Mount Holyoke students react to the 2023 SOTU address, cont’d

u CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 of the most important takeaways.”

“Republicans don’t seem interested in bipartisanship, as evidenced by their behavior throughout the speech,” Fleming said.

With some important points being made on the aforementioned national political divisions, social issues and the state of a possible economy in recession, Biden’s speech came at what POLITICO called a “high-stakes moment for his presidency.”

Biden made sure to highlight that, despite general worries about the economy’s state, the country’s unemployment has indeed decreased to a fifty-year low, and more than 800,000 manufacturing jobs have been created. The President also highlighted his climate policies, as they directly intersect with his administration’s economic policy.

Such concerns are often at the forefront of conversation at Mount Holyoke. “Overall, the Mount Holyoke community seems to be very tuned in to United States politics. I think that the State of the Union is an important way for the president and their team to let the country know what their aims are and to communicate their priorities to congress. I always find it interesting to hear what the current President has to say about their goals,” Fleming said.

However, when it came to this year’s SOTU, Fleming felt underwhelmed.

“I thought that this State of the Union wasn’t all that unique. It seemed like Biden was repeating a lot of the same messages he has been for a while,” she said.

Zoey Pickett ’26 shared similar sentiments. “I think one of the most important things about the 2023 SOTU wasn’t what was talked about, but instead what was ignored. Biden did not address any specific climate change legislation that has been passed, because there’s basically been none, and didn’t say how he would address it moving forward. He did talk about the infrastructure bill that invested in weatherizing infrastructure but that was the only mention. Pickett pointed out the value the SOTU provides for those who may not tune in to everyday politics.

Even on the College’s campus, which Pickett believes is “more politically inclined than your average campus,” there are those whom, “if you were to ask the average student to name a bill that was passed in the past year I’m not sure [they] could do so.”

Speaking from her own experience, Pickett mentioned that she “personally started watching the State of the Union in the final year of the Trump Administration.”

“I have watched every year since and I think it is a really valuable way to gauge the current administration’s policy platforms. It is also a nice refresher for all of the legisla- ation for these edits. “I personally love the [number] of edits circling on social media. It’s such a creative way to show your love for an actor by taking time out of your day to edit your favorite moments of them together into a concise video to be widely distributed across the internet. Every time I see one, I feel like the creator of the edit is trying to sell me on him. I love it.”

While hosting SNL on Feb. 4, 2023, Pascal poked fun and communicated his awareness of these fan edits in a skit titled “Fancam Assembly.” In this sketch, Pascal assumes the role of a schoolteacher lecturing students on the ban of fancam edits. As he speaks, the students make fancam edits of him in real-time, leading to an endless cycle of Pascal edits that he cannot escape. Hurtt commented on this satirical self-awareness, “I love when actors acknowledge the existence of edits, especially thirst ones. Nothing motivates the fans to create more edits than the actor themself admitting they’re aware of edits, or even seek them out to watch from time to time.”

Anderson echoed this appreciation, explaining, “It’s a crazy snowball. I saw one [edit], and then all of a sudden, they’re EVERYWHERE, and there [are] not only new edits but remixes, memes referencing edits and then SNL referenced it. Now people are going back and watching his other shows, like Narcos, because they think he’s hot.”

As edits continue circulating the internet, the growth of the obsession with and fixation on Pascal is tangible. On one end of the spectrum, “it’s created this insane hyperfixation for me,” Anderson concluded. Not everyone who has seen the edits has had to navigate the rocky roads of fan mania, evidenced by Hurtt’s proclamation: “May Pedro continue to be cast in projects in the future so that edit makers may be supplied with new footage.”

Call For Entries

The Five College Film Festival seeks short films of 20 minutes or less from students across the Five Colleges to be submitted by Monday, February 27. A jury of student representatives from each of the five colleges will curate an in-person event -- the first in four years -- with multiple curated programs to take place on Saturday, April 1. Awards and prizes will be granted to winning films in three categories: fiction, documentary, and experimental.

All students currently enrolled at Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College and the University of Massachusetts Amherst are welcome to submit films, regardless of your major. Work by recent graduates of one of the Five Colleges may also be submitted, as long as it was produced while enrolled.

SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Deadline: Monday, February 27, 2023 tion that has been passed in the past year. Personally, I think the SOTU is very important to staying up to date with American politics,” Pickett said.

But, she believes that individual responsibility to stay up to date goes well beyond tuning into the SOTU.

“If you want to become knowledgeable about American politics, you should know what was mentioned at the SOTU but that definitely isn’t where you should stop,” Pickett maintained.

Despite any political shortcomings, Pickett told Mount Holyoke News that this SOTU was memorable in another way. “I loved the SOTU drama this year. Jill Biden kissed Doug Emhoff on the mouth, Lauren Boebert was heckling, Biden ignored George Santos and Marjorie Taylor Green brought in a giant white balloon. How do you get the craziest people in the country in the same room? Deliver the State of the Union.”

FESTIVAL DATES

Saturday, April 1, 2023

CONTACT

5collegefilmfestival@gmail.com edrummer@amherst.edu

SOCIAL MEDIA https://www.facebook.com/fivecollegefilmfestival https://www.instagram.com/fivecollegefilmfestival/ https://www.twitch.tv/5college_filmfestival

MISSION STATEMENT

The Five College Film Festival’s mission is to share the stories of students from across the Five Colleges through the medium of film. We hope that all students, regardless of background or experience with filmmaking, share their stories.