It’s true. It’s shocking. And it’s surprisingly lucrative. My name is Alex Gerrish, and I’m the newest addition to The Signpost. By the time you’re reading this, I will have put a sledgehammer through a wall in the Salt Lake Temple. The good news is that they’re paying me to do it. Apparently, asbestos is bad for your lungs (who knew?) and the LDS Church is looking to do something about it. But that’s beside the point. This column is about me, not anything else.

I like pina coladas, long walks in the rain and Weber State University, amidst its quirks. I’m a music major looking to teach in a sacred or secular classroom in the near future. I served an LDS mission in Atlanta, Ga., picking up a little bit of swag along the way. Even in the face of risking the hatred of you, the reader, I confess that I graduated from Davis High School in 2008, and yes, we probably did beat you in whatever you did back then. Go, Darts.

I’m your new arts and entertainment reporter. I’m pretty up to speed with everything and most everyone in the Browning Center, and I’m a frequent guest of the Art Exhibits and Art Elements store. You’ll find me playing piano in the Wildcat Room, avoiding homework in the Kimball Arts Building, or walking around campus with a ukulele, singing, talking, smiling and generally fulfilling the jolly fat guy stereotype. I’m hard to miss. I’m excited to help bring the arts and events into the public eye here at WSU. The fact of the matter is that we have incredible arts programs here and, outside a small minority, people don’t know it. The “just Weber” mantra of so many transfer-bound students is seeping into the foundations of this university’s public image, and I for one won’t stand for it. So I’ll be here, week in and week out, to showcase people, projects and performances so that you too can see what a wonderful place this is to study. At least on the southwest wing of campus. I don’t have much credibility outside there.

If you have something you’d like to spotlight, a person or a program, shoot me an e-mail and I’ll see what I can do. Weber State is great not only because of the programs, but because of the people who go here. As for upcoming events, you should definitely mark your calendar for July 15. Weber State University will be hosting the New American Philharmonic for the Lindquist Family Pops Concert at dusk. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky‘s 1812 Overture will be performed, complete with live cannons and fireworks. If you haven’t heard weaponry and music come together, this is not something you’ll want to miss. Cannons? In an overture? AWESOME. The best part? It’s got the four letters that college students love most: F-R-E-E. I wish I could join you, but I’ll be busy defacing one of the state’s most treasured landmarks. You’ll have to let me know how it goes.

AG