The Wake, Issue 2, Fall 2015

SMELLS OF FALL

CHANGING TRAJECTORY

// PG. 9

PG. 13 //

WHAT A SLIME TO BE ALIVE

WHICH POPE ARE YOU? // PG. 10

PG. 21 //

VOLUME 15, ISSUE 2 // OCT 19–NOV 1

Works by Abbi A. Allan and Lindsey Kahn October 7–October 30 | Art Opening: Friday October 8, 6–8pm

Abbi A. Allan Lindsey Kahn

arts

FALL 2015 EXHIBITIONS

culture AT THE LARSON ART GALLERY

ST. PAUL STUDENT CENTER • LOWER LEVEL

sua.umn.edu

VOLUME 15, ISSUE 2 MINIMUM WAGE DEBATE // PG. 5

CHANGING TRAJECTORY // PG. 13

SMELLS OF FALL // PG. 9

JUG BAND HOKUM // PG. 16

WHICH POPE ARE YOU? // PG. 10

WHAT A SLIME TO BE ALIVE // PG. 21

EDITORIAL: Sound & Vision Editors Peter Diamond Shawnna Stennes

Editor-in-Chief Grace Birnstengel Managing Editor Lauren Cutshall

Art Directors Lizzie Goncharova Max Smith

Cities Editor Kevin Beckman

Copy Editors Alex Van Abbema Joe Rush

Voices Editor Kayla McCombs

Editorial Interns Emma Klingler Sally Samaha Olivia Heusinkveld Carson Kaskel Faculty Advisor Chelsea Reynolds

PRODUCTION: Executive Director Kelcie McKenney Head Designer Becca Sugden Graphic Designers Caleb Vanden Boom Kate Doyle Olivia Novotny Web Manager Carter Gruss

Public Relations/ Advertising Manager Sara Erickson Social Media Manager Abby Richardson Finance Manager Nels Haugen Distributors Abigail Rommel Sam Gunderson

PR Interns Jenna Ogle Photography Interns Jenna Pimental Juliet Laske Kellen Renstrom Illustration Interns Breanna Vick Aaron Musickant

We’re well into our fall semester now, and as we enjoy colorful leaves, crisp air, and eagerness for upcoming holidays, here at The Wake we also are celebrating the changes in life.

THIS ISSUE: Photographers Kelcie McKenney, Kellen Renstrom, Juliet Laske

Whether you’re a freshman new to the University figuring out how you fit in, a senior getting ready to face graduation and the future after it, or someone in the middle simply looking to make this year great, embrace the present and look forward to change this fall.

Illustrators Lizzie Goncharova, Aaron Musickant, Max Smith, Breanna Vick Contributing Writers Kevin Beckman, Kayla McCombs, Kelcie McKenney, Logan Carroll, Annalise Gall, Alex Van Abeema, Claire Becker, Aaron Job, Jenna Ogle, Kourtney Kell, Emma Klingler, Lianna Matt, Shawnna Stennes, Carson Kaskel, Kayla Song, Emily Hill, Olivia Heusinkveld, Colin Miller, Sally Samaha, Olivia Johnson, Karl R. Witkowiak, Peter Diamond ©2015 The Wake Student Magazine.

All Rights Reserved.

Established in 2002, The Wake is a fortnightly independent magazine and registered student organization produced by and for students at the University of Minnesota.

The Wake was founded by Chrin Ruen & James DeLong.

Disclaimer:The purpose of The Wake is to provide a forum in which students can voice their opinions. Opinions expressed in the magazine are not representative of the publication or university as a whole. To join the conversation email gbirnstengel@wakemag.org.

LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR

The Wake Student Magazine 126 Coffman Memorial Union 300 Washington Avenue SE Minneapolis, MN 55455 www.wakemag.org facebook.com/ thewakemagazine @the_wake wake-mag.tumblr.com

Right now, enjoy what the season has to offer. Check out the lineup of upcoming fall TV shows by Olivia Heusinkveld on page 20, read Jenna Ogle’s reflection of the smells of fall on page 9, and on page 22 catch up on Sally Samaha and Juliet Laske’s fall fashion trends.

It may seem early in the year to think about what’s ahead, but it will fly by before you know it. College is one step in the journey of life—cheesy, yes, but true—and facing the changes that come with it are part of the excitement. Whether it’s a change of mind, a change of pace, a renewed and refreshed outlook, or a changing of the direction you’re headed, be excited for what tomorrow will bring. Learn from the past, take part in the present, and embrace the future. What better time to start than now?

Kelcie McKenney Executive Director

FALL SNAX 4 T HE HE ALT H CON SCIOU S

Always Swipe Left If...

Obviously, everybody’s Tinder standards are different. What may be a right-swipe for one could be such a hard left-swipe for another —so hard they sprain their thumb executing the motion.

There are some things, however, that should be universally considered grounds for a hesitationfree swipe to the left. Here are a few:

BY KEVIN BECKMAN • • • • • • • •

Mugshot from last DUI arrest Chipotle bathroom selfies Oliver Twist cosplay Mom? Different sized pupils For the love of God, clean your room Whose kid is that?

Is that a gun on the floor?

BY KAYLA MCCOMBS

BY KELCIE MCKENNEY

Guy flanked by two girls Blurry gym selfie Self-proclaimed “nice guy” Sexist joke in profile intended to hide inferiority complex Alcohol is the star of the picture Which one are you? I’m too lazy to figure it out The dog/cat/bird/other human in the picture looks like it was forced to be there • A cigar • • • • • • •

CRUNCHY, SPICY, KALE CHIPS When your stomach starts to rumble for something greasy, reach instead for this easy snack of crunchy, spicy kale chips— a fall recipe that’s easier than you think.

You need: 1 bunch fresh kale | 1 tbsp olive oil | 1 tsp salt | 1 tsp pepper 1 tsp oregano | 1 tsp paprika | 1 tsp ground red pepper | 2 tsp garlic powder | ¼ cup shredded cheese (substitute vegan if desired) | Medium sized bowl | Baking sheet | Aluminum foil

14% 29% 19% 38% Beer cheese soup

4 // OCT 19–NOV 1

Pumpkin spice latte, with whip

Pizza roll and bagel bite

Campfire s’mores

K ELCIE M CKENNEY

W hat beer infusion do you wish was legit?

OLI VI A NOVOTNY

MA X SMI TH

1. Preheat oven to 400° F. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil to prevent chips from sticking 2. If the kale isn’t already cut up, rip or cut it into chip-sized pieces. In a medium sized bowl, combine the kale and olive oil, mixing thoroughly to evenly coat each leaf.

3. Once coated, spread the kale across the lined baking sheet in a single layer.

4. Mix your collection of dried spices—including the salt, pepper, oregano, paprika, ground red pepper, and garlic powder— before sprinkling the mixture evenly over the kale.

5. Finish by sprinkling desired amount of shredded cheese over the kale, then place in the over to cook for 10-15 minutes or until the leaves appear crispy.

6. Remove your now crunchy kale chips and enjoy! Best served hot.

THE WAKE // CITIES

How Do We Distribute The Wealth We Create?

The minimum wage debate continues in Minneapolis

BY LOGAL CARROLL The Minneapolis City Council voted 10-3 to allocate $150,000 to study a minimum wage increase on Sept. 25. The formal request is for an evaluation of the “effects and implications of both a $12 minimum wage phased in over five years and a $15 minimum wage, phased in over five years. Further, [the consultant will] study the effects of the minimum wage in Minneapolis, and separately in Hennepin and Ramsey Counties, once it is annually indexed to inflation.”

“Cities are subject to the ordinances and laws of the state,” Barb Johnson, the city council president and one of the three “no” votes said. “Do we have the authority to act in an area that the state has already acted on? We have roads in Minneapolis but we can’t set speed limits or load limits.”“We have talked to top legal experts in the state, city attorneys, and others,” Ty Moore, organizing director for “15 Now Minnesota” and an advocate for a $15 minimum wage said. “There is nothing in state law preventing it.”

The study is part of a larger fight over labor rights in Minneapolis. The Working Families Agenda Proposals would guarantee workers in Minneapolis the ability to accrue sick time and require employers to schedule their employees 28 days in advance. A local CBS affiliate,WCCO, covered a south Minneapolis meeting between city officials and small business owners about the proposals.

WCCO called the meeting “a shouting match.”

MA X S MI T H

This might sound boring to you, but some people are screaming about it.

According to Johnson, her constituents have been quiet about the minimum wage and the proposals, but some employers and employees disagree with them. “I have heard people say they like flexibility,” she said. “A few small businesses have called to say they’re concerned about their struggles today to pay employees.”

Moore said his organization doesn’t ignore small business concerns. “We favor a slow implementation for small businesses.” 15 Now works exclusively on the minimum wage, but supports the Working Families Agenda Proposals. “Studies across the country indicate tax revenue and jobs increase when the minimum wage increases,” he said.

Objective data is hard to come by, however. When the Seattle City Council voted to raise the minimum wage, it also commissioned the University of Washington to study impacts as they developed. The first stage of their wage hike was implemented just six months ago, raising the minimum wage to $11 per hour. Researchers will not begin their study in full until 2022, when the minimum wage becomes $15 per hour.

One study by the University of Texas shows that the minimum wage does not impact employment rates or business viability, but there are strong caveats. The study compared adjacent counties that sat in states with different minimum wages. The study did not show businesses to flee wen masse across county lines. But what would happen in Minneapolis?

As Johnson points out, Minneapolis is unique. There is another major metro area ten miles away from downtown Minneapolis, and “Bloomington is a major economic engine in this region,” she said. “It’s really important that we understand the implications of what we’re proposing.We don’t want to get out of sync with the people around us.”

Moore calls this stance “disingenuous” (Johnson voted against the study), and accused Johnson of catering to “the people who finance her campaigns: Target, the Downtown Council, and the chamber of commerce.”

For both sides, the question is simple.They just disagree on what that question is. For Moore, it’s: “How do we distribute the wealth we create?”

“We have the highest concentration of fortune 500 companies per capita in the U.S.,” he said. “Yet we face similar levels of inequality as the whole nation, and the gap between African American households and the rest of the population is the highest in the country. “ “Who are we doing this for?” is Johnson’s question. “Seventy-five percent of people working in Minneapolis live outside Minneapolis,” she said. “We have to balance what is in the economic interest of everybody in this city,” she answered.

WAKEMAG.ORG // 5

THE WAKE // CITIES

“You’re in a Room Full of Addicts!”

An overview of Professor Reuben Miller’s talk on prisoner reentry, with thoughts about how the “most incarcerated nation” needs to address disparities in confinement

// The hard facts are that

BY ANNALISE GALL “You’re having a terrible time, [and this is because you find] that the country which is your birthplace and to which your life and identity has not, in its whole system of reality, evolved any place for you.”

P H OTO C OURTES Y OF SS W@UMN. EDU

Professor Reuben Miller of the University of Michigan opened his Sociology Workshop talk this past last Tuesday by quoting James Baldwin’s article “The American Dream and the American Negro.” Focusing on prisoner reentry in America, Miller addressed the intrinsic geographic, racial, and economic factors that make reentry so difficult for so many people.

6 // OCT 19–NOV 1

the same people are being incarcerated, and the same people

Miller’s talk, “You’re in a Room Full of Addicts! Prisoner reentry and the‘‘making up’’ of the ‘‘ex-offender’’”, was motivated by his time as a volunteer chaplain at Cook County Jail in Chicago, the largest single-site jail in the United States. With a background in psychology, Miller took up social work in order to be a better chaplain. Studying social work raised broader, sociological questions, getting him thinking about the underlying characteristics of the prisoners.

He believes prisons are understudied, and to understand them we must rethink the extent of the problem, rethink our scope of the problem, and think about who this group its.

finally time to be discharged.

There is a recidivism rate of 77 percent of prisoners being rearrested within 5 years, each with an average of 10 arrests. This means that if you fall under the category of “minority male”, not only can you count on this happening to you, but you can count on it happening to you repeatedly.

are finding it impossible to

//

successfully reenter society.

“We live in strange and marvelous times,” Miller said, referring to our contradictory attitudes towards incarceration. On one hand, we are obsessed with shows such as “Orange is the New Black”, and laugh at morbid prison-rape-jokes. On the other hand, we have “moments of sobriety and deep introspection” when viewing such displays such as the Michael Brown art exhibit in Chicago. How it is that we can at the same time poke fun at such serious issues of repression and feel so intensely about them, yet not do enough to address its problems? The hard facts are that the same people are being incarcerated, and the same people are finding it impossible to successfully reenter society.

This is based,overwhelmingly, on superficial demographics.

Caught in this cycle of confinement are principally black and Latino males.The same geographical and structural racism that so frequently gives these communities the underhand, leading them to prison to start with, is found unfaltering when it is

Miller said prisoner reentry should be thought of as a social institution, Miller said, with reentry organizations steering the wheel. The ‘‘who’’ and ‘‘where’’ of release is incredibly important——in Chicago, prisoners are reentered into very specific and concentrated communities, ones that look exactly like those where the prisoners originally came from.The ““community is where the action is.;””Sservices get put where services need to be. However, this is highly conducive to replicating the same social conditions, and resulting in further incarceration. In order to see success as a reentry program rather than reproduction, there are some steps that must be followed.

Most reentry programs employ services in social and life skills, employment readiness training, and drug treatment, which are all great things.;Hhowever, the key is to make it into human capital investment. “If I invest in your skill set, you will be able to lift yourself out of poverty,” Miller said, describing it as a “preschool model”. The interactions between group leaders and members in reentry services matter, as these connections are what former prisoners internalize as their classification. In short, do not only tell them they matter, but teach them how to matter—and society will find that they do.

THE WAKE // CITIES

Reporting Sexual Assult is the First Step to Healing

Most rapists get off without prison time because reports aren’t filed

According to the Rape Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), two out of every 100 rapists will serve time. An average of 68 percent of sexual assaults go unreported to police, which is one reason that most rapists don’t face criminal charges.

A victim can report a situation of sexual violence to the Aurora Center on campus. When it comes to actually reporting sexual assault, the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action (EOAA) investigates these reports.

According to RAINN, a recent survey of 150,000 students at 27 universities found that 11.7 percent of students reported experiencing “non consensual penetration or sexual touching by force or incapacitation” since starting college.

According to Kim Hewitt, the director of the EOAA, the office sets up a meeting with the reporter, listens to their story, and checks any footage, text messages, or emails. The EOAA writes a report and sends it to the student conduct office who then decides what the next step should be.

Of the 32 reports out of 100 that do get filed, seven typically result in an arrest. Generally, law enforcement chooses not to move forward with a case for a few reasons: They may have encountered challenges proving the case due to a lack of evidence, an inability to identify the perpetrator, or other factors.

According to the University of Minnesota’s administrative procedure on sexual assault, any University employee who has been sexual assaulted should contact the police department right away. Timely reporting and a medical examination within 120 hours is critical in getting evidence of a sexual assault.

L I Z Z I E GO NC H AROVA

BY ALEX VAN ABEMMA

Many perpetrators of sexual assault tend to be repeat offenders.When a victim reports a sexual assault or abuse, they are increasing the chances that the one responsible will face consequences for the crime.

About two-thirds of victims actually know the perpetrator, so it can be unnerving for them to actually report them to police.

“Many people report and decide they don’t want to go through with the investigation process,” Hewitt said. “It takes a lot of courage.” Filing a report isn’t easy, but it’s first step to justice, and perhaps further peace for the victim.

Are You a Bad Recycler?

The truth about items of dubious recyclability

BY CLAIRE BECKER

Imagine you’ve just finished a fruit punch flavored juice box.The juice was exceptional, and you are happy to have ingested it. Now, however, you are faced with a conundrum: What do you do with your empty juice box? You’re a good person. You care about the environment. Ideally, you would like to recycle this box.You just aren’t sure if juice boxes are recyclable.

As you walk towards the waste collection cans, you mull this over in your head. “This box is made out of paper, which is recyclable, therefore this box must also be recyclable,” you think, logically. “But there is wax/plastic coating on the box, the recyclability of which is unknown to me,” you say to yourself. You are now conflicted. You shake your fist violently in the air. “Why me?” you shout to the heavens. You finally reach the waste cans—the moment of truth. In the end, you decide it’s best to recycle the juice box.You don’t want to be wasteful and you figure the people at the recycling plant will probably sort through the waste anyway.

MAX S MI TH

Regrettably, you made a mistake. However, there is no need to fret—you have simply fallen victim to a common phenomenon in which good, eco-conscious people recycle things that ought not to be recycled because they think they can be recycled. Just like you did with your hypothetical juice box. As it turns out, juice boxes are not recyclable.

According to Waste Management, juice boxes (as well as plastic lids, plastic bags, and plastic cups) “contain more than one type of plastic resin and can jam recycling equipment.” Among the other items you can’t toss in that big green bin are: glass mirrors, foam cups, materials that contain food or food remnants, wet or damp paper, pizza boxes, used paper towels, and heavily dyed paper. Recycling any of the above products can result in damaged equipment, and cause problems for nice people.You wouldn’t want to cause problems for nice people, would you?

Next time you have a juice box, go ahead and toss that sucker in the trash bin. You’re still a good, eco-friendly person, I promise.

WAKEMAG.ORG // 7

THE WAKE // CITIES

AARO N MUS I C KANT

There’s Water on Mars, but what about printers controlled by balloons?

Solar Crafting changes how we think about space

BY AARON JOB Leah Fett and Derek Mathers of Atlanta are two of the masterminds behind “Solar Crafting,” a robotics solution capable of 3D printing habitats for astronauts on the surface of Mars.The project uses a balloon to 3D print habitats on the Red Planet. Pretty damn rad.

The two recently travelled to New York as finalists for a competition called the “3D Printed Habitat Challenge,” put on by NASA and America Makes: Thirty finalists, one day, and the chance to take home $50,000. Sounds like the set-up for a cheesy coming of age, campy Disney movie.

// Thanks to the dawning age of 3D printing, creating habitats on

//

Mars is a viable possibility.

Fett and Mathers’ idea was of a team of robots, put on the surface by a landing vehicle.The construction hat-toting robots would begin clearing the area, while “MissionBots” set up the “LassoBots,” who would control the solar powered balloon. During this time, “MiningBots” could start gathering the regolith surrounding them.This will be made into the resin that the 3D printing machine will use to create the dome, which houses the central living module.

With Mathers’ exterior construction and engineering completed, Fett (an architect) was able to design the floor plans and render graphics depicting what life inside the capsules might be like.The goal of the project was to design a habitat that people could live in for two years in the cheapest and most efficient way possible. Quiet spaces inside the capsule are designed for people to get away from others and have a unique area in the Martian mobile trailer.

All materials inside were selected with their weight, durability, and cost in mind, while ensuring a comfortable area for four astronauts to abide.

Thanks to the dawning age of 3D printing, creating habitats on Mars is a viable possibility. More encouraging still is the fact that NASA is funding competitions such as these. It creates excitement about what’s to come for humankind.

Maybe Star Wars’ infamous Cantina Scene isn’t so far away after all.

8 // OCT 19–NOV 1

KE L L E N R E NS T RO M

THE WAKE // VOICES

Smells of Fall

The most nostalgic time of the year

BY JENNA OGLE

// Potpourri and pumpkin spice candles are bought in an effort to capture the essence of fond memories.

//

You can never return to a place in time, but our sense of smell can take us back to a memory we may have forgot existed. For me, fall has always been a time of both reflection and new beginnings. Every year starts the same–the woody smell of sharpened pencils, blank notebooks, and the unwavering sense that something new is upon us.

This year, the transitional season feels more real than ever.

There is a for-sale sign staked in my house of eleven years.

My Bernese Mountain dog perches in the front yard. The leaves are brightly on display, as they were on the day we first moved in. It is empty, except for moving boxes, but every now and then I catch the scent of the previous owner’s spice cabinet, savory and potent all at once.

It is the familiarity of these scents that guide me even as times are changing. I know I am not the only one whose nostalgia leads them to purchase seasonal scents. Potpourri and pumpkin spice candles are bought in an effort to capture the essence of fond memories. When the leaves turn color and the air frigid, it’s important to hold on to these feelings. Fall is a season of change and not everyone adapts smoothly. When I walk into my new house, the chemical scent of fresh paint will not be a warm greeting. Yet, once I help my mom bake apple crisp in our new kitchen, all will be familiar again. Besides, the best part of new seasons are new possibilities.

I often wonder what my family will leave behind in memory. I know the new homeowners will soon experience the familiar, earthy smell of raking leaves contrasted with the crisp chill in the air. Then, there is the smokiness of a bonfire, offset by dampened wood from an autumn rain. These scents will leave the new owners with their own implications. For me, it will always be helping my mom bake apple crisp, getting ready with friends for high school football games, and the rainy nights watching horror movies with my dad and carving pumpkins, reserving the seeds for roasting.

WAKEMAG.ORG // 9

THE WAKE // VOICES

Which Pope Are You Based on Your Zodiac Sign?

Everyone should know which papal player matches their planetary personality

BY ANNALISE GALL ARIES: March 21- April 20 Pope Benedict XVI

VIRGO: Aug. 22 - Sept. 23 Pope Leo I (the Great), Saint

SCORPIO: Oct. 24 - Nov. 22 Pope Sergius III

Only someone as truly courageous and pioneering as an Aries would have the guts to be the first pope to willingly resign in over 700 years! Independent like Benedict,Aries aren’t afraid to go their own way, and have the savvy to know when that’s for the best—you do you, boo boo.

The analytical and diligent nature of Pope Leo I, much like Virgos, made him an authoritative force in the early shaping of the Church. At a time when the Western Empire was highly disintegrated, Leo was the voice for unity. He called for contest of the heresies and disorganization, and was successful in pulling the Church back together with his mindfulness.

With a reign described as “efficient and ruthless,” Sergius III embodies the exciting and dynamic complexion of Scorpios. He ruled through a time of conflict and violence within Italy, forcing him to play his cards. His passion may have gotten the best of him, though, as he is reported to have ordered the murder of his predecessors, Leo V and Christopher, as well as fathering an illicit son that later became pope himself (John XI).

Served from 2005 - 2013

TAURUS: April 21 - May 21 Pope John Paul II, Saint

Reigned 440 - 461

“Love is never defeated,” said John Paul II, an excellent summation of his time in power. With accreditation to the overthrow of European Communism and lofty visions for Christian unity, JPII had all the determination, persistence, and patience of a Taurus.

But most of all, he had the bull’s warm heart.

MA X S MI T H

Served from 1978 - 2005

GEMINI: May 22 - June 21 Pope Joan Gemini, the sign of duality, is exemplified by the legendary Pope Joan. Working under the title John VII, this pope was actually a lady pope in disguise. Cunning, devious, and imaginative like Geminis, she had all the right tools to convincingly disguise herself as a member of the strictly patriarchal papacy—until she gave birth in the middle of a procession, that is.

You’ll be hard pressed to find a pope more jovial and goodhumored than the current chair, Pope Francis. From taking selfies to accepting pizza in his popemobile, Francis has the carefree nature and optimism to rival any Sagittarius.

Capricorns are fiercely ambitious and loyal, just like the oneand-only, divinely chosen, prototypal Pope Peter. That’s right, the original head of the church was just the right Capricornmix that the Lord knew he could rely on to get things going.

Responsible and resourceful, this Prince of Apostles bravely ushered in the bureaucracy of the Church, and created its foundation as we know it today.

Reigned 590 - 604

AQUARIUS: Jan. 21 - Feb. 19 Hippolytus of Rome, Saint

The passionate and devout nature of Cancers are best represented by Pope Gregory I. During his years as Pope, Gregory was a workhorse, never taking a break from his records and reforms despite illnesses and exhaustion. His efforts did not go unnoticed, as he was eventually dubbed “The Father of Christian Worship” for his influence on the doctrine, organization, and discipline of the church.Without his examinations, everything from the celebration of mass to the structure of the hierarchy would look very different today.

Reigned 199 - 217, 222 - 235

LIBRA: Sept. 24 - Oct. 23 Pope Leo X Reigned 1513 - 1521

Reigned 1073 - 1085

10 // OCT 19 – NOV 1

Reigned 2013 - present

Reigned 33 - 67

CANCER: June 22 - July 22 Pope Gregory I (the Great), Saint

Confident, steadfast, and devoted, Pope Gregory VII stuck to his guns just like a Leo. In challenge of European monarchies, he excommunicated Henry IV, not once, not twice, but three times!

Gregory also rediscovered the moral roots of Catholicism, being one of the first popes in centuries to enforce celibacy for clergy, and scrutinized practices of purchasing roles and offices within the Church.

SAGITTARIUS: Nov. 23 - Dec. 22 Pope Francis

CAPRICORN: Dec. 23 - Jan. 20 Pope Peter, Apostle, Saint

Reigned 855 - 858

LEO: July 23 - Aug. 21 Pope Gregory VII, Saint

Reigned 904 - 911

A lover of the finer things in life, Pope Leo X had the diplomatics and idealism of a Libra. He donated heavily to the arts and academia, and even commissioned Raphael to decorate the Vatican rooms. This romanticism cost him, though, as he ended up having to grant indulgences to pay off his debts, a practice shunned by Martin Luther. However, this seemed worth it to indulgent Leo, as he is quoted saying, “Since God has given us the papacy, let us enjoy it.”

Inventive, original, and a bit rebellious are all the elements needed to create the premiere antipope! Hippolytus of Rome disapproved of the true pope of the time, Zephyrinus, so he took matters into his own hands, just like any clever and independent Aquarius would do. Hippolytus was the first to reign in opposition to the official papacy, a role that inspired many successors to do the same.

PISCES: Feb. 20 - March 20 Pope Pius XII Reigned 1939 - 1958

The world needed compassion, selflessness, and kindness more than anything during the horrors of Hitler and the Holocaust— something the Pisces Pope Pius XII provided.Though outwardly seen as vague and indecisive about his actions, Pius worked secretly to save the lives of as many as Jewish people as possible, an appearance contradiction Pisces are quite familiar with.

THE WAKE // VOICES

How to Push Facebook’s Buttons The “Dislike” button and its controversy

The Facebook “like” has been a part of popular culture for a decade, yet all we know about it is, it lets us say: “I like that” and “I like this” with a simple click. But what if the famous Facebook “like” button met its match? An equal, negative counterpart… the “dislike” button.

are always full of angry people. I have to click “see 23 more comments” if I’m really bored enough to follow the Facebook fight of the week. If anything, people like him deserve to know that they have the most racist posts on my news feed, without me wasting my time with a comment.

When the idea was released, it sparked conversation all over the United States, even gaining the interest of most influential news channels. That list included CNN, who reported that a Facebook dislike button was a “gateway for negative thinking.”

Let’s not forget the lecturers of the Facebook world. Those that post statuses that force you to hit the “more” button six times before you get to the end. And of course, it always ends with the same sentence: “Sorry if my opinion offends you, but this is what I think!” Sometimes they aren’t offensive.

Sometimes they have really good points. But there is always that one person who writes a five-paragraph essay complete with a vibrant introduction, three relating main points, and a good, strong conclusion on why “abortion is a needed form of birth control in our society and should be free, because if a girl doesn’t use protection and gets pregnant, she shouldn’t have to keep it if she doesn’t want to.” Someday, it would be nice if the Internet had a vaudeville hook that yanked bad and/or long acts off the stage.

Negative thinking? A like button is a simple way to say: “I agree” or “I like that.” Wouldn’t a “dislike” button be a simple way to counteract the like? Instead of saying yes, you’re saying no. It states “I disagree,” or simply, “I don’t like this.”

We all know the status: “My sister finds out the gender of her baby today! Can’t wait to see if I’ll be an aunt or an uncle!” It went viral, finding its way onto every social media from Tumblr to Twitter. People couldn’t believe the stupidity, and yet, before it was popular, someone actually posted it. Can you imagine her followers’ reactions? Comments like that are far beyond needing a dislike button. That kind of crap needs a “to stupidity and beyond” button that sends a book though her computer and into her face. Maybe a face book will keep her off Facebook.

It gets better. Two hours later she updated her status: “My sister is having a boy… I’m so excited to be an uncle!!”

I’d go for a Facebook “facepalm” button too.

Now, say CNN is right and we are all just negative people looking to make our lives interesting in even more negative ways. If that’s the case, why not add a more positive button instead of “Like”? How about Facebook includes a “This is the cutest thing I have ever seen on the Internet” button? I can’t tell you how many dog videos I’ve watched that make my heart melt. Better yet, I would press that button a million times over when my grandma comments, “you look great---love you+++++ have fun!”

B REA NN A V I CK

BY KOURTNEY KELL

Then there’s my old locker neighbor. He turned out to be the Facebook is only as negative as the people on it. If it has evolved biggest racist on the Internet, his jokes directed specifically into a new way to express opinions, you might as well let toward African Americans, with the occasional shot at the everyone have a chance to share theirs. Even if it’s as simple as: Muslim faith. His most recent status was: “What’s the only positive thing in the ghetto? A pregnancy test.” Once again, we “I like that” or “I don’t like this.” Not everyone has time, energy, have a status that deserves something other than just a dislike. or patience to comment why they dislike something. In the end, stupid people will continue to be stupid, a racist will probably Maybe instead, something that says: “You are a disgustingly keep being racist, and lecturers will keep proofreading their horrible person” instead of “I don’t like that.” And people were worried about “negative thinking.” His comment boxes latest status, despite if you like or dislike their opinions.

WAKEMAG.ORG // 11

THE WAKE // VOICES

Muhammad for President A response to Ben Carson

BY EMMA KLINGLER In the wake the offensive and uninformed comments by Republican frontrunner Donald Trump, another candidate has stepped into the critical spotlight. Ben Carson is facing backlash after his comments on NBC’s “Meet the Press” regarding his feelings about the possibility of a future Muslim president.

In the interview, Carson stated, “I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation. I absolutely would not agree with that.”

His feelings on this subject originate in his belief that Muslim practices are not consistent with the Constitution.

When asked whether the faith of a president should matter, he replied, “If it’s inconsistent with the values and principles of America, then of course it should matter.”

While there are many reasons that his comments are troubling, the most evident issue is that in saying Islam is unconstitutional, he is rejecting Article 6 of the Constitution. This article states when it comes to government: “no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office.” This ironic bit of hypocrisy is yet another example of the powerful elites in this country feeling that anything outside of their own system of beliefs is an attack on their personal freedoms, rather than an expression of the diversity of this country’s people.

Technical matters aside, Carson’s remarks represent the prejudices against Muslims still endemic to our national sentiments. Through setting the religion at odds with the Constitution, and thus American values, Carson has angered not just Muslim Americans aspiring to be politicians, but those from all sectors of American society.

“As an elected school board member, I recite the Pledge of Allegiance on televised public meetings,” writes Victor Ghalib Begg of the Detroit Free Press. “As a practicing Muslim, I see no contradiction between Islam and pledging allegiance to our flag.” Begg is one of many Muslims to speak out against Carson’s comments and the damage they inflict on the continued struggle of Muslim Americans against religious prejudices.

Carson’s outsider comments do not match the views of the millions of Muslim Americans on the intersection of their faith with their values as American citizens. If he is going to make this exclusive claim, he must be willing to stand in front of Muslim American soldiers serving our country and explain how their practices are “inconsistent with the values and principles of America.”

With all the present conflicts in which we are engaged in the Middle East, many seem to forget that Islam and Christianity, two of the most dominant religions in American culture, both originated from the same Abrahamic origins. But what many

12 // OCT 19 – NOV 1

people do not know is that Islam, which means “submission to the will of God,” and the associated Sharia law, were formulated with the purpose of establishing public order at a time when tribal society was rife with inequality and conflict. Obedience to a united will and setting aside individual pursuits for the good of all is central to the faith, because it creates a strength and unity between members of the religion.

The reason that the Islamic faith is seen as threatening by people like Carson is because of the examples seen abroad of the faith being touted as the cornerstone of anti-Western campaigns. But to believe Islam to be inherently anti-American is to ignore the long and complex history of the relations between Western countries and those in the Middle East.

The reason that extremist groups and religious nations have spoken and acted out against the U.S. is because of the tremendous instability and destruction in those regions of the world at the hands of Western countries like the U.S. For centuries, our country and others, such as Great Britain, have interfered in the Middle East and dictated which groups receive what lands. These interventions have caused conflicts in regions that previously coexisted with few troubles by forcing groups of people with alternative values to participate in a land struggle.

The foundations of Islam are based on the establishment of public order to help promote prosperity in the long-term.

Muslim countries were forced to exchange land and to live under new rules, so it is no wonder that concentrated groups turned to the most extreme versions of their Sharia laws to try and recreate a stable environment.

While we of course do not condone the acts of terror done to our country by jihadist groups, it is imperative to understand the underlying causes of these acts. Ben Carson’s seeming incomprehension of the effects of his words on so many American citizens, as well as their juvenile foundation in foreign affairs, demonstrates a severe lack of preparedness for the duties and responsibilities of the office of the president.

THE WAKE // FEATURE

CHANGING TRAJECTORY

P H OTO C O U RT E S Y O F W W W. AD AMMO E N. ME

MARBLESAPP CREATOR, ADAM MOEN

BY LIANNA MATT

Marblesapp, like mental health care, is for everyone.

It’s no coincidence that the University of Minnesota was one of five U.S. colleges to receive the 2015 Active Minds Healthy Campus Award. We have a committee dedicated to student mental health, an animal therapy program that brings furry love to campus, and an expansive website for mental health resources (mentalhealth.umn.edu).

Marblesapp serves as a self-evaluation tool, a community of support, and a resource for mental health.

For too many people, mental health is just for those with disorder diagnoses. But to Moen, mental health means something that truly includes everyone—“normal” or not.

While everyone lines up to see the beloved miniature pony, “It’s not about the conditions you’ve been labeled,” Moen said. less people are willing to open up to others, professional “Are you thriving in all aspects of your life? Sound, body, mind, and heart. It’s the whole experience about how an individual or not, about their mental health. Marblesapp, founded by perceives their reality. Is it more on the anxiety side or the 2012 alumnus Adam Moen, seeks to improve mental health depression side? How do we help you zero in so you see clearly?” on campus by creating an environment of self-awareness and support. It’s a lot to ask of an app, but Moen’s faith in Depression and anxiety are the most prevalent mental health Marblesapp is infectious. diagnoses for college students. According to a 2013 study by the Center for Collegiate Mental Health at Penn State, 11.1 Marblesapp’s concept is simple. Each day (or up to three students out of a given 100,000 will commit suicide every year, times a day), users take a quick, one-minute, seven-question survey covering key questions such as self-perception of health, and the trend continues to increase. purpose, and support network. The answers are tracked over time to help the user see the choices that make your emotions “Our students are really hurting,” Tai Mendenhall, a University family social science associate professor said. “[Marblesapp] is fluctuate. Another feature of the app called “Tips” is a forum a way for them to focus on other ways to measure worth section where users can post anonymously to encourage others, share their experience, or ask for advice. Ultimately, other than being a good student.”

WAKEMAG.ORG // 13

THE WAKE // FEATURE

Mendenhall and Moen have worked together since the app’s conception, first targeting the key survey questions, and then creating a research proposal to measure the app’s effects on its users.

For Marblesapp, though, the photograph seems to speak to the greater idea that everyone is walking around with no idea what the other is thinking. The feelings of purposelessness and worthlessness that Moen had felt in college caused him to turn to drugs to escape, and eventually, thoughts of suicide. As he put it in his TEDxUMN talk in spring 2015, he “had to tempt death to feel like he was a human being.”

Moen has spent hours researching for the app, and before his venture into Marblesapp, he shared his thoughts on mental health through blogs, public talks, and videos. He started REPsolutions, a consulting and product development company that deals with healthcare and mental health improvement.

REPtech, a subsidy of REPsolutions, is Marblesapp’s technology business line that conducts its app and web development.

Moen really is his well-earned Internet persona, “That Mental Health Guy.”

Mental health crises can often attack people as a sudden, dramatic thunderstorm, but sometimes it invades in smaller ways—in cracks and crevices, a sick gas seeping through your living space that slowly steals away the thoughts that make you feel a part of this world.

Marblesapp’s commitment to brightening is apparent in its social media presence, which was created months before the app’s September launch.All of its platforms—Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr—are a wash of cheery orange and pure white, but Tumblr in particular shows that desire for connection.

There is no “silver bullet” to mental health problems, Moen said. Marblesapp isn’t about taking the place of a professional mental health counselor, and it isn’t about trying to make everything better by putting a lovely spin on the world. Instead it’s about empowerment.

Tagged with #universityofminnesota [sic] in almost all of its posts, the Tumblr blog also features a photo of University students as its background. However, instead of maroon and gold-clad figures with bursting smiles, it’s just a photograph of students walking on campus. It’s nothing noteworthy, and surely wouldn’t be hung in the office of a University higher-up to show off the pride of Minnesota.

Almost 73% of students living with mental health conditions experienced a mental health crisis on campus. 34% reported their college didn't know about the crisis

“Self awareness allows you to take a step back from all of the mental activity that goes on and realize that you’re not that mental activity,” Moen said.The rhythmic shuffle of classes, homework, and work ensure that although not all of the details may be the same, most situations aren’t completely new environments. How you behave at one party can set a good prediction for the next one; your engagement in one class indicates how you might participate in the one tomorrow.

40%

More than of college students have felt more than an average amount of stress within the past year

“Self awareness lets you have the power to decide if you behave this way or not,” he said.

Normalizing the idea of purposeful mental health care is what Marblesapp strives for, not the return on financial investment or becoming the newest app craze.

INFOG RAPHICS BY BR EAN N A VI C K *ALL DATA TAKEN FRO M THE N ATI O N AL ALLI AN C E O N ME NTA L I L L NE S S

14 // OCT 19–NOV 1

C O U RT E S Y O F MA R B L E S A P P

Although anyone with a smartphone can download an app, Moen is gearing its function and nuances to this University.

Moen had his darkest times in college, and as he’s shifted his life views, he’s dug deeply into campus to help other people “Really, I had been slowly becoming so anxious,” Moen disclosed experiencing the same purposelessness and drifting that he did. in a post from December 2014. “It wasn’t until I was having full blown panic attacks that I realized I spent most of my day He knows what going to college here is like; he knows the ins totally nervous and anxious.” and outs of the mental health system in place.

THE WAKE // FEATURE

75% of lifetime cases of mental health conditions begin by age 24

25%

More than of college students have been diagnosed or treated by a professional for a mental health condition within the past year

“If everything were just to crash and burn right now, I would be disappointed, and I would grieve, but I wouldn’t view it as a failure,” Moen said. He said he doesn’t believe in failure; everything is a learning opportunity. What would crush him, though, is if a “user reaches out and nobody else extends a hand.

That’s what [Marblesapp] is there for. A community of people.”

The trouble with forums is that while the team of Marblesapp can contribute and post, app users will have to look past their internal analysis and put themselves out there to an anonymous, invisible community that may or may not be there to catch them. The hope is that as the app is downloaded more, more people will reach out in the forum area to say—if nothing else—“I hear you.You matter.”

To raise awareness of the app, Moen’s team is amping up for a full semester of outreach to publications, student groups, and University administration. Even with plans for events and email mentions, the little blue- and orange-striped marble app has a lot of clutter to overcome to get students to pay attention.

Ben Vaske, Marblesapp’s PR intern, said he realizes this. Still, he said he believes the product will lead the way.

“The real good stuff will stick around; the noise will just fade away,” Vaske said.

Marblesapp is about changing how people think of themselves.

For Moen’s personal life, that meant realizing, “I’m not a piece of shit.” An alcohol and substance abuse counselor that Moen had contacted for an Active Minds event shared a mantra with him.

“As I’m walking to class, left foot, right foot, I’m not a piece of shit, I’m not a piece of shit,” Moen said. “It’s like building every skill.The way water carves a canyon. It’s very slowly. If you want to divert water in a different direction, you have to dig deeper than that groove.”

KELL EN RENS TROM

Little by little, day by day, Marblesapp wants you to realize that you’re more than just your resume or your academics. Start saying no to things that will make you over-scheduled, and start prioritizing health over getting every assignment detail perfect.

Start carving your canyon in a new direction.

As you watch your Marblesapp’s trend lines change on your weekly report, and your monthly report, think about what you’re doing in your life to cause that difference. Little decisions can have a large impact on your life. Perhaps this app’s gentle reminders will give you the proof and encouragement to keep at it.

young adults between the ages of 18-24 have a diagnosable mental illness.

WAKEMAG.ORG // 15

THE WAKE // Q & A

Q&A: Jug Band Hokum P H OTO S C O U RT E S Y O F J U G B A N D H O K U M A N D I N F I N I T E Z E R O P I C T U R E S

LOCAL FILMMAKER JACK NORTON SHEDS A FRESH LIGHT ON THE PUGS AND JUGS OF MINNESOTA

BY SHAWNNA STENNES

When Jack Norton took a year off from the kids’ hip-hop

The Wake

and kangaroo suits of his PBS preschool music show, he

Jack Norton: Lots of beards, lots of banjos. Pretty crusty.

devoted his free time to directing his first documentary film, Jug Band Hokum. The film follows two jug bands competing in the annual Minneapolis Battle of the Jug

Brooklynd Turner: Crusty in the old man way, not in the punk way.

the Battle’s 33rd year, Jack tags along with the Yoga Jug

JN: It’s funny ‘cause the community, from what I could tell, kind of hated the trailer and hates the idea of this film. I think they wanted a film about jug band music and, in short, the film isn’t about jug band music. Jug band music is the glue that holds it all together.

Benders, a group of yoga instructors and students who also

BT: It’s more of a character study.

Bands where the usual drums and guitars are replaced by household items like spoons, jugs, and washboards. In

sometimes blow on jugs together, as well as Show Me Your Jugs, a group competing with the assumption that jugs mean twerking and sports bras. To sort this all out, The Wake sat down with Norton and one of the stars of the Yoga Jug Benders, Brooklynd Turner.

16 // OCT 19–NOV 1

: How would you describe the jug band community?

JN: For sure, it’s about Brooklynd and Anne (The Yoga Jug Benders) versus Amnesia and Majesty (Show Me Your Jugs).

Those two groups are so different and that’s what it’s really about.

The very first time I watched the trailer, I was actually certain it wasn’t real—the characters were too bizarre!

THE WAKE // Q & A JN: But I’d want to be a homemade banjo. Like a banjo made out of...

BT: A potato.

JN: I was thinking an old coffee tin.

BT: I would be a weenie whistle made out of a potato.

What was something new that you learned about the Twin Cities while you were filming?

JN: Yeah that’s the question we always get! What’s good about it to me is that you don’t even have to know what jug band music is or be a fan to get something out of this movie. It’s way more universal and way more funny than I set out to make it.

I’m glad that it’s not about the history of a genre of folk music, I’m glad it’s about people and humanity.

How did the two of you meet and end up working together?

BT:We met because I taught him and his wife yoga at Your Yoga in Minneapolis. One day they were going to Chicago and I was like, “Bring me back some wonuts!” Because I had just read this article about waffle donuts. And they were like, “We can’t bring you back wonuts cause we’re raw vegan” and I was like, “Sick I’m raw vegan, too!” And then for the PBS show he asked if I could dance around in a kangaroo suit and I said, “Do you want me to bring my own suit” Because I already have one.”

JN: And then I knew that any girl that has her own kangaroo suit needs to be in my life.

BT: Okay, I think I know what it means to me. I’m thinking about when we were driving around on tour and there came this certain moment when nothing felt real anymore. Everything was so crazy and we were all so sleep-deprived. So I think it’s that feeling of the world not actually being real and it’s all just open possibility for you to do whatever the fuck you want and then you just do it. Yeah, and make some kind of jug song about it.

Man I hope to feel hokum someday, it sounds sweet.

JN: Really, it’s a state of being!

If you were a jug band instrument, what would you be?

BT: I feel like I would be the weenie whistle. It’s kinda kooky.

JN: I think I would be a banjo cause you can play them like a drum but they’re also kind of stupid and goofy. And you can play me like a drum and I’m stupid and goofy.

// Hokum was a term in the 1940s or ‘50s that was used a lot by carnival people, and I liked that. They used to say ‘hokum’ as a slang word for craziness or insanity.

//

JN: The thing I noticed is that Minnesota Nice is super real and no one will ever question you. When we were filming in Tennessee, we filmed at a park, but the cops would always come over and say, “What are y’all doing? You need a permit, we’re gonna shut you down.” But in Minnesota no one ever confronted us or asked us anything.We would go into bars and clubs and parks and no one ever stopped and asked us what we were doing. And that’s the thing I learned more about the Twin Cities was that people want to be nice and avoid confrontation.

They’re also open-minded enough.

BT: I think I learned about the pug community.We did one shot where we had like 30 pugs and the people were so passionate about their pugs; they felt they were so expressive!

JN: We put an ad on Craigslist that we were looking for pugs and we got so many emails right away. People would send us headshots of their pugs.

BT: Shout-out to the pugs.

If someone really wanted to get in the hokum spirit before watching the film, what do you think would be the best Twin Cities restaurant to eat at before seeing Jug Band Hokum?

BT: I feel like there should be an open bar that starts at noon.

JN: Here’s what you should do. If you like Brooklynd and Ann and the Yoga Jug Benders, then go to Namaste Cafe. Order a really good, high-quality Indian dish. Don’t worry about the price, just do it. If you like Amnesia and Majesty and Show Me Your Jugs, go to Taco Bell and then stop by SuperAmerica and get flaming hot Cheetos to sneak into the theatre. Every day that I saw Amnesia she was eating flaming hot Cheetos. There was this moment where she was chewing gum and eating flaming hot Cheetos at the same time and it evaporated in her mouth.

Any final words to the readers?

BT: So he started following me around loosely as one of the many characters in the film and then realized how extremely strange my life is and was like, “This girl is weird, I wanna exploit her!”

BT: Solid but goofy. Holding down the beat.

BT: Keep it real; sneak in Flaming Hot Cheetos.

JN:Yeah totally, that is how it happened.

BT: Wonuts, kangaroos, and then exploitation.

What does the word “hokum” mean and how does it describe the film?

JN: It was a term in the 1940s or ‘50s that was used a lot by carnival people, and I liked that. They used to say “hokum” as a slang word for craziness or insanity. And within the realm of jug band music, there’s a genre called hokum music which is all of the super-sexualized, double entendre songs that were released in the 1920s. So people who know jug band music would know that term as very sexualized, goofy, double entendre music.

WAKEMAG.ORG // 17

THE WAKE // SOUND & VISION

Student Group Wakes Up Viet Cong, Band Changes Their Name

BY CARSON KASKEL It’s the end of the road for Canadian punk band Viet Cong’s name. Unaware of their racist name and under heavy pressure from the Vietnamese community, the band announced that they will change their name (new name TBD). The Vietnamese Student Association of Minnesota led a protest against the band before their performance at 7th St. Entry on September 24, calling the band to choose a new name on the grounds of cultural appropriation.“Viet Cong is part of our culture, and it’s a negative part of our culture. It affected our parents and family members, so you shouldn’t take this lightly,” said Jillian Tran, president of VSAM. “We lost our homes, and family members.”

Vietnamese Student Association of Minnesota leads protest against band for cultural appropriation

The Viet Cong were a communist group representing North Vietnam during the Vietnam War. The war forced thousands of Vietnamese to flee the country, with many coming to the United States. Brandon Luu, the treasurer for the VSAM sees the Viet Cong as “The reason my family was divided for many, many years.” He says the name “Brings back memories, for my parents especially.”

The band spoke with protesters once they arrived at the venue, saying they were now aware of the cultural significance of the name but did not explicitly apologize to the Vietnamese community. “Our last show is December 6. We have every intention of changing the name,” bassist and lead vocalist Before the name-change announcement, the name was Matt Flagel said. “We have to run these next few shows, we’re “Something they didn’t even think about before naming the under contract.” band.” According to Tran after the band researched the name, they didn’t feel a need to change it. In response to the This isn't the first time that the band has faced backlash due to accusation, Flagel responded “It’s been a big learning curve for their name.Their performance on March 14 at Oberlin College us. We never thought that we’d get to this level of being in any in Ohio was cancelled because of protests. On September 19, sort of public eye.” after the VSAM protest was organized, the band released a statement to change their name “Over this time we’ve been Flagel dismissed the idea of discussing the significance of the name listening, talking and having lots of valuable conversations with on stage, saying “I’m not political.We didn’t realize, we’re idiots.” the members of the Vietnamese community about the name.

Through this dialogue and hearing about what the name means The band has yet to choose a new name, which is why the to so many people, we have decided we will be changing the group followed through with the protest. “We knew that they name of our band.” released a statement saying that they would change their name but we continued the protest because they didn’t say when they were going to change the name,” Tran said.

The journey to North America was not easy for those who fled.

“We had to sacrifice so much to come over here,” said Veronica Nguyen, external vice president of VSAM, “It’s something that you don’t forget.”

Once aware that Viet Cong would be performing in Minneapolis, VSAM organized a protest with help from Vietnamese American Organizers and Pan-Asian Voices for Equity.The group of about 30 protesters included Minnesota Senator Foung Hawj, who grew up living in Vietnam War refugee camps.

Facing controversy over a band name is nothing new to Flagel.

He and drummer Mike Wallace were in a band known as “Women” from 2007 to 2012.

The group wanted an immediate change as the band continues to sell merchandise and albums with the Viet Cong name on it.

A statement from VSAM said the band was “Profiting financially off the backs of not only Vietnamese refugee communities, but also U.S Vietnam Veterans, and our children through performances, merchandising, and interviews for the sake of publicity and sales.”

L I Z Z I E G O N C H A R OVA

The protests of Viet Cong bring into question the ethics of cultural appropriation, like if it's right to use a name taken from another culture that has negative connotations. “Even though they have artistic freedom, they have to know where the limits are,” Tran said.

18 // OCT 19–NOV 1

As for avoiding this issue in the future, Tran offers some advice.

"Be open minded and think about if this were to happen to you in your culture. So many bad things have happened in history.

Why would you use that?”

Cultural appropriation is a serious issue deserving of attention.

Even a simple Google search for “Viet Cong” will tell you all you need to know about the name. Bands/artists/etc.: Know the meaning behind your name. A quirky name isn’t worth reopening wounds of an entire community of people.

REINVENTING THE “F” WORD The Guerrilla Girls check take on the Twin Cities art scene this January

BY KAYLA SONG

The feminist collective of women artists who call themselves the Guerrilla Girls will strut down the streets of Minneapolis during their Twin Cities Takeover event beginning Jan. 19 and going throughout the rest of 2016. This anonymous group of gals will visit the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD), the Walker Art Center, the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia), and several other institutions around the metro area to expose corruption in society’s political system, art world, and pop culture.

The Guerilla Girls first ignited sparks by confronting the prejudice of the Museum of Modern Art at an “International Survey of Painting and Sculpture” exhibition in the early ‘80s. During that time, a measly 10 percent of artists featured in the gallery were women.As women and artists of color were dismissed from the art scene for “incompetency,” these avengers bombarded critics, curators, and collectors with satirical posters and comical presentations. In fact, they have over 100 different posters and stickers with their bitingly sarcastic sayings and shocking statistics on women in the art world.

To focus attention on the issue and incite some unease with the mere mention of their name, the Girls adopted gorilla masks and the idea of guerrilla warfare. With such anonymity, they continue to travel to art exhibits around the world to showcase the flare and humor in their activism.

The Guerrilla Girls previously tackled art institutes around the world in France, Centre Pompidou, Ireland, Istanbul, the U.S., and many other countries. As they traverse across the globe, their exhibits like “Not Ready to Make Nice” and “Always A Little Further” attracted a considerable amount of popularity. For their Twin Cities stop, expect presentations, receptions, exhibitions, and their unmistakable Guerrilla Girl posters.

The lucky colleges of MCAD, St. Olaf College, and Augsburg College will host some of the Girls’ seminars and exhibitions in gallery spaces while various art centers, pubs, and theaters will manage their performances and celebrations. Their time in the Twin Cities is guaranteed to turn heads with their original and inspiring art, speeches, and overall presence.

There will be a chance to participate in events such as the “Stepping Back, Looking Forward: Honoring Feminist Vision” invitational exhibition that will feature recent work by active 1970s and ‘80s feminist artists and “third-wave” feminists. Later in the Guerrilla Girls’ 11 month takeover, “Third Thursday: Art of Rebellion” will allow rebellious art enthusiasts to explore such artistic expression at Mia.

Transcendence of a Once Forgotten Oddity Stores around the world revive tapes on International Cassette Store Day

BY EMILY HILL There is something to be said about original and novel forms of music listening. The physical experience of purchasing of music has lost its flair and convenience for most. A certain niche crowd, however, is drawn to the novelty and enjoyment of music in one of its purist forms. Take out the portability, the sound quality, and the convenience of digital music, and there (under those innovative layers) lies the cassette tape. It sits buried, hiding among many other nostalgic souvenirs and waiting to be played on repeat in a ‘70s Walkman.These cassette tapes, along with vinyl records, made a valiant comeback as of late, proving their profitability and stamina across time.

Many audiophiles and music purists desire the tangibility of these formats, yearning to hear the tinny feedback on a trusty 8-track. In response to this desire, many record labels such as Lost Sound and Bridgetown released limited copies of cassette tapes by artists who ached to be a part of the regeneration.

With a combination of Record Store Day starting in 2007, the nostalgia for cassette tapes, and their practicality for DIY musicians, a need for a comeback was approaching.The desire for cassette tapes finally exploded, causing UK labels Suplex Cassettes, Kissability, and Sexbeat to finally devise the day in 2013 where cassettes would be celebrated—worshipped by those who never fully gave into the tempting void of digital music.

Oct. 17 was day for this offbeat celebration, a jubilee for cassette lovers across the globe to support the beloved format of music listening. Now occurring in the United States, New Zealand, Australia, and Germany, International Cassette Store Day has erupted as it enters its third anniversary this year. Artists such as Green Day, Poster Child, STRFKR, AWOLNATION, and Girl Band are set to release past albums on cassette in memorial of this oddity.

KELLEN RENSTROM

L I Z Z I E G O N C H A R OVA

THE WAKE // SOUND & VISION

Above inspiring awareness, International Cassette Store Day has given way for a community and culture that allows the remembrance, greatness, and resurrection of cassette tapes to thrive. Music labels helped paved the path for this renaissance and are now working with stores to have cassettes regain ground in the music listening community. Although a widely international movement, local store Dead Media in south Minneapolis showed its support for the beloved music form by hosting a storewide event on International Cassette Store Day. The cassette culture will congregate there to experience the buzzing and hollow sounds of reminiscence and rebirth together.

WAKEMAG.ORG // 19

THE WAKE // SOUND & VISION

L I Z Z I E G O N C H A R OVA

TV Comedies to Fall for This Fall In the mood for something funny and brand new?

These five new comedies are just for you!

BY OLIVIA HEUSINKVELD “Scream Queens”—Fox, Tuesdays, 8 p.m.

In case you hated “Nip/Tuck,” “Glee,” or “American Horror Story,” Ryan Murphy has one more show to woo you into viewing him as television royalty. With a cast that sounds straight out of a weird fever dream (Murphy’s go-to leading ladies, Emma Roberts and Lea Michele, star alongside Nick Jonas, Keke Palmer, Nasim Pedrad, and Jamie Lee Curtis), “Scream Queens” will have you laughing and shrieking—often at the same time. “Scream Queens” follows the lives of girls in Kappa Kappa Tau, a sorority that is now the target of a series of gruesome murders at the hands of “The Red Devil,” who also happens to be the school’s mascot. In just the first few episodes, there are murders and gore galore, but the entire series reads as a flawless parody of horror/ thriller stories from “Pretty Little Liars” to “Friday the 13th.”

“Scream Queens” is hilarious, smart, and gruesome.What else could you ask for?

“Casual”—Hulu, Wednesdays Academy Award-nominated director Jason Reitman (“Juno,” “Thank You for Smoking,” “Up in the Air”) developed a new comedy for your Internet friend, Hulu. The new show follows Valerie (Michaela Watkins) and her teenage daughter (Tara Lynne Barr) as they move-in with Valerie’s brother (Tommy Dewey) shortly after she finalizes her divorce. The twist? All of the characters are trying to understand the world and “find themselves” through their own sexual awakening, driven

by Valerie’s decision to use the Internet to its full casual sex potential. (Get it? That’s the title!). Based on what has been released so far, “Casual” should be a dark, clever, and gritty ride guaranteed to make you cackle and reflect on the very meaning and value of relationships.

20 // OCT 19–NOV 1

“The Muppets”—ABC, Tuesdays, 7 p.m.

The Muppets are by no means “new” to the world of television and entertainment, but I can guarantee that you have never seen them quite like this. Set in the mockumentary style that brought lasting success to brilliant shows like “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation,” “The Muppets” follows familiar characters, but in a way that is no longer targeted at kids.The show is peppered with one-liners alluding to sex and drugs, and there is an entire narrative about Fozzie dating a human woman and coping with the subtext of bestiality. As “The Muppets” forges into new territory, the script is well-written and will keep you laughing through even the most unexpected scenes.

“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”—CW, Mondays, 7 p.m.

Originally ordered for Showtime and later passed on to the CW, “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” tells the story of Rebecca Bunch, a successful Manhattan attorney who drops everything and moves to California in order to reunite herself with a man she hooked up with during a summer long ago. With such an odd premise, it may be comforting to know that the writer of “The Devil Wears Prada” and the director of “500 Days of Summer” helped make “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.” Oh, and did I mention that this show is a musical? Starring Rachel Bloom of YouTube fame and Donna Lynne Champlin of Broadway acclaim, the trailer feels like Disney’s “Enchanted” meets “Sex and the City.” One thing is for certain:This show will be like nothing else on TV, making it the perfect show to spice-up your couch potato routine.

“Master of None”—Netflix, premieres Nov. 6 This show will likely sell itself due to the fact that it is written by and stars Aziz Ansari (“Parks and Recreation”) and is produced

by Mike Schur (“The Office,” “Parks and Recreation”). Finally creating a bridge between Ansari’s television pursuits and his stand-up career, “Master of None” is inspired by Ansari’s standup and his book “Modern Romance.” The show follows the life of actor Dev (played by Ansari) as he lives in New York and struggles with the concept of having his life together and planned out. Each episode will be based on a separate theme or idea that fits Ansari’s fancy, such as immigration or the elderly. The show will also feature a variety of talents, including Jon Benjamin (“Wet Hot American Summer,” “Bob’s Burgers”), Noel Wells (“SNL”), Claire Danes (“Homeland”), and even Ansari’s own mother and father.You have to wait until November to start binge watching this show, so catch-up on Ansari’s stand-up in the meantime and prepare yourself for a whole new step in the Ansari enterprise.

THE WAKE // SOUND & VISION

It's been a wild year for rap. We bore witness to trap's most beloved cyclops, Fetty Wap. The Caucasian delegation relished in the effortless charisma and promise of Post Malone and the… let's call it "tenacity" of Slim Jesus. Kendrick Lamar did his Amazing Really Good Thing that I admittedly have not listened to yet, while Kanye has been designing avant-garde Adidas. That is, when he isn’t changing his next album’s title, making political premonitions, or practicing his ventriloquism with Travis Scott.

But from the frenzy of the ambitious and talented emerge a pair of MVPs who are paving their own lane while so many struggle to apply the formula for success: Future and Young Thug.

A month ago, the two blonde-dreaded Atlanta artists who blew up substantially in the last year both dropped highly anticipated mixtapes. While they both feature artwork that looks like it came straight from the Photoshop drafts of a 14-year-old chillwave DJ, only one guest-stars Aubrey "Drake" Graham, beloved handicapped TV character, noted arm candy of a tennis legend, and human equivalent of a bowl of Raisin Bran with soymilk. I'm talking, of course, about “What a Time to Be Alive” (WATTBA).

Trim at 11 tracks long, this merger of rapper's rapper Future and the 6 God, Drake (who now shares a tier of Canadian pop-stardom with Celine Dion and Justin Bieber), whipped the Internet into a frenzy with social media release hoaxes. Though the two had been collaborating for some time, even sharing a tour earlier this year, the timing for this project could not have made more sense. “WATTBA” represents the continuation of the tremendous hot streak enjoyed by both artists, as well as a chance for Drake (aka “The Boy”) to showcase his darker side and Future to bask in the OVO monarch's blessing, a highly coveted cosign and springboard to mainstream impact.

On this tape, Drake, who recently added some edge to his image by growing a beard and rapping with fewer consonants, fed off the indignation caused by a laughably irrelevant twitterbased beef with Nicki Minaj's boyfriend to cultivate a colder persona and reaffirm his supremacy in the game. Unfortunately, “WATTBA” is hardly all it could be, sounding as rushed as the cover art looks. Don't get me wrong, I like many of the tracks on this tape, but it's just nothing new. Future's verses could easily be outtakes from “Dirty Sprite 2,” his third and most recent studio album, and Drake's street posturing is simply unconvincing. The project's theme seems to be meme-readiness, with catchy, repetitive hooks on “Big Rings,” “Diamonds Dancing,” “I'm the Plug,” and “Jersey,” as well as constant callbacks to the rappers' previous bodies of work.

By contrast, one need only listen to the very first five words uttered on “WATTBA” to reveal the true star of the current rap scene: “Metro Boomin want some more.” These are not the words of Metro Boomin, executive producer for “WATTBA” and prodigious commander of the cutting edge of trap sound, but his ubiquitous production tag, dictated by Young Thug in his signature whine. So great is the splash Young Thug has made on the industry that he lends his voice to the tags of two of rap's most important producers right now, the aforementioned Metro Boomin and London on da Track, who executive produced Thugger's latest foray, the “Slime Season” mixtape.

The latest in an inexorable slew of digital releases, “Slime Season” is an irrefutable testament to Young Thug's prowess.

WHAT A SLIME TO BE ALIVE

YOUNG THUG VS. THE HIP-HOP HEGEMONY(FUTURE)

The tape begins with “Take Kare,” which features a special appearance from the admittedly fading Lil Wayne despite Thugger's alleged involvement with a plot to assassinate him on tour (brazy!). “Slime Season’s” track list continues with the nostalgic ode to the unsavory high school pastime of juggin' (aka drug-dealing), “Quarterback,” featuring two thirds of Migos and PeeWee Longway. The founder of the YSL clique and clothing brand (that's Young Stoner Life, not Yves Saint Laurent) proceeds to cover an impressive amount of stylistic ground on “Slime Season,” employing the work of rising producers like Goose, Ricky Racks, and KIP and continuing to push boundaries with unclassifiable hits like “Calling Your Name.”

Particularly strong singles include “Power,” which contains the most outlandishly indulgent application of the word “octagon” I've ever encountered, “Best Friend,” wherein Thugger enters the ranks of academia sans tweed jacket to teach these boys a class in “swagonometry,” and “Again,” featuring the incarcerated ATL Godfather Gucci Mane.

// It’s exactly that rebellious attitude matched with a confident execution that makes Young Thug’s punk approach to rap particularly vitalizing for a genre so over-saturated with monotony.

The contrast between “WATTBA” and “Slime Season” reveals Young Thug's superior artistry in that it demonstrates just how much variety the cartoonish, lyrically and vocally dynamic rapper can offer. While Future and Drake cater to fans by boiling down their essences to be compatible with pop sensibility,Thug simply keeps doing his thing, breaking rules, and not giving a damn. In one writer's humble opinion, it’s exactly that rebellious attitude matched with a confident execution that makes Young Thug's punk approach to rap particularly vitalizing for a genre so over-saturated with monotony. At this point, Metro Boomin is far from the only one who wants some more of the Thuggernaut.

//

L I Z Z I E G O N C H A R OVA

BY COLIN MILLER

WAKEMAG.ORG // 21

THE WAKE // SOUND & VISION

WHAT’S UP THIS FALL

With fall in full-force, it’s time to bring out your 50 shades of red. Think burgundy and maroon and dress your lips with wine and crimson. Pull out your old plaids and pair them with earthy tones like clay and camouflage green. And don’t forget to channel your inner Chuck Norris and double the denim for double the fun!

22 // OCT 19–NOV 1

I M A G E S BY J U L I E T L A S K E

BY SALLY SAMAHA AND JULIET LASKE

KR EC S . C O M

D I S C LO S U R E S H O P. C O M

H I P P O C AMP U S B AND. C O M

THE WAKE // SOUND & VISION

Hippo Campus’ SOUTH EP

Disclosure’s CARACAL

BY OLIVIA JOHNSON

BY KARL R. WITKOWIAK

Beat Happening’s LOOK AROUND (Anthology Reissue)

BY PETER DIAMOND

What can be said about making the most with what you have?

After breaking into the electronic scene with their 2013 album “Settle” and earning a top ten hit with the song “Latch” For Beat Happening—the ‘80s-‘90s pioneers of modern lo-fi in 2014, English electronic duo Disclosure (Guy and Howard and bedroom pop—this sentiment is more than a slogan, it’s a Lawrence) return with their sophomore album, “Caracal.” work ethic. At formation, the band, made up of Calvin Johnson, Disclosure reinvents their sound from their choppy, tight Heather Lewis, and Bret Lunsford, only owned a guitar and a production of “Settle” to a more mellow and subdued sound pair of maracas.To cover up their self-taught playing, they’d add for “Caracal” and the results are mixed. The sound of most extra reverb to their guitars. A Beat Happening song usually of the tracks doesn’t have a punch to it, and the production relies on repeating the same few chords over and over.

“Dollar Bill” thrives on Nathan Stocker’s upbeat riffs and Jake on its lonesome is rather underwhelming and doesn’t have Luppen’s bouncy vocals, while “South,” the title track, is softer much personality.

“Look Around,” the beginning of a Beat Happening reissue series with a soulful vibe, bringing back memories of warm summer from Domino, provides a stellar entry point to an earnest band road trips along of the shore Lake Superior. Zach Sutton’s Thankfully, Disclosure recruited some guest stars to provide that went from owning nothing to meaning something. bass-playing gives the song a subtle form of power, matching backing vocals, all of whom provide their own distinct Luppen’s increasingly growling and passionate vocals. style to influence the tone of the songs. The Weeknd’s Listening to Beat Happening is like finding a dusty box of old toys “Violet” is more solemn than their traditional fun jams. Its feeling of isolation is conveyed well in “Nocturnal.” Lorde’s in your grandparent’s attic. There’s something in their craft that grungy sound adds a semi-needed variety to the EP. Drummer eerie vocals and vague lyrics on the spacey and ominous lends authenticity to each song, as if they exude nostalgia. It’s Whistler Allen’s skills are showcased as he plays with the guitar “Magnets” fit perfectly with the production and easily make their plainspoken, unassuming storytelling that can sustain album and bass to give “Violet” strength. it the standout track. However, the production still takes outlier (at over 9 minutes long) “Godsend,” a glorious, epicprecedent over the vocals, and while the production overall length poem that bounces back and forth between shimmering “The Halocline” is the longest track on the EP. At six minutes, it guitars. “It’s just the things you do / You make it true / You’re starts soft with a long intro and moves into Luppen’s impressive, is competently structured, it can be sloppy at points. On a godsend,” Lewis harkens, before she counts the ways. “We’ll boyish vocal range. Ethereal saxophone in the background adds an “Hourglass,” in which Lion Babe is fantastic, sensual vocals are come back for Indian summer / And go our separate ways,” intriguing element and wraps up the piece—and the entire EP— almost undermined by the flat beat on the bridge.

Johnson drawls in his monotone on “Indian Summer.” to equal a unique package that provides for easy listening.

It’s not all bad news for “Caracal,” as the production on tracks such on “Jaded” and “Omen” have a real kick to them, Simple but never basic, innocent yet always wise,“Look Around” while other tracks, such as “Magnets,” are excellent overall. exemplifies the art of making music for music’s sake—not to “Caracal” on the whole is a slight step down from “Settle,” fulfill a recording contract or “make it” in the studio. Beat but still a recommendation for fans of Disclosure.

Happening is a reminder that simply being is enough.

Local favorite Hippo Campus have gained popularity playing gigs for big names like Walk the Moon and The Mowglis over their time as a band. Their second five-song EP—“South”— starts off with “Close to Gold,” a sunny piece the band has played live for over a year. It’s older, but still characteristic of Hippo Campus’ current sound.

WAKEMAG.ORG // 23

HELP KEEP THE WAKE PRINTING! EAT AT BALDY’S FROM 5-9 PM ON OCT. 28 AND 15% OF THE PROCEEDS WILL GO TO THE WAKE’S PRINTING COSTS!

SEE YOU OCT 28!