The Wake, Issue 3, Fall 2014

Volume 14, Issue 3 | OCT 27 – NOV 9 The Haunted Basement PG. 7 [Ebola] Hits Home PG. 11 Our Mini President PG. 13

THE WAKE STUDENT MAGAZINE | VOLUME 14, ISSUE 3

EDITORIAL:

Raw Honey: It’s the Beez Kneez PG. 5

Our Mini-President PG. 13

Future Actors of America PG. 6

Q&A: MØ PG. 16

Introductin to Yik Yak PG. 9

Case Closed, Literally PG. 18

[Ebola] Hits Home PG. 11

Laughing Beyond the Mainstream PG. 21

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Editor-in-Chief Grace Birnstengel

Art Directors Lizzie Goncharova, Max Smith

Managing Editor Lauren Cutshall

Copy Editors Sara Glesne, Lindsey Pastrorek I know that overall, life isn’t like it is in the movies.

We don’t always drop our books to find someone Editorial Interns attractive picking them up for us. We don’t always Lianna Matt, Johnny Tvedt, mend the friendships that we hurt. We don’t always Shawna Stennes, Olivia Riley have professors that change our lives.

Art Interns Cera Nelson, Andrew Tomten, But sometimes, we do. Sometimes those movie Olivia Novotny moments exist and we can do nothing but take them Faculty Advisor in and appreciate them for all they are worth.

Shayla Thiel-Stern I’m writing to tell you that working with The Wake is one of those movie moments. It has a solid cast of characters, a consistently intriguing plot, and let me tell you – the writing is fantastic.

Public Relations/ Advertising Manager In the spirit of film, I’ll just give you the trailer: Jennifer Burns

Cities Editor Emily Mongan Voices Editor Kayla McCombs Sound & Vision Editors Alex Nelson, Sam Schaust

PRODUCTION: Executive Director Kelcie McKenney Head Designer Kate Johnston Graphic Designers Amanda Gentle, Kayla Lutteke, Erin Slayton Web Manager Sam Gordon Social Media Manager Abby Richardson

Finance Manager Ben Larwa Distributors Ryan Condron, Chris Roebber Production Intern Kirsten Erickson

When I went to my first Wake meeting, I sat on the outskirts of a mob of cool. I didn’t say anything. I didn’t pick up an article. But I left knowing I would go back. Cue movie title followed by tagline: I never stopped going back.

Our posters say, “We want YOU” – and we really mean it. Wholeheartedly, honestly, and genuinely mean it. The Wake wants you to read, it wants you to write, it wants

THIS ISSUE:

©2014 The Wake Student Magazine.

All Rights Reserved.

Photographers

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

Trevor Scholl, David Philbert, Jonathan Tvedt, Alex Nelson, Amy Verrando, Lizzie Goncharova, Gina Van Thomme

Illustrators

Olivia Novotny, Andrew Tomten, Peter Mariutto, Abigail Rommel

Contributing Writers

Kate Clark, Olivia Riley, Kevin Beckman, Peter Mariutto, Trevor Scholl, Lily Noonan, Shawnna Stennes, David Philbert, Carissa Polo, Lianna Matt, Alex Nelson, Amy Verrando, Henry Fuguit, Tipheret Peña, Niqq Helgeson, Maria Elisa Palacios, Aron Wolde, Emily Mongan, Elizabeth Rush, Karl Witkowiak, Abigail Rommel, Chelsea Visser

The Wake Student Magazine 126 Coffman Memorial Union 300 Washington Avenue SE Minneapolis, MN 55455 The Wake was founded by Chrin Ruen & James DeLong.

you to be creative in any way that you can. I know it, because a long time ago, it wanted me too. And it gave me – and continues to give me – so many worthy movie moments.

Lauren Cutshall Managing Editor

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.

www.wakemag.org facebook.com/thewakemagazine @the_wake wake-mag.tumblr.com

ONE-PAGE MAGAZINE

WAKE RANTZ I was #blessed with short stature. I’m 4’11 1/2” on a good day and I think I’m pretty cute. But that doesn’t give randos at parties the right to rest their arm on my head or ask me if I’m a “legal midget.”

Besides the fact that you’re using an outdated term that is offensive to little people, I’m clearly not THAT short. I’ve heard it hundreds of times. Please take a seat.

The number of times I’ve only “uploaded” my assignment to Moodle and forgot to “submit” it makes me think that Moodle should do away with the submit feature all together.

You are in college. You are supposed to be educated. You are supposed to broaden your narrow viewpoints supported by the environment you grew up in for 18 years.

Yet, even from people who have been here for awhile and should just fucking get it by now, I’ve heard some pretty awful, downright racist comments that I thought would’ve died in the SIXTIES. That’s how outdated they are. Go back to where you came from if you can’t catch up to the rest of us because hardly anyone at all wants to hear it.

UNMET TRICK-OR-TREATING NEEDS

By Emily Mongan College students are being deprived of trick-or-treating during the time when they need it the most. How can college students possibly focus on their education when they have empty fridges and stomachs because the rent is too damn high? These students need the love, comfort, and nutritional value that can only come from a $9.99 Snickers variety pack. Kids living with their

By Kevin Beckman

By Elizabeth Rush

Between midterms, elections, and the world continuing to spiral into political and economic turmoil, one question seems to be on everyone’s mind as October draws to a close: “What the hell am I going to be for Halloween?”

Well, don’t reach for your hyperventilation bags just yet.

I’ve compiled a list of my own costumes from grades K-12 that can help turn your Halloween into a Hallo-WIN.

Why has it become so popular to hate on late 90s rock band, Nickelback? Something about those scratchy vocals, the overused reminiscent themes, and the cliché lyrics make it easy for people to hop on the Nickelback hate train.

Kindergarten: Muammar Gadaffi 1st Grade: Haunted Stick of String Cheese 2nd Grade: Hillary Swank 3rd Grade: My Uncle Larry (I walked around in handcuffs and an orange jumpsuit) 4th Grade: Scooby Doo’s Evil Twin “Scooby Don’t” 5th Grade: Walking Taco

A recent Kickstarter cleverly titled “Don’t Let Nickel Back,” has taken it to the next level by attempting to ban Nickelback performances in London forever. You might think this is taking it too far, but if we’re being honest this band hasn’t released anything notable since their 2005 hit “Rockstar.”

There might have been a time when this music was the perfect party soundtrack, but that time seems to have come and gone. All that’s left is countless haters and the same music being produced over and over again. After almost twenty years, maybe it’s time to hang up the guitars and head back to Canada, guys.

6th Grade: My Grandma’s Artificial Hip 7th Grade: Mitt Zombie confidence and social well-being

Mummies 9% Any monster or evil5% wizard from Harry Potter

WHAT IS THE LEAST SCARY

9th Grade: Sexy cat 10th Grade: Leg Day (I just skipped Halloween that year) 11th Grade: Hillary Swank (again) 12th Grade: Batman

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WE DON’T WANT NICKLE BACK

WHAT ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO BE?

8th Grade: The ghost of my self-

Annoyed with something?

Send your 10 to 150-word rant to rants@wakemag.org and yours might be in our next issue!

parents don’t need to trick-or-treat. They have stocked fridges and access to school lunches that aren’t $12 each. It seems like the closest a college kid can get to some seasonal loving these days is through a bottle of Burnett’s Pumpkin Spice. It’s unfair. Sure, drooling infants dressed as jack-o-lanterns are cute, but you can look at that shit on Pinterest. The future of America is hungry.

Twilight vampires 32% Casper 54%

MONSTER?

THE WAKE CITIES

Raw Honey: It’s the Beez Kneez

An all-natural bee raising/honey making movement taken to the next level

TREVOR SCHOLL

TREVOR SCHOLL

doing organic farming where they had some hives and she joined the local beekeeping club.

do,” Reimler said. They both acknowledged they are much happier beekeeping together, as it is not the easiest thing to learn.

By Trevor Scholl It’s a sunny mild fall day in Minneapolis. The leaves are changing, the air is crisp, everything seems normal.

That’s when a black and yellow painted bike peddled heartily by a woman wearing a helmet with antennas on it flashes down the road.

Yes, that is a person dressed as a bee delivering honey on a bike. Curiosity is already struck by the sight, but there is much more to this operation. The woman on the bike is Kristy Allen, co-owner of Beez Kneez, a local organic honey curator and distributor that is actively teaching and helping the public learn about better food systems and why raising bees in an environmentally friendly way is important.

Her aunt and uncle own a bee ranch in Squaw Lake, MN, so upon returning, Allen was invited to learn the trade of beekeeping professionally. That’s how she fell in love with the bees. When asked by her aunt if she would sell some of the honey in Minneapolis, the wheels started to turn in Allen’s head that she could do this for a living. Allen soon after met Rupp and they combined their love for biking and bees by working out of basements and houses until a Kickstarter campaign in 2013 raised $40,000, from 800 supporters, allowed them to build the operation they have now.

“Everyone needs food. We can solve a lot of problems by looking at the food system. It’s pretty broken right now,” Allen said.

Allen sees the knowledge and awareness people have about honeybees growing, and Beez Kneez has found support in the local community.

Allen and co-owner Erin Rupp are in the business of selling honey, but they also offer classes to demonstrate how to raise honeybees and extract the honey they make.

Raw, unprocessed honey has more flavor than storebought and keeps forever naturally. It has a thicker consistency, and has the taste of whatever flower the bees collect pollen from such as wildflower, clover and alfalfa.

“I love the interaction I get to have, I get to interact with the community on a different level,” Allen said. Mary Reimler and Aaron Hoffmeister are two honeybee raisers that have learned from Allen and Rupp. Now they’re learning the intricacies of beekeeping, while using the Beez Kneez facility to extract the honey from their hive box frames through a pedal powered extractor.

The Beez Kneez and its home base, “the Honey House,” is just 4-years-old but has grown quite a bit since its beginnings. Allen graduated with a degree in social sciences from the University of Minnesota. After graduating, she lived on a farm in Arkansas where she learned about the bee issue working with a small community of farmers there. Allen then went to Ecuador

“I don’t know how small scale commercial folks do it,” Hoffmeister said. He has developed a ton of appreciation for Allen and others who do it on a larger scale. Last year Hoffmeister and Reimler were able to extract nine pounds of honey, but this year they expect upwards of 200 pounds.

“It’s something I’ve always had interest in, and wanted to

“The hardest part is trying to keep the bees alive,” Allen said.

One-third of the food we eat is pollinated by honeybees and in recent years they have been dying off in large numbers. This is due to Colony Collapse Disorder, which may be caused by pesticides and stressors like climate change.

The Beez Kneez motto is “reviving the hive for healthy bees, healthy lives” and Allen and Rupp live by that standard every day. They now have 12 partner sites where they keep beehives and have growing numbers of honey buyers and extractors. On top of that, increasing local organic self-sustaining food systems both supports the environment and our future. Allen is also a “Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained” social entrepreneur award winner and will be highlighted at the Women Ventures fall fundraiser.

With no expectations going in, Allen has been happy to do something she is passionate about. “I’m really interested, as a business owner, in entrepreneurship. How to bring in revenue and do it for a good cause. We should all think about the impact we are having,” said Allen. For fans of honey locally and everywhere this impact has been nothing but sweet.

Beez Kneez is located at 2204 Minnehaha Ave. S. Information on hours, deliveries and class schedules can be found at thebeezkneezdelivery.com.

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THE WAKE CITIES

Future Actors of America

A look inside the U’s B.F.A Guthrie Acting Program

By Lily Noonan It’s 11 p.m., which means senior B.F.A Kelsey Peterjohn is finally done for the day. She has not been in a research lab, an office internship, part-time job or study group; rather, Peterjohn was just released from a four hour rehearsal. Never mind that she had six hours of theatre classes before that. For all students enrolled in the University of Minnesota’s B.F.A acting program, completely embodying art is a lifestyle.

While a general theatre major, a Bachelor of Arts, is available at just about every university including the U, the B.F.A program is vastly different. This highly selective, audition-only, four-year degree completely lays out members’ schedules for the entire program. So what does the school-day of a future professional actor look like?

The B.F.A program starts with a series of auditions across the country, looking for new talent in cities like Chicago, New York and Los Angeles along with Minneapolis. After a first round audition, around 60 students are brought to Minneapolis for a callback weekend. The lucky few selected for the B.F.A are then stripped of everything they were taught before college about acting and start again at the very basic level.

Freshmen take classes about the mind, body, voice and context of being an actor and eventually move into monologues by the end of the year. This is part of being “classically trained” actors.

“Shakespeare and the Greeks have stood the test of time, so we learn it as a skill set,” Peterjohn said. The idea is that if you know how to convey to a contemporary audience, classical text, you can do that with any text.”

Because of their professional Shakespeare training, all B.F.A juniors are required to study abroad in London and perform on the world-famous Shakespeare Globe Theatre stage, a euphoric moment Peterjohn says she’ll never forget.

Even though the B.F.A students have a strict schedule, they must also take the full liberal arts education on top of the Guthrie program. “It marries the Guthrie program with the liberal arts degree to bridge the program into the professional world and make smarter actors,” Peterjohn explains.

Peterjohn also emphasizes the importance of the “company” structure of the B.F.A class, which after spending

6 | OCT 27 - NOV 9

flickr.COM / Paul VanDerWerf

a year living together on the same floor of Middlebrook Hall, felt more like a family than a college program.

“You are living, eating, breathing, and sleeping with the same 20 people,” Peterjohn said. “It can be great at times, or it can be horrible. It’s made me a much more compassionate, but stronger, person. You learn how to be an individual within a group.”

Despite training under famous artists and traveling to London, being an actor in the B.F.A is not glamorous. In fact, because the B.F.A program values the core acting skills over any other aesthetics of theatre, there is significantly less funding than the B.A. program. Thus, students often have to create their own costumes and sets. The B.F.A students have long days with little time to socialize or pick up other majors in between.

“Besides my roommate, I have no friends outside the program,” Peterjohn said. “We don’t get breaks.”

The structure of “class time” itself is enough to shatter one’s self esteem, if they don’t take criticism well. “[The program] works because learning acting is very

vulnerable, and you fail a lot. A lot is embarrassing and emotional. The nature of the classroom is you get up and people critique,” Peterjohn said.

However, because of the close-knit atmosphere of the 20-person class, she says it makes it easier. “There’s a trust build in the room and you can fail. If there were random people all the time, you wouldn’t see as much growth because there wouldn’t be that much trust.”

Peterjohns’s long, emotional and exhausting journey has left her with incredible memories. She feels that she has learned a lot from her close-knit B.F.A class, but admits that she will be heartbroken when she must graduate and leave her acting family. A moment during closing night warmups of recent B.F.A. show “Summer People” reaffirmed for Peterjohn that while the road may have been long and hard, the work was worth it.

“Someone brought out a guitar and we all sang every song from our four years together. It was a reflective moment where I thought, ‘Wow, it’s been four years and we’ve all been together,’” Peterjohn said. “We really grew up together, and I don’t think people can say that, and have that same appreciation of a group.“

THE WAKE CITIES

The Haunted Basement

Behind the Soap Factory’s annual underground terror

By Shawnna Stennes On the bottom floor of the historical Soap Factory, below the modern art installations, local artist exhibits, and silent drifting visitors lies something truly unusual.

A basement where artists devote hours perfecting fake blood concoctions and crafting molds of disfigured fetuses. A place where actors get lessons on how to refine their screams and chant in a fictitious language. A place that is brilliantly devastating, all to make you have the most horrific 25 minutes you could ever purchase.

Started eight years ago, The Soap Factory’s Haunted Basement has earned a well-respected place in the Twin Cities Halloween scene. With past delights that include putting suits on participants and shooting them with paintball guns, the Haunted Basement team is unafraid of suffocating comfort bubbles.

From my minor role on the makeup crew, I find myself painting the teeth of actors with shades of zombie green and attaching fake slugs to various body parts. Next to me, a small-statured man tests out his fake breasts and looks up beaming because they fit just right. In another chair, a teenage girl giggles at her hands that have now been transformed into bloody stumps. The business of Halloween horror attracts a medley of peculiar individuals.

The place where the marvel can truly be found, however, is in the absurdly detailed sets that make up the Haunted Basement. Although it is virtually always in darkness or very near darkness, the artistry can still be appreciated if you take a deep breath and notice it. Without disclosing too much, I believe the sets may perturb you even more than the varmints prowling around you, as long as you keep your eyes open.

Prior to entering the Basement, each participant must sign a waiver and must show that they are at least 18 years old. Each is also given an identical white mask to wear which makes it terribly easy to become separated from your mates and terribly difficult to hide. With no guide, everyone carves their own path and experiences the Basement differently. Maybe you’ll come out covered in an unknown substance, maybe you’ll avoid it. Maybe you won’t even make it through and have to cry out the safe word, maybe you’ll pull through. You have now until Nov. 2 to find out.

Shows are on Wednesday through Sunday nights at multiple times between 6:30 p.m. and 10:20 p.m.

Weeknights are $25 and weekends are $27, for more information head over to the Soap Factory’s website.

How to be Logical

An Evening with George Saunders During the reading, Saunders, a MacArthur Grant professor This childlike worldview is discredited by the evil and from Syracuse University, shared his general procedure fear that emerges in the story. Such differing perspectives for writing a good story and, more importantly, where to raise questions surrounding human morality. In the begin. “We think we need to start with what themes and current state of the world is it really possible to still messages that we want our stories to tell, because that’s hold idealized morals? Saunders raises a stand for both how we learn about stories in class,” he shared. “We begin sides in “Victory Lap.” by trying to pull the author’s key themes out of the story.”

However, Saunders believes that writers should initially grow and develop their storyline before any key themes can truly take shape. He encouraged writers to listen to the story and take it where it wants to logically go.

By David Philbert

david philbert

On Oct. 7, Northrop Auditorium hosted George Saunders, author of National Book Award Finalist and common College of Liberal Arts freshman reading assignment Tenth of December. During the lecture he discussed his own writing style and the art of writing, engaging the audience about storytelling as a process; a series of logical and intuitive decisions.

When I managed to catch up to him after the lecture, I disclosed to Saunders my own desire to write despite my engineering background. He had a similar situation, with an undergraduate degree in geophysical engineering, before his formal academic career in creative writing.

He finished the evening by reading the first story out “Engineers make good writers because we already know of Tenth of December, titled “Victory Lap.” The prose how to think logically,” said Saunders. He has logic and read was deceptively profound. Universally applicable reasoning skills from his technical background and it is dilemmas and seemingly established societal norms noticeable in the voice and story progression of his writing. knitted their way into a storyline worth pondering, Overall, the event was an opportunity to hear an esteemed featuring characters that warranted analysis and writer’s perspective on creativity, and to listen to one emotional investment. In the short story the fifteenyear-old female protagonist reasoned, “To do good, you of his stories the way he intended it to be heard. just have to decide to do good. You have to be brave.”

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THE WAKE CITIES

Campus Climate Cafés Bring Students Together University hosts group discussions in order to bring student concerns to light

By Kate Clark successful university if it’s diverse,” said Freeman, “Of course, as a diverse university it has to be a place that is welcoming and inclusive and equitable for everyone so that everyone can meet their success.”

Earlier in October, two small-group discussions were held on the University of Minnesota’s campus in order to gage the current campus climate.

Open to undergraduate, graduate and professional students, the events, which were held on Oct. 2 and Oct. 8 and attended by about 100 students in total, split participants into small groups where they were prompted to discuss among themselves and then to the group at large their experiences on campus.

Freeman said that having a campus that is inclusive and respectful of all students helps ensure their success.

“It’s very important to make sure students have a place to talk about their experiences and to let people know what’s working for them and what needs to change,” she said.

The overall campus climate includes the current state of issues faced by students, faculty and staff such as bullying, discrimination, assault, privacy violation, racial profiling, self-harm, disrespect and general conflict.

Ann Freeman, who works in university relations and was one of the planners for the campus climate Art of Participatory Leadership effort, said similar issues emerged at both meetings, particularly with regards to being involved with and accepted by the campus community.

“There were people who told powerful stories of sometimes feeling isolated or even tokenized in class where they might be the only person of color,” Freeman said.

To find out more about campus climate world café, and learn about the next step in the University’s campus climate initiative, go to campusclimate.umn.edu.

flickr.COM / BALA SIVAKUMAR

World cafés can be effectively used to stir discussions in both small and large groups. The faculty cafés in November will follow the same format as the students’, which involved participants moving around among small groups and working together to answer three questions.

The discussions, known as “world cafés,” will continue in November where two are scheduled for faculty and staff to participate. They are sponsored by the Campus Climate Work Group, made up of university senior leaders, and are hosted by the Art of Participatory Leadership community.

While the date isn’t finalized, early in the spring semester faculty, staff and students will meet for an “open space event” designed to look for solutions to issues brought up during the cafes, Freeman said.

World cafés give people the opportunity to listen to others’ stories and experiences and share their own. It also allows participants to learn from each other and collaborate on ideas to impact change, said Freeman.

“Creating the space for that to happen is a powerful thing in and of itself. It’s also is a great way to connect ideas, issues and suggestions from the campus community with the senior leadership group,” Freeman said.

Freeman said the University has people trained in Art of Participatory Leadership, sometimes referred to as Art of Hosting, a collaborative process of group problem solving rooted in conversation. The Art of Participatory Leadership processes were used to conduct these world cafés, in the hopes that students’ conversations could inspire ideas and solutions for the problems faced by the University community.

In the spring of 2013, President Kaler charged a group of senior officials to look at what efforts were in place and what needed to be improved on when it came to dealing with campus climate. They have been holding meetings since last summer and will be provided information from the world cafés, said Freeman.

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“[President Kaler] said the university can only be a

It’s very important to make sure students have a place to talk about their experiences and to let people know what’s working for them and what needs to change.

THE WAKE VOICES

An Introduction to Yik Yak

Yik Yak paddy whack, get this on your phone

By Gina Van Thomme In case the popularity of social media content hasn’t already wrecked enough self-esteem, Yik Yak allows posters to be judged in front of an even more unforgiving audience. Yik Yak is an app that gathers anonymous submissions from the area their phone is in and gathers them into a live stream. After being posted, these 200 character ‘yaks’ are left to live or die as anonymous peers vote and comment on them. Because when a post reaches five negative votes it is deleted, Yik Yak is a survival of the fittest where only the wittiest and best posts make it to an area’s elusive ‘hot’ page.

Despite the fact that posting a yak is about as risky as an early 2000s American Idol audition with three Simon Cowell’s as judges, this app is undoubtedly alluring.

With an addictiveness level somewhere between a Netflix binge and heroin, users will be sweating and shaking as they try to close the Yik Yak app to get some sleep. Yik Yak is the combination of a million different social media sites: the skeeziness of Tinder, the brevity of Twitter, the hilarity and warmth found on the UMN Secret Admirer Facebook page, and the occasional desperation of a help page.

While the app hasn’t quite made its mark on the University of Minnesota, it has picked up popularity in other college towns; a fact made apparent by the ‘peek’ feature, which gives an inside look at other colleges’ yaks. So far the primary audience of UMN Yik Yaks seem to be freshmen that post constantly about how

much they drink, as well as fraternity men who rip on each other’s fraternities. There is no way to tell for sure who is positing what, however, and maybe that is the beauty of the yak.

Yik Yak’s anonymity factor does allow the app to be crude and downright offensive from time to time, but for the most part, Yik Yak remains a humane place filled with hilarious comments on college life, partying, and everything else under the sun because of a user’s ability to self govern and shoot down offensive posts.

Despite these imperfections and an occasionally unforgiving voting audience, Yik Yak is a must-download for anyone who wants to share and stalk secret thoughts or has been waiting for that Facebook dislike button.

Pluto, Please Come Home!

Only true 90s kids remember Pluto… maybe?

By Olivia Riley Recently the Internet has been abuzz about the possible promotion of Pluto back to planet-hood. Pluto, the frozen hunk of rock about 3.6 million miles away, was a planet from 1930 until it was famously demoted to “dwarf planet” in 2006. But hold your horses, because it’s not official. Not yet, anyway.

What happened was this: a bunch of highly renowned scientists got together at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics to debate about Pluto’s status.

Dr. Owen Gingerich argued that “a planet is a culturally defined word that changes over time,” so Pluto should be a planet. Dr. Gareth Williams defended the International Astronomical Union’s definition of planet-hood (which is what took away Pluto’s planetary status in the first place) saying that because it had not “cleared the neighborhood around its orbit,” Pluto should not be a planet. (Pluto did meet the other two IAU criteria: it orbits the sun and has sufficient mass to assume a round shape.) Finally,

Dr. Dimitar Sasselov advocated a broader definition of a planet as “the smallest spherical lump of matter that formed around stars or stellar remnants.” This is a more generous definition which also applies to exoplanets orbiting stars in other solar systems, and by which Pluto should be a planet.

After hearing this debate, the audience voted to accept Pluto back into the fold. Sasselov’s definition won out, and thus, Pluto is a planet! However, the IAU, the official governing body in such matters, has shown no signs of restoring Pluto to its former planetary glory. So, alas, all the new and sadly Pluto-less science textbooks will remain accurate for some time to come.

I remember how sad, confused, and even angry my classmates and I were when we learned that Pluto had become simply a dwarf planet, and that useful mnemonic device “My Very Elderly Mother Just Sent Us Nine Pizzas” (and the many variations thereupon) had become defunct.

olivia novotny

But imagine the joy this new generation of students will feel if they hear the news: there’s a ninth planet (again)! And, if we use the wider definition of planetary status, there may even be a few other celestial bodies that get to be planets too. Why should we be so strict and unforgiving in our technical definitions, when the alternative is greater acceptance and wider study of all the totally awesome space stuff in our solar system? I say, come on home, Pluto, and bring your friends.

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THE WAKE VOICES

The Umbrella Revolution Why Hong Kong’s ‘Polite Protesters’ have captured the world’s attention

By Kevin Beckman When one hears the term “revolution” today, it typically conjures up images of the Arab Spring or the crisis in Ukraine; images of violence, destruction, and chaos. Unlike familiar scenes from Cairo or Kiev however, Hong Kong’s “Umbrella Revolution” (dubbed after many participants used umbrellas to protect themselves from police teargas and pepper spray) carries a much different connotation.

When tens of thousands of citizens took to the streets and government buildings of Hong Kong in late September and early October to protest the decision on electoral reform made by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, there were no pictures of broken shop windows, overturned cars, or burning flags. Instead, there were images of tens of thousands of students sitting around on their smartphones, doing homework, passing out donations of food, and meticulously picking up litter— even separating the recyclables. What started as a class boycott by high school and college students has turned into China’s most consequential protest since the1989 pro-democracy rallies were ruthlessly crushed at Tiananmen Square. The bravery and determination of these activists, many of whom are barely through adolescence, are things not even the Chinese government can ignore.

The protests are built on years of pent-up frustration.

When the former U.K. colony was handed back over to the Chinese in 1997, it was agreed that Hong Kong would maintain a high level of autonomy, including a democratic election of its own leader. But 17 years later, very little resembling actual democracy remains.

China’s latest proposal, laid out in the Aug. 31st decision of the Standing Committee, offers the opportunity for Hong Kongers to vote for their leader, but only after the candidates are screened by Beijing beforehand. Civil disobedience and student groups such as Occupy Central, the Hong Kong Federation of Students (representing tertiary students) and Scholarism (representing secondary students) began their protests immediately following the decision, calling for universal suffrage, the resignation of Chief Executive CY Leung, the withdrawal of the decision of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, and the submission of a new electoral reform plan that includes civil nomination of Hong Kong’s Chief Executive.

Demonstrations began on the night of Sept. 26 when up to 100 protesters led by 17-year-old Convener of

10 | OCT 27 - NOV 9

Scholarism Joshua Wong attempted to “reclaim” the forecourt of the Central Government Complex (which was once a public space that has been barred from public entry since July 2014) by climbing over the square’s fence.

A police force met the students with pepper spray and drove them out. Scores of protesters were arrested and detained, including student leader Joshua Wong. When adults joined the protests on Sept. 29, the pepper spray not only returned, but canisters of tear gas were fired into

The courage and resolve shown by the protesters, particularly the students, are not to be overlooked.

Some of the most powerful images to come out of Hong Kong show demonstrators, many not yet out of high school, resolutely standing in front of police barricades with only safety goggles, rain ponchos, and umbrellas to protect them from the streams of pepper spray being shot into their faces. Images like these show that the students are not merely naive idealists:

What started as a class boycott by high school and college students has turned into China’s mostconsequential protest since the 1989 pro-democracy rallies were ruthlessly crushed at Tiananmen Square

crowds of unarmed, peaceful demonstrators. Shocked and emboldened by the police’s outrageous use of force, tens of thousands more citizens showed up the following day in support of the protesters. Through Oct. 10, demonstrators continued to occupy the square in front of the Central Government complex as well as several major city intersections.

The Hong Kong protests have been noted by international media as remarkable by their high degree of organization, but particularly their politeness, tidiness, and staunch adherence to nonviolence. A number of stations were set up by the protesters as a base for food and water distribution, waste collection and medical care. Signs made by protesters apologize for the inconvenience caused and denounce isolated incidents of vandalism. As many of the protesters skipped school for the rallies, local scholars have volunteered to give lectures to groups of demonstrators, and images of students studying and helping each other with homework have become trademarks of the movement.

they are politically savvy operators who recognize the elements to a successful nonviolent resistance. They understand that the values of passivity will not only help win over sympathizers, but expose the illegitimacy of the regime if it moves against them with excessive force.

The student-led siege of prime Hong Kong property is not going to suddenly transform the territory into a full-fledged democracy, particularly not if the Chinese Communist Party remains in power on the mainland.

Popular outbursts of political action do not always lead to long-term success, or even longer-term activism. But the “umbrella movement” has proved once again that the one thing guaranteed to inflame public feeling is an obvious attempt to impose the government’s will.

Beijing will continue to make its presence felt in Hong Kong, but if protest leaders’ pleas of “never give up” are heard by the Hong Kong people, hope of reform will never be completely out of reach.

THE WAKE VOICES

Women’s Soccer v. Men’s Hierarchy

FIFA has the money and power to help the women’s game progress, so why don’t they?

By Jonathan Tvedt Last summer, viewers from around the globe received a televised glimpse at a sporting wonder of the world.

Brazil raised stadiums near and far in preparation for their hosting of the 2014 FIFA men’s world cup. The South American soccer giant relocated over 15,000 families and turned a cheek to their economic problems in order to “accomplish” this feat.

In 2015, it’s the women’s turn. The globalized tournament will take place throughout Canada, a beautiful country with the room and money to properly host the event without uprooting thousands of its own in the process.

So what should we expect from the Maple Leaf nation?

Turf fields in pre-existing stadiums. Wait, what?

Yes, the 2015 World Cup as it stands, will be held on fields with turf. Mind you, American football is the only rendition of football that is best played on the rubbery substance. Grass provides a cushion, a more supportive foundation and one that is easier on the tendons.

Following long soccer matches, the legs will take longer to recover if the tendons and ligaments are more stressed. This is why turf is a concern; grass is standard in the men’s game for a reason. The drawback from FIFA’s decision is a blatant case of gender discrimination. U.S.A. soccer phenom, Abby Wambach, has protested the issue since 2013 and has taken legal action on the subject.

So what does that leave soccer fans with?

Coming off an exciting run at the Brazil World Cup, this should be a time of revitalized interest of the sport here in the States. But it’s not, because FIFA is currently the placeholder for the condemning male hierarchy in sports. The fact that they’re even butting heads on this issue and not doling out the extra money (and trust me, FIFA has it) is a problem in and of itself. The men’s game can promote a relocation campaign for thousands of impoverished families in a struggling South American country, but the women’s game can’t even get some grass on their field?

The solution? Protest this.

Soccer fans, sports fans, and those who love to see the male hierarchy (especially in sports) falter: this is the perfect opportunity. Support the women. Online petitions have sprung up about the issue and a simple Internet search for one (check out coworker.org’s for a substantial petition) will yield plenty of results. If not changed, this becomes a major defeat for females and soccer fans everywhere. At first glance this may seem like a small detail, rubber or grass, but in reality it’s about the progression of women’s sports across the globe. The World Cup is the biggest sporting spectacle in the world; the women should have the final say on where they play, not the FIFA higher ups.

It hits home

Ebola’s effect on the American psyche

By Peter Mariutto I have never considered myself a hypochondriac, but there’s a first time for everything. Ebola has a way of instilling fear into even those who aren’t the least bit germophobic. It’s easy to see why. Until recently, we had never heard of someone surviving a case of Ebola, and it isn’t something we get vaccinated for or even educated about as children. That’s because Ebola isn’t a North American disease, and it has never rivaled a classic sickness like the flu for control of the neighborhood until now, so there was never a reason to think about it.

So why are we so afraid of it? Yes, the fact that it is incredibly deadly and contagious has something to do with it, but it is also something that we as a general populace marginally understand. We picture the streets of major American cities flooded with contagious corpses, and we prepare for the need to survive in an apocalyptic world in the traditional American fashion.

It is a fact that this current outbreak has killed more

They’re just the fleeting representation of a superficial moral fabric, not grounds for behavioral change. I do not want to belittle the effect that Ebola has on a global perspective; the attention it is getting in the media today is definitely well-deserved. Hopefully it will prompt more attention to the larger issue at hand, and not just the disease itself. peter mariutto

people than all cases since Ebola’s discovery in 1976 combined, and we knew that, but we only cared about that information when the disease left Africa.

The Ebola today and the AIDS of yesterday are symbolic of a familiar problem: the collapsing health systems of the developing world. Ever since we were children, we were brought up with the phrase “starving children in Africa,” but we’ve never seen one—not in person.

It isn’t possible for us to care about everyone else on the planet all the time, and it shouldn’t be our responsibility, but if we’re going to make world-changing decisions, we should make sure they are at least pointed in a positive direction. Because if our decisions are based solely on when problems affect us directly, in a way we lose the compassionate quality that makes us human to begin with. We need to realize that many of the world’s problems are as indiscriminate as Ebola itself, and we need to stop treating Africa like the world’s leper colony.

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THE WAKE VOICES

Faking a Manufacturer’s Defect on Designer Baby A white, same-sex couple receives sperm from black donor and gets angry, but the problem is “not about race”

By Carissa Polo In the last days of September, Jennifer Cramblett filed a lawsuit against Midwest Sperm Bank after the Chicagoarea fertility center accidentally gave her sperm from a donor who was a black man, instead of the white donor she and her partner, Amanda Zinkon, had meticulously picked out. Yikes. What a mess of a situation.

and raise their daughter there. They deliberately disregard advice from friends, the demeaning treatment they’ve received in the past due to their sexuality, as well as their own fears for their daughter’s future.

This story made the headlines instantly as the media ignored the fact that the fertility clinic was the direct cause of the mix up; rather, it focused in on the couple’s seemingly racist motives to cause a legal frenzy. And after hearing of these particular accusations, it only makes sense that the couple would come out publicly with a rebuttal to the media’s remarks against them.

Not only were they encouraged to leave by their own thoughts, which they ignored, but the couple has also chosen to ignore people like their therapist who strongly suggested they move away from Uniontown to a community where their family can grow up in a welcoming environment. Despite all of the advice from loved ones, the couple has chosen to stay in the same place for the past two years, continuously complaining about the closed-minded town. If they were really scared their daughter would grow up in a hostile environment, wouldn’t it be common sense to remove her from the environment to one that’s safer, especially when they have all the capabilities and opportunities to do so?

Apparently, the reason why Cramblett and Zinkon claim they are upset their child is mixed race isn’t solely due to the fact that Payton doesn’t look like a combination of both of her mothers, but rather because the population of the town in which they reside, Uniontown, Ohio, is mostly white and known to be fairly closed-minded. The partners shared stories with the media of how their sexuality has affected the way their neighbors and family members treat them, and it has given them fears for the future of their family. The couple has also expressed their concerns for their daughter, now two years old, who could be disrespected or misunderstood by other kids because she is not Caucasian.

Aw, that sounds better now, doesn’t it? Maybe they’re not really racist and just want some justice. Maybe, but let’s take a moment to notice that this story doesn’t exactly check out.

No doubt, the Midwest Sperm Bank is rightfully to blame for sending the couple the wrong sperm. The company acknowledged that and sent an apology letter as well as a refund for sending Cramblett the wrong batch.

Unfortunately, it seems the partners have decided to placeextra blame on the sperm bank for more than just mechanical error alone. In her complaint letter, Cramblett asks Midwest Sperm Bank for compensation on things such as “pain, suffering, emotional distress, and other

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OLIVIA NOVOTNY

economic and non-economic losses.” What? If she can do that, all students who endure pain, suffering, emotional distress, and economic losses from their studies at their university should be able to get money back from their school too, right? (We could only hope.)

So why is it that Cramblett has only just now decided to sue Midwest Sperm Bank for their mix up? Their daughter is two years old now. Shouldn’t this have been something to have the sperm bank deal with two years ago, since the couple knew about the incorrect batch of sperm they received at that time? This just makes the whole situation seem like a ploy to get noticed and to make an easy buck or two.

The biggest red flag to be raised here, however, is that the couple has chosen to stay in their prejudiced town

Heads up: if staying in a prejudiced town is in some way linked to your pride as a parent so you can scream, “We’re a different kind of family! We stand up for ourselves! Please notice us,” at the top of your lungs, just stop. Take a step back, and realize there are lives other than your own involved in your crappy decisions.

Nevertheless, whether or not Jennifer Cramblett and Amanda Zinkon love their daughter Payton, which I’m sure they do, perhaps they still hold some of that racist attitude they grew up around which they’re trying “so hard” to get away from.

Maybe if they put as much effort into leaving an unwelcoming town as they put into making up items the sperm bank had to compensate them for, they wouldn’t be so surprised at the negative response their legal issue is causing.

By Lianna Matt Photos By Kelcie McKenney

MN.GOV/GOVERNOR

JOHNSONFORGOVERNOR.ORG

OUR MINI-PRESIDENT A PRIMITIVE LOOK AT MINNESOTA’S GOVERNOR ELECTIONS

By Lianna Matt Every four years, the U.S. holds the momentous event of choosing our next president. However, in the off years, people forget about those offices that can be equally as important: governors.

Thinking back to our high school social studies classes, we know that the federal government has a legislative, executive, and a judicial system. The state system is similar, but the governor is the one who gets the final say on legislation for the state. Governors, of course, also have the ability to push certain projects or movements forward, which leads us to this year’s elections.

On a narrower scope, the governor of Minnesota also has “a little bit more power than other state governors,” said Ryan Olson, director of governor relations at the Minnesota Student Association (MSA). “The governor makes the [state] budget proposal before the legislature convenes. The governor has their idea for the budget, and the House and Senate kind of work off of that to create their own budgets.”

HANNAHNICOLLET.COM

THE WAKE FEATURE MEET THE CANDIDATES This fall, Minnesota’s major-party candidates are incumbent Governor Mark Dayton (D), Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson (R), and Hannah Nicollet (I). If elected, he or she will take office for four years and can run again for the governor’s seat an unlimited amount of times.

THE CANDIDATES During the second gubernatorial debate in Moorhead, Minn., the moderator asked the candidates what specific bills or rules they would push forward. While this is by no means a broad representation of what their time in office would be, this question is a good place to start hearing their vision.

The top three issues that the state of Minnesota should be talking about are the economy, health care, and education (K-12 and higher), said Allison Maass, the president of Students for a Conservative Voice at the U. “And if they’re not the top issues for students, they should be.” Maass doesn’t see a distinction between student voters and adult voters. “What happens in the state encompasses everyone,” Maass said.

Mark Dayton (D): • Reintroduce the failed child care tax credit for low- and middle-income families to help families combat the rising cost of child care •

Create a sales tax on gasoline that will help to close the remaining $5 billion to $6 billion gap needed to maintain our “deteriorating” transportation system, but also to improve it

Flikr.com / Minnesota national Guard

“Economy is universal,” Olson said. “Obviously, the burden of debt that they get from college [is an issue]… On the spectrum of economic issues [for college students], finding a job is the biggest issue in terms of availability, placement, and experience during college.”

• Increase special education funding Jeff Johnson (R): • Audit all of the programs that taxpayers fund and end those that aren’t working • Implement a “parent trigger” as seen in New Jersey and California. The idea of the parent trigger is that it places parents in control of education. If parents are seriously dissatisfied with their local school, they can enact a vote of confidence in the school.

If the school does not pass approval, then parents have the power to push forward a change such as replacing administration or making the school into a charter school

During the first two governor debates, candidates Nicollet and Johnson attacked the job that Dayton’s administration has done concerning employment— Nicollet and Johnson both stressed that many people are “overqualified and underpaid” for their jobs because of a poor job market.

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• Speed up the processing time of business permits in order to stay competitive with the states around Minnesota

Get rid of the corporate tax in Minnesota to encourage more private sector job creation

• Change business permits and license rules so that the processing fees will never be more than the cost of the license itself.

Streamline the process of obtaining a permit • Pardon nonviolent drug offenders

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Dayton, as the incumbent, continued to iterate how he helped to bring Minnesota’s state debt from a $6 billion deficit to a $1.2 billion surplus, but did not directly state that the job market needs any reform. This pattern happened in both debates and most likely will continue until the election.

Another recurring pattern was the usage of the keywords “open for business” and “business competitive” when it came to the economy, and many statistics were thrown around about unemployment rates, job growth, and growth per capita. While Dayton professed that Minnesota has gained 162,000 more jobs during the Moorhead debate, something that Johnson said in response to a later question could be its rebuttal: “If you want to talk about facts, the Bureau of Labor Statistics ranked us as 41st in the country for job growth. Worst in the Midwest.”

Hannah Nicollet (I): •

While those three topics are overarching issues, Olson sees students as a different type of person than people who aren’t in college. College students see the same problems, just with a different focus or perspective.

In both debates, Nicollet talked about how she wants to get rid of corporate tax laws in order to draw in more lucrative jobs and grow the job market. At the Moorhead debate, Nicollet said that not only does Minnesota’s tax rates repel potential incoming businesses, but the

THE WAKE FEATURE companies we do have in state are leaving. She cited Medtronic as a prime example—the Minnesota-based company “moved” to Ireland to escape the state’s taxes.

Johnson agreed with Nicollet in saying that Minnesota needs to become more competitive and lower its taxes to welcome in new businesses. He also said that he strongly supports the Sandpiper Oil Pipeline, which would create 1,500 private sector jobs—a bonus in addition to the alleviation on railroads needed for grain transportation—that he claimed the Dayton administration was passively trying to kill.

Dayton, during both of the debates, recalled multiple ways he bettered the job market. In the Rochester debate, Dayton said the Destination Medical Center he helped start in Rochester will be “more of a magnet for medical tech jobs,” and the “agriculture technology in Southern and Southeastern Minnesota ships projects all over the world.” And, when Nicollet and Johnson attacked the Vikings stadium in the Moorhead debate, Dayton responded, “Tell those 700,500 people — 38 percent of whom were people of color — who got jobs that the project is a debacle.”

Job creation is a small part of what’s at play in Minnesota. The debates also covered issues for greater Minnesota such as agriculture regulations, and general topics such as priorities for transportation funds, health insurance, education, tax reforms, and more.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED It’s easy to feel lost when you begin to learn about politics. One way to find your solid footing amidst the shifting biases is to research a variety of sources because they talk about different issues or the same issues with different perspectives. “I believe that one cannot rely

on a single source for an accurate or complete description of political climate,” Matthew Boelke, president of the College Republicans at the U of M, said. By doing this, you can try to neutralize—or at least recognize— biases when you inevitably come across them.

To expand your knowledge about politics, subscribe to Blois Olson’s Morning Take, a daily email newsletter covering various political and non-political news in Minnesota, utilize Twitter by following a diverse collection of political groups, and keep up with publications such as The New York Times, Foreign Policy, and The Guardian.

“Too many young people—and by young people I also mean people in their 30s and 40s, too—don’t read the news,” Katie Quarles, a member of Socialist Alternative, said. While promoting current event awareness may seem like beating a dead horse, grasping multiple aspects of a situation is necessary before you can critically understand how effective a candidate’s plan could be.

Politics isn’t just about choosing a political party; it’s also about fighting for what you think is right. “There’s a growing openness to systemic alternatives to capitalism,” Ginger Jentzen, a member of Socialist Alternative, said.

“Movements against climate change, income inequality, the issues people face, should develop a genuine challenge to politics as usual,” she said. “Students want to get politically involved and are hungry for change.”

Preregister to vote. Find out your voting station from theSecretary of State Office website. Learn about the candidates beyond just their name and their party affiliation.

“Make sure to fill out your ballot completely,” Boelke said. “Who controls the State House and State Senate are just as important as who controls the governorship.”

POLITICS MATTER

“[Candidates are] always out and about, visiting campuses, visiting cities. Go talk to them and they’ll answer your questions,” Maass said.

Ignoring politics and what it has the potential to do doesn’t help anything. For instance, the Socialist Alternative Club has been pressuring Governor Dayton to raise the minimum wage for airport drivers, saying that their salaries trap them below the poverty line. “[The governor] could do something about this tomorrow,” Jentzen said.

Whether or not the governor’s role should take this initiative depends on how you view the governor, but if you block out politics as a whole, you’re giving up the first input you have in your state — the first opportunity you have to get your voice heard.

In terms of getting involved on campus, a cornucopia of groups await you. Even if you don’t have a specific political party you’re vying for, there are nonpartisan groups, grassroots campaigns, environmental sustainability groups, advocacy opportunities at the Capitol, and more.

“I know there’s some apathy because of perceptions of ineptness and failures and polarization,” Olson said, “but if people choose not to educate themselves or to be educated, we’re going to find ourselves with a disinterested and an inept Congress.” So mark your calendars for Nov. 4 and go earn that red “I Voted” sticker!

To better understand the candidates, peruse the Minnesota Public Radio website (featuring candidate stances), check out the candidates’ websites, listen to the debates on sites like C-SPAN, and attend different political events.

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THE WAKE Q&A

Q&A with MØ Scandinavian electropop badass reflects on her second national tour this year, talks her second album, and shares her thoughts on how fucked-up youth is today

ALEX NELSON

By Alex Nelson Danish singer MØ, born Karen Marie Ørsted, is a rising force in the electronic pop scene and a SXSW fan favorite. NME called her style “electro music with guts.”

She released her debut album No Mythologies to Follow this spring on Chess Club/RCA Victor. We sat down with her backstage before her show at The Varsity to talk about performing, songwriting, and being totally estranged from society.

THE WAKE: When I saw you at Lincoln Hall in Chicago, I watched someone hand you a note from the audience. Do people do that a lot?

MØ: It depends on the schedule. Sometimes I get them and I get time to read it and sometimes I don’t. Yesterday I got two fan letters and I wrote them back and stuff, but, you know, it depends on time.

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THE WAKE: Yeah, that’s super sweet. I’m really eager to know about your second album. Have you been writing it while on tour? How’s it coming along, what direction are you taking it?

MØ: Yeah, actually it’s kind of different from the first one because right now we have tons of scratches, like, demos and stuff. I don’t think we have one single song that’s completely done. Almost, but not really. We still have sessions coming up and stuff so there’s a lot of scratches and ideas and I have a big, big brain board about what I want it to be, but it’s really a work in progress. I don’t think I should tell too much but we are very focused on getting it done as soon as possible.

Not to rush it! But, you know, so then we can start on the third one!

THE WAKE: You just released a new video for a new jam with Elliphant. The song is called “One Time,” and you got to work with producer Joel Little (of Lorde fame), whom you’ve cited as someone you’d like to collaborate with. Can you tell me about working with him?

MØ: Yeah! Actually, Ellie [Ellinor Olovsdotter] and Joel were in the studio together and I think Ellie just wrote the song there with him. And then she texted me on Facebook and asked me if I wanted to sing this song with her. So they actually did it and I was like, “Yeah! I wanna do that!” So I got the song and I recorded and I did some extra small things, and then I was just emailing with Joel and he mixed it and took some of the things that I did, took some things out and made it flow.

But Ellie wrote that song, I was just on top of it.

THE WAKE Q&A THE WAKE: Who’s left on your list of collaborations?

MØ: I would really love to collaborate with Cashmere Cat. THE WAKE: Oh, yes. He worked on the Ariana Grande album?

MØ: That’s right! Yeah, but I really love his stuff. And, oh there’s a lot, I mean, SOHN, also, the guy from Sleigh Bells, Derek.

THE WAKE: SOHN, yeah, you already did, though, right?

MØ: Yeah, we’ve been in the studio. I hope we get one more session. And there’s so many brilliant and talented up-and-coming ones… I would really like to also work with some of the less established ones because that’s sometimes where you really find the gems because they’re not under the pressure of a label or under the pressure of themselves, you know? They’re just trying out stuff and that’s what makes them cool.

THE WAKE: I’m interested in your songwriting and how you actually create your songs. Does is start with a melody or a beat, lyrics, or just an idea or concept?

MØ: It totally changes. It’s not like there is one way to do it. Sometimes it’s the lyrics, sometimes it’s the beat that I get and sometimes it’s a melody I just come up with, And sometimes it’s just a rhythm in my head and then I sing it down in Logic with my voice and pitch down the vocals. So it can happen a lot of different ways.

THE WAKE: In a lot of your songs, there’s a solid core of R&B. There’s some really good R&B hooks. Some of my favorites: “Slow Love,” “Glass,” “Pilgrim,” “Maiden.”

MØ: Those are actually my favorites too!

THE WAKE: In a lot of your songs, there’s a solid core of R&B. There’s some really good R&B hooks. Some of my favorites: “Slow Love,” “Glass,” “Pilgrim,” “Maiden.”

MØ: Those are actually my favorites too!

THE WAKE: Yeah! Where does this soul influence come from?

MØ: Actually…

THE WAKE: It just comes from your soul?

MØ: Not to be cheesy, but I mean, I think so! I grew up, like, before I listened to Spice Girls and all that stuff, I grew up listening to my father’s music. And he was listening a lot to Sam Cooke, you know, and my mother was listening to Billie Holiday. But I don’t even know if that’s where it comes from. It’s just there. Destiny’s Child, maybe. I was a big fan of them.

THE WAKE: So speaking of your parents, I really love that video where you’re in your parents’ house and we get a glimpse into your bedroom studio.

MØ: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah! That’s where I talk about how I recorded the album. I like that video too! It’s very true. That was how it was.

THE WAKE: Do you think doing that in your bedroom influenced the mood and tone of the album? Or why did you choose to do that instead of opting for a traditional recording studio?

MØ: I think it influences it at some point. Actually, it just happened. I record better vocals when I’m on my own. When I go home to my childhood room and stay there, that’s when I really get into feeling nostalgic. And kind of dreamy and happy, yet searching. It reminds me of being a little teenager, you know, so when I’m there it just makes so much sense. The best vocals I’ve ever recorded was definitely out there being in my parents’ town.

THE WAKE: You’ve been touring No Mythologies to Follow for a long time. You’re back on the road again.

You’ve been doing these songs for a while now, so what do you do to keep it fresh and exciting?

MØ: Well, actually, I still like singing the songs and I still like performing them. I can still really experience those feelings when I stand on the stage and want to express it. The only thing is, when you are a creative person, you’re always thinking about the next song. As I just told, I have so many scratches. And you know, usually, back in the days when I had more time I would always finish a song before really moving on. And right now I have like twenty scratches, you know. And that’s a bit frustrating, in a good way! I’m just very much like, “Oh, I can’t wait to finish a new song so I can play that.”

But I’m not tired of the old songs, you know. You just want to be fresh of course. You want to show your supporters some new stuff, so I’m very excited to do that.

fucked up in your head and confused. It’s the teenage mind taking on a very high level. Like, “AHHH!” you know? I was so inspired just by watching my friends and watching my environment and how people would do such crazy and destructive things to kind of find themselves. And all of these songs were very much this alter ego. I played this role of being this fucked up girl who was like, fucked up, you know? Like, major, major fucked up. And I thought that was funny, like as a societal critique, like, “Look what you’re doing to the young people.” That’s what that was about. Because a lot of people were like “Oh my god, are you like that, Karen?”

And I’m like, no, but it’s a way of expressing how desperate the youth can be and how a lot of people can be like that. It’s not something that I judge, it’s just the fucking society!

THE WAKE: I think your live shows just bring what you’re doing to a whole new level. I talked about your energy earlier; where does that come from? Is that natural for you to have such a colossal presence?

MØ: I think it’s just because, as I said, I was in this punk band for five years. I think that was where I developed my stage character. I remember back then it was very much about just letting go for us, you know, being energetic and getting out the feelings. And that’s how I feel now when I perform. I just really want to try to let go and just not care about if I look pretty or if it looks cool but just try to just let go. Because it’s about being true to your audience and being true to your supporters and showing them that you mean those things because I really fucking do, you know? And also because, there’s so many stage projects and there’s so many girls who just have it all figured out, which is good, I like that! But I think it’s okay, as a girl… it’s not about being all girly. It’s about being human in this world and having something to say and it’s about showing that.

THE WAKE: Yeah. Let’s talk about some old stuff. I’ve done some digging and I found a lot of really old stuff.

Can you tell me about “A Piece of Music To Fuck To” ?

MØ: Oh, shit.

THE WAKE: Or even, “When I Saw His Cock.” That’s one of my favorites.

MØ: Oh that’s funny. It’s actually more kind of an art project than it is for real a music project. It was something… you know I was in this punk band. Me and this girl I was in the band with started at the Art Academy in Denmark at the same time. And then our teacher was like, “Hey, Karen, you should try to do something on your own, because, all the things that you’re doing…,” because I was involved in a lot of stuff, and it was always with a lot of people. It was always like, a punk band or a group of people doing art together, so she was like, “Try to do something on your own.” And at that time, I was very much about, actually I still am, very much about that whole idea of being young and

THE WAKE: So, one of your most popular songs is that Spice Girls cover, “Say You’ll Be There.” You really made it your own stylistically. Are there any other songs that you have in mind that you’d really like to transform like that?

MØ: Well, yeah, I mean, I do. But right now, as I said, I’m very focused on new songs. I would really like to do a remix of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs or Sonic Youth. I just think it’s a dangerous thing to do a remix of a Destiny’s Child song because those voices… I mean, I can’t fuck with that.

THE WAKE: You’ve been talking about the new songs.

Do you have any expectations for when we’ll hear any of them or do you not want to talk about that?

MØ: I mean, I want to talk about that, but I don’t think my manager and my label would like me to talk about this! So, I think I have to obey that and shut up.

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THE WAKE SOUND & VISION

Case closed, literally

oldest privately owned bookstore in the twin cities closes

By Amy Verrando In 1963, two ground-breaking things occurred: The Beatles recorded their hit “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” and Gail See proudly opened the doors to her bookshop, The Bookcase. When it opened in 1963, The Bookcase was one of only a few bookstores in the Twin Cities area and therefore received a lot of business. Employees say that for over 20 years, the Bookcase was a very popular place for locals to get updates on news of the latest books.

The Bookcase’s original location was near Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis. However, when Nicollet underwent construction in the late 1960s, Gail See decided to move her little store to Wayzata to its longtime home at 607 E. Lake St. Prior to housing the The Bookcase, 607 E. Lake St. boasted Suplee’s Community Drug, a locally owned drugstore business, so it was fitting that The Bookcase, also a privately owned shop, should call the location home.

For many years, The Bookcase stood at 607 E. Lake St. attracting the attention and business of Minnesotan locals and tourists alike. People were attracted to The Bookcase not only for its historic location, but also for its unique feel. Unlike many chains, such as Barnes & Noble, The Bookcase had a very unique and cozy atmosphere.

While The Bookcase didn’t boast the latest technology, what it did have was character. Drawings from children and cartoonists lined the walls alongside countless advertisements from locals ranging from things as simple as “shoes for sale” to “missing cat” to “shout out to the Robinson family.” All in all, it is safe to say that the The Bookcase represented simpler times.

Throughout my visit to The Bookcase, the staff was friendly, helpful, and upbeat despite the fact that they were about to lose their jobs. It’s unfortunate that The Bookcase is closing because it seemed like the type of store I would eventually want to take my kids to.

Throughout the years, as most long-lasting businesses do, The Bookcase underwent management changes.

Peggy Burnet became The Bookcase’s new mother in the early 1990s, and eventually The Bookcase was bought by Charlie Leonard in 2008. Just as Leonard took ownership of The Bookcase, financial issues became an increasingly tough to overcome. Eventually, due to high interest rates, The Bookcase moved yet again. In 2011, The Bookcase (then the oldest locally owned and operating bookstore in the Twin Cities) opened its doors, for its third and final incarnation.

What remains of The Bookcase now stands quietly at 624 E. Lake St. in a small cluster of shops at the edge of downtown Wayzata. As was expected, after The Bookcase moved from its longtime home at 607 E. Lake St. the store lost a great deal of business due to the fact that people were unaware that it had moved; many believed it had closed. Unfortunately, because of the loss of much of their regular business and nearby

amy verrando

“I may regret the way we ended, but I will never regret what we had.” construction, The Bookcase again is in financial trouble, but this time, there will be no recovery.

I had the privilege of experiencing firsthand the magic of the area’s oldest privately owned bookshop. Despite the fact that it was closing, The Bookcase was quite inviting. The store resembled a small yet comfortable library; windows let in just the perfect amount of sunlight, and the store concealed a number of small nooks all of which held comfortable looking chairs for patrons to read in. The store had a small main area and then a stairway leading to the second floor. The second floor was dedicated to children, teens, and young adults and it had an easel and number of toys set up to keep children entertained while their parents got lost in books. amy verrando

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The last thing I noticed before leaving The Bookcase was the sign on the door from the store’s owner, Charlie. It read simply: “I may regret the way we ended, but I will never regret what we had.” While it is definitely regrettable that The Bookcase is closing, the patrons and the residents of the Twin Cities area will never forget the memories and lessons that the store brought to its community.

The Bookcase symbolized simpler times. It stands as a reminder of where we came from and where we are going.

And even though The Bookcase is closing, the lessons it taught, and everything it came to symbolize will never be forgotten because in the words of musician Kevin Eubanks, “The simple things in life are the ones that keep us grounded through the tough times.”

THE WAKE SOUND & VISION

Make Your Party a Graveyard Smash

on the xylophone, but the folks at Spooky Halloween Sounds did it again!

“A Nightmare on My Street” by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince This classic track of the duo’s triple-platinum album, He’s the DJ, I’m the Rapper, has more plot than most feature-length movies. Getting hunted by Freddy Krueger

By Henry Fuguit may have been a nightmare for the Fresh Prince, but to Halloween music puts all other holiday music to shame. that it’s Halloween. Don’t be a rude host and confuse your the listener, this spooky song is a dream come true!

Most Christmas and Fourth of July songs are about the guests in that way.

Seven solid minutes of silence. Shake things up with an love of fellow man or America, respectively. That’s all fine “Thriller” by Michael Jackson interlude of eerie silence right in the middle of the party. and good, but wouldn’t you rather listen to a novelty song Good news, the best song of all time is also vaguely a Really sell it by fiddling with the boom box, and being like about a rapping goblin? Halloween music is about campy Halloween song!

I don’t think Halloween ever comes up “It says it’s playing…something freaky is going on here, guys!” scares and having a good time, exactly what makes directly, but there are zombies.

Zombies mean Halloween, Halloween great. right? No matter, “Thriller” is the King of Pop at his very best. “Thriller” by Michael Jackson (AGAIN) The people want it. Who are you to deny them the joy Submitted for your approval, here’s a list of required “Skeleton Rattling” by Spooky Halloween Sounds of “Thriller,” just because we played it 20 minutes ago? Misongs for every Halloween playlist. With these jams at 28 seconds of jangling bones is sure to excite, and fright. chael Jackson, man, what a capital “T” for talent. No one your party, séance, or haunted hayride, you’re sure to Most skeleton sound effects suffer from an overreliance like him, before or since. Rest in peace, MJ. be the most popular corpse in the crypt! Just kidding, social status doesn’t matter after we die...Kind of puts it in perspective, huh?

Get caught dead with these songs this Halloween

“Monster Mash” by Bobby (Boris) Pickett “Monster Mash” is THE Halloween track. If you don’t play this song at your party, people may not even be aware

With these jams at your party, séance, or haunted hayride, you’re sure to be the most popular corpse in the crypt!

less is (almost Always) More

Why Harry Potter made sequels work, but others should stop trying

By Tipheret Peña When The Hangover premiered in 2009, its popularity was unmatched by any other movie at the time. That is, until The Hangover Part II was released two years later.

Not only did the sequel match the original’s success, but it matched its plot—entirely. Although the sequel received negative reviews from critics and fans, the franchise still made upwards of one billion dollars. This was only one of the first series of many to take advantage of fans’ wallets by creating new material based on previous work, or in this case copying old material, simply to make more money.

Arguably, no one mastered the sequel better than Harry Potter, which ended with eight film adaptations to its name. However, Harry Potter produced sequels that were each unique from the films preceding them. The continuation of the films was not planned from the beginning, but instead depended on the success of the individual films. Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy in the films, told BuzzFeed “We only set out to do one [movie]… and it just kept going…If there are three books now and

they’re making the first film, they’re already thinking about how they can make the second and third.” It wasn’t until the seventh book had entered the scene that a two-part adaptation was made, unknowingly sparking another trend entirely.

Although the seventh and eighth movies were split to fully express the story, it’s likely that money was a driving factor as well. Nevertheless, every new book-to-film series adaptation seems to have capitalized on Potter’s idea. The Hunger Games, The Hobbit, and the Divergent series have all decided to split their books into multiple movies to maximize profits. This all seems to be done in greedy spirits as few would argue that a 300-page book like The Hobbit requires three two and a half hour-long movies: content, here, is clearly not the issue.

More recently, comedies have shed light on the sequel frenzy, like the many jokes made within 22 Jump Street concerning its sequel status. Jonah Hill mentioned to Entertainment Weekly that the reason for this was that

abigail rommel

the idea of making a sequel was so bad, they had to be hard on themselves for doing it. The end credits even included posters and clips from future films, such as 23 and upwards of 30 Jump Street.

All hope is still not lost, however. When questioned about a Bridesmaids sequel, writer Kristen Wiig said that although a sequel would mean a lot of money, it is not the driving force in her creative life. With any luck, we can count on Wiig to set an example for other artists as well. So what can we do as audience members? Easy: don’t spend money to see the latest sequels; wait for them to get to a Redbox station or even Netflix. I mean is it really that important for you to see the Ghostbusters remake (yes, it’s happening), or Iron Man 4? Maybe it’s time we end this trend and just say “mischief managed.”

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spooky black: The latest shock to our system

The 16-year-old R&B enigma has us all confused (and all sorts of other feelings)

By Niqq Helgeson We are all pilgrims of the Internet, sowing fiber optic fields with the hopes of reaping something strange and magical. Be thankful, for it is time to feast. The main course goes by the name of spooky black, aka Lil Spook. 16 years old and hailing from St. Paul, spooky is just as viral as the Twin Cities’ sensation that was Tay Zonday’s “Chocolate Rain.”

Ambient R&B sounds with lonely boy crooning is his specialty. spooky’s music can best be described as The Weeknd, James Blake, and Clams Casino shoved hastily into a blender and offered as an olive branch apologizing for Yung Lean. Intriguing, no doubt, however, that hardly comes close to scratching the surface of who spooky black is and why he deserves your undivided attention.

Not much concrete knowledge of spooky’s background exists at present. He just entered the social media foray, joining Facebook and Twitter earlier this year. He has also has given zero performances or interviews. What we do know, however, is that he released two EPs earlier this year (Black Silk and Leaving) and is receiving daps in print and over the airwaves through outlets such as BuzzFeed and The Current. 1.5 million YouTube views on Spooky’s “Without You” music video off of Black Silk were enough to warrant his inking a deal this September with The Windish Agency, one of the nation’s largest booking agencies. If that’s not enough, Doc McKinney, Minneapolis native and track engineer for the likes of Drake and Santigold, has been named as a potential manager to represent the teenage singer.

What we also know is that spooky presents the unexpected in an unexpected manner, which makes him all the more addicting of an Internet star with a cult-like following. He has a severe aversion to melanin and rocks a hairline more fitting for a CPA with three children than someone in his formative years. He sports do-rags, turtlenecks, the occasional FUBU jersey, and gold chains that could have been snagged from your grandmother’s jewelry box. His music videos exhibit a sort of misaligned, lo-fi, VHS-style visual of the artist on some half-assed, snowy pilgrimage through the Minnesota woods.

Not a lot about spooky’s persona makes sense. The message he is trying to put across with his sound and visuals is certainly opaque. One could just as well question whether his attire is culturally misappropriating. Along the same vein, “spooky black” as a

andrew tomten

20 | OCT 27 - NOV 9

moniker does carry questionable racial connotations.

And it is certain that a white kid channeling music of African-American origins is a cue for Internet discourse and debate. It could be a well-crafted gimmick. Or it could all be brilliantly threaded into the moral he is trying to convey. A tweet from spooky himself raises such speculation: “stop worrying so much about what others do / if always craving attention / how will u find who You really are / think.” spooky’s musical ability is another facet of his character that cannot be easily explained. On one side, he had me missing my ex-girlfriend from fifth grade (we’re still meant for each other, Hannah). His drowsy yet deliberate vocals are haunting and angelic. They are withdrawn and blend well with the spacey warped guitars and soft hi-hats. You become entranced, only to be jarred awake by his lascivious lyrics. “HotelSixNine” is just one track illustrating that spooky black is by no means a wordsmith. spooky black possesses the formula to go viral, but not mainstream. His emotive vocals are offset by his high-libido lyricism, and can rely heavily at times on reverb to drive his tracks. Besides, society is not able to easily digest complex narratives from its celebrities, and the ethereal Spooky can be difficult to stomach.

But is mainstream success really what he is striving for?

He is breaking stereotypes all over the place and raises the question of what makes a good musical artist. My call is that within the year, Drake will either collaborate with spooky or put out a diss track in spite of him. He is further Bon Iver-ifying present day R&B, and makes me want to drive alone for 15 hours because I am either really depressed or really horny (or both). It remains to be seen whether he should be considered more than just a good voice, but you won’t truly know how to justly assess spooky black as a musical artist until you grab a seat, tune into one of his EPs, and reminisce about unrequited love back in the fourth grade.

THE WAKE SOUND & VISION

Laughing Beyond the Mainstream

Six lesser-known comics you should be following

By Aron Wolde Most people have a general idea about who is who when it comes to the arts. We know about musicians, sure, actors, obviously, but comedians: not so much.

When it comes to who is funny or not, people are quick to point to some big names. People like Jerry Seinfeld, Louis C.K., Dave Chappelle, and Chris Rock are household names. And while these people might be extraordinarily funny, they make up a tiny fraction of the comedians performing today. Some comedians only tour, so their material can only be seen in clubs or in videosonline. Others write for television shows, so they never really get direct recognition, and a few others are so underground that they haven’t even been discovered.

The following is a list of comedians beyond the basics that you should check out if you’re looking to get your laugh on:

Misha Estrin

Misha Estrin is an oddball, novice comedian around campus.

His obscurity may be a result of his short 15 minutes of material on YouTube, but his young and busy life surely holds promise. Estrin is 21 and a student at the University of Minnesota. Students might recognize him from his performances at the U's Last Gopher Standing even, or as the guy walking around campus holding the “Free Hugs” sign.

Benhur Yohannes Benhur, or Ben, Yohannes has been pursuing stand-up comedy since he was 16.

Now, at the ripe age of 18, Yohannes stands apart from other underrated comics of any age. His quick-firing humor and brevity require no explanation.

Yohannes is one of the few East African comedians currently

performing in the Twin Cities. You can catch his stand-up performances at Acme Comedy Club where he has previously made it to the semifinals of Acme's “Funniest Person in the Twin Cities” contest.

Morgan Murphy

Morgan Murphy is a one-of-a-kind stand-up comedian.

Murphy's dry, sadistic demeanor drives a cynical form of humor.

Her jokes make audiences laugh at dark, sad, confusing, and odd aspects of her others' lives. She makes no excuses for her humor.

Murphy released a stand-up special this year called Irish Goodbye. It has been rated four stars on both IMDB and Amazon. Murphy currently writes for the show 2 Broke Girls and sometimes makes appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Kumail Nanjiani

Kumail Nanjiani is a Pakistani-American comedian who many cinephiles and TV fanatics have likely seen, but not remembered.

Nanjiani has appeared on a number of shows including Portlandia, Silicon Valley, Veep, Meltdown, and Newsreaders.

His stand-up special Beta Male features stories about growing up in Pakistan, his strange roommates in California, and his fascination at the fact that cyan made its way into his color printer. Nanjiani's earnest enthusiasm and steady wit make for remarkable performances.

Wyatt Cenac

Wyatt Cenac is probably best-known for his work on The Daily Show, where he works as both a writer and correspondent actor. Cenac's casual delivery makes his sets feel almost conversational.

His material bounces from nerdy observations on pop culture to racial dynamics in America today.

In 2011 Cenac released a comedy album called Comedy Person. Viewers might also recognize Cenac from his voice acting in the Netflix original series Bojack Horseman.

Maria Bamford

Maria Bamford is an alternative comic whose work requires much explanation.

Her humor is dark, odd, and thoughtprovoking. Bamford often uses her strange jokes to poke fun at herself as well as highlight some of her serious life problems. She frequently makes light of her struggles with depression and bipolar disorder. While Bamford's humor might make some uncomfortable, it also makes for some fantastic laughs. Her quirky, stream-of-consciousness persona makes her stand out among other comics.

Bamford has appeared in film (Barnyard), TV shows (Louie, Bojack Horseman), and stand-up specials (Live at the Troubadour). She has six albums of work released and tours consistently. If you have the time, do yourself a favor and listen to Maria Bamford.

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THE WAKE SOUND & VISION

twin tweets revive twinpeaks

ABC may have won the battle in the 90s, but fans have won the war

By Maria Elisa Palacios It’s official. After more than two decades since the airing of the last episode, Twin Peaks will be returning to the small screen as a nine-episode series on Showtime in 2016. On October 3, show creators David Lynch and Mark Frost surprised fans with twin tweets, each writing "Dear Twitter Friends: That gum you like is going to come back in style! #damngoodcoffee." Within 20 minutes Twin Peaks and #damngoodcoffee were trending worldwide and a screen cap of the tweets along with Special Agent Dale Cooper’s quote “when two events occur simultaneously pertaining to the same object of inquiry we must always pay strict attention” became the most retweeted picture of the week.

For those unfamiliar with the cult classic, Twin Peaks is a show that aired two seasons on ABC from 1990-1991 that follows an investigation headed by FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) into the murder of homecoming queen Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) in the fictional town of Twin Peaks, Washington.

The murder investigation is at the core of the series while the intriguing inhabitants of the town (and of Cooper’s dreams) along with their various methods of coping with Laura’s death, and moments of supernatural phenomena help the story unfold.

The show covers all of this, while also including mysterious owls, a dancing dwarf, teen melodrama, offbeat humor, a log lady, mystical music, and much more.

And why was the show canceled? Officially, the series was canceled after the second season due to being moved to a Friday night time slot that caused the ratings to dwindle too low for ABC at the time. Fans would add that director David Lynch’s absence due to other projects was noticeable by the middle of the second season so the integrity of the show had fallen below fan standards.

So why reboot it now? David Lynch and Mark Frost told the New York Times that 2016 will mark the show's 25th anniversary since cancellation. It also hearkens to Laura Palmer’s eerie statement to Agent Cooper in the Red Room, “I’ll see you in 25 years.” With television being much more open today to the creepy, graphic, mind-bending (yet funny) nature of the original Twin Peaks – and considering it was breaking boundaries in its own time – Lynch and Frost are excited to be able to take the show to whole new levels that wouldn’t have been originally possible. When asked for specifics about the direction of the new series, Lynch simply quoted Agent Cooper by stating, “I have no idea where this will lead us, but I have a definite feeling it will be a place both wonderful and strange.”

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THE WAKE SOUND & VISION

3 REVIEWS

GONEGIRLMOVIE.COM

Gone Girl

SMASHBROS.COM

Super Smash BROS. for 3dS

By Karl Witkowiak Just saying the name Super Smash Bros. brings back memories of playing Melee, Brawl, and even the original for Nintendo 64. As such, the newest entry for the Nintendo 3DS gives players even more reason to love the series. It keeps many of the same qualities that make the series great, while introducing plenty new features to keep it fresh.

The player character roster is at an all time high with 51 options. These include veterans like Mario and Link, newcomers like Robin of Fire Emblem and the Duck Hunt dog, and third party characters including Pac-Man, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Mega Man. Each character can now be customized as well, adding more depth to the characters. Smash Run is introduced as a new feature in which you run across a map, defeat enemies, gain stat boosts, and later duke it out with other opponents.

Both the character customizations and Smash Run are fantastic new additions that stood out in the game.

That isn’t to say there aren’t minor problems. The stages are not the best, with some being outright terrible to fight on (looking at you, Find Mii). Even though the character roster is balanced for the most part, some characters seem to easily overpower others (that means you, Little Mac), and the control layout also takes some getting used to. Overall, this game is a must if you have a 3DS and especially if you have been with the series for years.

By Chelsea Visser SKELETONTWINSMOVIE.COM

the skeleton twins

By Abigail Linn Rommel The Skeleton Twins is a dark comedy that successfully looms the theme of death throughout the entire film.

Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader star as twins, Maggie and Milo, who are still struggling with their father’s suicide that occurred when they were teens.

Both Maggie and Milo make separate suicide attempts at the beginning of the film, although Maggie’s gets cut short with a phone call from the hospital saying that Milo is in recovery. When Milo had hopped into his bathtub to slit his wrists, there was a quick foreshadowing shot of a skeleton doll that Milo drops into his fish tank. That moment predicts Maggie’s later method of attempting to end her life. As Maggie plunges into her own fish tank (her scuba class’s pool) with a weight tied to her ankle, Milo’s “twin-tuition” kicks in as he comes to her rescue at the last moment.

It isn’t until Halloween night—or the Day of the Dead —that the twins realize that they have been following unhealthy coping patterns ever since they were teenagers dealing with the loss of their father.

Overall, The Skeleton Twins was delightfully dark. Wiig and Hader make a great pair, but I strongly believe that Modern Family’s Ty Burrell has the most memorable performance as a former child-molester and teacher.

With Halloween coming up, The Skeleton Twins really sets the mood for something spooky.

The preview for David Fincher’s adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl caught my eye over the summer, and I proceeded to devour the book in less than a day. The movie had a similar effect; there are some things that are almost impossible to watch, yet you can’t look away.

Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) and his wife Amy (Rosamund Pike) seem like your run-of-the-mill happily married couple until the morning of their fifth anniversary, when everything changes. Amy vanishes, and all the signs point to her dearly beloved. To say more of the plot would spoil the movie; the story revolves on one twist after another, leading you to believe one thing before pivoting off in an entirely new direction.

The film dances back and forth through time, giving you the briefest glances into Nick and Amy’s relationship through its happy beginnings until the darkness creeps in. And creep in it does as this film is both metaphorically and literally dark. Characters’ faces are nearly always in shadow, and nobody is brightly lit. No one is quite what they seem to be.

Tightly written and excellently shot, this movie’s more than two hours fly by quickly. The supporting cast is superb. Notably, Neil Patrick Harris’s natural charm takes on an unsettling undertone in his role as one of Amy’s exes. Rumors about the movie’s ending differing from the book can be taken different ways (depending on your interpretation), but one thing’s for certain: stories like these don’t always have happy endings.

WWW.WAKEMAG.ORG | 23

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