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faith and justice? timothy healy and leo o'donovan's struggles to balance piety and dialogue
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friDAY, September 21, 2018
Faith and Justice: Balancing Piety and Dialogue Maddy Forbess and Meghan DeCourcey Hoya Staff Writers
“Faith and Justice” hangs from the banners of Healy Hall, urging students and faculty to serve their community while staying true to their religious convictions. Although Jesuits hold the two values as complementary, recent Georgetown University Presidents Timothy Healy and Leo O’Donovan have confronted several instances when the Catholic Church and progressive segments of the student body have pulled the university in competing directions. The responses of Healy and O’Donovan to these contentious situations reflect distinct leadership styles that continue to define Georgetown today.
Faithful Pragmatist Timothy S. Healy, S.J., led Georgetown as president from 1976 to 1989. During his presidency, admissions doubled and the university endowment increased from $38 million to almost $228 million. However, his loyalty to the doctrine of the Catholic Church occasionally rankled the more progressive elements of the student body. In his early years as president, Healy took a conservative stance against the student-led radio station WGTB. The radio station embraced the spirit of the ’70s punk rock movement, promoted antiVietnam War rallies and advertised its support for contraception, according to Washington City Paper. WGTB drew the negative attention of Vice President Spiro Agnew in 1975, who accused the station of being a platform for communist propaganda.
“There is little will to oppose communism in America anymore, [and] the voice of third-world communism is pervasive in academia. WGTB … broadcasts what seems to be propaganda for the third world,” Agnew told The New York Times Magazine. In 1979, fed up with WGTB’s sex and drug innuendoes and the punk rock played on the station, Healy sold the radio frequency to the University of the District of Columbia for a single dollar. Healy’s no-tolerance approach to radical radio was not his only conservative decision on student issues. His administration also refused to officially recognize LGBTQ student groups such as the Gay Rights Coalition of the Georgetown University Law Center and the Gay People of Georgetown University. In 1980, these student groups sued the university on grounds of unequal treat-
DC SCHOOLS PROJECT
While Timothy Healy received backlash from students because his administration did not recognize LGBTQ student groups, the president sought to advance diversity by promoting the D.C. Schools Project, a student-led program that assists low-income D.C. public schools.
ment based on their gender and sexual orientation. They claimed that Healy’s administration was discriminating against LGBTQ students because their clubs were denied official recognition and access to services and facilities afforded to other student groups. The final 1987 appeals ruling was a compromise: Although Georgetown need not grant the LGBTQ student groups with “official recognition” because of its Catholic heritage, the university must provide the same access to resources such as a mailbox and the ability to apply for university funding. Healy’s decision garnered mixed reactions. Alumni praised Healy for his settlement, while students chastised him for his failure to give the groups official recognition. Despite the backlash he received, Healy, a Catholic Democrat, sought to reconcile his religious beliefs with his commitment to fostering the growth of all students. Robert Pitofsky, professor of law, executive vice president for Law Center affairs and dean of the Law Center from 1983 to 1989, described the balancing act Healy performed between the church and his students. “His goal was to reconcile the competing values of religious freedom and civil liberties in a way that allowed both sides to come away without humiliation and with their principles intact,” Pitofksy wrote. “In the end, the gay rights litigation was settled, against the advice of many of his advisors, in a way that respected both Catholic values and human rights.” Despite his reticence to officially recognize LGBTQ student groups, Healy worked in other ways to make Georgetown more diverse. Mary Scully, university liaison for federal relations, has worked for Georgetown University in various capacities for more than 30 years, bearing witness to the administrations of Healy, O’Donovan and current University President John J. DeGioia. She noted how Healy increased Georgetown’s national prestige, making it known as a top-tier university for students from all backgrounds. “Healy made Georgetown a recognizable name nationally; you didn’t have to just be Roman-Catholic or of a certain East Coast background to know about it,” Scully said in an interview with The Hoya. “Healy really elevated key components of the university’s identity. There was a great commitment to scholarships, diversity, inclusion.” Healy’s dedication to “pluralism” compelled his advancement of diversity, both for Georgetown students and the greater Washington, D.C. community. He promoted student-led programs to aid low-income D.C. public schools like the D.C. Schools Project. His close relationships with D.C. councilmembers and administrative pragmatism situated Georgetown as not only a prestigious religious institution but also as a renowned university of higher learning, according to Scully.
friday, september 21, 2018 Scully highlighted Healy’s vision of Georgetown as an accessible part of D.C. rather than a lone fortress. “Having Jesuits on staff who [developed the] institutional citizenship identity of the university [made Georgetown] not just a stone wall, private, exclusive, elite hilltop separate from the city, but really quite integrated as a resource for Washington, D.C.,” Scully said. Above all, Healy strove to make Georgetown more inclusive while remaining in accordance with Catholic tradition. Pitofsky described Healy as a complex figure, whose pragmatism was underlaid by religiosity. “He encompassed within himself and his spirit the most amazing contradictions,” Pitofsky wrote in an “In Memoriam” article in the Georgetown Law Journal, Issue 81. “He was a man of religion who loved the earthly and the practical.” Commitment to Dialogue While O’Donovan faced the same challenges surrounding faith and justice as his predecessor, the newer president confronted them with a different attitude. Following Healy’s resignation from Georgetown to become president of the New York Public Library in 1989, the university named Leo O’Donovan, S.J., as his successor. Early in his presidency, O’Donovan became entangled in a dispute with the Vatican over pro–abortion rights groups on campus. In 1991, GU Choice, a pro–abortion rights student group, applied for access to university benefits. The group was granted approval by DeGioia, then– dean of student affairs. Both DeGioia and O’Donovan approved the decision on the grounds of free speech. Opposition quickly arose from students, Catholic officials and alumni. In fall 1991, a group of 1,500 Georgetown alumni and students, including Cardinal James Hickey of D.C., brought forward a petition asking for a canon lawsuit against the university in hopes that the Vatican would revoke the university’s Catholic status. The threat of action by the Vatican was enough to pressure O’Donovan to take GU Choice’s benefits away, 14 months after it was first recognized. O’Donovan’s original intention in recognizing GU Choice was to have conversations among students and faculty about these issues. The effects from the debate over GU Choice are still present on campus: The group evolved into H*yas for Choice, a pro-reproductive rights group that remains unrecognized by the university. When asked to revisit the topic in a 2015 interview with T he Hoya , O’Donovan expressed his desire for open dialogue on tricky moral issues like abortion. “In a university situation I would always favor enabling a conversation in the company of wise faculty and wise moral and religious guides, rather than
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forcing that discussion underground,” O’Donovan said. The push for discussion and a variety of viewpoints was a defining aspect of O’Donovan’s tenure. In 1993, O’Donovan created the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, which is known today as the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding. The center attempts to improve relations between the West and the Muslim world. O’Donovan has been vocal about the need for cross-religious dialogue, expressing his commitment to communication and kinship. “We have many, many brothers and sisters we have who hold the Islamic faith,” O’Donovan said. “They are indeed our brothers and sisters — and I’m very proud of the fact that we have real strength at Georgetown and building strengths in Islamic studies and the Arabic language.” Six years later in 1999, Georgetown became the first U.S. university to hire a full-time Muslim chaplain, Imam Yahya Hendi. O’Donovan was committed to recognizing different religions and promoting interfaith dialogue. Like Healy, O’Donovan led a massive growth in the university’s endowment, which rose from $240 million to over $740 million by the end of his presidency in 2001. Though O’Donovan retired later that year, his legacy lives on, even if most students are familiar with him as the namesake for the only dining hall on Georgetown’s campus, which opened in 2003. Different Styles, Same Priorities The two presidents each left their own indelible mark on Georgetown with their distinct personalities and presences. “[Healy] had a presence of gravitas, a certain weightiness to his presence — which strongly contrasted to Father O’Donovan, who is someone who is very outgoing, easy to smile, direct eye contact, very engaging with whoever’s in the room,” Scully said. As Georgetown is a prestigious Catholic university and an important political force, the most contentious issues past university presidents have navigated concern the interaction between the conservative Catholic Church and the often more progressive student body. Healy struggled with pressure surrounding the relationship of LGBTQ students, the university and the church, while O’Donovan’s openness to debate about abortion rights and contraception landed him in hot water with the Vatican. Despite their differences in temperament and varied approaches to the relationship between faith and justice, the two presidents’ legacies are defined above all by their loyalty to Jesuit ethics and devotion to Georgetown students. “They’re very different,” Scully said. “They just upheld the standards of Jesuit higher-level education and the quality of education our students received.”
TOP: CENTER FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE ; MIDDLE: ACMCU; BOTTOM: AMBER GILLETTE/THE HOYA
Despite their distinctly different personalities and positions, dedication to Jesuit values characterized both Timothy Healy’s and Leo O’Donovan’s presidencies.
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CONCERT REVIEW
CAROLINE PAPPAS/THE HOYA
Drake and Migos electrified Capital One Arena on Sept. 12 with impressive production and energetic performances, but Drake ultimately dominated. The hip-hop artist pulled out all the stops, with a performance that featured acts including a holographic car, and at one point, he even had a fan onstage.
Drake Outshines Migos at Capital One Arena Charlotte Lindsay Hoya Staff Writer
In 2013, Drake propelled rap trifecta Migos to superstardom when he put his verse on the group’s trap anthem “Versace (Remix).” Now, Migos share tour headlines with their benefactor. Yet the audience reaction to the “Aubrey and the Three Amigos” tour solidifies Drake as the real star, while Migos are left as the supporting act. On Sept. 12, thousands of fans gathered at the Capital One Arena to watch the first of two back-to-back Washington, D.C. installments of the “Aubrey and the Three Amigos” tour. The dual-headline tour was postponed multiple times because of production difficulties, and the delay only heightened expectations. Watching the concert, it is clear why the production was so hard to perfect. Situated in the middle of the arena, the stage was unobstructed from every angle, ensuring each concert-goer had clear visibility of Drake. Deceivingly simple upon first glance, the rectangular structure on which Drake performed was in fact a massive video screen featuring graphics that were carefully paired to each of the songs. High-tech props further ad-
vanced the impressive production value; during Lil Baby collaboration “Yes Indeed,” Drake’s $7 million LaFerrari was suspended above the audience, an obvious symbol of his incredible success. The arena, which seats just under 20,000 people, is by no means an intimate venue, but this setup, combined with Drake and Migos’ high energy and onstage presence captivated the audience. Migos was first to take the stage, performing “Fight Night,” a song from the Atlanta trio’s 2014 mixtape “No Label 2,” followed by cocaine-dealer slap “Hannah Montana.” After a few more introductory songs, Migos headed backstage, leaving fans impatiently waiting for Drake. After close to 30 minutes of waiting, the audience roared with excitement as Drake, obscured by a 360-degree curtain, began to rap the opening lines of “8 Out of 10,” marking the beginning of the concert. An appropriate opening track, “8 Out of 10” describes the current state of the rap star’s career, concluding that despite criticism, his music will remain popular. The concert promoted Drake’s 2018 album “Scorpion,” which is divided into an energetic rap-centric “A Side” and an R&B-flavored “B Side” focused on Drake’s
melodic singing. Just as “Scorpion” is split in two, Drake’s performance was double-sided. Throughout his first segment, Drake tied in songs from “Scorpion,” as well as a few older hits. Though the sheer size of Drake’s discography meant there was not enough time to perform many of his older hit songs, audience members were nonetheless thrilled to hear portions of “HYFR,” “Know Yourself” and “Started From the Bottom.” After performing over a dozen songs, Drake left the stage for Migos to perform again. While Migos certainly have many dedicated fans, the venue held a distinct air of disappointment that Drake — the clear star of the show — was taking a break. During their second portion, Migos performed a few more songs, most of which were unrecognizable to casual fans because of the “mumble rap” style of their performance. There was an obvious lull in the crowd’s mood during Migos’ set, but the energy level quickly shot back up when Drake joined the trio on stage to perform the rap stars’ most iconic collaborations, such as “Walk It Talk It.” After complimenting Migos and telling the story of his friendship with them, the group left and Drake began the “B
Side” of his performance. For fans of Drake’s older albums or anyone unfamiliar with deep cuts from “Scorpion,” the “B Side” of the concert was superior. Additionally, Drake connected the most with the audience during this portion of the concert, as he described his unyielding love of D.C. and reminisced about his favorite memories in the city. Drake’s praise of Washingtonians was interjected between a string of his most popular songs, such as “In My Feelings.” The viral hit was accompanied by a video from Drake’s Instagram account. The audience erupted as Drake performed a string of his biggest hits including “Controlla,” “Nice for What,” “One Dance” and “Work,” during which he was accompanied by dancers. Ending the concert on a high, Drake closed with “God’s Plan,” the most popular song from “Scorpion.” Although the “Aubrey and the Three Amigos” tour implied that Drake and Migos are on equal footing, the audience’s muted reaction to the “Three Amigos” reaffirmed Drake as the true superstar. Drake’s huge catalog of hits allowed him to put on a spectacle, even if the crowd was not familiar with all 25 tracks of “Scorpion.”
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CONCERT REVIEW
Jack Colavita for the hoya
Fans shared JPEGMAFIA’s boundless energy at the Songbyrd Music House, as the rapper performed among and engaged with members of the crowd. JPEGMAFIA reworked early material, performed high-energy tracks and engaged the Washington, D.C. audience with political commentary.
JPEGMAFIA Exhilarates Crowd With Frenzied Energy
Jack ColaVita Hoya Staff Writer
In the basement of the Songbyrd Music House in Adams Morgan, red lights reflected off a low ceiling, illuminating the crowd as it eagerly awaited Baltimore experimental rapper JPEGMAFIA. He is currently on tour in the United States and Canada. Songbyrd is a small venue, and its 200-attendee capacity creates an underground aesthetic: There is a small bar in the back corner, the audio and lighting engineer stood alongside the crowd, and the stage is only a foot or two above the floor. As fans trickled in, opening grunge rock act Joy Again played a set that seemed unknown to most but received enthusiastic response, as the energy of each track increased toward the end of the performance. The final performance featured gravelly vocals and a thrashing guitar rift — more grunge than what one would expect from a rap opener. In the waiting period before JPEGMAFIA took stage, there was a surprising amount of socializing among fans. It became apparent that most in attendance had attended similar shows in the past: Brockhampton; Tyler, the Creator; and Death Grips, to name a few. The crowd
was almost entirely composed of white male 20-somethings, who all seemed keenly aware of the ironic homogeneity of their own fandom, as was exemplified later in the show when JPEGMAFIA screamed his iconic interjection “White boy better put his hands up!” and a sea of arms rose. At around 9 p.m., JPEGMAFIA emerged in pink sweatshorts, combat boots, no shirt and a black bandana draped over his head. There was a do-it-yourself feel to every aspect of the show, as he accidentally started the instrumental for “Macaulay Culkin” when he intended to perform his verse on Denzel Curry’s “Vengeance.” Despite this small hiccup, the rest of the show was fueled by JPEGMAFIA’s nonstop, visceral energy. The set mostly focused on his most recent album, 2018’s “Veteran,” with the early highlights being the obnoxious yet invigorating Ol’ Dirty Bastard sample on “Real Nega,” and “1539 N. Calvert,” a slower track that he chose to reimagine for the live performance, screaming every lyric as the crowd screamed back. The middle of the set took up a more political tone, as collaborator Freaky joined JPEGMAFIA on stage to perform their 2016 track “I Might Vote 4 Donald Trump.” The potent lyrics seemed
to resonate with the Washington, D.C. residents, taking aim at the president, Chris Christie, Ronald and Nancy Reagan, and the IRS. JPEGMAFIA even stopped for a moment to spit a freestyle, revealing his unflinching and sometimes radical views: In an interview with French magazine Manifesto XXI, he said “America was never great in the first f--king place, it can’t be great again.” He finished the freestyle by inviting those in attendance to come with him and do the rest of the show outside the White House, as a stand against the administration he finds so disdainful. The last few songs somehow managed to increase the energy even more, as JPEGMAFIA left the stage with his wireless mic to perform songs within the crowd. Among his fans he commanded an unprecedented level of respect — moshing, dancing and even giving hugs. The intimacy of these moments contrasted with the abrasive music, creating a sense of freedom that fit perfectly as a setting for JPEGMAFIA’s brand of experimental hip-hop. JPEGMAFIA targeted his self-declared nemesis Morrissey, frontman of The Smiths, during his performance of “I Cannot F--king Wait Until Morrissey Dies,” threatening to “punch him in the
face” when he sees him. During “Curb Stomp,” JPEGMAFIA could also be seen writhing around on the floor surrounded by fans. Finally, he announced that he had one track left, and the room knew it could only be the off-the-wall banger “Baby I’m Bleeding.” As the opening sample started, the crowd began to pulsate, preparing for the next two minutes and 32 seconds. As soon as he yelled out the iconic “Peggy, where you been at?” the place erupted. Everyone seemed to know every lyric and also seemed to disregard the health of their vocal cords. The track was physically exhausting to witness, with JPEGMAFIA himself collapsing on stage afterward, thanking the crowd for pushing him so hard as a performer. He then stepped down and invited everyone to come talk to him, removing any barriers that existed between him and his fans. Whether you agree or disagree with his politics, or find his music exhilarating or obtuse, JPEGMAFIA is undoubtedly pioneering a new frontier for hiphop — one raised in Trump-era political discourse and influenced by online dialogue. His shows embody his fearless approach and create a concert-going experience unlike any other.
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friDAY, september 21, 2018
Miss-Takes
My Future Daughter’s Required Reading Julia Usiak “Can I steal a Safeway handbasket to use instead of a purse?” I discovered this gem of a musing while leafing through my fifth-grade journal, a treasure trove of forgotten thoughts, feelings and ideas. Some were phenomenal. Some were horribly pretentious. All were gushing emotional pipelines, residuals from the time before girls are taught to reign it in, become demure, timid and apologetic. Today’s inspiration is from the following diary excerpt, determined by The Hoya’s Radiocarbon Dating Laboratory to have been written Aug. 23, 2007: “Hi, Future Julia. I hope you haven’t forgotten what we loved so much growing up. Today, I asked Mom what she loved to read when she was my age. She couldn’t remember. Future Julia, I want you to be able to re-read our favorite books and remember what we were like. And one last thing, Future Julia — should you ever
write a newspaper column for whatever Liberal Arts School you attend — WashU? Tufts? Rice? — remember that nostalgia is a guaranteed vehicle to the reader’s emotional investment.” She had so much foresight at a young age! I now adapt the old list, previously intended for my future self, now for my future daughter. May she grow up to be kind to herself, curious about the surrounding world and generous with her time and laughter. May she be as proud of her pretention as I was. These books will help.
“The Amazing Days of Abby Hayes” by Anne Mazer
Abby Hayes is a more fleshed-out individual than I will ever be. A fifth grader at Susan B. Anthony Elementary School, Abby already knows a lot about herself. She dreams of being a writer. She loves calendars, quotes and the color purple. She will never tame her curly red hair. Ninety percent of the book’s plotlines can be summarized as such: Abby tries an activity — soccer/jazz band/bringing a new friend on family vacation — only to realize that she’s trying to be someone other than herself. She places that activity back on the shelf, returning to her school newspaper creative writing column, where she belongs. The tales of Abby Hayes have quite a few takeaways: Honor who you are and what you like to do. Try everything you can, regardless. Having curly hair is difficult, and I’m
sorry I did this to you.
The “Nancy Drew” series by Edward Stratemeyer
Nancy Drew is the daughter of Atticus Finch — I mean, Carson Drew! — who is lowkey mourning the death of Nancy’s mother. Despite the turmoil, Nancy Drew is the go-to detective for any unsolved cases, at a variety of far-off locales, including Egypt, a haunted amusement park, the Venetian catacombs and New Orleans during Mardi Gras — “Nancy Drew and the Case of the Open Container Violation.” Nearly all of these novels begin with Nancy expressing her gratitude for a well-earned vacation. Arriving in Warsaw with no conflicts to mediate! Phew! Think again, Nan. Nancy fearlessly infiltrates the activity/competition/circle in question and plays to win. If it’s an equine mystery, Nancy does an impeccable dressage routine and takes home the gold. If it’s a theft from the school newspaper, Nancy’s column on women in media edges out mine for Friday release. The “Nancy Drew” series also includes tons of key takeaways: Think logically, thoroughly and deliberately. No matter what happens to you, be kind. No matter how many times the villain knocks you unconscious, stand your ground, even if it’s your 42nd concussion in the reboot alone. Prioritize your best friends, Bess and George, over your vanilla boyfriend, Ned Nickerson, every day.
Future daughter, Nancy Drew taught me how to pick a lock using a credit card, how to pick a lock using a bobby pin, how to pick … whichever window you’ll shatter, once you realize a credit card and bobby pin won’t move a deadbolt. But those are for me to teach you in person.
The “Baby-Sitters Club” series by Ann Martin
The ancient proverb goes: There are more “Baby-Sitters Club” books than there are drops in the ocean, each of them dealing with the most relatable topics: Divorce! Trying to be the best ballerina in Connecticut! Remarriage into your baby-sitting clients’ family! A secret passage in your Connecticut home! Step-siblings who were your former clients! Ghosts in your Connecticut home! The series also reminds you the importance of being friends with people different from you — you know, those classic adjectives like the “bossy” Kristy, “artsy” Claudia and “diabetic” Stacey.
“The Care and Keeping of You” — American Girl by Valorie Schaefer
What, am I supposed to just sit my daughter down and talk about puberty to her face? Future daughter, can I borrow your copy really quick? No reason. Julia Usiak is a senior in the College. Miss-takes appears in print every other Friday.
Director’s cut
Spike Lee Takes Risks With Mixed Results
Olivia Simon I’ve always admired Spike Lee as a director because he’s a risk taker. While a lot of filmmakers know how to put on a show, not as many can truly say they’re bringing something fresh to the table. So when I found out my boss was sending me to a pre-screening of the highly anticipated Lee film “BlacKkKlansman,” it was hard not to feel lucky. As the film began and the plot started to unfold, discomfort began to spread through the room. It quickly became clear that the audience was not always sure if the jokes playing out on screen were all that funny. In hindsight, they were — with two caveats: The humor was provocative, and, more importantly, we were a test audience. There weren’t any reviews online to reference. Our reactions had to be organic, which meant that Lee had already succeeded: His film was challenging us. Based on a true story, “BlacKkKlansman” is about Ron Stallworth, played by John David Washington, who joins the Colorado Springs
Police Department as the city’s first black detective. He works with Jewish colleague, Flip Zimmerman, played by Adam Driver, to adopt the persona of a Ku Klux Klan member in order to infiltrate and expose the Klan. While Stallworth works as the voice and puppet master of this fictional character — grooming Klan members over the phone to gain their trust — Zimmerman becomes the physical incarnation, so that he can meet with the Klan in person and extract deeper information at private gatherings. The story on its own is staggering, and Lee’s film bolsters it with its witty dialogue, an unconventional structure and an open avenue to address disturbing political issues. But the film’s real success is in its expression of how every social group harbors a mix of beliefs and opinions, rather than subscribing just to one doctrine. For example, Stallworth and his girlfriend Patrice Dumas, played by Laura Harrier, have diverging ideas on what it means to embrace Black Power when addressing police brutality in their neighborhood. In the second half of the film, Stallworth finds Dumas just before a rally against the police department and encourages her not to participate. While Dumas feels the effort should target all police officers to make a statement, Stallworth argues it is not right for the movement to target those who have not acted violently and that she should seek out other ways to challenge police brutality.
Though Stallworth witnessed the inner workings of the Klan, he feels that there is a way to fight against persistent inequalities by working within the system, rather than retaliating with further hatred. The tension between Stallworth’s and Dumas’ social values reminds the audience that ideas about power and passion can look very different among individuals. Yet while Lee manages to weave in this politically relevant message, he misses the mark with other directorial choices that hold “BlacKkKlansman” back from being a roaring success. About halfway through the film, one of the Klan members, Felix, played by Jasper Pääkkönen, lies in bed colluding with his wife to plant a bomb at a civil rights rally. The scene is long and intimate, marking an abrupt shift from Stallworth’s larger effort to this specific plot within the Klan. The scheme itself is relatively anticlimactic, as the Klan members botch the operation by parking their car near the scene and getting themselves blown up. While it could have been an interesting twist to expose the incompetence of the organization, Lee ends up constructing a gimmicky action scene that detracts from the film’s initial intentions: to explore Stallworth’s narrative and his personal experiences interacting with the Klan. In addition to the film’s unexpected shift in focus, the end of the film is disappointing. Until this point, the film remains humorous, poking fun at the Klan’s ignorance of Stallworth’s
mission and at the irony behind his success. It even ends with Stallworth revealing his “true” identity to David Duke, the grand wizard of the KKK, over the phone. He sits casually at his desk at the police station, a handful of his colleagues gathered around his chair, and they crack up as Duke’s stunned silence clouds the receiver. The scene is a natural ending point. Yet this build-up is knocked down when real footage from the deadly August 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Va., is shown just before the credits to close out the film. It’s not that the footage serves no purpose — it just feels like an uncomfortable cop-out, used to evoke emotions that the film’s direction didn’t deliver, but that the subject matter on its own does. The unnerved feeling will stay with viewers as they exit the theater. Unfortunately, this ending does not do the film or the audience justice. “BlacKkKlansman” rings of unfinished business. While the film is refreshing, like the bulk of Lee’s work, it leaves something to be desired, particularly given the closing footage. The end of the film feels out of place — like a forced way of connecting the past to the present. But perhaps this discomfort is what Lee wants: to provoke us into puzzling over the ending’s meaning, even if there is no easy explanation. Olivia Simon is a senior in the School of Foreign Service. director’s cut appears in print every other Friday.
friday, september 21, 2018
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album REVIEW
NONAME
Chicago-born poet and rapper Fatimah Warner, known as Noname, impresses on her latest album, “Room 25.” The artist’s songs are deeply personal, as she touches on themes like heartbreak and beauty standards. Noname’s vocals shine alongside strong features from other Chicago artists.
Poetic Lyrics Reveal Noname’s Vulnerabilities
ROOM 25
Noname ERIC DICKSTEIN Hoya Staff Writer
“Maybe this is the album you listen to in your car / When you driving home late at night / Really questioning every god, religion, Kanye, b---hes.” Packing a punch in only a minute and a half, the first song off Noname’s “Room 25” sets the tone for the rest of the album: it is candid, complex, comical and challenging. Noname’s official debut album harkens back to the grooves of old-school R&B, hip-hop and neo-soul while still offering a modern twist that is entirely her own. 26-year-old Fatimah Warner is a Chicago-born rapper who got her start performing slam poetry around her hometown before she transitioned to rapping in her early teens. She first went by the moniker Noname Gypsy until she learned that “gypsy” is a racial slur. After catching the attention of fellow Chicago star Chance the Rapper, Noname
earned herself a spot on his 2013 mixtape, “Acid Rap.” Joining the ranks of Saba, Jamila Woods and Vic Mensa, who each gained popular exposure with a Chance the Rapper collaboration, Noname’s verse on “Lost” attracted attention to her 2016 mixtape, “Telefone.” Following the model of artists like Chance, Noname has remained independent. The advent of streaming platforms and new distribution services have made it possible for artists to grow fanbases without a label. Nevertheless, Noname is paving her own path. Despite social media’s role in helping independent artists garner followers without a label’s marketing team, Noname rarely posts on social media — she only re-launched her Instagram a week ago prior to the album release. She does no music videos and only a few photo shoots. It is hard to find pictures of her on the internet. Noname does things her way: no label, no online spotlight. Noname brings this cool confidence to
“Room 25.” In “Self” she raps, “And y’all still thought a b---h couldn’t rap, huh?” She crows about the lyrical gymnastics that are to come — and delivers. Her chill demeanor, however, is not to be mistaken for a lack of potency. In “Blaxploitation” she raps, “Maybe I’m an insomni-black / Bad sleep triggered by bad government.” Noname flawlessly darts around rhymes and rhythms to comment on everything from police brutality to sex and heartbreak. Her lyricism is subtle and encourages her listeners to revisit the album on multiple occasions, gaining something new from each listen. After the release of “Telefone,” Noname moved to Los Angeles. A lot of this album deals with the feelings of excitement and hesitation associated with that transition. In “Prayer Song,” Noname raps, “L.A. be bright but still a dark city / So come get your happy and your new t-tties,” commenting on Los Angeles’s beauty standards and the flawed ways people seek contentment.
In addition to moving cities, Noname disclosed in “The FADER” that she only lost her virginity a year ago out of fear of being naked in front of another person. On “Window,” she raps, “I knew you never loved me but I f--ked you anyway.” Though her wordplay on “Window” and “Montego Bae” is confident, Noname simultaneously exudes vulnerability, withholding nothing. “Room 25” is best understood in opposites: It is vulnerable and confident, somber and jocular, simple and complex, calming and urgent. Noname’s impressive lyricism and polyrhythmic lines are perfectly matched with laid-back drum loops; D’Angelo-esque backing vocals and harmonies; Phoelix’s spacious production; features from many Chicago artists, including verses from Saba, Adam Ness and Ravyn Lanae; and stunning string arrangements courtesy of Matt Jones. In short, “Room 25” is a fine-tuned balancing act whose potency does not sacrifice groove.
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friday, september 21, 2018
What to Do in DC
MUSIC
New Releases
Sarah cammarota Hoya Staff Writer
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Faris Bseiso Hoya Staff Writer
DC Fashion Week
D.C. Fashion Week will take the District by storm Sept. 19 to Sept. 23. The event consists of an array of fashion shows at a variety of venues across the city. Events include the Next Generation Designers show which features the collections of college designers, and the International Couture Collections Show which highlights global talent. Tickets can be bought for each event at varying prices at https://www.dcfashionweek.org/.
tori kelly
noname
noname ‘self’
tori kelly ‘Never Alone’
The opening track to Noname’s heavily anticipated new album “Room 25” is the epitome of her style. The track is marked by a jazz-infused beat that settles the listener in immediately, accompanied by the Chicago native’s graceful, nonchalant flow. Her District tour stop is Jan. 9 at the 9:30 Club — a must-see for Hoyas.
Some may remember Tori Kelly as the teenager with a powerful voice on American Idol, while others may know her as the singer in the Nationwide commercials. At The Hoya, though, the pop singer is recognized this week for this standout single from her new album “Hiding Place.”
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MakeHER Summit 2018
Hosted by the National Museum of Women in the Arts, the MakeHER Summit is a two-day combination of the museum’s Maker’s Mart initiative and Fresh Talk panel. Maker’s Mart will feature the handicrafts of local female artisans, while the Fresh Talk panel will focus on female entrepreneurship in the creative economy. The summit takes place Sept. 23 and 24, 2018, at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. Tickets are $10 at the door and $8 for students.
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major lazer
Smashing Pumpkins ‘Silvery Sometimes (Ghosts)’
Major Lazer ft. Burna Boy ‘All My Life’
As part of their planned comeback album, the alt-rock legends have released a new single, “Silvery Sometimes,” which is more upbeat than previous songs. With their new album dropping in November, we’ll find out if Smashing Pumpkins’ new sound will dominate the whole record or if “Silvery Sometimes” is an exception.
An electro-dancehall staple, Major Lazer looks to expand their sonic palette in a new collaboration with afrofusion star Burna Boy. In this track, the duo opt out of EDM’s usual build-upand-drop structure in favor of more consistent, melodic horns. The new video released highlights Major Lazer’s goal of bringing musical worlds together as Burna Boy roams through the streets of Lagos, Nigeria.
makeher summit
Taste of Georgetown
The Georgetown neighborhood will be hosting its 25th annual Taste of Georgetown festival Sunday, Sept. 23, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Located on K Street adjacent to the Potomac waterfront, over 30 vendors from the Georgetown area will set up tasting booths for the masses. Some Georgetown staples featured are Baked and Wired, Martin’s Tavern and Café Bonaparte. The event is free to attend but event-specific food and drink tickets must be used to redeem at the tasting booths.
smashing pumpkins
D.c. fashion week
4 While Washington, D.C., is still not a state, the District hosts an annual State Fair celebrating the agricultural and creative talents of the region anyway. The Fair will feature agricultural, cooking and craft contests from heaviest vegetable to best mumbo sauce as well as more unconventional events like a Pet Parade. The fair will take place on the Southwest Waterfront on Sunday, Sept. 23, and attendance is free.
taste of georgetown
DC VegFest 2018
D.C. Vegfest
friDAY, september 21, 2018
the guide
THE HOYA
B9
album REVIEW
CARRIE UNDERWOOD
Carrie Underwood’s newest album consists of repetitive country ballads that fail to impress the listener despite Underwood’s strong voice. For two songs, Underwood ventures into cautious attempts at contemporary socially conscious music titled “The Bullet” and “Love Wins” that ultimately lack depth in their messages.
Underwood Underwhelms Despite Strong Vocals
CRY PRETTY
Carrie Underwood Vienna Roche Hoya Staff Writer
Carrie Underwood takes few sonic risks in her latest studio album, “Cry Pretty.” Most of the album’s songs feature Underwood playing to her strengths, creating radio-ready country ballads that everyone can sing along to in the car. With “The Bullet,” however, a song about gun violence, Underwood dips her toes into socially conscious music — a welcome turn in the country singer’s career, even if her stance is decidedly shallow. Most of the songs on “Cry Pretty” follow a similar structure. They start out quiet and then slowly build with an electric guitar interlude and a strong finish, showing off her wide vocal range. These songs are predictable and struggle to keep the attention of the listener. In some songs like “End Up With You” and “Backsliding,” she attempts to add a slight twist to her usual sound with more soulful R&B beats. These songs with more pop vibes will surely be successful on the
charts because of their appeal to markets outside of country music. However, they feel less authentic to Underwood’s artistic identity and more like Underwood is following the country-pop trend. Another chart-topping but tired anthem on the album is “Southbound.” A classic summer song about drinking on pontoon boats, it already feels like the same story that has been sung a thousand times in country music. Once again, the song sounds inauthentic and pandering, aiming for commercial sales rather than artistry. Underwood has a few songs reflective of her more personal past work, despite their lack of musical creativity. Underwood’s voice comes through in “Cry Pretty,” the title song of the album. The track explores the juxtaposition between a flawless public image and an internal struggle to hold it together over the roar of guitar licks that sound straight out of 80s hair metal. Similarly, in the powerful ballad “Kingdom,” Underwood emotes her gratitude for a seemingly mundane family life. While these may not be the most vulnerable songs
to come out of country music, they do depart from her usual impersonal style. The real standouts of the album are her more political songs, “The Bullet” and “Love Wins.” “The Bullet” describes the aftermath of gun violence — a topic rarely explored in country music. It recognizes gun violence as a problem but does not take a specific stance on the issue. The lines, “You can blame it on hate or blame it on guns / But mamas ain’t supposed to bury their sons” highlight Underwood’s relatively noncommittal take on the origins of gun violence. The song is a careful step into the world of socially conscious music, highlighting the emotional implications of gun violence rather than the politicization of the issue. “Love Wins” glosses over the mention of any specific issues. Underwood instead concentrates the song more on the power of love to conquer all. Sounds nice, but the lyrics undermine and romanticize the issues it alludes to. For example, the first verse begins, “A stray bullet and a momma cries / Her baby won’t be coming home tonight.”
Although the subject matter is serious, there is no specificity and thus no gravity. To make things worse, the chorus offers a trite solution with a blithe attitude: “And we’ll never fall if we walk hand in hand / Put a world that seems broken together again / Yeah I, I believe in the end love wins.” Unfortunately, Underwood does not acknowledge that holding hands is not a solution to children dying. Although it is a respectable risk to take on sociopolitical issues through music, Underwood’s execution is surface level. Her lack of depth is understandable given her lack of experience addressing contentious issues in her music. However, her approach leaves much to be desired. The main takeaways from this album seem to be gun violence is sad and love is good. It is as if Underwood attempted to pander to the trend of socially conscious music without actually committing to any social statement. While Underwood continues to wow with her unbelievable voice, her newest album lacks authentic growth.
B10
the guide
THE HOYA
friday, SEPTEMBER 21, 2018
MOVIE REVIEW
Stereotypes and Jarring Tragedy Dominate ‘Life Itself’
Directed by: Dan Fogelman Starring: Oscar Isaac, Olivia Wilde Annah Otis
Hoya Staff Writer
This article discusses depression and suicide. Please refer to the end of the article for resources on campus. “Life Itself,” a new film written and directed by Dan Fogleman, is marketed as a heartwarming love story rather than a gruesomely honest catalogue of lost life. Watcher be warned: The cameras do not turn away from images of accidental death and suicide. Yet it is not the blood or gunshots that force the human psyche into spasm but rather the very real idea that tragedy spares no one. The film aims for epic scale, reaching across generations and covering events in Spain and New York through a wide cast of characters. Presented with flashbacks of the relationship origins of future drug addict Will, played by Oscar Isaac, and his former partner Abby, played by Olivia Wilde, the audience is yanked from present to past in a disorienting manner as we watch the couple’s rebellious child strain their marriage. Then, the narrative abruptly shifts to the Spanish countryside to cover a tangentially related soap opera about an olive farmer, a love interest and a landowner. Although it attempts to tackle serious subjects through a series of tragedies, “Life Itself” misses the mark largely because of the stereotypes it employs. The movie opens with a scene of Will ordering coffee while the narrator pointedly notes that he is “mentally unwell.” We later learn that he was “locked up” in an institution and now attends daily therapy sessions. Will is childish, inappropriate, entirely self-consumed and unlikable. It is clear that he suffers from depression, but he seems to be suffering from schizophrenia as well. Here, mental illness is equated with cognitive disorders and rash thinking. Those who suffer from a mental illness may have cognitive difficulties as well, but this combination is far from the norm. Not to mention that the terms “locked up” and “insane asylum” are so antiquated and demeaning that it would be no surprise if the screenwriters were born pre-2oth century. The movie transitions from one tragedy to another by way of five chapters. Only in the closing scene do we learn that the plot derives from a book written by Will’s granddaughter. While breaking up the movie in this way makes sense in the context of this last scene, it otherwise ends up feeling disjointed and clumsy. The use of flashbacks further detracts from the flow of the storyline. Although the unsettling and unrealistic prevalence of death throughout “Life Itself”
should leave a sour aftertaste in the viewer’s mouth, the movie ends on a positive note. Love is found, life is made and laughter persists. There may be death, but there is also love to help guide those left behind. It is this last sentiment that draws tears from the audience. “Life Itself” is not a feel-good movie. It is not something you can watch passively or forget easily. Its cinematics are lacking and its characters are somewhat dry, but it does attempt to normalize the depiction of life’s most challenging themes. However, the film’s good intentions do not counteract its glaring issues. Death and mental illness are not topics to be taken lightly. They require deft attention to detail and a sensitive approach when wrapped up in film form and ferried to the masses. There is little nuance to the depiction of death, and “Life Itself” fails to provide insight into Will’s struggles with mental health. Instead, the film fumbles through these issues, favoring shock value and illconceived cinematic stereotypes to emotional authenticity. In an attempt to yank at the viewers’ heart strings, “Life Itself” commodifies tragedy and leaves the viewer reeling from a film oversaturated with contrived emotion. To access mental health resources, reach out to Counseling and Psychiatric Services at 202-687-6985, or for after-hours emergencies, call 202-444-7243 and ask to speak to the on-call clinician. You can also reach out to Health Education Services at 202-6878949. Both of these resources are confidential.
Film Nation Entertainment
Despite its positive ending, shocking tragedy dominates “Life Itself.” Rather than capturing authentic emotion, the film relies on stereotypical portrayals of mental illness and shock value to depict life’s tragedies.
friDAY, september 21, 2018
the guide
THE HOYA
B11
movie REVIEW
UNIVERSAL PICTURES
‘The House with a Clock in its Walls’ unsurprisingly offers audience members plenty of humor and adventure in this imaginative fantasy film helmed by Jack Black and Cate Blanchett, despite an unsatisfying and rushed ending that did not live up to its considerable build.
‘The House with a Clock in its Walls’ Delights
Directed by: Eli Roth Starring: Jack Black, Cate Blanchett, Owen Vaccaro JAMES KIM
Hoya Staff Writer
After his impressive acting as the notorious Sergeant Donny Donowitz in “Inglourious Basterds,” Eli Roth has returned to cinema as a director for the fantasy movie “The House with a Clock in Its Walls,” based on the 1973 novel by John Bellairs. Despite at times being slow-paced, “The House with a Clock in Its Walls” charms viewers with its imagination and humor. The film begins when the parents of a young boy, Lewis, played by Owen Vaccaro, pass away and he is sent to live with his warlock uncle Jonathan, played by Jack Black, and his uncle’s friend Florence Zimmerman, played by Cate Blanchett. But the crew has little time to spare, as they must find and destroy a clock with the ability to end the world — within Jonathan’s magical house. The film’s fantastic sense of humor deserves praise. Playful dialogue and witty responses permeate nearly all the scenes, leaving the audience laughing throughout the movie. This sense of lightness and jolliness turns what could have been an overdramatic adventure into an enjoyable and pleasurable fantasy.
Roth and screenwriter Eric Kripke skillfully placed hilarious moments throughout the film to deliver a balance of thrill and amusement. For instance, in one scene, Jonathan is put under a spell, leaving him with the body of a baby and the head of his adult self. This scene left the audience bursting out in laughter, and the humor definitely contributed to making this magical battle more enriching. Kripke’s creativity shines in the magic performed by the various characters. Through the depiction of Jonathan’s house, viewers experience the innovative variety of sorcery presented in the film. For example, there is a human-like couch in Jonathan’s house that changes facial expressions depending on how Jonathan is feeling throughout the movie. When audience members see actual magic performed by the trio, they will be amazed not by the magnitude of the wizardry but by how the spells permeate every aspect of the film in original ways. The film also shows its originality through subtle plot twists. For example, many characters whom the audience initially expects to be of minimal importance, like Jonathan’s neighbor Mrs. Hanchett, played by Colleen Camp, and
Lewis’ friend Tarby, played by Sunny Suljic, ultimately play very important roles. Viewers should pay careful attention not only to Lewis’ magician crew but also to the characters around this trio, as they play critical roles elevating the story’s tension and bringing the plot to its climax. The movie did, however, fall short in other ways, particularly with respect to its long and tedious climax. Compared to the considerable run time given to showcasing spells and sorcery during the beginning, the film’s middle was filled with mundane explanations and dialogues. For instance, a significant amount of time is put into explaining the relationship between Jonathan and the main antagonist Isaac, played by Kyle MacLachlan. Yet the lack of magic in these scenes and the additional explanation of the relationship later in the movie leaves viewers wondering why so much time was spent explaining their acquaintance. Combined with other trivial descriptions throughout the movie, the audience seemed bored midway through the film, wondering when the climax would finally start to kick in. The protagonists’ acting was praiseworthy, as Black and Vaccaro both established
a serious tone and evoked happiness at the end of the film. They were able to weave in humor in nearly every scene, which further provided the movie with a sense of lightness. Yet the antagonists Isaac and Selena, played by Renée Elise Goldsberry, lacked the gravity and solemnity needed in fighting the protagonists. Contrary to the lengthy lead-in to the finale, the plot’s high point was quick, sudden and disappointing. The final battle between Lewis and Isaac lasted only a few minutes and the tension cooled down quickly. As a result, viewers were left to doubt whether the final battle was indeed “final” and wonder about potential fights afterward. Considering the rather lengthy buildup to this climax, Roth should have put more attention into making a more impressive ending so viewers do not have to question whether what they just saw was the actual finale. “The House with a Clock in Its Walls” is a well-made and funny fantasy that will leave its audiences moved by its creativity and wit. Nevertheless, the drawn-out progress to the high point, along with a rather abrupt ending, prevents it from being an exemplary movie in its entirety.
ILLUSTRATION BY: ANNA KOOKEN/THE HOYA