 5 meters for a man standing 1.80 meters tall.

“With Augustus, the great reformer of the Roman state at all levels, the toga is established as the official dress which Roman citizens were obliged to wear at official functions,” adds Katakis.

Returning to our times, as elite fraternities and sororities in U.S. colleges sought to emulate those in power, but also have a bit of Old World fun that overflowed with symbolisms and allusions to a carefree, yet well thought-out way of life, the toga party phenomenon flourished until it got Hollywood’s attention.

The 1978 movie Animal House, starring John Belushi, took a college trend and made it a national phenomenon that was covered by the likes of Newsweek magazine—then in

Which bacchanalian battle cry sounds better, even if in both cases you have the legendary John Belushi

screaming it with bulging eyes: “Bed sheet! Bed Sheet!” or “Toga! Toga!”? Anyone who has attended college in the U.S. or Canada can attest to the fact that toga parties are a well-established form of costumed campus fun, especially among members of fraternities and sororities. Is there something more to these social gatherings than dressing up and consuming alcohol, sometimes in excess? And what does the Greek System have to do with a Roman form of dress in the first place? And does the path of excess always lead to the palace of wisdom?

It all started with the Greek god Dionysus, the wreathed lover of wine, women, and song who the Romans transformed into Bacchus, i.e. Dionysus on ancient steroids, which again meant wine—much more of it.

Centuries later, when America was making an entrance onto the international stage after the end of the WW1, writers such as Ezra Pound and Ernest Hemingway found in mid-war Europe a place where they would rediscover themselves and establish new identities, marrying the vitality of the New World to the established knowledge and traditions of the Old one. As we all know, the theoretical backbone of the Old World is none other than the Classical or Greco-Roman tradition. As Lolly Ockerstrom writes in the St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture (2002 Gale Group), “Homage to the Classical world sometimes manifested itself in the form of the toga party.”

“onE of tHE firSt ExamPlES of a modErn toga PartY waS onE HEld BY ElEanor rooSEvElt...”

its heyday. The magazine reported that in that year more than 10,000 students at the University of Wisconsin took part in a single toga party. Of course, the Hollywood version of the toga party was more about debauchery than sticking out one’s tongue to authority or wishing to relive the ancient traditions. But it was also about American youth trying to find meaning in a world dominated by post-Vietnam and oil crisis depression.

Chris Miller, one of the co-writers of Animal House, attended Dartmouth College, where toga parties were popular among fraternities. He was an Alpha Delta Phi. After school he went to work in the corporate world as an advertising executive. In a move that could be summed up as “Alpha Delta Phi spells defy,” Miller quit advertising to start writing stories for National Lampoon magazine.

So is the toga party a form of pure fun, an imitation of ancient traditions, or something else? “What we wear declares to the world who we are,” says Evelyn Sioupi, a costume designer in Athens. “Clothing both covers and uncovers.”

*Toga Mag would like to thank Nikolaos Kaltsas, head of the National Archaeological Museum of Greece, for his invaluable guidance.

“intErEStinglY, in anCiEnt roman timES, tHE toga waS a Sign of BElonging, of BEing a CitizEn. and inCidEntallY, it Had notHing to do witH anCiEnt grEEKS.”

98

here are a few stan-dard and reliable images of a college student that are sci-entifically unavoid-able when walking on any given college campus in the Unit-ed States (yes, it’s

science). These looks are pretty consistent in any crowd no matter what the person-ality type or background. Whether it’s the dorms, the quad, or the classroom, these images are specific to that special culture that is the American college student.

While on the surface it may appear sim-ple and careless, there’s the classic sweats and T-shirt look. This is a style that can oftentimes be mistaken for laziness, but is nonetheless an almost silent and unofficial dress code for comfort that college stu-dents faithfully abide by. Whether it’s the same sweats you slept in the night before or you’re rocking a new pair for the new day, no one really knows. Better yet, no one really cares. That’s the beauty of it.

Next, there’s the flip flops in the fall look. While the rest of the world acknowledges the change in seasons from summer to autumn, it’s somehow perfectly accept-able to push weather boundaries when it comes to footwear on a college cam-pus. It can be clearly 30 degrees cooler and there can even be a bit of frost on the ground, but you better bet that it’s flip flops or sandals you’re sliding onto your feet as you’re running out the door to class, a clearly more convenient choice when struggling to give in to the sad knowledge that summer is over. Whether it’s weather appropriate or not, no one really questions or judges until maybe around the month of November.

Then of course, there’s that whole other college image, the world where young men and women roam the campus con-

spicuously wearing odd combinations of shapes and letters on just about every ar-ticle of clothing possible. These letters are found on everything from the obvious T-shirt, various locations on shorts, and even on girls’ purses or bags, almost as if they’re participating in some sort of weird adver-tisement for the alphabet. This is the world of Greek life.

It can’t be denied that fraternities and so-rorities have made a pretty substantial im-pression on the average college campus. Just like the previously mentioned look of sweat pants and flip flops, the image of Greek life in college is one of the most prevalent and unavoidable; however, unlike the innocent flip flop, the presence of Greek life can often times be stereotyped and misunder-stood. (If you stereotype against flip flops, that’s just weird.) While I won’t lie and say that the existence of this prejudice against Greek life has gone unwarranted (I’m sure there’s been plenty of cause for the differ-ent reputations it’s earned over the past 200 years), I will stress the importance of being informed on just what being Greek really is. Whether you’ve already chosen to be Greek, are thinking about joining, or have always been certain that it’s just not for you, you all have one thing in common. If you plan on leaving your dorm or apart-ment at any point in your college career, you will encounter Greek life in some ca-pacity. I’m sorry; it’s a truth in life.

So while we all can agree that like it or not Greek life exists, we might as well clear up some common misconceptions. There are a few myths out there that are either grossly exaggerated, just not true, or at least not true today. Some find this out by experienc-ing and contributing to Greek life firsthand, while the rest of the college population is left with the decision to perceive the lifestyle as they choose. Much of these perceptions will rightfully be based on the impression current active members of fraternities and sororities leave from day to day; however—good, bad,

GRΣΣK MΨTHS

By Kristina Mazzuca

1110

or different—much of what people believe to be the definition of Greek life has al-ready been established by a long pattern of how Greek life is portrayed in the me-dia and pop culture.

The picture Hollywood paints is that which some members of fraternities and sororities feel they have to constantly de-fend themselves against. The fact is, Hol-lywood glamorizes and embellishes the topics they present to their audiences. This has long been acknowledged in many of the other popular entertainment genres, and the same should be the case for the movies and television shows that depict Greek life. Take everything with a grain of salt. It’s meant to entertain. The issue aris-es when people start to gather what they see on screen when combined with the common critical phrases that get thrown around in association with Greek life, and we’re left with a negative image that seems to have no end. It’s always easy to criticize anything. It takes an extra effort and sense of awareness to take a closer look at the organizations on a college campus before forming complete, sealed conclusions.

Some of the most common criticisms of Greek life are that its members par-ticipate in hazing, binge drinking, and probably most frustrating for any Greek member to hear, that they’re “buying their friends.” To start with, destructive habits like hazing and binge drinking are social problems that can unfortunately

be found in too many settings inside and outside of the college atmosphere. Because Greek organizations make up such a large majority of most college populations, these actions are easily magnified, and unfortu-nately it becomes generalized that all orga-nizations and each of their members par-ticipate in such habits to the extreme. It’s also easy to hold the simple rationale that since members pay dues to be a part of a Greek organization, they must therefore be “buying their friends.” Take a look at a year’s calendar for any fraternity or sorority, and you will find a schedule full of social, phil-anthropic, educational, and member devel-opment events, all of which understandably require some financial support like any large organization of that nature would. What people sometimes overlook is the Greek life’s long history of positive contributions to local communities as well as national or-ganizations, not to mention the leadership opportunities provided to its members.

Like everyone who has ever entered college has been told, it’s a short four years. People should be considered lucky if they find a way to spend it that makes them happy. Hopefully some comfortable sweats are occasionally in-volved in the equation along the way, whether there are Greek letters on them or not. Δ

Go Green ... and Get Some Green!

*Your $25 will be deposited within 6 to 8 weeks after the online form is submitted. The online form must be submitted within 4 weeks of paying your second bill online. Limit one Bill Pay-related bonus per member. Offer expires October 31, 2011.

When you sign up for CEFCU’s® Bill Pay between now and October 31st … pay two bills online … and submit the online form, you can get $25 cash!* A great way to go green and get some green at the same time. Go to cefcu.com/billpayo�er for more details.

Now all members get FREE access to over 28,000 ATMs nationwide through the CO-OP and Money Center 24® Networks -— a great convenience wherever you go! For locations, go to cefcu.com/freeatm, and check out the iPhone® ATM locator app, too!

facebook.com/cefcu

12

EXPERIENCE THE FLAVOR OF ONE WORLD.located on the corner of Main & University Streets

www.oneworld-cafe.com

EXPERIENCE THE FLAVOR OF ONE WORLD.

one lif �. one lov �. one wor ld.

One World_TOGA ad FINAL.indd 1 7/13/11 2:06 PM

food & BEvEragE

15

Multiple studies prove that students gain weight at an alarming rate during their freshman year. Freshman 15 is the term related to the average number of pounds they put on. In my case, it was more like 25.

I had no idea I gained any weight until I couldn’t �t in my favorite pair of jeans I wore for the past �ve years, even when I ex-hausted all possible ways of putting them on. Then I stopped eating for a couple of days. It was too hard, and I looked really ugly, so I decided to eat healthier.

It’s not as challenging as you think. It’s actually quite simple, but it does require resigning from old habits. Eating hot pizza in the evening and cold pizza for breakfast will not provide any energy. “What if I combine it with some energy drink?” you might ask. Not the right type of energy—bad, bad anxiety-attack-unhealthy kind of energy. After all, you are what you eat.

Your food choices will in�uence: your ability to study, how you cope with stress, your mood, and your appearance. Low energy, sleep depri-vation, and gaining or losing too much weight will affect your performance in college, and, re-ally, in life overall. Eating poor-quality fast food and processed snack foods increase the risk of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and many cancers—plenty of studies prove that. If you still haven’t seen Fast Food Nation, do that.

You’ll love it, just don’t snack on McSomething while watching—it creates a choking hazard.

Now, here are some wonderful tips on how to survive and thrive during your college years.

Foods to stock up onVegetables and fruits—very important. Keep some fresh or frozen ones in the fridge. Try to buy a variety of colors: orange, yellow, and red ones contain carotenoids that enhance your immune system (get more of those during �u season!); green and yellow plants and seeds (also, whole grains) have phytosterols that block cholesterol ab-sorption; and blue and purple fruits contain phe-nols that have powerful antioxidant properties. Eating several servings a day of fruits and veg-etables is a top priority for your healthy college diet. To save on cost, buy what is in season and on

sale; i.e. apples, pumpkins (loaded with antioxi-dant beta carotene, and super-easy to cook in microwave), and tomatoes in fall, strawberries and spinach in spring, sweet potatoes in winter.

Whole grains—brown rice, whole-wheat pasta—good carbs. Always opt for whole-grain products, rather then re�ned and processed grain; check the label on bread, so that it has whole-wheat �our, not bleached �our as the �rst ingredient. Key word: Whole. It is more critical than you think. White �our is nutritionally use-less, and in your body it turns into sugar; the

How to eat on a College Budget

Food

Words and illustrations by Anastasia Samoylova

Multiple studies prove that students gain weight at an alarming rate during their freshman year. Freshman 15 is the term related to the average number of pounds they put on. In my case, it was more like 25.

I had no idea I gained any weight until I couldn’t �t in my favorite pair of jeans I wore for the past �ve years, even when I ex-hausted all possible ways of putting them on. Then I stopped eating for a couple of days. It was too hard, and I looked really ugly, so I decided to eat healthier.

It’s not as challenging as you think. It’s actually quite simple, but it does require resigning from old habits. Eating hot pizza in the evening and cold pizza for breakfast will not provide any energy. “What if I combine it with some energy drink?” you might ask. Not the right type of energy—bad, bad anxiety-attack-unhealthy kind of energy. After all, you are what you eat.

Your food choices will in�uence: your ability to study, how you cope with stress, your mood, and your appearance. Low energy, sleep depri-vation, and gaining or losing too much weight will affect your performance in college, and, re-ally, in life overall. Eating poor-quality fast food and processed snack foods increase the risk of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and many cancers—plenty of studies prove that. If you still haven’t seen Fast Food Nation, do that.

You’ll love it, just don’t snack on McSomething while watching—it creates a choking hazard.

Now, here are some wonderful tips on how to survive and thrive during your college years.

Foods to stock up onVegetables and fruits—very important. Keep some fresh or frozen ones in the fridge. Try to buy a variety of colors: orange, yellow, and red ones contain carotenoids that enhance your immune system (get more of those during �u season!); green and yellow plants and seeds (also, whole grains) have phytosterols that block cholesterol ab-sorption; and blue and purple fruits contain phe-nols that have powerful antioxidant properties. Eating several servings a day of fruits and veg-etables is a top priority for your healthy college diet. To save on cost, buy what is in season and on

sale; i.e. apples, pumpkins (loaded with antioxi-dant beta carotene, and super-easy to cook in microwave), and tomatoes in fall, strawberries and spinach in spring, sweet potatoes in winter.

Whole grains—brown rice, whole-wheat pasta—good carbs. Always opt for whole-grain products, rather then re�ned and processed grain; check the label on bread, so that it has whole-wheat �our, not bleached �our as the �rst ingredient. Key word: Whole. It is more critical than you think. White �our is nutritionally use-less, and in your body it turns into sugar; the

How to eat on a College Budget

Food

Words and illustrations by Anastasia Samoylova

1716

Fashion

Staples for a dorm kitchen/cooking nook/cornerMicrowave. If you can get one that doubles as oven—awesome. You can make so many things with micro-wave, don’t even get me started. This will be one of your pricier investments—plan on cashing out about a hundred bucks, but keep an eye on paper ads on cam-pus—you may �nd a used one for a fraction of the price.

Mini-fridge. Why not get one together with your roommate and split the cost? That way, you could eat something that isn’t necessarily non-perishable for sev-en years, no refrigeration needed (bad stuff). You can get a mini-fridge for about a hundred dollars; splitting the cost with a friend or buying a used one on craigslist.com is your best option.

Microwave-safe plates, bowls, and coffee cups—two of each will do.

Basic utensils, forks and spoons, a sharp knife for cooking; or, if your college bans real knives, get a butter knife—those can be bad boys too. Also, a spatula, large spoon for mixing, and whatever else is in the same pack at the dollar store.

Plastic wrap, aluminum foil, towels, and dish soap are essential. Also, reusable zipping plastic bags and Tupperware with lids for leftovers come in handy.

Water �lter in a pitcher (Brita). This saves a ton of money, and is better for the environment.

Not really staples, but incredibly useful thingsSteamer. It is even better than a microwave, health-wise. It won’t break your budget—you can get one for roughly 20 bucks.

Hand-held blender. You can make dips, soups, and cocktails with it. It is plain awesome, especially consid-ering you can have one for merely 10 dollars.

Miscellaneous tipsMake friends with someone who has a car, so you can go shopping together. These people are more fun to hang out with anyway.

Get yourself a bicycle and ride to grocery store yourself! That way you’ll feel more independent and build a lot of muscle.

Local tips for dining out

Thanh Linh Vietnam-

ese Restaurant. Their soups and rice

dishes are delicious and healthy; their portions

are huge—so split with a friend, or plan on

having leftovers (I lived off one dinner’s worth

of Thanh Linh’s leftovers for three days). You willl

like the prices, too.

One World. I particularly like their

breakfast options. Perfect place for Sunday brunch, which will cost

about 10–15 bucks.

If you are in a hurry, stop by at Michel’s

Student Center Café on campus. You can get

some Starbucks coffee and various sandwiches

there. Also, try their fresh fruit and yogurt smoothies for a quick and nutritious snack.

Average bill is only $5!

Fieldhouse in CampusTown is the

place for wings. Do not get a dozen all to yourself—you might

explode. Now, this is not exactly Eating

Healthy, but, say you got allstraight A’s for

midterm…

body then secretes a fat-storing hormone that stimulates the appetite and slows down the metabolism—this is totally not what you want. The occasional croissant won’t hurt, but ev-eryday consumption of re�ned grain breads—as we are used to in our Western diet—is, in fact, harmful. Milk and yogurt. Yogurt is better for you than milk. Pick yogurt that doesn’t contain high fruc-tose corn syrup, otherwise the ben-e�ts are practically cancelled by the downsides. Finally, now organic yogurt in larger containers is only a few cents more expensive than conventional, but it is produced without the use of toxic pesticides, arti�cial hormones, and antibiotics—therefore their residue will not harm your body. There is a ton of great dishes you can make with yogurt, especially non-sweetened. Eggs. Perfect source of protein. Fatty acid Omega-3 will give you an excellent brain boost. If you have a car or a friend with a car (see Miscellaneous Tips), try to get them directly from local farmers (there are plenty of farmers within a very short drive)—they sell fantastic or-ganic, truly free-range eggs for a price cheaper than found in stores (the ones with greenish-pale yolk, typically from abused hens). Also, their eggs have a longer shelf life, so you can buy more at once.

Meats. If you have a nice fridge, stock up on some frozen meats; i.e. chicken breasts, beef for stew—these are pre-cut and easy to cook. Also, canned �sh, such as tuna and pink salmon, are inexpensive and contain

many major vitamins and those brain-boosting omega-3s; and cans don’t re-quire a fridge.

Perfect snack optionsGet those zip-ping bags and slice up some veg-gies. Normal size-carrots are cheaper than fake-baby car-rots. Celery hearts are very inexpen-

sive and one bunch will make for a weeklong

of snacking. Make some dips to go along: mix Greek yogurt with a pinch of salt and some herbs—voila. Or hummus—su-per easy, especially when you have a hand-held blender (see Not really staples, but incred-ibly useful things). Hummus is high in protein, and will last for a whole week—just make it beforehand and you have a fan-tastic, �lling snack (don’t add

too much garlic if you plan on a date though!).

Nuts and seeds. Opt for raw ones, avoid roasted and heaped with salt types.

String cheese. High in pro-tein, rich in calcium—great option. Pair with some whole-grain crackers for a tasty snack.

Individual popcorn bags are great, and guess what—it is a whole grain! Don’t get the ones with fake butter �avoring; buy normal ones and melt a bit of real butter (not too much and not too hot) to top.

If you like ice tea, brew some at home, add some sugar and lemon if you want and �ll your reusable bottle with it—saves a ton of money and much better for you then the arti�cial thing.

Terrible snack choicesCandy bars, chips, deep-fried foods. French fries are not a veggie serving, they are a sodium/trans fat serving. Soda. Soda is the biggest evil of all. If you are totally addicted though (and sugar does cause ad-diction, a serious one) allow your-self one can a month, but then feel very, very guilty about that.

18

MICROWAVE: If you can get one that doubles as an oven—awesome. You can make so many things with a microwave, don’t even get me started. This will be one of your pricier investments—plan on cashing out about a hundred bucks, but keep an eye on paper ads on campus—you may find a used one for a fraction of the price.

MINI-FRIDGE: Why not get one together with your roommate and split the cost? That way, you could eat something that isn’t necessarily non-perishable for seven years, no refrigera-tion needed (bad stuff). You can get a mini-fridge for about a hundred dollars; splitting the cost with a friend or buying a used one on craigslist.com is your best option.

MICROWAVE-SAFE: Plates, bowls, and coffee cups—two of each will do.

BASIC UTENSILS: Forks and spoons, a sharp knife for cook-ing; or, if your college bans real knives, get a butter knife—those can be bad boys too. Also, a spatula, large spoon for mixing, and whatever else is in the same pack at the dollar store.

STORAGE: Plastic wrap, aluminum foil, towels, and dish soap are essential. Also, reusable zipping plastic bags and Tupper-ware with lids for leftovers come in handy.

WATER FILTER: Get one built into a pitcher (like Brita). This saves a ton of money, and is better for the environment.

NOT REALLY STAPLES, BUT INCREDIBLY USEFUL THINGS

STEAMER: It is even better than a microwave, healthwise. It won’t break your budget—you can get one for roughly 20 bucks.

HAND-HELD BLENDER: You can make dips, soups, and cocktails with it. It is plain awesome, especially considering you can have one for merely 10 dollars.

MISCELLANEOUS TIPS

• Make friends with someone who has a car, so you can go shopping together. These people are more fun to hang out with anyway.

• Get yourself a bicycle and ride to the grocery store yourself! That way you’ll feel more independent and build a lot of muscle.

By Anastasia Samoylova

2120

SPortS

23

CENTRAL ILLINOIS ’ ONLY TRUE NIGHT CLUB

NE VER A COVER BEFORE 11PM

THURSDAY NIGHT10PM - 4AM

FRIDAY NIGHT10PM - 4A M

F A C E B O O K . C O M / P R I M E N I G H T C L U B

B e t w e e n A d a m s & J e f f e r s o n - D o w n t o w n P e o r i a

SATURDAY NIGHT9PM - 4AM

Plan B Branding was started while its two owners, Jason and Casey, were in college. This was

ideal, as there was room to grow, fail, and experiment, while also not hav-ing the pressure of the real world on their shoulders. Jason went to the University of Alabama, where he ma-jored in advertising and had a minor in graphic design. Most of his school was paid for with a mascot scholar-ship he earned from his high school experience as his team’s mascot. Early on in college Jason figured if he was going to get an “education,” it was go-ing to be up to him and he would have to get away from the college setting. This was learned early on with the ex-perience of someone telling him col-lege professors create account execu-tives and stifle creativity. “You need to work hard and bust your ass. I would rather have someone working with me who has passion and tenacity and is willing to learn, rather than someone who knows what they are doing and is apathetic.”

Going along the lines of working, we asked Jason about his thoughts on intern-ships and this is what he had to say for students:

“The idea that interns should not get paid is ridiculous. If you are lending your talent to a company, you should get a fair wage for the work you are doing. When we first started, we did a lot of competitions and gave away free work, but when you continue to do that, your work can lose its value. It is not a rite of passage to shuttle coffee or to make copies. How can you take pride in a job you do when you can’t take pride in the work that you do? When interns are not paid, they are not utilized. When you pay them, you expect as much out of them as a paid employee. Wo

rds By Matt Laki

cs

2524

“Recommendation: Even before college, when you are in high school, find something you are passionate about. Then, find work in your field, whether it is full or part time so you will be on the road to your job, instead of freaking out after graduation. College is a fun time to experiment, but you need to experi-ment with your job and your career as well.”

After talking with Jason about the start of the company, we wanted to delve into some ques-tions about issues that our staff felt would re-late to you, our readers:

How did you realize you did not want to work for someone else?

During high school I worked as the mascot for the San Diego Padres. Casey worked with me as my creative director, along with being the body-guard to the mascot. We were going along with our typical antics of beating up inflatable dolls and dragging them behind a 4-wheeler. Dur-ing that same summer, the team traded Kevin Brown to the Dodgers and the first game that he came back, we knew an awesome skit was a necessity. Before the Dodgers were going to pull Kevin Brown, we got up in the stands with the “piñata” Casey had built and stuffed with fake money. While Casey held it up, I started count-ing and on the count of three, with eight differ-ent sections cheering, I took a swing. The piñata exploded, while fake money came billowing out flowing through the air like smoke. Casey and I were immediately requested into the manage-ment’s office. Our act was unfortunately deemed tasteless by the newspaper and without the cre-ative support; we decided it was time for Plan B.

How they got their first gig: The first thing was created for our high school to raise money for a new mascot costume. Af-ter that, Casey’s Dad asked for a cool helmet logo for his football team. From there, our next step was while I was at Alabama, where I tried to get into the door with their athletic department. An administrator in the depart-ment saw our work and said it looked similar

to the company who had done the Alabama logos, and suggested we try minor league lo-gos. With 160+ teams to try and get a hold of, Casey and I decided to start a company. From there we went about sending letters to each team, and we received one response … and they said if they liked our logo, they would then pay for it.

We asked about some inspirations, and Jason told us Richard Branson was an inspiration. What’s a great quote from Richard Branson and how does it apply to you?

“Business is just life where money is ex-changed.” During college, you offer beer and pizza to your buddies to help you move your mattress. It seems like a fair trade and that is the essence of business. Someone sees the value in the exchange, so you make the “transaction” and this should be the premise for business.

An example of the above that Jason gave us was in regard to starting a fictional paper shredding business: Go rent a pick-up truck along with a shred-der and then go business to business telling people you’ll shred their stuff for x amount of money. Tell people you can shred all you want for y amount and if it doesn’t work, return both items.

When asked about people who were against him and Casey starting a business:

There are a lot of “pukers” out there. “Puk-ers” are people who will puke on your parade. If we would have stopped every time someone doubted about whether our idea was valid or not, we would have never gotten anywhere. You need to have the self-confidence that what you are doing is different enough and relevant enough to your potential customer, and then do not look back. If you wait to get something perfect or for the right opportunity (reverting back to the shredding business), waiting for a dump-sized shredder, office, professional logo, and office, you will never get anywhere.

What would you classify as the coolest logo you have designed?

That is like asking who your favorite child is, but the most public logo was the uniform and logo for the Cincinnati Reds. When we were asked to help, we had no idea the Reds were the oldest baseball team, and that is where some of the biggest problems lied. You would think the Yankees, Tigers, or Cubs would be the oldest, but the Reds were and they did not have that old-school look. We wanted to go

back into time, but go forward creating some-thing old time themed, but more modern. What’s the single-most important thing for a brand you are creating?

The story being told is something authentic to the town you are in and it is also equally fun. For example, in Chicago (as some of our staff is from the Windy City), the idea is that there are things residents experience in Chi-cago that makes them citizens, so when you

2726

are out of Chicago, people know you are from there. The stories and historical aspects—so being able to tap into the local mythology and being able to pick up on the ones that make things fun like mascots, logos for a visual in-terpretation, or theme music that goes along with that story.

The most out-of-this world experience you have had since you have started your business?

Casey and I went to Venezuela a few years back for a job. There’s a team on the island of Margarita, and they were looking to ap-ply the fun and entertainment that American minor league baseball is known for. It was like a James Bond movie; the gates would be secured and then guys would ride in on mo-torcycles with machine guns on their backs to secure the area. After that, a bulletproof Land Rover would show up and the owner of the team would pop out. It was unreal, just like a Tom Clancy novel.

From the work side, when we were coming up with ideas, we found out that unlike in America, Venezuela was like being in a cre-ative cowboy town. The team had the loud-est sound system in all of Venezuela and when they fired it up, it starting leveling palm trees … just imagine being their neighbors. An-other promotion thought of was gathering people to walk on a bus, start drinking, and be delivered to the front of the stadium and they were able to do so with no restrictions.

What exactly is The Clink Room?

The Clink Room was birthed out of the idea of seeing our logos on hats, so we created this after-hours clubhouse where the beers are cold, the bottles are clinking, and the ideas are flying. Its parts include: a place to share ideas, things we find inspiring, sharing behind the scenes looks, the retail side, and the last part, which is collaborations.

Our retail side has three parts: offering official on-field caps for teams we have done, limited

edition baseball caps (only 150), which are re-jected logo concepts, and the most important part, which is through our imaginary themed league. The league has been created around skateboarding, rejected logo names, Mexican restaurants, etc. We set the league theme and designers submit their ideas including team names, backstory of the team, logo, and cap design. We then provide thoughts and cri-tiques for improvement. After that, a bracket is created with the best submissions and then the community chooses their favorite caps. The winning designs receive free hats and cash, and we put the cap on sale for other Clinkers to purchase so they can support the community. The Clink Room is a great place for sports fans, design fans, and art fans. If you are into culture, this is the place for you.

Jason and Casey do not live in the same city, so our staff asked how they go about communicating:

Originally, we would talk for hours a day only to realize we were getting in each other’s way of work. You cannot have it break your men-tal zone or your concentration, so we changed our system to sending non-pressing issues via email. That way, when I need to come up for air on a project, I can check my email to see if there is anything Casey may need. We see each other once a month through visiting our clients, but as we have been best friends since kindergarten, Casey knows what I am think-ing. At some point, we will hopefully be in the same studio, but we had to come up with some creative ideas for communication ... you figure out how to make it work. We are big fans of Google calendar, as it keeps us on the same page about what each of us is doing. Figure out a creative way to get around your communica-tion blockades ... at one point it was IM and then it was email, and now it is Skype.

Figure out the new and better way to com-municate, even if it is not for business, as this has relevance for long-distance relationships and keeping up with friends and family you left behind to attend college.

After reading about the guys from Plan B and hearing more about the Clink Room, wouldn’t you love to have some of the awesome gear they have created?

here is your chance TO WIN! TOGAMAG Has $150 worth of Clink gear to BE given away to some of our lucky fans.

How TO winfollow us on Facebook and twitter and tell us in under 140 characters why you

deserve the Clink gear! Our staff will pick the best responses!

www.theclinkroom.com28

31

3332

LIFESTYLE

3534

silhouetteswitch up your

Summer is winding down and the sun

is casting long shadows, a sure sign of

autumn and fall fashions on their way.

We spoke with a few local businesses

and fashionistas on what to expect and

how you can add a little something extra

to your silhouette for the season.

“Statement Jewelry, bold earrings and necklaces are must have accessories that can totally change

the look of an outfit.”

~ Apricot Lane Boutique Grand Prairie, Peoria, IL

ill

us

tr

at

ion

& d

es

ign

by

nic

ol

e b

la

ck

bu

rn

“The short dress is

continuing to make

a huge impact in

formalwear. In

fact, it seems to be

overtaking the long

dress, especially

the traditional

a-line dress.

If you are going

long though, go for

the impact and go

with a mermaid cut

maybe even with a

small train. Also,

you will be seeing

a huge rise in one

strap dresses, as

people are looking

for something more

interesting in the

neckline which at

times takes away

from the need

for a necklace.”

~ Adore Bridal Specialty

Morton, Il

“A great belt is also

a must to have on

hand to cinch

the waste.”

~ Apricot Lane Boutique

Peoria, Il

So, what shape

is most flattering

across different

body types?

“Anything that has

rouching or a side

sweep is what will

do best to hide any

of those “trouble”

areas. However,

the other thing to

learn is to love

your body and

find the dress that

accentuates the

curves that you do

(or don’t) have.”

~ Adore Bridal Specialty

Morton, Il

3938

“Fur boots (short or tall) & shoes

with buckles, and stilettos are

back! For the safety conscious,

pick a chunky heel, you’ll look

great and still be comfy. ”

~ Azura Boutique

Peoria Heights, IL

“Fall is a Metropolitan Melodrama of color. My pick is Midnight Blue, Silver, and Shades of Gray, bring on the Chocolate as well ... yummy!”

~ Danielle Pflederer, Azura Boutique Peoria Heights, IL

Wondering what’s hot for your hands this fall? “Bold gemstone cocktail rings in Sterling silver, Ice watches in whites and brights, halo rings, and charm bracelets.”

~ Jones Bros. Jewelers Grand Prairie, Peoria, IL

4140

Prosaso Shaving Cream5.2 oz.$11.00

Badger Bristol Men’s Shaving Brush$9.17

Merkur Model 180 long handle Safty Razor$32.00

Derby Blades100 blades

$7.93

Total cost: $60.10 plus s+hPurchased at: Amazon.comShaves per blade:3-5Cost per shave: .15 cents

Lifestyle

The Art of Shaving

Prosaso Shaving Cream5.2 oz.$11.00

Total cost: $60.10 plus s+hPurchased at: Amazon.comShaves per blade:3-5Cost per shave: .15 cents

The Technique

Prep your beard. If you want a clean shave, you need to prep your beard adequately. The goal during beard prep is to soften your whiskers so shaving is easier and causes less irritation. The best way to soften your beard is to shave right when you get out of the shower. The hot water from your shower should hydrate and soften your beard enough for shaving. If you haven’t showered, at least wet your beard with some hot water. A hot towel is a great way to soften your beard.

Lather up. Take a small dollop (about the size of nickel) of your shave cream and place it in a mug. Take your brush that you’ve pre-soaked with water and swirl the cream around until you get a nice thick lather. Apply the lather with your brush in swirling motions. When your face is nice and covered, take a few strokes to smooth everything out.

The shave. Unlike shaving with cartridge razors, shaving with a safety razor actually requires some skill and technique. Once mastered, though, you should be shaving effectively in no time. The four keys to a successful shave with a safety razor are: 1. Use as little pressure as possible 2. Angle the blade as far away from your face

as possible3. Shave with the grain 4. Go for beard reduction, not beard removal.

This will take some getting used to if you have used cartridges your entire life. You don’t need to use pressure because the weight of the safety razor is suf�cient to cut your beard. If you press down, you’ll end up hacking up your face. To help counter the tendency to apply pressure, try holding the razor by the tip of the handle.

Angling your razor is probably the trickiest part. The proper angle is somewhere around 30 and 45 degrees. To get the proper razor angle, put the top of the razor head directly on your cheek, with the handle parallel with the �oor. Now slowly lower the handle until the blade can cut your whisker. Practice on your arm if you’re not comfortable practicing on your face.While shaving against the grain can get you that smooth feel, you risk slicing up your face and causing ingrown hairs. When you’re �rst starting out, shave with the grain of your beard. If you lather up and pass the razor more than once over your face, you’re guaranteed to get a smooth �nish.The goal with shaving should be gradual beard reduction, not beard removal in one deft swoop. Most men try to get rid of their beard in once pass of the razor. This hack-and-go technique is what causes the majority of skin irritations. If you want to avoid skin irritation, lather up and pass your razor over your face several times. Your face will thank you.

Post-shave. Rinse your face off with some cold water to close your pores. Treat your face to a nice aftershave. There are several to choose from, so pick the one you like best. Aftershave helps reduce any irritation that may have occurred and will leave your skin looking healthy.

Proper shaving has become a lost art. Today’s average male has no clue about the �ne art of the traditional wet shave that their grandfathers and some of their fathers used to take part in. Instead, they’re only accustomed to the cheap and disposable shaving products that companies market. I’m not sure when or why it happened, but the tradition of passing down the secrets of a clean shave abruptly stopped. Thankfully, this glorious male ritual is making a comeback.

This is an abbreviated version from Brett and Kate McKay over at The Art of Manliness. For more information on wet shaving, check out their website www.ArtofManliness.com.

43

Can I refuse to pay rent because there is something wrong with my apartment?

A tenant must pay rent, regardless of the state of his apart-ment. Failure to pay rent may result in an eviction. If the place is truly unbearable – like no heat in the winter, perhaps speak to your landlord about letting you out of your lease or see an attorney.

Can my landlord raise rent during the term of the lease? Landlords may not raise rent during the term of the lease. The lease is a binding contract that protects both you and the landlord.

If my roommate stops paying rent, can I be evicted too? Most leases hold you “jointly and severally liable,” which means that you are both liable for the entire rent. If one person stops paying, the other is going to need to pick up the slack, talk to the landlord, or work out something.

I don’t have a lease, do I have any protection? If you pay monthly, as most of you would, you must be given 30 days notice prior to the landlord being able to force you to leave or raising rent. In reality, you’ll likely end up with almost 2 months of protection before being forced out or the rent being raised.

Can my landlord change the locks in order to evict me? A landlord can only evict you after many requirements are met and even then only the Sheriff ’s of�ce can evict you.

My landlord still has my security deposit, how long can he keep it? law requires a landlord to return a security de-posit within 45 days unless the landlord prepares an itemized statement of damages he or she is al-leging along with receipts and other items within 30 days of the renter leaving the premises.

Jonathan LA Phillips, Attorney at Law, is an

attorney in Peoria Illinois and a graduate of Bradley

University a DePaul Univer-sity College of Law. See www.

JonathanLAPhillipsLaw.com for more information

on how he can help you with anything from landlord-tenant

disputes to starting your own small business in Peoria,

Champaign, Bloomington-Normal, and Charleston.

While I can’t give legal advice in this column, I can give you some information on Illinois law, which should not be generally applied to a speci�c legal issue. Contact an attorney, perhaps the one writing this, for legal advice.

Words by Jonathan L.A. Phillips

For many people, college is the �rst time they’ll have an apartment. If you are one of these

people, you may have little to no idea what your rights are. When I was still in law school,

I would hear many of the same questions from friends who were still in college regarding

landlord issues.

4544

Foodmore movies

Can I refuse to pay rent because there is something wrong with my apartment?

A tenant must pay rent, regardless of the state of his apart-ment. Failure to pay rent may result in an eviction. If the place is truly unbearable – like no heat in the winter,

perhaps speak to your landlord about letting you out of your lease or see an attorney.

Can my landlord raise rent during the term of the lease? Landlords may not raise rent during the term of the lease. The lease is a binding contract that protects both you and the landlord.

If my roommate stops paying rent, can I be evicted too? Most leases hold you “jointly and severally liable,” which means that you are both liable for the entire rent. If one person stops paying, the other is going to need to pick up the slack, talk to the landlord, or work out something.

I don’t have a lease, do I have any protection? If you pay monthly, as most of you would, you must be given 30 days notice prior to the landlord being able to force you to leave or raising rent. Inreality, you’ll likely

end up with almost 2 months of protection before being forced out or the rent being raised.

Can my landlord change the locks in order to evict me? A landlord can only evict you after many requirements are met and even then the Sheriff ’s of�ce can evict you.

My landlord still has my security deposit, how long can he keep it? law requires a landlord to return a security de-posit within 45 days unless the landlord prepares an itemized statement of damages he or she is

alleging along with receipts and other items within 30 days of the renter leaving the premises.

Jonathan LA Phillips, Attorney at Law, is an

attorney in Peoria Illinois and a graduate of Bradley

University a DePaul Univer-sity College of Law. See www.

JonathanLAPhillipsLaw.com for more information

on how he can help you with anything from landlord-tenant

disputes to starting your own small business in Peoria,

Champaign, Bloomington-Normal, and Charleston.

For many people, college is the �rst time they’ll have an apartment. If you are one of these

people, you may have little to no idea what your rights are. When I was still in law school,

I would hear many of the same questions from friends who were still in college regarding

landlord issues.

While I can’t give legal advice in this column, I can give you some information on Illinois law, which should not be generally applied to a speci�legal issue. Contact an attorney, perhaps the one writing this, for legal advice.

Words by Jonathan L.A. Phillips

Affordable high-quality analog and digital audio recording services for the Peoria area.

For more information, contact Jared Bartman at 815.876.6340 or jared@jaredbartman.com

ALTMODISCH

MUSIC

47

4948

50

-

What would a fun night with your friends consist of?

-

-

What is something our read-ers do not know about you that would be of interest to them?

-

--

What does your Mom think of your success after seeing you grow up with your love of music?

-

--

-

-

Who is one artist you would like to collaborate with?

Being as busy as you are, what do you do in your “free time”?

Who is the coolest celebrity you have met?

-

What can our readers expect from Chanel aka CC in the coming year?

Are you going on tour any time throughout the year?

-

Time for the shout outs … who do you want to shout out?

Bursting bubble

Are you a fan of Chanel “The Rapping Receptionist”? Prove it! Just follow her on

Twitter @chanelwestcoast and follow us @togamagazine, then mention both in

a Tweet and you will be entered to win an autographed picture of Chanel! Pretty

sweet deal! A winner will be chosen by the TOGA staff and notified via Twitter.

Deadline is October 1st.

5352

Illustration by Ivan Minsloff

Continue to target those who care—your mailing list and those who live in your niche

As you grow, your niche will champion you to the next level and you will actually have a story instead of a one-hit gimmick or today’s top download that’s never heard from again

Beware of the easy way The cliché is a life lesson, nothing good ever comes easy or quickly—luck is the product of putting yourself in the position for good things to happen

Be true to yourself—dance with the girl you brought to the dance

Fans are smarter than ever, and a “put on” is easy to spot—stop imitating and represent where you are from with conviction; be memorable in your time

Write a great song

Be able to perform live exceptionally well

If all else fails, write a great song and be able to perform live ex-ceptionally well. These things are a constant throughout the history of

music and it separates the legacy artists from the blog-hype smash that leaves as fast as it arrived. The music industry has never been easy to break into our out of, and the �rst few years are truly a test, almost like a college “weed out” class, where it’s meant to shake off all those who aren’t truly in it because they simply couldn’t imagine doing anything else. If you are in it purely to be famous, rich or get laid, then enjoy playing in a local/regional band that may achieve a brief instant of “buzz” and get used to the idea that your boss will still call the shots and you won’t have that big house with guitars hanging everywhere. The cream does rise to the top, it sometimes just takes some time to break through all the heavy suds.

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

# Be able to perform live exceptionally well

Make it personal. Just because you have 15,000 friends on Facebook doesn’t mean that you have 15,000 real friends

Count your “Likes” in person when they buy you a beer after you just destroyed your set

At �rst, only talk to the people who care

Identify your niche, your tribe, then be one of the first three to five names people mention when they make reference to your niche

Romance your new fans

Never give it all up on the �rst date—a 12-song release by someone no one knows falls on deaf ears. Show them some leg (a song), then a little more (a video) and keep the �re burning until you’ve made a lifetime commitment (a true fan)

Write a great song

Be able to perform live exceptionally well

Collect email addresses from fans

Give away a free track for an email, then treat your mailing list like a precious garden that needs constant attention and

nurturing—grow it organically

Write a great songEasier said that done, but true talent speaks for itself

Be able to perform live exceptionally well

Not just good, the world is full of “good,” “good” is passed over for great and even amazing

Come up with a cool name or else pick a name and make it cool

Wolf/Bear/Young/Dinosaur are the new black, although black is never out of style

Write a great song

Be able to perform live exceptionally well

At �rst stay mysterious, perhaps no photos of the band, just imagery—perhaps even old Kodak instant camera photos

Being just mysterious enough with the right themed artwork will thrust you into the Altered Zones!

Don’t quit your day job, but look for �nancing from friends/family/brands/believers that aren’t called a “record label”

You can hire the right press and radio team, self-release, and put the money towards touring, and the terms won’t be robbery

Write a great song

110

11

12

1314

15

7

8

9 16

172

3

45

6

Larry LittleCEO, Future Sounds, Inc.

Larry is the founder and President of Future Sounds in Los Angeles. He was a co-founder of From The Future Management, working with bands as far ranging as The Killers, The Posies, and Film School. He is currently ob-sessed with The Rumble Tour, which takes place in 9 US cit-ies each month and celebrates emerging artists.

18

1920

5756

Don’t let the doom and gloom reports on the crashing commercial music industry be a deterrent from

starting a band today! I spoke with Los Angeles-based Larry Little, founder and CEO of independent record label Future Sounds and marketing company The Planetary Group—and former manager of The Killers—about the changing landscape. “The old guard is ending: No more begging radio and press and other gatekeepers to help break your act,” says Little, “The barriers to entry in the music business have become low—an artist with a three-song EP on Bandcamp can sell shows across the U.S.!”

Musicians now have an arsenal of tools for making creative content and getting it to their fans. It’s a Do It Yourself world, which is creating a boom of possibility in independent music.

Gone are the days when bands had to rely on labels to fund the recording of an album.With the advent of affordable recording ap-plications such as Garageband, 4 Track, and RetroRecorder, artists can produce their own tracks anywhere. “People are mostly listening in headphones,” Little points out, “so the recording quality of most self-pro-duced albums is essentially good enough.”

The accessibility of home recording also makes it easy for an artist to continually experiment with song-writing and track-ing. “Offer your fans a series of bread-crumbs,” adds Little. “Just deliver one to two tracks to interest people—a 12-song LP is too many.”

Artists can also take the production and distribution of music videos into their own hands. Visual elements remain es-sential to the development of an act’s ca-reer. “Rough and raw is cool,” says Little. “Bands are making videos on Flips and iPhones! The simpler the better—videob-logs enable fans to stay connected and grow with the band.”

With so much music being listened to and watched online, and the music sites and applications for promotion and even monetization of music and video streaming offer easy, efficient, and affordable ways to get content to the world. From the mighty global social networks Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube (which has music videos ranked as its most highly searched content), to marketing sites such as Topspin, TuneCore, and ReverbNation, artists have the opportunity to be digitally savvy as well as creative, utilizing social media tools to share their work and connect with their audiences.

Digital is cool, however old school rules do still apply. Little remarks, “There is more on your phone today than there was in your home 10 years ago! It’s like ‘short-attention-span theater’ in entertainment today. The personal touch is more im-portant than ever. The bands who succeed are the ones who connect with friends and fans—be sure to make that personal connec-tion at after-show parties, or throw a BBQ!”

Audiences are inspired to buy after a good show, and many bands today make their best sales at the merch tables after they’ve played. According to Little, “Fans are buying vinyl, 7’s, and even cassettes—it’s like a badge of honor for a true follower of a band!”

As exciting as it is for artists to “mind their own business” in today’s music industry, the greatest upside to all the many ways they can develop their own careers may very well be the creative control. With the ease of media production, bands have a chance at authenticity, which may have been lost to the label A&R and market-ing departments. That creativity could be a lo-fi video series about a road trip to a gig, in addition to the actual songwriting and recording. As a label head and mar-keting pro who offers strategy for bands at all levels, Little offers concise advise. “Ac-cumulate as many content pieces as you can—the music, photos, videos, blogging, etc. The key is to be unique!”

The recently-departed, “bluesologist” Gil Scott Heron wrote “The Revolution Won’t Be Televised” in the early 1970s, a major influence on the hip hop culture: “You will not be able to stay home brother/you will not be able to plug in, turn on, cop out….” Three decades later, the music revolution may, in fact, be webcast, but the message remains true—get out there, keep it real and play it loud.

INDIE REVOLUTION

“DIY” for independent artists in today’s music business

by Bonnie Burkert

5958

FOR CLASS INFORMATION CALL: 309.472.5061

ENTERTAINMENT

61

OMBIE-LIKENew “horror-omedy” borrows from classic horror �lms, with a fresh splatter

MTV Networks has come up with something frighteningly new to keep us howling! Introducing the daring horror-comedy Death Valley, debuting this month.

Set in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, werewolves, zombies, and vampires have recently infested the area, and the LAPD has formed the Undead Task Force of young policemen and women to deal with the situation. It’s Cops meets Zombieland, and it’s dark and gnarley and funny and wild. “I can’t believe MTV let us go there,” says Death Valley Executive Producer Austin Reading, speaking about the gory messes that are the

monsters of this show. “They even let us keep the hand punching straight through the zombie head in the trailer!” (catch it on MTV.com). While paying homage to the classic George A. Romero Dead series, as well as characters such as Freddy Kreuger, Death Valley has a unique take on horror genre conventions. “We’re treating our monsters in different ways—trying to breathe new life into the mythology of each creature. It’s made by fans, for the fans!” says Reading. “Our goal was to make Death Valley feel as cool as the movies it is inspired by.” The series assembles a new cast of creatures for every show. Hollywood makeup superpros Monster Effects created a warehouse of limbs, appliances, and goo, delivering up to 10 distinctive zombies a day for over three months

of shooting. Inspiration came from real diseases, aka what herpes might become if left untreated. “I used to have nightmares of zombies growing up, and it’s crazy to actually be making them now!” says Reading. Immersing himself in the zeitgeist of the horror genre as Creative Director for FEARnet and Producer of the genre-based Scream Awards with his company Liquid Theory, Reading describes inspiration from �lms such as Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday The 13th, and even Alien. “The monsters in these �lms are icons. They are like horror superheroes, larger than life; in these movies you empathize with the victim, but also get the monsters point

of view. It’s fascinating. The fear created in these movies taps into a deep primal adrenaline. Honest laughter is also at that same gut level—and when done right, fear and comedy goes well together. There’s nothing like the relief of laughter after being really scared.” He cites Zombieland as making zombies hip again and paving the way for Death Valley. Just as the “Godfather of all Zombies,” Romero is credited for infusing his �lms with social commentary. Reading mentions similar consideration in Death Valley, a message beyond the splatter-fest. “There is an obvious class system and racial inequality here in California, and the interaction of the cops with the different monsters plays on that in the show.”

When asked about why zombies in particular are hotter than ever, he remarks, “They can be seen as a metaphor for our world, a re�ection of our relationship with technology—insatiable consumption, ravenous—we’re becoming zombie-like as a mass group. Death Valley makes you think … but not too much. We want you to enjoy the ride!” Death Valley premieres Monday August 29 at 10:30 EST/9:30 pm CST and includes the hilarious ensemble cast members Caity Lotz (Mad Men), Tania Raymonde (Lost), Bryan Callen (The Hangover), Bryce Johnson (Sleeping Dogs Lie), Texas Battle (Final Destination 3) and Charlie Sanders (Funny or Die). More information can be found on www.mtv.com.Death Valley

Show creator Austin Reading and one of his show’s creatures.

6362

Having rained all night, it was by then—at 5:30am—snowing. The massive redwoods near Santa Cruz, Califor-

nia towered above the temporary residence of Tami Lane, who was in that particularly gorgeous forest for a movie. After working all night in the cold and wet, she needed her rest. After all, the next day her expertise was required to saw a man in half. As a spe-cial effects and effects make-up artist, Lane is very good at that sort of thing. So good in fact, that after getting no more than an hour of sleep, her phone rang. Begrudging-ly, she answered it. Why? Because the man calling was Howard Berger, the very man who hired her into the Hollywood special effects business nearly a decade prior and with whom she had worked regularly since. “What are you doing?” asked an excited sounding Berger. “I’m sleeping, what do you want?” responded the very tired Lane. “I want to be the first to congratulate you on your Oscar nomination!”

The rest of that magical morning was spent sitting alone on the deck, in the snow, wrapped in a blanket, drinking a six-pack of Newcastle. According to Lane, “It was too early to call anybody, I didn’t want to wake anyone up!” Though, admit-tedly, her mother wouldn’t have minded, not with news like that. And besides, her mother was at home, which, in Peoria, Illinois, was two hours ahead of Tami.

A native of Peoria, Tami attended Wood-ruff High School and received an athletic scholarship to Bradley University, where she played softball. “I’m a total hometown girl,” says Lane. Suffering knee problems, which persist to this day, she gave up her scholarship and changed her focus to art. “As a kid, it was always kind of a hobby. And I had some great instructors and teachers at Bradley who inspired me.” That hobby

had also bled over into the theater, having worked with Corn Stock and Peoria Players Theatres as set painter, lighting technician, make-up artist, and so on “for fun.”

The plan was to get an art degree with an emphasis in graphic design and “move to Chicago to work as a graphic designer in the corporate world.” She never made it. Instead, in the middle of her senior year, she earned an opportunity to participate in a trip head-ed by Bradley professor Bob Jacobs, a trip that took her and nine other students to Los Angeles for two weeks to explore the enter-tainment industry. “I really only wanted to see the ocean, because I had never seen it be-fore!” admits Lane about finding out she was chosen for the trip. It didn’t take long before she realized just how lucky she had gotten. “We met some cool people, Saul Bass (the renown title designer), Henry Winkler (The Fonze), an executive from Warner Bros. at the time,” then Lane’s nostalgia comes to the surface, “and we went to a place called KNB...... EFX.” A fan of monster and sci-fi movies, she knew who these people where. And she was mesmerized! “I got to meet Howard Berger, Greg Nicotero, and Bob Kurtzman (KNB backwards), and I thought my mind was going to explode, because I had no idea that places like that existed!”

The place was an artist’s paradise. A ware-house dedicated to movie effects make-up and sculpture and effects rigging. “Howard [Berger] told me; go back to Illinois, gradu-ate, then move out here and call me.” Im-mediately after graduation, Lane and three other girls from that fateful trip packed their bags, and moved to a two-bedroom apart-ment in Hollywood. “My parents were skep-tical,” says Lane, who for four years was planning on going to Chicago to work for some corporation, then was suddenly in LA, “I think they thought I would move back.”

AND THE OSCAR

GOES TO…Tami Lane Shares

Her Unexpected Tale of Tinseltown

By Mark Cartier

6564

queue+tipswhat to add to your must-see movie list

thank You forSmoking (2005) Comedy/Drama

“92 minutes of dark comedy and satiric gold!”

~Matt Lakics

Kiss Kiss , Bang BangMurder Mystery (2005)

“Robert Downey, Jr...there is nothing else

to say.”~Sarah Scott

Charade (1960)Thriller

“A murder mystery set in Paris with great style starring Cary Grant & Audrey Hepburn. Funny and unpredictable!”

~Nicole Blackburn

Submit your queue + tips to toga at www.togamag.com

tip-off: Grown Ups (2010) - “i admit, i’m a huge adam Sandler fan, but redBox should have charged me my $1.07 and dispensed a note that said, ‘i just saved you 102 minutes of your life.’ i admit, i laughed at times but i still haven’t forgiven myself. avoid this if you actually value your time .” ~ derek oddo

armadilloDocumentary (2010)

“A gritty, real look at the experiences of a group of Danish soldiers during

their tour in Iraq.”~Dennis Slape

Kung fu Hustle Action Comedy (2004)

“The most unexpectedly heartwarming film you’ll

see this year!”~Damon Taylor

Pandorum Sci-fi Thriller (2009)

“A surprisingly thought-out and gripping movie.”

~Vasi Tsagarakis

Within a year, Lane was working full time for KNB. She was moved to New Zealand for a TV series, then to LA for a film, then to New Mexico for a John Carpenter mov-ie, all the time doing grunt work. But the Midwest work ethic paid off when Howard Berger needed someone to bring to Lux-embourg for a project and Lane was the recommendation. “That was the beginning of our deep friendship,” says Lane about the trip and working with Berger, “we’ve been pretty inseparable ever since.

Working together, Lane and Berger won the Oscar for Best Achievement in Make-up in 2006 for their work on The Chroni-cles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. When asked how much of her success was luck and how much was work ethic, she had no hesitation, “The work ethic. Anyone from the Midwest is proud of their work ethic. Luck is a good thing, but when it goes away, you still have your work ethic.”

“Winning the Oscar, the whole experience was so unexpected and sorta surreal,” says Lane as she recollects the day itself, “Dis-ney was great, they sent us make-up and hair people to make us look good and even sent us food and limos. It was magical.” Arriving at the Kodak Theatre, before all of the celebrities, they went straight for the bar. “Waiting for our seats, we found ourselves standing around all these fa-mous people, and Dame Judi Dench was talking with me, all I could think while she was talking was ‘Oh my God, your Dame Judi Dench!”

Anxiety ensued. The dreadful wait through the ceremonies until their category came up. “I remember distinctly the sound of

the envelope opening,” says Lane, “How-ard and I were clenching each others hand and all I heard was ‘the Oscar goes to… How’ and at that moment Howard jerked me up from my seat, it was all so indescrib-able. The front three rows are looking at you on stage and they look like the cover of people magazine! Jack Nicholson and Tom Hanks, clapping for you!” Winners are pushed through a series of back rooms for photos and gift bags, then dumped out into the lobby of the theatre, where, anxi-ety spent and reality catching up to them, Berger and Lane took another seat at the bar. “Gin and tonic and a deep breathe!” Then they were rushed off to the parties, starting with the Governor’s Ball.

“When you’ve got the gold statue, suddenly everyone comes up to you. George Clooney and Reese Witherspoon, these random ce-lebrities who don’t even know who you re-ally are!” remembers Lane, who is obviously very fond of that flurry of an evening. I want to say to her: “You’re a winner, and winners deserve and get respect.”

Tami Lane is now working on The Hobbit. The Oscar has kept her and Berger work-ing on great projects. Her story is one of the unexpected, starting with the unexpected knee problems, which led to an unexpected opportunity to explore a different industry, which led to an unexpected job, an unex-pected career, an unexpected nomination, and an unexpected win. And in all she found success because of the work ethic taught to her by her parents, who still live in Peoria.

Check out www.knbefxgroup.com for more insight on special effects makeup & their current projects.

6766

The following is an excerpt from my open letter to US Senator for Illinois, Dick Durbin:

Mr. Durbin:

Thanks to the efforts of certain “minority rights groups,” the Zombie population of the United States has skyrocketed, particularly in the Midwest, where vast and fertile open spaces provide massive “roaming zones.” Like many Americans, I have become frightened and enraged by our government forcing “Equal Rights” down my throat. In this country, the majority is supposed to rule, not a handful of wealthy elites. Everybody knows that the zomboid is more than a simple nuisance; rather, it is in fact a genuine threat to the survival of the human species. As much as I love the declaration of independence and the American constitution, I have a hard time accepting equal rights, or the right to life, liberty, and justice for zombies, because zombies are DEAD!

Further, I have a son who is moving from home to attend university. How am I to protect him when the likes of you and your congressional “obstructionists” are allowing the zombie threat to grow unchecked? Do not expect my vote, nor that of my husband, ever again if you do not address the issue of zombies, both in this state and in our nation as a whole. Zombies pose a legitimate threat to every living person! I watched my poor mailman get devoured just last week (photo included) while trying to do his job, pay his mortgage. To my knowledge, the government has done nothing to respond to this incident.

A recently published book by Dr. Worm Miller of the University of Minneapolis opened with a rather elitist quote, “No, I am not undead. I am a human and an American. One who loves history and wants to see it told right. My only bias is for the truth.” In his book, A Zombie’s History of the United States (available in bookstores, photo included), Dr. Miller attempts to hide his actual intentions with this book by saying it’s an attempt to collate an accurate history of Zombies from the scatterings of “our government’s massive cover up,” under the guise of “truth” and “facts.” When in reality, Dr. Miller, like many other elitists, is attempting to indoctrinate our children to accept these undead, unethical beasts! Live and let live with our insane undead brethren! This is grossly irresponsible and the government needs to do something about it! What’s next? The right for these undead people to adopt?

End Excerpt

Below is a letter to my son, which I gave as he left to attend university.

Son,

Congratulations on becoming a man. Your father, who, as you well know, was eaten by zombies while you were in middle school, would have been so proud of you! I am so proud of you.

I know you think I worry too much. I am your mother; that is my job. I simply want you to survive your first semester. Because, if you can just live through your first months away from home, your odds of surviving raise exponentially. So often even one mistake, particularly when it comes to dealing with Zombies, results in death and/or undead conversion, and I think it’s safe to say we all need all the advice we can get. Even if it’s coming from your sappy ol’ mom.

First, there is a great guide you can buy, I’ve put money in your suitcase to pay for it, and it’s Max Brooks’ The Zombie Survival Guide. Read it and adhere to its lessons. He is the premiere expert of the “survival first, last, always” mindset. Enclosed, find some photos I was given when I left for college. Each one has an important survival lesson on it.

I love you. Call me if you need a care package—and give me good notice, because we don’t have a replacement postman yet.

MOM

an introduction to a Survival guide for Young adultsBy a Concerned mother

ZOMBIE-U: Barricade the Windows!A well-barricaded window is key. Zombies are relatively stupid, but they are good at breaking windows and falling through.

Plan Distractions Before Leaving a Building!A distracted zombie is worth its weight in whatever is as valuable as staying alive. Have a friend make a noise from a different door when you leave your building, or throw a Frisbee, this will give you sufficient time to lose an interested zomboid.

Carry Coupons!Whenever a female zombie is on your tail, simply drop coupons. Female zombies, like your mother, love a good bargain (use newspapers for male zomboids).

Don’t Accept Your Teachers for Who They Appear to Be!Make note of your professor (and fellow students, for that matter) to ensure they have not become undead. If your professor has become undead, you can tell by visible blood smears, flesh decay, or more commonly, by what appears to be coffee ground smudges everywhere.

Keep It in Your Pants!Don’t be tricked by that seemingly interested girl, she’s probably a zombie, all easy girls are.

Don’t Be a Hero!You will hear people screaming all the time. Don’t be a hero. Hero is another word for sucker.

6968

Coach Brown

Free Apps for More NapsDictionary.comThis will come in very handy when you’re reading a history book and come across the term ‘Antidisestablishmentari-anism’. Or, on a more realistic front, when Eminem’s ‘Al-most Famous’ is playing and you hear him utter that word.

WikipediaDid your professor just ramble on about the ‘Sieve of Eratosthenes’? Grab the Wikipedia app so when you have a paper to write on the topic and don’t want to look for sources, you can peruse the bottom of the Wikipedia ar-ticle for them.

gFlashLet’s face it, we all want content where we go! gFlash is a free application on the iPhone and Android that allows you to set up your own �ashcards, share them with friends using any two column Google Spreadsheet and ace that upcoming exam, collaboratively.

EvernoteYou left your notebook back in your room and need to jot some notes down from your most recent lecture. Take out your phone, and download Evernote. Not only can you access your notes from your phone, you can access them from any computer or even on the web. Better yet, you can attach all sorts of things. You can snap photos for inspira-tion, insert voice notes from your lecture, snap a video of a presentation and even attach �les if necessary.

DropboxThumb drives are likely on their way out. In their place will be cloud applications like Dropbox. It installs a fold-er on your desktop and allows you to sync any �le you may want to their cloud and access the same �les from another computer. You can even share folders with your friends, you know, for the occasionally missed class.

by Derek Oddo

A Broader ViewArtwork by Preston JacksonAug. 22 - Sept. 23, 2011Heuser Art GalleryReception: Sept. 1, 6-7:30pm Lecture by Preston JacksonSept. 1, 2011, 5:00pm*

EntropyA collaborative project and exhibition by BU Art & Engineering Departments, & The League of Imaginary ScientistsAug. 29 - Oct. 2, 2011Hartmann GalleryReception: Sept. 15, 5-7:00pm

Lecture by graphic designer, Kevin McConkeySept. 22, 2011, 5:00pm*

*All lectures are held in the Horowitz Auditorium (Room 126) in the Caterpillar Global Communications Center on campus.

Please contact us for more information, including gallery hours and directions.

309.677.2967 | 309.677.2989 art.bradley.edu/bug

Will it fly?Electric works by S. Thomas ScarffOct. 6 - Nov. 4, 2011Heuser Art GalleryReception: Oct. 6, 6-7:30pm Lecture by Tom ScarffOct. 6, 2011, 5:00pm*

In ProgressArtwork by current Bradley graduate studentsOct. 20 – Dec. 3, 2011Hartmann GalleryReception: Oct. 20, 5-7:00pm Resonant Viewpoints Drawings by Christopher TroutmanNov. 14 – Dec. 18, 2011Heuser Art GalleryReception: Nov. 17, 5-7:00pm

CHANGE. YOU CAN.

2011-06-20-ice-watch-JONES-BROS-6-75x4-625inches.indd 1 27/06/2011 09:03:42

70

for more detai l s go to togamag.com

Tweet us. facebook us. e-mail us.

CONTRIBUTE.

OPCOrecords

Shop local.Campustown1200 W. Main St.Peoria, IL 61606t: 309.674.6350

vinylcds

incenset-shirts

golf discsposters

special orders... and more

Exhibition GalleriesPlanetariumEducational ProgrammingDiscovery CenterIllinois Folk Art Gallery

1125 W. Lake Ave.Peoria, IL 61614309.686.7000

www.lakeview-museum.org

Art ClassesWorkshopsLaser Light ShowsSummer CampsVolunteer Opportunities

Making sweet memories one cup at a time.

Junction City5901 N. Prospect Rd.

Peoria, IL 309.692.4212

SweetCeCesPeoria www.sweetceces.com @SweetCeCes

Campustown1200 N Main Street,

Shoppe 21APeoria, IL

Location Coming Soon

Fill +Top + Weigh +Pay = Sweet!

7372

Grandview Drive Peoria, IL 61614

Peoria Zoo2218 North Prospect Rd. Peoria, Illinois 61603 (309) 686-3365

The Peoria Art Guild203 Harrison St. Peoria, IL 61602 (309) 637-2787

Lakeview Museum of Arts and Science1125 West Lake Ave. Peoria, IL (309) 686-7000

The Metro Centre Shopping Center4700 N University St # 24, Peoria, IL (309) 692-6690

Northwoods Mall2200 Northwoods Mall Peoria, IL 61613-1000 (309) 685-8220

The Shoppes at Grand Prairie5201 West War Memorial Dr. Suite # 322 Peoria, IL 61615 Ph: (309) 692-3672

Reynolds Theaters3225 North Dries Lane #5 Peoria, IL 61604 (309) 682-6350

Rave Motion Pictures5311 W American Prairie Dr. Peoria, IL 61615-9267 (309) 282-7300

Wee Tee Golf Center5200 North Hamilton Rd. Peoria, IL (309) 692-8912

Kartville919 North Swords Avenue West Peoria, IL 61604-4859 (309) 676-3628

The Ice Cream Shack2313 Northeast Adams St. Peoria, IL 61603-2956 (309) 686-2828

One World Café1245 W. Main St. Peoria, IL 61606 (309) 672-1522

The Peoria Civic Center201 Southwest Jefferson Ave. Peoria, IL 61602-1448 (309) 673-8900

The Peoria Chiefs730 SW Jefferson Ave. Peoria, IL 61605-3901 (309) 680-4000

Thanh Linh1223 West Main St. Peoria, IL 61606-1254 (309) 495-0179

Great Wall1219 West Main St. Peoria, IL 61606 (309) 637-1104

Jukebox Comedy Club3527 W Farmington Rd. Peoria, IL 61604-4722 (309) 673-5853

Peoria Speedway3520 W Farmington Rd. Peoria, IL (309) 357-3339

The Fieldhouse Bar & Grill1200 West Main St. Peoria, IL 61606-1200 (309) 494-9600

Happy Fish SushiSte 22, 1200 West Main St.Peoria, IL (309) 999-4008

Subway1200 W Main St # 19, Peoria, IL (309) 673-3505

Jimmy John’s1121 West Main St. Peoria, IL (309) 673-9999

Papa John’s930 N Bourland Ave. Peoria, IL (309) 673-7272

Pizza Hut1200 West Main St. Peoria, IL (309) 676-7676

Domino’s425 N Western Ave. Peoria, IL (309) 637-3315

Biaggi’s Off of Sterling in the West Lake shopping center– coming soon!

Sonic4305 North Sterling Ave. Peoria, IL (309) 681-7900

The Fresh Market2601 West Lake Ave. Peoria, IL 61615 (309) 679-2000

Bellacino’s1200/10 West Main St. Peoria, IL 61606-1218 (309) 671-0544

Panda Carry Out1200 W Main St # 28 Peoria, IL (309) 637-9388

Qdoba1040 West Camp St. East Peoria, IL (309) 698-71001216 West Glen Ave. Peoria, IL (309) 692-7100

Buffalo Wild Wings833 West Camp Street, East Peoria, IL (309) 699-94645121 W American Prairie Dr. Peoria, IL (309) 691-9453

Tilted Kit7716 Illinois 91 Peoria, IL 61615-8001 (309) 692-5458

Jillian’s5201 West War Memorial Dr. Peoria, IL 61615-9222 (309) 740-0149

Rhythm Kitchen305 Southwest Water St. Peoria, IL 61602-1425 (309) 676-9668

Par-A-Dice Casino7 Blackjack Blvd. East Peoria, IL 61611-2010 (309) 699-7711

The Burger Barge1401 North Main Street East Peoria, IL 61611 (309) 694-9191

La Bamba1200 W Main St # 20A Peoria, IL 61606-1218 (309) 637-6621

Steak and Fries1200 W Main St # 26 Peoria, IL 61606-1218 (309) 676-2828

Vertucci Chicago Style Eats1104 N Main St East Peoria, IL 61611-2138 (309) 699-5465

PlaC

ES t

o vi

Sit-PEoria

, il

Redbox locations300 North Main St. East Peoria, IL

221 North Western Avenue, West Peoria, IL

300 North Main Street East Peoria

401 River Road, East Peoria

Friday’s201 River Rd. East Peoria, IL (309) 698-3220

Ming’s1000 Riverside Dr. East Peoria, IL 61611-7200 (309) 699-6666

Applebee’s900 Riverside Dr. East Peoria, IL (309) 694-9363

Chili’s800 Riverside Dr. E East Peoria, IL (309) 694-4460

Granite City230 Conference Center Dr. East Peoria, IL 61611-9501 (309) 699-8080

75

BradlEY • PEoria, il

Finding things to do in the Peoria area isn’t that hard (or so I’ve found this past summer) and neither is finding things to do on campus at Bradley University...if you know where to look. No, the campus events calendar isn’t the place to look because all I found was the reporting date for faculty and a whole host of Psych Club peer mentoring dates. Unless you are really into either of those things, I am going to your new best friend to tell you all of the sweet things to check out at BU this fall.

auguSt:

Welcome Week is an obvious one—week long activities from Saturday, August 20th through Sunday, August 28th. Whether you’re a freshman and it’s your first time away from home or you’re a super senior taking your final victory lap, there are key Welcome Week activities to attend. The block party on the first Saturday of Welcome Week is my initial recommendation. It’s a great time to see all of the fraternity guys and sorority girls decked out in their letters, grab some free food and hear about all of the weekend happenings. If you’re on a budget, you can skip Taste of Bradley—but if you’re a first timer, check it out so you can figure out pretty quickly which places you love as well as which places deliver at 2am on a Wednesday. The Activities Fair is fun for all ages because it’s all around quality people watching. The newbies still have that fresh look of excitement and endless possibilities in their eyes while the oldie moldies are a little jaded and tired of sitting at their booth and would genuinely rather be sleeping off their hangover rather than watch students awkwardly walk by. Check BU’s ACBU and SAO office websites for more info.

SEPtEmBEr:

The Peoria area has a lot of really great local artists and the 49th Annual Peoria Art Guild Fine Art Fair is an excellent way for you to check out all of their work in one spot. Located down on the Riverfront on Saturday, September 24th through Sunday, September 25th, around 150 local and national artists gather to share their work with live music playing every hour. My favorite part of the fair is the Kids Art Festival—maybe it’s because I both look and act like a child, but I love how interactive it is. Any time I have volunteered for the fair in the Kids Art Festival area, I end up feeling inadequate because my art projects suck compared to the 3 and 4 year old kids that I’m working with. Get more info here: www.peoriaartguild.org

toga tp’s your townLocal events you should know about! By Tina Pizzuti

And if you’re looking for some weekly fun in September, head down to the Peoria Riverfront every Friday night for the Water Street Fiesta. There is lots of awesome local food to try, entertainment and crafty vendors… and it’s free which is a bonus! Water Street Fiesta would be a great place for you to bring your parents or visitors from out of town—show them how cultural central Illinois really is!

oCtoBEr:

October screams haunted houses and pumpkins which is why you should head to Spider Hill out at Three Sister’s Park in Chillicothe to check out Massacre Mansion (Sounds spooky, no?) and Morton for Punkin (yes, that’s actually how they say it) Chuckin. For less than $10 you can get the crap scared out of you…or view it as an interactive comedy show…maybe even help the cast of Massacre Mansion scare the unsuspecting high schoolers! Spider Hill is open every Friday and Saturday night throughout the month of October, so there shouldn’t be a reason for you to miss it! Check out their website: www.spider-hill.com. Or on October 24th or 25th you can head to Morton to watch hillbilly engineers launch gourds over 2000 feet. Chuckin’ starts at noon on the 24th and it’s $5 to park…this is only one of two “Punkin’ Chuckin’” contests in the states—you don’t want to miss it. Find out more info at www.mortonmagnet.com

If you have events that you would like us to feature send them to us at matt@togamag.com or contact us via Twitter @togamagazine. Get out and get involved this semester!

www.togamag.com

7776

15%OFFSelect Services Present this couponExpires 9/30/11

309.360.9035 www.SkinByMary.com

Waxing (Brazillian Included)

Acne Treatments Skin Care Programs

twEEtStrEEt

off tHEwant your voice to be heard?

Have something to say?

tweet us @togamagazine and

you could be featured in

tweets off the Street and

be entered to win

sweet giveaways!

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com

togamag.com