Category: Arts & Life

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Arts & Life

Downtown Dance now open on Market Street

By Carolyn Williams

Contributing Writer

A new dance studio recently opened on the corner of Fifth and Market Street. Christine Rozolis, owner and artistic director of Downtown Dance, hopes to see many University students use the new facilities.

Rozolis, a Philadelphia native and dancer since she was three, moved to Lewisburg in July to open Downtown Dance.

“My parents, sister and uncle went to Bucknell, so I was comfortable with the area, and I like the charm of Lewisburg very much,” Rozolis said.

After completing college at UMass Amherst, Rozolis was unsure whether she wanted to pursue a dancing career.  She briefly worked in marketing and taught dancing on the side. Rozolis later decided to take the plunge and open Downtown Dance.

The new studio offers a number of different classes in both dance and Zumba targeting varying age groups, from “Baby Ballet,” Ballet Tap Combo and Beginner Jazz for younger dancers to advanced classes for more experienced dancers. Rozolis hopes University students will join her intermediate and advanced–level Tap Club and lyrical classes.

In Tap Club, held on Mondays at 7 p.m., Rozolis leads warm–ups, but the class is mostly collaborative, focusing on team-building and learning new combinations. Rozolis describes her Adult Lyrical class (Tuesdays at 5 p.m.) as “a blend of ballet and dance set to modern soft rock and soundtrack songs.” Rozolis offers a student rate: $75 for 10 classes.

Downtown Dance’s Zumba classes are held on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. and on Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. These classes are open to individuals of all dance levels and backgrounds, and Rozolis hopes to draw a crowd from both the University and Lewisburg communities.

The studios’ decor of cheery blue walls and large windows create an energetic class environment. Many students enjoyed the class and the different dance experience.

“The class is a great workout; it’s amazing how much more fun you can have when you’re dancing to all sorts of fun music instead of watching the number of calories burned on the treadmill,” Liz Walker ’14 said of her first Zumba experience. “I can’t believe what a good time I had. I’ll be coming back again, and I’m definitely bringing my roommate next time. She’d love it.”

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Arts & Life

Exploring the Samek Art Gallery

By Katie Monigan

Arts & Life Editor

The permanent collection of the Samek Art Gallery, located in the Elaine Langone Center, boasts more than 5,000 works of art—from Renaissance and Baroque painting to pre-Columbian objects—with a specialty in photography and prints. It is sponsored mostly by donations from alumni and local supporters. The collection started in 1853, when it was stored in the Bertrand Library, and moved to its current home in the Edward and Marthann Samek Art Gallery in 1983.

Despite the presence of such a large gallery on campus, students rarely take advantage of this resource.

Harry Bradford ’13 said he did not even know there was a gallery on campus. “I’ve heard of it, but I don’t know where it is,”  Ariel Savrin-Jacobs ’13 said.

Tracy Ann Graham, the gallery’s assistant registrar, admits a large percentage of students are not familiar with the Samek Gallery. She attributes the low attendance to the location. “Unless a student has a class or comes to an event in the Gallery Theater, or has business in the CAP center, they may graduate from Bucknell without ever venturing above the 1st or 2nd floor of the LC,” she said. Graham hopes to encourage attendance through continued work with individual classes and also through programming advertised through the Message Center.

Despite its apparently minimal attendance from students, the gallery continues to host special exhibitions and an annual student show. Following the current exhibition, the 2010-2011 season will include “Xiaoze Xie: Amplified Moments” from Oct. 11 to Nov. 21, an AIDS quilt display from Nov. 29 to Dec. 7, “Deng Guoyuan and Rosalyn Richards: Works on Paper” from Jan. 28 to March 30, and “Collection Focus III: In Chicago” from Jan. 28 to March 30. The year will culminate with a student show for the second half of April.

Though in prior years the student show has been a showcase of all the art classes offered at the University, according to gallery operations manager Cynthia Peltier, this year’s show will instead focus on work by students in a Senior Projects class, with additional work of three graduate students in Printmaking, Photography and Sculpture.

Currently “The Sleep of Reason, A Cautionary Tale,” an exhibition by Deborah and Richard Cornell with audio by Richard and installation by Deborah, is on display. The exhibit will run through Oct. 3.

According to the gallery website, the Cornells’ work is a reaction to “the potential for changing the foundation of the natural world by the ‘unraveling’ of DNA.” The display features a boat-shaped container filled with sculpted human hands, seashells, scientific instruments and lizards. The audio is reminiscent of a forest, incorporating the sounds of crickets and other insects. The audio was “filtered to reveal aspects beyond the natural scope of the human ear.” It contains the sounds of crickets, tree frogs and the silver-haired bat.

The Cornells will present their lecture “The Sleep of Reason: A Cautionary Tale” Sunday, Sept. 12 at 1:30 p.m. in the Gallery Theater.  A reception will follow the lecture during which visitors can meet and talk with the artists.

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Arts & Life

Sam Adams to perform at Fall Fest

By Sara Dobosh

Arts & Life Editor

The Campus Activities and Programs (CAP) Center and Activities and Campus Events (ACE) will host Sam Adams at this year’s Fall Fest on Sept. 25 on Sojka Lawn. Although Fall Fest is happening later than it has in prior years, ACE member Sonali Basak ’12 said she “feels that that could only yield a bigger turnout because generally the beginning of the year is more overwhelming as students are moving in and getting settled,” she said. ” [Our Fall Fest date] is the perfect time when students are settled in to be able to enjoy the campus.”

Fall Fest is a special event to University students, as it is a campus-wide and all student organizations are invited to participate. Organizations have the option of sponsoring a booth, game or creative activity.

“[Fall Fest] is one of the times that the entire campus community can come together on Sojka Lawn to enjoy the landscape and diversity that Bucknell offers,” Basak said.

Sam Adams will be joining Ke$ha and B.o.B as the University’s performers for the fall semester.

“Between Sam Adams, Ke$ha and B.o.B, the University has brought forth a series of new and upcoming artists, truly adding to the value of the campus,” Basak said.

The CAP Center, ACE and the Fall Fest committee hope Fall Fest will give University students a reason to stay on campus over the weekend and hope community members will also attend.

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Arts & Life Featured

Silly Bandz craze hits universities

By Ashley Miller

Contributing Writer

Two years ago, if someone asked you if you had any Silly Bandz, you probably would have had no idea what they were talking about. Today it’s nearly impossible not to know what they are. Everyone—men and women, preschool children and college students—wears the colorful rubber bands that come in varying shapes.

Silicone rubber bands were originally introduced to become a more eco-friendly office supply product before they were adapted by BCP Imports to be made into toys for children, according to sillybandz.com. Now Silly Bandz is a multinational name with literally hundreds of designs.

Originally Silly Bandz were shaped as animals. Today you can get them in the shapes of words, texting lingo (such as LOL), Marvel Action Heroes, your favorite sports team or even Justin Bieber. They come in multi-color, glow in the dark and tie-dye designs. Fanatics can even customize their own or write letters to the company suggesting design ideas. The company is also beginning to make Silly Ringz.

Knock off brands like Faith Bands, Crazy Rubber Bands, Zany Bandz and Rubba Bands have been following Silly Bandz’ lead. While Silly Bandz are limited to certain stores, you can find these knock-off brands nearly anywhere. If you aren’t interested in the name, these bands can be purchased for a much cheaper price, though the variety is more limited.

Silly Bandz do not seem to be exclusive to the younger generation. Latina singer-songwriter Shakira wore Silly Bandz on the cover of her new album “Sale el Sol,” they’ve been seen on professional athletes, and Haley Williams, lead singer of Paramore, wore the bands on the cover of Spin Magazine.

College students have not been immune to the craze; you can spot someone sporting the Silly Bandz from most locations on campus.

“They make my day. I have a raccoon and a caterpillar,” Mark Sabbas ‘14 said.

“They are the coolest thing ever,” Alexander Vining ’14 said. “My favorite ones are the ones that glow in the dark.”

Silly Bandz are popular right now for all ages, and it looks as though the trend is not stopping here.

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Arts & Life Campus Events Review

Zumba classes remain popular

By Maggie Schneiderman

Contributing Writer

Ten years ago in Cali, Columbia, fitness trainer Beto Perez forgot his aerobics music. It was too late to go home for it, so he used the Latin Salsa tapes he had in his backpack, and Zumba was born.

Zumba is an aerobic workout combining Latin and international music with dance. The program is currently taught at over 60,000 locations in 105 countries, has sold millions of DVDs and is the work-out favorite of about 7.5 million Americans, according to zumba.com. The University is no exception, with free classes held each Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 4-5 p.m.

A session of Zumba can feel more like a nightclub than a gym. An energetic instructor teaches you to shake your hips and do fast footwork for a mix of dances ranging from Salsa to aerobic-inspired steps, all to the beat of loud, popular music. The Zumba program fuses rhythmic Latin beats and easy-to-follow moves to make a fun, full-body workout. Unlike repetitions with weights or an hour on the treadmill, you don’t even realize you’re working out, but your body reaps the same benefits—an hour-long Zumba class can burn hundreds of calories, according to the Zumba official web site. Zumba’s slogan, “Ditch the workout, join the party” is an accurate description. Adri Hartung ’14 said “the best part is dancing with your friends. It doesn’t even seem like a workout, but it’s really great exercise.”

In a class of almost 45 girls with various levels of dance experience, everyone had a smile on her face and was able to sing along to songs like “3” by Britney Spears and Trey Songz’s “Say Ahh.”

Any level of ability is welcome. As instructor Grace Ragold ’13 said in the beginning of class, no one is watching you, and everyone is there to improve her fitness and have fun. The Zumba program moves are easy to follow, and no previous dance experience is required.

Maddie Lawrence ’14, who has no previous dance experience, was pleased with her ability to follow along.  Kira Kukon ’14, who is a newcomer to Zumba but has experience in dance, said it was a fun way to exercise. She was even able to put her own spin on some of the moves to personalize the workout.

Ragold’s passion for Zumba really shows through in her class. She motivates the girls to have fun and challenge themselves to keep up with the pace. Zumba is a “great cardio workout that also works different muscle groups, and aside from the fitness benefits, it’s a great way to meet people,” she said.

The Zumba workout can be a stress reliever after a full day of classes and is an exhilarating was to tone muscles, burn calories and have fun all at the same time. Next time you want to hit the gym but the elliptical looks daunting, ditch the workout and join the party.

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Arts & Life

Cooking with Emily

By Emily Fry

Staff Writer

Fruit Pizza

Even though Labor Day weekend generally signifies the end of summer, you can hold onto it a little longer with this delicious fruit pizza.  Any kind of fruit works: raspberries, blackberries, kiwi or whatever sounds good to you!

Ingredients:

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup butter

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 3/8 cups cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

2 cups fresh blueberries

2 cups sliced fresh strawberries

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 12-inch pizza pan.
2. First make the crust. In a large mixing bowl, combine  flour, butter and sugar. Once combined, the dough should be dry. Spread the dough into the pizza pan and bake for 10 minutes until brown. Allow the crust to cool on a wire rack.
3. Next make the filling. In another large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Next fold in the whipped topping and spread the mixture onto cooled crust. Top your creation with fruit of your choice.
Credit: Allrecipes.com
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Arts & Life

Classical film review: “Mildred Pierce”

By Diego Chiri

Based on the novel by James M. Cain, “Mildred Pierce” (1945) tells the story of a divorced middle-class mother of two who decides to waitress her way to success in 1930s California. Mildred (Joan Crawford) faces many difficulties: she is a woman living in times of male domination, her ambitious and cold daughter Veda (Ann Blyth) refuses to forgo her life of complete luxury and she becomes the main suspect when her business partner and second husband Monte (Zachary Scott) is murdered under strange circumstances.

“Mildred Pierce” cannot be considered in its entirety a noir film. First, it does not have a male detective hero as a main character. Instead we have Mildred, a strong and idealistic mother whose only sin is to be a woman in the workplace. Mildred is punished throughout the film because she does not stay home to take care of domestic needs, but decides to move freely in a traditionally male-dominated business.

Although it seems the film tries to portray Mildred as a threat to the institution of family, the audience knows that her intentions are noble— she wants to maintain her family’s social position through hard and honest work. Mildred cannot be a “femme fatale,” another key element of noir films, because she is not a fetishist powerful woman who causes psychological terror to men. Daughter Veda instead fulfills the profile of the dangerous but innocent male sexual fantasy.

But what does film noir actually mean? What is it? Is it a genre, a series, a mode or a historical movement? Literally “black film” in French, film noir imposes a dark tone into stories that draws from the underworld of American pulp fiction in the 1940s and 1950s. Film critic John Belton explains it in his 2009 book “American Cinema, American Culture” as the “uniquely American experience of wartime and postwar despair and alienation” made byAmerican cinema to be dominated by “crime, corruption, cruelty and an apparently unhealthy interest in the erotic.” From the French perspective, American film had turned grimmer, bleaker and blacker. “Mildred Pierce” represents the values and identity of family and women in society through a dark perspective.

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Arts & Life

Directors remake foreign films for U.S.A. audiences

By William Bonfiglio

Writer

Filmmaking has consistently been a successful enterprise in the United States but in the last few years, even the most talented Hollywood directors have lost their creativity.

Hollywood studios have been clutching at straws, falling back on recycled storylines and unimaginative premises or, as more studios have found successful, adapting foreign films. Of movie critic Richard Roeper’s list of best movies of the past decade, only five out of the top 10 were completely American in origin. On the Internet movie database (IMDB.com), only “The Dark Knight,” “Memento,” “Avatar” and “WALL-E” were similarly American in origin among the top 10 ranked films of the decade.

Many of the films that topped both lists originated in Asia. Notable examples include “Spirited Away,” “House of Flying Daggers,” “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and “The Departed.”

In the past year, filmmakers have been looking to the West for creative inspiration. Scandinavian films have reached a status of enormous popularity among American audiences, with notable favorites including “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” “The Girl who Played with Fire” and “Let the Right One In.”

“Let the Right One In” by John Ajvide Lindqvist chronicles the interactions between 12-year-old Oskar and his new neighbor, Eli, and the traumatic upheaval Eli causes in their town. It is, to be blunt, a juggernaut of raw emotion and unparalleled craft.

It is bittersweet to read reviews that it retains many of the techniques that made the Swedish version such a success. While this is a safe approach to remaking a successful film, it is unsatisfying in its unwillingness to try something new.

Isn’t that the entire point of remaking a film: to improve upon its imperfections? At the very least, directors should be able to create a work equally enthralling and new. Many wonder what Reeves has done, to make the film his own or give it a more American feel, besides moving its setting from Stockholm to New Mexico.

Perhaps the American adaption of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” a more popular story based on the book by Steig Larsson, will be more fulfilling.  Director David Fincher is very well regarded for his work on films like “Se7en” (1995), “Fight Club” (1999) and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (2008).

Alterations, both subtle and quite pronounced, have been noted in Fincher’s films, and it is all too likely that the changes have played a significant role in the films’ success. “Fight Club” has become an enormously popular and influential cult classic, inspiring the establishment of fight clubs everywhere from Menlo Park, California to Princeton University. “Benjamin Button” became an even greater hit, winning awards for best art direction, visual effects, supporting actress, cinematography and director at a variety of award ceremonies and was named the best picture at the St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Awards and The Houston Film Critics Society Awards.

Fincher achieved success because he recognized the difference between an unremarkable remake and a fresh excursion into compelling storytelling. If Reeves and the directors that follow him hope to reap similar success, they should keep this in mind. From what has been published thus far about his “Let The Right One In” remake, you’d best tether your hopes down.

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Arts & Life Movies Review

When Jacob ‘Eclipsed’ Edward

By Tracy Lum

Editor-in-Chief

“Eclipse” is a battle between fire and ice. And fire definitely wins.

In the film, the third installment of Stephanie Meyer’s “Twilight” series, the love triangle linking Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) and Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) heats up as the deadline for Bella’s transformation into a vampire nears.

While both stunning men vie for Bella’s unsteady heart, tensions between the Cullens and the wolves escalate as red-headed villainess Victoria, along with naïve lackey Riley, create a vampire army to exact revenge on Edward by killing Bella. According to Meyer’s lore, infant vampires are more powerful and blood-thirsty than the average vampire.

To fight for their territory and for Bella’s safety, the sworn enemies, Team Edward and Team Jacob, form a temporary alliance. But making matters worse, the cruel Volturi (the vampire overlords fresh off their stint in “New Moon”) lurk in the background, waiting for the opportune moment to pounce and destroy the Cullen coven.

That alone seems enough to make “Eclipse” the most intense film of the series. Accompanied by flashes into Jasper’s and Rosalie’s histories and glimpses into the Quileute legends, the movie is more thorough and complex than its predecessors. Yet it also manages to stay grounded as Bella contends with graduation and with the mixed emotions regarding her impending metamorphosis.

And then there’s the heat that draws not only from Jacob Black’s seldom-clad form, but also the action-packed battle sequences. The Cullens zip through forests at lightning speed while the still imperfect CGI wolves leap and bound with ferocity. Vampire limbs crack like marble and fly everywhere, obscuring the screen in a sea of white. The best part? The complete absence of gore—the vampires have no blood of their own.

Stewart has finally lost the stutter, completing her immersion into the role of love-torn damsel-in-distress. She no longer merely plays the part, but actually becomes Bella as she grows more confident and comfortable in her relationship with Edward.

Pattinson and Lautner meanwhile provide the Twihards with adequate eyecandy, though Edward’s character has become more subdued while Jacob seems to steal the show. “Don’t you own a shirt?” Edward asks Jacob. While trying to convince Edward that he can provide for Bella, he asserts, “I am hotter than you,” which, in a literal sense, he is.

At times the film is self-critical and even unintentionally hilarious, as when the Volturis simultaneously and over-dramatically flip back their hoods. But overall, director David Slade’s work has given the fans everything they could want from this installment of “Twilight.”

Eclipse

Directed by David Slade

Release date: June 30, 2010

4 out of 5 stars

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Arts & Life Featured

A semester in Bath

By Brenna English-Loeb

Senior Writer

When I was in middle school, I read the “Song of the Lioness” quartet by Tamora Pierce and I was hooked. I wanted nothing more than to become a knight in medieval England—but if that wasn’t possible, I wanted to at least visit England. By the time I was able to go to England this past semester, I had learned that the Middle Ages were not exactly a time period I really wanted to visit (no personal hygiene, for one), but by then I had discovered the glories of British and Irish accents. So I achieved a practically life-long goal when I was able to spend a semester abroad in Bath.

Bath is a World Heritage Site because of the Roman Baths, a natural hot spring that the Romans seized from the Celtic peoples as a much-appreciated reminder of warm Italy. Bath is also the sometime home of Jane Austen (although it turns out she didn’t really like the city all that much) and centuries of culture. Because of its World Heritage status, Bath has remained in much the same condition as it was during Austen’s day, with walkable streets and beautiful stone buildings.

The program I attended, Advanced Studies in England, housed us in real homes across the city, and our classes took place in one of the last remaining houses that belonged to Lord Nelson (which features many portraits of the man decorating the building). I lived with seven other students from several different universities in the United States. We became a very close-knit group, traveling and experiencing the country together as we did. Our house was on the opposite side of town from Nelson House, about a mile’s walk.

My route took me near the Royal Crescent and through the Circus, both prominent Bath landmarks, as well as the city center. The city center had tons of truly British pubs and shops as well as gifted street performers. The Roman Baths, the Pump Room and Bath Abbey are all in this area. Almost all the buildings in Bath are made of the same distinctive stone, and that in combination with the many green and flowering parks makes Bath one of the most bewitching cities I’ve known.

But my time abroad was much more than sightseeing. By spending so much time living among the British, I got a taste of what life there is really like. I now know the value of constantly having a cup of tea and what real chips are like (Hint: They’re not thin and crunchy; we’re talking about what we call french fries, only better). I even mastered the act of looking the right way when crossing the street.

Besides visiting England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, I also toured Greece and France. It was my first time going anywhere so far away or for so long without my family. In addition to experiencing the vastly different cultures of all these places, I learned to have confidence in myself and my ability to navigate the often confusing and intimidating adult world.

I am most proud of my trip to France, which I took when my semester in Bath ended, because I went completely alone. I was forced to practice my rusty French and found that people were really impressed with my speaking ability. While visiting the Louvre, I spent a half hour talking to a man about the differences between France and America as well as our favorite art.

Now that I’m back in the United States I miss England terribly. I miss the way everyone walks or takes the train instead of driving, the sense of history and the way one minute I could be in serene countryside and the next in the middle of a thriving city. I miss all the great friends I made in my program as well as the Bathonians I got to know. Needless to say, I have been planning my return since I got back.