The Bucknellian

Australian director Cate Shortland’s second foray into feature film has produced the visceral “Lore.” The period piece is set in Germany immediately after the death of Hitler, and tells the story of a family of children traveling over 500 miles to reach safe haven in Hamburg.

“Lore” is short for Hannelore, the name of our heroine, a 14 year-old daughter of Nazi parents, suddenly forced into a role of adulthood. While she was a member of Hitler Youth, Lore’s father was deeply involved in the Final Solution, and her mother equally complicit. Before leaving for their own punishment, the parents warn Lore to remember who she is, an ominous enough beginning by itself, but heightened by the audience’s modern understanding of exactly how wrong everything is that Lore has been taught.

The film has a sort of fairy-tale superstructure: the parents are gone and a family of five children, one an infant, must travel by foot through the black forest to make it to grandmother’s house on the other side of the country. And, like any good fairy tale, there’s something rotted and evil at its core: a flailing country’s guilt and confusion over what has happened, what they have done and their uncertainty about what will happen next. Germany has been divided up by the Allies and there are borders to be crossed and guards to watch out for, and the children, we soon realize, are woefully unprepared.

Then, help arrives from the least likely quarter: a boy of little more than Lore’s age, called Thomas, steps in to prevent the family from disaster and becomes their new leader. The problem? Lore has seen his papers, which label him a Jew. As he provides again and again for her family, Lore is torn between gratitude to be relieved of so heavy a burden and the hate that she has been bred to harbor for him. Her confusion is compounded by her burgeoning sexual awareness, her conflicted hatred of his people and her own mounting desperation as food becomes scarcer and the journey seems never-ending.

The scenes of the countryside are very revealing, especially as we see them through the shocked eyes of Lore and the half-comprehending viewpoints of the younger siblings. One woman, who houses the children for a day speaks of the beloved fuehrer, and how “he loved us all so much.” Another group of disbelieving people discuss the “faked” pictures from the internment camps, a conversation some continue today. Bodies are discovered in empty buildings, full suitcases dropped the moment they could no longer be carried; it is a state of flux and still the children march on. They are forced to commit their own sorts of atrocities in the name of survival and after one particularly brutal scene, Lore asks Thomas “What have we done?” She means it immediately, of course, but that question hovers over the entire film, and continues to be asked in our own time.

Saskia Rosendahl, the newcomer playing Lore, delivers an interesting and compelling performance, effectively coupling rage and doubt in the moments where she is given dialogue to voice her character’s feelings. Most of her role is silent contemplation of her new discoveries or the explanations she gives her siblings for the things they have seen. Her beauty, even as their journey continues and the children grow more and more ill, seems pointed and poetic.

Shortland’s ending is unapologetic and unromantic, with little evidence that the characters have learned all the lessons we wanted them to. World War II period pieces abound, this is not the best or the worst of the lot. “Lore” is, as the title suggests, a story, it’s just not the one I was expecting.

“Bison Confessions” Deemed Not Entertaining Enough

By now, there isn’t a single University student and hardly an alumnus who has not heard of “Bison Confessions,” the Facebook page that allows members of the University community to anonymously confess, console and condemn. It has become the Jerry Springer or Maury Povich of campus, and students can’t get enough of it. In the wake of House Party Weekend 2013, it would appear that the need for a new, not-so-anonymous Facebook page has arisen. For this reason, Jerald Montagnais preparing to create “Bison Boasts,” a Facebook page that will allow students to let the University know exactly what juicy things they do and precisely who does them.

“I think it’s going to be a great success,” Montagna said. “The new page will address the biggest problem students have with ‘Bison Confessions’–the anonymity. We all know that #381 is a male in the class of 2014 and that he had a three-way on the roof of the library, but who is #381? How do we congratulate him? Who do we high-five? And when #407 says she’s gotten stoned in every academic building while wearing nothing but the head of the Bucky the Bison costume, we can only assume she is longing for us to know her identity.”

Indeed, it must be frustrating for #379 to have slept with  “at least one girl from each sorority” and received not even a single fist bump from his bros for his effort. Likewise, #327 must be upset that, while she “has a job after graduation because [she] majored in something useful,” those who remain jobless cannot applaud her and tell her how superior she is to them.

“Bison Boasts” will have another feature that “Bison Confessions” lacks. In addition to a name, each user’s room and mailbox number will be included. This way, commenters will also have the option of sending fan mail or leaving congratulatory bouquets outside the user’s door. Those that disapprove of a user’s actions/remarks will not be limited to bickering and name-calling as they are on “Bison Confessions.” Hate mail and bags of feces will now be options as well.

“I just want to optimize the amount of attention both users and commenters can generate for themselves while allowing them to do so in a venue void of anybody who has actual problems and/or advice to post,” Montagna said. “That’s the problem with ‘Bison Confessions.’ Its entertainment potential is hindered by the fact that some of its content is serious and should be respected. My page will cut straight to the good stuff.”

Trend Report: Spring Denim

By Kate Jansen

As winter slowly melts into spring, it’s time to shed leggings and sweats for this season’s latest denim trends.

White Denim: The old fashion proverb to not wear white pants after Labor Day does not apply this spring! White cropped skinny jeans are definitely a wardrobe must. Paired with patent heels, a flowy blouse, statement jewelry and a blazer, traditionally taboo jeans could look sophisticated and chic. For a more casual look, pair white denim with a simple V-neck tee and a menswear watch.

Printed Denim: Last fall’s sensation has hit major retailers again this spring. Printed denim is another wardrobe staple. They come in a variety of patterns and colors that are sure to revive your outfit. My favorite printed denim are polka dot shorts from Free People and pinstriped shorts from Madewell.

Distressed/Vintage Denim: Do you have a pair of ancient boyfriend jeans with a hole in the knee? Don’t throw them away–break them out this spring! Distressed, aged denim pants look great when paired with neon sandals and a neutral top. Cuff the bottoms of too-long pants to create a more unique look.

Denim Jackets: I am obsessed with my denim jacket. What I love the most about these jackets are their timelessness. I’ve had mine for five years and it hasn’t gone out of style. I love pairing denim jackets and vests with floral summer dresses. If you’re bold enough to pull off the denim-on-denim look, try pairing your jean jacket with printed denim.

Homemade Hand Pies
Apple Spice (left): 100 calories, 5 g fat, 14 g carbs, 1 g protein, 2 g sugar
Strawberry Peach (right): 96 calories, 5 g fat, 13 g carbs, 1 g protein, 2 g sugar

Ingredients:
Apple Spice
1 pack frozen pie crust
2 green apples
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp corn starch
1 egg white

Strawberry Peach
1 pack frozen pie crust
1 peach
1 cup strawberries
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp corn starch
1 egg white

Directions
1. Heat oven to 375 F and spray pan with nonstick spray. Chop fruit into small pieces and mix with sugar and corn starch (and spices if applicable).
2. Spread pie crust and roll into at least 12 inches across.
3. Trim sides to form a square then cut into six rectangles (save the edges and re-roll to form two more mini pies).
4. Put two tablespoons of fruit mixture on each rectangle, brush edges with egg white, fold over and crimp edges with a fork. Brush tops with egg white and lay on tray.
5. Bake for 20 minutes until the crust is golden.