February 16, 2012

GREEKS THE NOT–SO–HIDDEN TRUTH BEHIND MCG SOCIETIES AT PENN What Your Band T–shirt Says About You

Pasta 101

February 16, 2012 34st.com

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february 16

FROMtheEDITOR

LOLCAT

2012

3 HIGHBROW

the roundup, word on the street, overheards, dispatch

7

Tim and Eric

4 EGO

fake id timeline, ego of the week

6 FOOD & DRINK

12

guide to pasta, just add this, penn palate, DIY

7 FILM

tim and eric, arietty review

8 FEATURE

multicultural greek organizations

10 MUSIC

band tees, tennis review, sharon von etten review, concerts of the week, campus playlist

Artist profile: Christina Kerns

6

12 ARTS

exhibition review, MFA photo essay

14 LOWBROW

v-day quiz, greek gods and greek organizations

I got the news in the middle of the night. I was over 3000 miles from home. All I could do was sit there and take in everything my mom was telling me.

There was about to be a new kitten in our lives — my parents had taken their love for God’s greatest creation too far.

My blood boiled. Having three cats is awesome — it’s like having your own sassy version of the Holy Trinity. But four? Those poor little guys have a hard enough time competing for our attention without an orphan baby mewing on the doorstep.

Nicky (Little Nicky) didn’t impress upon our first meeting at Christmas. His eyes were close–set and yellow, clashing with his ginger fur. He was the size of a beanie baby,

"Is it possible for us to have our multicultural cake and eat it too?"

34TH STREET Magazine February 16, 2012

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16 BACKPAGE

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and showed no promising signs of growth. His meow sounded like nails on a chalkboard.

He had severe separation anxiety — sometimes he would cry until someone would pick him up. He would claw on the furniture and get his nails stuck, and then cry until someone came along to disentangle him. He had a flatulence problem.

And to top it all off, he had fleas.

BUT GODDAMMIT HE IS JUST THE CUTEST FUCKING THING. Moral of the story: when your mom tells you you’re getting a new kitten, the only emotion you should feel is joy.

WRITERS' MEETING 4015 WALNUT 6:30 P.M.

black history month

34TH STREET MAGAZINE Elizabeth Horkley, IFC Joe Pinsker, Spike Adrian Franco, The Hallmark Channel Hilary Miller, Animal Planet Chloe Bower, BET Sarah Tse, Fox News Laura Francis, PBS Zeke Sexauer, GSN Paige Rubin, QVC Zacchiaus Mckee, TNT Faryn Pearl, Cartoon Network Ali Jaffe, The Disney Channel Tucker Johns, Bravo

Nina Wolpow, CMT Colette Bloom, The CW Leah Steinberg, TV Land Sam Brodey, E! Frida Garza, Telemundo Daniel Felsenthal, NBA TV Alex Hosenball, SyFy Ellie Levitt, DIY Megan Ruben, Nick Jr. Anthony Khaykin, MTV2 Sandra Rubinchik, MTV Alexa Nicolas, BBC Lauren Reed–Guy, Etsy Ben Lerner, Soap Network Patrick Del Valle, Lifetime

34st.com Inna Kofman, Noggin Patrick Ford–Matz, C–Span Elena Gooray, HBO Katie Giarla, The Food Network Cover Design: Chloe Bower Contributors: Robert Holub, Isa Oliveres, Emily Orrson, Michael Scognamiglio, Ben Bernstein, Jake Spinowitz

Contacting 34th Street Magazine: If you have questions, comments, complaints or letters to the editor, email Elizabeth Horkley, Editor-–in–Chief, at horkley@34st.com. You can also call us at (215) 898-6585.

To place an ad, call (215) 898-6581.

VISIT OUR WEB SITE: www.34st.com "These are my biggest fears in order of severity: obesity, getting a lazy eye, herpes, I forgot the fourth, and then death." ©2012 34th Street Magazine, The Daily Pennsylvanian, Inc. No part may be reproduced in whole or in part without the express, written consent of the editors (but I bet we will give you the a-okay.) All rights reserved. 34th Street Magazine is published

by The Daily Pennsylvanian, Inc., 4015 Walnut St., Philadelphia, Pa., 19104, every Thursday.

DISPATCH: SINGLE ON V–DAY 1:45 p.m.: French professor announces that since French is the language of love, we should tell everyone what we did on Valentine’s Day. What?

This is a French Cinema class! In English!

1:50 p.m.: Flashback to the ladies at Einstein asking me the same question that morning. I truthfully told them I went to see a movie with my friend. They told me that they’re sorry I’m alone, but they could tell I had no one because chocolate chip is the loneliest kind of bagel.

1:51 p.m.: God, I’m lame. What am I going to say? MAKE UP SOMETHING ROMANTIC. 1:52 p.m.: My boyfriend, actor Tom Welling, and I went to dinner.

1:52 p.m.: I went on a date with the hipster I met in November at the farmers’ market who didn’t call me back, but only because his rotary phone broke and not because he was disgusted that I mispronounced “Nietzsche.”

1:52 p.m.: Those sound real, right?

2:00 p.m.: Really, Girl Who Wears Kneesocks With Combat Boots? Complaining about Valen-

tine’s Day as a social institution instead of answering the question? Bitch stole my answer.

2:01 p.m.: Ahh, almost my turn! Maybe Cute Soccer Player sitting behind me will pretend to be my date? I should totally toss a flirty note onto his desk like in an early 90s sitcom!

2:03 p.m.: I wonder what would happen if I just ran out of the room with no explanation? They’d probably assume I had food poisoning from my awesome date on V–Day. Yeah, I think I’ll do that.

2:04 p.m.: Dammit, I’m stuck in the middle of this row. Maybe I’ll get lucky and there will be an apocalypse in the next 30 seconds.

2:05 p.m.: Okay. My turn. “Yeah, I just went to a movie with a friend. When you have friends, you’re never really alone!”

2:06 p.m.: God, what was that? I sounded like I was four. Or in a Julie Andrews movie.

2:07 p.m.: Maybe next Valentine’s Day my prince will come. Or not. Mostly likely not.

THEROUNDUP

at

Dude: AP Chem was my favorite. I hit on my teacher all the time.

Guy at Vag Mons: I think the Silly Bandz are Nuva Rings.

Football Bro: But I’m not mentally strong, you know? Mentally I bench like 20.

Guy in Rodin: Guess who got an anonymous cookie–gram?!

Girl 1: I’m three seconds away from throwing up.

Girl 2: Omg. I’m so jealous.

Preppy guy: If I was going to stick anything up my butthole, it'd be my own finger.

BY BEN LERNER

I

t all happened so quickly. I absentmindedly opened my browser to check my email and there it was on People.com. Breaking News: Whitney Houston is Dead. My heart sank. She was so young! This was so sudden! She had such a phenomenal voice and she was, like, every current pop diva’s main inspiration.

I needed air, so I rushed down my hall, bombarding a friend with the catastrophic news. Mournful texts were piling up in my inbox. This was worse than Amy Winehouse.

I was not alone in my devastation. “RIP Whitney” statuses clogged my news feed. Media outlets and Saturday night conversations all revolved over Houston’s tragic, untimely demise. The Grammys organized an impromptu tribute. “I Will Always Love You” shot to number one on the iTunes charts. No one could deny it was a huge loss.

Or could they? Within the 24 hours following Houston’s passing, I noticed certain Facebook posts between the countless RIPs calling America’s mourning into question. “1 person dies and 100 million cry,” they read, accompanied by photos of Whitney. Then, adjacent to a picture of several malnourished African babies, it continued, “1 million people die and no one cries.”

I was offended. It was unseemly to equate mourning the loss of a talented celebrity to being insensitive about anonymous deaths around the world. But then again, was I a diehard Whitney fan? I’m not so sure. Actually, I think my passion for Whitney Houston has quadrupled after her death. I’ve probably contributed 100 YouTube views to Houston’s rendition of the National Anthem at the 1991 Super Bowl over the last few days.

I began to wonder if mourning celebrity deaths was completely superficial. Think about Heath Ledger and Michael Jackson. I’m a proud celeb gossip addict, but is it insensitive to feign devastation when a single stranger dies?

At the end of the day, I think the loss of celebrities is somewhere in between losing a close friend and hearing about the death of someone you've never heard of. To pretend to be as sad as someone who really knew Whitney Houston is inappropriate, but there’s nothing fake or wrong with publicly feeling natural sorrow for someone who influenced society for so many years. Hearing of any loss can merit grief, but people often need to feel an accessible connection to the deceased to feel prolonged emotion.

So yeah, I teared up watching Jennifer Hudson sing in tribute of the legendary Whitney Houston and her incomparable voice. But I think that after watching The Bodyguard a couple dozen times I’ll be just fine.

34TH STREET Magazine February 16, 2012

Highbrow hopes your Valentine’s Day wasn’t as pathetic as ours. While you were holding hands with that special someone, we were watching the world’s most unromantic movie, The Shining, and scrounging up some shocking gossip. REDRUM! According to our Norwegian sources, Penn’s illustrious group of wild and crazy guys, EuroPenn, got into a wee bit o’ trouble during their initiation last week. Apparently, they were in possession of a wheelchair that the Penn Police thought they had stolen from HUP. Some arrests were even made. C’mon guys, we expect more from Europe’s finest.

The Pike guys were livin’ la vida loca in Williams this week. Rumor has it their pledges were compelled to go around to different foreign language classrooms, singing Happy Birthday to the students in the language they were studying. What may have started as a “bonne idee” quickly fell apart, as some classes were disturbed by the ruckus. At least we got to hear them stumble through Zum Geburtstag, though.

Highbrow hears that last Monday, an SDT senior was locked inside a room in the chapter house for four hours. She recorded videos onto Facebook of the incident, a la 127 Hours. Well, minus the amputation. Still, it took two policemen almost an hour to break down the door. Now there's no doorknob on one double in the SDT house. So much for privacy.

Baby, it's cold outside. But not everyone is breaking out their North Faces and Uggs. In fact, for some mysterious reason, FIJI boys have decided to wear swim trunks and flip flops despite the fact that it's, well, February.

Last night, the boys even serenaded some sororities in their beachwear.

Surf's up!

Occupy Spruce Street! Highbrow hears Alpha Phi pledges have been protesting all over campus. What were they protesting? Oh, y'know, like, stuff? The APhi movement fought against a range of injustices, such as drunk driving, unprotected sex and bullfighting. ¡Ole! Tip us at highbrow@34st.com. You know you want to.

over heard PENN

WHY WE WEPT OVER WHITNEY

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wordonthestreet

HIGHBROW

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highbrow ego food & drink film feature music arts lowbrow

EGO

EGOOF THE WEEK: CHARLES GRAY

He’s the Chairman of the Penn College Republicans, a dual degree in Business and Art History and is most likely running for president of the Ronald Reagan fan club.

Street: Who would be your ideal president?

Charles Gray: A really humble person who would cut spending and cut taxes, and who had the values to back it up. I think Reagan had a lot of those, but he couldn’t cut spending because Congress was difficult with him. He tried his best. A person I really like from today is Mitch Daniels, the Governor of Indiana.

Street: What’s the biggest misconception people have about Republicans?

CG: I think the greatest misconception is that we aren’t open and we aren’t inclusive, and that’s very dangerous for the party. But that’s a misconception. You can see from everyone from Herman Cain to J. C. Watts that we’re very inclusive.

Street: If you had a pet elephant, what would you name it?

CG: I would definitely name him Ronald Reagan, after the spirit of the Republican party.

Street: Man, we have a big Reagan fan here. Have you ever seen one of his movies?

CG: Well, I met him once in 1994. I was only four, but I remember my dad handing me to him.

Street: What’s your secret talent?

CG: Some people wouldn’t call it a talent, but I love doing stand–up comedy.

Street: What’s one of your best bits?

CG: It’s probably on hyphenated names. I go through a sequence of hyphenated names. The thing about hy-

phenated names is eventually, if the hyphenated name gets passed down, and if the person hyphenates it again, and if the next person hyphenates it again, then you’re going to have, like, five hyphenated names. So I go through that… anyway, they stopped having me do stand–up after a while.

Street: What is your obsession?

CG: C–Span. I watch C– Span endlessly. I have this thing called — I call it — um, well, on Friday, basically, I take a… I don’t know if you’ve done this before, but I get a pot, and I put water in the pot, and then I put the pot with the aforementioned water on a stove, and after about five minutes, you know, it’s boiling. Then I take out hot dogs, and I put

hummus grill 34TH STREET Magazine February 16, 2012

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hot dogs in the pot, wait five minutes, and then I’m done. And then I put the aforementioned hot dogs in hot dog buns.

A n d then I go downstairs to watch C– Span. That’s my Friday night.

Street: What does your PennCard look like?

CG: I have on a hoodie, and my smile is just like…

I don’t know. I apologize for the hoodie. Because it’s not very for-

mal, not very fashion forward.

Street: What’s your guilty pleasure?

CG: Well, I spend a lot of time watching C–Span.

I have that on while I’m eating or writing papers. It definitely distracts me but it's amazing!

Street: Do you have C–Span parties with your friends?

CG: You know, I’ve tried to do that.

Street: You haven’t found your kindred spirit?

CG: I’m still looking.

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Trying to sneak your way into (or out of) something is a concept as old as time itself. Well, almost. Here are history's best masters of disguise.

4th Cent. B.C.

Mulan: This badass chick disguised herself as a dude to fight the Huns in place of her father.

1697

Benedict Arnold: This Revolutionary War general swore his loyalty to America while secretly serving the British Army.

Scoundrel!

1938 Dr. Seuss: We spent most of our childhoods adoring the doctor who made funny rhymes. Tuns out he wasn’t a doctor at all, just a poet named Theodor Geisel. I do not like that, Sam I am.

1984

2002 Lana Del Rey: Lizzie Grant? Um, who? Lana Del Rey. How obnoxiously pretentious! Her new 1950s soul identity is as flimsy as her stage presence.

2012

386 A.D.

Little Red Riding Hood: The Wolf steals Grandmother’s identity by eating her. While creative, this is most likely not a viable option for getting into Smoke's.

1741–1801

Underthebutton.com Superman: Who needs a fake when you have a pair of thick–rimmed glasses?

1904 –1991

Transformers: These Autobots are high– tech robots that masquerade as ordinary cars or run–of–the–mill airplanes. Oh great, now we have to be paranoid about our cars, too!

1999

Jason Bourne from The Bourne Identity: Does it count as a fake identity if even he doesn’t know what his real identity is?

2011

Fake IDs at Smoke's: Getting rejected from Smokes is a Penn tradition. Just as you get to the front of the line, the nice bouncer goes on break and the asshole starts his shift. IDchief promised it blacklighted and scanned, but… rejected. Well, 21 isn’t too far away.

I NEED: A) A BIKE B) SERVICE C) PARTS D) ACCESSORIES

WE HAVE: E) ALL OF THE ABOVE

Keswick Cycle has everything you need to get going on two wheels. Stop by one of our 3 shops today!

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34TH STREET Magazine February 16, 2012

Scabbers from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: That moment when you discover that Ron’s pet rat is really the man whose betrayal led to Harry's parents' deaths = :'(

The Old Testament: With his mother’s help, Jacob successfully disguises himself as his brother to get his father’s blessing, thus royally screwing his brother.

We just want you to know, if you ever need anything, don't be shy, OK? There are NO rules on the blog.

We're not like a *regular* blog, we're a *cool* blog.

Right, Street?

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FAKE IDs

Twitter.com/KeswickCycle 5

highbrow ego food & drink film feature music arts lowbrow

FOOD&DRINK

PARLI PASTA? Here’s everything you want to know about pasta when your tongue’s tied up like farfalle (we’ll explain that one in a sec). For more, check out 34st.com By ISA OLIVERES Linguini: Don’t let the fact that its name means “little tongues” in Italian keep you from using these thin, flat noodles. They’re perfect with seafood and light sauces.

Angel Hair, Capellini: Super thin, delicate strands.

The name in Italian literally means “fine hair.” Pairs well with thin, delicate sauces.

Gnocchi: Small dumplings usually made of potato flour. Since they tend to be heavy, use a lighter pesto or tomato sauce to bring out their flavor.

Farfalle: Call ‘em bow ties or butterflies, they’re strong enough to hold all sorts of thick sauces. Also great for making pasta salad.

Penne: The Little Black Dress of the pasta world, these small tubes go with everything. Thick, chunky sauces are particularly flattering.

Elbow Macaroni: Best known as the star of macaroni and cheese, but don’t be afraid to use it elsewhere: add to vegetable soup, bake with parmigiano or top with a vodka sauce.

JUSTADDTHIS: GetSaucy

34TH STREET Magazine February 16, 2012

It’s time to clean out your pantry. That jar of Robusto! Ragu you bought in September might be getting as old as your promise to have your freshman hall over for dinner, but there’s no need to scrap it — the sauce, that is. So, like we always say, just add this.

6

What you need: 1 jar of marinara (we recommend a flavored variety, like Newman's Own Fire Roasted Tomato and Garlic, but any kind will work) 3/4 cup vodka 1/2 cup heavy cream Heat sauce (and a bit of oil) over medium heat. Add vodka, stir and reduce, for about 2–3 minutes. Allow sauce to simmer, then add cream. Serve immediately, or refrigerate or freeze for later use.

— Nina Wolpow

online at 34st.com...

Fusilli: This totally “twisted spaghetti” goes great with any sauce. Mix with pesto and parmigiano cheese — simple and delicious.

PENN PALATE: ALEXA DEPASQUALE Not only is Alexa DePasquale — or LexyD, as she’s known on her website — a Miss Penn participant, she’s the head of the Penn chapter of the NIAF (National Italian American Foundation), too. Given the theme of this week’s section, we had to get her opinions on all things pasta (plus, we think she looks a little like Giada). Go to 34st.com for the full interview.

Street: What is your ultimate pasta dish?

Alexa DePasquale: It’s got to be a dish with some type of red sauce, Extended mushrooms and a meat. Most imporinterview at tantly, I always use pecorino Romano 34st.com cheese when possible. It's more salty than Parmigiano and complements every dish.

DIY - FETTUCCINE

TIM AND ERIC’S BILLION DOLLAR ACID TRIP Two Temple Grads Take Comedy To The Next Level

YOU GOT MICKEY IN MY MONONOKE In Which the Japanese Borrowers Borrow from Disney

BY ALEX HOSENBALL

BY FARYN PEARL

Masturbatory. Tasteless. Seminal? All of these words describe (literally, in some cases) Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie, the feature–film produced by Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, two of modern comedy’s most unique personalities. Rather than focusing on brief, schizophrenic scenes (edited together by quite possibly the most skilled team in the business), the film maintains a moderately coherent plot, albeit one interspersed with several cutaways of questionable relevance. Still, plowing through the nonsense, sadism, blatantly forced cringe moments and jokes made solely for the amusement of Tim and Eric, something amazing happens. Fourth walls are broken, and all of a sudden the film crafts its own context as a pseudo–political–cum– comedic commentary piece, wrapping all of its absurdity in a strangely satisfying manner. Look at Tim and Eric as something transcendent — examine your own reaction as you watch, and it becomes magical. Just don’t drink the shrim.

Legendary filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki’s latest creation, The Secret World of Arrietty, is no masterpiece. It follows the tiny–in–person but big–at– heart Arrietty Clock and her family as they try to survive in a regular family’s home. Like most Studio Ghibli creations, it is beautiful. The animation is fluid, the color scheme is soft, and the nature–heavy setting is rendered as lovingly as a Matisse painting. The movie excels at capturing the scope of Arrietty’s world, portraying everyday appliances as magnificent. Unfortunately, the story flounders. The pace throughout feels rushed, to the point that the climax barely even registers. The conflict, meanwhile, is forced to the point of incredulity. However, the real antagonist is the movie’s producer, Disney. From the inane pop soundtrack to the distracting Westernized names, The Secret World of Arrietty shows the importance of keeping the mouse out of our Totoro.

highbrow ego food & drink film feature music arts lowbrow

FILM

INTERVIEW: ERIC WAREHEIM Because Tim Heidecker had the stomach flu, we sat down with Eric Wareheim, comedian and co–mastermind behind their billion dollar movie.

BY ALEX HOSENBALL

Street: You mentioned the reaction at Sundance. You guys gave a pretty interesting Q&A after that. Were you guys in character during that?

EW: The Q&As that we do are sort of like a comedy show. Someone says something, we just tell them to shut up, make fun of their hat, just keep it light. But when people just have dumb remarks, we’re just like, “Screw you,” and move on. Even the Q&A, the promo videos, they’re all part of the experience of the movie.

When we went to Sundance we claimed our film got Rango’d. We put out all these videos, saying how Rango got intercut with our movie as promotion to help sell more DVDs. We were really serious about it, and we did all these videos, all these morning press shows and talk shows, talking about how we were Rango’d and we wanted people to call Robert Redford and ask him to take Rango out. So those jokes, as well as the Q&A, were part of our whole experience. It sort of depends on our mood as well, whether or not we give real answers. But Sundance was interesting, because not everyone knew Tim and Eric, only about 50% of the audience.

34TH STREET Magazine February 16, 2012

Street: So for starters, did you take a traditional approach towards writing a script, as in finding themes, creating character arcs, all of that stuff?

Eric Wareheim: I mean yeah, we came off of doing a sketch comedy show, then we made three short films for an HBO series, like 15–minute shorts that had a beginning, middle and end, characters, transformations, and that was our inspiration to write a feature. We knew we didn’t want the experience to be sketch–based; we love movies, and we wanted to make something that had a slightly more traditional structure. We knew going in that anything we could really do would feel a little different, but also at the same time we wanted to try fucking with movies, and the idea of a movie within a movie, playing with every second of the movie, from the production slate to the credit jokes.

Check ou the full t interview @34st.co m

7

highbrow ego food & drink film feature music arts lowbrow

that seemingly dirty term, “self– segregation”? And must these conversations tend so quickly toward notions of either/or — as in either minority communities fully integrate, or they strive to preserve cultural roots?

Balancing cultural commitments with ties to our broader campus, MGC members point toward a reality that may call for an optimistic rephrasing of the question: at Penn and elsewhere, in 2012 and beyond, is it possible for us to have our multicultural cake — and eat it, too?

“Does anyone have something to say about that?”

The question comes from Justin Walters, a senior at La Salle University and a member of the Philadelphia–wide Delta Eta chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity.

Clad in a well–pressed suit like the rest of his brothers, Walters stands in a Huntsman classroom displaying a slide of Kobe Bryant fielding allegations of sexual assault. This Monday night discussion about the effects of race on celebrity media coverage kicked off Kappa Week, which culminated last Saturday

with a charity ball celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Delta Eta chapter.

Kappa, a historically black fraternity, is like many minority Greek chapters at Penn in that its individual history long precedes the existence of the MGC and deeply influences what the organization stands for today.

Although her sorority’s history at Penn does not trace back six decades, Wharton senior and alpha Kappa Delta Phi sister Jenny Fan explains that its establishment in 1994 marked an important milestone: the first Asian American– interest sorority at Penn. The group’s history and emphasis on service were part of what attracted her to join. “The girls I wanted to be like were in this sorority,” Fan says.

Legacy and tradition are important to Greeks, regardless of their cultural affiliation. Still, many multicultural Greek organizations are unique in the solidarity they have provided for growing, and historically marginalized, collegiate communities.

“Lots of these fraternities and sororities

ho R a t e B Sigma Tse

by Sara Photo

began as organizations aiming to support each other,” says Daina Richie–Troy, associate director of Penn’s Makuu Black Cultural Center and a 1998 Wharton graduate. “It was a strategic call to have people of the same mind — who were committed to service and to scholarship — come together.”

When Richie–Troy attended Penn, black fraternities and sororities were known collectively as “The Big C.” There was no coalition for the different minority– interest groups until they transitioned over to the MGC around 2003.

“Before I came to Penn, I

rived at Penn seeking the close bonds offered by Greek life, but she says that as a naturally shy person she felt overwhelmed by the size of Panhellenic organizations. Then Lagombra met a 2006 Penn graduate and SLU sister who later introduced her to hermanas around Philadelphia.

At the time there were no sisters at Penn, but that didn’t stop Lagombra and another Penn student from pledging.

The process for joining an MGC organization varies from group to group, unlike in the IFC and Panhellenic systems, which set recruitment calendars followed

the living room of the 40th and Baltimore house he shares with some SigRho brothers and other Penn students, Park — whose family is Korean — explains that his primarily South Asian chapter often collaborates with other South Asian organizations at affiliate schools.

“I have friends in East Asian fraternities. I just never looked for them specifically.” He pauses.

“And actually, I do like the whole multicultural aspect — you’re no longer defining yourself by one group.”

College senior, Omega Psi Phi

“It’s harder for us to be noticed. Some IFC and Panhel Greeks will ask, ‘Where’s your house?’ — they just don’t know.

And then they say, ‘How do you function without a house?’” didn’t even know that multicultural Greek organizations existed,” says Wharton junior Sasha Lagombra, a sister — or more precisely, an hermana — of the Latina–interest sorority Sigma Lambda Upsilon. Lagombra ar-

Sigma Lamd a Upsilon Photo Court esy of

by all their constituents and use a vocabulary that does not always match up with MGC customs.

“Sometimes I get the question, ‘Do you guys rush?’ And I think, ‘Oh, how do I answer this?’” says Lagombra.

The familiar sight of girls lined up in black coats along Spruce and Walnut, or of boys enjoying hoagies at houses on Locust, do not apply. For many MGC groups, such as Kappa, members are spread across Philadelphia– area schools including Penn, La Salle, Drexel, Temple, Villanova, Bryn Mawr College and the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia.

“I use USP’s library now more than ours,” says College junior Leo Park, a member of Sigma Beta Rho fraternity. Lounging in

brother and MGC president Jae Barchus says that facilitating interaction between the groups has been one of his priorities in heading the Council. Barchus — who has a knack for rapidly switching from a serious expression into a disarmingly friendly one — took on the role following a prolonged absence of formal leadership among the organizations.

In addition to helping each of the 12 active chapters “build a brand,” Barchus has focused on collaborating with Makuu and other cultural centers, including the Pan–Asian American Community House and La Casa Latina, as well as increasing MGC exposure within the rest of the Penn community.

“It’s harder for us to be noticed,” he says, citing the lack of lettered houses as a major cause of MGC organizations flying under the radar. “Some IFC and Panhel Greeks will ask, ‘Where’s your house?’ — they just don’t know,” Barchus explains. “And

then they say, ‘How do you function without a house?’”

These kinds of conversations provide a starting point for these different communities to learn more about each other, something Barchus believes groups would like to do. i “It’s just, just feel esy of aKDPh Photo Court how do we more comfortable with f a c i l i t a t e that?” he asks. people who understand certain “We have to feel comfort- things about you and your backable letting them into our ground,” says West, who particispaces.” pated in IFC open rush and has For many, the phenom- attended events hosted by black enon that often gets labeled as cultural groups on campus. “But self–segregation — gravitation then you have other friends who toward people who belong to may not understand you as much your culture, whether in a Greek culturally, and you still have organization or any other social things in common.” unit — comes down to the simSome members of the “mainple issue of comfort, rather than stream” fraternities and sororities deliberate attempts to block off feel that they have found cross– other groups. cultural commonalities within “It’s natural for people to tend their organizations as well. Coltoward what they know,” says lege junior and Phi Kappa Psi School of Engineering and Ap- member Mike Russom says that plied Sciences senior and Delta he sees a level of diversity in his sister Magalie Lilavois. She adds fraternity that reflects the range of that she does not think this ten- backgrounds he has encountered dency should be equated with at Penn. something as absolute as self– Speculating on future directions segregation. for relationships between Penn’s College freshman Mikal West, many communities, Barchus setwho says he was one of the few tles on a face that is serious, but minority students at a predomi- optimistic. “I think there will be nantly white school, believes that more fluidity,” he says. navigating race in our social lives Not long after Barchus makes can feel like choosing between this point, College junior and Phi hanging on to what you know Kappa Sigma (or “Skulls”) presiand branching out — but that dent Jon Monfred walks up the the dichotomy of that choice is stairs to the second floor of Van ultimately artificial.

Pelt. The two Greek leaders greet “It is something people have to each other warmly, having met deal with. I’m not sure if it’s self– the previous weekend at a retreat generated pressure — you may for Penn’s three Greek umbrella

Phi a t l e D a p p alpha Ka

Kappa Alph a Psi organizations. They chat about the Kappa Week event planned for that night, a discussion entitled “The State of Obama–nation,” something they both might like to attend.

In the library, of all places, things are starting to look a bit more fluid.

For Greeks and non–Greeks alike, the spring semester is about renewed energy. Deltas will be busy tutoring girls in high schools around Philadelphia, aKDPhis, promoting breast cancer awareness; several other organizations will commit themselves to several worthy causes. Just this week, Barchus and the Omegas collaborated with the sisters of Panhellenic group Zeta Tau Alpha to offer a self–defense class for women.

But everyone needs a break sometimes, and a good option is usually goofing off. Lagombra says that she and her sisters sometimes come up with fun strolls if they’re feeling silly — strolls being a tradition that developed out of the black Greek community, combining dance moves and salutary motions to honor an organization’s letters.

The brothers of SigRho show their pride another way: a chant.

But not just any chant — when

Photo by Sa ra T

se the occasion calls for it, they per- form a SigRho–related verse over “Ruff Ryders Anthem.”

“We scream over DMX,” Park explains, with nodding agreement from USP sophomore and SigRho brother Neil Sheth, who has stopped by the house on Baltimore.

When I politely ask to hear the verse, Sheth’s answer is instant rejection.

“We can’t do it for you now!” he exclaims, laughing off the suggestion. “You’ll just have to come to one of our parties.”

If I did go to one of their events, there’s a good chance I would be a brown face among many — and for me, that would be just fine.

You can sing over DMX with people who look something like you, but you can also do it with people who don’t.

In the end, there just doesn’t seem to be any reason to have the cake if you’re not going to eat it, too.

Elena Gooray is a junior majoring in Cognitive Science. She is from Silver Spring, MD.

34TH STREET Magazine February 16, 2012

34TH STREET Magazine February 16, 2012

T

he cryptic letters marking houses on Penn’s campus carry more meaning than just their Greek affiliations.

If you look hard enough, the letters also point to some groups’ searches for their own spaces on campus.

Or at least, that’s the case put forth by many members of the Penn community when discussing ways to transcend a historical separation at Penn, one that isn’t always acknowledged: color lines between Greeks.

In addition to the Interfraternity and Panhellenic Councils, which govern 31 fraternities and 8 sororities, respectively, Penn has an autonomous Multicultural Greek Council. Acting as the umbrella organization for traditionally black, Latino and Latina, and Asian Greek letter organizations, the MGC recognizes 14 independent chapters, 12 of which have active members on campus.

Despite the implications of a separate multicultural governing body, the real picture is not quite black and white. All three bodies — IFC, PanHel and MGC — participate in activities like Greek Week, and, as anyone can observe at Penn, many friendships here go beyond skin tone.

But there are other distinguishing qualities of multicultural Greek life. Aside from being culture–specific, these groups have culturally– informed histories. They tend to be smaller and less concentrated (and not to mention less visible) at Penn, as none has a lettered house on campus.

Where there exists any degree of separation with respect to race, questions about social diversity are bound to emerge.

Should diversity mean every cultural subgroup interacts equally (and holds hands, to boot)? If so, does having independent cultural organizations amount to

BY ELENA GOORAY

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8

Many Cultures, All Greek

A deeper look at Penn's Multicultural Greek fraternities and sororities.

SLU

9

highbrow ego food & drink film feature music arts lowbrow

MUSIC

STREET SARTORIALIST: BAND T–SHIRT EDITION We’ve been watching you. We see you — in that English class, rocking that Neutral Milk Hotel tee — but we’re not fooled. Here’s a breakdown of some iconic music T–shirts and what they really say about you.

BY SAM BRODEY AND FRIDA GARZA

JOY DIVISION

The Shirt: This shirt from the iconic 80s post–punk band Joy Division has gotten more and more famous over the decades. Its striking design has even been (unsuccessfully) appropriated by Disney for Mickey Mouse merchandise.

What you think you’re communicating: Wow, I understand music on a level you can't really imagine if you listen to anything after 2000.

What you’re actually communicating: I have shopped at Urban Outfitters.

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS

ODD FUTURE

The Shirt: While there are numerous shirt designs floating around for this offbeat rap collective, this one is probably the most provocative, which says a lot. It features Odd Future's trademark perversion of religious imagery — which seems to sell a lot of shirts.

You Think: I'm so hardcore, I’ve been to an Odd Future concert.

Actually: Things got a little rowdy about 10 minutes into the show, so I left and bought this shirt online.

The Shirt: This is the most well–known of all Red Hot Chili Peppers shirts, emblazoned with the same signature red asterisk–thingy logo that the band has used for decades.

You Think: I’m too chill and laid–back. Let’s smoke a bowl sometime and chill out while we listen to uh… that one really good album I can't remember the name of. I'm mad stoned.

Actually: The first time I got high was at Jewish summer camp in 9th grade and my counselor was playing "The Zephyr Song.”

TUPAC SHAKUR

The Shirt: The untimely death of this legendary 90s California rapper has led to the proliferation of tons of oversized black T–shirts branded with his likeness.

But wearing them doesn't necessarily increase your swag quotient.

You Think: I’m still mourning his death because his music, was like, poetry, man. For the people.

Actually: I'm trying way, way too hard in general.

But also to show you that I'm a rap connoisseur, which I probably am not.

34TH STREET Magazine February 16, 2012

concerts

10

Mates of State Dine-In, Catering & Delivery Happy Hour: Mon-Fri 5-7

When: Today, Feb. 16th Where: Union Transfer Tickets: $15, all ages Why you should go: Sure, there may be a lot of boy–girl, lovey–dovey acts out there now, but these guys are better than anything with Zooey Deschanel in it.

Lunch Special: Mon-Fri $8.95 Early Bird: Sun-Thur $10.95

PattayaRestaurant.com • 215.387.8533 4006 Chestnut Street • University City

William Fitzsimmons

When: Sunday, Feb. 19th Where: World Cafe Live Tickets: $20–30, all ages Why you should go: We can’t guarantee this folk singer– songwriter’s set will mend your post–Valentine’s Day broken heart, but his wistful tunes will definitely make you feel less alone.

TRAMP – SHARON VAN ETTEN

In which we explore the sonic landscapes of your favorite campus spots. BY JAKE SPINOWITZ Next time you’re in Capogiro, do yourself a favor and ditch the earbuds. Instead, sit down with your gelato– laden affogato and let Capo’s eclectic music selections (and espresso) power you through your work. Employing a combination of Pandora radio streams and employ-

ee–curated playlists, Capo tailors its musical choices to fit the mood of the day, whether that means playing the soft crooning of Yo La Tengo on rainy days or the bombastic rhymes of the Sugarhill Gang during post– workday hours. Though the constant grinding of espresso

machines and the elevated level of chatter during Capo’s peak hours (roughly all day) doesn’t make for the most ideal listening environment, the prospect of getting your caffeine and music fix in one place should be incentive enough to sit through the occasional disruption.

If you come to our meeting tonight, we'll give you the DP door code. And beer.

On Tramp, Sharon Van Etten drones in the best way possible. Her full soundscapes and haunting voice will sink you into a reverb–induced state of mellowness. Embrace it. Given the acts she's worked with (The Antlers, The National), her expertise in slow–burning tracks is unsurprising. On standout track “Serpents,” hazy guitar riffs and big drums provide a lush cushion for her barbs: “You enjoy sucking on dreams, so I will fall asleep with someone other than you.” Her lyrics on accepting hard truths often get lost in the haze, but her elegant voice conveys a stunning depth of emotion. Although at times the mood becomes tiresomely heavy, this album will satisfy a broad audience, from fans of Cat Power to The Walkmen. — Michael Scognamiglio

highbrow ego food & drink film feature music arts lowbrow

ALBUM REVIEWS

CAMPUS PLAYLIST: CAPOGIRO

WRITERS MEETING 6:30 TONIGHT

YOUNG AND OLD – TENNIS

It’s no coincidence that Tennis’s Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley released their sophomore album, Young and Old, on Valentine’s Day. They have the perfect backstory to match their music — they met in college, went on a seven–month sailing trip, got married and started a band that makes breezy indie–pop reflective of the carefree, sunny optimism that accompanies falling in love on the water. The band’s ethos hasn’t changed much since last year’s Cape Dory, but production by the Black Keys’ drummer Patrick Carney adds a refreshing, percussive depth and rock n’ roll sensibility. While Young and Old isn’t a knockout record, it’s a promising sign of things to come from these young lovers. — Ben Bernstein

We are accepting submissions of films which will be screened in the College Houses over the course of four nights. Prizes range from $500 to $100 — not to mention the chance to screen your cinematic artwork in front of a large audience!

For complete rules for submission, please see the website below. The competition is open to all students of the University of Pennsylvania.

Submission deadline is March 19, 2012.

34TH STREET Magazine February 16, 2012

Explore your creative talents, become engaged in Penn's film community and win great prizes!

11

highbrow ego food & drink film feature music arts lowbrow

Safeword: M.F.A. Class of 2013

Head over to Meyerson for the last day of Penn Design’s M.F.A. exhibition. From archival pigment print to video animation, the exhibition offers a wide range of media rarely encountered in a single space. Here are some of the exhibit's awesome visuals. BY MEGAN RUBEN

Christina Kerns, Adele

Yexue Li, 22nd St, Apt 1117

34TH STREET Magazine February 16, 2012

Laine Godsey, Creature Comforts: Community 1.5a

Scout Segotta, detail from below

12

Orlando De La Garza, Decomposing Virgin of Guadalupe

Scout Segotta, The Inequity in Conversation between Parents and Monsters

This thrilling examination of the evolution of portrayals of Asian–Americans in comic books charts the last half– century of American racial sensibility and its pop culture influences.

BY EMILY ORRSON

I

t seems natural for a science fiction author to have a comic book collection.

But William F. Wu holds the largest of its kind. Now featured at the Asian Arts Initiative, “Marvels & Monsters: Unmasking Asian Images in U.S. Comics, 1942–1986” draws from Wu’s extensive collection of comic books featuring Asians and Asian– Americans. A pained Kamikaze pilot spirals across one cover, while another is headlined “Yellow Claw” over the subtitle “WHO… OR WHAT…IS HE??!” In another image, a dashing white man points a gun at a monster while comforting a fainting blonde (naturally).

“Marvels and Monsters” highlights the stereotypes that have colored Asian identity over the past four decades.

The Brain, the Martial Arts

Master, the Temptress and the Alien are all represented.

Wu’s comics provide a pop culture background for the internment of Japanese– Americans, the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, economic competition with Japan and Cold War tensions with China. When they were published, these comic books were far from fringe literature. A 1945 survey by the Market Research Company of America revealed that 70 million Americans — roughly half of the population — were comic book readers. In terms of young minds, 91% of American girls and 95% of American boys were reading comic books. Clearly these representations impacted cultural and racial outlooks, and Wu has captured their historical trajectories.

Curated by San Francisco

Christina Kerns

Chronicle columnist Jeff Yang, “Marvels & Monsters” encourages direct engagement with its viewers, featuring a wall of Post–it notes with visitor comments starting with “yes,” "no” or “um.” Additionally, life–sized cutouts allow visitors to physically put themselves in an image of an evil cityscape with menacing Asian towers.

An installation, "Shades of Yellow," accompanies the exhibit, matching the sunken yellow used disparagingly for Asian skin color in comics with its Pantone (TM) color equivalent.

The Asian Arts Initiative is

an inviting space for artists and art–appreciators to explore asian american culture. If not to look or learn, come by to aim at the maniacal alien intruder, or at least faint

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34TH STREET Magazine February 16, 2012

SPECIAL OFFERS WITH MARIA & MIRANDA

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Check out an extended interview and images of Christina Kerns' work on her ARTIST PROFILE at 34st.com

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PRINTED YELLOW

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LOWBROW

GREEK GODS AS GREEK LIFE Though more like a bastard child of the IFC than the head of the organization, OZ bros bear an uncanny resemblance to Zeus because of their penchant for thunderous electro–trance beats and their tendency to be high in the sky.

Like Athena, goddess of wisdom, the girls of SDT hold down the highest GPA in PanHel and are the patron goddesses of the arts. But for a bunch of English and Comm majors, it’s a shame that they still couldn't properly spell “congratulations” in the VagMons playbills. For future reference, there’s a Tau in there, not a Delta.

Hermes was so avant–garde with those fancy winged sandals of his. We bet the fashion–forward men of Kappa Sig would know where we could get a pair. Their overt trendiness makes our Mercury rise.

34TH STREET Magazine February 16, 2012

The epitomes of love and beauty, TriDelt sisters embody the greatest qualities of Aphrodite. They also embody some of her other fine traits, including the ability to attract an array of suitors with their Venus flytraps.

14

Have you heard of St. Elmo? Oh yeah, they’re, like, super underground. And just like Hades, these guys don’t distinguish between men and women, accepting both into their deep, dark, indie lair.

Demeter, the goddess of the harvest, is known Just as with Apollo, the first things that come to mind for her ripe crops and hearty grains, paralleled best by the gentlemen of AEPi and their deep apprecia- when we say Beta boys are obviously music and poetry.

These bros love to get their “Adrenaline” pumping when tion for Sweetgreen salads. they’re “Rocking It Out” to each other’s thoughtful lyrics. Also, they like to frolic around topless, just like your average, run–of–the–mill sun gods.

Dionysus wasn’t always accepted among the Greek gods, but once he was officially admitted The wrestlers of ATO are direct descendants of Ares, to Kiss the Sky, he soon became the god of wine, ritual orgies and ecstasy. The brothers of TEP the god of war himself. Like their very–great–grandpapa, make sure that these values are high on their list these bros throw down all the time and have been known to cozy up with more than a few Trojans. of priorities as well.

Known for her jealous and vengeful nature, Hera is more often than not cited in mythological lore as going batshit crazy on her husband Zeus and all the slutty nymph(o)s of ancient Greece. Though there is no romantic relationship between ZBT and OZ (that we know of, at least), there’s no doubt that their quasi–Greek cousins make these nice Jewish boys from Scarsdale green with envy.

Fooled by the calculated machinations of Hades, Persephone became fated to spend six months of every year in the Underworld for each of the pomegranate seeds that she ate. Similarly, the ladies of Tabard are known to lose contact with the rest of civilization during pledging, when they return to their hell on the green.

The oft–forgotten Hestia, goddess of the hearth, is revered for her domesticity and family values. The sisters of Theta, too, know how to make a beautiful home… as long as their husbands make enough money to finance their lavish estates in Great Neck. Also, like Hestia, who must often get low to tend to the flame, we hear that these future Real Housewives are no strangers to being on their knees.

Are you in a relationship?

When were you asked to be a Valentine?

Where'd you go?

Last night

Last week

No

Yes

Months ago

What did you do?

Le Bec Fin

Pod

Chinese restaurant

by Smokes

That kinky thing you've been dying to try with Bui's sauce, your limited edition AGut action figure and your Anatomy textbook

Who paid?

Halfsies You're hooking up until something better comes along Smokes followed

by Jimmy John's

His dad's AmEx

He forgot his wallet

Studied together for Orgo in VP You're in a committed relationship

highbrow ego food & drink film feature music arts lowbrow

What Your V–Day Says About Your Relationship

Did he like it?

How'd you end the date?

His room in Hill. Details?

You two were alone

His roommate was watching

No

Yes

We give you two about a month

Aww, that's so cute!

This section is a joke.

34TH STREET Magazine February 16, 2012

You're a booty call

15

BLACK HISTORY AT PENN: A TIMELINE In honor of Black History Month, Street brings you a brief synopsis of African American/Africana history on campus.

1921

1881 James Brister becomes Penn’s first African American graduate.

Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander (1898 – 1989) becomes the first African American woman to receive a PhD in the US at Penn. She went on to be the first African American woman to receive a law degree from Penn in 1927 and the first black woman to be admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar.

The W.E.B. DuBois experimental living–learning program for African American students launches, and the Afro–American Studies Program (now Africana studies) is founded.

Penn takes on a new admissions policy to increase the diversity of the student body.

1972

1987

1967

As Penn expands into West Philadelphia, Penn's African American community stages sit–ins and protests outside College Hall demanding changes in University’s expansion policies.

The African American Resource Center (AARC) is founded after protests on College Green about the prevalence of racism on campus.

1988

Tomorrow

2010

2004

W.E.B. DuBois will be appointed Honorary Emeritus Professor of Sociology & Africana Studies.

Grad students petition Amy Gutman for University’s official recognition of Black History Month.

A peaceful march down Locust Walk takes place to protest racial profiling in the wake of the wrongful arrest of a black student by Penn police.