Category: Arts & Life

By Jen Lassen

Life Editor
It’s that time of year again. No, I’m not referring to the Hallmark holiday otherwise known as Valentine’s Day, but to the annual Lewisburg Ice Festival on Feb. 3 and 4. The festival, centered around winter and, of course, ice, is open to all University students.

Beginning on Friday at 1 p.m., a group of ice carvers will begin sculpting statues out of solid blocks of ice in Hufnagle Park; these sculptures will be on display all weekend long. Following this event, at 5:30 p.m. “A Capella on Ice” will take place at the Campus Theatre. The University’s a capella groups: Beyond Unison, The Bison Chips, The Silhouettes, and Two Past Midnight will perform to benefit Bucknell A.C.E.S., an organization primarily concerned with building schools, supporting medical clinics, running food drives and offering short-term educational opportunities for children in the Dominican Republic. Donations of $5 are encouraged, but not required.

On Friday evening from 6 – 8 p.m., saxophonist Ravi Evans will perform at the Starbucks Cafe in Barnes & Noble. At 8 p.m., Tiempo Libre, a three-time Grammy nominated Latin band, will perform in The Weis Center. For tickets to see Tiempo Libre, call (570) 577-1000. All stores are open until 9 p.m.on Friday.

Saturday morning starts off on the right foot -literally- with the annual Frost 5K at 10 a.m. Registration starts at 8:30 a.m. at the Campus Theatre, so make sure to get there early to secure a spot in the race. Yet even before the race begins, the Lewisburg Lions Club will be hosting an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast at the Lewisburg Club, 131 Market Street, for only $6 per adult from 7-11 a.m

Saturday continues with the annual Chili Cook Off; it’s $5 to taste all the chili you want, and you can enter a raffle to win a Yuengling snowboard, ski passes to Jack Frost Big Boulder, ski jackets and more.But the main event on Saturday is one of Lewisburg’s finest traditions, the Polar Bear Plunge, at the St. George Street landing beginning at 2 p.m. Join your friends and local Lewisburg members to run into the icy Susquehanna river together. Register for $20 from 1 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. on Saturday at the event site; the first 300 people who register receive a commemorative t-shirt. The Campus Theatre will be holding a free screening of Ice Age at 4 p.m.

With all the fun events going on this weekend downtown, make a point to venture into Lewisburg to check out the festival, give a donation, or even jump into the Susquehanna river yourself. Who knew ice could be so fun?

By Heather Hennigan

Write

This coming Tuesday, Feb. 7, the Samek Art Gallery will premiere its printmaking exhibition, The Sandy & John Nesbitt Collection: “The Discriminating Eye At Work.”

The exhibition showcases prints of the highest quality, generously loaned to the Samek Art Gallery by Sandy and John Nesbitt ’64, from their private collection. The prints are original woodcuts, engravings, etchings and aquatints by artists such as Albrecht Dürer, Rembrandt van Rijn, Piranesi, Matisse, Bonnard, Mary Cassatt, Berthe Morisot, Joan Mirò and many others.

Spanning the entire history of Western printmaking from 1500 to 1971, the exhibition includes distinguished examples from every epoch. Also on display will be fine examples of every major printmaking technique used by the great printmakers in Western art, ranging from cityscapes in Rome to Surrealist landscapes to artists’ self-portraits.

Christine Andersson,professor of art history, organized the show with the help of 11 students from her course, “Popular Culture and Prints,” which she taught last year. Her students researched the historical and art-historical contexts of the prints and wrote both the show’s wall labels and the exhibition catalogue texts. “Student-generated exhibitions are rare at the Samek Art Gallery, so I consider this to be an event of special interest to all of our students interested in the arts,” Andersson said. 

All are invited to the exhibition’s opening, which will begin at 2:30 p.m. with a public conversation by the Nesbitts about their activities as collectors. A reception will follow at 4:30 p.m. The exhibition will be on view in the Samek Art Gallery in the Elaine Langone Center until March 29.

By Heather Hennigan

Writer

On Thursday, Jan. 26, author Tayari Jones spent the day on campus, engaging with students in a personal, relaxed discussion group and a formal reading of her most recent novel, “Silver Sparrow.”

Students were able to meet Jones during the discussion group and learn about her personal life.

Her lecture briefly touched upon many facets of her life, including her early childhood, her educational experiences and the beginning of her writing career. During the recounting of her life’s many ups and downs, she elaborated on one of her personal beliefs: “Everyone,” she said, “pays their dues, but just at different times. Some people start out with a privileged upbringing and encounter a bumpy road along the way, others hit roadblocks early on until things smooth over later, and the really lucky ones get to pay a little bit at a time–-but no matter what, we’re always paying them.”

Jones also explained her inspiration for “Silver Sparrow,” which features a man, two daughters, two wives and the double life they live, though only one family knows about the bigamy.

Jones began by explaining her own life inspired the plot, and added with a laugh, “My father’s not a bigamist, he’s a political scientist!” In reality, Jones actually felt privileged over her two older half-sisters, who had grown up in a more oppressive era with single mothers and minimal interaction with their father, while she was born 10 years later into a stable family environment with a father who had become much more devoted.

The discussion wrapped up with a question-and-answer session, where a participant asked Jones if she began writing “Silver Sparrow” with a complete plot in her head. Without hesitation, Jones replied, “No, not at all!” and explained that if she had an end in mind, the book was done–-there was no room for a true story if the author knew where it was going to go.

Though she called her do-it-as-you-go writing style a bit risky, she assured the audience that she wouldn’t have it any other way. When asked what made a good story, “Raise the stakes. Take an event and ‘crank it up’-–add a little more drama or depth,” Jones said.

Without the usual pressure of a fancy speech or a big crowd, the discussion group was able to engage in Jones’ speech and presentation. Even though it was a smaller, more low-key event, it was an enriching experience for all in attendance.

By Juliet Kelso

Writer

How is it that humans exist if everyone disappears?

Questions like this have the capacity to follow an audience beyond the limits of the auditorium. On Tuesday, Jan. 31, Mark Doty’s audience experienced this phenomenon.

Doty, the University’s Poet-in-Residence, read a compilation of his own works, beginning with some of his most recent material for a packed house of students and faculty. His casual vibe reverberated through Bucknell Hall as he began with a light-hearted explanation for his first selection, a vibrant poetic narrative focused on his dog.

Most pieces Doty read seemed effortlessly intricate. He typically began with a deliberately specific subject, but with sure familiarity, and captured the attention of the audience with philosophical or revealing depth.

His language—minimalistic, yet refreshing—was a nice contrast amongst the stuffiness and ambiguity often found in poetry. Nearly every poem contained at least one moment of humor; not the kind that makes you smile to yourself, rather a chorus of laughter that forces the reader to pause for a moment and allow the audience to indulge.

Along with his clever humor, the audience experienced a multifaceted connection to Doty.

Doty’s honesty allowed him to share elements of his path to arriving at a poem. An audience or a reader often does not have the privilege of knowing the poet’s thought process or true inspiration. Doty supplied his listeners with at least a brief background story for each of his selections; relieving, with his lack of far-fetched or grandiose explanations which have become so habitual of the artistic spheres.

The two major sources Doty noted that he draws from are animals and Walt Whitman. His passion for animals is reflected in his poetry, revealing an undeniable union with nature.

If you missed Doty’s reading or attended it and enjoyed yourself, he will be giving a “Conversation With Mark Doty” on Tuesday, Feb. 7 at 4 p.m. in the Willard Smith Library in Vaughan Literature Hall.

By Courtney Bottazzi

Writer

On Friday, Jan. 27, the University was graced with the performance of the Jupiter String Quartet with guest artist Jon Nakamatsu.

The program, held in the Weis Center for the Performing Arts, consisted of Franz Joseph Haydn’s Quartet in F, Op. 77, No. 2,  Bela Bartók’s Quartet No. 6 and Antonin Dvorak’s Piano Quintet in A, Op. 81. Before Bartók’s piece, the audience was given the back story of what was happening in the composer’s life at the time the piece was created, as well as what feelings were to be expected from hearing the music.

Throughout the piece, the gifted musicians were able to flawlessly recreate the composer’s emotions and captivate the audience. The quartet’s seamless movement through the pieces becomes even more awe-inspiring with the knowledge that two of their original members, Meg Freivogel and Daniel McDonough, were absent due to the impending birth of their first child. Liz Freivogel and Nelson Lee were joined by Freivogel’s younger brother, Jay Freivogel, and Lee’s husband, Denise Djokic. The substitution of familial relationships enhanced, rather than hindered, the performance; from the violent crescendos to the graceful fall of their bows at the end of a piece, the quartet seemed perfectly in sync.

The audience, entranced by the music, tilted their heads back to listen to the beautiful notes unfold. An additional and truly fascinating dimension of this performance could be found in watching these talented musicians.

The live performance offered something that an audio recording could never capture. By watching their body language, one could visually see the attitudes of certain pieces, the playfulness of others and the enjoyment felt by the quartet while reacting to and with their fellow musicians.

When Nakamatsu took his seat at the piano, it seemed impossible that he could join the others and still maintain the previously effortless communication. Nakamatsu blended in wonderfully with the quartet and provided an amazing ending to the evening’s performance.

“Laura (my fiancé) and I thought it was a great performance, especially given that half the group were fill-ins. I hadn’t heard the Bartók before, but that was probably my favorite selection of the evening. We agreed that it was the ‘exposure’ piece of the night, the one that they figure that most people haven’t heard or might find ‘challenging,’ and so it gets bracketed by beautiful, accessible pieces,” said Matthew Slater, assistant professor of philosophy. 

Slater and other faculty members also hoped students would begin to take full advantage of the incredible musicians the University hosts.

“I was also happy that this performance was better attended than, say, Jenny Lin’s performance last fall. We really get magnificent musicians coming through, we have a great space in which to host them, and it blows my mind that we’re not packing it full of students and faculty each time out,” Slater said.

The University continuously brings musicians, artists and authors to campus to try and provide some cultural air supply to the students in our bubble. With performances such as that of the Jupiter String Quartet, we can greatly enrich our college experience simply by walking across campus and lending an ear.

By Carolyn Williams

Writer

After sweeping the Golden Globes, all eyes are turned to Alexander Payne’s “The Descendants” at this year’s Academy Awards, where it is nominated for five Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Director.

Adapted from Kaui Hart Hemmings’s novel of the same title, the movie deals with a family in transition. Matt King (George Clooney, “Ocean’s Eleven,” “Up In the Air”) is in the midst of a real estate decision which will shape the future of Hawaii. As descendants of Hawaiian royalty, the Kings are making history by deciding to sell off a massive tract of land for an enormous personal profit, and the choice of who gets it falls squarely on Matt’s shoulders.

However, Matt’s immediate family is considerably distracted by the coma and imminent death of Matt’s wife, Elizabeth. Wounded in a boating accident, Elizabeth has been comatose long enough for her living will to mandate ending her life support, and it is this crisis which brings the dysfunctional Kings back together again. Matt’s daughters, he begins to realize, are far beyond the realm of his parental preparation. Between Scottie (Amara Miller), a feisty 10-year-old caught bullying classmates, Alex (Shailene Woodley, “Secret Life of the American Teenager”), an outspoken teenager recovering from drug abuse, and Alex’s unusual friend Sid (Nick Krause), Matt is in well over his head.

To add to an already unpleasant situation, Alex’s return from boarding school brings some unwelcome news: Elizabeth’s affair, unknown to Matt till now. Furious and also conflicted, after all his wife loved this man, Matt, his daughters and the ever-uncouth Sid set out to find her lover, allowing him the chance to say goodbye to the woman who loved him, and, more importantly, giving the family a chance for closure with the woman they’re about to lose.

Beautifully following the plot of Hemmings’s novel, “The Descendants” delivers both grief and unexpectedly joyful humor, creating a unique dichotomy which received mixed reviews amongst viewers.

“While the commentary on family dynamics was at once interesting and engaging, the humor detracted from the serious issues at hand,” Kate Wilsterman ’14 said. 

The majority seem to find the film’s offbeat comedy entertaining.

“‘The Descendants’ would be characterized as a depressing movie if it weren’t for the subtle humor and the family moments that make it unfailingly honest and memorable,” Ava Giuliano ’14 said. 

Regardless, “The Descendants” is the must-see film of the moment, and with good reason. Between Clooney’s impeccable performance in the lead role, and the truly excellent supporting cast (specifically Shailene Woodley, whose sass and anger carry any lagging moments), the movie’s many nominations are well deserved; it only remains to be seen what the Academy’s final word will be later this month.

By Rob O’Donnell

Writer

“And I’m going back where I belong, with the salt and the sea and the stones, save them all for me.”

If Thoreau could sing, he would probably make an album exactly like Gregory Alan Isakov’s “That Sea, The Gambler.” Bold, you say? Perhaps. Irrelevant, you say? Maybe. Who is Thoreau, you say? You confuse me. Put down this newspaper and pick up a book; any book will do.

I say this because Isakov’s lyricism is clearly influenced by Transcendentalism. His lyrics are deeply rooted in nature, dealing mostly with the beauty of the moon, the sea and the night sky. They’ll show you a side of nature you may have never imagined. If you listen to this album on a nighttime stroll, you’ll never want to stop walking. I can guarantee it, as it’s the main reason this article is past its deadline.

A lot of writers personify nature, but Isakov truly makes it come alive. He makes the night sky into something you can share your feelings with, and the ocean into a troubled soul you can relate to. In interviews he has mentioned that one of his biggest influences is Leonard Cohen, and for those of you who are fans, you won’t be disappointed. The only difference is that Isakov has a beautiful voice.

And don’t even get me started on his music. On songs like “3 a.m.,” it’s just him and a finger-picked guitar, and yet it is surprisingly intricate and definitely addicting. It’s mostly for the lyrics and Isakov’s soft yet raspy voice, but the sound is still affecting. And for the rest of the songs, he is accompanied by an assortment of banjo, harmonica, cello and a backing vocalist, along with his complex acoustic guitar. Before I knew who he was, “The Stable Song” came up on my Nick Drake Pandora station, and the sound alone had me hooked. It wasn’t until a few more listens that I even paid attention to the lyrics, and then it was a full-blown addiction.

You can see a glimpse of Isakov’s personal life in his fairly abstract music. He ruminates about heartbreak, but in such a broad and natural way that there is only a hint of pain in the words. And every so often, you can hear a trace of an accent in his vocals, presumably because he is originally from Johannesburg, South Africa. His heavy use of natural imagery hints at his previous studies in horticulture, as well as perhaps some literary influences.

Whether you’re a fan of acoustic folk music, or just a lover of Transcendental poetry, I truly think you’ll enjoy this album. And if you want to listen to it before buying it, and haven’t discovered Youtube, tune in to Those Damn Jackalopes on 90.5 FM WVBU on Thursday nights from 12 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.