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Jan. 13, 2009 issue
Rock, rap and robots headline Convocation Center lineup


By Heather Hamilton

 

What do a famous rock band, a high school pompon team and robots have in common? They will all be coming to Eastern Michigan University's Convocation Center in a winter lineup that has something for everyone.

The Killers

The Killers

The Killers, a Grammy-nominated rock band, will kick off the winter schedule Thursday, Jan. 22. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. The band's debut album, "Hot Fuss," sold more than 5 million copies. This Las Vegas-based band climbed its way into mainstream success with songs like "Somebody Told Me" and "Mr. Brightside." The Killers followed up their debut album with "Sam's Town," "Sawdust" and "Day & Age." The band is described as part of the post-punk revival, which is a movement of alternative rock that draws inspiration from the 1970s. Tickets are available at www.livenation.com, TicketMaster and the Convocation Center ticket office at 487-2282.

 Nas

Nas

Rap star Nas is scheduled to perform Friday, Feb. 6, at 8:30 p.m. with doors opening at 7:30 p.m. His debut album, "Illmatic," was a critically acclaimed bestseller and is now widely considered a classic. Nas was listed number five on MTV's 10 Greatest Emcees of all time. Kanye West, Eminem and 50 Cent are just a few artists that have been influenced by his work. Other albums include "It Was Written," "God's Son," "Hip Hop is Dead" and a recently released untitled album. Tickets are on sale now and EMU students will receive $5 off regular ticket prices. Tickets are available at the Convocation Center ticket office or at www.emich.edu/convocation.

Mid American Pompon hosts the 2009 State Pom Championships Feb. 15. This event will feature high school pompon or dance teams that qualified by competing in two regional competitions. Between 55 and 60 teams are expected to compete in this high-energy event. For more information, visit http://www.pompon.com/pompon/events.html

Winter Jam logo

Winter Jam

Christian music's largest annual tour, Winter Jam, will take over the Convocation Center Saturday, March 14, at 6 p.m. No advance tickets are needed, but $10 will be required at the door. Doors open at 5 p.m. The lineup for this event includes tobyMac, Hawk Nelson, The Afters, Francesca Battistelli, pureNRG, Stephanie Smith and guest speaker, Tony Nolan. NewSong will host this event for the 14th consecutive year. Corporate sponsors for this event include Holt International, MegaVoice and HearItFirst.com.

The Michigan FIRST Robotics Competition State Championship returns to EMU April 2-4. This competition teams up high school students with mentors in engineering fields. They design and build robots to complete a task and then compete against other teams. For more information, visit www.usfirst.org

The 2009 Teacher Job Fair is scheduled Wednesday, April 22, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. This fair is intended for qualified seniors and EMU alumni, but the general public is invited to attend. The job fair allows students the opportunity to speak to representatives from more than 175 school districts in one day. Register online by Tuesday, March 31, at 5 p.m., and the registration fee is $10. Otherwise, registration at the door is $20. For more information, visit http://career.emich.edu/new/tjf/