Category: Arts & Life

By Michelle Joline

Arts & Life Editor

Saturday night, the University celebrated its Second Annual Bison Stomp Out Classic. The event showcased the dance style called “step” and incorporated talent from both University students and guests. This year the Bisonettes performed, in the style we have come to know so well from contemporary pop culture.

A lot of us became familiar with step from Hollywood films like “Stomp the Yard” and “Drumline.” Stepping is typically found in a Greek setting, and is often utilized as a form of initiation or a rite of passage into historically black sororities and fraternities. There is a lot of tradition involved in this dance, making it even more exciting that the University has become a part of its history.

The routines were visually pleasing, given this dance style’s routes in military formations, and the students were energized by the different acts.There was a great sense of community at the performance, with support from faculty, students and members of the Lewisburg community.

“The crowd seemed to love the atmosphere … We do realize that this year’s event didn’t have as many teams as last year’s show, but we really tried to emphasize the competition aspect of the Stomp Out this year,” BSU President Doneeca Thurston ’12 said.

If you did not get the chance to go to the event, look forward to next year’s performance. The Bison Stomp Out Classic only seems to be getting better and more exciting with time.

By Carolyn Williams

Staff Writer

“This Is Me”, a show taking the form of a series of monologues, and written by students and performed by actors, took a new spin on the typical campus performance.

“This Is Me” is a project that was performed on Friday, Nov. 4 in McDonell Ski Lounge and Sunday, Nov. 6 in Vedder Pit. The project was collaborated on by 22 students and 13 members of University faculty and staff, and was created by Ana Aguilera Silva ’14. 

The anonymity of the writers was preserved, promoting a sense of mutual empathy with the struggles described in each monologue and the speeches addressed issues of identity and difference which separate people from the “group” at large. 

“The idea for ‘This is Me’ came about as a response to events that groups promote on campus to highlight how they are different and unique. The aim of this project is to show that regardless of your beliefs, identities or the roles you play in our community, there is something greater that joins us as a whole, and that is our shared humanity. From there, I started talking and asking people to take part in breaking the silence and sharing a piece of their life with the rest of Bucknell,” Aguilera Silva said.

Each monologue speaks to an issue pivotal to its individual writer’s sense of self and the terms and frames through which they are viewed both on campus and in society. These identities run the gamut between body image, rape and gender identity. The raw emotion imbued in the writing translates well into the actors’ portrayals, eliciting an undeniable connection between writer, actor and audience member.

“[The most exciting part was] seeing the effect of the project in the writers and the performers. For example, when some of the performers got to meet their writers most of them were really shocked about who wrote their pieces. However, I must admit that one of my favorite moments was a one-to-one talk with Michael Green [’13] who performed ‘I Am Not a Woman.’ He said that thanks to the project, he got to understand that the trans-man he was portraying ‘ … is a guy. I am a guy, and that’s all that matters.’ Moments like this are the ones who made all the hard work of the team worth it,” Aguilera Silva said.

Students truly enjoyed attending the performance, which is quite unique in it’s formation.

“It was great to see members of the Bucknell community helping to give voice to the untold stories of Bucknellians. It was a unique experience that was truly moving to be a part of as a member of the audience,” Morrisa Gold ’13 said.

“You do not need to know someone or have gone through the experiences they have lived in order to be empathetic with them,” Aguilera Silva said.

By Juliet A. Kelso

Contributing Writer

The 1960s gave birth to a wide range of eclectic hybrid genres which are now being revisited. Classic genres of the 1960s are making a comeback, and are being combined with other popular styles to create double hybrids. Baroque-pop is a term which describes rock ‘n’ roll infused with various elements of classical music. Rock’s edgy and wild roots are transformed by lighter components to produce a more airy and refined style. Early examples can be seen in the work of Paul McCartney and The Beach Boys. 

The second preexisting genre in this proposed coupling is folk. “Folk” is an extremely vague term and can be best summed up as any music that tells a story. Before the 20th century, folk was typically the music of the lower echelons of society, passed by word of mouth and written by unknown composers. Folk music in the modern sense began in the mid-20th century; while it is often very different from traditional folk, modern folk undoubtedly draws from it. The 1960s saw the apex of this genre. Musicians such as Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie were pioneers of the second revival, serving as figureheads to those who followed. Resurgence of popularity led to different sub-genres and fusions including Americana, freak folk, psychedelic folk and many others, with artists like Bob Dylan and Joan Baez adopting the style.

The 2000s have been quite nostalgic, and the fusion of folk with baroque-pop, a term I call ‘baroque-folk’, is one of the products. A rich blend of inspirations from traditional folk, classical music and the second folk revival has been integrated into the indie music scene. It has become hip for artists to retreat to rustically scenic locations to write and record their music. This harkens back to the transcendentalist movement and produces music with a naturally spiritual feel.

As I have immersed myself in the indie culture and developed a fascination with the baroque-folk movement, I have noticed the role geography and background plays. I have reached the conclusion that the best work is being produced by Canadian artists. I was initially surprised when I noticed the pattern, but it all made perfect sense after reading up on Canada’s musical history. The country has a vibrant past of folk music from multiple immigrant cultures.

The king of Canadian baroque-folk is Arcade Fire, although they are much more baroque-pop than folk. Arcade Fire is an eight-person collaboration based out of Montreal. Each member is an impressive multi-instrumentalist, combining talents on the guitar, drums, piano, keyboard, bass guitar, double bass, French horn, cello, violin, viola, mandolin, accordion, xylophone, glockenspiel, harp and hurdy-gurdy.  They are arguably the most noteworthy and celebrated indie band, winning the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Album of the Year for their third studio album “The Suburbs.” The win was a triumph for the indie world since such a prestigious award is seldom, if ever, won by such an obscure group.

“The Suburbs” was released on August 2, 2010. The album is not considered folk but definitely exhibits aspects which allow it to qualify. The meter is steady and rustic, though dramatic at times, and the lyrics speak of everyday life and familial responsibilities. The pop-baroque aspect is also strong in Arcade Fire’s other albums.

To address the more feminine side of baroque-folk, one of the queen bees of the style is Canadian vocalist and musician Leslie Feist. Professionally known as ‘Feist’, the 35-year-old is a member of Broken Social Scene, a musical collective, but has become independently known for her largely successful solo projects. Her third studio album, “Metals”, was released in the U.S. on October 4, 2011, and has received much positive critical acclaim. The tracks reflect a modern woman with a deep-rooted and nostalgic soul. Her writing seems very impulsive, in a natural way. Any given track in the album can have such extremely contrasting high and low points that the listener doesn’t know what will come next. I see this variability as a reflection of the spontaneity of nature.

It is not uncommon for baroque-folk artists, especially those pursuing solo projects, to abandon stylistic elements which made them successful for innovation.  This is usually praised, but in the case of Feist, many fans and critics were disappointed. Unlike her previous work which focused on her gorgeous, classically feminine vocals that are coveted in the baroque-folk scene, “Metals” has a darker, wilder and more masculine tone. Her voice takes a back seat to her instrumentals, a tendency I’ve noticed among many indie artists. It seems to be a competition of creativity–or artful eccentricity.

The genre is ever-growing and exploding with innovation and creativity. I believe that it will be this very movement which will make the first couple decades of the millennium celebrated for pure musical genius.

By Jenni Whalen

Contributing Writer

This weekend, dancers from across campus will perform in the annual Fall Dance Showcase. On Friday, Nov. 11 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 12 at 2 p.m. in Harvey M. Powers Theatre, students will dance in 20 different pieces–-10 in the first act and 10 in the second act. Directed by Dana Chernock ’12 and Erin Ilic ’12, the performance will run for almost two hours, with a short intermission midway. There will be contemporary pieces, ballet, tap, a performance by the Lewisburg Dance Conservatory and performances from student groups, including Jelani, Irish Dance and the Latino Dance Corner.

Nikki Shea ’12, a member of the Irish dance group that will be performing in the showcase, looks forward to the show every semester. “Each year the show has something new to offer,” she said. “Coming to see the show is also a great way to show the theater and dance community support, as well as showing your support for friends and peers who are involved.”

The University’s dance and theater students have been preparing for the showcase for weeks in anticipation of this weekend’s show. In order to dance in the showcase, any student can attend auditions at the beginning of the fall semester. After a simple audition of stretches, across the floor work and a few combinations, dancers are cast into 1-3 pieces and rehearse for the rest of the semester. In addition to dancing, students have also choreographed many of the pieces in the showcase.

University students have the opportunity to participate in activities such as dance without a large time commitment.

“I love dancing at Bucknell because I am able to have what I like to call my educational stress relief,” said Abby Crane ’11, a choreographer and dancer in the showcase. “The showcase is able to expand on that by allowing me to participate in a variety of numbers from semester to semester. Overall, it is such a great program because so many people have to opportunity to do what they love and it doesn’t take up a large amount of time.”

Showcase attendees can look forward to Crane’s choreography in a piece called “Life Changing,” which features seven dancers and shows how different experiences can change an individual’s outlook on life. Another piece to look for is a dance from guest choreographer Bianca Roman, a recent University graduate. Her piece, entitled “The Boy Machine,” features seven dancers, as well as an original music score written by C.J. Fujimura ’13 and poetry by Roman herself.

“Audience members should be excited to experience all types of movement in this semester’s showcase,” Roman said. “They will truly feel inspired.”

By Mackenzie Halfhide and Jason Brown

Contributing Writers

We all know it happens to us: those moments as we’re walking by ourselves on campus at some odd hour, and in the distance another human or astronaut of the green space, navigating their person, appears as if on a crash collision course with your own bodily vehicle. Your heart begins to race as many questions flash through your mind.

“Who is that unknown alien? Do I know them from somewhere? Should I greet them? Smile? Maybe I should pretend I don’t have any idea who they are or, better yet, just completely ignore their existence.”

Too often it seems the latter of those possibilities is the go-to method that we act out upon our fellow students and therefore continue to create disconnect between our neighbors and ourselves. In examining these situations, does it call to mind the ways we react during other moments in our lives in which we are asked to come to resolution? Take for instance those when we are engaged in problems in class, dealing with conflict among friends and family, or entered into some type of artistic or intellectual exchange. In these situations, there seems to be a correct path out of the maze of conflict that one generally seeks to resolve the issue, so as not to remain in anxious suspension. If each of these circumstances has the potential for a positive outcome, there too must be something to learn from the mysterious encounter with the other.

Then comes the overarching question: how do we make this move towards what is good and resolving by departing from our own universe and entering into the enlightenment of the multi-verse?

Well, the only advice needed is to start by smiling and saying, “What’s good, homie?” and then it’s all downhill from there. You’ve bridged the gap and connected with the other to form an understanding and agreeable meaning through the connection. This movement from the individual to the ethical reflects the fact that it is in our human nature to be social beings. So please then, let us embrace our unity through as many aspects of life and community as possible.

For all those in agreement with the beliefs expressed here, a lot of good people have been working very hard to provide a fantastic opportunity to get down and dirty with some electrically charged connections. On Saturday, Nov. 12, there will be a Party for Peace, a charitable music and arts festival, held from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the University’s late-night venue, Uptown, located in Swartz Hall. The meaning of the event comes from its triangular form. The first point is to raise money to support Amnesty International in their promotion of peace and love around the world; the second is to showcase the artistic talent of our campus affiliates; and the third is a personal challenge, directly from that tall kid with the ‘fro who people call J-Brown, to participate in an out-of-comfort, out-of-body event.

The Party for Peace features a variety of talent from the visual, musical, and theatrical arts, which aims to parallel the historical progression of performing arts. The night will begin with the more ancient forms, including spoken word from Stadler Center poets and a performance from the improv troupe, We Break for Nobody. From there it will progress to live musical acts ranging from singer-songwriters, such as Max Kortlander, to full bands, like The Away Birds, and will conclude with the digital arts of live DJ sets. If the discovery of the desire to meet new people, see new colors, feel new sounds, and engage in novel experience sheds its light on you, then please join us for a night of positivity, peace, and art.

“You enter alone; we leave together.”

By Carolyn Williams

Staff Writer

South American author Isabel Allende’s eighth novel “Island Beneath the Sea” is a historical romance set in 18th century Haiti, characterized by the sweeping scale and attention to detail which have come to be Allende’s hallmarks.

In 1770, young Frenchman Toulouse Valmorain reluctantly arrives in Haiti, determined to return immediately to the civilized France to which, he is adamant, he rightfully belongs. Unfortunately, his syphilis-stricken father has left the family plantation in ruin, and if there is to be any hope of maintaining the financial status to which the Valmorains have become accustomed, Toulouse will have to settle in Saint-Domingue for some time, to his considerable displeasure.

As years pass, Valmorain turns the plantation into a success but realizes that for him, the return to Paris must wait, and he decides to marry. Enamored of a young Spanish woman, Eugenia, Valmorain marries. In preparation for his new wife, he purchases a child slave, a mulatto named Zarité–Tété for short–who becomes the novel’s protagonist.

Eugenia and Toulouse are hardly a picture of marital bliss, as she slowly devolves into insanity. Tété is the unparalleled favorite slave of both master and mistress, she for comfort in her muddled state, and he for domestic help and a warm body at night.

As the French Revolution takes Paris by storm, and Toussaint L’Ouverture’s slave rebellion follows closely upon its heels, Valmorain moves himself and Tété to the bustling, exciting city of New Orleans. Despite their unique relationship and unusual degree of codependency, Tété longs for her freedom.

As is Allende’s wont, “Island Beneath the Sea” is dramatic, richly textured and deeply felt. Unfortunately, it does not touch the spectacular “House of the Spirits” or even “Daughter of Fortune.” Given her prior writings, we have come to expect a certain lightness woven into the more serious fabric of her story, a multigenerational tale, perhaps, which might accept in that uniquely South American way. We expect a certain degree of magic, receiving these surprising turns with good humor. But “Island Beneath the Sea” spends too much time in the lavish details of its historical setting, leaving its characters flat and rather unlike the captivating creatures we expect of Allende. Most disappointing is our heroine, Tété, who fails to excite or intrigue, despite her historically rich context and the number of atrocities she witnesses related to slavery.

At the end of the day, “Island Beneath the Sea” is not a bad book by any means. It simply fails to meet Allende’s own usually excellent standards. For an author with such a large English translation readership of her original Spanish, some disappointment is inevitable.

By Michelle Joline

Arts & Life Editor

This year, the Samek Art Gallery has improved the quality of art presented in the exhibits it brings to campus. At the beginning of this academic year, the gallery showcased Timothy Greenfield-Sanders’ Black List Project, featuring 25 portraits of successful African Americans, seeking to redefine the negative connotations associated with the term “blacklist,” and Myra Greene’s photography conveying the themes of society’s obsession with race and identity.   

The International Collage Center, better knows as the ICC, has brought an exhibition titled “Remix” to the Elaine Langone Center (ELC) with an entirely new perspective on collaging. The exhibition opened Oct. 14 and ends Dec. 4. This exhibit proves that collage is a great deal more than just a third-grade interpretation of paper cutting and glue.

Although the exhibition opened Oct. 14, discussion about the exhibit was held in the ELC Forum last Friday night. Artists Alice Attie and Mark Wagner from the “Remix” exhibition spoke on their own interpretations of the practice of collage, as well as their individual artistic endeavors. Also, on Monday, Nov. 14, the Campus Theatre will be hosting a film screening of “Portraits of three artists included in the ‘Remix’ exhibition—Joseph Cornell, May Wilson and Ray Johnson.”

The non-profit art organization ICC, based in Milton, works to publicize the artistry behind collage and mixed media, making for non-traditional and experimental exhibitions. The exhibition is co-curated by founder and artistic director Pavel Zoubok and director Rachael Lawe, who have utilized pieces from ICC’s permanent collection to create “Remix.” The University is fortunate that it is the first stop on their national tour.

The ICC has funded the creation of this exhibition to unite the philosophies and styles behind past and present movements in art. This plays on the essential idea of collage, uniting alternative mediums onto one surface to form a unique piece of art. “Remix” is an ideal title for this exhibition, which will be an excellent addition to The Samek Art Gallery’s exhibit history.