vol. 13 | issue 11 April 22 - May 5
Where in the World is Mike Gould? p. 11-13 Q&A: Bad Bad Hats p. 16-17
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©2013 The Wake Student Magazine. All rights reserved. Established in 2002, The Wake is a fortnightly independent magazine and registered student organization produced by and for the students of the University of Minnesota. The Wake is published with support from Generation Progress/Center for American Progress (online at www.genprogress.org).
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Where in the World is Mike Gould? p. 11-13 The Police Were the Read Riot p. 14
Controversy Erupts Over Rice's Speech p. 4
Gluten & Allergen - Free Expo p.6
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Whats Inside?
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Is Handwriting Dead? p. 5
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The Wake Student Magazine 126 Coffman Memorial Union 300 Washington Avenue SE Minneapolis, MN 55455
In Defense of Small Talk p. 15 Q&A: Bad Bad Hats p. 16-17
Northrop Hall Finally Reopens p. 7 A Language Revival p. 7 The Real Point of Spring Jam p.8 Battles Will Bring Greeks Together p. 8 A Super Convenient Truth p. 9
Minneapolis' One-Screen Wonder p. 18 Creating Another Space for Local Artists p. 18 "HIMYM" Ends With a Thud p. 19 In Good Taste, (Taste) Is Bad p. 19 MSP International Film Festival p. 21 3 Reviews p. 22
Better Magic p. 10
Events Calendar p.23
Faculty Advisor Shayla Thiel-Stern
Distributors Shawna Stennes Morgan Jensen Sara Glesne
If this is the first thing you’re reading in this issue, let me just preface the next 21 pages by saying that this is probably one of my favorite issues. I mean, they’re all kind of my favorite, but this one is a little personal.
This Issue Photographers Emily Dueker, Haley Madderom, Zoe Prindes, Abigail Linn Rommel, Kristen Wangsness Illustrators Emily Dueker, Dan Forke, Sam Lindsay, Peter Mariutto, Lianna Matt, Nick Theis Contributing Writers Russell Barnes, Alyssa Bluhm, Kirsten Erickson, Sara Glesne, Nader Helmy, Aidan Hutt, Georgia Lucas, Haley Madderom, Lianna Matt, Kayla McCombs, Erik Newland, Abigail Linn Rommel, Sam Schaust, Brenna Sievert, Nick Theis, Alex Van Abbema, Kristen Wangsness
First, the feature for this issue, a retrospect on campus icon Mike Gould by Nick Theis, is amazing. It’s the kind of reporting magazines are made for, the kind of story that reminds me why I got into journalism in the first place, and it’s a story about a man who shouldn’t be forgotten on campus. He was bizarre, but he was passionate. For anyone who doesn’t know who Mike Gould is—or for anyone who has forgotten—this feature is a must read. My other personal tie to this issue is the piece I wrote on the Dinkytown riot. Now, I’m not normally comfort-
able with self-promotion, because it makes me feel like I’m abusing my tiny power (first The Wake, next the WORLD!!!). But this story isn’t just mine, it’s the story of many other people who accidentally found themselves caught in the riot. I didn’t read any media report on the police brutality that night, so I took advantage of the opportunity to share that side of the story. It’s another kind of story that makes me proud to work with The Wake. But the bottom line is that everything in this issue is amazing. You’ll just have to read it to find out what your personal connection is. Alyssa Bluhm Editor-in-Chief (P.S. When I take over the world, I’m bringing the Wakies with me.)
13:11
Cities Controversy Erupts over Rice’s speech Former secretary of state brings controversy to the U of M Russell Barnes
A former National Security Advisor and Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice has a resume aspiring politicians can only dream of. With such a resume, it cost the University of Minnesota $150,000 to bring Rice on campus to speak at Northrop Auditorium, where members of Students for a Democratic Society protested outside April 17. “It’s time [the University of Minnesota] stops endorsing war, warmongers, and war criminals,” said Nicholas Theis, member of the University of Minnesota chapter of Students for a Democratic Society.
Still, some students do not think her background as an African American woman provides her with the privilege to speak on campus. “There are hundreds of black women who are better suited to give this speech, and they would do it for a lot less too,” Theis said. Other student groups, such as Amnesty International and the Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature Student Association, do not support Rice’s invitation on campus.
Some students believe rejecting her invitation will be hypocritical toward complaints that Rice was against free speech. “Even if you disagree with her policies, it’s undeniable she has unparalleled experience,” said Anna Breen, president of Democracy Matters. “She may have something to teach us, including how to counter her policy points, for those who think them misguided.” Rice’s coming to the U follows the appearance of conservative author Ann Coulter, who spoke in Willey Hall April 8.
The University Senate voted 122-21 to reject a proposal to call for the U to rescind Rice’s invitation. Regardless of the senate’s decision, some were not happy with the U’s decision to allow Rice to speak on campus. Students and professors at universities such as Stanford and Rutgers have called for Rice’s speaking arrangements to be halted, and some students at the University of Minnesota followed in their footsteps. These accusations come after Rice’s involvement with the Bush administration, which initiated the Iraq War in 2003. Rice has been accused of approving waterboarding on terrorists and misleading the public about the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. However, Rice’s lecture was not specific to her experiences in the White House. Her speech, presented by the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, was part of a series of 20 speeches reflecting on progress and future barriers of civil rights 50 years after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed.
“It’s time [the University of Minnesota] stops endorsing war, warmongers, and war criminals,” Nicholas Theis, member of the University of Minnesota chapter of Students for a Democratic Society, said.” “As someone who doesn’t think there is enough representation of women in government, I would be way too excited about the opportunity to listen to her speak and possibly meet her,” sophomore Rochelle Drouin said. “She is an excellent role model for women.”
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DAN FORKE
CITIES Is Handwriting Dead?
The Center for Writing debates the relevance of handwriting in today’s world Erik Newland
The University of Minnesota Center for Writing’s Tim Gustafson poses an interesting question: “When a tool replaces an old one, what happens to the old one?” The tool in question on the morning of April 4 was handwriting, specifically cursive.
While printing did make scribes for copying documents obsolete, it did not eliminate the usefulness of writing by hand entirely. The “Is Handwriting Old-School?” discussion, facilitated by Gustafson, was part of a monthly series called “Engaging Controversies” in which interested faculty and students have an open-ended conversation about a topic relevant to today’s educators. The discussion began with a history of cursive handwriting. Members of the discussion, including faculty from the Center for Writing, the English department, and even the University of Minnesota Libraries were provided two articles on the topic
to spark the conversation. These readings began the discussion on the topic of the individuality of handwriting. Gustafson introduced the topic by talking about how individuality in writing has been lost over time, first with the invention of the printing press and now to typing in our digital age. While printing did make scribes for copying documents obsolete, it did not eliminate the usefulness of writing by hand entirely. Kirsten Jamsen, director of the Center for Writing considers handwriting to be a form of encryption. “It’s not for other people, it’s not for the public, it’s mine,” Jamsen said. In universities in France, students usually cannot turn in typewritten papers because it is easy to forge them. Free writing as a way of taking notes has always been an effective way to remember things, but what is the difference between writing your lecture notes and typing them? The slower pace and complex motor activity of writing can stimulate brain activity more, lead to better memorization, and help us interact with the information rather than just take it in.
Jamsen recalled that the ancient Greeks were skeptical about written language because it would be a “step down from oral culture” and remove the need to memorize. But Pamela Flash, the director for the U’s Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) program, argued that typing can be beneficial for students to record all the information in a fast-paced lecture. “The idea of free writing is that you outrun your internal editor,” Flash said. Cursive is still being taught in elementary schools around third grade, but the amount of time devoted to cursive instruction is less every year. One argument for keeping cursive in the curriculum is that it develops fine motor skills. Archives are filled with old cursive writing, one example discussed being the handed-down journals of ancestors. An interesting point brought up held that if nobody was taught cursive, who would be able to read the original Declaration of Independence? On the other hand, cursive, and to some extent proper handwriting, might be a vestigial skill in this age of computers. In a 2011 New York Times article titled “The Case for Cursive,” teachers and principals alike defended the turn away from cursive instruction because it is not necessary to prepare students for standardized testing. Besides, when was the last time your professor asked you to turn in a handwritten paper? Cursive might be dying out, but handwriting is not going anywhere any time soon. In fact, technology is advancing in such a way as to bridge the gap between the speed and ease of digital text with the hands-on experience of writing. Writing tablets are useful for architects and designers who need to use a pen just as well as their software. SMART boards are particularly useful for math teaching, where seeing the process of writing out an equation is key to understanding it. Many high school math teachers use Internet videos from Khan Academy, which show professors hand-writing an example of various problems and concepts. As students, handwriting, and to some extent cursive, are still useful to us. During the discussion the question, “Is handwriting old-school?” was not answered. However, the consensus was that it is most important to use whatever form of writing suits us best. The Center for Writing’s “Engaging Controversies” discussions are meant to be more thought-provoking than conclusive. They are open-ended. “Throw a topic out and give people a couple of readings to prime the pump,” Gustafson said. Handwriting is just one topic explored by the Center for Writing during these conversations, and they give educators a platform to debate, discuss, and develop new methods of teaching which can benefit both current and future students.
EMILY DUEKER
www.wakemag.org
5.
Cities Gluten and Allergen-Free Expo Finds Its Way to the Midwest By Abigail Linn Rommel
ABIGAIL ROMMEL
Last issue featured a gluten-free student at the University of Minnesota, Haley McCullum. The University of Minnesota Dining Services is moving forward and adding new selections to their menus throughout various locations on campus. Students like McCullum use different research techniques to find various gluten-free restaurants around the Twin Cities.
Elmore made an appearance at the show as well. He showcased Find Me Gluten Free by promoting usership with a random drawing to win a box delivery full of gluten-free products.
Guest speakers, food companies, beauty product companies, bloggers and writers, and more flooded the isles of the Schaumburg Renaissance Convention Center.
“A brush is your best friend because you can paint your lips like a picture,” Harper said. Simple products like lipstick are often forgotten about, but the average woman technically eats pounds of lipstick a year, one woman with Enjoy Life said.
Specifically, McCullum uses the Urbanspoon and Find Me Gluten Free apps. Find Me Gluten Free was created by Jason Elmore to make finding gluten-free friendly restaurants easier on those restricted to a limited diet from issues with gluten and other allergens. Find Me Gluten Free recently partnered with the Gluten Free Marketing Group, which hosts many shows around the country. The Gluten and Allergen Expo made its way to the Midwest in April, setting up camp at the Schaumburg Renaissance Convention Center in the Chicago area.
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For Jay Adam Harper, the owner of Red Apple Lipstick, a gluten-free makeup company, helping gluten-free women find allergen free products to wear is important.
Simply Gluten Free Magazine’s Editor-In-Chief, Carol Kicinski, was a former blogger. She got positive feedback from the gluten-free community and publishers like Time Magazine last year from the launch of her glossy covered magazine. Many different companies from the Midwest showcased their products networked with other companies. Debbie Breen, from Minneapolis, recently founded Way Better Chips. Way Better sprouts all of their grains to optimize the nutrient intake for the body. The company started in New York a couple of years ago when she found out her child was gluten intolerant.
Over 150 companies and organizations set up booths to promote their products and inform attendees, according to the Gluten Free Marketing Group. Guest speakers, food companies, beauty product companies, bloggers and writers, and more flooded the isles of the Schaumburg Renaissance Convention Center.
Since then, Debbie and her husband moved to Minneapolis to really get the business going. “Minnesota has always been a good place for food companies,” Breen said.
For Lauren Cudney with Ancient Harvest, the best part about the expo was seeing the excited faces of the glutenfree customers as she shared information about how to use quinoa products in daily life for an optimal gluten-free diet that does not eliminate grains entirely.
Expos put on by the Gluten Free Marketing Group are raising awareness around each of the major sections of the United States. From New York to the Midwest, vendors are getting the word out there and building a larger gluten-free community.
While McCullum did not attend this recent expo, she is still using her app.
Cities Northrop Hall Finally A Language Revival Reopens The Minnesota Center for Book Arts After three years of renovations, Northrop is now open to the public By Alex Van Abbema Northrop Hall originally opened in 1929, and since then it has been one of the focal points of the University of Minnesota campus. Numerous concerts, ballet performances, and lectures have been held there, and its new $88.2 million renovation is a huge addition to campus life and culture. Planning for the new Northrop started about five years ago, and in February of 2011, the extensive renovation began. The new Northrop was opened on April 4 to an evening featuring a performance from the American Ballet Theater and an after-dark dance. The old Northrop used to be a swanky home to the Minnesota Orchestra and many opera performances, but the inferior acoustics tended to leave patrons wanting more. The new renovation added improved sight lines, state of the art acoustics, and a reduction in seating from 4,800 to 2,700. Some other additions included three academic departments, a new café, and classrooms and study areas. The amount of public study and collaborative space on the East Bank will increase by 50 percent with the new Northrop, according to the University of Minnesota website. On April 7, Provost Karen Hanson gave a presentation about the treasured history of Northrop, as well as the new Northrop’s importance to the campus. She said that the new Northrop will be especially important because it will show how integral the arts and humanities are to campus collaborations, and will have singular prominence as a site for public engagement. “Northrop is resuming, with enhanced vigor, its role as a signature campus and community gathering place,” Hanson said. Northrop is now home to three university-wide academic programs: the Institute for Advanced Study, the University Honors Program, and the Traveler’s Innovation Lab. Hanson also said that the new Northrop will bring internationally renowned artists and speakers, including the recent, and controversial, speech given by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Hanson hopes that the new Northrop will serve as a sort of home base for students. “We do hope that all students will spend at least some time here,” Hanson said.
By Haley Madderom
Take a 10-minute detour down Washington Avenue from the Carlson building and you may find yourself wandering into a building called Open Book. Maybe you thought it was just a coffee joint at first, but one step inside will give you the sense that it is something more. Along one wall, small books dangle from the ceiling, and around the corner is a meticulous whirlwind of paper-language sculptures, prints, and hand-bound books. Venture a little deeper and you will witness large studios where community members of all ages come to learn how to make paper, bind and print books, and use other specialized or traditional art techniques and equipment such as the letterpress. All of this is made possible by the Minnesota Center for Book Arts (MCBA), a nonprofit organization in partnership with Milkweed Editions and the Loft Literacy Center, which seeks to use book art as a medium for community growth and fulfillment. MCBA travels to classrooms across Minnesota and offers classes and opportunities for people of all ages to develop an alternate form of expression. Over the weekend, adult students gathered in the back studios of Open Book to learn paper-marbling technique taught by MCBA instructor Mary Holland. Marbling, or hydro printing, is a very ancient print method that started in the 1400s. The marbling print is created by floating acrylic paint on water that is thickened with powdered seaweed. Acrylic paint is thinned to allow it to float on the surface of the thickened water. Paper or fabric is prepared so that it will print the design that is combed through the paint. When the design is ready, the paper or fabric is laid on top of the floating design and printed onto the paper. One gentleman taking the two-day course explained that he book-binds as a hobby and wished to learn marbling as a way to decorate the inside covers of his books. Another student was taking the class as a way to learn an interesting skill and improve her teaching abilities. Holland explained that she first became attracted to marbling technique for the “instant gratification.” Witness the speed at which students produce eye-popping waves of color and design, and you will get her drift.
Regula Russelle, a long-time member of the artist cooperative for MCBA, described the organization as a “community of learners and teachers.” HALEY MADDEROM She teaches at MCBA as well, and is especially interested in finding ways to make book art something accessible to the average person, in their own home. “Something that they might be able to make on a kitchen table,” Russelle said. “Using simple tools.” Russelle has dabbled in book art and design for over a decade and became involved with MCBA in the ‘80s. Recently her work has been sculptural and centered on the theme “the beauty of limits,” or in this case, limits of space. “I’m really interested in what happens when people take care of the place right where they are—it’s often overlooked,” Russelle said. “We have a lot of language around being on a journey and discovering things, but there’s not much focus on what happens when you’re there—or it seems that way to me.” The bowls she has constructed are made of paper and extremely fragile. The material is so thin that it is nearly translucent. The vessels are simplistic and curve inward, enticing you to look inside where words and meaning are discovered. For many, book art is a rather mysterious thing. Russelle said that this is a key challenge for MCBA. “I think many people don’t understand what the book arts all entail,” she said. “When people work with language, that’s a natural thing, but the object may look very different than what people may think it’d look like. It might be a series of paintings, or in my case, it’s a series of paper bowls.” Russelle, like many other artists and community members who benefit from MCBA, is truly grateful to be a part of the community and the contemporary art movement. “Making a book is so beautiful,” Russelle said. “It’s a container for what we value, and if somebody doesn’t write it down, it will outlive them.”
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7.
VOICES The Real Point of Spring Jam
How changes are looking to guarantee fun for the most students By Kirsten Erickson On March 29 around 10:44 pm, I was furiously clicking the refresh button, as the Spring Jam lineup would be announced any minute. When the time finally came, anticipation was exchanged for a slight feeling of disappointment as I read the names of the performers. Herein lies the main problem with Spring Jam: trying to please everyone. The U has tens of thousands of students, and trying to find acts appealing to a majority of them can prove to be almost impossible. However, what students need to understand is that there is a method for the madness that is planning Spring Jam. It should be noted that the lineup was chosen through, according to Lindsay Baker,
programs coordinator for Spring Jam, and Erik Dussault, assistant director of Student Unions and Activities, a survey taken by students. So, students have no one to blame but their fellow students. That being said, there is reason for complaint. Students will have to pay $20 for tickets to the main show, which was free in the past, and it will be held in Mariucci arena as opposed to the more inclusive back lawn of Coffman. There is, once again, an understandable reason behind these changes though. “We had gotten a lot of feedback over the last couple years that people wanted bigger artists and by charging a ticket price we were able to not only get a bigger artist but also add an extra show,” Baker said. Who wants to complain about there being an extra show? Dussault said that the point of Spring Jam is to promote com-
SAM LINDSAY
Battles will bring Greeks Together
Greek Organizations on Campus introduce Machy Days By Lianna Matt Under the new title of Machy Days, the Greeks are holding their spring intramural events and participating in Spring Jam, same as usual. “In the past, we have called [Machy Days] what the university calls it: Spring Jam. However, [because Spring Jam] is a registered trademark [we] needed to change the name of the week,” said Michael Broshat, the Machy Days coordinator, clarifying the name change. Everything’s the same—except for an unexpected surprise. This year, the traditional Greeks have extended an invitation to the multicultural Greeks to compete in the games. Greek unity would erode residual stereotypes, particularly those involving exclusivity and pomposity. Like last year, the Greek community has sealed up great times at Spring Jam for their Machy Days events: a primetime 7:309:00 p.m. slot, pre-night life with Ballyhoo (a dance-off be-
tween Greeks), and a leisurely afternoon with the Greek Beats (Battle of the Bands). The Greek community’s participation is a niche that Spring Jam needs. It’s not just about bringing in outside figures and entertainers, but celebrating the fun that we have right here on campus.
munity on campus, so an extra show surely means a higher chance of on-campus bonding. As for the new venue, Dussault said Mariucci would allow more students to attend the concert and allow Spring Jam plans to be unaffected by bad weather. Ultimately, there will always be grumbling about Spring Jam, as it will never be able to live up to every student’s expectations. However, that is not really the point. The point of events like Spring Jam is to give students an opportunity to have an experience and form a community with fellow classmates. Therefore, decisions need to be made that offer the best chance of that happening for the largest number of people. Going forward, students need to understand that they can play an integral part of this experience. They have the chance to take part in polls that decide the artists playing, so they should be using it, not just questioning the results. In the end, students will have decide whether sitting on their butts and complaining or experiencing Spring Jam this year and then trying to get their favorite artist as the coveted Spring Jam Headliner next year will be more worth their while. Personally, I’m going with the latter, because as fun as complaining can be, making new friends at the Mac Miller concert will probably be a lot more fun. non-Greeks at fraternities on weekends or anything. So I think there could be a little more connection.” With this step of including the multicultural Greeks in Machy Days, the Greeks are beginning to bridge the gap in the expansive Greek community. From here on out, it’s forward momentum. Maybe next year, between the bands of Greek Beats, other entertainment groups at the U can do a quick acapella or dance number. Who knows but Machy days might just be the way Greeks shake off negative stigmas for years to come.
“[As a new sorority on campus] it’s our first opportunity to participate in any Greek events, so it’s a really big deal and we’re really excited,” Sarah Brownson, a member of Chi Omega, said. When asked about whether or not there is a divide between Greeks and non-Greeks on campus, Brownson said, “I think there is a bit of a divide, but just because there aren’t a whole lot of things around campus where Greeks and non-Greeks are equally involved. I mean, in a way, it’s amazing to see how intertwined campus is (I guarantee there’s one Greek in just about every class you have). But it’s never like you see LIANNA MATT
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VOICES A Super Convenient Truth: A Climate Change Fallacy How science and reason have weaseled their way into the public discourse By: Nader Helmy
We’ve come under fire because this money is untraceable and hidden, but that’s just the government trying to violate our privacy yet again. It’s difficult to be rich, powerful and fighting for the truth.
Science has got to stop. In the realm of public debate, there is perhaps no discussion more superfluous yet of paramount importance than that of climate change. The overwhelmingly obvious conclusion, that may as well just be accepted and unquestioned, is that climate change doesn’t exist. And thankfully, the American public is finally getting it right. As of November 2013, 23 percent of Americans believe climate change is false, a number that is at an all-time high. That means about 20 million more Americans have swung toward disbelief, despite no sway in the scientific community. How do you explain that? Ignorance? Inaction? No, persistence.
It’s difficult to be rich, powerful and fighting for the truth You see, we have the government on our side. The government, despite being faced with droves of your so-called evidence, have refused to take any policy action! Doesn’t that speak for itself? The House Committee for Energy and Commerce voted down an amendment in January of this year that would have stated conclusively that climate change is occurring. Twenty-four U.S. Representatives, all Republicans, voted down the amendment. To these upstanding citizens, lending credence to climate change means accepting a greenleftist worldview, a challenge of profit as the centrality of our economy, and an undermining of the free market. As a true American, it makes me proud to support them. Not just that, but we have our own evidence as well. The largest and most consistent source of money fueling our climate denial movement has come from concealed donations or “dark money,” according to a 2013 Drexel University study.
And yes, while a survey and review of scientific literature revealed that about 97 percent of climate change scientists agree climate change exists, are we really surprised by that? It’s THEIR JOB to tell us that it exists. Frankly, it’s pandering. What’s more? Secretary of State John Kerry said in a statement released just a few weeks ago regarding climate change that “Denial of the Science is malpractice.” But what does he know? He lost a presidential election, right? So did that Gore guy. I’m seeing a pattern here. The climate-change truthers have their alarmist statistics to scare us, of course. According to NASA, 2010 was tied with 2005 as the hottest year measured since instruments were first used systematically in the 1880s. People who point to this seem to be forgetting that it was cold this year!!! Like, really cold. POLAR VORTEX, anyone?? Forget that the implications of the proposed “climate change” are far too complex to be disproven by a singular climate event, and that long-term climate data proves that the only reason we’re so astounded by the cold is that warming has made us forget what the cold is like. To be quite candid, all the science I need, I can see with my own two eyes. If this continues, scientists say, sea levels will rise and we will see urban floods and wildfires across North America. I say: bring it on! We Americans aren’t scared of anything, especially not the truth. We’ll see who’s right in due time. Roll the dice, America. What do we possibly have to lose?
PETER MARIUTTO
We don’t need the facts. Frankly, we don’t really see them all that often. Our politicians seem to think we don’t need to know the technical jargon and science behind it, and we agree. All we need is this: climate change doesn’t exist. The reason so many people have thought that for so long is that it just makes sense. It doesn’t require change. It allows our businesses to keep going about their doings as usual, and it proves that economic profit and the free market will always rule above the concerns of a few minor scientists. It’s comfortable and comforting. It’s easy because it’s right. That’s not to say that fighting for the truth on our side hasn’t been difficult. We’ve come under fire, of course. Some say that climate-change denialists have created a debate where there is none, casting a minority voice into the public discourse through the medium of giants such as large, carbon-polluting multinational conglomerates and right-wing politicians. Some people will have you believe that the sooner we act, the less it will cost. That efforts to curb climate change have been stunted by a society that increasingly favors wealth over reason. That the question of climate change is, yes, as big as the future of our civilization as we know it. But really, it’s a matter of intent. Look at those opposing climate change—motivated by business profit and the ever-terrifying slippery slope of government intervention on serious issues. And those promoting climate change? The health and well-being of our planet. Is it really any question who’s in the right here? Exactly—the right. At the end of the day, science will never be able to fight really strong opinions.
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9.
VOICES Better Magic
Frozen shows political improvement for Disney Kayla McCombs
As with all things young and sweet, controversy and mixed interpretations seem to often accompany Disney productions. Following some recent (and rather ridiculous) views formed in response to the Disney blockbuster Frozen, where numerous conservative individuals and groups accused the film of containing subliminal messaging aimed at turning children toward homosexuality and witchcraft, I’ve responded with my opinion that the movie takes a lovely stroll, in many ways, away from the typical Disney fairytale. It is evident in past films that inclusivity and progressive politics have not always been staples for the company; the following is a short list compiled to further illustrate my point. With Frozen now declared the top-grossing animated film ever, it appears audiences everywhere are embracing the progressivism now apparent in animated films.
“It is evident in past films that inclusivity and progressive politics have not always been staples for [Disney]” Dumbo (1941): This Disney favorite is timelessly adorable and probably one of the worst tear-jerkers in the history of animation. However, hidden among the circus fun and feelgood mommy moments is the blatant racial commentary surrounding the murder of crows in the film (a “murder” is a group of crows, by the way). All received their voices from African American actors and are portrayed as uneducated and lower-class through their speech and mannerisms. The cherry on top? The lead crow is named “Jim.” Yes, as in “Jim Crow.” While it may be difficult to understand the true intention of this, it was almost certainly on purpose, and given the date of the film, I’m less than surprised every time I watch it. Some films have a certain cultural atmosphere that makes them more prone to accidental offenses and abuses. However, this one was just plain unnecessary. Lady and the Tramp (1955): Everyone loves that scene where Lady and her rugged co-star share a plate of spaghetti under the stars and their noses touch all sweetly. Yet, as a post-World War II film produced at one of the peaks of anti-Asian sentiment in the United States, the characters Si and Am were at the heart of serious controversy for this classic. Sly, mischievous, and reckless, the pair of Siamese cats destroy Lady’s home immediately upon arrival and sport slanted eyes, stereotypical accents, and broken English. This segment of the film was
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cringe-worthy in the aftermath of the war and only further encouraged poor attitudes towards Asians both in the United States and overseas. Even if the racism aspect is ignored, making fun of the physical features and voices of people of different backgrounds is rude and condescending in itself. Aladdin (1992): One of my personal Disney favorites, Aladdin received a lot of praise for featuring a non-white hero and heroine and, in my opinion, teaches fantastic lessons about selflessness, loyalty, and identity. However, many at the time were up in arms over one of the lines in the opening song, in which the narrator hisses, “It’s barbaric, but hey, it’s home!” Much to my satisfaction, the New York Times fired back with a headline that stated, “It’s racist, but hey, it’s Disney!” The film also shows a merchant threatening to cut off the princess’ arm and generally portrays all Arab nations and people as violent and irrational. Again, as if we actually needed that in the midst of the United States’ prejudice toward the Middle East. I think this film is the most disappointing of all mentioned here, as it could have been wholesome and culturally inclusive had it not gotten carried away with racial stereotypes as Disney tends to do. The Lion King (1994): While not in the spotlight for racism or prejudice, The Lion King was controversial, especially among parents, for its rather depressing scene where Mufassa falls to his death and is discovered by a young and traumatized Simba. The issue surrounding this film came from the question of whether or not scenes like Mufassa’s death could emotionally harm children. I have asked similar questions of movies such as The Fox and the Hound and Bambi, which also feature aban-
donment and death. I find that while these scenes are heavy, realism and emotion are important for children. Some people lose their parents. Some people shoot animals. It’s all part of the not-so-Disney aspects of life that we prefer to not think about when, you know, watching Disney movies. However, I give props to Disney on this one. I cried when I first saw The Lion King; I cry when I watch it now, and it’s still my all-time favorite. Teach your kids empathy while enjoying other great lessons and a fun soundtrack. These films are why I give my praise to Frozen. Even if I were to interpret certain themes or characters in the movie as homosexual, I would praise it even more. It is vital that we recognize the growth that Disney has undergone despite its unfavorable past, and we should look at Frozen as substantial evidence that Disney is striving to better represent its viewers while maintaining that magical feeling. SAM LINDSAY
Where in the World is Mike Gould? A Look Back on an Elusive Campus Icon Written and Illustrated By Nick Theis
? www.wakemag.org
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Feature In desperation, I wasted my time and money on charms, talismans, amulets, oils, even beads. Still, no good luck. Then one day walking through Northrop Mall, a stranger handed me a dollar bill. I looked at the stranger, who held a bible in one hand, a guitar in the other—which hand just handed this to me? He told me to help the homeless, stuffing the money into my pocket after I handed it back to him, explaining that I was not homeless. —he asks me my name. “Nick.” “Nicotine!?” “No—” “Come back and talk to me when you quit smoking!” I began seeing this stranger daily. In fact, predictably, he would always be right out in front of Smith Hall, no matter the weather, playing guitar, reading from the bible, or, on occasion, running from the UMPD. Soon he was a stranger no more, he was Mike Gould. As one student put it when asked if he remembered Mike, “He was a campus icon.” Dressed in all white, or all black, or occasionally an American Flag suit, there was a time when he stood on Northrop Mall as a living landmark at the University of Minnesota. But today we are left standing in his twilight, with only a few clues as to who Mike Gould was, and where he has gone. Was he a preacher? A music man? A criminal? Clinically insane? Or the Mayor of Minneapolis? Of course, this depends on who’s asking. But if we were to ask Gould himself, he’d tell us, I’m sure, that he’s the mayor of Minneapolis. In fact, despite utterly disappearing from campus, his flyers and graffiti still seem to regularly turn up all around the U—like a ghost in the machine. We only rarely see him, and every so often we see a poster, snuck inside of a newsstand, reading “MIKE GOULD MAYOR,” etc. Mike came to the U of M campus in the early 1980s as a student, a few years after graduating high school in 1976— from the same school Minnesota’s U.S. Senator Al Franken attended, although Mike says Franken never mentions that they were both at Blake. He came to study music, but the music program turned him down, and so he entered into the art school instead. This is how Gould tells the story.
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His music tells a story, too. In the ‘80s, his band Rendered Useless recorded at least one album, Human, a punkinspired, rock-and-roll cult favorite, with songs such as “Yup Yeah,” and “Room for Two.” The album cover, like the music inside, and many of Mike’s campaign posters, sound or look as if it were pasted together then xeroxed over and over. An array of influences, images, and slogans such as “He became
Feature a victim of the spontaneity he so admires on live TV,” and “In desperation, I wasted my time and money on charms, talismans, amulets, oils, even beads. Still no good luck,” riddle the cover. Though a gifted musician (he played guitar, bass, cornet, flute, and sung on the album), and promising artist (or at least an artist making a lot of promises), he wasn’t quite able to finish everything he embarked on in the 1980s. At some point in his college career, Mike had a mental breakdown. Medical authorities institutionalized him, and as Mike told me, “They put me in double lockup.” Double lockup? I asked him what that was, and he offered to show me. We walked southeast of Northrop mall, to a place not far from where they now keep lab rats and rejected experiments. We entered the Mayo building and took an elevator to a strange place: a floor that seemed entirely abandoned. “This is double lockup?” I asked him. “No its right down here” We walked past some tape into an old hallway carved from solid asbestos. Bookshelves were smashed and desks were overturned. The light shone in through the blinds, but it was dark down the hallway. “It’s down there.” He pointed down into the shadow. But then Mike started to get fidgety, and told me suddenly he couldn’t be here anymore. He ran off. I didn’t know places like this existed on campus—whole wings of hospitals seem-
ingly abandoned, left to rot like an old mill. I returned later to find the whole hallway quarantined off—totally inaccessible. Who knows what went down in those corridors in the past? Mike said he was locked away for schizophrenia. Sometime into his treatment he said, “I promised the Lord Jesus that if he could get me out of that mental institution that I was going to start telling everybody how great he is.” And that is exactly what happened. So he began coming to campus day after day, to spread the Good News. To celebrate Jesus and tell the world his word. He reads from the Book of John, Chapter 3: Jesus teaches Nicodemus: “How can a man be born when he is old?” “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God until he is born again!” But Mike lists other reasons for coming from campus besides spreading the good word. “You’re on the street here, but it’s not really the street. This is where people are coming to try to build a better life,” he said in an interview. He added that he “loves coming out here because there’s always something going on.” And he actually was on the Minneapolis mayoral ballot in 2013. It seems like maybe he was honestly canvassing here. Through his music, his antics, and his preaching, he was at least mayor to us.
Mike’s disappearance leaves a quiet gap in the campus environment (a gap that even a giant golden gopher statue has trouble filling). And his disappearance coincides with one or two other recent austerity-crackdowns on campus fun. For example, the unfortunate disappearance of the Jazz Man from the Campus Connector circuits in 2011, the “pruning” of the shoe tree on the West Bank this past fall, and, I suppose, the campus-wide smoking ban which is to be implemented this summer (smoking has recently come under the jurisprudence of the Fun Patrol). When Gould left, so did an element of our campus spirit. But while Mike may be gone from campus, he has left behind a cult of personality. Several YouTube documentaries, amateur personality profiles (like this one), the occasional Pioneer Press article, artifacts such as his album (which can be found on Ebay for less than $20), and his street art remind us of who he was—clueing us in as to where he has gone (evidence seems to point to St. Paul). So while we cannot expect the Mayor of Minneapolis to return to campus anytime soon, if ever, in the flesh, we can expect his ghost to haunt the newsstands, and to graffiti the Washington Avenue Bridge for years to come. And perhaps one day, our beloved Mayor will be restored to his rightful place—guitar in one hand, Bible in the other, furiously stuffing money into the maroon and gold pockets of confused passersby in front of Smith Hall.
I asked several students if they remembered Mike, but as it turns out, not many do. It seems this year’s juniors and seniors are the last cohort of students left with even a vague memory. “Yeah, he ran for mayor,” one student, Vince Brinker, said. “He gave me like, $3.” Another remembers getting together with Mike in Northrop mall and jamming. Other students, like Anders Bjorkman, wonder, “Did he give up on us?” In the last four years, we’ve seen less and less of Mike. His once reliable presence has faded into a sad and rather mysterious absence. What took him away? The aliens that brought him here? Where in the world is he? Mike’s disappearance, while sad, seemed to be inevitable. He spray-painted his name on everything, and encouraged others to do the same. Once at Spring Jam, maybe 2009, he claims to have ascended to the top of the enormous stage behind Coffman Union, and refusing to get off the stage, the police were called. As early as 2010, Mike admitted that he thought he was probably not allowed to be within 50 feet of any building at the University. His frequent, and occasionally out-of-control encounters with the University Police, made it difficult for him to stay on campus for very long.
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13.
Voices The Police Were the Real Riot
Nothing happened to me at the Dinkytown riot and I still couldn’t handle it By Alyssa Bluhm
I don’t normally spend my Saturday nights running from the police. Actually, a typical Saturday for me involves doing absolutely nothing at all, and that’s the way I like it. I don’t need a BuzzFeed quiz to tell me that my spirit animal is a Hobbit— dangerous things happen when you go out the front door, and I intend to avoid all of them. On April 12 I made the mistake of leaving my house for the evening to do nothing at all with another Hobbit-like friend of mine. The mistake, really, was deciding to call it a night and head back to my house around 11:30 p.m.—the time that the Dinkytown riot peaked near my house on 6th St. Because I had passed about 20 police cars on my way to her house in the first place, I figured it was probably the safest night to walk home alone. I was wrong. In retrospect, the signs were all there. Within the first block of walking home, some guy said to me, “Careful, you might get sprayed with mace for no reason.” I ignored him and kept walking—my usual response to pretty much anyone I don’t know who tries to talk to me. The next block, another guy yelled at me, “You wanna die, bitch?!” He was drunk and standing on the roof of his house, so I figured he was closer to falling to his death than I was to walking into mine. Once again, I was wrong. As I neared the corner of 14th and 6th, I heard things exploding. I couldn’t immediately see what was going on because I was walking into a huge crowd of people. But
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then I saw it: the entire block sectioned off by at least 30 police, and that was just on one side. I approached one of them, saying, “I live down there!” and pointed toward my home. The policewoman pointed at the Bierman Place apartments, next to where we were standing, and told me to go around it. Now, mind you, she was holding a gun, and it was pointed in my direction. Not aimed, exactly, but I didn’t know then that the police were carrying only nonlethal weapons, so when I saw the barrel of her gun I started to panic a little. Still, I decided to go around Bierman like she suggested. I knew that there was a little alley between the apartment building and the house next to it that lets out across the street from my house—I’d just cut through there. Just as I was about to turn into the alley, about five people ran out of it. They were yelling about being shot. One of the guys rolled up the leg of his pants so I could see the welt that was starting to form where he was hit with what was apparently a bean bag bullet. My panic surged with the realization that the policewoman who told me to go this way had basically directed me into a line of fire (or beans, whatever). At this point I probably knew that I wouldn’t be able to go home for a while, but I didn’t care. My voice of reason started screaming when I saw that welt and hadn’t let up yet, so there was nothing stopping me from stubbornly going back to the street to try again. I was tired, I didn’t feel safe, and I just wanted to go home. But once I got there, I couldn’t even try. I watched a few people go up to police officers, and before they could even say anything, the police would yell at them, “Shut the fuck up! Get the fuck away from me!” A few others who were barred from their homes were standing near me and trying to call friends for help. Soon enough, the police formed a line across the street to push everyone back toward 8th St. and into Como. As I walked with the crowd, I saw the police use pepper spray on groups of people who weren’t doing anything except trying to get out of the way of the giant Humvee-like thing that
INMINNESOTA.TUMBLR.COM
was rolling down the middle of the street. The police were literally targeting these people. It was probably to my benefit that I was alone, because no one tried to spray me. They also might not have tried to spray me because I looked like I’d already been sprayed in the eyes. My face was red, I was crying, and there was a Hitler moustache of snot forming under my nose. That was probably the only time I’ve ever benefitted from a panic attack. From here, I made it to my friends’ apartment two blocks away, where I waited out the riot. The next day I was too afraid to leave my house, and for the four days after that I had waking nightmares about the riot. I’m fine now, but the trauma is still real. Why did I tell you this story? And why am I so sensitive to nonlethal weapons? As I see it, the only way to respond to these actions by the police is by being over-sensitive. What I witnessed that night was police brutality—innocent people were attacked, their safety was ignored, and the danger of the situation was increased only by the police themselves. Telling people about this isn’t going to change what happened to me. But maybe it will help people to understand the real nature of the riot—not as a great opportunity to post a selfie with a police officer on Instagram, but as a serious situation that hurt a lot of people. Next time, I hope the police of Minneapolis will make an effort not just to stop a riot from happening, but also to keep people safe. That’s their job, after all, and they severely let me down.
VOICES In Defense of Small Talk
Word from Office of Admissions Tour Guide By Georgia Lucas
When I started my current job as a tour guide, I realized how much small talk it involved—I almost fled. Making light conversation with strangers who you will probably never see again seemed pointless and uncomfortable. Then I realized something: small talk is worth it. Surrender yourself to the awkwardness. While giving tours, a part of me reveled in the chance to torture some teenage boy with earnest follow-up questions to his reluctant and half-mumbled answers. Seriously, go make a pre-teen talk to you about anything. They will hate it and you will have helped teach them how to be a real person. Humanity and empathy are really at the heart of small talk. Chit-chat about insignificant details of the most recent hour of someone’s life can feel hollow, but making good small talk actually requires a person to imagine the experiences of another human in the most concrete and detailed way. If being in college has taught me anything is that life is, like, difficult. I am still figuring out how to structure my own time, how to prioritize, what I want to do with my life, and how to cook tofu to name just a few things. So any chance I get to talk to someone is an opportunity to glimpse into how someone else is doing all this stuff. I no longer dismiss people any more on the basis that I have nothing in common with them or that what they have to say will not interest me. Maybe I am just lying to myself, but every time I talk to a stranger like this I do feel at least a kernel of human connection. This is how you can remember you are not alone when winter cold and layers of sweaters insulate you from everyone around you. What is actually being said is not as important as the talking itself. Even when it is awkward, both parties experience and work through that awkwardness together. Any time two strangers talk about how sunny it was last week, the underlying message is, “Hello, I am a human. You are a human. I see that you are inherently valuable and I want to better understand your lived experience.” So the next time you are in close quarters with strangers for a while, look up from your phone and start chatting. You may just find you are not the only one in this life. SAM LINDSAY
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Q&A Bad Bad Hats By Sara Glesne
The sugary sound and bittersweet lyrics of indie band Bad Bad Hats made a mark on Minneapolis music with the 2013 release of the band’s It Hurts EP. Relatable songs about relationships and junk food are carried through by upbeat guitar riffs and simple but effective drumbeats. The Wake talked with Bad Bad Hats’ founding members Kerry Alexander and Chris Hoge about the plugged-in changes in store on their next release and just how exciting summer in Minneapolis is. They also shared some surprising influences, like the soundtrack to 2001’s lady rocker flick “Josie and the Pussycats.” Check out Bad Bad Hats on Bandcamp where they have a free download of the It Hurts EP: badbadhats.bandcamp.com The Wake: From 2012 to 2013 you had three releases, even though one of those was just a single (the Shania Twain cover song). Was that a pretty crazy year for you? Kerry Alexander: I think, sort of. All of those songs, except for the Shania Twain cover, everything had been written a very long time ago, so it was just a matter of doing it, recording it, getting it down. So it was sort of slow going, actually. I think we recorded the first EP, the “baby EP” as I like to call it, Grow Up as sort of a conglomeration of weird demos that we just put together. So, that was easy. And then the It Hurts EP we just did over the summer in 2012. So, a bit of a busy summer, but we weren’t really playing any shows so that we could really buckle down.
the best and then did other stuff around them. And then you’ve got a new form.
Alexander: I did, yes. Just on a whim.
but I’m very proud of the EP. People enjoy it. It’s great to see people responding to it in a way that it means something to them and it’s become sort of a part of their lives, which is how music has worked for me in my life. Certain songs become like points on your life map. So I want to give people songs to put on their life map.
The Wake: Tell me how the Shania Twain cover happened.
Hoge: We wanted to put out something before, since it’s gonna be a while until our next release. We’re working on it, but we wanted to put something out to stay relevant.
We like it, but we’re excited definitely too to show people an album that may be a bit different, but not too different, really. As we’ve started recording there are echoes of It Hurts.
Alexander: I don’t remember. Well, I guess I have a fondness for taking songs that I don’t think get credit as masterpieces.
The Wake: Now that it has been out for a while and people have had time to react, how do you feel about It Hurts?
The Wake: What kinds of differences have you found in writing and recording now?
Chris Hoge: Deep, emotional masterpieces.
Alexander: You know, we like it. I think we’ve always liked it. It’s like a child. You never hate it. Sometimes you wish that it would make the bed sometimes! But, I think because they were sort of older songs, we feel like we’re at a much different place now. Even more so than just the baby EP, because even that was sort of old news for us, because the songs were written the year before, in 2011.
Hoge: We’re going electric. That’s that’s really fun and I think that’s what we’ve always wanted to do. The It Hurts EP is really bedroom-y sounding, because it was. I think that’s the biggest thing. Everything just sounds bigger.
Alexander: You know, I did a cover of Blink 182’s “All the Small Things” because I was listening to that song and I was like, you know this song is kind of goofy, but also these lyrics are kind of poetic and nice. So maybe if I just slow it down, and sing it in a pretty way people can appreciate that. And then Shania Twain’s “That Don’t Impress Me Much” just has such a catchy chorus. The verses perhaps are a bit silly, but awesome guitar riff. So I just took the parts that I liked
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Hoge: I guess you rewrote the verses then, right?
We want people to come see our shows just to get a sense of what we’re doing now, because it is somewhat different,
Alexander: Live, we have our good friend Nate playing guitar now. Noah plays bass and we added Nate to play guitar. Live, also, we have a bigger sound as well. I think, I really love the ‘90s. The ‘90s was a great time for ladies in rock. And so that’s where I come from. When I think
Q&A of a “rock & roll” band, I just think of ‘90s alternative. That’s what I strive for. So I hope there is some semblance of that.
sort of my area of just, slow it down, take it easy. And Chris comes form high school/cover band territory. (Both laugh)
The Wake: Anyone in particular who inspires you?
The Wake: What kind of covers?
Alexander: We just saw The Breeders in concert when they came here. That was amazing. When I was a freshman in high school I was obsessed with Letters to Cleo. And the Josie and the Pussycats soundtrack was very formative for me. So, sort of like that. A little attitude, but deep down just catchy songwriting.
Hoge: In high school I put together a band that played “Black Betty” by Ram Jam, and just anything that I liked at the time. And then during college I would go back home to Connecticut and I played in a cover band that played like any top 40 hit from the past 20 years. Alexander: Because I listened to Letters to Cleo and the Breeders I was like, why doesn’t my brain write songs like this? I literally couldn’t figure out how to write those songs, but then, I don’t know. Chris and I started playing together. Even just having drums in the room was very helpful. I bought an electric guitar right before we started the band, so it’s new territory for me, sort of. I guess I’ve sunk into it more now. But I’ve wanted this for a while now. I’m making my dreams come true. I’m pretty sure I know what I’m doing, but we’ll get back to you.
The Wake: I saw your Daytrotter session just came out on April 1. What was recording that like? Hoge: It was really fun. That’s a website that I’ve been a fan of since I was like 15 or 16, a long time ago. They emailed us and it just feels like a thing I’ve always wanted to do. It was just one guy in a weird studio in an office building in the middle of nowhere. The Wake: Sounds weird. What state? Hoge: Technically Illinois, but it’s Quad Cities, so it’s like Iowa, sort of. Alexander: We stayed in a hotel in Iowa, but it was in Illinois. It’s that close. Hoge: It was a little surreal. It was like an old office building. Alexander: I think we were nervous. It was just the two of us who went. And because we’ve been working so hard to do the four-piece thing and be really rocking live, it was like uh-oh, I forgot how to do the quiet thing. But I didn’t, really. It was nice to go back to that.
The Wake: Anything else you guys are excited about that you want to share? The Wake: This summer are you mostly focusing on recording, or will you be playing shows around town? Hoge: We’re trying to focus on recording. Alexander: We can’t focus (laughs).
Hoge: We have a lot of new songs. Alexander: I’m really excited for summer. I think summer in Minneapolis is just writing and recording and block parties. It’s such a great place to play music because there’s so much music around.
The Wake: Do you have an estimated time for when you want the next album to come out? Hoge: No. We want it to come out this year, but we sort of also want it to come out when the weather is warm. Alexander: Hopefully we will strike a good balance getting the record done and playing some good shows. We find a lot of times we’re like, “No shows. We’re only recording.” And then when it’s time to play a show we’re like, “Wait. What’s happening? We haven’t done anything for too long!” And then it takes forever to get back to where we were, so I think we’re going to have to do a bit of both in a balanced way. Learning as we go along, you know. The Wake: Listening to your older recordings I heard a lot of that sort of bedroom-y, acoustic feel. How do you feel about switching it up now?
ZOE PRINDES
Alexander: I’m ready. I think when I was first writing songs before it was in more of the open mic world. I played a lot at the original Dunn Brothers, back at Macalester College in St. Paul. I played open mic there like all the time and that’s
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17.
Sound & Vision Minneapolis’ One-Screen Wonder The Trylon Microcinema
theater, is plenty large for the intimate space. Movie posters from the current showings line the entryway and a small counter doubles as a ticket counter and concessions area.
the atmosphere cozy and friendly instead of empty and sparse. The Trylon presents classic films on the weekends and offers a number of film series during the week. Currently, the Trylon is showing a series of Nicholas Rays films, an Alfred Hitchcock festival, a series of films about music, Trash Film Wednesdays, and a monthly night called The Defenders where a local personality chooses a film to screen and defends their choice.
By Kristen Wangsness
The Trylon Microcinema sits among a stretch of odd, miscellaneous businesses on Minnehaha Avenue in south Minneapolis, but it’s easy to miss if you’re not looking for it. A small front window and an illuminated sign are its only markers, in stark contrast with large chain theaters which generally, unlike the Trylon, have more than one screen. The Trylon was dreamt up by Barry Kryshka and a few others who were involved with the Oak Street Cinema after it closed. Wanting to keep up the unusual selection of movies without having to pull in over 100 patrons each week to break even in a traditional-sized theater, Kryshka built a suitably sized venue himself. The Trylon is located in a former warehouse space and with 50 seats—it’s comfortable without being claustrophobic. The screen, though smaller than that of a standard movie
Creating Another Space for Local Artists The Fox Egg Gallery By Emily Dueker
Titles playing at the Trylon vary from cult classics to obscure films that are not available on DVD and are difficult to find elsewhere. The theater has a pair of 35mm projectors to show movies from physical reels of film in addition to the digital projection that a majority of today’s standard movie theaters rely on entirely. I went to a recent showing of The Visitor, an Italian/American psychological thriller from the ‘70s. There were no commercials or Hollywood previews, simply notices about upcoming films and an old John Waters anti-smoking PSA. There couldn’t have been more than 10 people in there, but the theater size made
The gallery accommodates a medley of artistic expression. Paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, ceramics, and woodwork of local artists have all been exhibited in the Fox Egg. Currently, photography by Elli Rader and Kate Bailey, entitled “Of Scars,” hangs in the gallery. The collection focuses on embracing mastectomy and lumpectomy scars as badges of strength for women with breast cancer.
As light shone onto the wood floors and grayblue walls of the Fox Egg Gallery, the whole place glowed. Or maybe it was the owner, Kate Bailey, as she delved into the life housed within the gallery. “It’s just a room but magic things happen here,” Bailey said of the gallery, which is located near the corner of East 38th St. and South Chicago Ave. The space, which had previously remained vacant for 50 years, is now neighbored by other artistic and commercial ventures, such as the Chicago Avenue Fire Arts Center and Blue Ox Coffee.
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EMILY DUEKER
Beyond that, the gallery takes on many forms. Previous functions and activities held here include: artist workspace, workshops, yoga classes, community group meetings, exhibitions, and more. Southside Minneapolis has long been home to a number of working artists and performers who now have a new space in which they can congregate, collaborate, and share.
KRISTEN WANGSNESS
I am particularly excited to go back and see The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover on April 23, part of the Trash Film Wednesday series. However, it would be hard to go wrong when picking a showing, as the entire lineup of upcoming films looks promising and the experience of going to a movie at the distinctive little theater is as much a novelty as the actual films themselves.
The Fox Egg will soon host an event focused on the origins of rap music. Instead of the usual stage from which rappers perform, the event will feature voices that emerge from the crowd and more accurately illustrate rap before it was commercialized and branded. Well-known Minneapolis names in the rap and spoken word scene, like Guante, are on the bill. “Yeah, ‘gallery’ is what I originally named it, but it’s really kind of a creative community space,” said Bailey. “There is a lot of really cool creative energy here. And it’s such a diverse neighborhood: socio-economically, racially, ethnically; there are a lot of perspectives and I think it’s cool because there is a lot of room for that.” Looking into the future, Bailey is considering how the intimate experience of an art community may take a high-tech turn. “I’m fascinated by how technology allows us to be interconnected and the fact that technology has eked its way into the edges of the creation of art, but art spaces haven’t yet really latched onto the ability to share through technology,” she mused. The details of these proto-projects are still under wraps, but Bailey is working on connecting the Fox Egg Gallery with other art spaces beyond Minneapolis while continuing to be an axis of creativity in her own.
Sound & Vision “How I Met Your Mother” Ends With A Thud
After nine seasons, HIMYM ends uncharacteristically By Alex Van Abbema
Over its nine-year run, How I Met Your Mother proved to be a wonderfully innovative look at one man’s search for his soul mate. However, towards the end of the series’ run, the quality of the show reached a noticeable downgrade. As the jokes became less funny, and some of the running gags wore out their welcome, most fans looked forward to the finale, the moment where Ted would say, “And that’s how I met your mother,” and the series would reach its happy conclusion. The writers of the show, however, chose a different ending, one that made the entire series feel like an elaborate con job. Warning (if you haven’t finished the series yet): lots of spoilers ahead.
In Good Taste, (Taste) Is Bad
First off, the entire ninth season felt unnecessary and the finale made that even more apparent. In the 22 episodes that detail just one weekend, we learn that characters Barney and Robin go through a wide variety of obstacles to get married. Ted seems to finally get over Robin for what feels like the millionth time, and we learn how every other character besides Ted meets the mother. Through this the audience gets to know her and grow fond of her. In the last two episodes, however, much of this becomes unraveled. In one of the future flash-forwards, Barney and Robin quickly announce their divorce after three years. Why detail an entire season that takes place at the wedding of two of the characters, only to have them get hastily divorced in five minutes of screen time? The last five minutes of the finale are when things really get brushed over, as we quickly learn that the mother, who we waited eight seasons to meet,
ing neon sign, titled “Sugar Shack” assumes all immediate attention with the text display, “In Poor Taste (Taste) Is Good.” This installation has Hargrave meditating upon the medium of sugar as a political resource and tool. “Sugar production is a really intense place in American history,” she said.
By Jerod Greenisen
Art(ists) On the Verge is an intensive, year-long, mentorbased fellowship program co-directed by Steve Dietz and Piotr Szyhalski with mentors Ta-Coumba Aiken, Christine Baeumler, Chris Larson, Abinadi Meza, Sarah Peters, and Diane Willow. Art(ists) On the Verge is a partnership with The Soap Factory and the artists’ work will be on display at The Soap Factory through April 20th. In a Soap Factory podcast about her work, Katie Hargrave says she “focuses on making work that engages with the production of history and the place—we as citizens—have in producing.” She has a grassroots approach in production, making an attempt at empowering the disenfranchised people who have lost something through an otherwise hegemonic production of history. Hargrave’s multimedia installation spans several mediums, from sugar caste records to video compilations. Yet a flicker-
Intense or not, there is a cheeky message here that focuses on bitter moments in history where sweet sugar has been central. Hargrave does something special when she starts to blur the line between public and private places for politics. Using video and audio technologies, she presents labor debates from beet farmers on one display and the popular late-60s song “Sugar Sugar” by The Archies on another. Aligning the issues of contemporary labor debates with the “sugar coating” of history that pop culture is often positioned to accomplish, one is prompted to ask questions and complicate the simplicity of sugar.
suddenly dies from a never-before-mentioned illness that is never revealed. Cristin Miloti’s character Tracy McConnell was arguably the best thing to happen to the show in the past couple of seasons, and she deserved a better sendoff. Her death felt like a cop-out and a poor way to set up the ending. The ending of Ted getting back together with Robin was filmed way back in the first season to make sure that the child actors who played Ted’s kids were still young enough to be believable. Over the past few seasons however, Ted changed and seemed to understand that Robin was never right for him, and shouldn’t be a part of his future. The ending didn’t really fit and it felt as though the writers were committed to a poor storyline that they wouldn’t let die. Properly summing up nine seasons of a show is no easy task, but the ending certainly could have been handled better than this. PARKTHECAR.NET
Hargrave attempts to blur our public and private divisions. She wants people to bring their own experiences to the dinner table and discuss, however sweetly, their histories and what surround them—even if the topic of discussion is dessert. These days, sugar still holds weight in historical accounts, pop music, and inside the home. How the viewer chooses to interact with sugar, after Hargrave’s account of the medium, is a place of historical production and politics. The goal is not to make foodies of us all, but to encourage environmental engagement in a richer, and perhaps sweeter, consideration.
Central to the thematic tones of this work, and placement within the installation, is a dinner table adorned with a hand-stitched tablecloth and dinner plates stained with stenciled beet sugar. Much of the rest of her work surrounds the table, and in this way PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SOAP FACTORY
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Sound & Vision MSP International Film Festival Sweeping the Twin Cities By Aidan Hutt
The Oscars have come and gone, but film in the Twin Cities is as celebrated as always. Along with warm weather and flavors of spring, April marks the return of the annual Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival (MSPIFF). This year, the festival ran from April 3 to April 19. MSPIFF is the largest film festival in the Upper Midwest, hosting over 200 feature films, as well as shorts and documentaries. The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul is the nonprofit organization responsible for presenting the Twin Cities with independent and international films year-round. The festival is their annual springtime event, bringing out over 400,000 attendants in past years.
Naturally all genres were represented, from coming-of-age films and surrealist thrillers, to sports documentaries and war stories. MSPIFF screened movies and held events across Minneapolis: from early 3D films at the Walker Art Center, to director attended screenings at the St. Anthony Main Theater. The St.
Anthony Main Theater screened the majority of the films, with a Festival Pavilion set up across the street from the theater. The pavilion maintained its presence throughout the festival, providing a lively amount of ambience to the film-going experience at St. Anthony Main. As you walked toward the theater, you could hear a smooth jazz band playing nearby as you took in the wind off the river. Beyond St. Anthony, there were screenings in the newly reopened Northrop Hall on the University of Minnesota campus, as well as at the Walker Art Center. The Walker Art Center presented 3D films, a service not every theater is equipped with. The Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival allowed people of all ages to engage with film, whether through a casual screening at Northrop or St. Anthony Main, or a 3D extravaganza at the Walker.
A Taste of The Festival:
nibal, directed by Manuel Martin Cuenca. Following Carlos, an esteemed tailor in Granada, Spain, Cannibal reveals the voracious murderer behind the finely stitched suit. The first sequence of the film is some of the finest stalking cinema I’ve ever seen, the disturbing perspective switches and visceral sound effects work off of each other to weave together a terrifying and powerful opening. The horror aspect of the film is put on the back burner at points, yet no scene is far from intense tension at the drop of a hat. The main plot and story is fulfilling and fairly unique, a cannibal falling in love with a victim’s sister, but the highlights of this film comes from the cinematography and flawless audio mastering.
Mystery Road—An Australian crime drama directed and written by Ivan Sen, Mystery Road is the story of an indigenous detective attempting to solve the murder of a young girl, while dealing with racial tensions with his coworkers in the police department. The film relies on standard tropes of crime dramas, such as bait and switches, and introduces untrustworthy characters that are more than meets the eye, while not presenting them particularly innovatively. Rather predictable, the film was not satisfying from a narrative sense, and the filmmaking itself was nothing to write home about.
Cannibal—“A Love Story” stands as the ironic yet hauntingly accurate tagline for the Spanish 2013 thriller, Can-
SAM LINDSAY
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3REVIEWS Our own Edward Scissorhands in Minneapolis
Film: Divergent by Brenna Sievert
The film adaptation of Veronica Roth’s post-apocalyptic novel, Divergent, came out on March 21 to positive reviews. I was nervous to see the movie because I enjoyed the book so much and didn’t want to be disappointed, but I was pleasantly surprised. The two-hour movie did a great job of covering an almost 500page book. And although the movie had an hour and a half of build-up before the story truly began, I enjoyed it all the more because of the understanding that development created.
Papercut at the Swedish Institute By Abigail Linn Rommel
Danish-Norwegian artist Karen Bit Vejle’s unique art is currently showcased at the Swedish Institute in south Minneapolis in the exhibit Papercut. The gallery is laced with paper that has been cut up to create patterns and shapes through negative space. This unique style of art is called psaligraphy, and it owes some of its roots to Danish artist H.C. Andersen. Vejle, the Danish-born artist, has been displaying her playful yet intricate designs since 2008. The room showcased 30 detailed pieces cut by Vejle. Next to each piece is information about the story behind it. Upstairs, the mansion is decorated with white murals and three-dimensional paper figurines made by the Swedish Institute’s artist in residence Sonja Peterson.
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Mac Demarco Salad Days by Sam Schaust As Edmonton’s gap-toothed couch king with a fondness for Viceroys, wavy guitar tones, and downright hooliganism, Mac DeMarco’s third LP puts him on edge with his prior persona. While he moves beyond the guy who muddily covered Limp Bizkit
“The intricacy of the designs was amazing to see,” said Bri Vitands, a junior at the University of Minnesota who visited the exhibit.
songs live, Salad Days presents Demarco as more observant: self-
“She’s a legend on Instagram,” said Sam G., a student at the University of Minnesota, who visited the gallery this winter. In fact, Instagram has 42 pictures in counting that show up under the search word psaligraphy. About 140 pictures were posted with Vejle’s full name hashtagged on Instagram. Perhaps the term psaligraphy has not caught on quite yet though, because a search of the hashtag “paper cut art” turns up almost 2,000 pictures.
while chain-smoking cheap cigarettes and exhaustively touring. Yet,
If you missed the exhibit over winter due to struggles with traveling in the frigid conditions, fear not. Papercut will remain on display at the Swedish Institute until May 25, so head over to witness a unique style of art.
melodies that he made distinctly his own with his 2012 release, 2.
reflecting upon months away from his longtime girlfriend Kiera this is how Mac DeMarco’s work ethic has persistently grown. He vocalizes this feeling in “Goodbye Weekend” by saying, “Don’t go
The story follows Tris Prior, a 16-year-old girl, living in a futuristic Chicago. The community is split into five factions: Erudite, for the intelligent; Candor, who are honest; Amity for those who believe in peace; Dauntless for the brave; and Abnegation for the selfless. The story starts when Beatrice admits she doesn’t know which faction to choose. Shailene Woodley, who plays Tris, does a great job making the audience feel her unease. She effortlessly makes me want to be a part of her world, chasing down trains and ziplining through the city. The only problem with the movie, besides the pacing, was that the characters were easy to confuse. At times, I was surprised that one character punched another and it took a minute before I realized I was thinking of the wrong person. A few years ago the country seemed obsessed with paranormal love triangles, such as Twilight. Soon, the world moved on to fall in love with dystopian love triangles (see: The Hunger Games). But would the equation work without the triangle? In Divergent, it does.
telling me how this boy should be leading his own life.” It’s a mantra of sorts for his emerging façade. Fortunately, Demarco has returned with more of the wafty hammock
Salad Days’ most eloquent track, “Let Her Go,” also stands out as the most commercially groomed, though “Brother” and “Passing Out Pieces” amount to what DeMarco is culminating towards. But beyond these generalizations, a listen to “Chamber of Reflection” is highly recommended. It takes DeMarco (actual name Vernor Winfield McBriare Smith IV) out of his 200-foot New York apartment and breathes fresh air into his now-patented songwriting, constructing an insatiable ballad of estrangement. It’s the farthest he’s pushed his sound, something friend and fellow fan Tyler, the Creator expressed alongside his tweet, “DEAR MAC DEMARCO I LOVE YOU YOU ARE AWESOME.”
ABIGAIL ROMMEL
Salad Days succeeds as a feel-good affair, until DeMarco leads you back into the world, holding your hand and finally saying, “Thanks for joining me, see you again soon, buh-bye.”
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april 22- may 5
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Events Calendar SUNDAY, May 4
WEDNESDAY, Apr 30
WEDNESDAY, Apr 23
Steel Band Spring Concert Lloyd Ultan Recital Hall (Ferguson Hall) / 12:00 p.m. / Free
Uh Huh Her Triple Rock / 8:00 p.m. / $15 / 18+
Ivory Tower Launch Party The Whole / 7:00 p.m. / Free White Fang with Frankie Teardrop 7th St. Entry / 8:00 p.m. / $10 door / 18+ Will Shakespeare’s 450th Birthday Bash Murphy Hall / 4:00 p.m. / Free
THURSDAY, May 1
MONDAY, May 5 GLBTA Lavender Celebration The Whole / 4:00 p.m. / Free Teenage Moods Triple Rock / 8:00 p.m. / $8 / 18+
Cloud Nothings Turf Club / 8:00 p.m. / $15 / 21+
FRIDAY, Apr 25 Leagues, presented by The Wake! Coffman front plaza / 9:00 p.m. / Free MinnRoast Historic State Theater / 5:30 p.m. / $35 cheap seats
SATURDAY, Apr 26
FRIDAY, May 2 Color Tab, Gusto, and AiVry The Whole / 7:30 p.m. / Free
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Holi festival East River Flats / 1:00 p.m. / Free LUDDITESTEREO.COM
SUNDAY, Apr 27 TEDxUMN Northrop auditorium / 12:00 p.m. / $15 students
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