The book, being at 300 pages, is no small feat to transform into a play. Because of this, the writer for the Actor’s Gang’s rendition, Michael Gene Sullivan, decided to start the story more than two-thirds of the way through the book.

The main character, Winston, has flashbacks from scenes earlier in the book, so viewers who have never read the book will still have some idea of what’s going on, according to theactorsgang.com.

“The play focuses on the social conformity and political fear engendered by Big Brother,” said Mike Terry, Williams Auditorium manager.

The novel focuses on Winston, who goes to work for the Party and lives his life just like everyone else, but he has his doubts about the Party. He rebels underground through writing his criminal thoughts in a diary and by having a sexual relationship with a woman named Julia, who then shows him that the Party is evil and should be stopped.

Later, Winston and Julia are caught by the thought police.

The decision to have the Actor’s Gang on campus was influenced by the Political Engagement Program.

“The Political Engagement Program seems to increase political awareness and involvement among students,” said Terry.

The story is well-known for having a political background as the world the characters live in is completely based around the controlling government. According to sparknotes.com, the Party “controls everything in Oceania (London), even the people’s history and language.”

“‘1984’ represents a ‘dystopia,’ a place where political engagement is controlled, manipulated by Big Brother (the all-seeing ‘character’ that constantly watches citizens), thus limiting the significance of the individual,” Terry said. “Orwell’s ‘1984’ is a vision of what a tyrannical world would look like.”

“What makes ‘1984’ special to today’s audience is that the major themes of the book are at work in our culture to a considerable degree,” Terry said.

In addition to the play, a pre-show discussion will be held by Dr. Sanderson and Dr. Gray. The two professors will be discussing how the thoughts in ‘1984’ are still prevalent today. The discussion will take place in STR 136 from 6:45-7:30 p.m.

In the lobby of Williams Auditorium, another pre-show event will be taking place. A ‘1984’ exhibit will be shown, which includes artwork from Jill Jepson’s art class, a place to view webcams from across the country and a place where students can include their own examples of “doublethink,” one of the main themes of the novel.

“My favorite student submission so far is ‘required to volunteer,’” Terry said.

After the show there will be a talkback session with the Actor’s Gang. The Gang will be talking about how they feel about the novel and the process of being involved with the production.

The play starts at 8 p.m. and is expected to last 100 minutes.

Anyone can attend this event. Students can expect to pay $8 before the event and $10 at the door while the general public can expect to pay $20 in advance and $24 at the door.

Two Nights At Williams Arts & Lecture series brings peter Philips, Ph. D. (right) to Ferris on Sep. 27 at 7pm and classical pianist Philip Hosford (left) on Sep. 28.

Hosford, of Washington D.C., will present selected classical works in a solo performance at the Big Rapids High School auditorium at 8 p.m.

The pianist, who has earned global recognition, has toured six continents with shows as far as China, Japan, London, Italy and South America.

The Washington Post expressed Hosford’s playing as “the perfect meeting of artistry and pyrotechnics, gripping and powerful.”

Some of Hosford’s performances include those at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ Concert Hall and Terrace Theater, the Phillips Collection and the National Gallery of Art.

In New York, Hosford has performed solo recitals at the Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall and the Carnegie Recital Hall.

“It’s not everyday Big Rapids has the chance to watch an artist with such an extensive background,” said Scott Hicks, a local musician and history education major at Ferris. “I don’t anticipate this concert to be your average run-of-the-mill show. [Hosford] is really going to tear it up on that stage.”

Hosford was also the unanimous winner of the Artistic Ambassador Program’s Auditions and the recipient of a Solo Recitalists Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Before Hosford and his wife, Hayuru Taima, founded the Academy of Music in Gaithersburg, Maryland, he served on the piano faculties of Michigan State University, the Peabody Institute in Baltimore, and the Eastern Music Festival in North Carolina.

Hosford is currently a pianist for the National Philharmonic Trio with violinist, Jody Gatwood, and cellist, Lori Barnet.

The solo recital is also part of Dr. Edward K. Mallett’s Tuba Bach Concert series. For more information on this concert or concerts in the future, visit tubabach.org.

For any other information regarding Hosford’s performance or directions to the Big Rapids high school, students can contact the Williams Auditorium box office at x5600.

“It was a lot of fun last year… Travis Hall walked away with 2 trophies,” said Jason Davis, a Travis Hall resident advisor.

Last year the event included tug of war, volleyball, and basketball. This year also promises to have a relay race as an event.

This year’s event was scheduled for last Saturday, Sept. 22 but has to be rescheduled due to insufficient funds.

“I will have more information on a new date after I meet with IRC,” says Andrew Brown, head coordinator of the event.

As of now, the event is being funded by the Resident Hall Association and assorted other student organizations.

Sign up sheets can be found in the hall lobbies or talk to your resident advisor. For more information on the event you can contact Andrew Brown at 517-980-4747 and be sure to keep an eye out for the new date in possibly a few weeks.

Tuba Bach, which began in 2006, is a series of free concerts given by various musical artists. Due to its enormous success in its first season, with audience numbers reaching more than 2,400 according to tubabach.org, the event is being offered in a second series this year.

Artists are assembled from all over the country to play in solo and chamber performances, bringing a wide variety of instruments and music. The inspiration for this event was to give the people of Big Rapids and surrounding areas a chance to experience “world-class” presentations of chamber music. According to Mallett, “The [Tuba Bach] series inspires audiences of all ages and from all walks of life, representing a wide variety of socioeconomic backgrounds, ethnic diversity, education, and cultural experiences.”

If one isn’t interested in purely classical music, there is no reason to automatically rule out the possibility of attending one of the Tuba Bach shows. Although there are heavy classical music influences in some of the performances, there are large portions dedicated to old-time bluegrass, classic piano, spiritual, and jazz music, which utilize multiple different instruments such as piano, saxophone, brass, woodwinds, fiddle, banjo, and guitar.

The first show, having taken place Sunday, Sept.16 at the Big Rapids High School Auditorium, featured an “all-star” tuba quartet with Edward K. Mallett, Charles Guy, Philip Sinder, and Demondrae Thurman.

The second performance took place last Sunday, Sept. 23, and was titled, “Give Me That Old Time Music-An Afternoon of Bluegrass,” which starred “international bluegrass legends” Raymond McLain of Tennessee on banjo, fiddle, and guitar; Mike Stevens of Ontario on harmonica; and Ruth McLain Smith on bass.

There are still five more concerts to go in the series. The next performance is a solo piano recital featuring Concert Pianist Philip Hosford this coming this Friday, Sept. 28 at 8 p.m., and it is a part of the Ferris State University Arts and Lecture Series.

Following the piano recital there will be “Flights of Fancy-Concert of Fantasias and Fancies for Tuba, Euphonium, and Piano,” featuring Hosford and Hayuru Taima as the concert pianists on Sunday, Sept.30 at 8 p.m.

On Sunday, Oct. 7 at 4 p.m. there will be a production by a band of high school students conducted by Donald Flickinger, the assistant vice president for Academic Affairs at Ferris. They will present “Around the World in Eighty Minutes-a Tribute to John Philip Sousa and the Great Soloist from the ‘Golden Age’ of Bands.”

They are playing in honor of the “Sousa Band,” which remained “the most popular musical act in the world for over 30 years,” according to tubabach.org. The band performed live and on the radio from 1900 to the late 1920s and were a “smash hit.”

There will also be a performance by the Benedictine University Faculty Woodwind Quintet of Chicago, on Sunday, Oct.14 at 4 p.m., which will feature another Big Rapids native, Anne Kreft. Dr. Scott Cohen, a music conductor here at Ferris; and other Big Rapids area woodwind players will also be in attendance. This event is titled, “A Walk in the Woods-Music for Tuba, Euphonium, and Woodwind Instruments.”

The final concert, “It Ain’t Over ‘til the Tenor Sings-a Program of Arias, Spirituals, Jazz, and More,” takes place on Sunday, Oct.21 at 4 p.m., and presents world-renowned tenor Robert Mack of New York, with accompanist Janet Mallett.

For more information on Tuba Bach, its calendar, the artists, or how one can donate to the event, go to www.tubabach.org.

Bulldog Radio (BDR) operates two stations, Bulldog Radio and FSU Info 530. BDR’s stations are run completely by students including production and engineering.

“Bulldog Radio is student-run, the only people outside of students are our advisors, Cammie Sanderson and Dave Schrock,” Bulldog Radio member Lizz Kelly said.

As technology evolved throughout the decades so did WHFR. In 1978 WHFR changed frequencies and became WRKX. By January 1978 and coverage was available to all of the residents halls at Ferris.

In 1982, WRKX changed formats from “all the music you like to hear” to progressive rock, sponsored by the College Music Journal (CMJ). According to Bulldog Radio’s history, they featured new rock and roll before the commercial stations.

In 2000 the station received funding for digital CD players, a new mixer board, amplifiers and speakers.

In 2006-2007 BDR began broadcasting women’s basketball games, and according to Kelly the station is thinking of more ways to use it.

“We just got our remote broadcasting equipment and will be looking into ways to best use that to benefit the students. There are a few ideas but nothing is for sure yet,” Kelly said.

Bulldog Radio offers different genres to achieve utilitarianism including: classic rock, alternative rock, hip-hop, pop, top 40 and rhythmic hits.

According to the BDR website, BDR is an affiliate of ERG Music, which gives BDR chart-topping hits. BDR also has almost 2,000 CDs over 4,000 songs, and a collection of 1,000 vinyl albums from the 70s through the early 90s.

BDR is currently available on channel 22 on campus or through the web.

“We are looking into getting back on the radio waves rather than just web casting and the TV broadcast. There is a long process to becoming an FM station but it’s a major goal,” Kelly said.

Mostly, Bluetooth is utilized in cell phones and computers but also has other uses like game console controllers. Bluetooth enable phones, headsets, keyboards, mice and printers are flooding the market and consumers are eating it up.

The most popular Bluetooth device is the headset for a mobile phone. Basically, it’s an earpiece that you wear on your ear and it transmits your phone conversation wireless from the phone to your earpiece.

Most companies will emphasize safety on the road when getting you to purchase a Bluetooth device. Heck, some cities and states have banned driving while talking on the phone without some kind of hands-free device. However, Bluetooth headsets can improve your multitasking ability and some people think they’re stylish.

What to Consider When Purchasing a Bluetooth Headset

Phone Compatibility

First of all, you are going to want to make sure that your phone is Bluetooth capable. You can do this by either browsing your phones settings or looking up your phone on the manufacturer’s website. Most sites provide detailed information about each phone they sell.

Furthermore, you might want to consider an extended life battery for your phone. When you have the Bluetooth enabled it reduces your battery life, by how much depends on what phone you have. My Motorola Razr will last for about a day and a half with the standard battery and Bluetooth on. An extended life battery for the Razr was only about $15 on eBay.

Talk Time

While not the most important factor in a Bluetooth decision, it is still a factor. The common range for talk time is somewhere between four and eight hours with a standby time range of anywhere from 100 to 170 hours. But if you want the high end of those ranges, you’ll be paying big bucks for your headset. My latest headset, the PLANTRONICS Voyager 510, provides for six hours of talk time and 100 hours of standby time. It has gone a few days on one charge, but I’m not a heavy talker. I txt.

Comfort

If you get the chance to try a Bluetooth headset before you buy one, do it. I think that comfort is the most important factor when purchasing a headset. You don’t want something uncomfortable on your ear for a two-hour conversation. You’ll want to get something lightweight. Styles vary slightly as well. Some headsets have a piece that hooks around your ear, some sit directly in your ear with no support and some cover the ear.

I prefer something that hooks over my ear but still has an earbud that goes in the ear like headphones. It provides for ultimate comfort and doesn’t sacrifice volume or quality. I’ve had one that hooks over my ear and just rests over my ear and it was just too loose which made the sound very quiet.

Price

If you are purchasing your first Bluetooth device, I would look for something in the low to middle range. You wouldn’t want to spend too much on something that you could lose, put through the wash or not even use that much. If you look for the right deal, you could spend between $20 and $30 for a starter headset. My recent purchase was about $45 and it is near the high-end of the spectrum.

Other Features

Additional features can be bundled into certain headsets. These include noise-reducing technology and on-the-ear vibrate function. Some will even play your music through the headset if your phone has the functionality. However, the only of these that carries any weight in my book is the noise-reducing technology, which is included on my headset.

So there you have it; a quick look into the Bluetooth world. I hope you will be more informed when you make your headset purchase.