Category: Uncategorized

Andrew Marvin

Contributing Writer

“The World’s End” is in many ways the most mature movie to come out in the last few years. It isn’t a depressing, melancholic drag; it’s a highly entertaining romp that just happens to have something important to say. It views modern society through a skewed lens and picks it apart with a deft, humorous hand. “The World’s End” is not perfect, of course, but in a world where soulless drivel tends to dominate theaters, a movie that makes us think and feel something is rare.

This movie caps off the Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy, the brainchild of director Edgar Wright and stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. All three movies, including “Shaun of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz,” function on a basic level as parodies of a familiar genre. “The World’s End” might best be classified as a science-fiction spoof, though that would be selling it short. It is a satire that discusses the pleasures and pains of individuality, the dangers of conformism, and the difficulty of moving on from past failures. It borrows liberally from just about every significant science-fiction movie, such as “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” “Blade Runner,” and even “The Thing,” but it becomes something all its own. Where so many other social satires view their subjects with detachment, “The World’s End” looks at everything with sentimentality and thoughtfulness. There are no cheap shots here; every gag and reference says something about the characters or the world around them.

Like “Shaun of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz,” “The World’s End” is surprisingly touching. Viewers come to feel something for the core figures in the story, though they function more as actual characters than caricatures, unlike in the previous two movies in the trilogy. Everybody plays an archetype, but they play their archetypes well enough to make them feel like real, fleshed-out people. Central to the story are Frost and Pegg, playing a straight man and a comedic foil, respectively, in a reversal of the formula that the last two movies used to such great effect. It still works. Frost plays a fine corporate type who has started to lose his soul to the constraints of modern society, while Pegg gets to showcase his dramatic ability in addition to his comedic timing. Both characters develop in subtle, sensible ways.

That’s not to say that “The World’s End” is focused entirely on these men and their personal trials. There are plenty of chases and fight scenes, which are overproduced but flashy enough to keep your interest during the movie’s slower sections. The choreographers who worked with the film’s cast had past experience with Jackie Chan, and it shows. Even though everything revolves around the five main characters getting drunker and drunker, they remain strangely coordinated and capable of taking on small armies of robotic doppelgangers. Does it make sense? Not really, but it’s fun to watch.

Unfortunately, the movie’s pacing starts to peter off in the third act. It becomes grim, and though it is still fun, it seems more focused on hammering down its themes than bringing things to a natural, unforced conclusion. The comedy is still there, but it is subdued. “Shaun of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz” also suffered from third act tonal changes and plot twists. Though hints are dropped throughout the first 80 minutes as to the true nature of the invasion, the bulk of the mystery is solved in the last 30, and all of the characters’ problems are either wrapped up in haste or left unsolved.

Even if “The World’s End” disappoints in the last act, everything before it is so well-made that it doesn’t even matter. It might be hard to choose what to see when theaters are packed with such critical darlings as “Planes,” “Kick-Ass 2,” and “The Mortal Instruments,” but I’d recommend seeing “The World’s End” over anything else that has come out in the last three months. It feels as though it was made with some purpose besides raking in money, and it’s too entertaining to pass up.

By Shannon Beauregard

University President John Bravman announced the implementation of a new medical amnesty policy in an email to the University community on Aug. 1.

“The University hopes that the new policy will encourage students to make immediate medical emergency phone calls when their fellow students are intoxicated and unable to help themselves,” Dean of Students Susan Lantz said.

Unlike the previous rule, the new policy eliminates the one-amnesty limit. A student is able to receive emergency medical attention numerous times without penalty. No points or fines will be allocated when a student is reported by a friend to be dangerously intoxicated. Additionally, if a student requires medical attention due to alcohol abuse during a team or club event, the organization will not be penalized for reporting that student. The parents of students that require emergency services will still be notified and be referred to an Alcohol and Other Drugs Counselor.

Under the old policy, an intoxicated student was allowed one opportunity to receive medical attention without severe consequences. The first time a student was reported to be dangerously intoxicated by a fellow student, the intoxicated student received one point, a $25 fine, and was referred to an Alcohol and Other Drugs counselor. After a second incident, the intoxicated student faced more severe penalties including suspension or expulsion.

“The University recognized that the old policy had the potential to discourage students from contacting us when the safety of another student was at stake. Now that students do not have to worry about getting points in those situations, we hope we’ve made the decision to immediately call us for help an easier one,” Chief of Public Safety Steve Barilar said.

The new policy prioritizes the health and safety of students above all else.

“[If] someone is in trouble, call for help–please,” Bravman said.

This policy was changed partly because of the University’s participation in the National College Health Improvement Project (NCHIP) Learning Collaborative on High-Risk Drinking (commonly called the NCHIP Collaborative),started by Dartmouth  in 2011.

“It became clear from our conversations at NCHIP learning sessions and from our research that institutions were ensuring that they had policies (including amnesty) and practices in place to encourage students to reach out for assistance,” Lantz said.

W. Morris Fierman

Hours before the general election ballots for the Bucknell Student Government (BSG) became available online to University students, three candidates were disqualified from the race by the BSG Executive Board.

The former candidates Tim Jim Kim ’16, Gabby Derosa ’16 and Tim Delaney ’16 were notified that they had been disqualified for the second time late on April 16 for violating campaigning regulations and using the trademarked Bucknell Bison logo in a video posted to the class of 2016 Facebook page.

Kim was running for the position of president of next year’s sophomore class, Derosa for vice president and Delaney for treasurer.

The three had been disqualified in another incident on April 14 after being accused of a violation for campaign fliers posted above the dish conveyor belt in the Bostwick Cafeteria, originally labeled a violation of the rules by the BSG Executive Board. The decision was rescinded by the BSG Executive Board after they met for an appeals process and argued their case, claiming that the rules were not explicit in banning fliers at that location.

“We didn’t think this was a violation, so we presented them with our side,” said Kim, who brought with him a petition that included the signatures of over 350 students in support of the three candidates.

The executive board said in an interview soon after the meeting that the petition, though a reassuring signal of student’s interest in the student government, had nothing to do with their decision, which was made after concluding that the rules in question were unclear.

Later that afternoon and soon after they had been notified that they were back on the ballot, three other first-year candidates arrived at the office of the faculty advisor to the student government, Associate Dean of Students Kari Conrad, bearing the video Kim, Derosa and Delaney had posted to Facebook that included the trademarked logo, asking that the board again disqualify the candidates.

The three were not the only disqualified from the ballot this year. Emma Miller ’16, who was running for the position of treasurer, was notified that her name would be removed from the ballot after she posted campaign posters to the Elaine Langone Center bulletin boards, another violation of campaigning rules.

BSG President Loren Jablon ’15 said that these instances were the first in recent memory that the BSG Executive Board had moved to disqualify candidates from a general election ballot. Especially among a first-year class, “there’s never been an election this cutthroat before,” Jablon said. 

Kim, who currently serves as vice president of the first-year class, was disappointed with the way the election turned out. Speaking of the candidates that reported the video to Conrad, Kim said that “they really went out of their way to scour our campaign material and find something that was against the rules.”

As for the BSG Executive Board that disqualified them for the second time, “their hands were tied,” Kim said.

Spring’s Lateness to Affect Academic Standing

Spring could be seen hurrying around Marts Hall this week as she met with deans to discuss her academic standing at the University. After failing to arrive on campus until late in the second half of her namesake semester, Spring had used up all of her absences in her four courses early on, and her grade in each continued to drop daily after that.

“In all honesty, she failed all her courses long ago,” said Dean Lenard Haroldson after his meeting with Spring. “Right now it’s really just a matter of whether or not she can appeal to the University.”

“I’m supposed to graduate in May and be out of here by summer,” Spring lamented. “If the deans don’t hear me out, I’ll have to return for the fall semester, and that’s an impossibility. I would have to withdraw.”

Spring’s justification for her lateness is shaky at best. She blames global climate change, sighting students’ penchants for long showers and for leaving lights on. However, the University argues that its recently installed solar-powered garbage and recycling compactors have reduced its environmental impact so significantly that Spring should have been able to arrive on campus early.

Haroldson is skeptical for other reasons.

“The science isn’t in yet on climate change,” he said. “It sounds to me like she’s making excuses.”

When asked to outline her defense beyond the topic of global climate change, Spring explained that despite her long absence, she has still learned all required course material and is fully prepared for her final exams.

“Winter has been here all along, and I’ve been borrowing his notes and hearing about deadlines from him. Each of my papers was submitted on time via email,” she explained. “Besides, I pay to go here. If I can’t make it to lectures, that’s not the business of any professor or the University.”

Unfortunately, Spring’s weak defense coupled with her having missed midterms makes it likely that she will be forced to withdraw and that the University will resume being a frozen hellscape as of next semester.

Trend Report: The Ultimate Spring Accessories List

By Kate Jansen

As the weather starts to (finally) get warmer and springtime unravels at the University, it’s time to spice up your wardrobe with fresh accessories! Here’s a guideline to the top spring accessories:

The Statement Necklace: My favorite accessory this season is the statement necklace, simply because these pieces can make any average outfit look stunning! If you want to maximize usage and minimize spending, it’s best to pick multicolored statement necklaces. Try framing your outfit around your necklace. For example, pair your necklace with a neutral tank or tee and throw on a pair of white skinny jeans.

The Oversized Watch: This trend has been popular all year. The oversized (or menswear) watch can transform a casual ensemble into a sophisticated outfit. These watches come in a variety of materials and colors. For a more professional look, pair a white watch with a bright blazer and floral-print pants.

Bright Scarves: Scarves have the power to tie up any outfit. Much like statement necklaces, scarves can add a pop of color to your look. Mix and match patterned scarves with pinstriped shorts for a nautical-themed look.

Fresh Shades: Springtime wouldn’t be springtime without those first few rays of warm sunlight. Embrace the sun this season by treating yourself to a new pair of sunglasses. If you’re down to splurge, Ray Bans are always a fantastic investment because they never go out of style.

Yancy Speaks about Racial Embodiment

By Laura Crowley

According to George Yancy, a Professor of Philosophy at Duquesne University, the black body is not taken at face value by whites. In his lecture about racial embodiment on April 4, Yancy argued that even in a “post-racial” America, African-Americans are subconsciously perceived as threatening by blacks and whites alike.

Yancy acknowledges that racism in America has certainly improved since Martin Luther King, Jr., yet he still thinks that there remains considerable work to be done. Yancy believes that blacks are the victims of what he calls the white “gaze.” One way in which the white gaze is clearly demonstrated is in the elevator effect Yancy hypothesizes. In this scenario, a white person acts out the myth that “all black males are criminals.”

Conversely, whites are perceived using adjectives such as “pure, innocent, good, law-abiding, civilized and better than.” While the white body is thought of as a whole and pure entity, the black body is pried apart by the demeaning powers of the white gaze. Yancy told us that his students had overheard accounts of blacks being described as more direct descendents of our monkey cousins.

Yancy believes that the convoluted and demeaning depictions of the black body in America have their roots in the era of lynching. At the peak of lynching, the black body was made to be an object of white “optic pleasure” in a “homoerotic fashion,” as white men made a particular spectacle of black genitals.

The black body has also been highly sexualized, according to Yancy. Throughout history, he told us, blacks have been made out to be people of high sex-drive who, more often than not, are sentenced guilty of the rape accusations made against them. According to Yancy, the easiest answer, and the ones the majority likes the most, is that “the black man did it.” This example has been played out recently in the case of Brian Banks: the football player wrongly sentenced to jail for five years for false accusations against him.

While in his fast-paced and interactive lecture was largely negative, Yancy is well aware that the situations for blacks has improved substantially throughout American history. As a professional, Yancy believes his race has played a role in his career. In one interview he told us the professor interviewing him spent their allotted time together praising him for being black and assuring Yancy of his racial neutrality. For Yancy, the fact that the professor had detracted from the time they could have spent discussing his credentials by talking about his blackness is proof enough that we aren’t yet perfect as a society. Still, Yancy assured the audience that he is hopeful that our society will continue improving.

Circus Ensemble Performs in Weis Center

By Laura Crowley

Circa, a circus ensemble from Australia, performed in front of a full audience in the Weis Center on March 28. For those familiar with circus performances, it is clear that the Circa ensemble displayed a more contemporary style of acrobatic and tumbling sequences.   During their 65-minute performance, seven of the 22 dancers of the group wowed the audience with their light-speed hula hoop twirling, stacks of dancers 15-feet high and intimate slow dances.

The ensemble is led by Artistic Director Yaron Lifschitz, whose  “work has been seen in 24 countries, across five continents by over 500,000 people,” according to the group’s website.

“Daredevil acrobatics, aerial dance, physical theatre and surprising contemporary dance combine to make Circa a unique phenomenon,” said Kathryn Maguet, executive director of the Weis Center for the Performing Arts.

Circa wowed the audience with its bold techniques, but unlike other circus performances, it incorporated humor and romance. In the more slow-paced dances, dancers would frequently begin the piece as if the dancers were simply hanging out together off-stage. Similarly, dancers would often pretend to fall and would openly express their exhaustion at times. Such antics helped make the dancers seem more approachable and relatable for the audience members, and while the dancers were certainly professionals, these acts made them seem more human.

Contemporary music and bold lights enhanced the physical beauty of the performance. When the music would turn off during the slower pieces, the cracking of the dancer’s joints could be heard as hundreds stared at their spine-twisting moves. The skill and beauty of the performers has been recognized by the New York Times, who called the group “stunning … exquisite … heart-stopping [and an] astonishing physical mastery.”

“Circa was an amazing experience … something unique and different that I have not seen on the stages of Bucknell before. It’s great to have a variety of art forms and professionals showcasing talents we don’t normally consider,” Kaitlin Marsh ’14 said.