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(10/31/16 10:56pm)
By Gabriella Oakley
Correspondent
More than 1,000 people — many of whom wore black clothing and flaunted colorful hair — filled the historic Roebling Wire Works factory in Trenton, N.J., on Saturday, Oct. 29, and Sunday, Oct. 30, for the Trenton Punk Rock Flea Market. A dozen food trucks and more than 200 vendors showcased their finest wares as guitar riffs floated in the background.
“The mission of founder Joseph Kuzemka was to create a flea market experience in his hometown that is unlike any other,” according to the Trenton Punk Rock Flea Market website.
According to the website, the event has grown tremendously since its 2013 inception.
This marked Michael Brodka’s second time selling at the Trenton Punk Rock Flea Market. Brodka said he was impressed by the steady crowd streaming into the event.
“Hopefully, it’ll keep going like that throughout the day,” Brodka said.
The festival is held three times a year in Trenton. The theme for this weekend’s festival was Halloween and the cost for admittance was $5.
Melissa Coulter attended the last Trenton Punk Rock Flea Market in April and returned again this weekend.
“We loved it, so we came back,” Coulter said. “This is one of the best sale events.”
According to the Trenton Punk Rock Flea Market website, vendors at the event hailed from eight states and sold everything from clothing and jewelry to artwork and antiques. Many of the items for sale were handmade.
One vendor known by the nickname Serenity sold handmade candles adorned with Halloween designs and glitter at this year’s festivities.
In addition to a plethora of punk-rock memorabilia, nerd-themed goods seemed to be quite popular. The Whimsy Menagerie store displayed jewelry featuring Harry Potter wands and accessories.
The other 200 vendors sold illustrations, vintage toys, anime goods, comic books and candles.
“The people here are just terrific,” said Linda Catz, a vendor at White Kitchen Candle Company. “The kind of people that come here are people from everywhere. People from all walks of life. I think that’s what makes it so fun.”
(10/31/16 8:33pm)
By Caitlin Flynn
Correspondent
The months-long protest over the construction of the North Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) resulted in more than 100 arrests on Thursday, Oct. 27, following a clash with local police, State Troopers and the National Guard. More than 180 Native American Tribes have signed a letter of solidarity in opposition to the construction of the pipeline, which protesters believe disrupts sacred lands and compromises the area’s sole source of water, according to The Guardian.
Hundreds of law enforcement officers used pepper spray and high-pitched tones to slowly push away more than 200 protesters that were camped on private land adjacent to the construction site. According to Washington Post, the Morton County Sheriff's Office said at least 141 protesters have been arrested. Huffington Post reported that among the protestors was Divergent star Shailene Woodley, who drew attention to the event by posting a live Facebook video of the protest and her subsequent arrest.
According to Washington Post, police said one protester fired three shots from a .38-caliber revolver toward the police as she was being arrested. The same news outlet reported that the woman was taken into custody with no injuries and without police returning fire.
A joint statement from the Department of Justice and the Department of the Interior on the U.S. Department of Justice’s website announced that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be halting construction on the pipeline until further notice, and the government will take steps to consult Native American communities in future development plans.
“The tribes have always paid the price for America’s prosperity,” said David Archambault II, Standing Rock tribal chairman, in an editorial from September when the protest began, according to The Guardian.
The region that includes the Indian Reservation called Standing Rock has one source of clean water, the Missouri River, according to The Guardian. The construction of the DAPL would go underneath America’s longest river, not only compromising the region's clean water supply, but potentially all the areas that it flows through, including a connection to the Mississippi River that runs into the Gulf of Mexico.
The pipeline, which will bring dirty crude extracted from the Bakken oil shale Northwest of North Dakota to refineries in the Gulf of Mexico, will disrupt ancient sacred land and Native American burial sites, according to The Guardian.
The mostly peaceful protest has been marked not only by the attention it brings to the potential environmental consequences, but also the unity of the Native American tribes in the region. According to The Guardian, hundreds of teepees and tents with large painted signs that read “Water is Life” and “No DAPL” lay just outside construction zones filled with bulldozers and industrial equipment.
According to Washington Post, Archambault said in a statement on Thursday that the law enforcement’s response was militarized.
“We won’t step down from this fight,” Archambault said. “As peoples of this earth, we all need water. This is about our water, our rights and our dignity as human beings.”
(10/31/16 8:24pm)
By Gannon Meyer
Correspondent
“Absent men = lonely women = strong women.”
With this projected on the screen, Josep M. Armengol, an author of Spanish and American literature and a professor of literature and masculinity studies at Spain’s Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, gave a lecture at the College on Tuesday, Oct. 25.
Armengol is on a nine-month long trip to the United States, teaching and working with his colleague Michael Kimmel at Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, N.Y. Armengol traveled to the College to teach students about the importance of masculinity in the Iberian Peninsula in his presentation titled “Iberian Masculinities from the Margin: Catalans, Basques and Galicians.”
Hosted by the College’s Department of Women’s and Gender Studies, Armengol hoped to inform the handful of attendees of the role that women in previous generations played in Spain and how those roles affect modern societies worldwide.
“It is crucial for people around the world to understand Iberian masculinities because they are at the root of Hispanic and Latino masculinities, both in Latin America and the USA,” Armengol said. “You can’t understand these without understanding their origins and different versions.”
The earliest trace of rethinking Iberian masculinities was presented in Joanot Martorell’s 15th century chivalric romance “Tirant lo Blanc,” Armengol said. However, the Carlist Wars during the late 19th century completely transformed women’s roles.
Basque country, a northern section of Spain, allowed a temporary emigration during the Carlist Wars. The mass emigration led many men to leave the country in search of work in other parts of Spain.
As a result of the civil wars, “many Basque men enlisted in the Carlist army and women had to take on masculine roles,” Armengol said. “It put men and women on a more equal footing.”
Similar to Basque country, in the 1880s, Galicia made it legal for people to emigrate from the country.
“A lot of men were leaving in large amounts,” Armengol said. “Women had to take the role of the men when they left.”
This reminded John Landreau, a professor of women’s and gender studies, of the increasing percentage of single-mother households in the U.S. Landreau believes the role of American women has shifted dramatically in the past few decades, particularly because of the United States’s war on drugs.
“There is a forced emigration of men into prison because of drugs,” Landreau said. “We have 25 percent of the prison population, but only 5 percent of the global population.”
Like the emigration of Spanish men during the Carlist Wars, American men are being incarcerated, forcing women to take on traditionally masculine roles in modern American society. This leaves women with the obligation to occupy multiple roles, making it harder for families to be raised in the traditional way with both a mother and father figure.
“If you are a single mother trying to raise a family on minimum wage, you can’t do it,” Landreau said. “It is impossible.”
Freshman communication studies major Allison Superior expanded upon Landreau’s perspective.
“With a lot of the arrests being fathers, wives are left to support themselves and their children by themselves,” Superior said. “It becomes very stressful.”
The purpose of Armengol’s lectures are to teach students the importance of the origin of Iberian masculinities in Hispanic cultures around the world.
While there is a lot that can be learned from Armengol’s research and lecture, he has one thing that he wants people to take away: “One idea only: inspiration for their own work.”
(10/31/16 7:51pm)
By Paul Mulholland
Those most disgusted by Trump’s comments about women in a tape that surfaced on Friday, Oct. 7, are those who never really liked him in the first place. On the other hand, the people who emphasize Bill Clinton’s alleged sexual assaults are likely to believe that Hillary Clinton should be in prison.
Hostility toward the candidate almost invariably comes before the inclination to see him as a sexual predator. Two standards, one that people are innocent until proven guilty, and the second that accusers should receive the benefit of the doubt, are applied on the basis of political opportunism, not any decent or consistent theory of justice. Admittedly, this logic cuts against me, as well, as I despise both men and am convinced they are both sexual predators.
The two most damaging claims against Bill Clinton came from Juanita Broaddrick, a nurse who said he raped her in a hotel room in 1978 while he was campaigning for governor of Arkansas. There was also Kathleen Willey, who said Bill Clinton groped her in the Oval Office in 1993 after she asked him for a full-time job. Both women had formerly been volunteers and loyal supporters of Bill Clinton. Both of their stories have been corroborated by several of their friends.
When both Willey’s and Broaddrick’s claims became public in 1998 and 1999, respectively, they did not receive the support from famous feminists and Democrats that Anita Hill received in 1991 when she accused then-Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of repeatedly asking her on dates and discussing pornography, including bestiality, with her. Willey first came forward in an interview on CBS’s “60 Minutes” on March 15, 1998, and claimed that Bill Clinton had forcibly kissed her, touched her breast and placed her hand on his genitals.
One week later, well-known feminist Gloria Steinem, who visited the College last semester, published an op-ed in The New York Times titled “Feminists and the Clinton Question.”
“The truth is that even if the allegations are true, the President is not guilty of sexual harassment,” Steinem wrote. “He is accused of having made a gross, dumb and reckless pass at a supporter during a low point in her life.”
“Even if the allegations are true.” Steinem entertains the hypothetical that if Willey’s claim were to be 100 percent true, it was simply a breach of taste, not sexual assault. In the same article, Steinem also claimed that there was an important difference between the accusations made against Clinton and those against Justice Thomas because Clinton only groped Willey once, but Thomas harassed Hill repeatedly.
No, the important difference is that Clinton was a pro-choice Democrat and Thomas a pro-life Republican.
The resurfacing of Bill Clinton’s sexual assault allegations have also made life more difficult for Hillary. On Sept. 14, 2015, at a town hall in Cedar Falls, Iowa, discouraged by millennial women supporting Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont over her in the polls, Hillary Clinton spoke to sexual assault survivors.
“I want to send a message to every survivor of sexual assault…You have a right to be heard. You have a right to be believed, and we’re with you,” Hillary Clinton said. A similar message surfaced on her campaign website later that week, only to be taken down on Jan. 29, 2016. Earlier that month Broaddrick began tweeting about what happened in 1978.
The boldest of these tweets from Jan. 6, 2016, is still, as of today, her pinned tweet.
“I was 35 years old when Bill Clinton, Ark. Attorney General, raped me and Hillary tried to silence me, I am now 75... It never goes away.”
Maintaining her previous stance became harder and harder as she was asked at town halls leading up to New Hampshire and Iowa that winter about Broaddrick’s claims. Her adopted standard, that the burden of proof is on the one accused, was convenient when it was adopted, and when it stopped being convenient, she dropped it.
So far, Politico has published the most comprehensive list of Trump’s alleged sexual assault victims. He is accused by at least 10 women of sexual assault, the most corroborated of which is that of Natasha Stoynoff, a reporter from People magazine. She said that during an interview about his recent marriage to Melania Trump, Trump pinned her against a wall and forcibly kissed her.
This is not at all different from what he claimed to do in his leaked interview with Billy Bush: “You know I’m automatically attracted to beautiful — I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait.” The theme of unwelcome kissing is common to all those who have accused Trump so far, and most of these women have never met each other.
Trump’s opportunism on sexual assault is so blatant, it’s possible he doesn’t even realize he is doing it. Remember: He began his campaign by accusing Mexican immigrants of being rapists, with far less evidence than that levied against him. It is distinctly possible that he wants to keep rapists out of the country to avoid the competition.
Trump is not the only white nationalist peddling rape myths to encourage ethnic bigotry. When asked at a town hall in Bridgton, Maine, this January about heroin addiction in his state, Gov. Paul Lepage of Maine, a Trump supporter, claimed that drug dealers with names like, “D-money, Smoothie and Shifty” come to the state and “Incidentally, half the time they impregnate a young white girl before they leave.”
Anne Coulter, a white nationalist author and Trump supporter, actually wrote a book called “Adios America!: The Left’s Plan to Turn Our Country into a Third World Hellhole,” which is almost exclusively about rapes committed by Mexican immigrants. Trump claimed to have read it from cover to cover.
“A 16-year-old girl at her homecoming dance was gang-raped and left for dead because the Democrats need more voters,” Coulter wrote. “We could save a lot of soul-searching about ‘our’ violent culture if journalists didn’t hide the fact that gang rapes are generally committed by people who are not from our culture.”
There are also several Twitter accounts, such as that of former KKK Imperial Wizard David Duke and one called “Rapefugees,” that argue Syrian refugees and others should not be allowed into the U.S. because they will rape white women. Have Duke, Coulter or LePage denounced Trump’s actions or words yet? Of course they haven’t. But why would they condemn whole ethnic groups without evidence, and refrain from the same with Trump despite the evidence?
Because they hate one and love the other.
I am not endorsing one standard or candidate over the other. It’s only that the integrity of accusers and the reputation of those accused should be taken more seriously than this. Find a standard that can be defended and apply it all the time, not when it suits your political prejudices.
(10/30/16 6:47pm)
By Julia Marnin
Correspondent
After a riot in a Haitian prison, 174 inmates escaped, leaving a guard dead and a few others injured. Authorities have captured a dozen of the escaped prisoners and are continuing to search for the rest, according to ABC.
The prison break occurred in Arcahaie, a prison that held 266 inmates, ABC reported.
United Nations peacekeepers are accompanying the Haitian authorities on their hunt for the prisoners, according to Reuters. Checkpoints have been established on Haiti’s roads to find the escapees. Since the Arcahaie inmates do not wear prison uniforms, it has been difficult for the authorities to locate them. However, many suspects have been detained at these checkpoints because they did not have proper identification.
According to CNN, SWAT teams and defense forces have also joined the police in the search. ABC reported that along with the checkpoints, cars and boats are also being searched in order to conduct a thorough manhunt.
CNN reported Haiti’s Prime Minister’s office issued a statement, saying that “heavily armed individuals” caused the prison break. Gunfire between the police and the inmates erupted during the disturbance, according to ABC.
The uproar began after the inmates were released from holding and were permitted to bathe. Chaos ensued as some of the inmates broke into an area where access was only granted to the guards. The prisoners stole the guard’s firearms, which included at least five rifles and other deadly weapons, according to Reuters.
“One guard was killed during the incident," Haiti’s Minister of Justice Camille Edouard Junior told Reuters. "Three prisoners were wounded, including one who died as a consequence of his wounds."
The guard was killed from a shot fired by one of the inmates as a result to the stolen weaponry. His body was found bloodied and motionless after the prison break was over. One of the inmates died during the breakout after his attempt to climb over one of the prison’s walls. He fell off the wall and fatally hit his head, Reuters reported.
According to CNN, the U.S. embassy stationed near Haiti’s capital sent out a warning to American citizens about “a violent prison break in Arcahaie," and told residents to keep away.
Arcahaie is located in a coastal town in Northern Haiti. It is located 46 kilometers away from the nation’s capital, Port-au-Prince, ABC reported.
(10/25/16 8:06pm)
By Harry Becker
Correspondent
Yummy Sushi recently opened its doors to the local community. The Asian cuisine destination in Campus Town offers an array of options for students at the College, as well as local Ewing, N.J., residents.
The restaurant decided to set up shop in Campus Town and finally opened two weeks ago.
Upon entering the establishment, customers are greeted with a striking orange and white color scheme, with walls decorated with traditional Asian art that provides a modern yet traditional aesthetic. With table settings to accommodate groups of two to four people, Yummy Sushi can hold around 40 patrons.
When looking for a seat, patrons will most likely be greeted by Evan Yap, the manager of the new location. According to Yap, the change to Campus Town was influenced by the new opportunity to serve students.
“We see the opportunity with the college kids,” Yap said. “We like them a lot.”
One of the main benefits was the desire for more food options for college-goers, according to Yap.
“(Some) students don’t have a car,” Yap said, outlining the benefits of having an Asian cuisine joint within walking distance of residents from the College and Ewing.
Yap noted that the business has been doing well so far and has attracted mostly a younger group of patrons.
The menu consists of a vast selection of Asian cuisine from Japan, China, Vietnam, Malaysia and more. Among these options are traditional Chinese food classics, different varieties of Vietnamese noodles and ramen, Asian specialty dishes, stir fried dishes, tempura (battered and deep fried seafood or vegetables), katsu (Japanese-style fried chicken) and bento boxes.
However, as the name implies, the eatery’s main business is sushi, with a wide variety of rolls, including the Sleeping Beauty, the Green Dragon, the Dynamite and even the TCNJ.
Even with an extensive menu, Yap elaborated that the restaurant is flexible and welcome to meet customers’ requests.
With the dietary requirements of students evolving constantly, from gluten-free to vegetarian and vegan, Yummy Sushi has adapted to offer an extensive range of choices for patrons.
“It’s really good they have vegetarian options,” said Alice Li, a junior statistics major whose favorite dish is the fried sweet potato roll.
Jia Mi, the librarian tasked with electronic resources and serials at the College, noted that the location is “very convenient for (Alice and I),” both in terms of location and menu choices.
Jia Mi used to frequent the previous Yummy Sushi Parkway Avenue location, but this was her first time at the Campus Town location. She noted that the food was still “very fresh” and she enjoyed that it was not exclusive to Japanese dishes.
Yelp reviews of the Parkway Avenue location are mostly positive, as well, garnering four out of five stars among patrons.
Situated in the middle of Campus Town, Yummy Sushi is complimented by RedBerry across the street, Mexican Mariachi Grill next door and a Panera Bread further down the road, making Yummy Sushi the only Asian cuisine restaurant in the development.
Yummy Sushi is currently serving lunch and dinner to the constantly consuming college crowd throughout the week.
(10/25/16 3:00am)
This week, WTSR Assistant Music Director Nelson Kelly highlights some of the best new albums that the College’s own radio station, 91.3 FM WTSR, puts into its weekly rotation.
Band: Chain Wallet
Album: “Chain Wallet”
Release Number: 1st
Hailing From: Bergen, Norway
Genre: Chill Indie Synth Pop
Label: Jansen Plateproduksjun
Chain Wallet’s self-titled debut album is a sorrowful and lo-fi indie pop piece of art. On the standout track, “Muted Colours,” melancholy synths and copious reverb sounds as if it must never stop raining on the west coast of Norway, where the band is from. Chain Wallet has been quoted as saying the album “is about fragmented memories, unfulfilled ambitions, and the quiet whisper of a stranger.” Calming, dreamy harmonies move in and out of each song on the album, which glue the entire record together to make for an immersive listening experience.
Must Hear: “Muted Colors,” “Fading Light,” “Stuck in the Fall” and “Running in Dreams”
Band: Drugdealer
Album: “The End of Comedy”
Release Number: 1st
Hailing From: Los Angeles
Genre: Psychedelic Rock Pop
Label: Weird World Record Co.
Seasoned recording artist Michael Collins returns with his first album as Drugdealer, a whimsical and goofy tribute to classic psychedelic music. Collins hits all the bases: Sometimes he’s the Beatles, sometimes he’s Pink Floyd, but he’s always just weird enough to distinguish himself from his inspirations. The album is loaded with features, including fellow psychedelic musicians Ariel Pink and Weyes Blood. These features add a refreshing touch to the rest of the album. They not only bring a sense of diversity, but they also mask the fact that Collins may not be the world’s most talented singer. The album flips between the poppy feature-aided tracks and strange instrumental tracks, which serve to compliment the other, longer tracks. The album as a whole carries a sense of sincerity that is its strongest trait, for it is fun and playful, but just serious enough so the listener doesn’t get lost in the haze.
Must Hear: “The Real World,” “Suddenly,” “Easy to Forget” and “The End of Comedy”
(10/25/16 2:55am)
By Sumayah Medlin
Correspondent
Students at the College have the chance to eat delicious food while listening to live music on a regular basis thanks to the CUB Alt shows held in Traditions. On Friday, Oct. 21, CUB Alt hosted its second Student Soloist Night.
There are three of these shows as well as seven student concerts per semester, according to Dana Gorab, CUB Alt co-chair and a junior communication studies major.
The College Union Board (CUB) consistently hosts noteworthy bands, but the organization especially loves to showcase student performers.
“(It’s) a nice way for students to get exposure,” Gorab said. It also gives the students a chance to “see people that you know.”
Jade Tungel, a sophomore communication studies major, was the first performer to take the stage. She sang six songs with her acoustic guitar, with one original, “Empty Space.” Tungel said her songs are mostly written at 2 or 3 a.m. because that’s when she feels most inspired.
Tungel taught herself to play the guitar, which she finds funny considering she had six years of piano and violin lessons.
“Acoustic renditions are something I’ve always done,” Tungel said. She sang stripped down versions of traditionally pop songs, such as “Burnin’ Up” by the Jonas Brothers, “Closer” by the Chainsmokers and a mashup of “Teenage Dream” by Katy Perry with “Cheerleader” by Omi.
Next to grace the stage was Hannah Beal, a senior communication studies major. She, too, sang while strumming the guitar she taught herself how to play. Beal wasn’t a Student Soloist Night novice, since she has attended at least one every semester since she her freshman year. Beal was comfortable onstage, but said she was a bit nervous she might forget the words to some of her songs.
She sang several somber songs by some of her favorite artists, such as “I Heard Love Is Blind” by Amy Winehouse, “Good Morning Heartache” by Billy Joel and “I’ll Try Anything Once” by The Strokes.
“Most of my songs are downers,” she said between performances.
She also sang two originals born out of sadness: “Cold” and “Late Night Memo,” one of which was written while Beal was recovering from a breakup.
“I’m usually not writing songs when I’m happy,” she said. “They’re all dark.”
Friday’s last performer was Garrett Verdone, a senior marketing major. Verdone was also no stranger to the stage, as he regularly performs stand up comedy. However, Friday was his first time singing, so he was nervous.
Like the previous performers, Verdone played guitar to accompany his vocals. He inherited the guitar that he played from his grandfather, and his rendition of “The Auld Triangle” was a tribute to him. All of the songs he played were Irish folk songs.
“The first CD I ever heard my dad listen to was the Dubliners,” he said.
He dedicated “Molly Malone,” the official song of Dublin, to a neighbor he once had. He described his neighbor as the epitome of Ireland. The man gave him advice that he still remembered years later: “The tree that is easiest to climb is the tree that has already fallen.”
CUB Alt’s next event will feature headliner Alex G in the Decker Social Space on Friday, Oct. 28.
(10/25/16 2:54am)
By Caleigh Carlson
Staff Writer
Known as the College’s “premier choral ensemble,” according to the Department of Music’s website, TCNJ Chorale took to Mayo Concert Hall’s stage on Saturday, Oct. 15, for “The Foreign and the Domestic,” a concert that featured a wide variety of musical pieces, from American medleys to traditional folk and spiritual songs.
The Chorale opened the night with Kirke Mechem’s “Blow Ye the Trumpet” with only a piano accompaniment. There was a perfect balance between the tenor and soprano voices, according to Nicole Myers, a senior vocal music education major.
“‘Blow Ye the Trumpet’ is one of my favorite pieces because it’s the same words being repeated over and over, but each time, we sing it with a different meaning,” Myers said. “The dynamic contrast and how we blend together as a whole is really special.”
This notable quality was clearly demonstrated by each member of the Chorale and well-received by the audience. The piece ended in a capella, and while the last note rang out, you could hear a pin drop in the concert hall.
The Chorale’s precision is a reflection of its true comprehension of the music, which can be attributed, in part, to conductor John Leonard, director of choirs and an associate professor of music.
“My hope is to build a lot of leadership within the group so that the upperclassmen can lead the lowerclassmen and be an example to them,” Leonard said. “Ultimately, I want the Chorale to be a stress-free, enjoyable learning experience.”
Leonard has succeeded in making the Chorale a wonderful learning experience, according to Myers and Lauren Critelli, a senior vocal music education major. They both said they constantly utilize the tools learned in rehearsal and apply them to their own teaching.
“We’ve both been music education majors for four years and were involved in different choirs in high school,” Myers said. “But we still continue to learn new things every time we walk into a rehearsal.”
Chorale is also a way to relax and have fun, Critelli said.
“If I have a stressful day, I honestly look forward to going to Chorale rehearsal,” she said. “(I’m) always reminded that this is why I’m here — to sing with my friends and create beautiful music.”
The girls said Leonard has given them opportunities beyond on-campus performances, like the time the Chorale participated in the “Glorious Sounds of Christmas” in Philadelphia and collaborated with The Philadelphia Orchestra.
The College’s concert also included well-known traditional songs, such as “She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain,” and the Chorale’s use of staccato and clear diction made the song that much more enjoyable and exciting for the audience.
“It’s fun for the audience because no one’s ever heard that version before,” Critelli said.
(10/25/16 2:44am)
By Julia Dzurillay
Correspondent
Designing, acting and, above all, throwing shade — mix them all together and you’ve successfully created “RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars 2.” Logo TV’s reality competition series shows audiences just what it takes to be the queen of drag.
The latest season was different from past ones because instead of a new set of queens, past contestants competed to be the best of the best with the hopes of being crowned America’s Next Drag Superstar. RuPaul added a twist to this season of “All Stars,” where instead of choosing a queen to eliminate at the end of each episode, the winner of that week’s challenge and lip sync chose a queen to eliminate from the bottom two.
The challenges featured some old favorites, such as Snatch Game, a parody of the game show “Match Game” where the queens show off their celebrity impersonation skills, as well as the Reading is Fundamental mini-challenge, where the queens take turns putting on glasses and throwing shade at one another.
Some of the queens paid tribute to their past seasons, like Alaska, who brought to life a puppet named Lil’ Poundcake during season five, and Roxxxy Andrews, who MCed a challenge as one of her previous characters, “Tasha Salad.” Other queens were not as thrilled at the mention of their previous season, like Phi Phi O’Hara, who said she “regrets doing this bogus show.”
In season four of RuPaul’s Drag Race, O’Hara was depicted as a bully and credited her cruel antics to bad editing. Since then, she has been attacked both verbally and physically by fans of the show, and she has even been scared to travel to certain cities because of the hate she has received there. Upon returning to “All Stars 2,” O’Hara vowed to change her image and prove to RuPaul that she deserved to be America’s Next Drag Superstar. Unfortunately, it did not go as she planned.
“A lot of the queens wanted to rewrite their names, like Tatianna, who was unknown to the modern Drag Race fan,” said Emily Laskey, a sophomore English and secondary education dual major who has been watching “RuPaul’s Drag Race” since her freshman year of high school. “But Phi Phi did not redeem herself, which showed especially when she was eliminated.”
Once RuPaul decided O’Hara would be in the bottom two, she decided to tell the top two queens — Tatianna and Alyssa Edwards — that she was not going to beg to be saved. Rather, O’Hara decided to “play games” with the remaining contestants.
“After the comedy challenge, he told me, ‘You were really funny, but Detox wasn’t.’ And then he told Detox, ‘You were really funny, but Tatianna wasn’t so funny,’” Tatianna said in an interview with Vulture from Friday, Sept. 30. “Within an hour of that, me and Detox traded notes… That played into (her elimination), too.”
Once Tatianna and Edwards both won the lip sync battle, the unanimous decision was to send O’Hara home. When each of the queens attempted to hug O’Hara, she completely ignored Edwards and sashayed away, angry and bitter. She will not be attending the upcoming reunion.
“To deny Alyssa a hug goodbye just shows how manipulative and genuinely despicable Phi Phi is,” Laskey said. “And it will most likely reflect on her career from now on.”
After O’Hara’s elimination, girls were sent home one by one until there were only five left: Katya Zamolodchikova, Edwards and the three girls collectively known as “Rolaskatox” — Roxxxy Andrews, Detox and Alaska. After a family makeover challenge, Detox chose Edwards to be sent home instead of Roxxxy, who had already been up for elimination four times.
Outraged fans raced to Twitter to choose a side and persuade RuPaul to pick their favorite queen. While fans loved many of the contestants, an overwhelming majority wanted Zamolodchikova to win and put an end to Rolaskatox once and for all.
“Katya is me as a drag queen in real life and deserved (to win),” said Phaedra Miranda, a sophomore at Hunter College and avid fan of the show. “She really grew as a performer and as a person (throughout this season).”
Although RuPaul confers with the other judges, the decision was RuPaul’s alone to make. And the winner of a one-year supply of Anastasia Beverly Hills cosmetics, a spot in the drag race hall of fame and a cash prize of $100,000 was… You’ll have to see for yourself.
(10/25/16 2:38am)
By Jack Lopez
Correspondent
Whether you’re a fan of Childish Gambino or not, it’s impossible to deny the talent that Donald Glover possesses. Over the course of the past decade, he has evolved from a YouTube sketch comic personality to a Grammy-nominated rapper and an actor who has been able to find success landing roles in Ridley Scott’s “The Martian,” as well as the upcoming “Spider-Man” film. He has been known to most people under either his rap alter-ego Childish Gambino or as Troy Barnes, the lovable nerd from the NBC-turned-Yahoo original television show, “Community.”
Glover’s newest foray into television comes in the form his new FX original series “Atlanta,” which, at its core, is a snapshot into the lives of three Atlanta natives. Glover writes, produces, directs and stars in the show that he created, which makes “Atlanta” something that is truly all his own.
The story follows Glover’s character, Earnest “Earn” Marks, as he struggles to support his daughter and her mother. Earn discovers that his estranged cousin, Alfred, has become one of the most popular rappers in Atlanta under the pseudonym Paper Boi. Earn finds his cousin with the hopes of managing Paper Boi’s career so that he can support his family.
The show is, at its heart, a dramatic comedy. “Atlanta” takes a very real and dark approach to humor. With a dramatic storyline, “Atlanta” might have been better served by a 44-minute run time for each episode instead of the 22 minutes FX allotted.
The show tackles issues like police brutality, mental health, gang violence, racism, homophobia and drug use all within the first two episodes. Each of these issues is presented in a somber way that still manages to find a proper balance between comedy and the reality of the situation.
When watching “Atlanta,” certain scenes and moments come across as hysterical until you realize the situation. What seems funny to us when satirically displayed on camera is actually a sad reality in which some people in this country live.
The show really hits its marks well. The jokes in each episode are clever and never feel forced, while the drama feels realistic and gritty. Glover has an unmistakable gift for writing dialogue that sounds real — dialogue that doesn’t leave the viewer believing that what they’re watching is scripted.
For 22 minutes each week, Glover and the show transport the audience into some of the roughest parts of Atlanta.
“Atlanta” is a show that after just eight episodes has proven to be one of the best original programs I’ve seen in recent years. FX has put so much faith into the show and fans have loved it so much that it was renewed for a second season after just three episodes. The show is as ambitious as it is creative, and I, for one, am excited to see what Glover will be able to do with a show that he has so much control over.
(10/24/16 10:26pm)
By Nick Cardoso
During every election, one cannot help but notice the political advertisements that tout the various candidates’ policy proposals. Inevitably, these ads contain plans such as “standing up to Wall Street” and “simplifying the tax code,” which have been recycled by other politicians for nearly half a century now.
Naturally, this begs the question: “Why haven’t our politicians been able to fix the problems that they said they would?” And the answer, quite simply, is that we have a corrupt campaign finance system. No one will stand up to Wall Street or simplify the tax code when Wall Street executives and billionaires who benefit from the broken tax code are giving these candidates thousands, if not millions, of dollars in campaign contributions.
Right now, it’s perfectly legal for the super-rich to buy our politicians, which, in effect, kills our democracy.
Special interest groups hire lobbyists who collect campaign contributions, offer retiring politicians jobs and write the laws that Congress then passes to help those same special interest groups. Essentially, large corporations purchase politicians to do their bidding and provide these politicians with even more money to fund their re-election campaigns — it’s a vicious cycle that has repeated itself every day on nearly every issue by both parties.
Between 2007 and 2012, 200 of the most politically active companies spent a combined $5.8 billion in lobbying Congress, according to the Sunlight Foundation, a nonprofit organization that advocates for open government. Those same companies received an astonishing $4.4 trillion in tax relief.
What this amounts to is that a handful of billionaires currently control every aspect of our political life, and a political system like that is known as oligarchy, not democracy.
As if that weren’t bad enough, a Princeton University political study found there is absolutely no correlation between public opinion and public policy since 1970. Researchers discovered that when there is no support for a law, there is a 30 percent chance that it will pass, and when there is 100 percent public support for a law, there is still only a 30 percent chance it will pass. This means that the number of Americans for or against an idea have no impact on whether it gets through Congress.
So, if you’ve ever felt like your opinion doesn’t matter and the government is going to do whatever it wants, regardless of what you think, you were right.
Unfortunately for the rest of us, Congress passes the most meaningful laws in the United States. This means that expecting Congress to overturn the Citizens United v. FEC Supreme Court decision or pass the Anti-Corruption Act is akin to giving a fox the keys to the henhouse. In other words, there is no chance that politicians in Congress will pass a law that makes it infinitely more difficult for them to get re-elected.
The only recourse regular citizens have is to petition individual states to put these substantive measures to a ballot initiative vote. However, due to lack of awareness, this would be incredibly difficult to achieve and coordinate among the 50 states. So, it appears that unless Americans are willing to fight to create a government that represents their interests — not the interests of wealthy campaign contributors — we will remain stuck in a political system that works phenomenally well for those on top while everyone else remains silenced.
Democracy is dead in America — most of us just don’t know it yet.
(10/24/16 10:21pm)
By Mark J. Forest
Director of Counseling and Psychological Services
College mental health has been under the national microscope for several years now, and for good reason. Studies show that the level of anxiety, depression and inability to cope with stress, loss and failure is alarmingly high. The concerns that bring students into counseling centers across the country are more urgent than ever before and increasing in frequency.
According to a 2015 article titled “Crisis U” in Psychology Today, on a national level, approximately 22 percent of college students seek counseling each year — a trend that has been growing for decades with no sign of slowing down. It has been estimated that one in three students now starts college with a prior diagnosis of a mental disorder.
In addition, recent national data indicates that, on average over the last five years, while institutional enrollment grew by 5.6 percent, the number of students seeking services increased by 29.6 percent, and the number of attended appointments increased by 38.4 percent. In other words, the number of students treated by counseling centers grew at more than five times the rate of institutional enrollment, while the number of attended appointments grew at more than seven times the pace of institutional enrollment.
Needless to say, the resulting demand for services at counseling centers around the country has steadily increased over recent years, and the College’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is seeing the same pattern as the rest of the country. Therefore, we felt it appropriate to share under these circumstances how CAPS and the College have responded. With the support of the College administration, CAPS has taken several steps to address the mental health needs of our students in some important ways:
• Staffing at CAPS was increased by 35 percent in 2014. This included two new full-time licensed counselors and a part-time psychiatrist, including a new clinical case manager who helps students get connected to a higher level of care, when needed. The staffing levels at CAPS currently exceed the standards set by the International Association of Counseling Services.
• Urgent appointments were also increased every day during regular business hours to meet the need of students who require immediate attention.
• CAPS has increased its prevention and outreach programming to the College community with a focus on stigma reduction, early identification of mental health concerns, practical coping skills for self-management and awareness of a variety of resources for campus support. This includes systematic mental health training for members of the campus community including first responders, faculty, staff and student groups who interact with students on a regular basis.
• CAPS initiated the development of a Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention Task Force that comprises faculty, staff and students that meets regularly to review, develop and implement mental health policies, procedures and initiatives to support the health and wellness of students.
• CAPS partners with local and regional mental health and substance abuse treatment providers to offer services to students who require more extensive or specialized care. This includes a new referral database that is housed at CAPS, but shared with several other departments across campus.
The CAPS scope of service includes brief individual counseling, a robust group program (currently offering 20 groups), emergency or urgent assessments, case management services, outreach and consultation services to the College community and professional training. Brief counseling is defined on an individualized basis depending upon the student’s presenting concerns. There is no rigid session limit.
While we would love to offer long-term counseling to our students — and understand that it is often more convenient for students to be seen on campus — this is simply not possible given the demand for services, nor is it the standard across the country, as the vast majority of centers provide short-term counseling with referrals for ongoing and specialized care.
CAPS is dedicated to offering the best mental health services to the largest number of students that we can. We are constantly evaluating the services we offer, and continue to explore new ways to address the needs of our students, especially those with more significant needs than we can provide, and those with both financial and transportation challenges.
(10/24/16 10:06pm)
By Cait Flynn
Correspondent
Iraqi Security forces in coalition with Kurdish Peshmerga and other militaries began a campaign on Monday, Oct. 17, to take back Mosul from Islamic State control. It could take two weeks for forces to enter the city and two months to liberate it from ISIS forces, a Kurdish General said, according to CNN.
As reported in The Wall Street Journal, the campaign to oust ISIS from Mosul is supported by American airstrikes and U.S. special operations, along with Iraqi police, Sunni tribal fighters and Shiite militias backed by Iran. Kurdish Peshmerga forces initiated the attack early Monday morning from the East, during which they captured ISIS-held villages and secured supply lines into the city. The areas surrounding Mosul are flat and open, so Peshmerga offenses were met with clouds of black smoke from oil rigs set on fire by ISIS to hide suicide vehicles from U.S. air support.
Iraq and its allies had been coordinating the attack for months with the help of 100 U.S. military advisers embedded with Iraqi and Kurdish forces, according to CBS News. The campaign is not only for the recapture of the strategic city, but also for the liberation of the over 1.5 million civilians currently living under ISIS control in Mosul.
Earlier this month, ISIS executed 58 people suspected of taking part in a plot to deliver the city to Iraqi forces from the inside, according to Al Jazeera. This included one of ISIS’s own commanders, who they believed aimed to switch sides.
According to The Washington Post, Mosul is Iraq’s second largest city and a strategic stronghold in the North of the country bordering the Tigris river. Control of Mosul grants access to trade routes and oil fields. It has been under ISIS control since June 2014 and has become the militia’s headquarters East of Aleppo, Syria. According to The New York Times, there are as many as 4,500 ISIS militants in the city.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi told a group of allied diplomats this week that the offensive is progressing sooner than expected, but resistance has been fierce on behalf of ISIS.
ISIS attacked the city of Kirkurk, south of Mosul, this week as a means of disrupting supply lines from the Kurdish-held city, according to Reuters. Kurdish and Iraqi forces have sustained numerous casualties, and a U.S. military member also died on Thursday, Oct. 20, from injuries sustained by a roadside bomb. The soldier’s military branch has not yet been released.
Along with suicide vehicles, ISIS has been using guerilla tactics, such as lining roads with IEDs, booby trapping bridges and structures, digging trenches and tunnels underneath the city and, according to a spokesperson for the United Nations (UN) Human Rights office, ISIS has taken 550 families from surrounding villages with the intent of using them as human shields.
While over 5,600 people have fled the city since the beginning of the campaign, the UN states that there are still millions trapped within its border, making it vulnerable to one of the largest humanitarian crises in the world.
(10/19/16 2:20am)
By Danielle Silvia
Staff Writer
On Saturday, Oct. 15, the College men’s and women’s cross country teams competed in the Rowan University Inter-Regional Border Battle in Glassboro, N.J.
Of the 25 ranked teams in the country, eight of them were present, in addition to several teams across the Atlantic Region.
Overall, the women placed 13th overall in the championship race on the 7800-meter course, and the men’s team came in 15th place.
The women’s team got a glimpse of the stiff competition they will face at the Atlantic Regional meet later this season.
“The Atlantic region is the strongest region in the nation on the women's side, but that won't intimidate this women's team,” head coach Justin Lindsey said. “This team is focused.”
Sophomore Natalie Cooper had an outstanding race, finishing fifth in the 6000-meter race with a time of 21:02 and third overall for the athletes in the entire Atlantic Region. Cooper’s time placed her amongst the nation’s fastest runners, beating three All-Americans and closing on two more.
“Natalie is becoming one of the toughest cross country competitors in the country,” Lindsey said. “(Assistant) Coach (Michael) Walker and I are excited to see just how fast she can go.”
Besides Cooper, sophomores Erin Holzbaur, Emma Bean and Madeleine Tattory all contributed to the Lions success. The team’s youth and vitality helps them stand out, according to Lindsey.
“The women's team is so young and competitive, they have the potential to be very successful for the next few years,” Lindsey said. “They feed off of each other which makes them very tough to compete against.”
Holzbaur was the second Lion to finish in 41st place with a time of 21:57. Tattory was the next student from the College across the finish line with a time of 22:41, in 99th place overall, rounding out the top 100 runners of the meet.
Sophomore Emma Bean finished 111th on the course with a time of 22:29, followed by Allison Fournier, who finished 115th with a time of 22:55.
Senior Amy Regan of Stevens Institute of Technology finished with a time of 20:17, taking first place in the meet. John Hopkins University won the meet as a team.
Seniors Andrew Tedeschi and Brandon Mazzarella both earned top times for the College, with Tedeschi in 16th place with a time of 23:57 and Mazzarella in 36th place with a time of 24:25. Both continue their streaks in their last few meets for the Lions cross country team.
“Andrew and Brandon have been exceptional leaders in meets and outside of practice,” Lindsey said. “Through their consistent high level of competition and positive encouragement to the underclassmen, this men's team is now considered a potential national qualifying unit.”
Other standouts from the men’s team include sophomore Quinn Wasko, who was in third place for the Lions with a time of 24:49 and nabbed 68th place in the entire race. Close behind Wasko was Junior Dale Johnson, who finished 138th with a time of 25:28. Finally, sophomore Luke Prothero finished 155th with a time of 25:39, still in the top five runners for the Lions.
The winner of the race for the men was Isaac Garcia-Cassani from the State University of New York (SUNY) Geneseo with a time of 23:19. The SUNY Geneseo Knights were also the winners of the meet and are currently ranked No. 1 in the U.S. for track collegiate teams.
The Lions have a week to rest and gear up for the New Jersey Athletic Conference Championships on Saturday, Oct. 29, hosted by Stockton University in Galloway Township, N.J.
(10/18/16 9:19pm)
By Catherine Bialkowski
Correspondent
Mayo Concert Hall was crowded on the evening of Wednesday, Oct. 5, as Susan Stryker, a writer, historian and professor of gender and sexuality studies at the University of Arizona, shared an excerpt from her latest book and offered insight into the history of transgenderism.
The Women’s and Gender Studies Department invited Stryker to speak about transgender history in a lecture titled “Transgender Histories: From Sickness to Citizenship.”
Stryker, a professor of LGBT history, film and media studies and critical theory, spoke on a topic she has studied for years. She won a Lambda Literary Award for her writing and an Emmy Award for her film “Screaming Queens,” a documentary on the 1966 Gene Compton’s Cafeteria riot.
Stryker called her current project — something she has dubbed a “big airport bookstore book” — a survey of “transreality,” referring to what transgender people face on a daily basis.
For so many years, people have believed that there are only two genders. She called this a myth.
“(The) root of oppression and stigmatization is that other people don’t think our genders are real,” Stryker said.
Listeners were captivated by Stryker’s eloquently worded and gender-exploring survey of the past 100 years, which touched upon the lives of prominent historical transgender figures, such as Joseph Lobdell, who suffered for years in an insane asylum and Jennie June, one of the first transgender individuals to publish an autobiography.
Stryker discussed more current influential transgender people, like Laverne Cox of the Netflix series “Orange is the New Black” and Caitlyn Jenner, former Olympic athlete and reality star of “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” and “I Am Cait.”
“It was nice to hear her speak in person after reading her book (‘Transgender History’) in class,” said Felicia Selvakumar, a sophomore philosophy major. “There’s not as much documented on transgender history as there is on gay and lesbian research.”
Stryker talked a lot about the “categories and labels” that have been created in an attempt to control and correct transgender individuals.
Transgender issues “challenge the way we usually tell our stories about our bodies and our identities,” Stryker said. “Reality becomes transreality in the process of arranging itself into something new.”
In a decade-by-decade approach, Stryker explained how transgenderism was perceived, including obstacles and little victories throughout the years. In mentioning insane asylums and therapy, as well as new possibilities to change one’s body, she painted a brief yet striking picture of the realities gender-nonconforming individuals have faced.
Stryker went on to list a myriad of other transgender individuals, including Christine Jorgensen, one of the first transsexual celebrities, and Lili Elbe, the transgender woman who inspired the 2015 film “The Danish Girl.” Stryker highlighted these individuals to prove that people have identified as transgender for much longer than commonly believed.
While informative and enlightening, the lecture uncovered a side of history not usually studied outside of women’s and gender studies courses. It demonstrated that transgenderism is not something to be corrected, but rather, simply recognized, accepted and, perhaps one day, celebrated.
“Reality is just a deep and widely shared dream,” Stryker said. “Haven’t we all, at some point, swam upstream against the current of life?”
(10/18/16 3:41am)
By Eric Preisler
Staff Writer
On Monday, Oct. 3, and Tuesday, Oct. 4, Hurricane Matthew, a Category 4 hurricane, swept through Haiti and left the island nation in devastation.
So far, at least 546 people have been reported dead, while tens of thousands of homes were damaged or destroyed, according to ABC News.
"In the worst-hit departments, many towns have been virtually wiped out,” said Stephen O’Brien, United Nations (UN) Emergency Relief Coordinator, according to CNN. “Families that were fortunate to survive the hurricane now find themselves in a struggle to survive, with thousands of homes and livelihoods washed away by the storm.”
To add to the severity of Haiti’s current state, at least 200 cases of cholera have been reported by the World Health Organization, which is planning to send 1 million vaccines there by the end of the week, The Guardian reported. The same source said this is a result of flooding wells, rivers and latrines, which contaminated the drinking water.
To date, there have been over 470,00 cases of cholera reported in Haiti and 6,631 deaths, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
“There will be many more cases of cholera, and unnecessary deaths, all across areas affected by the hurricane if large-scale cholera treatment and prevention response doesn’t reach them immediately,” said Conor Shapiro, president and CEO of the St Boniface Haiti Foundation, The Guardian reported.
According to BBC, only 5 percent of the $120 million asked for in an appeal has been raised. The same news outlet reported there has also been turmoil over looters taking from the scarce supplies.
Carlos Veloso of the UN's World Food Programme revealed the desperation of many Haitians.
“Many people I have met are surviving by eating fruit from fallen trees," Veloso said, according to BBC.
Fox News reported that livestock and a majority of crops were destroyed in the storm.
“It will take at least 10 years for nature to do what it needs to do to grow the trees back," said Elancie Moise, an agronomist in Haiti, according to Salon.
In the face of devastation, several organizations, such as the Hope for Haiti, the Haitian Health Foundation and Save the Children, have become dedicated to providing food, money and medical assistance to people of the region.
(10/18/16 3:37am)
By Michael Wszolek
Correspondent
The Brower Student Center looked like a mall on Black Friday this past week as the new Lions Den opened for business at the College. Students poured through the doors to check out the newly renovated facility, which includes four more eating options than the previous version.
“I think it’s a very spacious new setting, and I really like the fact that it’s divided by different sections,” said Carolina Charvet, a senior international studies major.
Several students gave positive reviews of the new location and said it was a noticeable upgrade from last year.
“I think the new Lions Den is a lot better than the old one,” said Alyson Magann, a sophomore nursing major.
“Not only does it make our school more visually appealing to outsiders, but it will make our time as students much more enjoyable.”
Before the grand opening, the main dining options for students were the Atrium at Eickhoff, T-Dubs, the Library Café, Traditions, the Education Café and the Fresh Pride Café. Now, the Lions Den is packed with a little bit of everything.
The Original Burger Company serves anything you can find at an off-campus burger joint, as well as creative breakfast items: sandwiches, wraps and tater tots are on the menu.
Pizza, Pasta & Co. offers pizza, as well as pasta bowls that include a gluten-free option. Visitors can choose what sauce, vegetables and meat they want included in their pasta.
Another station, Eastern Sensations, serves sushi and hot Asian food.
Sub Connection, a sandwich and sub shop, was also added to the Lions Den.
“The food is great and better quality than what they had in the old Lions Den,” said Jada Lamptey, a sophomore nursing major. “Also, I like it because it feels more like a food court setting now than what it was before they renovated it.”
Traditions, a sit down restaurant that opened earlier this year, is another option for student center patrons and was the first phase of the student center renovation. The food court is the second phase, while the third will include expanding seating for visitors.
Still, some students believe there is room for improvement.
“There isn’t a salad bar,” Magann said. “Although there is a new one in the Fresh Pride Café, this cannot be used for meal equiv, which is an option a lot of students miss.”
According to Charvet, the new Lions Den lacks an old favorite.
“There was specifically one section that I liked that I don’t see anymore… the sandwiches were premade,” she said. “But now, there’s only the make-your-own sandwich, and I feel like that takes a little longer. Last time I was here, it took me 45 minutes in the line just to get a sub.”
Although there are still some issues, students generally appear happy with the new food option at the College. The food court offers more of a variety of food for all patrons to enjoy.
“It’s a lot better than the old one, which was kind of just sandwiches, chicken fingers and sushi. You can actually get a good meal here,” said Maddie Tattory, a sophomore international studies major.
The Lions Den is open Mondays through Thursdays from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Fridays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
(10/18/16 3:05am)
This week, WTSR Assistant Music Director Nelson Kelly highlights one of the best new albums that the College’s own radio station, 91.3 FM WTSR, puts into its weekly rotation.
Band: LVL UP
Album: “Return to Love”
Release Number: 4th
Hailing From: Purchase, N.Y.
Genre: Alternative Lo-fi Indie Rock
Label: SUBPOP
The bad boys of New York are back with the band’s fourth release, “Return to Love.” This time, LVL UP trades jangly riffs for epic walls of sound. There are still plenty of poppy indie lo-fi jams on this album, though there are several longer musical interludes that will knock you on your butt. Overall, LVL UP’s sound has matured greatly, as this is the most cohesive release the boys have put out yet. “Return to Love” was good stuff from a great local band and I can’t wait to hear what these dudes put out in the future.
Must Hear: “She Sustains Us,” “Spirit Was,” “Pain” and “The Closing Door”
(10/18/16 3:02am)
By Mallory McBride
Correspondent
Students and faculty filled the seats of Mayo Concert Hall on Friday, Oct. 14, as the School of Arts and Communication prepared to kick off the department’s fourth Brown Bag event this semester.
James Day, assistant dean of Arts and Communication, took the stage to introduce the speaker, Carolina Blatt-Gross, an assistant professor of Art Education at the College.
“Carolina Blatt-Gross’s research is significant because it explores the fundamental issues for why people make art,” Day said. Blatt-Gross’s work also seeks to understand the interconnectedness between different disciplines of art.
Blatt-Gross, who earned her Ph.D. at the University of Georgia, began the program by posing a perplexing question: “When did you start making art?”
Whether it be with paint, crayons or non-traditional materials, like sticks and sand, Blatt-Gross realized that most people start making art at the same, young age. She also realized that, at some point, we stop making art.
“Our brains have evolved very little since the prehistoric days,” Blatt-Gross said, as she discussed a time when art served to bond people in rituals and gatherings. According to Blatt-Gross, the arts are a central part of human behavior, which date back many years.
With many questions in mind and a need for answers, Blatt-Gross set off to figure out if art is a part of human behavior and if formal education can suppress this behavior.
Blatt-Gross started a pilot study in a pre-kindergarten child development lab, where she performed studies in the classroom, as well as further studies in third grade classes at an urban public school. Her research can be found in the “International Journal of Education and the Arts” and a CNN article she wrote.
“Students frequently displayed and may prefer communicating themselves via artful behavior,” Blatt-Gross said. She also noticed that the third grade students, compared to those in pre-kindergarten, were not allowed as much access to materials or as much time to experiment with art.
“Art can help make education meaningful and memorable,” Blatt-Gross said. “I suggest that we embrace and encourage artful behaviors.”
As an educator herself, Blatt-Gross questioned whether asking her students to sit and listen to lectures was beneficial to them. For this reason, she includes creative activities into every course she teaches and allows space for artistic behavior in her classroom.
During the question and answer session that followed her lecture, Blatt-Gross was asked about the belittlement of art degrees, compared to those in the sciences. Her response was encouraging to art majors.
“I have always had a job in the arts,” she said. “The number of fields that depend on art degrees are abundant.”
Another student in the audience said his biggest fear is not being able to find a job after majoring in the arts. Blatt-Gross’s said with a little hard work and dedication, anyone can “make it happen.”
Freshman art education major Shayla Nolan asked Blatt-Gross if she had found any ways to incorporate art into lower income schools that may not have the money to provide materials to the students.
“One of the biggest takeaways from art is that you don’t need the most expensive paint or the nicest canvases,” Blatt-Gross said. Art can be made out of anything, and Blatt-Gross suggested that these schools can obtain materials through donations.
As the Brown Bag came to a close, Blatt-Gross had time for a few more questions.
“Have you stopped making art?” a student asked.
With a chuckle, Blatt-Gross responded, “During this study, I found that I didn’t have time to sit down and paint, so I started Flamenco dancing.”
While she shared her research, it was clear that Blatt-Gross won’t stop making art, or stop using it in her classroom, anytime soon.