Category: Arts & Life

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Arts & Life Campus Events Review

Macbeth

 

Estie Pyper | The Bucknellian
Elyas Harris ’13 completely encompassed the role of Macbeth, reciting his line with intensity, confidence, and a sense of personal ownership.

Christina Oddo
Arts & Life Editor 

This past weekend, a group of students performed one of Shakespeare’s most renowned works. The University’s Department of Theatre and Dance was proud to present “Macbeth” on Oct. 19-22 in Tustin Theatre. This production was directed by Anjalee Deshpande Hutchinson, assistant director of theatre and dance, aided by assistant directors Gwenn Gideon ’15 and Bronwyn Barnwell ’15.

The set of the production itself included a staircase leading to a door, a trap door in the floor and other openings and pathways. Realistic sound effects, as well as projected images and footage and fog effects, allowed for an even more three-dimensional performance. At multiple times during the production, actors performed right in front of the first row of the audience. Such a cozy venue allowed for great audience engagement, and an up-close, intense experience.

Estie Pyper | The Bucknellian
Michael Strauss ’14 conveys his role through his relationships with the other actors onstage.

“One challenging aspect of this production was being open to all the historical interpretations of Lady Macbeth while also letting go of all preconceived notions and letting her spirit emerge organically,” said Victoria Moyer ’13, who played Lady Macbeth in the production. “Another challenging aspect for me was to open myself to my own darker nature in order to become Lady Macbeth. The idea of ‘what’s done cannot be undone’ weighed really heavily on me each night … It was such a roller coaster experiencing Lady M’s highest hopes and dreams transformed into her worst nightmares for the past weeks.”

The actors grew as artists through the development of relationships with one another and with their characters.

Estie Pyper | The Bucknellian
Katrina Medoff ’13 acts as one of the three Wyrd Sisters. Eerie body movement, along with excellent lighting, costume, and stage setup, add to each of the Wyrd Sisters.

“We had an amazing cast–I think each one of us opened ourselves, to each other, as fellow creators and artists,” Moyer said. “I had an eye-opening experience developing the relationship of the Macbeths with my phenomenal fellow actor, Elyas [Harris ’13] , and I felt the complexity of our bond and eventual undoing grew immensely with each rehearsal.”

At first, the students needed to tackle Shakespearean language in order to capture and portray the true essence of emotion on stage. Over time, it became less about memorization, and more about immersion.

“Having time over the summer to memorize lines and study the poetry and form of the text was necessary so that the physical exploration could happen right away this semester,” Moyer said.

The actors grasped the language so fully that emotion was expressed with what seemed like ease.

“Everyone was so talented; it brought much more emotion to Shakespeare than I expected,” Nicole Davis ’15 said.

The actors became their characters with this great understanding of the language and its meaning.

“In Shakespeare’s world, the characters are not afraid to speak, and they must articulate for their very survival,” Moyer said. “Being immersed in Shakespeare’s language has rekindled my passion for this kind of expression, yet I am dismayed sometimes to find our generation operating in a mode of stuttering, trailing off, indecisiveness, neglecting the power of the voice. I hope that the audiences this weekend were moved not only by the power of the story, but by the power of the language.”

Above all, the cast not only became a closer group of artists and performers, but also a closer group of friends, creating and enforcing a group environment in the theatre.

“Macbeth was a group effort,” Ethan B. Van Buskirk ’13, who played Angus and Lord said. “Everyone was on top of it; lines down, cues up, extra hours from everyone. Anjalee was great too. She had a strong sense of what needed to happen in the show, but was exceptionally flexible and receptive to everyone’s input. The best part of the show for me was easily the sense of community. Theatre doesn’t exist in a vacuum, it needs people to thrive–including not only production, but the audience.”

 

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Arts & Life Campus Events Review

Oktoberfest events at Uptown prove successful

Laura Crowley
Senior Writer

On Oct. 19, Uptown held Oktoberfest, at which students over 21 were offered three free drinks per person. In the spirit of October and the German holiday Oktoberfest, students were offered Sam Adams’ Oktoberfest draft and hot pretzels. Alternative options of Coors Light, wine and non-alcoholic beverages were also available. The three-drink limit was enforced by a wristband system in which bartenders removed tabs from the band after each drink.

Games of pool and foosball were active all throughout the event, which lasted from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. The music consisted of a DJ who opened the floor up to karaoke for students on several occasions.

“It was my first time at pub night at Uptown, and it definitely won’t be my last,” Ben Sunshine ’13 said. “The atmosphere was very relaxed and I didn’t feel cramped once inside.”

The turnout was substantial, as the bar was quite full towards the end of the night.

Pub Nights at Uptown are typically held on the last Friday of each month, and are a fun way to enjoy time with friends while maintaining a budget.

Uptown also hosted a non-alcoholic Oktoberfest event on Oct. 20. Uptown provided students with free mugs and access to a Birch beer keg. Soft pretzles were also served, along with pierogi and mini brownie dessert bites. Face-in-hole photos and holiday-related music were other fun additives to the event.

“The non-alcohol event, BisonHaus, proved that people can have fun without drinking. Face-in-hole cut outs, free souvenir mugs and typical German food made the event memorable,” Emilie Ratajczak ’15 said. “It is definitely an event that has so much potential, so we hope to hype it up more next year.”

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Arts & Life Campus Events Review

ACE presents a night of Mexican food and activities

Anna Jones
Writer

After several weeks of intensive planning and advertising by the Spades Committee of Activities and Campus Events (ACE), headed by Asha Harvey ’15, the committee pulled off a successful Fiesta Night in the Terrace Room on Oct. 19.

Upon walking into the room, guests were overwhelmed by the sound of festive music and the enticing smells of Mexican food, including make-your-own tacos and burritos. On the other side of the room, there was a long table filled with bowls of chips and just about every kind of salsa possible, ranging from extremely spicy to more mild. If your taste buds needed something to cool down, virgin margaritas were being served in the middle of the room. In another corner sat cinnamon covered churros with vats of chocolate for dipping. People raved about the food, which was prepared by the University’s dining staff. 

One of the main events of the night was the hot pepper eating contest.

“[It] was a huge attraction for many attendees,” Harvey said.

Harvey said they wanted to “facilitate friendly competition,” and that the committee is working to make the competition even better for next year’s Fiesta Night. This year’s winner was Farhan Altaf ’15, who won a piñata full of $50 in cash and lots of candy.

Guests also had the opportunity to take part in the Mexican piñata activity. Upon entering the Terrace Room, every guest received a ticket with a number. Every 15 minutes, ACE committee members drew five numbers; whoever’s number was called got the chance to swing at the piñata three times after being blindfolded and spun around three times.

After several people beat up the piñata, it fell to the ground and there was a mad rush for the candy inside. A few pieces were labeled with bright green tags; the lucky winners of these pieces won gift cards to shops in downtown Lewisburg. One of the winners was Meghan Mahoney ’16.

“I expected that I had gotten a free Milky Way bar, but it turned out that I’d won a $10 discount at any store downtown. It was a very nice surprise!” Mahoney said.

For the more artistically inclined students, there was a table for decorating maracas and Mexican fans with markers. The Latino Dance Corner performed a dance and even gave a short lesson on the tango to students. For even more of a Mexican feel, ACE had flower pins for guests to put in their hair.

Finally, there was a “guess how many beans” contest. Students could guess how many beans were in a jar, and the closest estimate won a $30 gift certificate to El Caporal, a Mexican restaurant in Lewisburg. Patience Osei ’14 was the lucky winner of this gift certificate.

With almost 300 guests, Fiesta Night turned out to be a huge success.

“I’d say it was a success,” Harvey said. “The Latin Dance Corner turned up the heat and we had so much going on it wasn’t a surprise that people stayed the whole night.”

ACE has many more events planned for this semester, including Casino Night this weekend at the Campus Theatre and BU After Dark on Nov. 2.

“ACE activities are great ways to bring the entire community together and break down boundaries,” Harvey said.

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Arts & Life Books Review

Character voice in Diaz’s third book proves to be irresistible

Carolyn Williams
Writer

Pulitzer Prize winner Junot Diaz’s third book, “This Is How You Lose Her,” is of that rare, awesome breed which combines readability with literary merit. This is the first book in a while that I have been genuinely unable to put down.

For anyone unfamiliar with Junot Diaz’s rather unique style, here’s an excerpt from page one of the first short story in the collection, “The Sun, the Moon, the Stars:”

“See, many months ago when Magda was still my girl, when I didn’t have to be careful about almost everything, I cheated on her with this chick who had tons of eighties freestyle hair … Magda only found out because homegirl wrote her a fucking letter. And the letter had details. Shit you wouldn’t even tell your boys drunk.”

So there you have it. If this sort of writing doesn’t appeal to you, it’s probably best you stop reading here. But if this small sample whets your appetite, the collection only gets better as it goes on.

Diaz focuses eight out of nine of these stories on Yunior, whose misadventures in love are referenced in the title, and who figures both in Diaz’s first collection, “Drown,” and his acclaimed novel, “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.” Yunior, like Diaz, is a Dominican author and professor living in the Boston area, but the stories deal more with his coming of age and coming to terms with himself than the actual business of falling in and out of love. Romantic relationships play heavily throughout, but there is much more emotional writing of loss and familial love as well.

Yunior, though he tries to avoid it, has inherited the “cheating gene” of his father and older brother, and, well intentioned though he may be, cannot stay faithful to the women in his stories. He’s far from heartless, though. He bemoans his condition, spends the final story in the collection, “A Cheater’s Guide to Love” trying to get over a lost love interest for years, but he can’t shake this family curse.

Whether he’s demonstrating his status as a Dominican outsider in a white America or personally proving just how hard a good man is to find, Yunior’s voice is what makes this collection so excellent. Diaz’s interplay of English and Spanish, or slang and literary reference, are so unusual they become addictive. A great narrative voice can really make or break a book, and Yunior’s seals the deal for “This Is How You Lose Her.” I seriously cannot recommend it enough. As Yunior, that consummate cheater in love would say, “the half-life of love is forever.” And trust me, that’s pretty much how long you’ll be in love with Diaz’s book.

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Arts & Life Columns Sleeping Around

Sleeping Around: Homecoming Hook-Ups

Dixie Rose
Columnist

Homecoming weekend is a great time. The school is decked out in blue and orange (I especially like the new banners outside the Elaine Langone Center), and everyone’s school spirit is through the roof. Alumni are returning for the weekend and everyone is excited to have them back. Well, to have most of them back. I know everyone is excited to see the graduated members of their fraternity or sorority, sports team, a capella group or other organizations return for the weekend. But, what about those alumni you don’t want to see?

I think it’s safe to say that most people on this campus have regretted hooking up with someone at one point or another. The regret might not come immediately, but at some point you look back and realize exactly what you did. What were you thinking? Now, in my case, that situation has graduated … but is planning on returning for the weekend. So, how do you deal with the return of an alumnus that you used to have a “thing” with?

A situation is only awkward if you make it awkward, and completely avoiding the person will just be awkward. Not only that, but it gives off the vibe that you still care, which you shouldn’t. And if you do, stop caring. They graduated. This is not someone that you have to see every day; it is only for one weekend. So it is fine to say hi, make polite conversation and then find an excuse to leave. For those of you girls in a sorority, think about it like the first round of recruitment. You want to be pleasant and interested in what they are saying without being too emotional or serious. Keep conversation light. The worst thing that can happen is that you end up having one too many glasses of Andre and letting something slip that should not.

Hopefully their graduating has put some space between the two of you, and it is possible to be friendly. Besides, running into one alumnus that you may have drunkenly made out with should not ruin your weekend. Focus on the people you actually want to see and the events you actually want to go to, instead of focusing on who you may or may not run in to. No matter what your relationships are with the returning alumni, it is bound to be an exciting weekend.

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Arts & Life Columns Cooking Corner

Cooking Corner: 15 Minute Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

 

Katie Mancino | The Bucknellian

Katie Mancino
Columnist

15 Minute Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

311 calories, 5g fat, 57 carbs, 16g protein

I’m a butternut squash addict. I love adding it to all kinds of dishes because it’s really healthy, hearty and tastes great, especially with spices like rosemary and thyme. This macaroni and cheese is a perfect fast and easy fall dish that tastes great and just happens to be good for you too. If you want, you can also add caramelized onion, carrots or other types of squash too.

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 cups raw butternut squash, cubed
  • 2 cups skim milk
  • 1 Tbsp. Land O’Lakes Light Butter
  • 1 cup Sargento Reduced Fat Italian blend
  • Rosemary, thyme, oregano, garlic powder
  • 2 Tbsp. all purpose flour
  • 1 box (12 oz dry) Rozoni Smart Taste Penne

Directions

  1. Put water (covered) on high to cook pasta.
  2. Over medium heat, melt butter, add milk, 1/2 teaspoon of each spice and squash. Cook 8-10 minutes until squash is fork tender.
  3. Add flour to squash and stir to mix well. Sauce should start to thicken. Then add in cheese. Mix until it melts, then continue cooking 2-3 minutes until thick.
  4. Drain pasta, toss with squash sauce and enjoy!
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Arts & Life Columns Humor Rees' Pieces

Rees’ Pieces: Uncle Ben’s Story Time: Part 1

Ben Rees
Columnist 

C’mon kids, run on over here and sit pretzel style on the alphabet rug. Uncle Ben’s going to tell you all a story. This is the story of Jake’s first summer at sleep-away camp. I was there for the entire time; it was the summer after fifth grade. Now pull out your Capri Suns and Fruit Gushers, and plan to be swept away, off to that first summer years ago …. Wooshhhh.

Jake was a chubby and goofy youngster. It was his first summer away at camp, and he was in Wisconsin, the land of cheese, for four whole weeks before going home. After a great week of swimming, crying over splinters and general camp shenanigans, it was time for our cabin to go on the camping trip. We were going canoeing down what seemed like a torrential river, but what may or may not be currently classified as a creek. That aside, we packed up our knapsacks, bagged our pretzel sticks and set off on our excursion as a group of wholly unsuspecting children.

The first two days soared. We had a blast canoeing and camping; the s’mores were perfectly melted and the mosquitoes were nowhere to be found. All was well until the third day. We arrived at our campsite and set up the tents. The sky was clear and we were all going to go swimming in the river. I put on my hiking sandals and sweet graphic tee, pulled out my SPF 70 sunscreen and prepared to have the time of my life.

While I was readying myself, Jake was getting into some mischief. As I said earlier, he was rather chubby. He also had an unfortunate affinity for climbing trees. Another complication for Jake was that the area in which we were camping had been subjected to logging; the trees that had grown back were stock, meaning they were rather skinny and insubstantial. As you probably guessed, all of this leads to Jake climbing trees that he should not have. The first one he scaled sagged under his weight to just about 90 degrees.

The second time Jake shimmied up a tree, he was not nearly as lucky. There was a dead birch suspended over the river, and he attempted to walk out onto it. While it may have seemed cool at the time, in retrospect, he looked like a rotund Spider Man on a flagpole. As he got out onto the end and roared like a pre-pubescent silverback gorilla, the tree trunk started to creak.

The tree snapped, sending Jake plummeting towards the river; however, he was stopped short of the water by a rather large pile of sticks. His legs broke through the mound of timber, and all of a sudden, he began screaming. We all ran to the banks of the river in order to observe a shirtless chubby child halfway submerged in a mound of mud and twigs.  Jake continued to scream, as something furry was pawing his thigh.

To be continued … tune in next week for the riveting conclusion!

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Arts & Life Featured Study Abroad

A Year in Amman: Studying Abroad

 

Courtesy of Laura Razzuri ’14

Laura Razzuri
Contributing Writer 

I arrived in Amman at three in the morning. Jetlagged, nervous and incredibly excited, I made my way through customs and into a new world that, for the next year, I would call home. On my drive to my apartment I looked out and saw all the shops, restaurants and big city lights. There was a beautiful balance of modernity and tradition, and I could feel the call to prayer reverberating through the city. I knew right then and there I had picked the perfect place to study abroad. Living in Amman was going to be challenging, yet the challenge was exactly what I was looking for.

Amman is the capital of Jordan, right at the center of the Middle East. Jordan isn’t in the “safest” of neighborhoods, as it shares borders with Israel-Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria and Iraq. Despite the unrest in the region, Jordan has been relatively calm. In a region so volatile, Jordan considers itself the eye of the storm, experiencing peace compared to the extraordinary changes happening around it. As an interdepartmental Middle Eastern studies major, there has never been a better time to study Arabic and the Middle East. I was encouraged by my advisors to take full advantage of the opportunities I would have in Jordan.

Courtesy of Laura Razzuri ’14

I have been studying Arabic at the University for the past two years. Despite it being a small program with no official minor yet, it is on the forefront of Arabic language study. Arabic is one of the most difficult languages to learn, and what many don’t understand is the difference between Modern Standard Arabic (Fusha) and the Colloquial language (Ammiyya). Traditionally, most universities only provide courses in MSA, which is the formal written language used in official documents. On campus, Assistant Professor of Arabic Martin Isleem also teaches the Levantine Dialect (Palestinian, Jordanian, Lebanese and Syrian) in tandem with MSA. Ammiyya is the language that dominates everyday interactions. For those who want to live in the Arab world, learning Ammiyya is more than necessary.

Courtesy of Laura Razzuri ’14

In my program in Jordan, I am the only student who has taken a formal class in dialect. The incredible advantage I have over my peers is my ability to communicate with local Jordanians. I am able to give directions in taxis, order food at restaurants, navigate grocery stores and bargain for good prices. It is amazing how quickly I became comfortable living in Amman. I cannot thank Professor Isleem enough for emphasizing the importance of learning colloquial dialect. I have been placed in the most advanced courses due to great preparation I had before coming here. It has made all the difference in my experiences here in Jordan so far.

For my first semester, I am in a Diplomacy and Policy Studies program. My professors are notable former diplomats that provide great insight into the field, with a Middle Eastern perspective. Every week I get to meet former Prime Ministers, Intelligence Officers and members of the Royal Family. I also have been placed in an internship. I work for a local non-profit that focuses on fighting corruption. I am getting firsthand experience in working abroad in the Middle East. Next semester I am taking courses at the University of Jordan. It will be a full Arabic immersion program. I will get to live with a family and truly work on my Arabic language skills.

It has never been a more perfect time to study Arabic and the Middle East. Middle Eastern culture is widely misunderstood, and the best way to break the barrier of cultural understanding is through language. Arabic itself is a critical language and will only continue to grow in importance. The region itself is facing remarkable changes and it’s only wise to be on the forefront of this up and coming area of study. I am thankful for having such a strong background in Arabic language and for the support the University has provided me in exploring my academic interests.

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Arts & Life

Q&A with Ginna Freehling ’15, President of the Environmental Club

Anna Jones
Writer

What are the new initiatives of the club this semester?

“Some new initiatives of the club this semester include a weekly shuttle to two nearby farmer’s markets: the Lewisburg Farmer’s Market on Wednesday, and the Susquehanna Grower’s Valley Market at Ard’s on Fridays. We are also hosting the first ever sustainable town meeting, where all interested individuals and clubs are welcome to join a discussion about sustainability and make connections to provide support for common initiatives on campus. We are writing a proposal for the Green Fund, something any individual or group can do on campus. The Green Fund provides money for sustainable projects on campus. We are also drafting a green fee petition.”

What are the changes since last semester?

“We have added a fall social to our calendar of events. The club baked muffins and galettes with local organic apples and pears.”

What has the club done in the past, and has it worked? 

“The club has submitted one Green Fund proposal in the past (two years ago), and the project was selected. The vending misers were brought to Bucknell through the environmental club. Last year, Katie Kramer ’13 started an Environmental Conference, which includes other colleges from Pennsylvania. This was a successful way to share our ideas and approaches to help one another in our initiatives.”

What is the goal of the club?

“The goal of the club is to spread awareness about green issues such as water conservation, alternative energy, waste and its impact it has and sustainability, and to foster an appreciation for nature and preserving the earth.”

Who all is already involved and how can other students become a part of this club?

“We have some very enthusiastic and helpful members this semester, for which I am so grateful to have on board. All students are welcome to join! We meet on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. in Arches Lounge, the third floor of the Elaine Langone Center.”

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Arts & Life Movies Review

“The Perks of Being a Wallflower” falls short of other coming-of-age films

Carolyn Williams
Writer

“The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” Stephen Chbosky’s 1999 hit young-adult novel and second foray into film directing, has been met with mixed critical reviews, but general popular approval. Though touted as both a “Catcher in the Rye” and “Breakfast Club” of our generation, neither version of Chbosky’s work honestly measures up to these paragons of coming-of-age malaise.

Our titular wallflower is Charlie (Logan Lerman), who communicates in the novel through letters to an unknown recipient. In the film, most of this narrative style is changed to voiceover monologues, which work pretty well. Charlie’s had a rough couple of years, between the suicide of his best friend and the death of his favorite aunt. We meet him on his terrifying first day of high school, made all the more frightening by Charlie’s complete lack of social skills. Given his troubled past, can we really fault him for this? The only friend he makes on day one is his English teacher (Paul Rudd), who, in true English teacher style, immediately recognizes a receptive pupil in Charlie, and begins giving him extra curricular reading assignments and friendly advice.

Eventually, Charlie makes friends with the flamboyantly gay Patrick (Ezra Miller), and through him, his alt-rock loving stepsister, Sam (Emma Watson, in her first major post-Hogwarts role), who quickly becomes Charlie’s crush. These free-spirited seniors also notice Charlie’s potential, and take him under their wing, inducting him into their friend group, which Sam lovingly calls “the island of misfit toys,” a line which might have been better had Watson quite gotten a grasp of the American accent she’s aiming for throughout the film.

Aspiring writer Charlie spends his time making mix tapes, hanging out in diners and reveling in his newfound friendships. But this new world of friends and parties comes with its own set of issues: that permanent stumbling block of any self-respecting (or not) adolescent-identity. As Charlie discovers who he is, and how this new self fits into his past and his future, he tries to help his friends in their own quests for self understanding before they leave for college in the fall.

The movie is not bad, especially for one directed by the original novelist–a situation generally avoided by Hollywood for a reason. Emma Watson makes a decidedly un-Hermione-like showing, which was definitely her intention, and Ezra Miller is funny in a sarcastically over the top, stereotypical kind of way, a complete turnaround from his last role in “We Need to Talk About Kevin.” On the other hand, Rudd is seriously underused, and Lerman looks a little too much like someone who should be sitting at the popular table to be a wallflower. His character lacks that fantastically original voice which makes Holden Caulfield so iconic, and the film pales in comparison to the fleeting intersection of social status and personality that “The Breakfast Club” studies. In trying so hard to emulate these teen greats, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” falls into some been-there, done-that coming-of-age tropes, but the heart is still there, and that keeps the film from flopping entirely.