Ten Questions for Whitney Waits-Easley

Uncategorized

From a young age, 20 year-old, Whitney Waits-Easley, like many others has found major comfort in music. Waits-Easley is a Memphis resident and has attended over 20 different festivals and shows. She believes that music really can bring people together and talks about her experiences with music throughout the years. Waits-Easley is currently a sophomore at the University of Mississippi and hopes to pursue a degree in Music Education.

Vinyl or CD?
Uh, that is kind of hard because I like vinyl. […] they are definitely more vintage and more original and the sound is better. But, also CDs are cooler because you can listen to them while you are driving around.

What is the first memory of music you have from growing up?
Growing up it was me and my mom for a little while and she always used to drive around in her car and play music […] so I always remember listening to the songs that she played. 

What do you think this memory says about your music taste today, if anything?
It has definitely inspired me to like more classical types of music and older types of music. I definitely am still into more current genres as well but also I am more inspired by those different typed of sounds. 

What is the best show you have attended thus far? Where was it? How old were you?
Chance the Rapper at Bonnaroo. I was 18 years old. I had just graduated high school and me and my friend randomly decided to go to Bonnaroo about 12 hours before and we drove down and the day of chance the rapper […] we waited 7 hours in line waiting to get to the pit. So, we were front row for Chance the Rapper. It was the best experience of my life.

Who is the one artist/group you wish to see before you die?
Definitely, Tame Impala.

What do you like about this person/band?
Kevin Parker is just really original with his music and has really meaningful lyrics and also the sounds that he makes are also really cool and unique and I feel like nobody is really doing what he is doing. 

How many shows do you hope to attend in the next 10 years?
That is kind of a hard question because I have no idea really what I am going to be doing within the next 10 years. I know this year […] I have about 5 that I am trying to go to right now, so I guess if you just plan at that pace it would be a lot. But, we’ll see how it goes. 

What venue do you absolutely have to see a show at? Why?
Red Rocks in Colorado. I have heard that the acoustics there are absolutely amazing and the scenery there is just incredible. […] The artists that play at Red Rocks are always really legendary people so I would love to see absolutely anybody there.

What is your overall favorite part about going to a festival?  
Definitely the surroundings and the environment. Just hanging out and vibing with the people that are there. I love to meet new people at festivals. That is one of my favorite things is whenever I am at a show, I love to just sit down and talk to people and get to know the people that are around me.

What do you say to people that look down on you for your music taste?
I would just tell them to think twice before you judge someone because you are not really in a place to judge and also I just think it is really important to be yourself and express yourself and I feel like that is kind what I do with my music taste. […] I feel like a lot of people that go to festivals and music shows strive for is to kind of be themselves without fear or judging and fear of being judged by the people around you.

 

 

What Works #3

What Works

Headline: Cold snap: A FedEx worker found dead at a delivery facility was one of 17 killed

During the winter months, students and faculty on Ole Miss campus simply think that they are cold walking to class. But northern states such as Illinois have been experiencing a completely different cold these past weeks as an extreme cold snap hit the area. A 69 year old Fed-Ex worker was found dead Thursday morning January 31 outside of a delivery hub in western Illinois. 17 other deaths were also related to this extreme weather in Michigan, Minnesota, Indiana, and Wisconsin.

I found this story on msn.com and think that it is relevant to our world in news. We as society need to be aware of the temperatures not only for ourselves but those around us. The fact that this man was not the only person killed by this extreme weather shows that there are many people affected by such a tragedy. The homeless each year make up a major majority of those killed by threatening temperatures and articles like this are proof.

I like how this article provides statements from the FedEx team sending sympathies to the family. FedEx said that they have plan in place to ensure safety of their workers. I think that there could have been quotes from the family within the piece to strengthen it and give the readers a different point of view.

I personally think that the article was well-written and brought major points to focus. People around the United States should be aware of the frigid temperatures present in some states and should take the necessary steps to be weather when weather gets extreme.

What Works Assignment #2

What Works

Headline: Number of Measles cases continues to rise in Washington amid outbreak

As of Monday January 28, the number of measles cases in Washington state rose to a staggering 35 confirmed and 11 suspected cases according to abcnews.com. The governor declared a state of emergency on Friday amid the recent outbreak. The majority of those infected are children. This article gives evidence that shows low vaccination rate is a big factor in the measles outbreak. In today’s society, many parents are choosing not to vaccinate their children. This article details the importance of immunizing your children and reminds us that measles is a deadly disease.

I like this article because I believe it shows very matter-of-factly that vaccinating your children is important. The article provides numbers and statistics of people who contracted the disease compared to people that were vaccinated. The topic of immunization is huge in today’s society and I believe the article did a good job of appealing to an audience and making them aware of an issue. I enjoyed how there were many strong quotes from different people providing readers with information. The video at the beginning of the article also gave a lot of information very quickly thus, educating the readers more about the outbreak and the importance of vaccinations.

I think that there could be a few more pictures provided throughout the article. I think that because this is a recent topic it will appeal to a lot of people in weeks to come. I believe that their needs to be people following this story for weeks to come. People need to be aware that not vaccinating your children could cause others their life. The article reminds us that measles is a very dangerous disease and should be an influence those in the future to vaccinate their children.