Sources are telling me at this time that alumni, former GC employees and friends of the college have begun a concerted effort to gain Board of Trustees’ attention concerning Gov. Collins. Their mission is to recommend her as the interim or full time President of GC. The Board of Trustees meets Friday.

According to the source, Governor Collins is in fact aware of the efforts on her behalf and is appreciative (and hopeful).

With 13 days remaining in the tenure of Dr. William Crouch, GC’s current president, some would say this talk is not a moment too soon. With the information blackout that we have been experiencing regarding this selection process, concerns have been growing about whether the selection committee would not only meet their deadline, but adhere to the strict principles of transparency as outlined in their press release in May.

Social media is being utilized by these concerned parties to spread the word. A Facebook group (entitled Support Governor Martha Layne Collins for Georgetown College President) has appeared within the last 24 hours and has already garnered nearly 250 “likes” at the time of publishing this article.

This is breaking news, and thus is subject to change and updating. As we get more information at WRVG, we’ll pass it along to you.

You can download those tracks and the entire EP from his Band Camp site. In addition to the tracks mentioned above, I recommend The Time Leaves So Soon, a song Tirey himself recommends. Also, give him a like on Facebook.

Tirey recently visited Lexington and filmed a video for Shaker Steps of his performance of a new song. He also was kind enough to share a few minutes of his time with WRVG for an interview. Listen for Wes’s songs on WRVG and enjoy the interview, transcribed below. Wes talks about his influences, how his environment affects his songwriting, and the importance of knowing the roots of music.

WRVG: What’s your background in music? How did you get started writing and recording and performing?

WT: Well, let’s see. I start playing the guitar when I was around 14. I didn’t really start writing – trying to write songs, I should say – until I was 16 or 17. And I put a band together when I was 19 and that was a pretty serious project. That’s when I wasn’t in school full time, I was just working and writing and performing. And I had played open mics and solo shows before that and even after the band split up. I just went back to playing solo and just writing songs.

WRVG: So you start playing guitar at 14. What made you decide to start doing that? Was it just “I want to look cool and learn how to play,” or was there some other influence?

WT: Honestly, a good friend of mine had started playing bass and then I got wild hair and was just like, “I’m gonna start playing guitar.” And I won’t divulge what kind of music I was into at the time, that’s actually a little embarrassing, but nonetheless I was prompted by my friend and, of course, I’m sure there was some part of me that, you know, did think guitars are cool. At that age you want to do things to look cool. There was a lot of stuff when I was growing up, you know, different phases that I really got into and thought I wanted to dedicate my time to and it wasn’t until I picked up the guitar that it was like, OK, this is something that I really want to get into seriously and wanting to play.

WRVG: At the time what kind of influences did you have? I know now you have sort of a folk style, is that the way you started?

WT: No, I was listening to really bad music at that time. It was about when I was probably 16 or 17 when I started getting into more folky Americana stuff. It wasn’t until I turned about 18 or 19 that I started really studying songwriting and taking it really, really, seriously. You know, listening to Bob Dylan and other people like that and then when I was like 21, I got into John Fahey and that changed everything. That really blew my mind when I discovered John Fahey. And that’s when I realized that I had not really explored what the guitar could do as an instrument. So that really changed a lot. And then, I like Townes van Zandt as well. And then when I started really studying Dylan, that led me to the old Delta guys. You know, Robert Johnson and company and I really got into that for a while. And then, I kept reading about the Harry Smith Anthology of American Folk Music. And for me, that was like a lost treasure somewhere I had to find. I couldn’t find it anywhere. And then one day I found it in the library. That’s an unreal collection of American folk music and that’s something that I come back to and study. The old, weird Americana stuff is really important. It’s kind of tradition. You know, you might not, like, want to emulate that style. But that energy and history, you want to absorb that and make that part of what you do, I think.

WRVG: So you might not want to go out and try to sound like the singing preachers on that collection, but it’s important to know that stuff’s out there.

WT: Yeah, it’s a really weird collection. And not in a bad way. There’s just some bizarre stuff. It’s really beautiful. I think sometimes we try to think about that as nostalgic, but I think when you really get down to that material, it’s really brooding and really intense stuff.

WRVG: I noticed on a couple of different websites about your stuff, comparing you to early Bob Dylan. How does a comparison like that make you feel? Does that give you any sort of pause?

WT: Kind of. I mean, it’s flattering because Dylan is, you know, one of the songwriting greats, in my opinion. Dylan is like Shakespeare. But I feel like when you’re a skinny white guy from the Midwest playing a guitar, it’s kind of hard not to be compared to Dylan. I mean, everybody one way or another that picks up the guitar and stands in front of the microphone is influenced by Dylan. But in all honesty, with the stuff that I’ve been writing in the last couple of years, I don’t really treat Dylan as a really fundamental influence. That history is there, obviously, and Dylan is one of the songwriting gods that I respect. But of the really fundamental influences that I can think of, there are definitely many more in front of Dylan.

WRVG: You’re currently living in the Asheville, NC area. That’s a pretty unique area, I think, all the way along there through the mountains of Western North Carolina. Does that sort of environment and the mountains and rural North Carolina and Appalachia affect the way that you think and write? What sort of influence does your environment have on your production?

WT: Oh, yeah. I try to be really conscious and aware of my environment. I think nowadays, the way I write is really kind of a landscape way of writing. Which is more of a kind of a visceral image than a straight up narrative. So, yeah, definitely the environment is a huge, huge influence. I try be really aware of that when writing and just thinking about that. Even my instrumental stuff, I try to treat that as a landscape way of writing as well. Even being from the Midwest. The way I describe it is as the way the Bible Belt, Rust Belt, and Corn Belt collide. One minute you’re surrounded by cornfields and rusted out silos and old farming equipment, then the next minute, you’re in a gritty area with run down factories and dirty streets. You can’t help but be influenced by it.

WRVG: Where in the Midwest did you move from?

WT: Dayton, Ohio. The real “First in Flight.” You know, in North Carolina you see all these license plates that say first in flight. But, no, you got it wrong.

WRVG: So you were recently in Lexington. Is that part of a larger tour?

WT: Yeah, putting together a little mini-tour. The semester ended a couple weeks ago and I was planning on coming back [to Ohio] to visit friends and family any way. I released the EP sometime in February. I figured since I was going to be travelling, to put a tour together. Initially, I wanted to put a big tour together. I had plans to get out to California, but I realized that was pretty financially stupid. So I scaled it back pretty radically. I stopped in Lexington to do a video with Shaker Steps, which was awesome. Those guys are super cool, really a class act. Did a gig in Cincinnati, I did really awesome gig in Dayton with all of my Dayton songwriting heroes. I have a show in Columbus and will play in Chicago on Saturday [June 1].

WRVG: Most of our audience is college students, you know, college radio. And we’re a small college. But at the station, we’re trying to encourage more music participation and place an emphasis on live performances and local music. Would you have any sort of advice for burgeoning musicians that might be looking to do a little more with their work?

WT: The awesome thing about music is you don’t have to go into a studio to do an album now. If you really want to do an LP, don’t be defeated if you can’t get into a studio. Grab a four-track recorder and a couple mics and do it. If you have Garage Band on your computer, you know, do it. Booking and things without any kind of management help can be hard. It can be done, but it can take a lot. But if you’re persistent with it, people will really respond to that. Other than that, the most important thing is writing and really exploring the songwriting history and world. I’m of the opinion that if you really want to do it, you gotta go as far back to the sources as possible. And to me, with American folk music, stuff like the Harry Smith Anthology and the old Delta guys. Stuff like that. But, absorb everything. My biggest influences outside of my musical influences, like I said, being really conscious and aware of your environment, read a lot, grab and gather whatever influences you can. I’m still trying to figure it out myself. I’m looking for advice, too. One thing I’d like to add as a bit of advice to aspiring songwriters and musicians (as cliche as it may sound): don’t ever compromise your artistic vision. Don’t worry yourself with thoughts of what other people are going to think about your work. This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t listen to thoughts and insights from others –– criticism goes a long way. Just write what satisfies yourself.

The BBC reports, Germany most popular country in the world; US RANKS BELOW FRANCE.
PIX11 reports, Escaped Goat on Pulaski Skyway causes huge traffic jam
The BBC also reports, Your body is a fungi farm
The Christian Science Monitor reports, Heavy Lobbying Efforts still underway leading up to BSA historic gay vote
The News Observer reports about the Worst Mother in the World and her poptarts
Computer and Videogames reports, Microsoft confirmed ‘pre-owned fee’ for Xbox One
ABC News reports about a student who had a science experiment go wrong and her new opportunity

CNN.com, Jurors deliberate: Should Jodi Arias die?
Nationalpost.com, US braces for “SWARMAGEDDON”
NYDailynews.com, Anthony Wiener penetrates the NYC mayoral race
Gawker.com, One year later: The Miami “zombie” victim
NBCnews.com, Scouts await decision on gay membership
LAist.com, Kato Kaelin finally admits: OJ Simpson killed his wife

Again, I know what you’re thinking, a band geek? Yes, but some of you are still stuck on what color guard is. Some refer to it as flaggies. Instead of our kick-ass marching band having a dance team, at my school we had flaggies. Since there is snow on the ground for almost half of the year, we’ve got a lot of time to practice, in the gymnasium. Our marching band not only played and performed all home football games but we also competed in parades. Parade marching in Minnesota is a pretty big deal, especially at the Minnesota State Fair, which by the way is one of the biggest state fairs in the country, and the Anoka Halloween Parade in the Halloween Capitol of the World, Anoka, Minnesota. During my three years in our marching band, we retained our Grand Champions title at the Anoka Halloween Parade, for the 7^th, 8^th, 9th year running. Needless to say, we were pretty damn awesome. Pretty cool for a band geek huh?

Since Marching Band was a seasonal fall thing, I had to fill the rest of my time with another activity somehow, but I never imagined that it would literally consume my life. Theatre; one word, hours and hours of dedication. Most people would look at this and be like; ok, was she a social outcast? In many respects I was; providing that I attended a public high school, there were a lot of things I could have gotten into, but I didn’t. I had found my group of friends, who didn’t drink, who didn’t do drugs, who didn’t vandalize things because they could. Again most people would say, well that’s boring. Quite honestly, we had just as much fun with way too much Mt. Dew and sugary candy, and we did it without breaking the law. Come on live a little they all say. Yeah, that’s great, but I made memories that I can remember with friends that wanted to spend time with me, not with friends who just wanted me to DD for the night because they knew I didn’t drink. This was the greatest lesson I learned in high school, spending time with those who really care about you, not those who you use to boost your image or those who just use you period; I seemingly forgot this lesson when I arrived at college, a story for another article.

So I completely changed my path in life, from sports to arts. I loved it, I felt at home whenever I was in the auditorium, not so much when we stayed up until 3 am to finish set pieces but none-the-less it was our home. In the three years I was a techie, I never imagined it ending; it felt like it was going to go on forever. But the forever ended rather quickly when I began to have to daunting question of college thrown at me at the end of my junior year.

The thought of college never really occurred to me, I just knew I was going, somewhere, far, far away. I loved my techie friends and my marching band friends but the other 2,000 kids, huh, how can I say this nicely…sorry, not sorry. When I began looking at colleges, I didn’t have a really sound idea of how much college actually costs, especially when mom and dad aren’t paying for any of it. It didn’t take me too long but my heart landed on The University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “Do you like corn?” Yes, I do, but that had nothing to do with my love. If you know me, you would know that if I have my heart set on something, there is no plan B, there is only plan A, and I will dive deep and not come up for air until I get it; that is how I was with U of N.

Around the beginning of December 2010, I had been selected as a member of the 2011 First Tee Scholars Graduating Class. This meant I had the opportunity to attend, pending acceptance, a list of 22 schools, mostly privet, with a discount on tuition. The very first school on this list was Georgetown College. To make my parents happy, I looked at some of the schools on this list. Believe it or not, I actually did go to the Georgetown College website, politely said, I was not impressed; mind you this was long before the site was updated. So I put the “opportunity” on a back burner.

For Christmas of my senior year of high school, I asked for a plane ticket to Nebraska so I could go visit. To show their support, my parents got me an iPhone instead. Great…now what? Well, I convinced my mom to drive with me to go on a visit; 10 hours later, my heart melted. I loved everything that I was seeing and hearing; then reality struck. Out of state tuition, $31,000 a year. Well there is financial aid…haha, not for someone with my ACT score and my GPA. Because I was so involved in high school activities and I worked on top of all of that, my GPA was a mere 3.3 and a 22 on the ACT is nothing to brag about. Needless to say, they couldn’t offer me anything aid wise. FAFSA was also no help, because I’ve come to see that you literally have to live in a box to get anything from them. So I was stuck, even my backup schools couldn’t offer me anything. Where was I going to go? At this point… absolutely nowhere, but applying for a job at Starbucks.

To be continued…

LIVE.LAUGH.LOVE.ALWAYS

When I was growing up in the great white tundra of Minnesota, there was no such thing as Nintendo or computer games, it was all about sports. My older sister, Sam, and I played sports starting at the age of three; going from tennis, to softball, and finally ending up with golf. A weird assortment I know, but neither of my parents knew anything different, especially my dad. My dad always wanted two boys who would played football, but he ended up with my sister and I.

In Minnesota there is snow on the ground for about 5 months out of the year, so sports are a very short seasonal thing. I know you’re probably asking, “If there is snow on the ground for nearly half of the year, how’d you end up on golf?” Honestly, I have no idea, other than that when I was nine, a small golf course opened not but two minutes from our house. During the summer in 2001, a program was introduced to this new golf course called The First Tee. The First Tee is a golfing program aimed towards minorities and females, but all are welcome to utilize the program. After finding out about the program, my dad immediately enrolled my sister and I in the program’s junior lessons. Several summers, and winters of indoor lessons later, I had completed all levels of the program when I turned thirteen. By this time, my sister had begun working at the golf course, and I began volunteering to stay involved with the program.

During the spring of my seventh grade year, I tried out for my sister’s high school varsity golf team; by the end of the month and a half long season, I was playing with sixteen and seventeen year olds on executive courses. A few years passed, and hundred’s of thousand’s of golf swings later, I began working at the very same course my sister had. This was the summer after my freshman year of high school, fresh off of a varsity golfing season where I sat at seed number one or two on the team.

When I say that I play golf, people’s first reaction is, “Are you really good at it?” Well, yes and no, since I’ve been playing since I was nine, I’ve had a lot of practice, but it was around this time that I found I was not passionate about golf. This didn’t matter though. When I was in 8^th grade my sister had been given a full ride scholarship to play NCAA Division 1 golf at Old Dominion University in Virginia. This only heightened the pressure for me to follow in my sister’s footsteps.

My ninth and tenth grade seasons were anything but enjoyable. I was under so much pressure to be my sister that I couldn’t find anything enjoyable about playing golf anymore. It was at this time when I changed my path in life, which my dad was anything but happy with.

To be continued…

LIVE.LOVE.LAUGH.ALWAYS.

Here’s the best one of the day since we were duped on one of them:
The Bleacher Report.com is reporting that Manti Te’o's girlfriend continues remarkable year…

WTSP reports, Florida quietly shortened yellow light standards & lengths, resulting in more red light camera tickets for you!

The Washington Times reports, New Hampshire city suing “Robin Hood” for paying parking meters of strangers

Yahoo Shine News is reporting Kitchen Nightmare comes true for Arizona restaurant owners

ABC.net.au reports, Man drives to hospital holding his sawn-off arm

USAToday.com reports, Seattle man killed while dribbling soccer ball to Brazil

Huffington Post is reporting that a guy gives Abercrombie and Fitch a [much needed] brand readjustment by giving their clothes to the homeless

KHOU is saying that [a bunch of morons don't know how that a large pot operation is illegal], or MIllion-dollar pot operation busted in Harris County home

And here’s the one I was duped on! Someone needs to go into creative writing because this story was not only hilarious but completely believable, regardless of how absurd it was. Metro.co.uk updated their headline to say, “Did the internet get stung by a story about a man having sex with a hornet nest?”

Answer in short, YES.

NYTimes.com offers Angelina Jolie’s OpEd, “My Medical Choice”
MPR, Minnesota Public Radio reports Minnesota’s Senate approves Same-Sex Marriage
The Associated Press reports Government Obtains AP Phone Records in Wide Probe
NBCnews.com reports 2,300 year old Mayan Pyramid was Bulldozed
The Huffington Post reports that Akein Scott is identified by police as the Mother’s Day Shooter
WKYT 27 News First reports that a man is charged in an overnight supermarket feast
The BBC reports that Detroit is “clearly insolvent,” says emergency manager
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports that Three-man ISS crew returns to Earth
The Washington Post reports that a destructive beetle threatens trees and the people who live near them
Reason.com reports that the ACLU received a 15-page document that had been completely redacted
NBCNews.com reports that Vermont may soon become the 4th state to allow assisted suicides
NYTimes.com reports that Bill Hader will soon be leaving NBC’s Saturday Night Live

NBCNews.com reports OHIO EXECUTES MAN WHO RAPED, KILLED 6-MONTH-OLD:  www.nbcnews.com/id/51742773/#.UZEOW8u9KSO

TheDailyCaller.com reports STUDENT SUSPENDED FOR TWEETING THAT SCHOOL SPORTS TEAMS WERE BAD: dailycaller.com/2013/05/10/student-suspended-for-tweeting-that-school-sports-teams-were-bad/

CNN.com reports BARBARA WALTERS TO RETIRE NEXT YEAR: cnn.com/2013/05/12/showbiz/barbara-walters-retirement/index.html

AL.com reports THE ALABAMA DEMOCRATIC PARTY: “WE’RE BROKE, BROKE, BROKE.”: blog.al.com/wire/2013/05/the_alabama_democratic_party_w.html

NEWS.Yahoo.com reports WOMEN RESCUED IN CLEVELAND HAPPY TO BE HOME: news.yahoo.com/women-rescued-cleveland-happy-home-144654284.html

NYDailyNews.com reports FORMER POLITICIANS CONVINCED ALIEN LIFE EXISTS AND IT HAS VISITED EARTH: nydailynews.com/news/national/aliens-exists-pols-article-1.1334951

Deadspin.com reports IS YOUR STATE’S HIGHEST PAID EMPLOYEE A COACH? (PROBABLY): deadspin.com/infographic-is-your-states-highest-paid-employee-a-co-489535228

The Associated Press reports UN SAYS: WHY NOT EAT MORE INSECTS? bigstory.ap.org/article/un-says-why-not-eat-more-insects

DailyMail.co.uk reports FORMER NIXON AIDE CLAIMS HE HAS EVIDENCE LYNDON B. JOHNSON ARRANGED JOHN F. KENNEDY’S ASSASSINATION IN NEW BOOK: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2322981/Former-Nixon-aide-claims-evidence-Lyndon-B-Johnson-arranged-John-F-Kennedys-assassination-new-book.html

TheVerge.com reports FOX REVIVING 24 FOR 12 WEEKS IN MAY OF 2014: http://mobile.theverge.com/2013/5/13/4326248/fox-reviving-24-for-12-weeks-may-2014

ABCNews.com reports MARIJUANA MOVEMENT PLANTS FLAG ON CAPITAL HILL: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/capital-cannabis-medical-marijuana-dispensary-open-capitol-hill/story?id=19166101#.UZD-wrXvuno

Jason Rogers and Jim Newberry have both made this decision.

According to the release, “the Committee voted today (May 9, 2013) to renew the search immediately with a second round of confidential interviews with leading existing applicants and, hopefully, schedule future campus visits as soon as possible.”

Please find the press release, in full, below: