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(02/12/19 7:17am)
By Lara Becker
Reviews Editor
The Student Finance Board fully funded two campus events, partially funded a third and zero funded two events at its meeting on Feb. 6.
The NAACP, which presented for its “Unlock the Activist/Trivia Night” event, did not receive funding because it advertised for the event before it presented its proposal to SFB, which is an action prohibited under SFB’s policies.
The Black Student Union presented for its “Who Wants to be Enlightened Game Show” event but was not funded because it publicized the event before requesting funding.
In response to many clubs and organizations promoting their events before requesting funding from SFB, there was much discussion over how to prevent future organizations from being restricted from funding.
“It might be a good touch point at the beginning of the semester to remind organizations of (this rule),” said Susie Orecchio, director of administration and operations for student affairs and advisor to SFB.
In an effort to ensure more awareness of the rules in place, SFB’s Operations Director Anthony Raspatello decided to place the page that states these regulations earlier on in the documentation that organizations receive before applying for a funding request.
BSU proposed a second event, the “BSU Spring Fashion Show,” which was partially funded $6,889 for DJ New Era, a Snapchat filter and decorations. The board passed a motion, 11-6, to table all of the designers requested for the show and call for explanation as to why the designers were necessary.
Anisa Douglas, a junior early childhood education and psychology dual major, presented for BSU. She explained how the show will involve showcasing the work of emerging black artists both on and off the runway.
“It is important for us as an organization to showcase the work black artists are creating to highlight the dynamic identities that black culture embodies,” she said.
The Chinese Students Association was fully funded for its eighth annual Chinese new year celebration, “The Year of the Pig.”
SFB voted to suspend bylaws to add a banner to the requested costs, which brought the funding to $3,211.
Andus Chan, a sophomore finance and information systems major and president of CSA, noted how this event “will serve to educate, immerse and provide an environment for attendees to experience the rich depth of Chinese culture.”
The Student Finance Board fully funded the French Club $300 for its event, “Commemoration of the Armistice of World War I: American First World War and Post- War Memorial.”
(01/29/19 7:51am)
By Lara Becker
Reviews Editor
In the era of #MeToo and the #TimesUp movement, there’s another celebrity that we need to talk about: Robert Kelly, aka R. Kelly. As an R&B artist with some of the highest grossing music in the industry, Kelly’s songs continue to be played worldwide. However, what you might not know when you’re singing every word to “Ignition” are the multiple allegations of sexual assault of a minor that have been denied by the singer for almost two decades, which is explored in the series, “Surviving R. Kelly.”
The six-part Lifetime series begins by providing a necessary background of Kelly himself, as he didn’t become an alleged sexual predator overnight. He was a young man who clearly demonstrated early warning signs about his budding sexuality, anger and the blurred lines between the two. Lena McLin, Kelly’s choir teacher at Kenwood High School in Chicago, discussed noticing a particularly disturbing vibe emanating from Kelly’s singing once the student came to understand his talent. “He was very, very...aggressive,” the educator said in the series. “Aggressive in some of his sexual language too, which we had to discuss and say that it wouldn’t be appropriate in school. It really wouldn’t be appropriate period.”
When Kelly dropped out of Kenwood before his senior year to begin life as a recording artist, his brothers, friends and former teachers noticed that he would still hang out around the school and recruit young girls to bring to his studio. And soon enough, in 1994, 27-year-old Kelly was married to 15-year-old singer Aaliyah. Kelly forged her age on the marriage certificate at the same time that he produced her debut album, “Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number.” By 1996, Kelly was facing his first allegations concerning a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old. He settled the case out of court. By 2002, the infamous sex tape depicting Kelly having sexual relations with a 14-year-old girl was released. Six years later, he was found not guilty on all counts.
Ironically, from 1996 to 2002, when allegations against Kelly were at their height, so was his career. During this time, he released “I Believe I Can Fly,” a single which skyrocketed his success. The series exemplifies that not only was Kelly accepted back into society with open arms, but his career was boosted to superstar status.
What these anecdotes have exposed, and what may be the most horrifying of all, is the common thread of every incident that was glossed over, pushed aside or not taken seriously. Every time a woman is told that her abuse is just an overreaction, justice is not being served. What these women are begging to understand is simple – why will people believe a man but not a woman?
After close to 20 years of internalizing the horrors they have experienced at the hands of the artist they once loved, these courageous women are sounding a battle cry. Not only are these events irreparable, but they are a part of a broken system that is long overdue for change.
Alongside the the poignant content of the series, the way in which it was filmed allowed for each woman’s story to speak for itself. “Surviving R. Kelly” provided a platform for them to speak their truth. If nothing else, the series intended to start the conversation; to let voices be heard that had been silenced for so many years.
Following the release of the limited series, the impact has been staggering.
Artists such as Chance the Rapper, Lady Gaga, Christina Aguilera and more have been publicly apologizing for their involvement with Kelly’s music after watching the series. The series alone has resulted in a fresh public indictment of Kelly’s character, which may soon lead to further investigation into his conduct.
The irony here is that this series is being hailed as revolutionary, groundbreaking, earth-shattering. It’s being touted as a narrative changer with the potential for huge ripple effects. But, honestly, that’s missing the point entirely. It shouldn’t have to take a television series to shift the dialogue towards truth. What’s so devastating about this series is that it’s old news and no one listened. Again. Until it became sensationalized, social media cool, #trending. We should have listened 20 years ago.
(11/27/18 6:18pm)
By Lara Becker
Staff Writer
Technicolor lights illuminated the walls of the Brower Student Center Room 225 on Nov. 13 as students gathered around CUB Alt’s intimate stage, ready to hear live music, as the doors opened at 8 p.m, from Christian Holden of The Hotelier.
Holden started out his set by telling everyone to take a seat and gather close around the stage. Before the music even started, he engaged in some friendly banter with the crowd, which he said he often practiced more than he did his set. He liked being comfortable on stage and familiarizing himself with the audience.
When Holden did sing, he performed showstoppers such as “Weathered,” “Dendron” and “Goodness Pt. 1.”
“I love being able to play acoustic, and make people laugh — I feel much more in control of the set,” Holden told The Signal. “When I’m doing a full band set, there’s three other people on stage telling me to shut up, but when I’m by myself, no one’s telling me to shut up.”
Holden had two openers before his own performance, both of which did their best to get the crowd excited for the main event.
“I’ve been having dreams, I can’t remember them all,” belted Have a Good Season frontman Nicolas Palermo while closing his eyes to focus on the meaningful lyrics of the opening act of the night.
Have a Good Season opened with a crowd pleaser, “Before the Gold Rush,” with Dan Sakumoto on drums and Dan Stattner on bass. The band, which formed when its members were just high school students growing up in Eatontown, New Jersey, showed off its alternative indie style with a series of guitar-based tunes. The band ended the set with a cover of, “I’ll Melt With You,” which students recognized from a childhood classic film they all fondly remembered, “Sky High.”
“I think college kids are a really important audience to give your music to,” Palermo said at the end of the night. “I appreciate everyone coming out.”
Next up was Jake Ewald, co-frontman of the former band Modern Baseball, who played songs from his recent solo project called “Slaughter Beach, Dog.”
He sang songs off his 2017 album, “Birdie,” such as “Bad Beer” and “Phoenix.” He even brought out his harmonica, which impressed the audience. He contributed to the chill vibes of the night with his peaceful acoustic guitar.
Audience members felt a sense of camaraderie by the end of the event, sitting beside friends, new and old.
“This is the most people I’ve seen at a show in a while,” said sophomore communication studies major Conor Moran. “It’s nice to have all the students come out to an event, especially on just a Tuesday night.”