(09/28/04 4:00am)
With less than a dozen games remaining in the Major League Baseball regular season, the biggest question in the American League is: Who will win the American League MVP award?The leading candidates are the Red Sox' Manny Ramirez and the New York Yankees' right fielder Gary Sheffield. Who deserves it more, Sheffield or Ramirez? I will say right now that my vote goes to Ramirez. There's no reason to keep you in suspense. Here are the numbers just for comparison: Ramirez has compiled a .309 batting average, 42 home runs and 125 runs batted in, while Sheffield has produced a .294 average, 36 home runs and 119 runs batted in. Ramirez's numbers place him first in the American League in home runs, third in RBI and first in slugging percentage. These are not monumental disparities, but there is a fairly significant difference in their numbers. Their on-base percentages are virtually tied; however, what separates the two sluggers the most are their respective slugging percentages. Sheffield's is at .546 while Ramirez boasts a robust .614. Anyone can look up those numbers and conclude that Ramirez has had the stronger season. The MVP award is not, however, simply given to the most productive player of the year, but rather the most valuable player. When comparing each player's value to their respective teams, one would have to give Ramirez the edge. The Red Sox were a team decimated by injuries in the first half of the season, as they lost star players Trot Nixon and Nomar Garciaparra for significant amounts of time (Garciaparra was traded to the Chicago Cubs in July).But Ramirez helped carry the Sox offensively. With the exception of a slow start after the All-Star break (thank you Sports Illustrated for the cover jinx), Ramirez has been virtually unstoppable the entire season. He has not been on the disabled list once all year, and despite having some so-called "Manny Moments" in the field, he has not been a defensive liability. Just ask Yankees' second baseman Miguel Cairo. Take Ramirez off the Red Sox and they probably at the very least have to trade for another slugger because they just don't have a potent enough lineup to be competitive. Chances are they would fall short of making the playoffs, let alone finish atop the American League East division.Now take Sheffield away from the Yankees and that lineup is not exactly what one would call weak. With a team stacked with names such as Hideki Matsui, Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Bernie Williams and Jason Giambi, they are bound to be playing in October even though some of these players have had sub-par seasons. Sure there are other candidates besides Sheffield and Ramirez. David Ortiz, Ramirez's bash brother in Boston, has certainly put up MVP-type numbers. However, he has played a small number of games in the field, which will certainly hurt his chances. The Anaheim Angels' Vladimir Guerrero has put up strong numbers, but not quite as strong as the other three players; and playing on a team that will probably not reach the postseason only hurts his chances of winning more. Ramirez hits virtually the same against left-handed and right-handed pitchers and hits well at friendly Fenway and on the road. Sheffield's average, on the other hand, is nearly 50 points higher at Yankee Stadium than on the road, and is nearly 25 points higher against southpaws than against right-handed hurlers. Both players haven't exactly had Septembers to remember, and I cannot take into consideration the final week of the season. All in all, both players have had MVP-worthy seasons, but Ramirez deserves it that much more.
(09/14/04 4:00am)
Despite beginning their season with a 3-5 record, the women's volleyball team has started strong. They are a team full of talent, drive and devotion. In their first bouts, they dropped two consecutive matches to ECAC powers MIT and Smith College, respectively, losing 3-0 each time. Both the MIT game and the Smith game were played in very much the same style. In their home opener, the Judges played host to the MIT Engineers. A rematch of last season's ECAC semifinal match, the Judges fought hard but were unable to come away victorious. Although they lost the first game by a score of 30-17, the team pulled it together to play a solid second game, forcing the Engineers to put up a tough fight. In the end, it was not enough, as MIT edged the Judges by a score of 30-24. The Judges again put out their best effort in the third game, but it was too little too late as the Engineers went on to a 30-20 win and a 3-0 sweep. In the match, outside hitter Jenny Sandler '08 led the team with seven kills. Sandler and fellow rookie Shannon Trees '08 led the defense with eight digs each. Although the Judges were not victorious against their ECAC rivals, coach Michelle Kim was proud of her team's performance but noted a few flaws."We came out flat," Kim said. "MIT's setter and middle players are very strong. Their outside hitter handled the ball well and the team as a whole forced mistakes from us." Hoping to bounce back from their tough loss to MIT, the Judges traveled to Smith College to take on the Pioneers. Again, the team came prepared to play, but dropped their second match in a row by the same score of 3-0. "The games were practically identical," Kim said. The Judges fought hard all the way through and kept it close. In the first game, the team was unable to recover from a four-point deficit and lost the first game, 30-17. The team, however, came roaring back in the second set, keeping the game air tight. However, they were unable to hold on as the Pioneers sealed the game, scoring the final 12 points and winning by a score of 30-27. In the final game of the night, the Judges were unable to hold on as Smith pulled away to win the game 30-19 and beat the Judges 3-0.On offense, outside and middle hitter Jen Lobban '05 paced the team with 14 kills. On the defensive side, Sandler led the team in digs for the second time with 14.After losing two consecutive matches, the Judges bounced back with a bang to beat Clark University on its home court by a score of 3-1. In the first match, the team rallied from a 28-24 deficit to come back and beat the host Cougars in an extremely close match by a score of 31-29. "We had to be very mentally focused," Lobban said. "At one time the score was 29-25 and we had to win every point. After winning that first match, we were on a high; we realized we could take this team. It started the day off well." Lobban's fellow captain and middle hitter Becca Segal '05 led the team on the offensive side with 13 kills, while Sandler again paced the team on defense with 13 digs. After winning their closest game yet, the Judges dropped the second game 30-28, but were able to rally back and dominate the Cougars in the next two games, 30-18 and 30-23. Although the Judges played very well and held it together to win against Clark, they were not so fortunate in the next match against Endicott College. During the face-off with Endicott, the squad seemed to have lost its touch. "I don't know what happened," Lobban said. "We weren't playing like a team as much, maybe we were tired. Things just weren't clicking." Although Endicott swept the Judges, 31-29, 30-26 and 30-28, the squad kept things close as they never lost by more than four points. For the fourth straight game, Sandler led the team on defense with 10 digs, while captain and setter Shannon Eagan '05 and right side hitter Jenna Polinsky '06 paced the offense with seven kills each. The players as well as the coaches feel as though the lack of wins comes from not having enough time to adequately prepare for their season. Because the team had a short preseason and has not yet had a full week of nothing but practice, the squad feels as though it just needs some time off from games to work on individual skills. "We haven't had enough time to work on one specific area," Kim said. "We have no matches this week so hopefully we will be able to work on skill areas, such as reducing the number of receiving errors. It's tough having so many games so quickly, but we will focus on improving during our week off." "We need to work on individual things like blocking and passing," Lobban said. We also need to work on putting it all together. This week off should be helpful." Although the Judges have not been very successful so far, Kim is positive that things will change. She recognizes that her opponents are tough and she likes it. She knows that her team is skilled and that this they will soon start to shine. "I want to play tough teams," Kim said."We will get better. I believe in them and the players believe in themselves. We have great leadership on the court and I know it will happen."With no games this week, hopefully the women will be able to work on their weaknesses and get ready to travel to Quincy and take on Eastern Nazarene College on Sept 21. The Judges will then play again two days later when they host Babson College.
(09/14/04 4:00am)
If nothing else, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow at least has a lot of moxie. First-time director Kerry Conran spent years on this project alone, working with the most advanced technology possible in order to create not just a film, but an entire world. With the exception of the lead actors, every element of the movie-the sets, the props and beyond-are created entirely from a blue screen and computer-generated imagery. And it's not even as if all this work is going toward making some spectacularly ultramodern alternate reality. Quite the opposite actually, Sky Captain has been designed as homage to the countless pulp sci-fi serials of the 1930s, complete with robots that Flash Gordon or Buck Rogers would be proud to do battle against. The movie overall embodies an episodic structure that starts the audience off in the middle with barely a single character introduction in sight. Of course, as all filmgoers know, it's not the effort that counts, but rather whether or not the movie is any good. Certainly, as far as its appearance is concerned, Sky Captain scores a home run. Every single frame looks like it could have been a painting pulled from the pages of "Amazing Stories" magazine. In one scene, hordes of robots the height of skyscrapers mysteriously descend upon New York City, casting their streamlined shadows across the buildings. They gradually start to appear, one gleaming foot after another. At this point it's impossible not to feel a quiet sense of awe for the power and strength these menacing machines seem to radiate from every nut and bolt. The rest of the movie is just as stunning, from a visit to a Shangri-La that looks so lush and ripe one could almost pluck it off a tree and eat it, to a floating airbase filled with all sorts of neat sci-fi goodies, and so on and so forth for 107 breathtaking minutes. It must be said, however, that the actual story is quite silly. Joe "Sky Captain" Sullivan (Jude Law, Artificial Intelligence) begins the movie trying to halt the onslaught of destructive robots in his spiffy jet because, well, that's what arrogant young fighter pilots do. What before was mere duty soon becomes personal when the robots make off with his scientific sidekick, Dex Dearborn (Giovanni Ribisi, Cold Mountain), for purposes unknown. Sky Captain valiantly embarks on a quest to find his friend. He reluctantly takes along a companion in Polly Perkins (Gwyneth Paltrow, Shakespeare in Love), the intrepid reporter with whom he has the mandatory love-hate relationship.The movie takes place in New York in the 1930s (albeit a fantasy version where the Empire State Building is used as a zeppelin docking station and a ray gun can come in handy). Naturally, an imperialistic plot is at the heart of all this, involving a sinister doctor with plans to take over the world.This is just the start of a fast-moving tale that can best be summed up by the phrase, "stuff happens." The plot itself just serves as a necklace, a wiry thread on which all the different battles and wacky sights may be strung.Nevertheless, Sky Captain has one accomplishment that bumps its value up several rungs: It revels in its sci-fi serial background. The ludicrous, slam-bang plot is certainly goofy-which is exactly how it should be. Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers seemed preposterous 70 years ago, and they seem even more so now. However, these movies were fun as they blatantly ignored the rules of logic and dramatic pacing in order to keep the audience on the edge of its seat by giving one thrill after another.We are currently in an age of action flicks which attempt to rise above the pack by administering a dose of gravitas when a simple exciting spectacle would work best, recently displayed again by the sloppy dramatic overtures in the environmental fiasco The Day After Tomorrow. Yet Sky Captain comes off as an excitable puppy, performing one trick after another with such eagerness that its enthusiasm ends up putting that proverbial smile onto the face of anyone who cares to look on. It has no qualms about being ridiculous (try to spot the hilariously blatant King Kong and Godzilla references). In doing so, it provides viewers with a neat little way to spend a Saturday afternoon. The film also pays a warmhearted tribute to the enduring ability of sci-fi movies, even the silly ones, to instill a sense of wonder and excitement in the young at heart.The actors freely jump into the merriment. With the exception of Bai Ling (My Baby's Daddy), who frowns it up as the mysterious and redundantly named Mysterious Woman, the entire cast alternately smirks and deadpans its way through the film, devoting itself to histrionics when the absurdity of a scene calls out for such behavior. Jude Law's boyish Sky Captain stares with determination and occasional love-struck mooning, and Gwyneth Paltrow's perfectly comic-book interpretation of Polly ensures that Sky Captain, for all its eye candy, maintains an appealingly human aspect as well. Even Hollywood oddball Angelina Jolie (Tomb Raider) slices off a piece of the action in the role of the cynical Captain "Franky" Cook, commander of the airbase and (you guessed it) former love interest to Sky Captain (the guy gets around). Sky Captain does lose points as a morally ambiguous testament to the capabilities of modern computer technology by casting the deceased Sir Laurence Olivier (A Bridge Too Far) as the Nazi doctor Totenkopf. Fortunately, his screen time is brief enough to avoid being too much of a nuisance to outraged film buffs. It's pretty safe to say that if using the late Sir Laurence is the worst flaw a movie makes, then that movie doesn't have too many problems to deal with.By its nature alone, Sky Captain leaves room for a sequel or prequel or two, neither of which would probably be nothing new in the way of character or plot development. In fact, it would most likely be much the same as Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow itself. But who's to call that a bad thing? I, for one, am certainly not.
(08/31/04 4:00am)
Let me tell you something right now: You either loved Napoleon Dynamite, or you absolutely hated it.I don't know that I can summarize the MTV-produced film very well. It involves an awkward young man, who is at some point in his high school career, named Napoleon Dynamite (Jon Heder). He lives with his Grandma (Sandy Martin) and his brother Kip (Aaron Ruell) in Idaho. The clothing suggests a timeframe of the mid- to late-1980s, but the presence of Kip's online chat-room girlfriend, LaFawnduh (Shondrella Avery) means it must be sometime in the 1990s. Napoleon isn't particularly popular at school, scorned by popular kids like Summer (Haylie Duff, older sister of the more famous Hilary) and Trisha (Emily Kennard). But he befriends a new student named Pedro (Efren Ramirez, Rave) and slowly becomes friends with a sweet girl named Deb (Tina Majorino) who does glamour shots. The movie follows the dually mundane and utterly eccentric happenings in Napoleon's life, ranging from the truly absurd to the mildly interesting. He angrily feeds the family llama, Tina, talks to kids on the bus angrily, and makes fun of his brother angrily. Napoleon's trademark is his undying scorn, much to the pleasure of moviegoers. "Idiot, God!" follows just about every statement he makes. "I could make more money than that in, like, five seconds!" He yells at Kip and Uncle Rico when they begin selling Tupperware sets in the neighborhood. He's also completely self-centered, but not arrogant, instead tooting his own horn in somewhat of a fantasy world. Excuse the pun, but he obviously has a Napoleon complex. "There are a lot of gangs at this school," he warns Pedro as he shows him how to open his locker, "Most want me to join because of my bo-staff skills." All the humor in this movie is extremely dry. Because of that, you're either going to laugh until you cry, or you're going to walk out early. But it's worth bearing the pain just to see some of the brilliance hidden in the second half. LaFawnduh's appearance to visit Kip causes hilarious changes in the Dynamite world, and Pedro's run for school president results in the most awesome dance scene I've seen in years. The one-liners get more random and funnier too; next time you're out on a date, tell your significant other: "I caught you a delicious bass." They will look at your like you're crazy (unless they've seen the movie), but I promise, it's really funny.At its heart, Napoleon Dynamite is simply weird. But it's the kind of weird that, when it works, will leave you shaking with laughter and running for the bathroom. Just see it. God!
(08/31/04 4:00am)
Jonathan Demme's new psychological thriller The Manchurian Candidate, a hotbed of controversy because of its liberal political slant, is a creepy and suspenseful blockbuster. Beneath the anti-corporation and anti-war issues, Demme crafted a tightly-wound and spine-chilling film, with superb acting and directing throughout. After returning from the first Gulf War, Ben Marco (Denzel Washington, Training Day) begins having nightmares, and vivid flashbacks, when a former and decorated member of his division named Raymond Shaw (Liev Schreiber,The Sum of All Fears), skyrockets to the top of the American political scene. Shaw's nomination to one of the highest positions in the land is no surprise, however, to his aggressive and domineering mother Senator Eleanor Shaw (Meryl Streep, Adaptation), who had been meticulously orchestrating the ascent. Marco is afraid that he and all his men have somehow been brainwashed, and that beneath Shaw's polished exterior lurks something sinister. The Army tries to write him off as delusional, but Marco goes on personal quest to unearth the truth.As the action unfolds, Demme reveals the plot in tantalizing snippets that keep the audience on edge. Senator Shaw's true intentions do not reveal themselves until the final 20 minutes of the movie, and the anticipation is harrowing. Silence of the Lambs, Demme's most acclaimed movie to date, proved that he was a master of psychological suspense. His horror is more subtle and disturbing than loud bangs and gruesome violence, using the human mind as the scariest monster of all. Utilizing a variety of filming techniques, including zoomed-in camera work to show characters' agitation as well as a masterful use of flashbacks, Demme manages to convey forcefully the psychological angst of his main characters.The Manchurian Candidate is based on the classic 1962 John Frankenheimer movie of the same name starring Frank Sinatra. Given the high esteem in which the original is held, Demme had his work cut out for him. The original was a very powerful and shocking movie, coming at the height of the Cold War and around the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis, and it preyed on fears of the supposedly all-pervasive Communist Party. The 2004 remake, however, focuses on the corruptibility of government through big business, which does not resonate as deeply as the original did. Although the threat is not as terrifying as the original, and Demme's political stance rears its head several times, the movie can be thoroughly appreciated by conservatives and liberals alike.The acting in this movie was invariably fantastic. Washington delivers a powerful performance as the angst-ridden, slightly off-kilter Captain Marco. He always seems to be a little uneasy, the trauma of his combat days just beneath the surface. He sweats, mumbles, daydreams, perfectly portraying that guy whom you never want to sit next to on the bus.Schreiber delivers a career-making performance. Previously mired in small roles in generally bad movies, Schreiber as Robert Shaw can turn his charm on and off just as good politicians can. His portrayal of the oft-conflicted Shaw ought to bag him some more dramatic roles that are suited to his capabilities. Streep, as she has been doing for decades, delivers a deliciously over-the-top performance as the manipulative, and sometimes downright evil, Eleanor Shaw. Nominated for an astonishing 13 Oscars in her illustrious career, and winning two of them, Streep is nothing short of a director's dream. It seems as if she can pull off any role, and this is no exception. I found myself seething with hatred toward her by the movie's climax, a trick not many actors can pull off. While there are parts that are not well explained, including a pivotal moment in the climax, the movie still works because of the fine directing and acting. There is even a scene that intimates an incestuous relationship between Mother Shaw and her son, which is completely superfluous to the plot. However, if the movie were explained too well, some aspects would be more difficult to believe. Concerning a topic like mind control, a psuedo-scientific enterprise that is discredited in many circles, there is no explanation that would fully satisfy the public. It was therefore wise to try to avoiding explaining anything in great detail.Although a remake, The Manchurian Candidate is a very original story that is a breath of fresh air during the summer blockbuster months. A combination of action, politics and science fiction make this a most unique movie, and should definitely be caught before it makes its way out of the theaters.
(08/31/04 4:00am)
Dear MTV, I fear the end of our relationship is on the horizon. This has been going on for years now; I watch your Video Music Awards, I'm disappointed, and I convince myself that you'll do better next year. Then, a year later, I sit down and watch again. The cycle repeats itself.I've given so you many chances, MTV. When we were young, I was fascinated with your awards. Eddie Vedder would spout off about politics and Ticketmaster when he accepted his Moonman. Nirvana performed, electrifying the crowd and caused bassist Krist Novaselic to inflict a head injury upon himself. And your hosts, they were so funny! Chris Rock's first hosting gig in 1997 left me rolling on the floor. MTV, you were so interesting back then. The things you would show me, the things I would learn, the albums I would buy. What's happened to us?This year, I almost left you when you told me you were moving to Miami for the weekend. I imagined the celebrities attending in bathing suits, the obnoxious end-of-summer audience, the over-the-top partying that is Miami's trademark, and I thought we were over right then and there. But you worked on me, MTV, and told me it would be amazing. You made funny commercials with Dave Chappelle and touted appearances by Jon Stewart. Your list of nominees sucked, but it usually does so I was able to forgive. And on Sunday night, I sat and faithfully waited for you.Do you hate me? Have I done something wrong? Do you think I've strayed? I admit, I've been watching a lot of VH1 lately, but they have I Love the '90s and Best Week Ever and all those shows where they talk about how rich celebrities are. Your sub-par dating shows just can't compete. We've talked about this before: I thought we worked it out! Nothing I that I've done, at least that I can think of, warrants what you gave me last night. I just can't take it anymore.The yachts? Pulling up in yachts? Only the big rappers and hip-hop stars complied. Any normal rock star has too much integrity to pull a stunt like that, and I'm sick of P. Diddy and his big boats/cars/trucks/stunts. It's boring. He needs to lay low for a while. And Mase! I know he's relaunching his career and all, but I'm sick of seeing his face blocking people I care about. And speaking of people I care about, where were they? Did they not make your invite list? I saw barely any celebrities on the red carpet; it's like they just didn't feel like traveling to Florida. I understand, of course: New York is much more interesting.And oh, your stage! I felt so bad for all the people in the audience watching live; half of them got to see celebrity backs the whole time and nothing else. The stadium you used was simply too large, and the stage design was way to schizophrenic. It felt like none of the presenters, winners or performers were playing to the audience, just to the camera. It's understandable, of course, because the audience was all around them and impossible to face! And stop having people perfom in the big mosh pit of normal fans: you can only see them on TV and if this is just a TV thing than you may as well scrap the live audience, right?And please, MTV, I'm begging you: stop playing song medlies! Contrary to popular opinion, most of the American-and certainly the international audience-is able to listen to an entire three-minute song! There's no need to stop halfway and start another one; it just leaves us wondering what happened to the second verse we like so much. You and your artists should have more respect for us than that.And, also, stop repeating performers and performances. We heard "Hey Ya!" last year, and even though it's a great song, there are other exciting things that have been released which we would like to see even more. Even Andre 3000 sounded annoyed that he had to play it. MTV, I'm giving you one last chance. Bring the VMAs back to Radio City Music Hall. Start inviting cutting-edge performers on the show. Hey, if you start playing more videos on your channel, you might even get a more ecclectic and exciting nominee pool! You can do it, MTV. And if you don't, I'm not wasting my time ever again.
(05/25/04 4:00am)
Brandeis tennis has a lot to look forward to in the next three years. The Judges are proud to claim both the men and women's UAA Rookies of the Year in Sam Jonas '07 and Jennifer Krueger '07. Both were also selected for the UAA second-team along with teammate Shani Reich '07. Captain Abby Lerner '05 earned first-team honors. Krueger finished the 2004 season with an outstanding performance at the UAA championships on April 23 to 25 in Rochester, N.Y. She breezed through the competition, posting an undefeated record for the tournament. Playing best two out of three sets, Krueger's most intense competition came from Washington University's Kacie Cook who took Krueger to a first-set tiebreaker. Krueger finished off Cook easily in the third match with a final score of 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 against the Bears. Krueger did not lose a set against opponents from the University of Chicago, Washington University and Carnegie Mellon. In doubles play, she and Reich proved to be an effective team, defeating the competition from Chicago 8-2 and from Wash. U and Carnegie Mellon 8-5. Lerner also cruised past each of her opponents to become the only UAA first-team member not from conference champion Emory University. Even her toughest match against Wash. U's Laura Green was uneventful, ending in a decisive, 7-5, 6-3 final score. As a team, the Brandeis women placed third in the conference. A convincing victory in the quarterfinals over Chicago (8-1) took them to the semis where they fell to Washington University. Tenacious play in the third-place match against Carnegie Mellon secured the Judges a 5-4 win.On the men's side, Jonas' stellar play earned him a terrific upset on the first day of the tournament against the fifth ranked player in the nation, Mark Odgers of Emory University. Fans were on the edge of their seats as Jonas overpowered Odgers in the first set 7-5. Jonas led 5-2 in the early games of the second set, but Odgers managed to return the intensity and evened the score at 5-5. Jonas stepped up and took the 11th and 12th games to secure his second set victory against Odgers 7-5 for the lone Brandeis win over Emory."It was a great win for Sam and the team," Head Coach Rocky Jarvis said. "I would say it is the biggest single victory by a Brandeis men's tennis player in 15 years." On the second day of the tournament, Jonas outplayed Vivek Venkataraman to help the Judges reach their 6-1 win over Chicago in the consolation bracket of the semifinals. Teammates Jamie Metrick '07 and Mike Vulfovich '07 also won their singles matches over Chicago. Vulfovich and Alan Berk '04 were in synch when they pulled out the 8-5 win at number one doubles despite a nagging injury that caused Berk some trouble. Metrick and Jonas also won their number two doubles match 8-1.In the fifth place match, Jonas fell to tournament MVP Michael Thompson of New York University, 6-2, 6-0. Brandeis eventually submitted to NYU 2-4 to earn a sixth place finish in the conference.
(04/27/04 4:00am)
On first listen, Bob Schneider's I'm Good Now almost makes you want to groan. He's just another singer/songwriter trying to jump on the bandwagon of guys like John Mayer. However, Schneider is not only adding himself to a long list of a type of music that most of America is sick of, he's not even good. One John Mayer or Jason Mraz is enough, thank you. At least they can write songs that aren't completely corny. The album begins incredibly weakly with "Come With Me Tonight" and "Medicine." The lyrics in "Come With Me Tonight" are so ridiculous I wanted to laugh when I heard them. One of the lines in the chorus is "Hey, hey/It's all right/'Cause baby you can come with me tonight." The lyrics are silly and the guitar is not much more impressive. "Medicine" is also another laughable display. It's all about needing medicine for a broken heart. I could quote more lyrics here but I think the point has been made that Schneider is not a good songwriter. A girl as the best medicine for a heart is one of the oldest clich's in the book. Schneider even has the nerve to call "Medicine" a funked-up Bob Dylan song. Bob Dylan, take offense.The album gets a little better with the next song, "A Long Way to Get." The guitar work gets a bit more creative as do the lyrics, although they remain clichd. The song is a bit catchier and more enjoyable to listen to than its predecessors. In this song, Schneider uses a country twang in some lyrics. If a single were to come off of the album, this one is a good bet. It could have some radio success, although it's not a quality piece of music."The Way Life is Supposed to Be" follows, and by this time the listener will probably begin to realize that all of the songs sound similar. If you took out the words it would be very hard to distinguish one song from another. This song is most like John Mayer, and at first it could be easily mistaken. This is also the point in the album where I began to feel drowsy.Next is the title track. Here Schneider picks up the pace, adding a faster beat which is unusal for him. The verses are fast while the chorus is a bit slower, giving the song a slight country feel. Again, though, this song is just mediocre.The next song takes the listener on a slightly more religious journey. The song called "God is My Friend" is just a bit corny. It talks about God up in the sky and not only does the song really not deliver on anything ,but it has the potential to alienate listeners who don't believe in God. Not that Schneider should really expect that many listeners.Once again, Schneider plays a harder rock beat in "C'mon Baby." The lyrics aren't anything special and this song just seems out of place. With "The Bridge Builders" Schneider slips right back into his lulling routine and once again the eyes begin to get droopy. The next two songs, "Captain Kirk" and "Gold in the Sunset" are so similar that it's difficult to find any distinguishing qualities in any of them. One song on the album like these three would suffice. Especially since none of them have a strong, compelling message.The final three songs, "Piggyback," "Getting Better" and "Love is Everywhere," also sound strikingly familiar. Maybe like the rest of the songs on the album? But the end is near, my friends, the end is near. He peps it up with "Getting Better," but for some reason it reminded me of a song on Sesame Street. While it's probably not a song you'd want to be rocking out to, it may be higher quality than the rest of the album because Sesame Street is known for having good music. Finally, we have reached the end with "Love is Everywhere," and if you're anything like me you're fighting to keep your eyes open. Schneider brings in violin perhaps to add some variety, but this song is the most like a lullaby on the entire album. This song is just enough to push you over the edge in to dreamland.While Bob Schneider could have some potential, he does not show it at all on this album. The songs are barely distinguishable from each other and the lyrics aren't anything special. Pass this one by-it's not worth your time.
(04/27/04 4:00am)
Being unable to stop thinking about a show is one of the highest forms of unspoken praise that can be given to a production. Donald Margulies' Sight Unseen, brilliantly produced by the Brandeis Ensemble Theater (BET) last weekend, was a journey of self-discovery for the both the characters in the play and the audience members. The cast and crew of Sight Unseen transported viewers beyond the walls of the Carl J. Shapiro Theater into the world of the play's three central characters whose love triangles, financial concerns and self-identity issues forced the audience to question and reflect upon their own beliefs. Sight Unseen is a dramatic story of self-loss and lost love: Jonathan Waxman dated Patricia back at college in New York when he was still a struggling artist coming to terms with his own creative style as well as his Jewish heritage. After ending their relationship following the death of Jonathan's mother, the play opens with the pair's reunion 15 years later. Jonathan is now the wealthy, successful savior of the art world, and Patricia has been living in England and with her archeologist husband, Nick, for over eight years. The history of this love triangle is revealed during the course of the play as Patricia tries to reconcile her feelings for her ex-lover while Nick deals with feelings of jealousy and inadequacy in his marriage, and Jonathan attempts to rediscover new artistic inspiration in his old flame. One of the most intriguing aspects of Sight Unseen was that the scenes are not presented in chronological order. The play actually ends with the plot's earliest scene, the first time Jonathan and Patricia kissed 17 years ago. Such a format not only infused the play with extra suspense, but forced the characters' personal histories and mannerisms to unfold over time. Sight Unseen plays out like a Quentin Tarantino movie-without all the excessive violence, of course. It tantalizes the viewerwith a suspenseful storyline and keeps them on the edge of their seats. Although the play only featured four performers, the actors and actresses of Sight Unseen commanded the stage as they completely drew the audience into their compelling portrayal of their roles. Mike Davidson '05 as Jonathan perfectly captured the artist's suave facade in front of soul-searching, inner persona. Davidson's cool stage presence contrasted nicely with that of Michelle Baron '05, who played the cheerfully unhappy Patricia with great energy. With his endearing English accent, Sam Levor '07 immediately won over the audience as Patricia's ever-doting husband, Nick. Although she had the least time on stage, Jessa Saidel '07 made her mark in her role as Grete. Saidel's portrayal of the hard-line, insincere German arts reporter provided some of the show's most captivating moments resulting from her snide questions and anti-Semitic comments.The play's title refers to a point in the play where Nick attacked Jonathan for working off commission and criticized art patrons for purchasing a piece that is a "sight unseen." Yet beneath the surface, "sight unseen" was presented as a concept that one's actions in the present will affect the future and the futures of their loved ones. This is particularly evident in the relationship between Patricia and Jonathan, as their break-up is still a shadow that haunts them 15 years later and a ghost that Nick can't escape in his marriage. Sight Unseen does an extraordinary job at delving into deep topics and divisive issues, such as inter-faith dating, the cost of fame, and the real nature of love. Each perspective is presented to the audience from multiple angles. The personalities and philosophies of the four characters were frequently explored as they debated the truthful way to perceive a work of art. While Jonathan sees his painting "What is Night?" as an exploration of multi-racial relationships, Grete can only see the work as a black man raping a white woman in a Jewish cemetery. Nick views this painting, like all of Jonathan's works, as "hideous pornography," while Patricia only comments on the white woman's unhappiness which she empathizes with as a result of own misery. Sight Unseen is truly a powerful exploration of art through the medium of theatrical writing. Even though they were not physically present on stage, the hard work of the crew and production staff on Sight Unseen shined through. A monitor showed the time and setting at the start of each scene to help the audience stay on track seeing as the play's plot was not a continuous narrative. The set, from the farmhouse in England to the art studio where Jonathan and Patricia first met, was planned out with meticulous detail as the production staff had to take into account that the story did not take place in the same period. From the kitchen cupboards cleverly suspended in the air to Jonathan's paint palette, each aspect of the set helped make the audience feel like a part of the characters' world. There is only one word to describe BET's production of Sight Unseen-phenomenal. The stars of this powerful play, who ranged from theater majors to students who pursue acting as hobby, marvelously adapted to the specific personalities their characters required. Kudos to all involved with the show, especially first-time director Rebecca Collura '04. Sight Unseen without a doubt was one of the must-see theatrical productions of the year here at Brandeis and a worthy inclusion in The Festival of the Arts schedule.
(04/27/04 4:00am)
The women's lacrosse team closed out a solid season, going 3-1 last week capped by a 12-4 rout of the College of the Holy Cross on Sunday. The team also defeated the University of New Hampshire 8-7 on Thursday and edged Worcester Polytechnic Institute 12-8 last Tuesday. The only loss of the week came on Wednesday, a 16-4 defeat at the hands of the University of Rhode Island. The win against New Hampshire was especially sweet, avenging an 11-12 loss to the Wildcats on March 27. The Judges followed that game by losing 6-13 against Connecticut Club, but have since turned it around, going 4-1-1 in their last six games. The team finished the season at a solid 4-4-1 despite the many challenges the team faces. Because lacrosse is only a club sport, the team often lacks the facilities and the support it needs. Trainers are unavailable and practice time is scarce. The team does have a solid future that may rest on the small but capable shoulders of center Abby Shoolman '07. From Rivers School in nearby Weston, the 5-foot-1-inch Shoolman started on junior varsity her freshman year before advancing to varsity for the next three. Despite her first-year status, Shoolman led the team in scoring, pouring in 43 goals over the nine games, and was critical on both ends of the field. Shoolman's season was highlighted by a nine-goal outburst against the University of Vermont on April 3.The team was also helped by Carly Goteiner '06. Goteiner stepped into goal this season despite having no goalie experience."Carly's done really, really well in her first year in goal," coach Josie Broussa '02 said. "Last year was her first year playing lacrosse ever. We didn't have a goalie and she really stepped up into the void.""We didn't have a very big team, we rarely had subs," Shoolman said. "There were a few of us who were main scorers and we worked really well together and pulled through."Shoolman was a key component to that scoring unit."Last year we lost our high scorer, but Abby has definitely made up for her scoring-wise," Broussa said. "She's a [first-year] and it's great that the team can look forward to her leadership. I've been teaching her all about leading this club." With the season behind them, the Judges look forward to the next challenge: making women's lacrosse a varsity sport. "We petition the school once or twice a year to be a varsity sport," Broussa said. "They always claim [financial concerns]. We've done a lot of research into Title IX to see if it would apply and it doesn't. The school says if it had the money, lacrosse would be the first team to get it."Despite the lack of success the team has had in the past in becoming a recognized varsity sport, Shoolman is enthusiastic about the prospect of playing varsity lacrosse. "If we're varsity we can recruit," Shoolman said. "We need more people on the team and we need more skill. A lot of people are brand new players and if we're able to recruit we can have a lot more experienced people." Julie Schwartz '07 is one of those inexperienced players who brought her determination and hard work to the lacrosse team. "There's a lot of girls on the team who had never seen a lacrosse game before this year," Schwartz said. "We improved a lot on passing and working as a team."The team will be saying goodbye to their three senior captains. Jessie Goldberg '04, Stephanie Weinberg '04 and Tammy Pellf '04 have been very encouraging leaders for the team."The captains are really supportive," Schwartz said. "I had never played and didn't even know the rules. They were really supportive and really patient. When we did something right they got really excited."With the season behind her and a promising career ahead, Shoolman is fixated on varsity lacrosse."Being a varsity sport just gives you so much more support and help from the school," Shoolman said. "I take lacrosse really seriously and I want it be a varsity sport.
(04/20/04 4:00am)
The Brandeis sailing team raced in the Boston University trophy regatta this weekend, finishing 13th out of the 17 teams racing. The Judges finished the regatta with 341 total points. Harvard won the race with 114 points, while Coast Guard Academy came in second place with 176 points. The Judges just edged Roger Williams University which finished with 355 points. It was a grueling race which saw major changes in wind patterns and strong winds throughout the day."The wind was very shifty," captain Jen Goldstein '06 said. "At one point the wind completely changed. Every race was different.The Judges have raced in five events throughout the season with varying success, but captain Jen Goldstein '06 is more focused on the team's growth."I'm just really happy we've had growth between the fall season and the spring," Goldstein said. "We've almost doubled the team and we're always looking for more people"The Judges have two more races this season. They race at a Massachusetts Maritime regatta and a Metro Series this weekend."This season has been going really well," Goldstein said. "I'm hoping we can place well. We hope to maybe get a spot in the New England Championships.
(04/20/04 4:00am)
While most students spent Spring Break relaxing before the hectic schedule of finals descended upon them, the outdoor track teams were starting their season, partaking in two meets over break and one this past weekend.Kicking off the season for the teams was the Trinity Bantam Invitational Meet in Hartford, Conn. The unpredictable weather was unkind to the runners, with cold rain drenching the teams throughout the day."It was a really cold day, and no one on any team did fantastically," Coach Mark Reytblat said.This non-scoring meet featured the Brandeis men's team finishing in the top eight in four events. The 4 x 100-meter relay team, consisting of Ralph Chery '07, Jason Cohen '05, Dan Goldner '04 and captain Ben Oh '04, finished fourth with a time of 44.71. Rookie Corey Goodeyne placed second in the pole vault with a jump of 13', and Abe Weinograd (GRAD) finished fifth in the hammer throw with a heave of 135'7".The women's 4 x 100 relay team took home a first place finish, not unusual for the consistently dominant team made up of Jane Farrell '06, Jackie Schon '07, Rachel Lebwohl '04, and Katie Schill '05, who also came in third in the 100-meter hurdles. In addition to being a member of the 4 x 100 relay team, Farrell finished first in the pole vault with a jump of 10'. Reytblat also emphasized the marked improvement of rookie Megan Bisceglia '07, who finished seventh in the 800-meter event. Next up for the Judges was an appearance at the Wesleyan Invitational in Middletown, Conn. Schill had a winning day, coming in second in 100-meter hurdles, and winning the 400-meter hurdles. Chen Yahav '07 won the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:08.45, just edging the second place finisher. Kate Moore '06 and Schill finished first and second, respectively, in the pole vault, and Kropp won the long jump and triple jump events.The men had fewer notable victories, with Chery finishing 11th in the 200-meter dash and fifth in the 400-meter dash. This past weekend the teams competed in the Connecticut College Invitational in New London, Conn. The men finished ninth out of 12 teams, a respectable finish considering there are still many runners sidelined because of injuries and sickness. Ryan Parker '06, the defending champion of the 800-meter run, was plagued by illness and unable to compete at his best, but according to Reytblatt, "will be ready for next weekend at the UAAs." Of the healthy runners who competed, Weinograd had a good meet, finishing fifth in the hammer throw with a toss of 142'5". Chery was also a highlight for the Judges, finishing fourth in the 200-meters with a time of 51.39. The men's 4 x 100 relay team came in third with a time of 44.04, its fastest time this season. The women's 4x100 relay team finished first again, turning in one of the best times in New England right now; not far away from qualifying for nationals. The team was successful in events other than the relay as well. Farrell won the 400-meters and pole vault competition. Kropp finished second in the long jump, third in the triple jump, and fourth in the 100-meters, while teammate Schill was second in the high hurdles and fourth in the pole vault. Rookies Remy, Coyle and Yahav earned some points for the Judges with a third place finish in the 400-meters and first place finish in the hurdles, respectively.This weekend the teams travel to Carnegie Mellon University to compete in the UAA Championships.
(04/20/04 4:00am)
With the madness of March behind us and the hangovers receding throughout Connecticut, it's time to look forward to the rest of the NBA season. While one cannot dispute the drama that comes with one-and-done elimination, the 7-game series of the NBA playoffs yield the better team without fail is a long, drawn-out chess match between two coaches at the highest level, tinkering and fine-tuning their troops every game until one team comes out on top. This is basketball at its highest level of skill and athleticism.There are individual awards to give out and a champion to be crowned. Here's a look at how things may turn out.MVP: Kevin GarnettGarnett should have won the award last year and should certainly top Tim Duncan in the voting this year. He is without a doubt the best and most versatile player in the league but he has also turned into a leader. He set the tone for the Minnesota Timberwolves after the team brought in Latrell Spreewell and Sam Cassell, and the team has followed his lead to the best record in the NBA. With the Timberwolves poised to finally escape the first round, Garnett has to be the most valuable player.Rookie of the Year: Carmelo AnthonyWhile Lebron James is almost certain to win, Anthony is the more deserving player. With the Nuggets floundering towards the end of the season, Melo took Denver on his back and lifted them into the playoffs. Anthony averaged 25 points over the last seven games of the season, hitting big shot after big shot. Not only did Anthony lead his team to more wins than James, he did it in the Midwest divison, the best division in basketball.Coach of the Year: Jerry SloanTalk around the league is that Memphis' Hubie Brown will win the award, but no coach has done more with less than Utah's Sloan. Sloan lost two Hall of Famers in Karl Malone and John Stockton who had been the foundation of his team for almost two decades, yet still had high expectations. Even after losing lead scorer Matt Harpring early in the season, the Jazz used stifling defense and constant effort to fall only one game short of the playoffs. People said the Jazz wouldn't win 20 games. They won 42.Defensive Player of the Year: Ron ArtestThere is no better perimeter defender in the game. Artest has the quickness to defend small guards, the strength to body up bigger, small forwards and the heart to think he can stop anybody. His vast collection of flagrant and technical fouls denied him the award last year, but a much more controlled Artest is the game's best defender this year.Sixth Man of the Year: Manu GinobiliThe Spurs swingman could easily start, but comes off the bench to give San Antonio the quickness and athleticism that is sometimes lacking in the backcourt.Most Improved Player: Michael ReddThe quick release lefty came from nowhere to gain the first all-star selection of his career, while leading the overachieving Bucks to the playoffs.Executive of the Year: Joe DumarsThe Pistons GM not only acquired an all-star in Rasheed Wallace while giving up practically nothing, he actually cleared cap room with the trade.Eastern Conference Champion: Detroit PistonsDefense wins in the playoffs, and no one in the East plays it better than the Pistons. Detroit has the size upfront with Ben Wallace and Rasheed Wallace to take on any frontcourt, and coach Larry Brown is one of the best defensive coaches of all time. Their no superstar system leads to excellent ball movement and stifling defense. The Indiana Pacers will push the Pistons for the conference title, but with a match up so close, the edge goes to the better coach. Rick Carlisle has done great with the Pacers, but Brown is a Hall of Famer. New Jersey will fight valiantly in its quest for a third straight conference title, but the Nets are not as solid defensively as they have been in past years. With Detroit and Indiana both stronger up front, the Nets will face an early exit.Western Conference Champion: San Antonio SpursAll the powers in the Western Conference got significantly better during the off-season except the Spurs, but the fact of the matter is that coach Greg Popovich's system works. If you watch the Spurs play, you see five guys constantly moving their feet, pressuring the passing lanes, contesting shots and helping each other out. Defense wins championships and the Spurs play a heck of a lot of it. Tim Duncan is a proven winner. Tony Parker has gotten incredibly efficient running Popovich's system. Ginobili seems to sense what the Spurs need on any given night and fills the box score accordingly. The Lakers are stacked in talent but have not shown that they can step up and stop teams defensively. Ditto for the Kings who hoped to slip into the finals unnoticed. The Spurs are the team with championship swagger and the defense to back it up.NBA Champion: San Antonio SpursThe Eastern conference has failed to yield a champion since Michael Jordan left Chicago and will come up short again. But with the Pistons sporting an intimidating front line and the Spurs worn down by their crusade through the West, Detroit should challenge San Antonio more than enough to provide the first very closely matched NBA finals since the Spurs won their first title in 1999. It will be a great match up with mentor Larry Brown coaching against former student Greg Popovich, but in the end the student will leave the master. The Spurs will win game seven in San Antonio, clinching their second straight title. When all is said and done, the Lakers and Spurs will have combined for the last six championships.
(04/20/04 4:00am)
Since the birth of rock 'n roll, there have been those flames that burned too bright and died too soon. Janis Joplin, Jimmie Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Elvis Presley and John Lennon have all joined the ranks of music's most revered, not only for their talent while they were alive, but also for their untimely deaths that left millions wondering what could have been if only they had been given a few more years. As children of the 1980s, most of us never even lived to see these icons produce music; we have only heard stories from our parents and the press of what amazing music they made. They are the artists we grew up on. They have always been a part of our musical past. So when a three-piece band from Seattle surfaced on the national music scene in 1991 with an album dismissively entitled Nevermind, our generation began to realize what it was like to witness the creation of our own music history by a band led by a humble man.The band was called Nirvana. The man was named Kurt Cobain. In 1991, rock music was dying. After the musical explosions of the 60s and early 70s, disco had nearly strangled the genre to death. Punk loosened the iron vice for a few short years, but the emergence of hair metal put rock back into critical condition. Suddenly bands like Poison, Whitesnake and Mitley CrAe were singing about strippers, sex and booze, all laid over the same three-chord progression and extraneous guitar solos. The music oozed of machismo and misogyny, practically dripping with the most revolting kind of testosterone. Power ballads became half-hearted attempts at showing a rock band's "sensitive" side, and the genre began to lose its meaning. As American music entered the 1990s, many were proclaiming that rock was dead.Meanwhile, in the tiny industrial town of Aberdeen, Wash., a small band called Nirvana quietly released an album called Bleach in 1989. Comprised of bassist Krist Novoselic, drummer Dave Grohl and guitarist/singer Cobain, the band was a local favorite on the punk scene. But Cobain's lyrics held a rawness and sincerity that set Nirvana and their music miles apart from their peers. The band began to garner buzz after the release of "About A Girl," which enthralled listeners with Cobain's gravelly voice as it admitted, "I need an easy friend/I do/ With an ear to lend." Lyrically frank and vocally understated, Cobain was a stunning change of pace from the overdone hair metal that dominated the mainstream. Where his competitors screamed and screeched, Cobain mumbled and muttered, allowing his words (though often relatively unintelligible) to do the work. He could get away with it, too, because Cobain was - above all - a brilliant lyricist. Alternative radio stations like Washington's WHFS and Los Angeles' KROQ picked up Nirvana after the release of Bleach and a small buzz built up for the release of their 1991 breakthrough album, Nevermind.Nevermind changed rock 'n roll as we know it forever. The barely intelligble lyrics and buzzsaw guitars of the album's first single, "Smells Like Teen Spirit," threw America for a loop. Conservative groups immediately railed against the band, calling them a threat to America's youth because of lyrics like "Load up on guns / bring your friends / it's fun to lose and to pretend." They said Nirvana supported kids dropping out of school to use drugs, running away from home and a host of other problems. Music critics, on the other hand, praised the album and the band for this breakthrough work, awed by its mix of the heartbreaking and heart-stopping. Nevermind pulled no punches, mixing lyrics that were often lost and confused with music that alternated between the melancholy pull of songs like "Come As You Are" and "Polly" with the incredibly solid rock of "In Bloom" and "Lithium."Cobain's lyrics were dazzlingly candid, the opposite of the rigidly masculine hair metal writers. Where before all the audience heard were details of the singer's sexual prowess, Cobain let listeners into his head. "I'm so happpy / because today I found my friends / they're in my head," he sang in "Lithium." He also tackled a surprising number of scenarios in his songs, from the apparent rape and torture of a girl in "Polly" to the party/mob scene of adolescents and young people in "Smells Like Teen Spirit" to homelessness in "Something In The Way."Cobain didn't do it alone- Novoselic and Grohl were both excellent musicians in their own rights, and the combination of talent led to songs that weren't just emotionally innovative, but musically perfect. Every Nirvana song was catchy; they appreciated music as listeners, not just performers, which allowed them to be comfortable with crafting infectious pop melodies and music to complement and coat what were otherwise very abrasive lyrics. Nirvana was propelled into the national and international spotlights. The press tagged along for tours, fans began hounding them at every turn and they began finding themselves on the covers of magazines and be featured on television specials. It went against every ethic the band had, but unlike the rest of their grunge counterparts (who began to enjoy more mainstream success), who openly and loudly proclaimed their hate for the music industry and the press, Nirvana just kept as low of a profile as they could and did everything in their power not to let it get to their heads. They were surprisingly successful.Looking to placate a demanding public while giving themselves time to work on Nevermind's follow up at their own pace, Nirvana released Insecticide in 1992. It was a collection of demos, B-Sides and live performances of previously-released material, as well as some outtakes and unreleased material. Then, in 1993, the band released In Utero. It was another smash hit, with critics and fans gobbling it up just as eagerly as they had Nevermind. "Heart-Shaped Box" and "Dumb" became popular singles, but the album really gained its notoriety because of one simple song. "Rape Me" caused uproar from conservatives, and several stores decided not to carry the album because of the song's title. Under pressure from their record company, Nirvana released another edition of In Utero which re-titled the song as "Waif Me" on the album art so as to not offend or frighten customers. In Utero was darker, and news of Cobain's increasing struggle with heroin addiction and depression was becoming more common by the day. He was now married to the volatile Courtney Love, and had fathered a child, Francis Bean. To the fans following his every move, it seemed like every time something good happened to him, a disaster followed. By the time Nirvana appeared on MTV's Unplugged series, Cobain was a worn and beaten man. His tiny slumped figure, protectively encased in a fuzzy green cardigan sweater, is an image burned eternally into American popular and musical culture. Nirvana Unplugged in New York is the most popular album released by the band because of its introspective nature and eerie timing, released four months before Cobain's suicide. The stripped-down versions of "Come As You Are," "Dumb," "Polly" and "Pennyroyal Tea," and covers like David Bowie's "The Man Who Sold The World" floored audiences. Cobain's lyrics and the band's timeless music easily existed without distortion pedals or loud amps. But most poignant of all was the performance of "All Apologies." The quiet song echoed with sadness and hopelessness as Cobain asked, "What else should I be? / All apologies." On April 8, 1994, Kurt Cobain killed himself in his Seattle home.I was only nine that day, but I clearly remember wandering downstairs and flipping on MTV like a good little girl, only to see Kurt Loder's solemn face on the screen, announcing that Cobain's body had been found in his greenhouse, and that he was dead. I turned to my father, who was in the room as well, and said to him, "if this isn't true, I'll kill him myself." I was angry, but I was also young and didn't really understand what had happened. In my neighborhood, along with neighborhoods around the country, dozens of teenagers held candlelight vigils in the streets, cried and listened to Nirvana at high volume. Love sobbed in a recorded message airedon television as she read Cobain's suicide note to the world. The music industry took a week or so to mourn. Some fans never recovered.The decade following Cobain's death has had its highs and lows. The highs include the rise of alternative as a genre, the increasing interest in the indie scene, the musical innovations of genres like electronica and hip-hop, and the waves of international bands breaking onto the American scene. Low points have included "Nu Metal," "Rap Rock" and the decision by the music industry to focus on bands or groups that are profitable in the moment, instead of focusing time and effort on nurturing bands that display true talent and could yield many long-term rewards. Artists and fans, frustrated by this sudden acceptance of this so-called "disposable music," have often wondered aloud what the music world would be like if Kurt Cobain hadn't killed himself. Some think he would have continued to produce genius music until he decided to retire. Others say he would have died somehow, some day-a talent like that just isn't meant to last. Others wonder if he even was that kind of talent, or if his death has propelled him to iconic status that he may not deserve. But Nirvana fans are extremely loyal, and continue to point out that Nevermind is still a staple of every "Best Rock Album" or "Best Album" list to be created since its release. Music critics still stick by their original assessment of the record as one of the most innovative and groundbreaking of the 90s. Nirvana and Kurt Cobain still linger at the front of the public consciousness. Dave Grohl, who has gone on to enjoy immense success and fame with his band the Foo Fighters, still admits to missing Cobain every day. Novoselic, while deciding to keep a lower profile since Cobain's suicide, has echoed the sentiment as well. The two surviving bandmates engaged in a lengthy legal battle with Love over the final demos and recordings by the band. After many years in court, "You Know You're Right" was finally released to the public. It is, allegedly, the last recording Nirvana ever made. Many consider "You Know You're Right" to be lyrical proof of Cobain's suicidal plans. With lyrics like "I will crawl away for good," "I always knew it would come to this" and "I have never failed to feel / Pain," it seems to be the ramblings of a man right on the edge. Maybe he was. Some contend that Cobain was happy and healthy in the weeks leading up to his suicide, after checking himself into rehab to combat his heroin problem. Those reports have fueled numerous conspiracy theorists to try to connect Love to what would then be the murder of her husband. No evidence compiled has been compelling enough to instigate charges.The legacy of Kurt Cobain is not his death, nor his drug addiction, nor his depression, nor his pain. It is his music. His music has touched millions, opened hearts and minds and, most importantly, changed the very face of music as we know it. He is now sharing a throne with the rock 'n roll icons of the past. But unlike those mythical figures of times gone by, he is an icon that we knew personally. We saw his self-deprecating smile and heard his quiet, nervous laugh. We saw him compulsively ash his cigarette during interviews, and cuddle with his child on magazine covers. We knew him when he was green, and we saw him evolve. He is our icon, our hero. And 10 years later, we still miss him very, very much.
(03/30/04 5:00am)
Knitting seems anything but 21st century. Even Brandeis' first generation of students, back in the 1950s, may have ridiculed the hobby as old-fashioned and fit for their grandmothers. However, many Brandeis students now are delving into knitting, a quickly growing fad that is gaining a hip reputation. Over the last decade, knitting has become increasingly popular among a younger demographic, dispelling the image that knitters must be elderly. "The percentage of women under 45 who knit or crochet has doubled since 1996," wrote Debbie Stoller, author of Stitch 'N Bitch: the Knitter's Handbook and The BUST Guide to the New Girl Order. The modern-day knitter cannot be placed into any one category. College knitters come from a variety of backgrounds and often have different reasons for pursuing their woolen work. Jen Suhd-Brondstatter '07 began when she noticed that many of her friends were knitting, and they encouraged her to start. While few knitters take formal classes, Suhd-Brondstatter and others say they found the skill easy to pick up with a little persistence. "People were so enthusiastic about teaching me to knit. Everyone was really encouraging," Suhd-Brondstatter said.With such a rise in interest on campus, a group of Brandeis knitters formed a knitting circle known as the Stitch 'n Bitch. Suhd-Brondstatter thought the idea was a great opportunity to talk to other knitters and learn more about possible projects. "It's really laid back and a lot of fun," she said. "It's sort of a spur of the moment kind of thing. Everyone has different ideas for projects and it's not very traditional." Currently, approximately 10 people show up in Castle Commons every week.Most beginning knitters stick to simple scarves and then move on to hats. With more experience, knitters begin to feel more comfortable with their projects and often discover creative ways to use their new skill. Although the Stitch n' Bitch group is just getting started, members plan to get chartered as a formal club next semester. "Next fall we are thinking of holding some events to teach people to knit, as well as donate knitted products to charity," Suhd-Brondstatter said. The club wants to stay open to everyone: for people who have a lot of experience and for those who just want to learn.The club benefits from the new image of knitting. A part of this reputation, according to Amanda Denemark '07, who paraphrased Stoller's Stitch 'N Bitch, is due to a historical pattern in women's behavior. During the 1970s and 80s, Stoller claims in her book, many women rebelled against the domestic female image, opting instead for a more egalitarian ideal. Knitting, as well as other domestic tasks, became symbolic of the subordinate women. In the later 90s, as women became more secure in their societal position, Stoller writes, many decided they wanted to embrace knitting once more, simply dropping the associated domestic image along the way.Some males, too, are straying from stereotyped role expectations and venturing into knitting. Alasdair Post-Quinn '04, an art studio major, has always been interested in three-dimensional art. With his long black coat and bushy hair, one might not expect him to whip out yarn and knitting needles, however Post-Quinn is as excited about knitting as any of his other artistic endeavors. He views the activity as a mathematical challenge. His latest undertaking is creating "mobius" scarves, modeled after a geometric phenomenon, the mobius strip. This strip is a twisted loop made from a two-sided material that only has one side and one edge. Post-Quinn's scarves, hats, and muffs embody this by the way they loop around and through their ability to twist into different forms. Although he just learned to knit last fall, Post-Quinn has begun to create his own patterns. "They are mostly just thought out in my head, I don't really write them up," he said.Though this is a fairly advanced undertaking for a beginner, Post-Quinn is quite humble about his work. "I just need something to keep my hands busy," Post-Quinn said.Other male knitters join Post-Quinn in his hobby, drawn to the activity as an enjoyable pastime and a creative outlet. "I think most guys think it's cool to see a guy making guyish things," Sid Feygin '07 said. "I also like the personal touch that it gives clothes." Feygin has found that he and his friends are not happy with the clothing they find in stores and turn instead to making their own clothes. "It keeps me from looking like everyone else," Feygin said. As a self-defined anti-consumerist, Feygin also likes knitting because it allows him to wear and give great hats without having to compromise his beliefs. Most of the hats he makes end up as presents. Recently he has decided to branch out and is now working on a blanket.Feygin is not alone in the pursuit of finding and making his own clothes. Denemark's interest in knitting came only after mastering sewing. Her past projects include a variety of things ranging from patchwork pillows to her own prom dress. The prom dress was sewn from a pattern that both Denemark and her mother altered. Denemark learned many of the crafts she pursues from her mother. Denemark has kept her knitting projects simple and emphasized the relaxing effect of knitting. "It's just so nice to sit and knit on a Saturday afternoon," she said. Relaxation is key to the craft, according to most. After the typical beginner's problems pass, people tend to describe knitting as a great way to rest and escape the stresses of homework or exams. For most of those interviewed, knitting is worthwhile as a way to unwind, meet other people or keep themselves busy. Finished projects end up as gifts to family members or friends. "It feels so great to see someone wearing something you made," Feygin said.Some knitters' goals are loftier, however. Post-Quinn said he aims to sell finished scarves and hats at a science fiction convention, where he hopes other mathematically minded people will be intrigued by his creations. As the array of knitters grows, it becomes obvious that hip knitting is on the rise. Now punk knitters and grandma knitters can shop together for yarn, broadening the knitting world, stitch by stitch.
(03/30/04 5:00am)
In 1979, a successful, bloodless coup established the People's Revolutionary Government as leaders of the south Caribbean island of Grenada. Four years later, the party that was once held as a triumph of post-colonial democracy imploded. The ruthless assassinations of the prime minister and his associates by his own party left the country in political ruin. At this point, Grenada native Dessima Williams, then ambassador to the Organization of American States and Deputy Governor to the World Bank, left Grenada to finish her graduate studies in the United States. A revolutionary, an activist, and a wealth of political wisdom, Prof. Williams (SOC) remains modestly sequestered in her department at Brandeis. Her story is remarkable, and equally powerful are the lessons she has to teach about social injustice in the world in which we live. Raised in rural Grenada, Dessima Williams represented in her youth the generation of bright, energetic community leaders who would bring Grenada out of dictatorial rule and into democracy. Strongly influenced by a Catholic upbringing, Williams says that from an early age, she was trained in the values of charity and social obligation. At the age of nine, she began work in a medical clinic after school, helping the resident nurse examine low-income rural children. This, she says, had a vast impact on her view of her place in the world, as she became involved in the process of challenging malnutrition and sickness among Grenada's poor. "What began to emerge with the volunteering in the clinic," she says, "was my role in society, which was a leadership role." Her potential for leadership blossomed in secondary school, where she distinguished herself as a scholar and valuable member of the community. Accepted into the University of Minnesota, she left Grenada to study International Relations. Although at first bewildered and confused by the racism and unfairness she saw in the United States, she became politically active, forming groups to spread the word about Caribbean culture. After four years, she enrolled in American University. In 1979, Williams' plans for graduate school rapidly became inconsequential. The pro-socialist New Jewel Movement, with which she had affiliated herself, overthrew the dictatorial government and took power. In a brief phone call, Williams was assigned the central role as Grenada's ambassador to the Organization of American States. In a whirlwind of meetings and travel, she became the government's representative to Congress, the media, the U.N., the World Bank and UNESCO. Working alongside Grenada's prime minister and foreign minister, she helped to manage Grenada's foreign relations while seeking economic support from bilateral and multilateral donors. Any student who has attended Williams' lectures will have been struck by her deep understanding of the institutional injustice that exists at the global level. This understanding, she says, first began to form while she fought for Grenada's survival in the global climate of the Cold War. She discovered the nuances involved in power relations in the old colonial model, and learned how the G7 countries held an absolute institutional authority over the smaller, struggling developing nations.She says, however, "I understood the possibility of change." Developing countries stuck together in the UN, she explains, and she was active in a non-alignment movement with Mexico, India, Cuba, Ghana and Yugoslavia. "I became a global citizen for justice in a way I'd never been before." Her role became "to translate Grenada to the world and the world to Grenada," she says. Greatly respected as a revolutionary character and an active speaker, she also began to represent the rights of women around the world.In 1983, havoc broke loose among the government of Grenada. The prime minister and others were killed by more radical members of their own party, and U.S. forces swept into the country to make order of the ensuing political chaos. Arresting the interim government and deporting those who remained, U.S. troops ensured that the party was permanently scattered. Williams tells of how she was both "enraged and devastated" to watch the collapse of what she and her colleagues had fought for. "When brother killed brother, I couldn't go on," she recalls. She left the embassy and mobilized diplomatic opinion for the removal of U.S. troops from Grenada, a process which ended a year and a half later.Shortly afterwards, she tried to resume life by studying International Relations at American University.It was difficult for Williams to read in a textbook what she had just directly experienced so vividly. At that time, she says, most academics wanted to justify the Cold War and saw national liberation movements as dangerous for the United States' agenda. Militarism was rampant, and the idea of global injustice was dismissed as an argument in favor of the communist agenda. Globalization blossomed, and the economy of Grenada began slowly but persistently expanding-but became more unequal under U.S.-favored rule. In 2004, 12 years after Williams began to teach at Brandeis, one-third of the population of Grenada lives in poverty. The country must now open itself to free trade in a market in which it has little chance of competing. Professor Williams, however, is far from pessimistic or at the end of her mission to bring prosperity and democracy to her homeland. "It was really the place where my whole life's mission was formed and crystallized," she says. She is still actively involved in bringing the country away from its downward spiral. Through her organization, GRENED, Williams brings students from Brandeis to the island to help spread knowledge and encourage a high educational standard. When asked about the ultimate solution for her country's survival, she replied, "Education and investment, education and investment." Once the lower and middle classes gain enough economic and social power to build a competitive trade edge in the regional and global market, she predicts the current gap between rich and poor could lessen and ownership of the island's resources will be more fairly distributed. She calls for a greater number of successful Grenadians to study inside and outside of Grenada, earn degrees and return to their communities to help to bring the economy back on track from a broader social base.With a new, more liberal parliament and an ever-increasing presence of non-governmental organizations, Grenada's future looks hopeful, and Williams' expertise and understanding are undoubtedly invaluable in its recovery. In her class, Global Apartheid and Social Movements, Williams encourages students to gain first-hand experiences of ongoing struggle against inequality at the global level. She shares her own experience as a combination of her social history ties to big ideas of injustices and movements for change. More information about her organization can also be found at grened.org.
(03/23/04 5:00am)
"I wouldn't bet on it." That's probably what you hear from people who entered into an NCAA tournament bracket pool. Many, many Americans forked over some amount of money in the past week to go towards NCAA basketball. And, after a stretch of buzzer-beating, bracket-busting four days in which 49 teams have been eliminated, it is time to enter the four triage stations and see how the 16 survivors are doing.Phoenix RegionEveryone's favorite to come out of this bracket, now that Stanford was surreptitiously upset by eighth seeded Alabama, should be the University of Connecticut Huskies. Pre-season number ones, the Huskies struggled with injuries all season. With the next round of games not starting until Thursday, UConn can have Ben Gordon, Emeka Okafor and Charlie Villanueva healthy, rested and ready to go for the rest of the tournament. Syracuse, last year's championship, should probably be the next best bet. 'Cuse had a tough regular season for a while and then turned it on at the end, winning seven of their last eight, including big wins over Pittsburgh and UConn. If the Orangemen want to beat a healthy UConn team this time around, they need big games from sophomore guard Gerry McNamara and junior forward Hakim Warrick. Vanderbilt and Alabama, coming off big wins, will look to derail the two Big East teams from reaching the Final Four. Vanderbilt has looked shaky during the entire tournament and any complacency will cause them a quick exit against UConn. 'Bama has a better chance of making the Elite Eight than Vandy, due to an easier opponent in Syracuse and more momentum after knocking off the top-ranked Stanford Cardinal. Atlanta RegionThis should be a fun bracket. Duke is the favorite for most people. Even though they should face a lot of competition this time around, their great talent, great coaching and regional prowess should prove too much for the other candidates. But the Blue Devils have not faced a challenge yet this tournament, winning their games by a combined 63 points. That leaves a great challenge to Xavier, Texas and Illinois. Xavier is probably the best team other than Duke left in this region. Xavier has had some huge wins this season. The"X-Men" have amazingly lost only once since Groundhog's Day. The Texas Longhorns escaped a close game against UNC in the last round and need to up their play to move on. Illinois defied most experts and beat up on Cincinnati the last round. Can they defy odds once again and beat Duke? The Bearcats are a young team with only one senior, which could make the Blue Devils a little intimidating.East Rutheford Region Except for Manhattan's upset of Florida the first round, there have been no upsets in this bracket. That means that the top four seeds head to New Jersey relatively unscathed. Pittsburgh was my favorite to come out of this region, but the Panthers are making me uneasy. They have not looked great in their wins, while Oklahoma State has looked excellent. With mostly uperclassmen Oklahoma State has the experience and maturity needed to get through this bracket.Saint Joseph's, on the other hand, has only lost once all season long. ESPN.com's Player of the Year, Senior Guard, Jameer Nelson, has continued his great play in the tournament.Wake Forest, on the other hand, has just escaped two nail-biting, white-knuckle games. After winning by only one point against Virginia Commonwealth, Wake was taken to the limit by 12th-seeded Manhattan. Wake went into the tournament on a low note and if that momentum continues, they're finished against St. Joe's.St. Louis RegionThe last bracket is the one that has been torn up the most. Gone are the number one and two seeds in Kentucky and Gonzaga. Although the"Zags" were my pre-tournament pick to come out of the Midwest, there are still some very good teams left. Kansas is my new favorite to come out of this region. Bill Self's first season in Lawrence has had mixed results, but the Jayhawks have had two enormous wins so far this tournament, not letting either opponent into the game. They will face their greatest competition in UAB who came out of nowhere to upset Kentucky. This is a battle tested team who has won a shootout and a close game. But Kansas does have the edge in this game with experience and depth. Tenth-seeded Nevada is the lowest seed left in the tournament but that does not mean their days are numbered. They have proven their worth in this tournament by beating Michigan State and Gonzaga. But Georgia Tech is another test for them as they try to advance as this year's Cinderella. Tech has defeated several powerhouse teams this season, including Duke, UConn, Texas Tech, and Wake. Georgia Tech is truly battle tested, and if sophomore guard Jarrett Jack catches fire, Georgia Tech should be in the Final Four. Sixteen teams have a chance to win the tournament. At this point, any of them can still win it. Do I know the winner? Do you know the winner? I wouldn't bet on it.
(03/23/04 5:00am)
Inside the Orpheum Theater at Jon Stewart's standup show, I'm sitting behind a "loud laugher"-you know the type: the unsettling and boisterous cackle in the awkward pauses between jokes that makes you wonder what triggered the rumble. The crowd is eclectic: ages, races, families and couples, random, yet bound by some immeasurable combination of cynicism and optimism. The crowd seems learned, eager for intellectual stimulation by way of intravenous injection of ribald humor, a couple of f-bombs and an ever-sharp wit. And the air is static with anticipation; for all I know Jon Stewart is the best America gets: erudite, charming and alternately self-deprecating, he is Banana Republic and the New Yorker mixed with The Onion and Curb Your Enthusiasm.The Daily Show centers on mocking our political institutions and personalities; Stewart's standup carries this satire over into most aspects of American culture. He touched all the bases, from an opening tirade on Boston to religion, terrorism, sex, technology and the always-entertaining American popular culture. His method is unique; when talking about Boston he casually throws around Ben Franklin trivia like the articulately nonchalant nerd he is, all the while drawing connections to the present state of things. In the normative Daily Show political territory, he is less restrained and more free-spoken. He attacks our own apathy and failure to see through rhetorical idiocy; he exposes Bush's "War on Terror" for what it really is: a war on the emotional feeling of fear. To counter it our homeland defense has taken two years to formulate a grand color-coded system ... to tell us what level of fear we should maintain, "It's like a yellow feeling of terror." The illustrious solution: "They took the colors off a stop-light and added two more." The beauty of Stewart's banter is that at its core, it urges us to become informed, to maintain our cynicism and see through the absurdity that envelopes and submerges the important issues of today. He even defends Bush, noting that the president is by no means stupid as he is often portrayed, but rather, by the tone and simplicity of his addresses to the public that indeed we are the idiots. Stewart exaggerates Bush's constant and repetitive defense of "freedom-loving people who love freedom and liberty," and yet notes that each delivery should be concluded with an appropriate, "Now, run along" that is so clearly implied. My personal favorite is when Stewart speaks frankly about the way he lives his life. I find him to be one of the most worthy candidates for respect in the public eye that we have today, despite a reputation for high-voiced impressions, sound effects and a few pot-head allusions. His dominating rationality and straight-forwardness is utterly refreshing; he admits that for him, and for much of America, religion isn't the only way to maintain a high plateau of morality. He refutes the religious zeal of one Kirk Cameron (Growing Pains) if it is based upon a religion that does not allow Ghandi to enter his same heaven, although I am not sure Ghandi would want to (you've seen Growing Pains.) And Stewart is just as animated and reasonable, if a little mocking, about most religion, including his own. The three rules-almost non-rules-in Judaism: don't commit murder, don't commit adultery and don't eat pork. His biggest beef with Catholicism: no masturbation. And mostly he takes rationality right to the edge of satire; if God created us in his image then why does Jon Stewart have ass hair (his words, not mine). And more importantly why does that still turn me on. Stewart is absolutely ingenuous outside of the normal format of the Daily Show. It is his history of stand-up that is exemplified here; he maintains the stature of a true pro, despite the fact that most of his audience knows him as host of a highly respected and increasingly legitimate news/comedy program. He parlays with the stuffy political elite just as easily as he has mastered the beauty of low-brow humor-hand jobs, piSata fetishes, feline heat, canine explosive diarrhea and vomiting-you name it he's provided the sound effects. And in our minds he is none the lesser for it. In fact he exemplifies the beauty of America-that he can bounce between the low and the high, the intelligent and the inane and still garner our respect, our adoration, and our laughs. Which is more than I can say for our president... except for that last one. Stewart closed his show with a tirade on the absurd melodrama that so many Americans play into. To most, he simply said, as he does in moments of genuine sincerity, "Accept who you are and what you are." Applicable to Christians, amounting to 80 percent of America, his advice, not quite so sincere but still playfull, was, "Shut the fuck up." To Jews whose towns have a Christmas tree as its epicenter center and they think they need a menorah, he candidly reiterates, "Shut the fuck up." The pattern continues, the serious supplemented with the absurd. He finishes with a most telling anecdote, "After 9/11 I thought we would never be the same. But two weeks afterwards I walked out of my apartment to find a man jerking off on my stoop." And we laugh, because he has captured a moment of clarity for us-that we could use a good laugh directed at ourselves and the situations around us. We can laugh at the absurdity of our nation and our icons, of our religious institutions and our cultural obsessions, and yet on some level find them deeply humanistic and hopeful. It is our appreciation for satire in satirical times that legitimizes Stewart's magnetism and why we hope he never shuts the fuck up.
(03/23/04 5:00am)
Starving Artists' annual A Cappella Fest was held last Sunday night in Olin-Sang to benefit Project Zawadie. Starving Artists were joined by Rather Be Giraffes, Your Mom, Proscenium, Voices of Soul, Manginah, Company B and Up the Octave.Project Zawadie raises money for orphans and other vulnerable children in Tanzania and provides financial assistance for them to get school uniforms, school supplies and textbooks."There were several great submissions as far as charities go, but this one struck a personal connection with the group because one of our members knows the founder," Starving Artists' Business Manager Ashley Firestone '05 said.Rather Be Giraffes opened the night with "Goodbye," a song originally recorded by Save Ferris, featuring Lisa Lokshin '06. The song was pretty tight with a very nice percussive part laying a strong rhythmic foundation for the rest of the song. Lokshin was quite impressive vocally and set a nice tone for the whole night. In addition to the strong vocal percussion was a noticeable bass line, something that is often lacking in many other groups' songs. The strength in the root of the chord allowed for stronger harmonies and a better overall performance of the song .Rather Be Giraffes followed up "Goodbye" with "Cornflake Girl," originally performed by Tori Amos, featuring Hayden Rockson '04. Despite a good performance, the song did not work completely, mainly because Amos' original version has a lot of instrumental elements that do not translate well into an a cappella arrangement. Also, Rockson seemed uncomfortable in the lower contralto range, though the higher notes sounded a lot better.Rather Be Giraffes concluded with Meredith Brooks' "Bitch," featuring Adena Kemper '06. The song started off harmonically awkward, overpowering the lead vocalist, but not for long. The only other problem was Kemper's volume. The song would have been much better if there were more noticeable dynamic changes at the chorus. Your Mom, Brandeis' newest a cappella group, followed and gave an interesting performance. Lead vocalist Sarah Orzalli '04 essentially put the group on her back and carried them to a successful showing. The group started off with a harmonically challenged plug for their next show that segued into their first song, which was very simplistic arrangement of "Like a Movie" by Midtown.The group used very basic arranging styles on all of their songs, which is undoubtedly a product of being such a young group. Your Mom founder Corey Frucht '04 joked that "we only practice one hour a week and most of that is spent on choreography." Sadly, it was an all-too-accurate representation of the group. And while a lot of their problems come from still being green, a lot of it also has to do with a noticeable priority of having fun over intonation. Proscenium, Brandeis' musical theater a cappella group, followed Your Mom and opened with "A Whole New World" from Aladdin, featuring Sam Levor '07 and Samantha Sagui '06. The group was noticeably down a few members and that lead to an overall lack of vocal presence on their part, but, to their credit, they carried on anyway. Emily Evans '04 then performed "Someone Like You" from Jekyll and Hyde. The song was sung quite well with some excellent phrasing on Evans' part. However, the song would have been better if she built on the last chorus and held out the final notes. While it is true that Proscenium need a group balance, it is still musical theater and they should not be afraid to uncork and let loose on a song. Proscenium closed with "Out Tonight" from Rent and featuring Mia Winton '07. Winton seemed very comfortable in the the range of the piece and was able to really get into it. Additionally, the song had some very nice vocal percussion, which really added a strong sense of rhythm to it. Voices of Soul closed the first act, opening their portion with En Vogue's "Never Gonna Get It," featuring Jamena Scott '04. The song was a clinic in stage presence and performing with just the right amount of attitude. Synchronized turning and some insightful use of the derriaere gave the song just the right amount of edge. They concluded with Outkast's "Hey Ya," also featuring Scott. The song was a huge hit with the crowd and one again laden with energy. The only problem came from their use of hand motions, mimicking Andre 3000's motions in the music video. Because they were in a semicircle it looked a little odd at times, but other than that, it was an excellent presentation. Manginah kicked off the second act, with their song "Brighter Day," featuring Marc Mendelsohn '06. The song was very poignant considering the global climate right now and was performed very beautifully by Mendelsohn and the rest of the group. They followed "Brighter Days" up with "Darkeinu" featuring Meira Soloff '07. "Darkeinu" was another down tempo piece that was really in staunch contrast to Voices of Soul and everything else had been performed thus far. Soloff's phrasing was exquisite. Manginah closed with "Boker" featuring Maya Cohen '04, which was a much more upbeat piece than previously performed, but not so much so that it was in dramatic contrast with the other songs. Manginah put together a very impressive set list for the performance that made them standout from the rest of the groups. Company B took the stage next and opened with Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" featuring Zack Mabel '04, which was very vindicating for an audience that had been waiting for a vocalist to really belt out a song. Mabel nicely introduced everyone there to the concept of a double forte.They followed that up with a unique piece, Ella Fitzgerald's "Smooth Sailing," which featured each member of the group doing a skat solo. While all the solos were impressive, Ed Greenberg's '05 bass solo was a song highlight. The group closed with The Doobie Brothers' "Free Ride," though this time they broke away from the traditional tutee to give Mark Lipman '04 a vocal guitar solo in the middle, which gave the piece a little improvisational flair. Up the Octave followed, and opened with Aretha Franklin's "Natural Woman," featuring Jessica Friemen '07. The song was nice, catchy and poppy, everything that it should have been. The group also had a good blend between the soloist and the other performers.They followed that up with Otis Redding's "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay," featuring Courtney Whyte '04 The arrangement was done a little differently than Redding had originally performed it, the song was a lot faster and Whyte had a very pop music quality to her voice and often slipped into verbrato, which isn't bad, just contrary to most people's view of the song. Starving Artists finished up the evening, opening their portion of the show with The Police's "Message in a Bottle." The song's user-proof arrangement by Josh Geyer '05 was even more powerful in Firestone's capable hands; proving once again that you can have all the vocal talent you want in a group, but if nobody can arrange a song, you won't go far.Their follow up song was Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain," also arranged by Guyer and featuring Nick Barasch '06, Jennie El-Far '07 and Jessica Peres '04. The song, though it had some blend problems in the beginning with a few stand out voices, was an excellent demonstration of purposeful movement. While it is fun to break it down like Voices of Soul, if the choreography does not give depth to the song than it is just wasted energy. The Artists' closed with Maroon 5's "Harder to Breathe" and nicely incorporated Coolio's "Gansta's Paradise," which gave the song a much darker mood. In this case it is acceptable to play with the intentions of the originator because it is building off of an aspect already present in the song, and El-Far did it very well. The show on the whole was a great musical success, each group did its part to combine to one excellent evening, and it says a lot about our university that we can have eight good a cappella groups excluding those who didn't perform.
(03/16/04 5:00am)
The summer before my freshman year was a contentious time for my mother and me. We had been butting heads with increasing frequency as we both prepared mentally for my heading off to college, the first time I'd be spending more than a few weeks away from home. I think it was a toxic blend of separation anxiety and, ironically, just having had enough of living under the same roof that had us sparring so much. Or maybe it was my arrogant intransigence clashing with her irrational arbitrariness. But whatever it was, there was a lot of tension and plenty of circumstances where an apology would have been appropriate, if not completely necessary. Unfortunately, apologies were not my forte. I had a very hard time swallowing my foolish pride and expressing regret for my actions, however out of line they may have been.Prospects of reconciliation appeared grim, but then, in late July, my matriarch found an article in Parade magazine, and asked me to read it. Just looking at the title made me roll my eyes: "The Power of an Apology." I approached it very skeptically, and initially, I scoffed at the entire piece, dismissing it outright. I went back a bit later, however, reread it, and began to understand where the author (Dr. Rosamund Stone Zander, a psychologist) was coming from. Some apologies are easy. For example, when a writer postpones his column for several weeks due to writer's block and perfectionism, trying the patience of his eternally gracious section editor, it is clear who is in the wrong, and the appropriate course of action is obvious. Sorry, Evan.But then there are murkier situations, where the fault is not so clear-cut, and neither party feels at fault. For situations like that, I refer to the most important point I was able to glean from the article: An apology need not be a mea culpa.It seems like a pretty simple concept, and it is: You don't have to admit to being wrong to say you're sorry. But when actually applied to a real-life situation, it becomes infinitely more difficult to remember and utilize. But it can help with making the apology. Swallowing your pride and saying you are sorry can be very humbling, especially when you feel you are in the right. "Being the bigger person" can seem trite and unjustifiable, but you don't have to say you were wrong. An apology like that says not, "I admit defeat; you were right all along," but instead, "I'm sorry this rift has formed between us, and want to close it." This often leads to reciprocation, and will quickly restore civility and congeniality to a relationship.One sure way to ruin an apology is to qualify it. As soon as you attach a "but..." to it, you may as well not have said anything at all. The message a qualified apology sends is, "you're still wrong, but because I'm a better person, I'm going to placate you and get this over with." If you don't feel sorry yet, that's fine. But don't try apologizing before you are ready. Not only will that not ease the tension, it is likely to increase it. And beware: once a disingenuous apology is put forward, any future legitimate attempts will be greeted with skepticism, and resolving the situation will be harder.Of course, there's another edge to this sword. Hopefully, at some point, someone is going to apologize to you for something. Once this occurs, the ball is in your court. If the apology is genuine, the other party is extending an olive branch, and the onus is on you to accept it. Do not gloat; do not say "I told you so." Just be thankful that the other person saw past the anger or jealousy or resentment and remembered that in the long run, the relationship is all that really matters.Apologizing is a wonderful reparative tool, but as with anything else, overuse can sap their efficacy. Make sure that there is a problem before trying to remedy it. If you are uncertain, don't hesitate to ask if you suspect you may have angered or offended someone. If you have, then by all means, apologize. But the danger inherent in becoming "sorry-happy" and expressing contrition left and right is that you may lose your credibility. If people suspect that you are one to shoot out perfunctory apologies, when the time comes to offer up a genuine one, it may be cast aside as insincere.Part of the reason that I took so long to write this column was that I felt hypocritical spouting advice that I myself sometimes have trouble following. In contentious situations, much of what I have written here often flies right out of my head, leaving me flailing and seething. But eventually I came to realize that when I am able to remember what I've learned, it really does help me put things in perspective. I hope it can for you as well.So that's my story and I'm sticking to it. And to anyone who feels I owe them an apology, I'm sorry. I mean it.
