The All State

» By CONOR SCRUTON – cscruton@my.apsu.edu

As college students, we all get stressed. Whether dealing with mountains of homework or long work hours, the obligations just seem to pile up sometimes. That’s why Clarksville is full of places to just hang out and relax after a long week.

One such place is Tarboosh, a restaurant and hookah bar on 117 Franklin St. in downtown Clarksville. It’s only been open for a few months now, but is already popular with APSU students for its atmosphere and homemade menu items, which range from Italian pasta and calzones to Mediterranean hummus and gyros.

Much like last week, I had smoked hookah and tried plenty of food in Clarksville, but had yet to visit Tarboosh itself.

Having heard plenty of good things about it, I went with some friends who were adamant I try a few of the specialties Tarboosh had to offer.

For hookah smokers, Tarboosh has 25 flavors of shisha tobacco to choose from. While I tend to prefer minty flavors, fruitier tobaccos are usually good if you’ve never tried it before.

For extra incentive, Tarboosh has a special way of preparing one hookah that involves filtering the tobacco through an orange rind I would particularly recommend.

As I’ve mentioned, one way Tarboosh is unique is that a full menu of food options is offered in addition to hookah. I’ll admit I was a little apprehensive of this at first — I wasn’t completely sure I wanted to buy food at the same place I was smoking.

Quite the contrary, though. Tarboosh has a lot of very good entrées, as well as many appetizers that are the perfect size for sharing over hookah smoking. The hummus and pita bread were especially good, and the Tarboosh blend tea was excellent.

While Tarboosh can be a place to relax and talk with friends early in the night, they haven’t forgotten the partiers.

For students looking for a more active way to let off steam over the weekend, Tarboosh offers shows such as belly dancing on Friday nights.

Once a month, you can go to a “Boom at the Boosh” party, which features hookah and pizza specials all night and performances by local DJs. Open from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m., Tarboosh is fit to serve even the most nocturnal of you night owls. TAS

» By CONOR SCRUTON – cscruton@my.apsu.edu

Growing up in Virginia with a Puerto Rican background, poet and APSU English professor Blas Falconer read literature coming out of New York City’s strong Latin communities, but felt he had little to relate to.

But as he met more Hispanic writers with similar upbringings, Falconer began to question, “What does it mean to be Latino?”
That is the subject of the new essay anthology “The Other Latin@: Writing Against a Singular Identity,” which Falconer co-edited with fiction writer Lorraine Lopez.

The collection, which features 20 prominent poets and fiction writers, challenges the “mainstream” perception of Hispanic culture and explores the meaning of being a Latino without a community.

America’s strongest Hispanic communities have traditionally been centered in areas such as New York City and the American Southwest, but Falconer grew up in a suburb of Washington, D.C.

As a child, he would read Latin-American literature to try and connect with his mother’s Puerto Rican heritage, but failed to identify with many of their conflicts.

“A lot of [Latino literature] came from these centers of Latino communities … so a lot of the writing that came out of there addressed community concerns,” Falconer said.

Falconer had the idea for the project for years, dating back to meetings with Cuban-American Helena Mesa and Chicano Lisa Chavez. The two poets grew up in Pittsburgh and Alaska, respectively, and recognized Falconer’s frustration.

Falconer invited the writers, among others, to participate in a panel discussion at the Association of Writers and Writing Program’s annual conference.

The event piqued the interest of Falconer’s publisher at The University of Arizona Press, who asked if he had considered compiling a collection of essays on the subject.

Falconer then contacted Lorraine Lopez, fiction writer and English professor at Vanderbilt University, about co-editing the anthology. Apart from readings at APSU, Lopez hadn’t worked with Falconer on any projects , but in his words, “We made a great team.”

This is the second essay anthology Falconer has edited, the first being a 2010 collection on poetic craft titled “Mentor and Muse: Essays from Poets to Poets.”

Falconer’s second full-length book of poetry, The Foundling Wheel, will also be published later this year. “The Other Latin@” is available for purchase. TAS

» By CONOR SCRUTON – cscruton@my.apsu.edu

Along-time hallmark of APSU’s student culture is Johnny’s Big Burgers, a restaurant across College Street at the southwest corner of campus.

Popular partially for its proximity to campus, Johnny’s is also famous among APSU students for its great burgers, old-time diner atmosphere and one specialty menu item in particular: the “bun and cream.”

The bun and cream is a fried honey bun with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, and has been a Johnny’s delicacy for years. After a semester at the Peay, I had been to Johnny’s before to satisfy a burger fix, though I had never tried a bun and cream. However, as the rest of The All State staff informed me, “You’re not a Gov until you’ve had one.” So, taking my editor’s word for it, I ventured out across campus in the biting wind of the Martin Luther King Day holiday to get my first bun and cream.

If you haven’t been to Johnny’s at all, as a freshmen APSU student it’s practically your duty to go before you graduate (preferably sooner rather than later). It’s a cool place where you can sit in a booth and have dinner with friends or grab a bar stool for a quick bite. Their burgers are great and it’s been a popular hangout spot among students for years.

When I finally got inside and ordered my first bun and cream, I was optimistic, but not overly so. I like honey buns and ice cream, so I was sure it would taste alright even in the worst case scenario.

Let me make it clear, though, that having tried one, I would probably eat a bun and cream with every meal for the rest of my life if I could. The only things standing in my way would be the massive weight gain that would surely follow and the fact, sadly, I plan on eventually graduating. Also worth noting is the fact after tax, I still paid barely $2 for it, a price greatly appreciated by my poor college student’s wallet.
The Johnny’s bun and cream was a perfect quick dessert and has rightfully earned its legendary status among APSU students through the years. I’m sure most students who have joined me in enjoying a bun and cream would agree it’s a must-have for any true Governor. As for the students who haven’t tried one, what are you waiting for? TAS

» By TRENT SINGER – tsinger@my.apsu.edu

There is one common message among each nontraditional college student. “It’s never too late,” said Marian Perron, a part-time nontraditional student and full-time employee at APSU.

Perron is a personnel assistant in Human Resources and vice president of the Non-Traditional Student Society. Perron said she has not faced any particular hardships as a nontraditional student

“Fortunately for me, because I have that rich tradition in my family, I’ve never felt out of place,” Perron said.

Perron’s story entails a family tradition of nontraditional students. In 1927, at age 14, Perron’s mother had to drop out of high school to stay at home and care for her ill mother.

“She always felt like she was inferior to the rest of the family because she was the only one without a high school education,” Perron said.

At 68, Perron’s mother received her GED and went on to graduate from SUNY Cobleskill. She was the oldest matriculated student at that time. However, the family tradition didn’t end there.

“This past spring, my uncle, who is her brother, graduated from Keene State with his bachelor’s in Criminal Justice and a minor in Sociology at the age of 94,” Perron said.

As a former New York City police officer and World War II pilot, Perron’s uncle chose to pursue a college education almost 20 years after the average U.S. male expectancy age.

“He had the opportunity to go to school and learn. It’s just the focus on learning and not being content and continually learning,” Perron said.

Following graduation, Perron’s uncle informed her that he now plans to pursue his master’s degree.

Perron thinks highly of being a nontraditional student at APSU. “My experience here has been fabulous. First, because I’m an employee, so I have that aspect of life and co-working at APSU. Plus, my experience as a student has been very good,” Perron said.

Perron is currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Professional Studies. She has attended APSU for a year now.

As an active nontraditional student, she hopes her story might inspire some of those who have always wanted to pursue college, but have never taken the opportunity to further their education.

“As a nontraditional student, we enrich the classes because of our experiences and what we can bring in that students who are younger don’t yet have,” Perron said. TAS

» By RAVEN JACKSON – rsjackson41@my.apsu.edu

As the end of the year draws near, it is hard not to see the red, green and gold lights hung around the city. These lights and many other decorations such as pine trees and mistletoes represent Christmas. But not everyone celebrates this holiday, at least not in the traditional sense.

Inside the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Clarksville, located off Madison Street and surrounded by the green of trees, one will find a place where it is not required to adhere to a particular religion.

According to their website, members of the UUFC include Agnostics, Atheists, Buddhists, Christians, Humanists and Wiccans among other religious traditions.

“What’s important to me is to tell the stories that have already been told and to put them in a modern context so that we know from where they came,” said Stan Bumgarner, a part-time minister at the church.

Wasau, a woman of Indian descent who regularly attends the UUFC, celebrates the holidays with those closest to her. “In the wintertime, you have gatherings where your family and friends come and spend time together. You might make all your preserves, dry the rest of the meat that hasn’t been dried, do the last of the hunting for the year, the last of the smoking of the fish and hang out with each other,” Wasau said.

A common thread found within UUFC is everyone’s openness concerning religion.

“There are different celebrations and different ways to celebrate, but the most important thing is giving of yourself and feeling that sense of community and that you’re connecting with other people,” said Shana Thornton, director of Religious Exploration at the UUFC.

Lee Gray, a member who grew up Catholic, celebrates in her own way. Gray’s upcoming plans for the holiday are to put up a Christmas tree with her partner, and hang guitar strings and cards between two rooms in her home for decoration. Gray also plans to sing Christmas carols with a xylophone in her neighborhood and the church.

“I have my own rituals,” Gray said. “I try to give all year long. I strive to do the best I can in my community.” She doesn’t think of Christmas and Thanksgiving as a time of giving because she does it all the time.

“For me personally, the story of Jesus being born the last month of the year, near the winter solstice, is a message to mankind in a broken world, that it will get better,” Bumgarner said through the laughs of children playing behind him. “It’s in the process of getting better. And that’s what we all need to have, hope,” Bumgarner said.
For more information on the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Clarksville, visit www.uuclarksville.org or call 931-368-0507. TAS

» By CONOR SCRUTON – cscruton@my.apsu.edu

As guests filed into the packed MMC Concert Hall on Friday, Dec. 2, they weren’t greeted by the usual pre-concert protocol. Instead, they could see members of the APSU Percussion Ensemble talking and joking with each other, and audience members.

The stage and concert hall were decked with holly, strings of lights, a Christmas tree and a fireplace. Percussion Director David Steinquest described the concert music “completely recognizable, but at the same time surprising.”

The ensemble opened the show with, “A Very Merry Christmas,” and a high-energy rendition of the classic holiday tune “Carol of the Bells,” complete with timpani, bell tones and a full drum kit.

The percussion students — clad in Christmas sweaters and elf hats — gathered on couches and chairs around the stage’s artificial fireplace to enjoy the show. Steinquest enlisted help from singers Allison Campbell and David Alford, guitarist Paul Binkley, bassist Tony Nagy and drummer Matt Devore to play quieter pieces, including “Family Tree” and “Cradle in Bethlehem.”

While the concert featured several traditional-style songs, there were also many new versions of classics, including a bossa nova arrangement of “Ave Maria,” a bluesy James Taylor-inspired reboot of “Jingle Bells” and a hip-hop/funk flavored reading of “’Twas the Night Before Christmas.” The concert closed with the New Years’ staple “Auld Lang Syne.”

“I know it’s not a Christmas song … but we figured since we won’t see you guys until next year, we had to do it,” Steinquest said.

The program followed the Halloween percussion concert and the Governor’s Singers’ performance of “The Little Match Girl Passion,” which benefitted Clarksville Loaves and Fishes.

Tickets to these concerts cost either $3 or a donation of two cans of food. Steinquest said he wanted to perform concerts that benefitted those in need, but were also affordable enough for anyone to attend.

Steinquest seems to have gotten his wish; his percussion ensemble performed for a nearly sold-out crowd, and the popularity of their annual Halloween and Christmas concerts has been growing rapidly in recent years.

Steinquest accredits the success of the events to tradition, “It’s a weird thing, we’ve been doing the Halloween concert for 26 years … there’s something about a recurring event that helps to build a following.” TAS