ector
The
The Voice of NJIT with Magnitude and Direction Since 1924
Vol. CI | Issue 9 Week of October 31, 2021
Fire Pit under Construction By Evan Markowitz | Senior Staff Writer This December, NJIT will be opening a fire pit for use by the university community. The project, led by Student Senate, is one of many initiatives the organization is spearheading during the fall semester, as reported by The Vector in August. Construction for the fire pit is currently underway in front of Tiernan Hall. That location, according to Lauren Azer, a second-year biomedical engineering student and Vice President of Student Affairs in the Student Senate, was a very intentional pick for a number of reasons. Besides being a centralized spot on the campus, the space was also an effective choice when accounting for logistics problems like the routing of sprinkler systems near the green. Additionally, the space is enclosed by pathways on all sides, meaning that it won’t
impact activities on the remainder of the upper green or nearby area. “If we put [the fire pit] right behind the sand path, we’re not really dividing the green any more than it already is, so it’s a way to conserve the aesthetic of campus as well,” Azer said. Along with the location, other details of the project have been in the planning process for several months. In the Spring 2021 semester, members of the Student Senate executive board presented a proposal for the fire pit project to the Senate general body, who then discussed and voted on the idea. This idea then slowly became a reality as various departments at NJIT, such as Campus Planning, Design and Construction, became involved.
Jamie Montano, project coordinator and CAD specialist, worked with Azer to plan out the physical design of the fire pit as well as get quotes from various companies for the project. After the planning phase, the project needed to be approved by university administration, who was supportive of the project. Ultimately, the Wilk Construction Company was contracted for the project. Previously, the company has worked with NJIT installing shields in Weston Hall in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The company billed $59,000 for the fire pit project, which includes allowances for moving sprinklers from the area, purchasing the fire pit and seating and all of the installation steps. The money for the project comes from the Student Senate Fund Balance. Using the $55 a semester “Student Activity Fee” charged to undergraduate students, Student Senate distributes the appropriate amount of money to student organizations and runs its own events. Any money that isn’t used during a semester is put into the Fund Balance, where it can be used for “university wide renovations, capital improvements and any other proposals that may be reviewed and approved by the Student Senate.” Recently, the Fund Balance was used to give partial Student Activity Fee refunds to students. The Student Senate’s budget makeup was most recently reported on by The Vector in September 2020. As a project funded by Student Activity Fee money, discussion of the initiative took place during public Student Senate meetings. The minutes from all meetings which took place after Mar. 3, 2021 are
currently unavailable, but agendas and meeting minutes are normally available in the Student Senate’s public Google Drive folder, whose link can be found on their Highlander Hub page. The timeline for the project, which accounts for many potential sources of delay, slates the fire pit construction to finish on Dec. 14, 2021, the day before final exams begin, meaning that students will likely be able to use the fire pit as a destressing tool. Azer is certainly looking forward to this use case: “Imagine after taking a huge [computer science] exam, you and your classmates go surround the pit, have some s’mores, and complain about your exam.” The Student Senate hopes for the fire pit to be a communal gathering place for residents and commuter students alike. Commuters currently have limited options in terms of meeting places, especially after classes when buildings begin to close. While plans are not finalized, the Senate hopes that the fire pit will be open for most of the day, with reservations potentially being open from the morning until as late as 11 p.m. Reservations will be open to all students as well as to student organizations. Those who wish to use the fire pit will need to sign a waiver taking temporary responsibility over the space, and upon completing the waiver, the gas-powered fire will be turned on. There’s no need for logs, matches or other kinds of fire starters. The only kindling needed is the kindling of friendships around the fire.
NEWS
FEATURE
ENTERTAINMENT
PUBLIC SAFETY OUTREACH
AFRICAN STUDENT ASSOCIATION
DUNE REVIEW
See page 3
See page 4
See page 6
THE VECTOR
Week of October 31, 2021
About THE
MEET THE TEAM
VECTOR
ADVISORS
As the official student newspaper of the New Jersey Institute of Technology, our mission is to inform and entertain our readers, cultivate awareness of issues concerning the NJIT community and provide a forum for purposeful, constructive discussion among its members. Deadline for Articles or Letters to the Editor is Thursdays prior to publication at 10 P.M. For more information on submissions, e-mail: managing-editor@njitvector.com. Advertisement Reservations are due two weeks prior to publication and should be sent to: business-manager@njitvector.com
FIND US ONLINE Online Issues
WEATHER
Njitvector.com
Friday, Nov. 5th
The Vector: NJIT’s Student Newspaper
Saturday, Nov. 6th 30°F | 54°F 14 mph
39ºF | 53°F 8 mph
@TheNJITVector @njit_vector Join our Friday Meetings from 11:30 AM-1:00 PM at NJIT Campus Center, Room 466 if you're interested in contributing!
Sunday, Nov. 7th
2
Monday, Nov. 8th
38°F | 56°F 17 mph
38°F | 56°F 14 mph
Memory of Dr. Herman A. Estrin and Roger Hernande
Operational Advisor Kristie Damell
Faculty Advisor Miriam Ascarelli
EXECUTIVE BOARD eboard@njitvector.com Editor-in-Chief Sandra Raju editor-in-chief@njitvector.com
Business Manager Karim Gueye business-manager@njitvector.com
Managing Editor Yukthi Sangoi managing-editor@njitvector.com
Photography Editor Ethan O'Malley photography-editor@njitvector.com
Executive Editor Nicolas Arango executive-editor@njitvector.com
Web and Multimedia Editor Nick Merlino multimedia-editor@njitvector.com
VECTOR STAFF Copy Editors Sreya Das Karim Gueye Mustafa Shaikh Evan Markowitz Mrunmayi Joshi Alicia Tedesco
Senior Staff Sreya Das Anthony McInnis Isaac Scafe Sean Slusarz Sabastian Fernandes Evan Markowitz Samira Santana Areej Qamar Yash Kewlani Alicia Tedesco Alfred Simpson Mrunmayi Joshi
Staff Writers Saanika Joshi Maksim Sokolov Rushi Desai Matthew Bleich Contributing Writers Ali Jamil Karim Salem Theresa Carlos Sebastian Lopez
Layout Assistants Areej Qamar Yash Kewlani Matt Exil Sebastian Lopez Graphic Designers Sreya Das Evan Markowitz Photographers Sean Slusarz Hannah Lenkowski Ali Jamil Akash Patel Sebastian Lopez
Upcoming Events FRIDAY, Nov. 5th 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Squid Game Knit at Night
Laurel Hall CKB 219
MONDAY, Nov. 8th 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Meet the Dental Students PHI SIGMA KAPPA: Bake Sale
KUPF 205 CC Lobby
TUESDAY, Nov. 9th 11:00 am - 2:00 pm
Commuter Lunch
CC Lobby
w
POLICE BLOTTER
10/24/21 2:59PM Officers conducted a motor vehicle stop for improper passing on Central Avenue. The driver was subsequently arrested with two open warrants, one from Newark and the second from East Orange. He was processed and released with new court dates. 10/28/21 11:08AM Officers arrested a non-affiliate at Central Avenue and University Avenue with an open warrant from Bordentown. The subject was processed and released with a new court date.
NJIT Vector Summary 11/1/2021 For 10/23/21 through 10/29/21 Times Shown are Times Reported
5:09PM Officers arrested a non-affiliate with an open warrant from Manchester Township during a Traffic Safety Checkpoint conducted on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Warren Street. The driver was issued two summonses, processed and released with a new court date.
3
THE VECTOR
News
Week of October 31, 2021
Community Outreach: Food Drive By Department of Public Safety
During recent years, the Department of Public Safety has cultivated and expanded upon its Community Policing efforts to include charitable giving. The Community Policing Unit now has eight separate divisions including Student Life, Greek Life, Residence Life, Newark Neighbors, Traffic Division, ALICE Training, Federal Emergency Management Agency, New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness and the Detective Bureau. In 2019, The Newark Neighbors Division — at the forefront of the annual food drive — expanded to include a Junior Police Academy, which focuses on participation from middle schools, grades six through eight in the greater Newark area. All divisions focus on various events and initiatives, with community service at the pinnacle. This time of year, the divisions focus on the spirit of cheerful giving; and once again the Newark Neighbors Division is spearheading this gleeful and charitable initiative. In a joint effort for the last several years officers have distributed holiday food baskets throughout the Newark community and to the New Jersey Institute of Technology Campus Center Food
Pantry. This year, in addition to servicing campus, Public Safety is looking to work with the Salvation Army located at 45 Central Ave, Newark NJ to enhance outreach. It is important to continue fostering working relationships and partnerships with key members and organizations in the surrounding community. This year, the food drive will be open until Nov. 23, which is when the distribution will take place by officers of each division. There is a large bin in the lobby of Public Safety for the donations. The distribution includes the Campus Center Food Pantry, the Salvation Army and local churches. Public Safety is inviting our partners and leadership from Student Organizations Residence Life, Residence Hall Association, Student Senate and Fraternity and Sorority Life for their continued support in this joyous initiative as we approach the holiday season. As in previous years, undoubtedly the collaborative efforts between Public Safety and supportive student organizations have fostered a sense of esprit de corps and provided the formula to elevate a good event to a great and successful one!
NJIT’s Theatre Students Will Be “Chasing the Ghost” By Alicia Tedesco | Senior Staff Writer
“Kurt was a vlogger in the early days of YouTube, where he screamed about video games he hated. But he's left that behind him, finding a wife and keeping his character's anger in check. Until one night where he is visited by a shadow person... who won't stop tickling his feet.” NJIT’s Theatre Arts and Technology teased the 2021 fall play on its website. “Chasing the Ghost” was written by Ashley Lauren Rogers, an award-winning writer, and is directed by Janelle Zapata Castellano, a producer, director and actor as well as guest artist at NJIT. The play will take place in the Jim Wise Theater, Kupfrian Hall, from Nov. 10 to 13 at 7 p.m., as well as on Nov. 14 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 and can be pre-ordered online. Castellano and another theatre pro-
gram alum, Jazmyn Arroyo, founded the theatre company “Step1 Theatre Project” back in 2015. They both know Rogers because she submitted to be produced by their company during their first work. “We were so excited to put on her work!” Castellano remembered. After that, they continued to work together until Rogers invited Castellano to a reading of her new play “Chasing the Ghost” a few years ago, when she thought, “When I read it, the show had this school written all over it.” That’s why she decided to send the piece to NJIT’s Artistic Coordinator Louis Wells, hoping he would want to direct it. “Little did I know he would want to bring my company on board and us all as guest artists!” Castellano said. The play not only caught her attention because it reminded her of the theatre
program here, but especially because it asks the audience questions about accountability. “It makes you wonder about your own past and how it may affect your future,” she explained. At the same time, it encourages its viewers to be a little more empathic with the people you meet online. “Yeah, there’s a ghost tickling someone’s feet — that is funny,” she admitted. “But there is a lot of tragedy in this play.” Compared to last year, some things are working differently this year — mainly because of COVID-19. Auditions and rehearsals have been held with everyone wearing masks at all times; everyone is hand sanitizing, and the cast is physically distanced as much as possible. When creating the schedule, more time needed to be considered to be prepared for potential issues relating to COVID-19.
Castellano mentioned that they even came up with an emergency plan: filming rehearsals. The performances themselves will be without masks, which is why the cast and crew have to show up with a negative COVID-19 test. “That’s nerve wracking!” she admitted — and it’s also part of her biggest concerns: the health and safety of her collaborators. “We’re in a new world and we have to take care of each other and ourselves,” she said. Nevertheless, she is grateful to be able to present “great art on campus” thanks to vaccines and testing. “I am most excited about just presenting this show,” Castellano said. It’s a show told from a different point of view, just over an hour long. “But it really catches you by surprise,” she promised.
THE VECTOR
Features
Week of October 31, 2021
Club Spotlight
4
African Students Association
By Yukthi Sangoi | Managing Editor African Students Association is an organization that focuses on educating the NJIT community about African culture by hosting informative and cultural activities and events throughout the semester. The club has general body meetings biweekly on Wednesdays from 2:30 to 4 p.m. in Central King Building. These usually focus more on the educational aspects of the club; the events it hosts are much more social, while still incorporating informative components! The vice president of the club, Situ Amarvi, a third-year civil engineering major, explained that the association “pushes students to do things out of their comfort zone. It is always a learning experience with us and it’s great to expand one's knowledge on different cultures.” During events, the club allows attendees to meet African students as well as observe showcases of African culture. They also are times when students can destress and have fun with the activities presented! One such occasion was a talent show hosted and sponsored by African Students Association, Black Student Union and Society of Musical Arts on Oct. 22. Various acts and audience members gathered in the Campus Center Atrium to showcase and support the talent found in the NJIT community. Pedro Bandeira is a third-year civil engineering major and performed his latest song, “Americano,” at the show. It included singing, rapping and dancing with the Latino trap, Caribbean steelpan
and Brazilian funk beats. This was his first official performance of the song and it incorporated a blend of the melody with his favorite Brazilian song. “This act meant a lot to me because the performance allowed me to show a bit of Brazilian music and dance — a bit of my culture — in an ‘American fashion’: rapping in English while dancing the Brazilian way,” Bandeira, also artistically known as Pantta, said. “The most memorable part of the show for me was when the crowd went from silence to screaming ‘Pantta,’ especially when I started dancing.” First year construction engineering technology major Rebekah Kargbo performed three dances on a dance team. “The act I performed was heavily influenced by West African culture and afrobeat,” she explained. The show took place after many students finished taking midterm exams, as Kargbo did. She mentioned, “Being a part of the performance was a great way to relieve stress from exams and also show support for the NJIT community.” Tobiloba Fashae is a first-year industrial design major. He did an act of freestyle yoyo while music played in the background. Being part of this event helped him regain the exhilarating feeling of performing his favorite hobby in front of a crowd. Fashae said, “I wanted to do some extracurriculars on campus, as I haven't been super involved in any clubs
Photo by Sebastian Lopez yet. I think this event stood out as well because it was being held by AFSA and BSU, which are some of the organizations I want to be more involved with in the future, as it is nice to meet people with the same cultural background as me.” President of the club Linda Msinjili, a fourth-year biology major, expressed that “it was truly rewarding knowing that my team and I were able to create such an experience for all those people.” She also added, “[The Eboard] knew that amongst the people surrounding us, there is a vast majority of artists wishing to showcase their talent at minimal cost, and this is why we gave them a platform.” Some favorites of the show include the yoyo act, the NJIT African Dance
Team, the intermission dance-off and the musical performance of Montclair State University’s Native African Student Organization. The show was extremely well-received by its attendees. “Everyone was so respectful and supportive with all the presentations. This was the best event I have ever participated at NJIT, hands down. My African friends know how to put on a show without space for boredom!” Bandeira said. More events will be coming daily during the week of Nov. 15, which is African Students Association Week. Msinjili emphasized that students should stay tuned for their exciting plans! Feel free to reach out to African Students Association for more information through their email, njitafsa@gmail.com!
COLLECTIONS voices from around campus
Whats the craziest thing that's happened during in person class so far? "my cybersecurity professor taught us how to spoof fake emails and find security vulnerabilities in the njit website"
"Professor and students arguing with each other when the midterm average was in the 30s"
"a professor casually told us he met Beyoncé in an elevator"
"My professor fell "Wait, we're supposed asleep mid-lecture" to go to those?"
THE VECTOR
Week of October 31, 2021
Forte PIZZERIA
Campus Center Lobby 11AM - 8PM Mon. - Fri. 11AM - 5PM Saturday
5
THE VECTOR
Entertainment
Week of October 31, 2021
6
'DUNE: Part One' Review By Rushi Desai | Staff Writer Frank Herbert’s “Dune” has arguably been one of the most respected works in science fiction since its initial release in 1965. It has often been referred to as the “Lord of the Rings” of sci-fi. While that is a bit misleading in terms of the book’s content, it’s more “Game of Thrones” than “Lord of the Rings” story-wise. It is not misleading in terms of its place within the genre because it is essentially to the same level of influence. Another parallel to “Lord of the Rings” is how for many decades people felt the books were unadaptable after many failed attempts came, but eventually the stars aligned, and lightning was caught in a bottle with the advent of a perfect adaptation. And I want to emphasize the stars aligning element because “Dune” has not failed due to a lack of trying or a lack of talent. The first two attempts at adapting “Dune” to the big screen were done by arguably some of the greatest filmmakers of all time. The first in the 70s by Alejandro Jodorowsky, one of the great filmmakers in world cinema, and the second by America’s David Lynch, a known master of the surreal. Both were perfect choices for adapting “Dune,” but due to budgetary constraints and a lack of time, they failed to get off the ground or ended up a cobbled mess. The closest film to ever come to capturing “Dune” was with some visual elements of “Star Wars,” the most successful film franchise of all time, and that story did not even come close to capturing the density and nature of “Dune”; rather, it wore its aesthetic over a pulp serial. If anything, “Dune” fits more of what the “Star Wars” prequels were gunning for with the political nature, but fear not haters of those movies because the lackluster execution of those is not an issue. Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” is a film that was years into the making before he was ever hired for the movie. He expressed interest in adapting the series for years and actively made attempts at tackling large scale sci-fi with his previous works “Arrival” and “Blade Runner 2049” to properly prepare himself for this massive undertaking. I feel this preparation paid off as this is probably the most perfect adaptation of “Dune” I could ask for. I would say that it’s not for everybody due to how odd it can feel, but in an even more odd way, its focus on this vision does make me feel that there is a lot to easily latch onto for a general audience. “Dune” follows Paul Atreides, a gifted young man born with great potential, who has to travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to salvage the futures of his family and people. The only people who survive are ones who are
able to conquer their fears with all the forces working against them. The commitment displayed in the film is just staggering. The direction also has a way of making this slow and methodical story really grab your attention and there are a lot of bold filmmaking choices that really stand out due to their unique presentation. For being based on such an influential work, it feels remarkably fresh. I think a good part of that is due to the way Villeneuve chooses to tell the story. The visuals are breathtaking, and if you can, I would highly recommend watching this in an IMAX theater due to the scope and size being presented on display. I also rather like how, despite taking place on a desert planet, it oddly feels cold visually. The palette may not seem particularly varied, but the way the shots are composed and how light and color are used really makes it work. Black and white movies aren’t colorful either — which doesn’t mean they can’t look good. It’s honestly impressive how visually interesting this film is for something that’s mostly discussions and methodical world building and not a “Star Wars”like action spectacle. The movie is mostly setup, but the setup is so engrossing I can’t really complain. If you are looking for more plot in your blockbusters though, part two will certainly deliver on that front as the last third of this movie finally has the story kick into gear — and it’s thrilling. The acting is stellar across the board, as expected with the stellar cast. Timothée Chalamet does a great job as Paul, the protagonist, and really sells a lot of the emotional scenes while still feeling a bit odd and cold. He is very much what I envisioned when I read the books. In fact, everyone does a good job and adapts the character well, but I would like to draw specific attention to Jason Mamoa’s Duncan Idaho and Rebecca Fergusen’s Lady Jessica. Mamoa takes a very different approach to the character than the book does, but it works remarkably well as he’s able to provide warmth, charisma and relief to the movie that it would otherwise be lacking. Fergusen, however, completely steals the show and is the true star of the movie. I would not be surprised if she received award nods, as her performance is by far the best. The villain also does a very good job being this bizarre intimidating presence. In particular, the sound design on his voice is incredibly cool and unsettling. In many ways, this feels like what Nolan was trying to do for Bane’s voice in “The Dark Knight Rises.” Overall, this movie’s spectacle seems to achieve the
Photo by Warner Bros
heights that he has attempted to achieve.
part two.
Speaking of the sound design, it is overall top notch as is the score. Hans Zimmer knocks it out of the park again. If you don’t opt for the theater experience and watch it at home, please get a good surround sound system or listen to it with headphones because this element of the film is truly exceptional.
I should note, however, that Zendaya’s character, while being featured prominently in the promotional material, does not actually get introduced to the story until the end. Her character in the book does become a major character but that’s in part two. For this film, she’s mostly relegated to the visions Paul has, so if you’re watching the movie for her, prepare to be a bit disappointed, at least for now.
Now, I feel inclined to give a disclaimer that this movie is only half the story. When the movie ends, you will get that feeling of incompleteness because it really is incomplete. This is “Dune: Part One.” If you’ve ever seen “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One,” this movie gives off a similar feeling to that; or for a more apt comparison, there are “Empire Strikes Back” and “Fellowship of the Ring.” Both are good times, but there is clearly more to the story that will come out soon. Thankfully I can still recommend this movie as part two has already been announced. They did such a good job that I have no doubts that they will stick the landing when adapting
I’m honestly astounded this movie exists, especially in this form. I truly think this is going to be the 2020s “Lord of the Rings” because it doesn't feel like a blockbuster made to soak up money, but a bunch of talented people coming together and saying, "Let's do this influential work of art justice.” I can’t recommend “Dune” enough and I think it’s one of the best movies this year so far and I will definitely be re-watching it again very soon.
7
THE VECTOR
Entertainment
Week of October 31, 2021
'The Closer' Review By Rushi Desai | Staff Writer If you asked me a few years ago who my favorite comedian was, I’d probably say Dave Chappelle. Even to this day I think that his first two specials and his sketch show “Chappelle’s Show” hold up. I was super excited when he announced a new stand up special in 2017 after not releasing one since 2004 — and not making any recorded appearances since 2006. Unfortunately, the same magic he had back then just isn’t around anymore. I did think his first few specials upon returning were solid, not great, but solid. But each one has just been worse and worse, and his latest, and as he announced, final, special follows the trend. The main issue with his latest specials is an unfortunate issue with time. His new delivery style just isn’t even close to as funny as his original one, but unfortunately that can’t be helped. He’s not the young man he used to be and is just not capable of that bright springy energy his old material used to have. So instead, he tries to take a more slow, deliberate and dignified approach, and this also reflects in his attitude when delivering the material. Chappelle has done what many older comedians have unfortunately done: bought into his own bullshit. Throughout Chappelle’s career, the idea that comedians are modern day philosophers has been brought up a lot by people. This was likely due to the poignant social commentary that could often be found in the works of some starting with Lenny Bruce and followed by other acts such as Richard Pryor, George Carlin and Bill Hicks. It got to a point where people wouldn’t even watch the comedians for comedy but rather to hear them talk. This accelerated considerably in the 2010s with the works of Mike Birbiglia, who essentially blended his stand-up act with elements from spoken word and one-man stage shows. Chappelle, like many other greats in comedy, decided to adopt this new style of spoken word blended with stand-up into his act. While it was initially interesting to just hear Chappelle’s thoughts about stuff, especially after such a long absence, by the time of “The Closer”’s release, it’s just not interesting anymore. This is the sixth special since his return, and it is by far the one with the fewest jokes and the least amount to say. Chapelle’s earlier specials since his return still had quite a large number of jokes. They were told in a different style as compared to his previous stand-up work, specifically being a lot slower and deliberate when his early work was far more energetic and loose, but they were still jokes that were quite funny. Whenever he does tell jokes in “The Closer,” they are funny. The problem is there’s hardly any jokes. It’s mostly just him whining. I’ve seen people jokingly call specials like this and Hannah Gadsby’s “Nanette” ‘Ted Talks’ but quite frankly, actual Ted Talks tend to have more jokes. These specials are more like sermons. Speaking of “Nanette,” I feel this special is essentially “Nanette” but meant to appeal to people who hated “Nanette”. For those unfamiliar with “Nanette,”
it was a special done by Australian comedian Hannah Gadsby that received critical acclaim for deconstructing the art of stand-up comedy. Personally, I didn’t get this interpretation. It was an interesting watch, but it was far from revolutionary as it just followed along in the trend 2010s comedy had taken starting with the aforementioned Mike Birbiglia. Nanette is in the format of a one woman show, and one woman shows have existed for decades, it was just marketed and labeled as stand-up and thus treated as something different. Its message ultimately rang hollow when its success led to Gadsby continuing her career, despite ending the special saying she’s leaving comedy. That was the thesis statement — the entire thing was essentially saying comedy had no place nowadays and deconstructing the very nature and role comedy has in modern times, but she walked back on that theme immediately. I feel Chappelle is likely to do the same thing. As mentioned before, he said “The Closer” was going to be his final statement and that this was his final special. However, shortly after the release of this special, he released more clips of him at shows responding to the criticism. It’s just puffing up your chest and trying to sound important but without ever committing to the actual point expressed. In the special he claims “Twitter ain’t real” and that he’s unaffected by the criticisms, but then proceeded to demonstrate almost as soon as the special dropped the contrary with his responses to the critique. I think a big problem with almost every discussion of popular modern stand-up specials is that whenever you ask the question “but was it funny?” Nobody ever gives a clear answer. They talk about how important the message is but not whether it was an effective piece of comedic entertainment. Quite frankly, deconstruction is an incredibly shallow lens to view art. That’s positioning the art relative to its space in a medium rather than viewing it on its own terms. A good deconstruction should have value outside of its role in comedy. Due to the Chappelle special taking on a more edgy, non-politically-correct angle people are praising him purely because of those optics and how it’s different relative to other specials, but that’s not a statement on the actual quality. That’s just another cog in a never-ending culture war That’s not even getting into where the controversy of the special began: his comments on the trans community. Every single special since he returned has mentioned the trans community, and each time he increasingly drops pretenses and stops cracking jokes. In this special he just makes long statements and not a single member of the audience laughs, because he doesn’t even bother to be comedic. His bravado that the criticism doesn’t bother him also rings hollow as this has been an ongoing thing across six specials. He has been criticized before without addressing anything in his specials, but now he feels the need to respond to the critique. It comes off as him being jealous of the strides the
Photo by Netflix
LGBTQA+ community has made over the decade and a bitterness over the lack of progress in race relations. What’s truly bizarre is how he fails to recognize what people’s criticisms of him are, considering one of the reasons he left comedy in the first place was because he didn’t like how people reacted to a racial sketch. He felt they were laughing for the wrong reasons. More specifically, he felt they were laughing at him and not with him. Well, he’s back and making those same jokes he made before, just about the trans community instead of race. You can’t say that Chappelle’s comments are just jokes, because not even the comedian himself believes that. If he did, then he would’ve never left all those years ago. His constant prodding of the news and media also feels like a desperate ploy to drum up attention, something entirely unnecessary due to his existing clout, which again reeks of insecurity. It’s sad seeing a comedian that was so sharp and nuanced essentially relying on cheap shock. It’s like watching someone rip off Chappelle rather than actually being him — like a cheap adult cartoon that’s imitating South Park without even getting a fraction of what made that show successful. The most disappointing part is that he is still funny. Whenever he cracks a joke it’s funny, but he hardly ever makes a joke in this special. It’s just the ramblings of a boomer comedian upset that the world is no longer serving him like it used to, despite him having a massive platform and being paid eight figures. It’s also interesting seeing how his return was well-received for the first few specials, but the second he got negative press for “Sticks and Stones” the following specials began feeling a lot more defensive and a lot less playful. He didn’t even come off bigoted in his previous specials but in this one he does. When he talks about his own trans friend it wavers between feeling sincere and feeling like he’s using the name of a dead trans woman to protect his own image Insincerity just reeks from ”The Closer,” and it’s because Chappelle relied on sarcasm instead of telling actual jokes. Conversation surrounding the special has also been a mess, as there seems
to be multiple different ones that are all arguing different things. The most common one is the one that surrounds everything controversial in comedy: arguing what can and can’t be said and the nature of punching up and down. I feel, however, that this conversation does not apply because as stated before, he wasn’t even making jokes about the trans community. He was making a statement. He wasn’t trying to make anyone laugh. At best he would sprinkle in light conversational sarcasm, but that hardly constitutes a joke. It’s like he’s still trying to make his lectures comedic, but he doesn’t commit to actually telling jokes, so it just comes off as a sarcastic dismissive asshole. This also unfortunately leads to another side effect because some of his comments are at least interesting but because of this half joking, noncommittal delivery. it just undercuts any value that can be pulled from it. There’s this paradox going on where Chappelle clearly understands and has a few astute observations, but there is a bitterness over the traction the movement has gotten. He’s comparing the oppressions of race and gender like they’re rival sports teams I’m not sure if I’d say he’s transphobic and I’m not sure I should or can even make that judgement; he clearly cares and has a deeper understanding than I think people are giving him credit for, but his sloppy delivery, lack of interest in tackling it seriously or comically and underlying bitterness completely muddies any message that could’ve been said. I want to end this review with a statement said by the late great Norm MacDonald that stand-ups should hunt for laughter, not applause. Unfortunately, it seems that Chappelle has forgotten to hunt for laughter and is instead gunning for applause, and unfortunately from the very same audience that he seemingly abandoned comedy because of. It’s not good entertainment, and it’s not a particularly effective or profound spoken word. It’s just a muddy mess.
THE VECTOR
Entertainment
Week of October 31, 2021
Horoscopes
Do You Even Sudoku?
By An Anonymous Aquarius with an Affinity for Astrology
ARIES
TAURUS
GEMINI
Fiery Aries is a cardinal sign, which is characterized as assertive and commanding.
Earthy Taurus is a fixed sign, which is characterized as focused and determined.
Airy Gemini is a mutable sign, which is characterized as flexible and adaptable.
CANCER
LEO
VIRGO
Watery Cancer is a cardinal sign, which is characterized as assertive and commanding.
Fiery Leo is a fixed sign, which is characterized as focused and determined.
Earthy Virgo is a mutable sign, which is characterized as flexible and adaptable.
LIBRA
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
Airy Libra is a cardinal sign, which is characterized as assertive and commanding.
Watery Scorpio is a fixed sign, which is characterized as focused and determined.
Fiery Sagittarius is a mutable sign, which is characterized as flexible and adaptable.
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
Earthy Capricorn is a cardinal sign, Airy Aquarius is a fixed sign, which is which is characterized as assertive characterized as focused and deterand commanding. mined.
8
EASY
MEDIUM
PISCES Watery Pisces is a mutable sign, which is characterized as flexible and adaptable.
HARD
Comic
EVIL
By Sreya Das
Crossword Crossword credited to onlinecrosswords.net
Tweet @TheNJITVector a photo of your completed crossword puzzle (only if you can solve it, though)! Across 1. Sudden fancy 5. Dove calls 9. Pie nut 14. I, as in Ithaca 15. Part to play 16. Stan's partner 17. "Keep it short!" 20. Slinky shape 21. Beats it 22. Big name in light verse 25. Diviner's need 26. RR stop
29. Cattle calls 31. Broadway Joe of football 36. Trims, as a budget 39. PC shortcut 40. In __ (soon) 41. Did undercover work 43. Small combo 44. Welcome forecast 46. Be the leader of 48. Cowardly 50. Writer Ferber 51. Stallone, to pals
52. "Gotcha!" 54. Kobe cash 55. Tree maven 60. Fall birthstones 65. Is rewarded for good planning 68. "Sound of Music" heroine 69. Bow-toting god 70. Byline feature 71. Unwelcome forecast 72. X marks it 73. Sketched
Down 1. Birthday thought 2. Crosby's "Road" partner 3. Slanted type: Abbr. 4. County north of San Francisco 5. PC screen 6. "I'm impressed!" 7. Cassini of fashion 8. Passover feast 9. 1945 summit site 10. Mideast airline 11. Adman's award 12. Has a bug 13. Hornet's home 18. Midterms, e.g.
19. School since 1440 23. Adds turf to 24. B-ball 26. In la-la land 27. Set aside 28. "The Tempest" character 30. Rip off 32. SAT portion 33. Farm units 34. Error's partner 35. Type of sweatshirt 37. Catchall abbr. 38. Underprivileged 42. Bohr or Borge 45. Threatens, as a lion
47. Talked too much 49. Tiny amount 53. Hibachi residue 55. Treaty subject 56. Bona fide 57. Undecorated 58. Mayberry tyke 59. Maryland collegian 61. Remain unsettled 62. Way out there 63. Drink garnish 64. Meat-and-potatoes dish 66. Critical cry 67. Garage fig.