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(03/30/06 12:00am)
Author: ALEXXA GOTTHARDT New York's got class. LA's got hype. Chicago's got the blues. And Miami has…what? Sun shining upon endless stretches of sand, silicone and sex. Streets where artifice and excess reign; where the rich and the poor are not just blocks, but worlds apart; and where sunglasses, sweet rides and sneakers are the latest status symbols. Appealing? Maybe not. Glamorous? Perhaps. Intriguing, arresting and inspiring? Definitely. Miami is a complex world chock full of undeniable cultural diversity and vibrancy - a vibrancy that is building (designer shoe upon florescent thong upon techno beat upon Spanish slang) the art world's newest, hottest hub. Miami's got art.In the past few years, Miami has quickly become the fawned-over favorite of a very picky, often pretentious art world. Even the globe's most high-powered, hip, utterly loaded collectors, gallerists and curators are devoting massive portions of their sleek black-leather calendars to soak in the Miami rays. Rays that, to these vacationers, don't come from the sun, but from the glittering panoply of art fairs, alternative spaces, galleries and innovative artists that are rising from the city's concrete cracks. But why, when, and how did Miami become the breeding ground for the creation, collection and exchange of art that it is today? Answer: Art Basel Miami Beach (ABMB). This offshoot of the mother of all art fairs, Art Basel (Switzerland), originated in 2002 and has since become more successful, influential and outrageous by the year. Mixing top galleries from New York, Paris and London with new, less-conspicuous names, ABMB stands apart from its successor in its firm commitment to the exposure of next-to-unknown artists and galleries. While much of the art world considers this a risky move, it's also what attracts them and keeps them coming back year after innovative year. After the dawn of ABMB, Miami broke out. Already a wild, open and experimental city - due in large part to its cultural diversity and pleasure-driven lifestyle - Miami was ready for more art, more excitement. Not only did ABMB bring the world to Miami, it also revealed the city's very own burgeoning art scene, a treasure of budding talent and generous, enthusiastic collectors. Now, other art fairs have popped up all over the city - Pulse Miami, Aqua Art, NADA and Arteaméricas, to name a few. Museums are being enhanced, overhauled and added. Collectors such as the Rubell Family, Ella Cisneros, Craig Robins and Debra and Dennis Scholl have opened their collections to the public and are funding arts efforts across the city. Galleries are revitalizing and rendering very posh Miami's Wynwood Art District - à la New York's Soho or Chelsea. And, perhaps most importantly, a strong group of artists, growing all the time, is settling and working in Miami. Inspired by their hometown's diversity and consequent looseness and vibrancy, the likes of Hernan Bas, Naomi Fisher, Mark Handforth and Dara Friedman are creating art that is shocking and pleasing art-snobs, aesthetes and thrill-seekers alike. So, now high art joins the ranks of sultry salsa grooves, tacky tourist décor, microscopic bikinis, platinum rims and an eternally sunny South Beach to inspire artists and collectors everywhere and create the globe's newest, freshest creative bazaar. Art world, meet Miami.
(03/09/06 12:00am)
Author: Geoffrey B. Shields, President of Vermont Law School Today the U.S. Supreme Court released its decision in Rumsfeld v. Fair, upholding the right of the U.S. government to cut off funds from educational institutions that require all those who recruit on their campuses to assure equal treatment based on sexual orientation.Vermont Law School takes particular interest in this case.The Vermont Law School is one of only three law schools in the country that has been forced to forego the opportunity to receive a substantial amount of money in government grants, due to our stance that all employers who recruit on our campus must not discriminate based on race, religion, sex, age, color, disability, or sexual orientation. The Vermont Law School has held this position for a decade.As dean of Vermont Law School, I am disappointed and hope that the underlying issues will not be obscured by the Court's decision. We continue to be troubled by the policy of the United States government that has led to this case. The merits of nondiscrimination seem compelling. Based on the benefits to the United States, I call for the government to change its position on recruiting gays and lesbians for the military. Until a few decades ago, the military discriminated based not only on sexual orientation, but also on race and sex.The arguments on those issues, heard in the middle of the twentieth century, were similar to the arguments we hear about admitting gays and lesbians to the military today. Yet, upon admitting African-Americans and women into the ranks of the military, it was quickly found that their presence was not disruptive. The recruits brought tremendous talents and capabilities to the military, greatly enhancing the military's effectiveness. The civilian sector has found that insisting on equal employment opportunities for gays and lesbians has been good business practice, and many of the companies serving as support for the military in Afghanistan and Iraq do not discriminate against gay and lesbian employees. The experience of the militaries of Israel, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, Germany, and dozens of other countries whose armies recruit openly gay soldiers is instructive in that the talents of their gay and lesbian soldiers have strengthened their militaries and have not impaired the ability to fight under difficult circumstances. Indeed, our own military's experience supports the case for recruiting gay and lesbian soldiers. In times of conflict - Vietnam, the first Gulf War, the present conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan - because the military needs them, military discharges of gays and lesbians have dropped dramatically.Yet, in these times of closest quarters and greatest stress for troops, there has been no upsurge in "gay bashing" or other problems within the ranks. It is time to make available to the ranks of our military the talents of thousands of gay and lesbian men and women who want to serve. Let us revisit the "Don't Ask,Don't Tell" policy and do not just what is fair, but what will strengthen our military capability. Let's stop discriminating. Let's strengthen our military.
(03/09/06 12:00am)
Author: Chris Dowd Jeff King '05.5, playwright and graduation speaker for this year's Feb class, sat down with The Campus to talk about his experience with "The Real World;" no, not the one we all dread, but that goofy show on MTV. King recently became a finalist for the upcoming "Real World: Boulder," and will be flying out to Los Angeles in two weeks as one of only 20 people left for selection to the usually seven-person show. Imagine that - a Middlebury grad on "The Real World?" The Midlebury Campus: So how did this all start?Jeff King: It's really quite a strange sequence of events. I worked as a landscaper with my friend over the summer, and on a break a bunch of the younger guys were watching "Real World: Austin." The promo for submissions flashed on, and later that evening, basically joking around, we made a tape, mailed it in, and never thought about it again. Then at Midd some time later, I get this e-mail saying I'm in the second round.Campus: Round 2? Is this where they try to find out (crossing their fingers) if you're a homophobic/racist/aggressively drunk frat guy?JK: [Laughs] Almost. It was a 17-page application with the basic questions of who you are, where you're from, etc. But also a series of questions about your ability to create drama, e.g. drinking, sex, race, etc. I figured it was pointless to lie, and told them I don't drink much at all, don't sleep promiscuously, and was basically thinking at the time that I'd be too educated for the show. Turns out a couple weeks later I get a call for a phone interview, do that, then interview in person, make them laugh, etc. Then they start calling all of my friends and asking them about me. Meanwhile I'm thinking, what's going on? What's happening? And now I've suddenly got a paid trip to L.A. to meet more people as a finalist. Campus: So are you excited? A little bit nervous?JK: Definitely excited. I mean, when I watch the show now, I think: This is going to be hilarious. I'm excited to go and have a good time, go cool places, live in a great house, and rock my Midd shirt.Campus: Courageous. So that absolute power the producers have doesn't freak you out at all?JK: [Laughs] They made us sign this waiver giving them the ability to cut anywhere they want and totally mess with the context, but I don't think it should be too bad. I'm confident I won't do anything too stupid. I'm sure I'll end up getting mad a few times, but I doubt my response will be the bombastic fighting/arguing that usually gets people in trouble on the footage. You never know, but I'm really in it for the silly experience of it anyhow.Campus: So what impact do you think this will have on your life?JK: I think it's a number of things. As a writer, it can only help. I'll be tossed into this weird, intensified version of society, and have to laugh and live right through it. If anything, it gives me contact I might not be able to have achieved otherwise. I'm not trying to be an actor and milk this to be famous or anything, possibly becoming some kind of reality show burn-out. I really just think I might enjoy this absurd experience and be happy to go back to being nobody.Campus: Good, so it looks like you just might avoid the Surreal Life after all.JK: [Laughs] We can only hope.Campus: Well good luck, and I trust you're as excited as we are about the prospect of having a clever Middlebury grad on MTV?JK: Of course. -Chris Dowd
(03/09/06 12:00am)
Author: Penny Chen Walking out on stage in an oversized button-down shirt on top of a black t-shirt, dress pants and shoes, Vusi Mahlasela, seemed just as poised and at ease as any of the usual guests of classical music performing at the Middlebury College Center for the Arts. After settling in on the piano bench with his guitar, he broke the silence with a series of arpeggiated chords. However, it was not until he began humming with a voice resonant and powerful, yet gentle-sounding like a lullaby, did the audience come to full attention to the man on stage. It was no surprise - back home in South Africa, Vusi is known simply as "The Voice."For the next hour and a half, Vusi Vusi performed songs in English and a variety of African languages, joked around with the audience, recounted stories of the Apartheid Movement in South Africa and emphasized the importance of human rights, forgiveness and compassion. His wide display of vocal textures and range captivated the entire audience.The majority of the songs that Vusi's played were politically infused, describing the injustices being done in South Africa with "the police playing with dead corpses," as well as other global ramifications of cross-national injustices. He sang about the effects that the influence of the United States, the country that "[speaks] of Texas and Oil…" had on their neighbors. They also gave voice to those who wanted to heal after the bloody apartheid movement, which gripped South Africa from 1948 to the early 1990's. Apartheid, which means "apartness" or "separateness" in Afrikaans, one of the many languages spoken in South Africa, was a system of racial segregation that began when the National Party in the country won the national election in 1948. It included legislation prohibiting mixed marriages and interracial sex, as well as laws splitting schools, buses, hospitals, beaches and many other facilities by race. During this period and until the 1990's, black South Africans were relocated into "colored neighborhoods," and if they were caught without a valid pass in a white neighborhood, they would be deported back to the their "homeland." After decades of underground resistance, violent uprisings and multiple attempts by the government to crush anti-apartheid insurgencies, the oppressed people of South Africa finally began to see change, beginning in December of 1991 with the Convention for a Democratic South Africa's draft for a multiracial transitional government. While Vusi's songs have been played many times over in movements against apartheid and at political rallies, they are not aimed at placing blame on anyone. Rather, through them, he hopes to raise awareness of the suffering he has seen and experienced. He conveyed the feeling of being overlooked and ignored when he sang, "Did they even look at your face, or ask you your name? Who died last night? Who died this morning, and why?" Later, he beckoned the audience to consider his statement that "People choose not to care." Such messages, deeply ingrained in Vusi's music, have meant that he has been in high demand with a whole range of activism groups and movements, from anti-apartheid campaigns to political rallies to independent films. One of his compositions is featuring in the Oscar-nominated film, "Tsotsi." In 1994, he played at the inauguration of South Africa's newly-elected President Mandela. He has performed with other big-name talents from South Africa, for example, poet Lesego Rampolokeng and Dave Matthews, who was born in Johannesburg. In 2002, not least, Malhasela's music for the documentary film, entitled, "Amandla! A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony," won him two awards at the Sundance Film Festival. The four songs from this documentary were compiled alongside some twenty protest songs that played a definitive role in South Africa's liberation struggle. What is particularly striking about them is that they do not evoke violence as the answer to their oppression - they emphasize the need to respect fellow human beings and the wisdom of forgiveness and humility. Vusi's display of strong-willed optimism shows itself not only through his words but also through his music, as the Middlebury audience experienced on Monday evening. It is rare, indeed, to hear a song about the pain of separation be sung predominately in a major key, but for Vusi, that was the best way to sing it.
(02/23/06 12:00am)
Author: JUSTINE KATZENBACH Perhaps the most seductive aspect of "Match Point" is that Woody Allen excludes himself from the picture. The absence of that high-pitched, screeching voice, nagging with idiosyncrasies, concerns and anxieties, is certainly a relief. The unlikely hero that Allen always chooses to play is, by definition, nonexistent in Allen's newest picture. In fact, in "Match Point," there seems to be no hero whatsoever, flawed or perfect, and this sheds a new, darker light on the tone of the film.At the Cannes Film Festival last May, various reviewers happily and consistently made the same comment - that "Match Point" is "not a typical Woody Allen film." Allen is certainly capable of bringing innovative new concepts and ideas to film making. When critics made this comment, however, what they really meant to say was that "Match Point" is not a "typical" rendition of an Allen film. Not only is Allen removed physically from the action of the film, but no actor attempts to take his place. There is no character in "Match Point" who speaks with that mumbling, anxious tone, who is obsessed with sex or who speaks proudly and constantly of his Jewish heritage. All stereotypes that we relate with Woody Allen and his film-making are, quite thankfully, removed. The film is unsettling to say the least. The dramatic Hitchcock-style shots create a loss of the time continuum. There is this general confusion of whether Scarlett Johansson is playing an American actress of the 1920s, glamorous and posh, or one of the present day. The traditional and disturbing shots are framed by a London backdrop - its beautiful, traditional buildings, in collaboration with its long history, only adds to the sensation of timelessness that the movie offers. The individual characters also add to the film's ageless manner, in part because they each embody an extremist, personality that is type-cast to suit them. When poor, Irish, ex-tennis pro Chris (Jonathon Rhys Meyers) meets the rich and extravagant Tom Hewett (Matthew Goode) during a tennis lesson at the exclusive club where Chris works, Tom immediately befriends him. Sharing a love of opera, Tom invites Chris to a performance with his very wealthy parents and younger sister Chloe (Emily Mortimer). Chloe immediately falls in love with Chris. Consequently, the family initiates a "grooming" program in order to fashion Chris into the man that they would have their daughter marry - well-dressed, well-mannered and well-worked. Chloe's father hires him to work at his business. It is when Chris meets Nola (Johansson), a sexy and attractive American actress who is engaged to Tom, that things get complicated. Chris is a man who longs deeply to be welcomed by Nola's elitist family, the Hewetts, and who will happily morph into the person they wish him to be. Nola, on the other hand, creates an interesting dichotomy as she opposes all urges of conformity. These simple character differences ultimately cause the downfall of both Chris and Nola as they fall into a dire love triangle that cannot be treated or fixed in any simple manner. The stubbornness of both Chris and Nola, and the extremist and almost stereotypical personalities that each character embodies creates a provocatively interesting film that reveals the haunting nature of guilt. Immorality shapes the entire arch of the film, but how this appears on a thematic level is most interesting. The pessimistic standpoint which Allen assumes leaves the audience feeling perplexed and disturbed, for when the people who should be punished are set free, it disturbs his moral landscape. However, as Chris once explains to Nola, he'd "rather be lucky than good," the film comments on the everlasting effect of guilt - even as lucky as one can be, guilt will stalk forever, ever-present, infinitely preying.
(02/23/06 12:00am)
Author: Joyce Man If one were to single something out about this year's production of "The Vagina Monologues," it would be the performance's attempt to leave no one singled out. This, after all, is the quintessential play about discovering the female self through community sharing. The formula is simple but the result is always impressive, if done right. The actors get up on stage and talk about the trials of tampons, the embarassment of sex, the devastation of rape, while the audience laughs, ponders and cries in its seat, and voila!, a connection is made. Judging from the choruses of laughter and unified silences in McCullough Social Space last Saturday evening, there was a plenty of voila! and there was definitely a connection.Yet, tackling the "V-Mons" should be difficult for the very same reason that it should be easy. The script is so striking and controversial that it imports a formidable impression on its audience. Written by Eve Ensler '75, it is an Obie Award-winning collection of monologues that is performed world-over, over and over. So, the most humorous parts - the "Cunt" scene, for example, and that memorable triple-orgasm moan could easily be replayed with fresh enthusiasm or fall flat from over-kill. Directors Retta Leaphart '06 and Meghan Nesmith '06, both four -year veterans of "The Vagina Monologues," met this challenge. The best part about the "Monologues" is the fact that there is absolutely nothing "mono," nothing deserted nor singular, about the orators. The script's driving force is its applicability to all women. The characters, whether they be a sexually-repressed grandmother (played convincingly by talented first-year Judith Dry), or a woman raped in war, are capable of pulling on the heartstrings of all women. In the world of vaginas, so to speak, no female is an island, and the two directors seized upon this idea.The best decision they made was to have all their actors stand onstage throughout the performance to reflect the emotions of each principle orator. In addition to providing for smoother transitions from monologue to monologue, this tactic allowed for their collective energy to show. "We wanted to create a company of women," said Leaphart. "Every year, we feel that the group bonds in rehearsals, but there is little opportunity to showcase our community on stage. By keeping the women on-stage [throughout], we… created an atmosphere of supportive energy." Indeed, with a stage full of women clad in reds, purples and blacks, who laughed and sympathized expressively in tandem, the unity would have been hard to miss. And just in case someone did miss it, there is no substitute for an army of panting and moaning women in the throes of orgasm, three of them in unison, to slap the feeling of shared experience in your face.Beyond having their actors collectively complaining about that strange curiosity known as the tampon or openly discussing that great questions "What does your vagina smell like?" Leaphart and Nesmith attempted to interject freshness into the "V-Mons." In a video feed at the introduction, female students from around campus told tales about women who inspired them, ordinary women of extraordinary feats who were deemed "vagina warriors."But what of the other side of the award-winning play? If "The Vagina Monologues" is known for its championing of the female voice, it has equally raised controversy. One particular scene, "The Little Coochie Snorcher that Could," is a 14-year-old girl's tale of an empowering sexual experience with an older woman. In 2000, one columnist from the highly-conservative newspaper at Georgetown University, The Hoya, responded by jumping on the contradiction between the play, which attempts to battle female rape, and the scene, which seems to legitimize the sexual seduction of an under-aged girl by a woman as "good rape." The columnist, Robert Swope, was subsequently fired before the column was even published.While there has not been such a response on our campus, when conversing with Leaphart and Nesmith, it becomes obvious that they gave Sharp's criticism thought. For any director, there is the dilemma between remaining faithful to the script and responding to its problems. In this case, they chose to follow Ensler, more or less word for word, and with good justification. "Ensler has very prescriptive rules for the production of the show. There is virtually no flexibility in terms of which monologues to perform," said Nesmith. "My personal feeling about this piece is the overall experience by the woman in the monologue is extremely positive. [The experience] is not about the older woman obtaining sexual pleasure, but rather about empowering the younger woman to find her own sexuality and to understand and appreciate her body."Beyond minor criticisms that this year's production was less engaging than previous ones, most of the audience, men and women alike, applauded the cast for their strong performance. Kerri Duquette-Hoffman, a representative of WomenSafe, a group working to help victims of rape and to prevent violence against females, was moved by Katie Peters '06 and Dylan Graetz's '08 performance of the scene, "My Vagina Was My Village," despite having seen it many times. "[That piece] always makes me cry. They did a good job of performing it, given it's very heavy and somber, and it's placed in the middle of a play that is mostly very up-beat."Finally, the "VMons" came full circle by giving the audience a chance to get involved. All the profits, a predicted $3,000, will be donated directly to WomenSafe.
(02/16/06 12:00am)
Author: Caroline Vial No sex before suffrage "Are you faithful?" inquired the European radio station RTL 102.5 to Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who responded, "I have often been faithful." Flighty or not, this answer was followed by Berlusconi's promise to observe a "total sexual abstinence" until the country's general election on April 9. Sue Emittenza promised Priest Massimiliano Pusceddu not to use his body toward any ungodly ends, who congratulated the politician for his defense of family values during an electoral meeting in Sardinia. "Good thing he did not postpone the elections," notes the Corriere della Sera. - Corriere della Sera, Milan Coincidental FateA Soviet-built An-24 plane operated by the Slovak military crashed into a mountain in Hungary on January 19h, killing 42 people, mostly peacekeepers returning from a NATO mission in Kosovo. . The sole survivor, Martin Farkas, was using the restroom when the aircraft proceeded to crash. Incidentally, Farkas was carrying a four-leaved clover in his wallet, remarks the Hongarian agency MTI. - Courrier International, Paris. V-day controversies St. Valentine's Day, celebrated around the world on Feb. 14, has been unable to escape controversy.Chinese authorities who are suspicious of the religious origins of the celebrations, according to BBC News, confiscated flowers from passers-by. Conservative Hindu protesters in India disrupted festivities in public areas, as they consider Valentine's Day to be an alien Western import and anathema to Hindu culture.Yet, neither ideological objection nor militant intervention appears to have been able to check the growing international popularity of this day. - BBC News, London Stupefying resultsThere seems to be plenty of snow at the jet-set Alpine Swiss resort, Saint Moritz, where during high season, up to 1,400 lines of cocaine are inhaled every day. The institute of pharmaceutical and biomedical research in Nuremberg performed the tests on December 29 and 30, on used waters. Traces of benzoylectgonine, a derivative of cocaine, were found in the urine of consumers. "Everybody says that cocaine is a rich person's drug. We wanted to verify this ourselves, and what is a better place than Saint Moritz?," said professor Fritz Sorgel to the Sunday Telegraph. "The results were unbelievable." - The Sunday Telegraph, London
(01/12/06 12:00am)
Author: JUSTINE KATZENBACH "Brokeback Mountain" tells the tragic story of two cowboys who meet and fall in love while ranching sheep in the mountains of Wyoming during the summer of 1963. Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger), an introverted and simple man, makes every effort to keep to himself. Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal), his companion on the journey, is as outgoing and engaging as Ennis is quiet. Isolated in the wilderness, the differences in their personalities are soon overcome as Ennis and Jack begin a uniquely beautiful relationship framed by the Wyoming backdrop, which echoes their every action. Filled with whiskey and alone, they fall into their tent one night and only minutes later begin an affair which will last for the next 20 years. What becomes immediately apparent is both cowboys' sense of discomfort and embarrassment. The rather graphic sex scene is awkward and rushed. As they hurry through the act it is as if the faster it is over the quicker they can forget the fact that they have made love. The next afternoon, after a day of avoiding each other and tending to their flock of sheep, Jack finally confronts Ennis, telling him that no one has to know about the occurrences of the previous night. As Ennis looks directly into his lover's eyes, he tells him with conviction that he is "no queer," to which Jack responds "Me neither."As the summer comes to a close and Ennis and Jack finally leave the quiet of Brokeback Mountain, they are also forced to leave behind the truth of who they are. Ennis returns to his home in Wyoming, where he marries his longstanding girlfriend, Alma (Michelle Williams), and has two daughters. Jack moves back to Texas, attempting to make a living in the rodeo, only to meet and marry the prominent and beautiful Lureen (Anne Hathaway), whose father owns an established farm-equipment store. Despite the 14-hour drive between them, they are drawn back to each other after four years of separation. For the next 20 years they run off on their wives, telling them they have planned another "fishing trip." They find solace as they escape to the only place that will ever accept their relationship Brokeback Mountain. There, under the purple and green Wyoming sky, they ignore their separate lives and responsibilities and forget all truths except for the love between them. The affair is self-destructive - the months of separation between them too difficult. As Jack dreams of building a cabin in Texas for himself and Ennis, the world remains completely at odds with the idea of the two lovers ever actually living a life together, and the results are eventually tragic. Despite hopes to unite in the world outside of the forest, they are safe only when hidden by the shadows of the overwhelming mountainside. To say that "Brokeback Mountain" is a good film would not do it justice. The cowboy in American culture symbolizes all that is masculine. We are defined by this ranching, drinking, rough and dirty figure of a man, who rides horses through Western states, terrorizing all that falls in his way. He is the supposed definition of bravery, unrelenting in his solitary life, seeking only to live in the wild. He epitomizes our nation's dream of the American man. It is therefore truly revolutionary for American viewers to see the emblem of our nation's history portrayed as a homosexual - still just as brave and rough, but with a further dimension presented. "Brokeback Mountain" is an historically influential film because it forces Americans to examine the cowboy as a complex and realistic human being. Director Ang Lee aims to show the audience the tortured state of two men who live in a world of unrelenting chauvinism, yet whose love for each other will always be stronger than the hatred and evils with which they are confronted.
(12/08/05 12:00am)
Author: GEOFFREY B. SHIELDS A year ago, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit decided that the federal government could not penalize colleges and graduate schools for insisting that all on-campus recruiters, including the military, not discriminate based on sexual orientation. On Dec. 6, the U.S. Supreme Court began hearing FAIR v. Rumsfeld, and will decide whether to uphold that lower court decision.At Vermont Law School we take a particular interest in this case because for a decade we have been one of the three law schools in the country willing to forego the opportunity to receive a substantial amount of money in government grants due to our stance that all employers who recruit on our campus must not discriminate based on race, religion, sex, age, color, disability or sexual orientation. As dean of Vermont Law School, I hope that FAIR wins and believe that the better legal arguments lie with upholding the lower court decision based upon the First Amendment right of expressive association.But, win or lose, I am troubled by the policy of the United States government that has led to this case. The merits of nondiscrimination seem compelling. Based on the benefits to the United States, I call for the government to change its position on recruiting gays and lesbians for the military. Until a few decades ago, the military discriminated based not only on sexual orientation, but also on race and sex. The arguments on those issues, heard in the middle of the twentieth century, were similar to the arguments we hear about admitting gays and lesbians to the military today. Yet, upon admitting African-Americans and women into the ranks of the military, it was quickly found that their presence was not disruptive. The recruits brought tremendous talents and capabilities to the military, greatly enhancing the military's effectiveness. The civilian sector has found that insisting on equal employment opportunities for gays and lesbians has been good business practice, and many of the companies serving as support for the military in Afghanistan and Iraq do not discriminate against gay and lesbian employees. The experience of the militaries of Israel, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, Germany and dozens of other countries whose armies recruit openly gay soldiers is instructive in that the talents of their gay and lesbian soldiers have strengthened their militaries and have not impaired the ability to fight under difficult circumstances. Indeed, our own military's experience supports the case for recruiting gay and lesbian soldiers. In times of conflict - Vietnam, the first Gulf War, the present conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan - because the military needs them, military discharges of gays and lesbians have dropped dramatically. Yet, in these times of closest quarters and greatest stress for troops, there has been no upsurge in "gay bashing" or other problems within the ranks.It is time to make available to the ranks of our military the talents of thousands of gay and lesbian men and women who want to serve. Let us revisit the "Don't Ask/Don't Tell" policy and do not just what is fair, but what will strengthen our military capability. Let's stop discriminating. Let's strengthen our military.
(12/01/05 12:00am)
Author: Caroline Vial GIANT SQUID, GIANT...Scientists once thought that nobody had a more tumultuous sex life than top models and athletes. New research, however, demonstrates that the giant squid wins the prize. Five beached squids on the Spanish Atlantic coast revealed the secrets that were up until now, buried deep. The discoveries printed in the review for an international council for the exploration of the sea reveal the following scene: a couple is in the midst of courting, each of the protagonists measure about 59 feet long, having eight arms and two tentacles. On one side, a female is a third larger than the male, and often adverse to the advances of the latter, who is ready to deploy a penis of 8.3 feet - usually the length of the body, excluding the arms and head. This member is hypodermic - the male inseminates the female by piercing her arm. The male is in fact incapable of making the distinction between his own body and the arm of a female, or that of another male in the surroundings. But a member of this size is often an inconvenience: coordinating eight arms and a gigantic penis, all the while battling against an angry female, is apparently too much to ask for. One of the beached males had accidentally injected doses of sperm into its legs and body. Giant squids are not at the top of the food chain, as they represent 30 to 40 percent of the diet of sperm whales. It is probably a good survival tactic for these squids to mate with such enthusiasm. - Courrier International, ParisEURO-MED SUMMITThe Euro-Mediterranean Summit that ended last Monday in Barcelona enabled the adoption by the 35 participating countries of a code of conduct against terrorism, as well as a five-year work program. Results were disappointing according to the British paper The Guardian, due to the attendance of only two heads of state out of the six "partners" to the summit. The summit was "not a real success," judged the Spanish paper El País, as participants did not reach a final declaration. However it is a sign of relief that 35 European and Arabic countries, including Israel and the Palestinian authority, were able to agree that terrorism "cannot be justified," and condemned it "in all its forms and expressions." This demonstrates that all members perceived this violence as a menace from which nobody is spared, and stressed the importance of combating terrorism through a worldwide cooperation. - The Guardian, London - El País, Madrid.VOTE BOYCOTTBy appealing to the boycott of presidential ballots, Tamil rebels actually facilitated the election of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse. The new president will have to convince the minorities about finding a fair solution to the conflicts.
(11/17/05 12:00am)
Author: MATT KUNZWEILER The 200 Days Party held in Atwater Dining Hall on Friday night was supposed to be a classy event dedicated to the senior class's countdown to commencement. But the party didn't exactly hit the bull's-eye of Target Classy. It ended up wrapping all of our clichéd first-year drinking experiences into one ugly mess. If a McCullough dance and a social house party practiced what they preached and had unprotected sex - in this case, with each other - the 200 Days Party would be their accident of a son.To the left there was the beer garden, which offered a low-quality keg beer served from behind a long table, against which drunken mouth-breathing students piled, holding out their wobbling hands for minutes, barking, "Hey! Hey! Pleeease! Heyyyyy!" until they got their precious 8 ounces of beer in a plastic cup. This portion of the party was so much in the style of a social house basement that while I was being pressed against the counter, trying to fend off the vultures and get myself a tepid beer, I actually felt 18 again. Except I wasn't in ZOO and there wasn't vomit on my sleeve.Next to the roped-in social house scene there was an open, awkward-size dance floor occupying the rest of the dining hall. That's right, they brought the McCullough dance party to Atwater, complete with top-volume hip pop atrocities - formulaic chart-topping club tracks so tasteless I wanted to gut my eardrums with a screwdriver. This is the type of music that, by contrast, retroactively dignifies Falco's "Rock Me, Amadeus," and proves that there exists a market for songs produced by the tone deaf. And it wasn't even DJ'ed by a human, but by an unattended laptop running an iTunes playlist. Further proof that the party had no soul.You'd think that a party dedicated to the graduating class would be slightly more sophisticated. At least something more highbrow than the gong shows of yesteryear. But no, I think they wanted us to feel like first-years. Positive proof of this was supplied when I paid my $5 entry fee and they marked my 21-year-old hand with a giant indelible X - the mark of the underage. Before I could protest, they explained that everyone was to be X'ed - to show we had paid. But no. That was a lie. The X was to make us all feel like first-years. And it worked. The senior class stumbled around, screeched, incessantly took flash photos, grinded with unnatural partners, exchanged maudlin hugs and otherwise proved that your average senior still handles his or her alcohol no better than your average first-year. If you have a big X on your hand when you're drinking, you end up going too far. There's no avoiding it.But this whole experience, I believe, is what most of the partygoers actually wanted. They wanted to relive freshman year. We're seniors, soon to enter the workaday world, a world in which we'll be confronted with constant aging-related crises. And this party marks the first of many times we'll have to pay hard earned money to relive our youth.
(11/17/05 12:00am)
Author: Dina Magaril An addition to the list of graduates who just cannot get enough of Middlebury, Visiting Assistant Professor of Theatre Alex Draper '88, has returned to teach acting and co-direct as well as star in the fall faculty production "The Bewitched". Draper, the son of a diplomat, spent his childhood abroad in places such as France and Africa and attended the Yale School of Drama after receiving his B.A. from Middlebury. Upon earning his M.A., Draper moved to New York City, where he pursued various acting projects. "I spent most of my time doing stage work, but most of the money I got from TV and film roles," said Draper. Among his many stage achievements, Draper lists his involvement in "Scenes from an Execution" which was directed by Middlebury Professor of Theatre Richard Romagnoli and won the regional film festival, as particularly memorable. Other stage productions included "Oedipus," "The Alchemist," "The Seagull" and "Golden Boy" among many others. Draper also guest-starred on HBO's "Sex and the City and NBC's "ED" and "Law and Order." Some movie roles include "Simply Irresistible," "Hysterical Blindness" and "The Photographer."Draper is currently teaching two classes - "Voice Movement" and "Script Analysis and 20th Century American Drama" - for Isabel Mettler Professor of Theatre Doug Sprigg, who is on leave. "It's funny," said Draper, "but I'm replacing [the professor] who I took Acting I from." Draper added that he was extremely impressed with the diversity of talent he encountered while working on the fall production. "[The Bewitched] is the third show I've co-starred in with Middlebury students and of the 30 students everyone is just so talented," commented Draper. According to Draper, however, it is not just those in the theater community who give the best performances. "What's great about students here," said Draper, "is that they're not all trained in acting. They have a lot going on, and what they want to say translates really well through theater."When asked how hard it was to break into the acting world after graduation, Draper offered much encouragement. "Middlebury has a very good reputation in the professional world," he said. Draper, who will be back to co-direct the spring faculty production of "The Pillowman," said he is thrilled at the opportunity to now be colleagues with his former professors."[Richard Romagnoli] and I kept in touch throughout my life in New York, making it about 20 years that we've known each other," said Draper.
(11/17/05 12:00am)
Author: Alina Levina The "I Love my Body" fashion show was characterized by a comical yet serious tone that powerfully illuminated the struggles associated with eating disorders and body image. Through sophomore Ryan Taurianene's documentary on the stories of women and their struggle with bulimia, the audience was both captivated and touched. The event then transitioned into a fashion show in which faculty, staff, students and members of the town cat-walked the stage displaying their "I Love My Body Because…" T-shirts. Through the documentary Lauren Curatolo '06 and others shared life stories about their clandestine struggles with bulimia. The documentary adroitly captured the pain, the tears and the healing process of a person struggling with bulimia. Curatolo said, "I feel a lot of people who have an eating disorder are ashamed of themselves, but once you begin the healing process you are free. In the documentary Curatolo expressed that it is not "How was recovery?" but rather "How is recovery?" Healing is a process, and with bulimia it is a never -ending process. The girls spoke of their temptations to return to bulimia because it was the way in which they were able to control their bodies. However, the need and importance of friends that make one feel beautiful were emphasized as the greatest stimuli not to lead a life of bulimia. The documentary also included powerful testimonies of friends who wanted to help. The documentary exposed the heart-breaking experience of knowing a friend is throwing up after every meal and not being able to help her. The friend shared her experience of having to go to the counseling center herself in order to learn about how to help her friend. Another Middlebury student that shared her struggle with bulimia explained how her bulimia was self-induced to fit a certain image of a "popular" girl. The girl explained how in her mind 100 pounds was beautiful and popular, while 105 was ugly and overweight. The documentary educated the students through personal experiences and national statistics. A slideshow featuring magazine covers of "perfect" women was used to address the media's role in promoting a certain body image. The pictures, quotes and music selection through the documentary set an empowering tone for the members of the audience. Tauriainen said, "I made the documentary because I feel that eating disorders are a critical issue for both men and women in the world and on the Middlebury campus."The participants of the "I Love My Body" fashion show ran the gamut of students to the Associate Dean of Student Affairs. Assia Elgouacem '06, an organizer of the event, explained the reason for this year's theme: "We realized the extent to which eating disorders are a problem in the Middlebury community, and we wanted to raise awareness by showing that people have survived it." The fashion show incorporated men, women, children and adults, all of whom had one thing in common; they loved their bodies.The t-shirts of each model were customized to represent what each modeled loved most about his or her body. The reasons to love one's body included the following: "I love my body because it's flexible," "my mommy told me to," "it helped me bring two beautiful children into this world," "it's mine," "because it fits like a glove" and many more. The role of men in issues such as bulimia is often overlooked, yet Feminist Action at Middlebury tried to reach out to both genders. Aisha Awadallah, a visting student from Tulane and an audience member, said "I was glad to see such pride from both men and women in their bodies." Gail D. Smith, associate director of Athletics, stated, "It is interesting to see the influence of both men and women in encouraging or discouraging eating disorders." The love for one's body is a topic that is of great importance for both genders and Morgane Richardson '08, a member of FAM, put forth the following agenda: "We are hoping that this will become an annual event that will draw both sexes to appreciate their bodies." Curatolo reflecting upon the event said, "It was a really empowering event and I am really proud of all the men and women who participated."
(11/10/05 12:00am)
Author: Jason F. Siegel and Ben Salkowe MIT students have 'Sex' on their mindsIn an unusual departure from their highly scientific courses, some 24 lucky MIT students are analyzing a cultural phenomenon equally as complex: "Sex and the City."In an upper-level Women's Studies seminar called "Sex and the Institute," students spend their Tuesday nights watching the award-winning HBO sitcom and discussing the social mores manifested in the lives of four trendy, assertive New York City single women.A variety of philosophical and sociological topics come up, especially marriage, as the show revolves around the dating world. In the course, students debate whether or not marriage is still desirable for women as well as men, and how the reactions to proposals, positive and negative, vary from character to character.There is a balance of men and women in the course, and some male students have lauded the usefulness of the course to their lives. Said senior Jason Atkins, "It's helping me form a sense of what a relationship should be. It's a show for women, so it's like studying the opposite sex, indirectly."eBay founder gives Tufts $100 millionIn a show of philanthropy, eBay founder and Tufts trustee Pierre Omidyar gave Tufts University $100 million, which must be invested in firms that give loans to the poor in developing countries.The process is known as "microfinance," and according to Omidyar, it is a highly unusual practice for a University. Not only will the initial investment go to microfinance, but no less than half of all returns from the initial investment will be reinvested in the same or similar firms as well.Tufts President Lawrence Bacow said the gift would allow the university to do "well by doing good." He was also very excited by the possibilities of Tufts making a real difference around the globe.Omidyar said that his company is proof that independent people who are self-reliant can make a business profitable, and therefore would positively benefit Tufts' endowment.Since eBay went public in 1998, Omidyar has invested more and more of his wealth in philanthropic causes such as this.Study shows transfers affect quality of lifeThe most recent annual report from the National Survey of Student Engagement has found that it is now common for college students to transfer or take classes at multiple schools during their undergraduate careers, but that these students tend to be less engaged in their campuses' academic and social scenes. The report revealed that students who transferred or "hopped" from one college to another were less likely to work with professors on research projects, to involve themselves in community service or participate in other academic opportunities.Some 237,000 students representing 528 four-year colleges and universities were surveyed for this, the sixth year of the "Nessie" survey. The survey assembles its data in both a general survey and college specific reports, which are meant to help administrators identify and address shortcomings in their curriculum and campus life. The researchers behind this year's Nessie survey hope that their findings, which suggest troubles for undergraduate transfer programs, will encourage colleges to re-evaluate the orientation programs by which they integrate transfer students into their campuses.
(11/10/05 12:00am)
Author: Penny Chen Following the sold-out run of "Falsettos" last year, the Music Department is producing its second musical. This year, they have chosen "Company," a "concept musical," or a musical made up of short vignettes connected by one theme that breaks all the rules of traditional music theater. Written by George Furth with music by Stephen Sondheim, "Company" revolves around a 35-year-old bachelor named Bobby (Adam Beard '06) in 1960s New York City. Bobby, unlike the prototypical musical comedy hero, is ambivalent toward love and disinclined to commitment. In trying to determine whether or not marriage is right for him, he examines five married or soon-to-be-married couples. This sets the stage for comic scenes and musical numbers while also conveying an image of 1960s New York lifestyle.The music featured in "Company" is of more or less the same quality as that in most other musicals. It is, however, the role of the songs in the musical and its general plot, or lack thereof, that makes this production stand out from your everyday run-of-the-mill musical like "Annie Get Your Gun," "Oklahoma!" or "Fiddler on the Roof." The conventional formula followed by most musicals was first established by Oscar Hammerstein II (1895-1960), who wrote classics such as "The Sound of Music," "Show Boat," and "The King and I." The no-fail equation was this - dialogue, emotion, more emotion, so much emotion that the characters cannot contain themselves anymore and must break into song. This show, on the other hand, leaves behind this classic notion of musical theater. In "Company," there is no song to be broken into. Instead, an unrelated character stands outside of the main scene and uses the song to comment on the action, on himself/herself and also on love, commitment or marriage. Removed from the on-stage drama, the character is able to provide a different viewpoint of the situation. The Middlebury College Music Department's production of "Company" will open this Friday at 8 p.m. Directed by Visiting Professor of Musical Theater Doug Anderson, the performance will undoubtedly attract attention. As Nora Williams '06 (Jenny) says, it is basically "drugs, sex and musical theater with, college kids playing married adults."
(11/03/05 12:00am)
Author: Gabriel Broughton The Refugee All-Stars, the new documentary by Banker White '95 and Zach Niles '95.5, took Middlebury's audience into the volatile regions of Sierra Leone and the West-African nation of the Republic of Guinea last Saturday evening. Screened in Dana Auditorium, the film explored the healing powers of music and revealed how creativity can grow in the bleakness of West Africa.Sierra Leone has been plagued by class conflict since its emergence from British rule in 1961. A corrupt rebel movement in the early 1990s degenerated into systematic looting and violence. The governing power of Sierra Leone changed hands several times in the course of the 10-year civil war and an estimated 50,000 people were killed before the war finally ended in 2002. Another 100,000 people were victims of mutilation. Fearing for their lives, nearly half the population of Sierra Leone was displaced to neighboring countries.Six of these refugees who were forced to live in the Republic of Guinea formed a band. They called themselves The Refugee All-Stars. The documentary film of the same name follows this group of musicians through the war-ravaged reality of their lives in another man's land. Many of the band members lost family and loved ones in the violence. In the midst of tragedy, the All-Stars demonstrate the overwhelming power of the language of music for healing and rebirth.This ambitious project began when Niles '96 met a United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHCR) worker who was going to New Guinea. Niles embarked on the first of what would become many scouting trips through Africa, and there met The Refugee All-Stars band. Immediately, he knew this band would be a good subject for a documentary film. From there, the idea matured into a project involving many people, including six Middlebury graduates - Niles himself, White, Jim Bruce '96, Chris Velan '96, Andy Mitchell '96 and Jim Schaaf '95.The film is shot on a grainy stock reflective of the world in which its characters reside. From this desolate landscape emerges an intimate portrait of a family of musicians creating music both to escape the terror of their situation and to express its pain. One band member described his world as a "civilized prison." Many of the refugees living in Guinea have little hope for their lives beyond simply feeding another meal to what is left of their families. Music, though, offers something more hopeful. The Refugee All-Stars describe their song as "advice" to those willing to listen. It is advice on the dangers and consequences of violence and of human rights abuse in general.Eventually, The Refugee All-Stars became part of the Human Rights Watch (HRW) International Film Festival. The festival, based in London and New York City, aims at raising awareness for human rights abuses. The films included in the festival attempt to inspire new generations of human rights advocates. The 2005 festival explores concerns as diverse as the ethnic violence in Sri Lanka ("No More Tears Sister") and the controversy over abstinence-only sex education in the United States ("The Education of Shelby Knox").Last weekend, The Refugee All-Stars came to Middlebury. Bruce, a former Film Studies major who edited and co-produced "Refugee All-Stars," came to introduce his project. As he said, bringing The Refugee All-Stars band to life in film was no easy feat, especially after much important material was lost on their computer. But, in spite of the difficulties, the film has already traveled to two places and is scheduled to appear again abroad. "[The HRW] invited us to participate in their festival, and that was a good chance to screen a rough version of the film. Tomorrow is a sneak preview of a work in progress," said Bruce, "and the final version will be screened in London in November."From Sierra-Leone to New Guinea to the HRC Film Festival to Middlebury, the Refugees have certainly come a long way.
(10/27/05 12:00am)
Author: Caroline Stauffer Vermont is likely to pass legislation that would permit the sale of Plan B emergency contraception in select pharmacies, though Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for over-the-counter sales of the drug is delayed indefinitely.Plan B, which consists of a pair of Progestin-only tablets and is also referred to as the morning after pill, replaced the so-called Yuzpe Regimen as the preferred method of preventing pregnancy after sexual intercourse when the drug was introduced in the United States in 1999. In response to owner Barr Laboratories' request for over-the-counter status for Plan B, the FDA formed an advisory committee. The committee voted 23-4 in favor of legalizing over-the-counter sales in December 2003. However, in May 2004, the FDA management rejected the company's application, citing concerns about the effects of over-the-counter availability on the sexual behavior of young women. The FDA is currently considering a proposal that would offer over-the-counter access for women age 16 and older, but would still require prescriptions for younger women to use the drug.Some states have adopted the policy of collaborative practice to increase the availability of Plan B. "Collaborative practice allows pharmacists and physicians to enter into an agreement in which the pharmacist acts in terms of a protocol a physician has laid out," Jessica Oski, vice president for Public Policy and Government Affairs at Planned Parenthood of New England, explained. Seven states have passed collaborative practice legislation so far, including Maine and New Hampshire, and the Massachusetts legislature has passed a similar bill over Governor Mitt Romney's veto. Availability through a state collaborative practice agreement differs from FDA-approved over-the-counter status in that selling the drug is purely voluntary. Furthermore, pharmacies wishing to sell the drug must undergo special training before they can sell Plan B, and purchasers must answer a series of questions and give their name to the pharmacist. Oski pointed out that increased access via collaborative practice is often marginal. Only six pharmacies are currently actually selling Plan B in Maine, for instance.Last May, the Vermont House of Representatives passed H.237 "An Act Relating to Emergency Contraception," introduced by Rep. Harry Chen (D-Mendon) an emergency room physician. The Vermont Senate will take up the Bill, which would expand access to Plan B in Vermont through collaborative practice agreements, when the new session starts in Montpelier next January. It is expected to pass, and Governor Jim Douglas has voiced his support.Thus far, the only opposition to the Bill in Vermont has come from the Catholic Church, which does not support any form of birth control. Vermont Right to Life does not oppose Plan B because the organization believes it is a safe method to prevent pregnancies and is not an abortive drug. FDA approval of Plan B has undeniably been hindered by political and ethical concerns. Critics argue that the FDA has been overly influenced by social ideology and disregarded scientific evidence guaranteeing Plan B's safety and efficacy in preventing unwanted pregnancies.Editorial pages such as The Boston Globe's on Aug. 31 have lobbied for FDA approval of Plan B without age restrictions. Planned Parenthood vigorously supports any and all efforts to make Plan B more widely available. Oski disagreed with the idea that making Plan B readily available at pharmacies would lead to more irresponsible sexual behavior in young women, citing unpleasant side effects and the drug's cost as deterrents to frequent use. "If you go to a pharmacy, you aren't going to get out of there paying less than $40 for Plan B," she said.Oski also noted the efforts of Barr Laboratories to educate about Plan B through targeted advertising, which is often aimed at college-aged women. Mark Peluso, director of the College's Parton Health Center, expressed reservations about over-the-counter sale of Plan B."Because the drug involves pregnancy, the issue gets politicized," he said. "I don't have political issues with the sale of Plan B over the counter, but for young teens to have the ability to buy a drug like that ... there is something to be said for a medium of control. Pregnancy should be met with nonjudgmental education." Peluso also highlighted the increased difficulty of comprehensively studying the effects of Plan B on younger women due to the necessity of obtaining parental consent. He worries about an increase in sexually transmitted diseases if young women see pregnancy as the only consequence of unprotected sex.Although he did not have exact numbers, Peluso said Plan B prescription is a "fairly frequent business" at the College. He pointed out, however, that it is impossible to determine how many doses are taken in response to actual errors in contraception and how many are taken out of anxiety.Peluso said he would want to examine the profit motives of selling Plan B over the counter. It would conceivably be much less expensive for consumers to obtain the pills from a pharmacy than it would be to visit a physician and obtain a prescription, but the drug company's profits would certainly increase. The Health Center charges $12 for a Plan B treatment to cover costs, but as with all medicines and treatments, does not seek to make a profit. Peluso was unsure what the Health Center's reaction would be if Plan B were made readily available at local pharmacies - the Center does not carry many over-the-counter drugs and endeavors not to compete with local businesses - but he does urge women to use the College's resources regardless."Students have easy access to medical providers here, so why not come and take advantage of our services, whether or not we are the primary source for Plan B?" he said.
(10/13/05 12:00am)
Author: Emily Temple Stars is yet another of Pitchfork's Canadian darlings, but don't let that turn you off. Like their friends and collaborators Broken Social Scene and Metric, these guys are actually good. I know Pitchfork slams Ben Folds. I know. They're crazy. I know. But sometimes they get it right."Set Yourself on Fire" (SYOF), Stars' newest album, opens with a scratchy PA system announcement. "When there's nothing left to burn, you have to set yourself on fire," they sing. It's always nice when the message of an album is politely laid out for us, especially right at the start of the first track like that. So considerate. This album is about passion - sex, pain, experiencing every moment of your life in all its possible glory. The band makes this clear throughout its work, particularly from the lyrics to its fan shout-out in the liner notes - "And you gentle listener...by the time you hear this the world might be ending, or beginning...whatever happens, BURN."SYOF is a lush, grandiose symphony filled with keyboards, drumbeats, guitars, violins, a glockenspiel, a French horn, a trombone and more. Its layers of melodies build upon each other to create a constant, but pleasing, maelstrom of sound. Stars is a band much easier to listen to than some others that could be described by the word "maelstrom." The album resonates with a kind of menacing whimsy, mixing darkness and melancholy with electronic brightness and clever lyrics. The band's musical and emotional decadence extends to its two lead vocalists, Amy Millan and Torquil (pronounced "torque") Campbell, who harmonize beautifully. How could you help being interested in hearing what comes out of the mouth of a man named Torquil? Better than the duo's harmonizing, however, are their discourses. Instead of always whining over a failed relationship or unrequited love, of which we hear so much these days, Millan and Campbell serve us with much more satisfying call-and-response lyrics. "On One More Night (Your Ex-Lover Remains Dead)," one of the best tracks on the album, Campbell and Millan take turns describing their return to a stale lust better left abandoned. It's one of those tracks that pulls at the stomach and really embodies the way the whole album makes you feel - nostalgic and lovesick, but hopeful. There are few throwaway tracks. For instance, the single "Ageless Beauty" is overrated - it may be a good choice for a single in MTV land, but it is far from the best song on the album. Instead, should you read this and decide to download a couple Stars songs, choose "Your Ex-Lover is Dead," "One More Night (Your Ex-Lover Remains Dead)," "The First Five Times" and "Calendar Girl."One more thing. At first listen it's easy to miss the political connotations in SYOF - you tend to focus on the sex - but pay attention. This album was recorded in 2004 during the uproar over the Iraq war, and several songs, especially a block of three towards the end of the album - "He Lied about Death," "Celebration Guns," and "Soft Revolution" - are clearly anti-administration. In an album as rife with passion and heat as this one, this sort of subject matter is to be expected. Campbell and the others have acknowledged various times that they enjoy keeping their political messages subtle, but "He Lied About Death" is a clear attack on Dubya ("an ape in a cage"? "a liar loves to lie"?) as Campbell whispers, "I hope your drunken daughters are gay." And that's a whole other kind of burn.
(10/13/05 12:00am)
Author: Jason Siegel UConn group aims for equality Last Saturday, Connecticut became the fourth state to recognize civil unions. However, one UConn group has pledged to keep fighting until full marriage equality is achieved. Queers United Against Discrimination (QUAD) has worked over the past year toward the legalization of same sex marriage in Connecticut, alongside Love Makes a Family (LMF).Members of QUAD have expressed a mostly positive outlook toward the civil unions, saying that they are nearly equal to marriages, but still insufficient. Among the problems they cite are the inability to file a federal tax form as a married couple -though this question is beyond the control of the state - and more importantly, visiting rights in hospitals. If a domestic partner is suddenly injured, his or her partner has no rights to see them in the hospital, though an estranged parent does.QUAD and LMF will continue to work for equality for the gay and lesbian communities. The civil unions happen to coincide with National Coming Out Week, occurring this week.-U-Wire Six stabbed in UMass rumble Early Sunday morning, a large fight broke out in an area known as "Frat Row," resulting in the stabbing of six UMass-Amherst students. Police responded to a call at 12:33 a.m. to find two students had been stabbed in the brawl. One student had been stabbed in the head, and another in the bicep. Both are now in stable condition.Nearly an hour later, police received a call to return to the scene once again, only to encounter a student who had been stabbed several times in the back and another young man who had been knifed in the side. Another student involved was taken to the University's health center for treatment of a forearm wound.Later on that evening, a student reported to the emergency room with a stabbed hand. Investigators believe he too was involved in the ruckus.There is currently no information on the reason the fights broke out.-U-Wire Federal funds for Hispanics lacking According to a new UC-Berkeley study, Hispanics are the ethnic group receiving the least federal financial aid.The report shows that 80 percent of Hispanic students apply for federal aid, while only 63 percent actually receive it. This number is up from last year, and excludes all private sources of financial aid.The discrepancy may be due to several factors. One possibility is that the percentage of Hispanic students who are U.S. citizens is approximately eight percent less than the overall student population, which stands at 93 percent. Another potential factor is that they are twice as likely to be resident aliens than any other ethnic group, and are therefore ineligible for federal aid.Hispanic students tend to come from lower income families, which alone would indicate a greater financial need. However, the study also shows that they tend to attend lower cost universities as well. In fact, 41 percent of Hispanic students pay $1,000 or less for tuition and fees, compared with 30 percent of all students nationwide.-U-Wire
(09/29/05 12:00am)
Author: GABE BROUGHTON Norah Jacobson's latest effort is an ambitious film about small town frustration, family and the nature of heat. "Nothing Like Dreaming" is a film made out of necessity, and its earnest quality is readily apparent in each shot. However, this is also the kind of small budget, indie production with which it is easy to fall into a sort of unknowing condescension. Given Jacobson's repute as a talented filmmaker, this would be a mistake. Certainly, the film offers much to admire, but one gets the sense that Jacobson became so enamored with her subject that she was unable to decipher the fat from the meat.The film, set in Montpelier, Vt., exudes the locale's rural character. This is a Vermont film before all else - the setting is crucial to the psychology of the characters as well as to the development of the plot. Morgan Bicknell '01 plays Emma Eriksen, a Senator's daughter who has just graduated from high school and been accepted to Yale. Through the death of her best friend, a wild girl named Lara, Emma meets Sonny Gale, a local outcast with a fetish for fire, played by George Woodard. Emma cultivates a friendship with Sonny despite her father's disapproval and her town's distrust. The film's moment of triumph comes when Sonny and Emma construct a fire organ, or pyrophone, producing both haunting and thrilling sounds.While the film focuses mainly on the relationship between Emma and Sonny, some of its most poignant moments occur in the conversations between Emma and her parents Rachel and Jess Eriksen, played by Rachel Bissex and John Griesemer, respectively. As the film progresses, traditional family roles deteriorate in the Eriksen household. The clinically depressed mother often appears in the fetal position, symbolizing her childlike behavior. Emma, playing mother, comforts Rachel and encourages her to pursue a career as a folk singer. The father, a promiscuous state legislator, engages in debate with the governor in one scene and smokes a joint in the next. However confused and discordant the family may be, it is clear that the Eriksens need each other.Unfortunately, Jacobson often loses focus and distracts from the plot as she tries to tackle a broad subject range. The father's position as Senator opens the door to a discussion of same sex marriage, a question that is raised again with the introduction of Emma's bisexual friend, Josh, played by Colin Gunn. When Josh comes out to his parents, they force him to live in a van. Additionally, Rachel's depression, along with Sonny's schizophrenia, forces a reflection on mental health and the necessity of medication. Out of a building frustration with his illness, Sonny pronounces, "You can chain my body but you can't chain my mind," serving as a vehicle for Jacobson's own beliefs. At times, the film seems less focused on the storyline and the characters' development than on expressing Jacobson's hodge-podge of liberal concerns.One gets the sense that Jacobson is capable of making a great film - she just hasn't done it yet. "Nothing Like Dreaming" is filled with clunky dialogue, all-too-long pauses and humor that falls dangerously close to self-parody. Despite all that, the film is one of the most sincere indie flicks to date.
