Oak Leaf Spring 2017 Issue 3

Page 1

The Santa Rosa Junior College Newspaper

Oak

The

www.theoakleafnews.com

March 13, 2017

Leaf

Volume CXXXVII, Issue III

Classic Italian play with modern twist Grant Wetmore Opinion Editor

Islamophobia on the rise Chris Ludlow & James Wyatt Co-News Editor & Co-Editor-in-Chief Additional reporting by Simon Isaksson The best way to break stigmas is education. Accordingly, Santa Rosa Junior College hosted a seminar March 8 on the growing issue of fear towards Islam in the United States. The seminar, titled “Islamophobia: Islam in the American Imagination” and led by author May Kosba, came in response to President Donald Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric and the rise of hate crimes against Muslims in this country. In 2015, the FBI reported a 67 percent

increase in hate crimes against Muslims than the previous year. “Now seems like a great time to have a discussion. I think it increases the amount of information there is for people to use to understand what Islam is all about,” said Jaime Wright, SRJC sociology instructor and organizer of the event. “With the current administration it has just reached a fever pitch, and Islamophobia is driving so much of our policy in our national conversation.” From the beginning of his campaign and continuing into his presidency, Trump’s rhetoric has played a part in the growing issue of Islamophobia. One remark, which received heavy criticism came during his presidential campaign after the 2015 terrorist attack in San Bernardino. Trump said, “Donald J. Trump is

Environmental ignorance: Chris Ludlow Co-News Editor

Opinion If the United States is meant to represent liberty, democracy and freedom, then why are private oil corporations able to hold influence on government positions of power? In the century since climate change was theorized in 1896, very little has been done to reverse the harmful effects humanity has inflicted on the planet despite recent advances in renewable energy and clean transportation. Unfortunately, environmental protection in the U.S. is now on the verge of a large step backwards due to the rolling back of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) protections. President Donald Trump’s stance on climate change and the powerful lobbying of the coal industry has already resulted in budget cuts to federal environmental and climate agencies.

Follow us on Instagram

While Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, the former CEO of ExxonMobil, who retired from his position just weeks before Trump’s inauguration, may be the most blatant example of oil interests in government. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt is just one of many politicians who has used his influence to aid the coal industry. A New York Times investigation from 2014 discovered that energy lobbyists had drafted letters for Pruitt when he was attorney general of Oklahoma. Pruitt sent these letters to the EPA, the Interior Department, the Office of Management and Budget and President Barack Obama. The letters took a hard-line pro-energy view that emphasized the economic hardship caused by environmental laws. So why do private oil corporations hold such a large influence over our government? Politicians are elected to represent the people, their people. Pruitt’s actions show his inability or unwillingness to work for the interests of the people, instead fighting for the economic benefit

Like facebook Follow usus onon twitter

Find more online: OakLeafNews OakleafNews SRJCOakleaf @SROakleaf

calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what the hell is going on.” Because of Trump’s aggressive tone toward Islam and his policies directed towards Muslims, specifically the infamous travel ban, some Muslim students at SRJC feel targeted. “I feel uncomfortable, for sure. If I make a mistake, blame me and not Islam. We are all doing mistakes. Don’t generalize and don’t target a specific religion or a specific community,” said Mahmoud, an international student from Egypt. “Every time I hear a speech from President Trump, he is always targeting our religion, accusing us of terrorism.” Continues on page 2. . .

Big Oil controls Trump’s America of an industry that is unapologetically destroying the earth. Despite overwhelming evidence of climate change, one-third of seats in Congress are now held by politicians that deny the existence of climate change caused by humans according to a study from the Center for American Progress, a nonpartisan progressive public policy research group. At this rate, the environmental legacy of the new administration will be highlighted by a complete lack of understanding of the underlying science and an agenda that spreads misinformation. In a troublingly ignorant statement coming from the head of the EPA, Pruitt said this month that he does not believe carbon dioxide is a primary contributor to climate change. To some, false statements like this may seem harmless. But when these statements come from the person that controls environmental protection in our country, they come with devastating consequences.

Check outInstagram our website: Follow us on

Continues on page 4. . .

Like us on facebook

Theoakleafnews.com OakLeafNews www.theoakleafnews.com

SRJCOakleaf

“The Servant of Two Master’s” can be summed up as pure comedy. Every tried and true trick in the joke book is in this classic play. You’ll see slapstick, innuendos and misunderstandings galore. And it can’t be a comedy without a wedding! The play is a modern adaptation of Carlo Goldoni’s 18th century performance. It follows the story of Truffaldino who, as the title of the show suggests, is a servant who winds up with two masters at the same time. However, the plot gets a little Shakespearian from here on out. You see, there is this couple who wants to get married but the bride-to-be’s ex-fiance comes back from the dead but it’s not really him. One of Truffaldino’s masters is actually a woman in disguise, and the other master is looking for said woman. It’s all very confusing trying to summarize it up in a couple sentences. But don’t worry, every time an important plot point comes up, a woman will come on stage holding a big sign that says “Exposition”. Just pay attention when you see her and keep your playbill handy, and you’ll be fine. Everything about the play is a glorious mashup of physical and verbal humor. It’s like the script was co-written by the Three Stooges and the Marx brothers and performed by a “family friendly” Deadpool. The show starts out like a train: slow at first, but as the cast and audience gets warmed up, it’s non-stop laughter till the very end. One scene that brought the house down was when one of the characters, Clarice, “forgets” her lines during a crucial moment. This causes the stage manager to come out with a piece of paper saying he is mute. What follows is the stage manager flailing and jumping around stage in a game of charades as the cast try to decipher Clarice’s lines. When they finally get it, the stage manager lets out a long and loud “Yay!”. What sets “The Servant of Two Masters” apart from other plays is the acrobatics spread throughout the entire performance. The show has more than it’s fair share of flips and tricks. Not to mention a generous helping of butt slaps and kicks. A scene where these artful stunts showcased perfectly is when Truffaldino has to wait on both his masters simultaneously. Truffaldino and two waiters prance about the stage running through doors, running into doors and juggling meatballs. The scene finishes with Truffaldino getting hit with two cream pies. And that’s all before the intermission. The play may not be timeless, it is certainly adaptable. The story originally takes place in Renaissance Venice, but is the brilliantly modernized for today’s audience with just the right amount of lewdness and breaking the fourth wall. In one instance, Truffaldino asks Brighella, the innkeeper, for directions to the inn. Brighella proceeds to tell Truffaldino instructions on how to exit the auditorium and how to get to Snoopy’s Home Ice and finishes by saying “If you reach downtown Forestville, you’ve gone too far.” When Truffaldino asks him to repeat these directions, Brighella simply tells him to exit stage right. “The Servant of Two Masters” is masterfully done. The theatre department did an excellent job with set and costume design. The characters and their antics are hilarious. If you can spare the price for admission, go support this fantastic play.

OakleafNews

Check out our website: Follow us on twitter

@theoakleafnews

Fo

www.theoakleafnews.c @SROakleaf S


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.