Category: Arts & Life

Categories
Arts & Life Movies Review

New ‘Jane Eyre’ film an impressive adaptation

By Carolyn Williams

Staff Writer

First published in 1847 under the pen name Currer Bell, Charlotte Brontë’s “Jane Eyre” has since become one of the best-loved and most widely read books in English literature. Eighteen film and nine television adaptations later comes the latest film version, Cary Fukunaga’s vision of the classic Gothic romance.

Much of the book’s beginning is conveyed in less detail than prior adaptations. Fukunaga breaks tradition by starting the film as Jane (Mia Wasikowska,“The Kids Are Alright”) wanders the moors on the verge of death. Much of the story is told by flashbacks during Jane’s stay in Moor House with St. John Rivers (Jamie Bell, “Billy Elliot”) and his sisters Mary and Diana. As Jane conceals her identity with the alibi of Jane Elliot, she is haunted by images of the life she has left behind, and she tells her prior story in unexpected fits and starts.

An orphan, Jane was raised by her spiteful Aunt Reed, who shares her children’s distaste for the fiery and passionate Jane, defying her husband’s dying wish by sending Jane off to Lowood School. There, slandered as a liar, Jane suffers further, emerging 10 years later as a young governess to take her place at Thornfield Hall.

At Thornfield, Jane is the governess of the endearing Adele Varens, ward to the absent master of the estate, Mr. Rochester (Michael Fassbender, “Inglorious Basterds”). Genuinely happy for the first time in her life, Jane befriends the elderly housekeeper Mrs. Fairfax (Judi Dench) and is, for a time, at peace.

Mr. Rochester’s arrival changes everything, as Jane finds a true kindred spirit and falls in love, despite the disparity in situation and age between them. Though she despairs over the problem posed by her far more suitable rival, Blanche Ingram, she believes herself truly happy when Rochester declares himself, and they prepare for their unusual union. However, as Jane fans everywhere know, things certainly do not go according to plan.

This adaptation of “Jane Eyre” varies from its predecessors in several vital ways. It takes a more visceral perspective on the novel and is probably more accurate because of it. Cutting through the typical folderol of a period romance, starkness abounds, which better suits Brontë’s characters. Wasikowska wears ugly dresses and, thankfully, is made as unglamorous as possible, in keeping with the Jane of Brontë’s vision. As usual for actors in the role of Rochester, Fassbender is a little too handsome to pass muster, but his performance is a strong one.

“I was blinded by the performance of Michael Fassbender as the morose but charismatic Mr. Rochester,” Ava Giuliano ’14 said.

Fukunaga’s “Jane Eyre” is also notable for its well-placed use of the book’s more frightening aspects as he plays upon the tangible sense of eerie uncertainty at Thornfield which permeates the work. But most importantly, Wasikowska shines in the title role. Like Fassbender’s Rochester, her Jane is less dramatic than some, drawing upon Jane’s firm strength of character and religious conviction to create an albeit subdued, but overall more believable interpretation of the story’s heroine. “Jane Eyre” truly captures the spirit of the beloved novel and is quite possibly one of the best adaptations yet.

Categories
Arts & Life Columns Cooking Corner

Cooking Corner: Chex Muddy Buddies

By Emily Fry

Staff Writer

Chex Muddy Buddies

Since it’s House Party Weekend, you’re probably going to want something to snack on throughout the weekend. Most of you probably remember the chocolatey, sweet goodness that is “muddy buddies” from when you were younger, and it’s so easy to make. You can make it quickly Friday in the afternoon and enjoy your snack all weekend long, or however long it lasts. Happy baking!

 

Ingredients:

9 cups rice Chex or corn Chex (or a combination)

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

 

Directions:

1. Measure cereal into large bowl; set aside.

2. In a one-quart microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter, uncovered, on high for one minute; stir. Microwave the mixture about 30 seconds longer or until the mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag.

3. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in an airtight container in your refrigerator.

 

Source: chex.com

 

Categories
Arts & Life

Interview with MTV’s ‘The Buried Life’

By Laura Crowley

Arts & Life Editor

The cast of “The Buried Life” visited the University on March 10 to present a more in-depth explanation of their MTV show. The cast, which consists of four men in their 20s (Jonnie Penn, Duncan Penn, Dave Lingwood and Ben Nemtin), has embarked on a mission to complete 100 things on their “bucket list.” The items range from streaking in a stadium to running a successful business.

In an interview with Jonnie and Dave, the two said that they got the idea to complete their bucket list when they were in college and “all had this frustration with what we were doing.” Dave explained that they were all “going through the same thing at the same time,” as they were largely unsatisfied and restless while attaining their undergraduate degrees.

With this restlessness, the four decided to cross items off their list over summer vacation while filming it as a documentary. Segments were uploaded onto YouTube, and offers to make a television show ensued from various networks. Jonnie said the group turned down tempting offers because they felt they did not match their vision and only later accepted MTV’s offer because the network allowed them to act largely as their own producers.

While the group is enjoying their contract with MTV, one grievance Jonnie noted with the network was the labels that they recently gave to each group member. MTV labeled Ben “the agent,” Dave “the optimist,” Duncan “the pragmatist” and Jonnie “the think tank.” While he says they are somewhat accurate, Jonnie resents the labels because “we don’t want people to think MTV casted us.”

The originality of the group is clear when they help a stranger accomplish something on his or her bucket list in each episode. In this part, one group member will ask an unsuspecting person, “What do you want to do before you die?”  In recent episodes, the group has promoted awareness of depression, helped a band get signed by a record label, and united a father with his long-lost son. Each experience, Dave noted, “triggers a different emotion in each of us.”

One emotion that may be the common denominator in the outlandish goals they try to achieve is nervousness. In episode four, “#74: Help Deliver a Baby,” Dave said he was “terrified.” Jonnie said he was similarly terrified before “#50: Streak a Stadium and Get Away With It” and that Duncan was nervous before asking Taylor Swift out in “#59: Ask Out The Girl of Your Dreams.”

The group has acquired visible fame while accomplishing these extravagant goals. They are now sponsored by Pizza Hut, were nominated for VH1’s “Do Something Award” in the TV show category and recently shot a commercial with Orbit gum. The “Orbit lady,” Jonnie noted, is “like a Barbie” and is not actually British, but from Vegas.

In future episodes, the group hopes to run a marathon, party with a rock star and travel to space. The latter, Jonnie emphasized is “a huge, huge task for us.” In 10 years, Dave and Jonnie said they hope to still be entertaining their friends one way or another. Perhaps most important to future episodes in season three, according to Dave, is “to keep on talking to people” and “hearing peoples dreams and list items.”

Categories
Arts & Life Featured Study Abroad

En Granada

By Wes Pyron

Contributing Writer

Simply put, I cannot last one full day without some sight, song, saying, or daydream that somehow warps itself into a memory of my time in Granada. The enthralling beauty of a Lewisburg sunset is comparable only to that of the sunset over the Alhambra; hearing “Stereo Love” while absentmindedly attempting to do homework in Seventh Street Café fuels a desire to dance like we did in El Camborio (half club, half cave, mind you). Even the Rooke Chapel bells tolling the University’s alma mater are distinctly familiar to a church I passed each afternoon walking home from class in Granada. Heck, even trips to Wal-Mart are sentimental; I can’t get past the produce section without reminiscing (Granada means pomegranate in Spanish).

My semester abroad was collectively the greatest experience of my life. To clarify, I use the term “collectively” because each day in Spain was a gem in itself. Granted, at the time, simple daily activities like walking to the post office, sprinting to a café between classes, and afternoons at Hannigan’s Pub (for the free wi-fi, obviously) seemed to be leisurely activities to speed the day along. Although the waffles in Belgium, fish-n-chips in London, gyros in Athens and pizza/pasta binges in Italy were unforgettable, it is those simple Spanish memories that I cherish the most.

Granada is one of the coolest cities I’ve ever been to. The historical relevance is captivating, as is the city’s sense of pride in its history.  Each new bit of information, each question answered and each visit to a historic building helped accumulate such a vast pool of knowledge that I often found myself wishing I had the rest of my life to wake up and experience Granada each day. (Sidenote: the Alhambra should be on your list of things to see.) This fortress is known as a “palace city” composed of a defensive perimeter, multiple palaces and El Generalife, which consists of additional palaces, gardens and orchards. The city of Granada is so culturally dynamic due partially to its diverse history of rulers. Since its establishment by the ancient Romans, the Visigoths, the Moors, various Arabic dynasties, the Catholic Monarchs and Spain have all played a role in the city’s development.

Oddly, I miss the language barrier. I miss not being able to assume the ability to communicate. I miss repeating the same few key words over and over again, while simultaneously combining them with awkward finger pointing and hand motions. I miss ordering my food incorrectly and not having the bravery (or vocabulary) to correct it.

But more than anything, I miss the pace and mindset of each day. Despite severe lack of sleep for most of my time there, looking back I realize I was refreshed and spiritually content nearly every single day. The relaxed pace of the day meant that despite any upcoming exam, gypsy who felt the need to steal my iPhone, or stranger who wanted to steal my wallet in a club, today I would trade anything to be sitting along the stone wall of the Mirador de San Nicolas, waiting for that sunset over the Alhambra.

Categories
Arts & Life Movies Review

‘The Adjustment Bureau’ suffers from unoriginality

By Michelle Joline

Contributing Writer

“The Adjustment Bureau” suffers from a “been there/seen that” plotline and many lackluster acting performances, making it fail to meet the promise of director George Nolfi’s successful prior films, “The Bourne Ultimatum” (2007) and “Ocean’s Twelve” (2004).

“The Adjustment Bureau” stars Matt Damon as David Norris, an underdog politician, and Emily Blunt as Elise Sellas, a New York ballerina. The plot follows Damon and Blunt through a romantic tale based in a world where occurrences are decided by fate and an organization known as The Adjustment Bureau works to ensure that each person’s fate comes to pass. This unoriginal premise seems much like the American classic “1984.” Both the classic novel and this film center around the idea that we are constantly being watched with our thoughts monitored and our destinies predetermined by a “Big Brother” figure.

Although the premise is much like that of “1984,” the storyline is unfortunately not as compelling. After David discovers the reality of The Adjustment Bureau, he realizes that only it stands in the way of his being with his true love, Elise. The story takes us through David’s battle to protect the secret of The Adjustment Bureau without losing the thing that makes him most happy–Elise. Despite its interesting previews, the film only captivates for about four minutes. By the end of the 105-minute movie, nothing breaks off course from the expected, making the movie a poor combination of “Inception,” with its not-so-successful suspense, and “You’ve Got Mail,” imitating the formula romance.

Damon’s purposeful sprints across the screen did not pull me in like his prior “Bourne” roles, missing the mark for making this an ever-popular intense action flick. Damon just managed to pull off his role as David Norris, a native to the streets of Brooklyn who captured the public eye as the youngest member of the Senate, most likely because we have seen him portray very similar characters in the past. The fault should not be pointed at Damon for the film not meeting expectations, because we know he can successfully capture this sort of character; perhaps the blame should be pointed to the less-than-original plotline written by Nolfi.

The saving grace to the film is Blunt’s performance. Blunt captivates everyone in the audience when she is on screen with her honest portrayal, forcing Damon to raise the bar from scene to scene. It is unfortunate that Blunt and Damon were not given a better story to play with and explore character developments together since they do actually play a convincing couple. Maybe if we are lucky we will get the chance to see the two attempt another pairing role in the future.

With a story that has already been drilled into everyone’s heads over the past decades, “The Adjustment Bureau” disappoints despite its many promising previews and its celebrated cast. Your money is not well spent on this film; hopefully Damon and Blunt will bring more to be desired in their next big screen roles.

Categories
Arts & Life Columns Cooking Corner

Cooking Corner : The Freez

By Emily Fry

Staff Writer

The Freez

As many of you may already know, the Freez re-opened on Thursday. I figured that rather than share another recipe, this week I would honor the Freez. As loyal fans of the Freez already know, there is already a plethora of mix-ins listed as options for your “freez,” but did you know you can ask for any kind of ice cream flavor you want? The possibilities are endless. To pay tribute to the Freez, I thought I would share some of the best my friends and I have tried. You’re welcome.

-Strawberry ice cream and chocolate covered pretzels.

-Coffee ice cream with brownie pieces.

-Caramel ice cream with chocolate covered pretzels.

-Cheesecake ice cream and strawberries.

-Peanut butter ice cream and brownie pieces.

-Be creative; the possibilities are endless.

 

Categories
Arts & Life Books Review

O’Farrell blends past and present

By Carolyn Williams

Staff Writer

Maggie O’Farrell’s fifth book, “The Hand That First Held Mine,” artfully melds two stories into one elegant novel: the first the history of Lexie Sinclair, a young woman blossoming in postwar London; the second that of Elina and Ted, a young couple introduced just after the birth of their first child, set fifty years after Lexie’s story.

Lexie makes her entrance in a burst of passion while fighting with her mother in rural Devon. After having been politely asked to leave her university, Lexie is displeased to find herself returned to the stagnation of her childhood home, bogged down by whining siblings and her patently boring life. Luckily for her, at this precise moment, the dashing, flamboyantly-attired Innes Kent appears, his car having broken down nearby. He immediately likes Lexie, and his well-timed arrival imbues Lexie with the courage to escape the stifling mediocrity ascribed to her in Devon. Without much of a plan, Lexie packs a bag and heads off to London, much to her family’s disapprobation, but with the promise of guidance from the intriguing Innes.

Lexie soon joins Innes in his work in bohemian Soho, where he edits an up-and-coming art magazine. Lexie’s natural vivacity and pert opinions make her a promising art critic, while her burgeoning love for Innes grows into a committed relationship, despite his estranged wife and frightening daughter. Lexie’s chapters, which interchange with those of Elina and Ted, are full of passion and an intangible gusto for life, which is somewhat dampened by the fact (made known early on) that she will die young. Still, Lexie’s adventurous zeal prevails, making her the undeniable star of the show, despite the bittersweet knowledge that she must die before the story ends.

Meanwhile, in contemporary London, Elina struggles with the aftereffects of the traumatic, botched delivery of her newborn son. A Norwegian painter, Elina wakes without any memory of the birth, which lasted several days and nearly killed her. Her apparent amnesia surrounding the event terrifies her pragmatic boyfriend, Ted, a film editor, prone to memory blackouts himself. As the days crawl by, Elina reacquaints herself with the day-to-day proceedings of her life, gradually beginning to remember the delivery, regaining strength and familiarizing herself with her new role as a mother.

Ted, however, is plagued by a sudden onset of alien memories which he cannot place. These memories, most of them triggered by interactions with his son, make little sense in the context of his life. Together, Ted and Elina begin to piece together the fragments of Ted’s early childhood, which, it becomes clear, is hardly what it has always seemed. Their search causes their current story to collide with the past, and, of course, with the long-dead Lexie, in an explosive “Aha” moment which leaves everyone reeling.

O’Farrell’s writing nears poetry, challenging the reader from the moment of Lexie’s first entrance. However, once accustomed to the style and pace of the prose, readers will find the story hard to put down. “The Hand That First Held Mine” is a very satisfying read, which, happily, never compromises artistry for story, because it simply does not need to.

Categories
Arts & Life

Observatory hosts Family Night

By Nicole Briggs

Contributing Writer

A little rain was not enough to stop true Lewisburg astronomy fans as they made their way to the observatory for Family Night on Saturday.

The night began with a lesson from Katelyn Allers, assistant professor of physics and astronomy, on how to properly use a planisphere, a device that maps out the stars in the night sky. After everyone was taught how to properly use their planispheres, Tyler Szwarc ’11 stepped up to give a presentation entitled “The Stories in the Stars.”

“The sky was a little bit like the Internet to ancient people. They could look to it for anything they needed to know,” Szwarc said.

There were many people in attendance, and families such as the Heymans learned about the event from a pamphlet passed out in their son Logan’s kindergarten class.

“[Logan’s] just been wanting to learn about astronomy,”said Lewisburg resident Mary Joe Heyman.

Szwarc described how the ancient Greeks used the constellations to tell stories as well as answer questions. He asked, “How many people on a daily basis go out and look at the stars?”  Then he told the stories of some of the stars, such as Orion and his dogs Canis Major and Canis Minor, as well as many others. He had the audience use the planisphere so that they could see the constellations for themselves and see that stars have their own stories just like our own lives.

“We’re pretty happy with the turnout given the weather. It’s always a good time and everyone’s learning a lot,” Allers said.

One of the highlights of the night was the opportunity to look at the historic and recently refurbished Clark Telescope.  Since it was raining, the attendees were unable to actually look through it, but it was impressive nonetheless. Allers described her admiration for the telescope, but the the biggest fan was definitely Logan Heyman.

“It was huge!” he said as made his way back from viewing the telescope.

The night also featured a performance from the improv comedy group We Brake for Nobody, who played games such as “Eulogy” that required audience participation.

Family Night is an annual event that occurs every spring.  In addition, there is an open house during Family Weekend in the fall, and the Astronomy Club holds viewing nights the first Friday of every month.

Categories
Arts & Life

Matt Tilford ’11 plays for a cause

By Rob Duffy

Editor-in-Chief

Matt Tilford ’11 will be performing a benefit piano concert on March 10 at 7 p.m. in the Natalie Davis Rooke Recital Hall of the Sigfried Weis Music Building to raise money for the many service organizations he has been involved with in his time at the University. The Bucknellian recently sat down with Tilford to ask some questions about the concert and his experiences composing music.

Q: Tell us a little about the concert.

A: It’s called “Music Making a Difference.” Whatever money we raise is going to be evenly divided between the Bucknell Brigade, the Civil Rights spring break trip, Common Ground, the Katrina Recovery Trip and the office of LGBT Awareness. Suggested donation is $5 for students and $10 for anyone else, and if anyone wants to write a check they can make it out to the Office of Civic Engagement.

Mostly it’s going to be me playing on the piano original pieces that I composed, for the most part inspired by my involvement with those organizations receiving the money. For example, when I was in New Orleans with the Katrina Recovery Team, there was this old beat-up piano where we were staying, and while we were there I wrote a piece inspired by what I was experiencing as part of the trip; so that particular piece is what I’m playing at the concert. There’s a direct link between what I’m playing and who’s benefiting from it. I’m also going to talk a little bit about my involvement with each of these organizations, and there will be a few other students and staff members who will speak.

Q: How did you come up with the idea of holding a concert?

A: The idea for the concert was actually Fran McDaniel’s before she died. I haven’t really been directly involved with the LGBT office like I have with the other programs, but I knew Fran through my music, so I kind of decided to go with it and do it as a tribute to her and in her memory.

Q: As a history major and someone who’s student-teaching, how did you get into composing music?

A: I started playing the piano when I was four; music and piano in particular was always a big part of my life growing up. I got very involved with the music programs with my high school. I think most people expected me to go on to study music and do more with it, but I was burned out of it by the time I finished high school. I was more interested in studying history and becoming a teacher, and I just needed to try different things and broaden my horizons.

Q: What got you back into music?

A: What I found when I got here was that I needed to sit down and play the piano. I didn’t have any music with me, but I started going into the practice rooms in the music building and playing stuff. Over time I started noticing themes and patterns I liked to play a lot, and eventually they started turning into these songs that I’ve composed. By the beginning of junior year I was doing it more consciously. I haven’t actually written much of this stuff down; it’s mostly just in my head and what I’ve recorded.

Q: How did you come to start sharing your music?

A: It wasn’t until this year that I started sharing my composing. One of my pieces, “Finding Common Ground,” sort of became the theme song for Common Ground. There’s an activity at the end of Common Ground called “Breaking the Silence” where everyone has the opportunity to talk about what they’ve gotten out of the experience. I was playing with the idea of playing this song during the activity. After I did play it, everyone asked what else I had composed and if they could have a recording, and things just snowballed from there. Since then, I’ve recorded two CDs and played at a number of different events and memorial services.

Q: Any plans for the future?

A: I’m hoping to get another CD out before the end of the semester, before I graduate, and I guess I’ll go from there. A not-so-secret ambition is to become a film composer; I’m not really expecting that to happen, but if it did I’d be happy with it. In the meantime, I’ll keep performing, keep composing and keep sharing it with people.

Categories
Arts & Life Headline News Study Abroad

Revolution in Egypt: One Student’s Experience

By Eric Soble

Senior Writer

After three successive failures, Egyptians had almost made it across the October 6 Bridge from Zamalek, the small island nestled in the heart of Cairo. The bridge had created a bottleneck for the protesters, an obstacle before Tahrir that proved difficult to pass. Tear gas rifles popped in and out of rhythm, rubber bullets shot at close range, circles of Egyptians dragged bodies back from the bridge and handed them into ambulances.

All I could think of was that other study-abroad students in Europe were looking at thousand-year-old statues and casually observing Impressionist paintings. A weird thought for the time, I admit, but a thought that still stays with me.

I was with six other American students on Jan. 25. We were living in downtown Cairo in a small dormitory, fresh off the plane from JFK Airport, still learning our salutations in colloquial Arabic and getting accustomed to the general cacophony of the city.

As we walked down the Nile towards Tahrir Square on that Saturday, we realized the full extent of security detail. In every side street, there were barricades and around 30 policemen stationed at intersections. In front of the state-run media building, there were approximately 200 policemen in riot gear. This was a powerful aesthetic of oppression: the police guarding this tower symbolized the insane extent the government went to in order to maintain its power over the people.

A woman told us that we should leave the region along the Nile. This became increasingly obvious as we witnessed the beginning of the revolution. We had hurried onto a hotel roof to watch the beginning of what would be a multi-week affair.

The fight for the bridge seemed to last forever. Water trucks blasted water at a high velocity into the crowds. Egyptians hugged the ends of the bridge. Police were intent on holding their position and continued firing rubber bullets and tear gas canisters. These canisters would rise high in the air and fall to the ground quite suddenly, making them dangerous in more ways than one. A few of these canisters landed in the hotel, catching fire to some furniture. Tear gas clouded the roof of the hotel, and we had to go inside to escape it.

Tear gas is rancid. Water and masks don’t help; many protesters used vinegar on their keffiyehs, which seemed to work sometimes. It burns both your eyes and your throat and makes it absolutely impossible to see.

In the lobby of the hotel security guards were blockading the entrances. A protester had suffered a major wound to his head and was bleeding profusely. Police were directly outside, pushing back protesters and setting up blockades on the roads leading to Tahrir. It seemed we were stuck.

Once the line at the bridge was broken, chaos ensued. People in the front of the protest charged the police, forcing them to retreat from their previous positions. Egyptians broke curbs apart to make stones able to be thrown. They broke down guard stands (in Cairo, there are small individualistic pods for guards to stand in) and rolled them towards the police. People took control of the water trucks and pointed the hoses in the air. Egyptians overtook the military vehicles. Fired tear gas canisters were either thrown back at police or pitched into the Nile by brave Egyptians.

The sun faded behind the palm trees of the Nile. Some in our group wanted to stay in the hotel, but we ultimately decided to brave it back to our dormitories. The 30-minute walk proved quiet enough; there was no one in the streets because Mubarak had declared a curfew, but in the distance we could see the explosions of Molotov cocktails and hear the firing of guns. I have not forgotten the yelling and chanting that seemed to flow over the rooftops. Shouts of “huriyya, huriyya” (“freedom” in Arabic) continued throughout the night.

All the students in the dorm were crowded around the television in the main common room. The news was haunting: almost 100 killed, with thousands injured. We all stayed up early into the morning, listening and watching as the city outside of our door erupted. Egyptians, after 30 years, were demanding their rights without concession—and they didn’t plan on giving up any time soon.

The immediate effects of the protests were tangible, even in the early hours of the morning. The streets were empty; stores had either been ransacked or were closed. Broken glass was everywhere, and it seemed that the stores that were open had moved all of their goods inside, where they were less likely to be stolen. The grocery store, Metromart, was the only store of its kind that remained open. Most of the meat was gone, and there were no fresh vegetables.

Cairo had effectively come to a standstill. The government had shut down the Internet and all phone services. A few of us decided to go down and take a look in Old Cairo, off the island of Zamalek. Small pockets of protests were still going on, but the army had arrived and proved less hostile than the police. Oftentimes, they would join the protesters in chants. They often allowed Egyptians to climb on top of tanks and hold the Egyptian flag high. The distinction between the army forces and the police—which act more like Mubarak’s personal security detail—was not a distinction that the U.S. and the U.K. media made.

One event that sticks out in my mind occurred as we were proceeding back across the Nile to return home. Protesters were streaming the opposite direction towards Tahrir Square. Bullets from the previous night were strewn across the bridge. An Egyptian man suddenly began picking up these bullets as we approached, and he pointed to the blunt end of the bullets, saying “Look, American … America” in Arabic. As it turns out, the very bullets fired against the demonstrators were made in the U.S.A. I have never felt so disappointed in my country.

The next day, the State Department began evacuations. Buses lined our dorms as students swarmed to catch a bus to the airport. Leaving Cairo was like exiting a war zone. At every turn, there were huge tanks with handfuls of troops. One doesn’t really understand how gargantuan a tank is until it is up close. The streets were still relatively busy, but the tension was tangible. As the bus went up an incline near Suleiman’s castle in Cairo, I caught my first—and only—glimpse of the pyramids. After a split second, they were consumed by the foreground of Suleiman’s castle. I would leave Egypt without visiting its flagship institution.

The State Department evacuation line extended past the airport. There had to be a thousand people in this line that showed no signs of movement. We unloaded our baggage and queued for a plane. We only knew that we would be evacuated to one of three locations: Athens, Istanbul or Nicocea. We waited for 10 hours. As it happened, my plane landed in Istanbul. I had Internet, food and phone service. I ordered what seemed like the best pasta I had ever had. As I contemplated what I was to do for the next three months of my life, I turned on the television to see Egyptians still gallantly fighting. My heart ached for what had been my home for only two weeks. As is inscribed by Ramses II on Queen Nefertiti’s tomb, “My love is unique and none can rival her … just by passing, she has stolen away my heart.” I hope I will visit Egypt soon. May she be in better health and without her previous government.

[Editor’s Note: Eric Soble is currently located safely in Morocco and will continue his semester abroad there.]