Life: Jimmy O. Yang kills it as UPB’s Spring Comedian (pg. 3)
the
Observer
friday, april 15, 2022 volume LIII, issue 26 estd. 1969
From “Imagatorium” to IMPROVment: student performing arts shine
Fourth-year dance student Jamie Muth performed in the center of her choreographed piece, “Silver Soul.” Luke Koski Grace Johnson News Editor While many regard Case Western Reserve University as a STEM school given its strong engineering, pre-medical and research programs, there is also a rich culture of arts and performance. As the semester winds down, there have been a number of student performances on campus in recent weeks, most prominently in the dance and orchestra sectors of CWRU. As with any major at CWRU, the dance major requires the completion of a capstone project in order to graduate. However, this capstone is a little bit different than a typical research capstone project. Students who have excelled in certain aspects of the major are given the
opportunity to use their creativity and choreograph a dance that is showcased at the annual “Imagatorium” production alongside graduate students’ work. There is still a required final paper—it’s still a capstone—and those who do not participate in the production part of the capstone project are still required to write about their research in dance. Recently, student efforts were put on display at the 2022 “Imagatorium” production; one undergraduate fourthyear and three graduate students had the opportunity to choreograph and choose dancers from all years to participate in the event. This year’s showcase included choreography from graduate students Haiyan Chen, El-drick Aboagye and Shadrach Arthur, as well as fourth-year Jamie
Muth. Muth’s project—titled “Silver Soul”—is meant to be about the importance of forming connections and allowing people to become their most authentic selves. Muth stated, “[because] this was a personal project for me, the creative process consisted of a lot of self reflection on past experiences and improvisation to come up with the movement and vision of the piece.” What was so fascinating, as a viewer of this showcase, was the complexity of the choreography, despite coming from the mind of an undergraduate student. Had I not been aware that Muth was a student, I would have believed her to be a professional choreographer. When asked about her experience, Muth said this was her first time “creating an original work and choreographing for a group.” She further said that, “while the creative process was a challenge, I feel that I have grown so much as an artist.” It also supports the notion that CWRU students are given so many opportunities for hands-on, experiential learning; Muth was tasked with a role often only given to professionals. However, she did seem to enjoy the process. “My favorite part about the process was getting to work with my friends in the dance department and watch them interpret my choreography as their own,” Muth said. “It was so beautiful to watch and even more beautiful to witness watching them onstage.” Beyond “Imagatorium,” however, student performance also shines in orchestral ensembles. The Camerata Chamber Orchestra has had the opportunity to perform in a number of concerts at the Maltz Performing Arts Center. Most recently, they showcased their last performance of the semester alongside the Case/University Circle
Symphony Orchestra with pieces from Bach, Beethoven and Mozart. The Camerata is an all-string instrument ensemble; at CWRU it is made up of students, faculty and community members, making it a highly inclusive experience—the only requirement is auditioning with one’s instrument. The repertoire performed in the ensemble is “drawn from a variety of smaller chamber genres that include pieces from the baroque, classical, romantic, and contemporary periods.” First-year political science student Hannah Bolender plays the violin in the Camerata and has been a lifelong violinist. “After two years of the pandemic, it was really great to play in person with a full orchestra again. The whole rehearsal and performance cycle is something I’ve done for almost my whole life so I’m really grateful that I have an opportunity to continue with it here at [CWRU] in a way that still allows me to pursue other academic and career endeavors.” When discussing this concert in particular, Bolender stated, “the concert itself was unique to me—I normally play in Camerata, which is a smaller chamber orchestra, but for the final concert of the semester we played alongside the Symphony Orchestra which I really enjoyed.” Student performance goes beyond just the music and dance world here at CWRU. Weekly Saturday night performances by improvisation group, IMPROVment, theater productions and others are all normal parts of student life here (or, if you’d like to create your own group, you are free to do that as well). The performing arts are a beautiful way to express so many things, and our students are taking full advantage of that here at CWRU.
Homeless Stand Down’s 31st anniversary calls upon student volunteers
Noah Henriques Staff Writer
Homeless Stand Down (HSD), a northeast Ohio-based program geared toward helping veterans and homeless with needs, celebrated its 31st anniversary this year. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it was unclear whether the program would return to its original in-person status. Thankfully the program received the greenlight, and has since been recruiting volunteers and urging the community to donate. The HSD event will take place on April 23 at FirstEnergy Stadium in downtown Cleveland, where 1,500 guests dealing with homelessness will receive amenities and be connected to various social programs. HSD provides essential goods and services to individuals who may not have access to them otherwise. The program started with simple donations, such as shoes and spare clothing. But from 2014 to 2020, “[the event had o] n-site service providers… [they were] offering cancer screenings, mammogram check ups, housing and legal aid and much more. Guests of the event were able to [choose] either a new winter coat or pair of boots along with hygiene items, hats, gloves, scarves, socks, underwear and other essential items.”
Students have the opportunity to volunteer at Homeless Stand Down, an event that endeavours to treat Cleveland’s homeless population in a humane manner by offering them various resources. Courtesy of HSD Given the sheer amount of resource donations, volunteers are vital in keeping the program running. Specifically, volunteers can help with setup, cleanup and the distribution of meals along with much more; there are 18 different roles that volunteers help out with to keep operations running. But for this year’s event, only a few volunteer spots are still available for those who want to help out—there has been a lot of support from the community. For those who still want to help but
are unable to volunteer, there are still ways to support the initiative. Individuals can make set donations, ranging from $25 for a pair of boots to $5,000 dollars for 1,000 bagged lunches. The option also exists to donate whatever amount you would like towards the event. There are also collection drive establishments across the community that accept hygiene, clothing and care items. HSD presents a great opportunity to not only engage in the community,
but also make a tangible impact in the lives of the homeless community here in northeast Ohio. With a wide range of items and important services being provided, it’s a valuable resource that has, and will continue to support many individuals in need. For those interested, the full list of opportunities, volunteer and donations, can be found at https://volunteerconnect.bvuvolunteers.org/homelessstanddown.