Professor Alan White - University of Wisconsin-Manitowoc

p.6 ▪ May, Oct. 2009
Photo by Louis Soja, Free Press Staff
Sara Moilanen vocals and acoustic guitar.
Photo courtesy of http://www.westofeastmusic.com
Tim Suchocki lead guitar and vocals.
Cont. p1
Andrew Schiesl
Free Press Staff
“West of East” is compiled of duo
guitars, the spectacular voice of Sara
Moilanen along side of Tim Suchocki
(Lead guitar and vocals).
The band plays and writes songs
about life, friendships, and relationships.
Sara Moilanen has been playing
guitar and writing songs for ten years,
mixing emotion into powerful yet
easy-listening songs.
When asked about the type of music
they played, Sara Moilanen said
“We can be described as a mixture of
American, country, folk, and blues.”
“And a little rock-n-roll,” Tim Suchocki
added with a laugh.
I also asked the two if and when
they will be returning to the lakeshore
area to perform again, Tim responded
by saying that they would come back
anytime they were asked to play a
gig.
Both said, “We love coming back to
the lakeshore area and we will continue
to do so when asked to play a
show”.
After Tim joined Sara in 2004, they
were known simply as “Sara and Tim.”
After playing at many acoustic music
festivals, they changed their name to
“West of East,” which is from a lyric
written by a longtime friend and mu-
sical mentor of Sara’s, Boe Harbison,
who wrote “I asked someone where
I might find peace, they said somewhere
South and West of East, found
by those who search the least…”
Personally, I enjoyed the lyrics that
were written for all their songs. All of
the lyrics are written about personal
experiences between the two musicians.
The lyrics are about relationships and
stories mostly about life.
For example, the lyrics written for
the song; “If I Lead Will You Follow”
describes a past relationship of Sara’s.
The lyrics are “Keep away says the
voice in my, don’t let him bring you
down”. The band says that some of
their lyrics are sorrowful or uplifting.
To check the band out, buy their
debut album: Love in the Twilight
Zone. For more information about
“West of East,” go to their website:
westofeastmusic.com, or myspace.
the Free Press
West of East
Appearing at Stumpjack
New Face, New Story
D o c t o r S t o n e
Joseph Massimo
Free Press Staff
As a two-year school, UW-Manitowoc
is used to seeing the new faces
of hopeful students on a regular basis.
Indeed, the campus seems to be
a congregation of fresh ideas and
potential at the beginning of every
school year. This year is once again
such a case, particularly so because
this year we are also being greeted
by a fresh faculty face, Dr. Christopher
Stone, a new professor of the
history department.
A newcomer to Wisconsin, Dr.
Stone arrived in the state two months
ago, straight from Indiana University
where he received his degree.
However, Dr. Stone was born and
raised in Raleigh, North Carolina,
which is quite a distance away from
the land of Green and Gold. When
asked why he chose UW-Manitowoc,
Dr. Stone jokingly admitted, “Because
it chose me.”
Dr. Stone went on to say that out
of a total of three candidates for 20th
century U.S. history there were only
six interviews given and two job offers
made across the entire country.
He added that he “likes the idea of a
school that focuses more on teaching
than research … where you can begin
to build personal relations with
students. It’s a much more intimate
teaching environment.”
Dr. Stone takes this ideology
to heart, incorporating long discussion
times in most of his classes to
not only ensure that students have a
full understanding of the course material,
but also to focus on the building
of critical and analytical thinking
skills, which can be of use in any subject
or class.
Likes the idea of a school
that focuses more on teaching
than research...where
you can begin to build personal
relations with students.
When asked what roused his interest
in history, Dr. Stone stated that
his fascination in the archived past
began at an early age. “My interest
in history really dated back to when
I was six years old.
For bedtime stories my mom would
read me a two-volume history of the
American Presidency…pretty soon I
had memorized all the presidential
administrations and could recite
them in order, and it became a cute
little parlor trick for all my parents’
friends … I was always sort of a history
buff.”
And indeed he was, having won
the History Student of the Year award
We love coming
back to the lakeshore
area and we
will continue to do
so when asked to
play a show.
during his
high school
years.
Ironically
enough,
though, when
he first went
to college Dr.
Stone was
intent on becoming
an
elementary
teacher.
“[The] idea
was that I
could make a
bigger difference
in people’s
lives the
earlier I could
make an intervention.”
However,
once he took
his first U.S. Doctor Stone
history classes
there, his determination was shifted
toward college-level teaching. “It
just seemed so much fun and the level
of analysis was so much higher … .
It seemed like a much more interesting
life. Looking back,” he said with a
laugh, “it’s hard to understand how I
would have functioned in an elementary
school.”
Even though he may be new
to the UW system, Dr. Stone says that
com/westofeastmusic.
Also, go to myspace.com/stumpjackcoffee
or stumpjack.com for more listings
of upcoming shows at Stumpjack
Coffee Co.
“West of East” played at Paradigm
Coffee on September 18th and will
perform again at the following locations:
• Oct. 2nd, 2009, 9:00P.M. The
Nice Ash, Waukesha, Wisconsin
• Oct. 24th, 2009, 9:00P.M. Art
Bar, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Dec. 4th, 2009, 9:00P.M. The
Nice Ash, Waukesha, Wisconsin
Your band here!
Contact the Free Press today.
We would love to check
out you and your band, write a
review, and get to know what’s
new in the scene.
Place an ad for your next
show or album release! Contact
the Free Press staff advertising
manager, Josh Schmoock,
at schmj3095@uwc.edu, or by
phone: 323-3877 for a ad consultation
today!
Photo by courtesy www.uwmanitowoc.uwc.edu
he has been adjusting very well to
the campus. Much of this easy acclimation,
he claims, is due to his fellow
professors, whom he describes as
“very cordial, very polite, and ready
with advice and suggestions on how
I can improve my teaching.
“I think there’s a real sense of togetherness
and common purpose
with the faculty, and that’s very
nice.”