Folk band takes a fresh spin on classic sounds

“From deep in the hills of the Finger Lakes” comes Mulberry Soul, a Middlesex-based band that “blends folk, bluegrass and old time music with soulful original songs.” The band is set to release their debut album, Mulberry Soul, on May 20. Started in 2012 at the Rochester Folk Art Guild, the band has had major success playing all around upstate New York, including the popular Rochester bar, Bug Jar, and bar-pub-concert venue combination, Flour City Station. Members include Gabriel Schliffer, Scott Calpin, Cordelia Hall, Aaron Oldweiler, Carla-Marie Padvoiskis and Chris Machanoff ‘06.

In true folk and bluegrass style, Mulberry Soul’s sound uses an eclectic array of instruments including the banjo, the mandolin, the upright bass, the fiddle and an acoustic guitar. It is the use of these instruments—combined with their authentic sound—that distinguishes Mulberry Soul from other popular bands.

Their self-titled debut album is a compilation of 10 songs inspired by traditional folk, bluegrass and country music. Overall, the album is a great addition to anyone’s summer playlist. Many of the songs, such as “Pappy Johnson,” have a storytelling quality that seems to be lacking in today’s pop hits.

In addition to the storytelling within the songs, there are also many long instrumental breaks. In fact, “Harlem Blues” has no lyrics at all. One would think that a lack of lyrics would make a song hard to listen to, but that is not the case here. “Harlem Blues” delivers such a strong fiddle melody that the listener is never bored. Other songs, such as “Shed,” provide a happy medium of both lyrics and instrumental breaks.

The album mixes it up a bit with vocals, as well. In some songs Hall—the band’s only female member—can be heard complimenting the main vocals with her own warm and earthy voice. The closing track, “What We’re Made Of,” features Hall’s voice at the front and center, providing a nice change of pace and a perfect end to the album.

Whether they are channeling old school country music or leaning more toward a folksy sound, every song on Mulberry Soul takes classic roots and turns them into fresh new melodies and rhythms. We may have heard the banjo and the mandolin before, but we’ve never heard them quite like this.

“Wilding Grove” and “Shed” are great examples of this innovation, “Wilding Grove” with its edgy chords and “Shed” with its delicate and airy introduction. This seamless merging of the old and the new evokes a wistful longing for simpler times, but also a fresh feeling that suggests that those times are still here.

Mulberry Soul isn’t slowing down anytime soon, either. Accompanying the release of their album, they will be embarking on a summer tour that will take them to big festivals throughout the state, including the upcoming Rochester Lilac Festival and the Grassroots Big Splash.

It seems that Mulberry Soul achieved a great balance: their sound is divergent from the rest, and yet they receive recognition at some of New York’s greatest musical events. From the sound of this album, it is well deserved.

“From the Back of the Bus” explores racial inequalities in America

Central New York’s teen theater troupe The Media Unit presented the question, “How do we start the dialogue on race?” through their presentation of an original production titled “From the Back of the Bus.” The Alliance for Community Enrichment and the Student Association sponsored the show on Saturday April 16, while sociology department senior interns Tilaina Yu, Jonelle Williams and Anna Fong set the event up with associate professor of sociology Elaine Cleeton. Founder and director of The Media Unit Walt Shepperd began the show with some thoughtful words. “It’s time to start talking about race, racism and racial healing,” he said. “Don’t let this stop here. Use this forum to get you thinking.”

“From the Back of the Bus” started in 1996 and it portrays the tension between teens of different races in America. The play focuses on four teens dealing with various experiences of discrimination. Aquila—played by Shannon Williams—is a black girl who explained that, because of her skin color, she was bullied and given unequal opportunities. Zen—played by Rebecca Matos—discussed her feelings on being the only Puerto Rican student in her high school. Holden—played by Elijah Sheridan—is a white male who complained about not getting the same opportunities for college scholarships as minorities. Finally, Deion Patterson played Malik—the bus driver—who contemplated the definition of what it means to be a “real man.”

In the talkback after the show, the actors were asked how they were able to play such raw characters. Coincidentally—as she and Shepperd explained—Matos was able to play her character because, in reality, she was the only Puerto Rican student in her school until last year. Sheridan admitted that he wasn’t very much like his character at all and it was difficult channeling someone like Holden because he was raised to never judge anyone without getting to know them.

On the other hand, Patterson and Williams recognized more similarities to their characters than Sheridan. Patterson confessed that he constantly thinks about what it means to be a “real man,” while Williams explained that she was treated differently because of her lighter skin.

The show also featured a lot of singing and dancing by the students—with some powerful solos by Matos and Williams. The show concluded with the actors dancing to Sister Sledge’s “We Are Family,” and they encouraged the audience to join in with them.

During the discussion after the show, there was talk about people of different races and genders getting their “fair share” in life, as well as what it means to be a “real man” and a male role model. As Shepperd explained, “[The Media Unit’s] job is to create a safe and comfortable space that will enable people to talk, to share, to reflect, take it home.”

The most important part about this show, however, was the effect it left on the audience. The Media Unit encourages students and viewers to “not let [the discussion] end here.” According to Shepperd, “All of the [Media Unit’s] shows are done on topics of teen concern.” Other topics that The Media Unit’s shows have covered include AIDS and LGBTQ+ conversations.

“We have found that humor and satire are the best approaches,” Shepperd said. The audience was receptive to the topic, as they shared personal stories along with their comments on the issues of race and identity that were brought up in the play. With the help of The Media Unit, the conversation hopefully won’t just stop at the Knight Spot. Hopefully, the audience will share these topics and start their own dialogue of race so that others can join in, too.

Molière one-act comedies emphasize humor in everyday life

The department of theater and dance is presenting a performance titled “Love and Laughter in Repertory: Two Plays by Molière” from Monday April 18-23 at the Black Box Theater. Molière was a French playwright and actor who lived in the 17th century and is often considered one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature. He studied at the Collège de Clermont and after 13 years as an actor, he began writing. He based his plays on the methods and materials of commedia dell’arte, French farces and neoclassical theatre.

Commedia dell’arte is a form of theater characterized by masked actors. This tradition began in Italy in the 16th century and led to more improvised performances based on sketches and scenarios. Commedia masks capture exaggerated, unusual facial features as an indication of personality.

The first play in “Love and Laughter” is a one-act comedy called “The Jealous Husband,” translated by Alfred Bermel and directed by junior William K Gfeller, with choreography by junior Sierra Bouchard. This play is about a middle aged man, Le Barbouillé—played by junior Chase Watkins—who claims he is the “unhappiest of men” because his wife appears to be straying from him; living her own life that isn’t entirely about catering to his needs.

Sophomore Rachel Britton plays Angélique—Barbouillé’s wife—and she argues that her husband makes her unhappy as well because he spends so much time hanging around in bars. She attempts to sneak out to a party in hopes of meeting with her lover, Valère—played by junior Jordan Griffen—but her husband returns home before she does. This initially leads to another argument, but ultimately the couple comes to a compromise.

This play is set in the 1940s, as Gfeller wanted to place this show in an iconic setting in American history in order to add personality and some fun to what could be seen as a dated comedy.

The second play is another one of Moliére’s one-act comedies called “The Forced Marriage,” also translated by Bermel, directed by junior Joshua Shabshis and choreography by Bouchard. Shabshis wanted to combine Molière’s influences with his Eastern European roots and upbringing and this play captures the historical roots of contemporary slapstick comedy.

“The Forced Marriage” follows a 52-year-old man, Sganarelle—played by Griffen—as he decides whether or not he wants to marry the young Dorimène. He consults his friend Géronimo—played by senior Paige Gordon—as well as, Pancrace—an Aristotelian scholar played by freshman Wesley Ebersole—Marphurius—a Pyrrhonian scholar played by sophomore Kimberly Romano—and fortune tellers—played by Ebersole and Gordon.

Dorimène is eager to marry Sganarelle, but only because he is so much older than her and has amassed a great deal of wealth. She plans on marrying him with hopes of quickly becoming a widow so she can live in leisure with her lover, Lycaste—played by junior Thomas Magnus.

But when Sganarelle learns of her attitude toward their potential marriage, he goes to her father, Alcantor—played by sophomore Matt Tyler—in an attempt to leave the arranged marriage. This angers Alcantor, so he sends his son Alcidas—played by freshman Jenna Bunce, who is a great fencer—to give Sganarelle an ultimatum. Ultimately, Sganarelle is forced into the marriage with Dorimène.

These actors and directors in the department of theater and dance captured the hilarious comedies, which expertly characterize Molière’s work. “Love and Laughter” engages the audience in the performance and successfully explores the questions, humor and relationships that characterize our lives.

Hugo and Hepburn honored in student’s presentations

For the past 10 years, Geneseo Recognizing Excellence, Achievement & Talent Day has been giving students the chance to share their areas of interests with others on campus. Usually, students give one presentation on a topic of their choice, but English education major junior George Goga has too many topics that interest him. Goga gave two presentations at G.R.E.A.T. Day on Tuesday April 19, each on very different subjects: Victor Hugo and Audrey Hepburn. In his presentation on Victor Hugo, he focused on the author’s famous 1831 gothic novel, Notre-Dame de Paris—more popularly known as The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Most will recognize the story from the 1996 Disney movie of the same title, but Goga managed to ignore this overused cultural reference and focused on the novel itself. After briefing the audience with a summary of the novel, Goga jumped into his main argument: Can the cathedral itself be considered the main character of the novel?

Goga’s answer to this question is yes, the Cathedral of Notre Dame can be considered the main character of the novel, rather than Quasimodo, who most assume to be the protagonist. Goga’s reasoning behind this interesting and intriguing hypothesis is that the cathedral “breathes through [Hugo’s] pen.” In other words, Hugo personifies the Cathedral of Notre Dame to the extent that it becomes a living, breathing character, keeping an eye on all that is transpiring under its roof.

Goga closed his first presentation with a comparison of the Notre Dame Cathedral with Hugo himself. He argues that both are creators of their own stories, which make them essentially immortal through memory.

In a slight change of speed, Goga embarked on his second presentation of the day. This time, he addressed Audrey Hepburn’s cinematography. Written out on the board beside the presentation was a Hepburn quote: “I don’t want to be alone; I want to be left alone.” This quote demonstrates the fine line that Goga walked in his argument of how Hepburn’s hidden feminism is established in her films.

Goga attacks the concept of the “cupcake film,”—a film made by women, for women—which has stereotypically feminine themes. Many believe that Hepburn’s films can be classified as cupcake films because of their fantastical romance storylines. Goga disputed this by pointing out that love doesn’t make a movie a cupcake film.

Using one of her earlier films, Roman Holiday, Goga proved that Hepburn used her films—particularly shots that involve works of art—to advance her feminist beliefs, rather than to just tell love stories.

Focusing on a small scene in Roman Holiday that revolves around the legendary Mouth of Fear in Rome, Goga asserts that the presence of the ancient artifact allows Hepburn’s character to level the playing field. Instead of having to prove herself to her male co-star, she forces him to prove himself to her. Goga revealed to his audience that it is in this moment that we realize that emotions are not gender specific, but are equally felt by everybody.

It is truly commendable for a student to complete not one, but two G.R.E.A.T. Day presentations in the same year. What’s more is that he was able to do so without compromising either of his projects. Each presentation, though vastly different in content, was fascinating and presented insightful ideas. If you have had the pleasure of meeting Goga in the past, you will know that it is impossible for him to deliver a presentation—or two—that is anything less.

Drag Xtravaganza celebrates gender non-conformity, acceptance

The Geneseo Pride Alliance and Geneseo Late Knight brought a night of fun performances to the Knight Spot with the Drag Xtravaganza on Saturday April 16. “This event has been happening since Pride came to campus,” Pride Student Association representative sophomore Taylor Keith said. Keith was instrumental in planning the eventful night. “This is the first year that [it] has been this big. [It’s] the first year that we got someone from ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race.’”

As spectators entered the Knight Spot, they were greeted with booming dance music, glow sticks and the chance to meet and take a photo with drag queens Ginger KaiKai—a Rochester local—and Mrs. Kasha Davis, a former “RuPaul’s Drag Race” contestant.

As the crowd gathered around the runway, the lights dimmed and party lights and a disco ball lit up the stage. When the show started, there was already an intimate, yet high-energy atmosphere.

The night began when emcee and drag queen Kai Vanguard took the stage to introduce the first performer. She spoke about the history behind the event. “The reason why we are calling this Drag Xtravaganza is in tribute to Venus Xtravaganza,” Vanguard said. “She was a transgender performer in the ball scene back in the 1980s … She was murdered while she was doing sex work … It’s really important to recognize that there are still issues within the LGBT community.”

After this poignant reminder, Davis—who first rose to fame when she competed in season seven of “RuPaul’s Drag Race”—put on the first performance of the night. She strutted down the runway to Ariana Grande’s “Break Free.” Partway through her song, Davis pulled an audience member onstage and danced with them, generating an even more exciting energy.

Afterward, Davis helped her impromptu partner create a drag name. “My name is Mrs. Kasha Davis,” she said. “Kasha: first pet—angry poodle. Davis: the first street I grew up on. Very easy drag name.” Her suggestion for her guest was a pun: “Patty O’Furniture.”

Next up was Ginger KaiKai, who performs regularly at Tilt Nightclub & Ultralounge in Rochester. She made her way up and down the runway to Sia’s “Cheap Thrills.” She danced with members of the audience to the upbeat song as the crowd screamed every time the chorus came around.

After KaiKai, the show continued with Qween’s performance. She rose to the stage as Beyoncé’s “Partition” filled the room. As the familiar song played, Qween made her way around the stage and danced against the wall at the end of the runway.

Rico Suave was the first student performer of the night. He began his set to “Often” by The Weeknd and ended it with “Ignition (Remix)” by R. Kelly, also bringing an audience member onstage for a serenade.

To finish the first set of the night, Vanguard returned to the stage. She strutted to Beyoncé’s “Formation” and “Run the World (Girls)” before dancing to Willow Smith’s “Whip My Hair.” During “Confident” by Demi Lovato, she lost her wig, but her professionalism shined through and she didn’t let this hinder her electrifying performance.

The night continued with two more sets featuring student performers Bae Fei, Miss Conduct, Tido, Anna Lingis, King Kyle, Ablo Down, Danny Phantasm, Mrs Sage Sagee, Ratchet Mammacita and Justin DiPussi.

Pride’s annual Drag Xtravaganza was a thrilling night for everyone—both performers and spectators. While also drawing attention to the the violence that trans women face, it gave Geneseo students the opportunity to experience a true drag show.

Lumineers keep signature folk sound on sophomore album

Indie music has experienced a surge in popularity over the past few years—and in the forefront of this movement have been The Lumineers. The Denver trio’s 2012 self-titled debut album was a widely popular commercial success and produced many fan favorite songs—from “Ho Hey” to “Submarines”—that have become indie radio mainstays. After a three-year hiatus, The Lumineers returned with their anticipated sophomore album Cleopatra on April 8. With 11 songs and just over 30 minutes in length, Cleopatra is a tight album. It successfully hits its Americana target with an aura of folk rock that is accessible and doesn’t overstay its welcome—a common issue with some music of that genre.

As an album, Cleopatra is a mixed bag. Many songs have the classic Lumineers sound that fans love, such as “Ophelia,” the album’s first single. The song contains melancholy lyrics, but also includes an upbeat, catchy instrumental that gives the listener a number of ways to find meaning in the song, as well as have a very pleasurable listening experience.

With other Cleopatra songs, however, this formula is not nearly as successful. The juxtaposition of feelings in some songs can come across as forced at times. Some lyrics fall flat and fail to stir the emotions that they aim for, making the songs seem like generic versions of earlier Lumineer hits. On the less impressive songs, the band tends to sound like a generic folk-rock band, which is unfortunate because they are much more than that.

In the vastly popular genre of indie music, it’s imperative to stay ahead of the curve sonically; if you don’t, you run the real risk of fading into obscurity. This was seen with popular folk rock band Mumford & Sons, who changed their sound completely with their most recent album in an attempt to avoid pigeonholing themselves into a certain sound in which they may not have been able to escape from.

The good outweighs the bad on Cleopatra, though, with many standout songs. “Ophelia,” the title track “Cleopatra” and “Long Way from Home” are all songs that manage to find the magic with the music that made The Lumineers a popular band in the first place. It is songs like these that make up for those that don’t quite live up to the listeners’ expectations.

Though offering some new sonic pathways not explored before, Cleopatra is not the standout sophomore effort fans may have expected. In some respects, it feels as though the band is keeping their cards too close to their chest instead of exploring a new sound. The pure talent of The Lumineers, however, helps save this album, making it a very pleasurable listen overall—despite the times when they seem to miss their mark.

The Lumineers are undeniably good—even on Cleopatra’s lesser offerings—and they have set themselves up for quite a successful career. It’s likely that they will be making enjoyable music for years to come and it will be interesting to see what they have learned from their work on this album and what direction they take their music next.

Jungle Book reboot captivates audiences with CGI technology

Lately, the Walt Disney Company has been making everyone’s childhood dreams come true with a number of live-action reboots of their most popular movies. We’ve already seen Maleficent—an alternative perspective of Sleeping Beauty—Cinderella—a new fantastical twist on the classic tale—and Pan—the story of how Peter Pan never grew up. Everyone is also abuzz about the new Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid remakes, which have A-list celebrities such as Emma Watson set to star in them. The latest Disney remake to hit theaters is The Jungle Book, written by Justin Marks and directed by Jon Favreau. The Jungle Book was originally a collection of tales written by English author Rudyard Kipling and later turned into an animated film in 1994.

The film is a combination of computer-generated imagery animation and live acting. The only human actor in the film is Mowgli—played by 12-year-old Neel Sethi. Both the animals and the jungle environment are CGI, but in order to create a heightened sense of reality, animal behaviors were acted out by their voice actors and then translated into animation. What results is animation so realistic that one cannot tell the difference between what is real and what is computer-generated.

That being said, the film is not without star-power. A famous cast of actors—both new and old—voice the key jungle animals that most fans will remember from the 1994 film. Among the fairly new actors are Lupita Nyong’o—who was celebrated for her roles in 12 Years a Slave and Star Wars: The Force Awakens—as well as Idris Elba—star of Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom and the BBC hit “Luther.” Nyong’o plays Raksha, the fiercely loyal mother wolf who raised Mowgli from a baby to a young boy, while Elba plays the chief villain of the story—Shere Khan, the ruthless tiger who harbors resentment against all humans and their “red flower.”

The film also includes seasoned actors, most notably Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Christopher Walken and Scarlett Johansson. A lot of the buzz has surrounded Murray, whose character Baloo is a seemingly perfect fit for the actor. Baloo is a lovable oaf of a bear who cracks the film’s only jokes, in many ways mirroring Murray’s down to earth personality.

Kingsley’s role as the ever-so-wise and accepting Bagheera was a perfect fit as well. Kingsley is a revered actor sensitive to social issues; just as Bagheera is respected in the jungle for his reason and guidance, but is also able to see when change is needed.

Johansson and Walken voice two more of the films villains, Kaa and King Louie, respectively. Disney fans will remember these two from the 1994 film because of Kaa’s sly tricks and Louie’s large-and-in-charge personality. Although they may be well remembered, these two characters had insignificant roles in the newer version.

We meet them both because they try to take advantage of the young Mowgli when he is alone in the jungle, but these characters left the film just as quickly as they came in. This is interesting, especially because both Kaa and Louie introduce the audience to very important plot points: Mowgli’s past and “man’s red flower”—what the animals call fire.

Perhaps this de-emphasis on Kaa and King Louie is to make room for a larger concentration on characters that were ignored in Disney’s previous adaption of Kipling’s stories, such as Raksha and Akela—leaders of the wolf pack that took Mowgli in as their own “man-cub.”

Many viewers love this departure from Disney’s first attempt at The Jungle Book because of its amazing computer animation and the dedication of the voice actors. But it seems as though the chief reason that the film is doing so well is because it’s for young and old audiences alike. Its message of embracing differences and finding a place to belong are timeless.

SPOTLIGHT ON: Nicole Bergamo

Onstage or in the classroom, senior Nicole Bergamo sets her mind on perfecting her skills with the creative and critical thinking that she harmoniously blends together as both a dancer and student. As a psychology major and dance studies and human development double minor, Bergamo spends her time combining her love for science and dance through performance and psychology extracurricular activities. Since the beginning of her freshman year, Bergamo has been an active member in dance ensembles across campus, including Knightline, Geneseo Dance Ensemble and Orchesis. She’s also the department representative for Psychology Club and a lab coordinator for a research lab in the psychology department.

Bergamo explained that her mother put her in dance classes at Tawn Marie’s Dance Center in her hometown of Liverpool, New York when she was three years old. After that, she couldn’t escape her love for dance. She tried sports, but after her parents saw her “dancing up and down the court,” they knew she belonged in dance shoes.

From there, her talent brought her to a myriad of dance competitions; winning the 12 & under Grand Champion for the 2004 Rochester Dance Championships for her first tap duet, Teen Miss Sophisticated in 2010 and Junior Miss Sophisticated in 2011 and 2012 for solos she performed at the Sophisticated Dance Competition in Syracuse. Bergamo noted, however, that the transfer from competition to college dance is “such a shift.”

“In a competition, it’s all about showmanship and performance and how many tricks that you can do,” she said. “[College dance is] modern and not how many turns you can do … the movement or the feeling behind the movement and more thinking about what you’re doing rather than ... just going out on stage and performing and getting the gold.”

Although she claims each dance ensemble is different, Bergamo credited Knightline for allowing her to find most of her long-term friends and GDE for teaching her more about the art of dance. She added that one of her favorite performances was her jazz piece “Serendiptity” that was featured in GDE’s fall 2015 show “48 Live: Dancing on the Edge.” Bergamo was not only a choreographer, but also a student assistant director for the show.

Bergamo admitted that while she may not continue to pursue dance after college, it’s definitely something she wants to incorporate into her life. Bergamo is set to attend Michigan State University to get her Ph.D. in school psychology and to research Autism Spectrum Disorder to obtain her license as a school psychologist. “To incorporate dance movement in a classroom setting would be really cool,” she said. And for her, it wouldn’t be the first time she’s done it.

“Since [dance is only a] minor here, it’s not really something that has driven my career goals,” she said. “[But] teaching dance is always really cool as like a part-time job, so I’d love to incorporate that somehow.”

Although she may not continue dance outside of college, Bergamo emphasized that dance will always remain a very important part of her life. “[Dance has] surrounded me with ... really cool people that share the same passion ... It’s just provided me with more outside connections,” she said. “In terms of the way I think, I think dance has allowed me to think more creatively.” Bergamo added that she used to always consider herself as more of a “math” student, but dance has opened her mind to think both creatively and logically.

Whether she’s performing on stage or solving a problem, Bergamo has demonstrated that when she puts her mind to it, she can accomplish anything.

“Birds and Bees” portrays relevant, sensitive social issues

As a part of Sexual Assault Awareness Week, Women’s Action Coalition brought Honest Accomplice Theater to campus to put on their production of “The Birds and the Bees: Unabridged” on Tuesday April 12. Directors Maggie Keenan-Bolger and Rachel Sullivan introduced the show, explaining that it was written through the process of devising—instead of starting with a script, they took a survey of over 2,000 people in order to write a poignant story about women and transgender people facing struggles with identity and sexuality.

Told through seemingly disconnected scenes, the show conveys the stories of eight individuals trying to overcome a personal issue. The play opens in the waiting room of the gynecologist office of Dr. Green—played by Riti Sachdeva. Three patients—portrayed by Lindsay Griffin, Ashleigh Awusie and Holly Sansom—sit in seats waiting for their appointments. It’s a mystery to the audience as to why each of these characters are waiting, but as the play unfolds, it’s learned that each character is battling a different issue.

Linda’s character—played by Cat Fisher—represents the struggle between age and sexuality. Linda is 64 years old and since she let her hair go gray, she’s been treated as though she’s invisible. Taking advantage of this, she shoplifts a few things from a clothes store, including a bustier.

The show also explores a challenge that many people in the LGBTQ+ community go through: coming out to their parents. Emerson—played by Maybe Burke—faces this when telling their mom Jean—played by Meggan Dodd—that they’re neither a boy nor a girl, but something “in between.”

The production uses cardboard boxes to illustrate this concept. Two boxes symbolizing a binary are presented—non-sexual versus sexual and kinky versus vanilla, for example—and then a machine scans a person and places them in one of the two boxes. When Emerson is faced with boxes labeled “Man” and “Woman,” the machine reports an error and places them in neither box.

Emerson is able to step outside this gender binary, constructing themself a new box—“Person.” Throughout the show, Emerson implores Jean to use their correct pronouns and to normalize introducing her own pronouns when meeting someone for the first time. Jean struggles with this at first, but then recognizes how important it is to both the safety of her child and the safety of all trans and non-binary people.

At the end of the play, the characters in the waiting room reveal why they are at the gynecologist. Griffin’s obstacle was possibly the most poignant, as she was there as a victim of sexual assault.

Keenan-Bolger explained that she and Sullivan struggled with how to deal with sexual assault in the show. “We didn’t want to portray sexual assault on stage,” Keenan-Bolger said. “We think that sometimes that can have the effect of reinforcing the rape culture where we start to normalize it.” They ultimately decided to portray it through a moving scene with the whole cast, including Griffin’s character silently screaming.

“The Birds and the Bees: Unabridged” did an excellent job exploring the problems that women and non-binary individuals face in intersection with their other identities, while still putting a humorous spin on difficult situations.

Photo series emphasizes medicinal benefits of marijuana

Astonishing, controversial photographs of self-ordained nuns cultivating and smoking cannabis were released in March by photographers Shaughn Crawford and John DuBois of Shaughn and John Photography. A manifold of media—some commending, some critical and some objective—quickly picked up the images and background story. The fascinating pictures abetted a stimulation of necessary conversation surrounding the ethics of marijuana and its therapeutic uses. Regardless of personal opinion about the recreational use of marijuana, the photographs inspire reflection about the morality of denying an effective remedy to people who need its antidote.

Describing their mission on their website as an effort to “focus on unique stories and subcultures” and “to capture the authenticity of their subjects,” Crawford and DuBois certainly accomplished their purpose through capturing the cannabis-imbued depictions of Sister Kate and Sister Darcy.

The Sisters are not directly affiliated with the Catholic Church, but do seek to emulate the Catholic values of benevolence and humanitarian contribution, as reported by the Huffington Post. They call themselves the Sisters of the Valley and live together in their central California “abbey.”

Their goal is not to enable psychoactive recreation, but to provide healing to individuals in need. The cannabis they use in their medicinal blends actually contains little to no tetrahydrocannabinol—the element of marijuana with hallucinatory properties. Rather, it is high in cannabidiol—the medicinal element.

Marijuana’s curative property is a subject worth discussion and merit. The fact that so many people successfully use the plant as medicine—and so many medical professionals support it—begs the question: Why is there a lack of understanding, research and acceptance regarding medical marijuana use despite an abundance of testimonies regarding its curative abilities?

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, there are currently two Food and Drug Administration-approved, pill-form medications containing cannabinoid chemicals and there has been an increase of states legalizing the use of the plant for medical purposes. The FDA, however, does not currently recognize cannabis itself as medicine. This is because of a lack of large-scale clinical trials required for such an edict—indicatively due to widespread social indignation stemming from ignorance.

Crawford and DuBois’ intriguing photographs of Sister Kate and Sister Darcy with their plants and salves has helped bring attention to the issue. The captivating images of a union between spirituality and marijuana are distinctive and provocative for a society that, by and large, regards the plant as inviolable dope. These photographers shed light on the world of progressive medicine, obliterating stereotypes and providing an original, wholesome perspective.

Considering the sizeable population in the U.S.—and the world for that matter—that uses various forms of marijuana as a fundamental medical antidote, it’s essential that more attention be paid to the topic. When so many people are experiencing life-changing benefits from the plant, it seems horrific that society and the government denounce its use. Many individuals have praised marijuana, claiming it as the sole reason they have successfully treated illnesses as serious as epilepsy and cancer, providing healthy lifestyles they feel they never would have otherwise attained or regained.

Rousing public interest through images that challenge society’s preconceived notion of cannabis as strictly contraband is a step in the right direction. The photographs Crawford and DuBois encapsulated of women devoted both to faith and medical marijuana allow a contemplation of the morality of refusing an effective treatment to sick people.

Hopefully, such novel depictions will create openness to education about the topic, as well as expedite the development of social consciousness concerning a valid form of medicine—a medicine that warrants more positive reception, support and research.

Zayn forces maturity on debut solo album

When Zayn Malik left One Direction a little over a year ago, fans didn’t know what to expect. There was a lot of uncertainty about when people would hear from him musically again. Then, on New Year’s Eve 2015, he posted a simple tweet: “Z016.” After that, Malik announced his first solo album Mind of Mine, which he would release as ZAYN. He promised that his lyrics and musical style were headed in a much more mature direction from his previous work. With much of One Direction’s fan base considering Malik to be the strongest vocally in the band, it’s understandable that many people—including myself— had high expectations for Malik’s return to the music scene.

The style of Mind of Mine is certainly a departure from the pop sound of One Direction. Malik worked with producer Malay—who has previously worked with artists such as Frank Ocean—to create a heavily R&B-influenced album. It’s not surprising to see that Malik has already been compared to other contemporary R&B singers, including The Weeknd and Usher.

One of the first songs on the album is its first single: “PILLOWTALK.” The lyrics are certainly more mature at first glance, centering on sex and featuring profanity. These lyrics, however, come off as so focused on trying to appeal to an older audience that it reaches the point where it feels forced. Despite that, the song is catchy and works well as a single.

In some of the more upbeat songs—such as “BeFoUr”—Malik’s powerful vocals manage to get lost in the loud music backing him up. He strikes a skillful balance between his voice and the music in “sHe,” however, which I found to be one of the strongest tracks on the album. Malik’s artful lyrics create a vivid picture of who “she” is with lines like, “She puts her spirit in a nightcap/She always knows where the crowd’s at/She puts her mouth ’round the cigarette.”

This powerful imagery continues in the following track “dRuNk.” Again, Malik proves that he can make a song that knows exactly what it’s trying to do. Here, he creates an intimate atmosphere with simple, yet expressive lyrics. His vocals take precedence, especially when he hits his trademark falsetto.

One of the shortest songs on the album is also one of the most beautiful. “INTERMISSION: fLoWer” is less than two minutes long and it’s sung in Urdu—the first language of Malik’s father. Featuring a sparse guitar and Malik’s echoing voice, the song is touching and emotional—even if you don’t speak the language.

In an interview on Zane Lowe’s Beats 1 radio show, Malik spoke about his song “wRoNg,” which he said was originally written to be a rap. Now a song featuring singer Kehlani, it falls flat. As the only duet on the album, “wRoNg” disappoints by not utilizing Kehlani’s voice as much as it could have. It sounds more like two tracks were awkwardly strung together rather than one cohesive song.

While Mind of Mine is an accomplished album, it still flounders in some respects. Malik’s audience was promised more mature lyrics—and Malik did deliver—yet many songs feel flat and emotionally detached. But when the lyrics are strong, they’re amazing.

Malik had a goal when he set out to create this album and while it’s definitely a step in the right direction, he still has a long way to go until he’s truly established himself as a renowned solo artist.

“American Idol” bids tearful farewell after 15 seasons

One of reality TV’s most beloved shows has finally come to an end. “American Idol” was a show originally created by Simon Fuller as a singing competition based off of the British series “Pop Idol.” It ran for 15 seasons over 14 years, kicking off many popular singers’ careers. Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, Jordin Sparks, Jennifer Hudson and Chris Daughtry all got their start on “American Idol,” whether or not they took home the title of “American Idol.” First airing in 2002, the show quickly rose in popularity and remained incredibly well-received in its first 10 years on the air. In those formative years, America became familiar with the faces of the show: host Ryan Seacrest and the three famous judges, music producer Simon Cowell, former pop star Paula Abdul and bassist-singer-producer Randy Jackson. All four of them came in with their own unique, strong personalities—each of which was inherently different from the rest.

It was the contrast of these personalities—combined with the broadcasted audition process followed by the competition itself and audience voting—that shot “American Idol” to the top. Contestants such as William Hung and Sanjaya Malakar became mini-phenomena for their ridiculousness. Others gained popularity with audiences through their talent, and to some degree, attractiveness. Among these are David Archuleta and Scotty McCreery—the winner of season 10.

“American Idol” suffered a hit during its sixth season when viewership started to decline. Viewership continued to drop and, before long, judges started to fall away as well. Abdul was the first to leave just before season nine and a whole slew of judge replacements followed her departure.

Cowell left before season 10 and Jackson left before season 14. Those among the revolving cast of judges included Ellen DeGeneres, Kara DioGuardi, Steven Tyler, Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey. The final season ended with Jennifer Lopez, Harry Connick Jr. and Keith Urban as judges. Seacrest acted as the one constant of “American Idol,” hosting all 15 seasons.

Despite its decline in viewership, “American Idol” has kept up its energy and continuously churned out great talent. Season 11 winner Phillip Phillips, for example, went on to release the hit single “Home,” which was featured heavily in the 2012 London Olympics.

“American Idol” was so popular over the years that multiple spin-off enterprises have been created such as the “American Idol” tour, “American Idol” video games, “Idol Gives Back”—a special charity event held during the show—and even an “American Idol” theme park attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios that was open from 2009–2014.

There’s no question that “American Idol” has had a deep cultural impact on American society. Mention it to almost anybody and they will most likely be familiar with the name, even if they haven’t actually seen it. So, even if viewership has gone down over the last few years, the show still holds memories for most.

Even after its ending, the show is still generating a buzz. When Seacrest signed off for a final time, he lamented, “And one more time—this is so tough—we say to you from Hollywood, goodnight America. For now.” Such a suspicious final goodbye has given many viewers hope that the show will live on, whether it is through a revival or through a spin-off show.

It’s clear that while we won’t be seeing the last of the show, we must say goodbye to “American Idol”—for now.

KINO film event explores college racism, power of student activism

Director Justin Simien’s Dear White People explores contemporary college racism and the effect that discrimination can have not only on individual morale, but also on the collective spirit of a university. KINO presented the film in the Hunt Room of the MacVittie College Union on Friday April 8. Dear White People tells the story of students dealing with racism across their campus at Winchester University. Biracial college student Sam White—played by Tessa Thompson—hosts a radio broadcast called “Dear White People” that criticizes white college students and faculty for their racist assumptions and comments.

Tensions already run high at the prestigious Winchester University, where black students like Sam are divided in a segregated manner. The dining halls and dormitories are all separated by race. Furthermore, the college only has one hall for the black students—the Armstrong and Parker house. This segregation generates an acute division among students of different cultures throughout the campus.

Sam is a strong-willed and fearless student who challenges this division with her controversial radio show, as well as through her thought-provoking films. Black, gay college writer Lionel Higgins—played by Tyler James Williams from “Everybody Hates Chris”—also explores this division on campus when he is assigned by his editor to write a story on Sam and her actions of resistance.

Fellow black student Troy Fairbanks—played by Brandon Bell—develops his own strategy in dealing with the racism he faces as he attempts to rise in power and become head of the Armstrong and Parker house. But racism isn’t the only struggle Troy is dealing with; he also faces unyielding pressure from his father, Dean Fairbanks—played by Dennis Haysbert—as he pushes his son to pursue this leadership role.

Sam runs against Troy and ends up winning the election for head of the house, causing hostility across the campus to escalate. Sam gets little respect from anyone on campus—including faculty and staff members—and the backlash from her peers for winning this role is immense.

The strain on campus finally erupts when Kurt Fletcher—son of the school’s president, played by Kyle Gallner—and his club throws a blackface-themed party in response to Sam’s radio show. After finding out about the highly controversial theme, a group of black students—Sam, Lionel and friends—show up to the party to disband it, spurring outrage and violence amongst the students.

Dear White People was created in response to a large amount of controversially-themed parties that have occurred on college campuses across the United States in recent years. For example, Arizona State’s Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity held a “Martin Luther King Black Party” in 2014 and Penn State’s Chi Omega sorority held a “Mexican Party” in 2012. Both parties involved students dressing and stereotyping each respective race and involved the students sharing pictures across social media, catching the attention of the media nationwide.

Simien’s film weaves together contemporary racial issues among students and staff, bringing attention to the larger problem of systemic racism that plagues our society. The wit and brilliance that characters like Sam convey presents a refreshing and poignant angle on racism in the country. With social media platforms keeping record of almost everything college students are doing across the nation, it goes to show that while racism prevails among universities today, students like Sam can inspire change.

“Into the Woods” symbolizes complexity of human nature

Geneseo’s department of music put on an exciting production of “Into the Woods” for the community from April 6–Sunday April 10. James Lapine wrote the musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, who is known for his other Broadway hits “West Side Story” and “Sweeney Todd.” Directed by Scott Scaffidi, the musical is essentially a twist on all our favorite fairy tales: “Cinderella,” “Jack and the Bean Stalk,” “Little Red Riding Hood” and “Rapunzel.” Here, all of their stories are woven together, with the crucial thread being the story of two new characters: the Baker and his wife. These two characters are sent into the woods by their neighbor—a witch—in search of four magical items, for which the witch will grant the couple the gift of a baby in return.

This was the perfect time for Geneseo to perform “Into the Woods,” given its recent success as a blockbuster movie. The movie—which was released in 2014 and starred the likes of Meryl Streep, late night host James Corden and Chris Pine—was nominated for three Oscars and three Golden Globes.

With a full ensemble cast, frontrunners were musical theater major freshman Sarah Maphey as Cinderella, mathematics education major junior Ben Reiner as Jack, English education major junior Ben Ranalli as the Baker, musical theater major senior Alexandra Imbrosci as the Baker’s Wife and communication and musical theater double major sophomore Sophie Yeomans as the Witch.

The set design of the production was very innovative, comprised of three large storybooks—one for each of the three main tales featured in the story—which then opened up to reveal three different sets. At the end of the production, the books were closed again, this time with the titles of the tales written on the front covers: “Cinderella,” “Jack and the Beanstalk” and a new addition to the tales we already know and love, “The Bakers.”

Sondheim is known in the Broadway world for the “startling complexity” and “witty conversational” quality of his lyrics. Most of the cast members did very well with these doubtlessly hard-to-master lyrics, as well as keeping up with the humor of the production. Junior Jordan Bachmann and freshman Brian Sousis—who played Cinderella’s Prince and Rapunzel’s Prince respectively—got the audience laughing with their rendition of “Agony,” the famously overdramatic song about all the trials of being a ridiculously handsome prince.

Other actors excelled at bringing out the emotion in a musical that is largely humorous. Themes of infertility, abandonment and death are driving themes here, and Ranalli—in his role as the Baker—reminded us of that through touching scenes with his long-lost father and realization of single fatherhood.

One criticism that audience members had was the actors’ tendency to start speaking their lines before applause had died down, resulting in the audience being unable to hear some of the dialogue.

That being said, there were a lot of great performances by the student actors and actresses. Maphey shined in her role as Cinderella, who is on the run from her Prince Charming. Maphey played Cinderella’s casual, down-to-earth personality expertly, especially in her performance of “A Very Nice Prince,” which she sang with Imbrosci. Imbrosci, too, commanded the stage with her determination that the quest for the magical objects was not just a job for a man.

Scaffidi explained that he is drawn to “Into the Woods” because it reminds him that he is human. “There are days when I am Jack, Little Red Riding Hood, a witch, a wolf, Cinderella or even one of her stepsisters. Most days, I’m a combination of them all,” he said. “We all have our own stories to tell and it’s in the sharing of these stories—these experiences, this interconnection—we discover that we are not alone.”

Through watching his production of “Into the Woods,” this message was heard loud and clear.

Correction: The Witch was played by sophomore Sophie Yeomans

Orchesis spirited spring showcase inclusive of styles, skill levels

Orchesis’ spring dance performance “Now That’s What I Call Orchesis” took place on Friday April 1–Saturday April 2 in Wadsworth Auditorium. The performance not only showcased the depth of the club participants’ inspiration with nearly two dozen dances—which ranged from slow and subdued to up-tempo hip-hop—but the creative mix of dance styles and attitudes also made for a very engaging performance. Boasting over 300 members as Geneseo’s largest student-run organization, Orchesis gives students the opportunity to choreograph and perform dance routines that reflect all types of styles. As a result, Orchesis is open to anyone who wants to dance, regardless of prior experience.

In addition to Orchesis members, competitive Indian dance team Geneseo Bhangra performed, celebrating the Punjabi culture from Pakistan and India. Slainte Irish Dance showcased their incredibly talented dancers—many that are regional, national and World Champion performers. Geneseo Knightline also performed a dance that included their famous high kicks.

The recital started with a performance called “SWUGS Can Dance,” a comical reference to seniors not being too washed up and done with school to dance. Other standout performances included senior Danielle Hartnett’s “Moving On” and junior Alex Weber’s “Big Spender Mashup.”

“Moving On” was a contemporary dance composed of nine dancers. The third dance of Saturday night’s performance, “Moving On,” was a slower piece that still managed to keep viewers on the edge of their seats with constant action and well-choreographed moves. Whereas “Moving On” succeeded in its subtlety, “Big Spender Mashup” featured an upbeat, bass-heavy song and hip-hop influenced dance moves that complimented the fast-moving pace.

From there, each piece did an excellent job at maintaining the audience’s attention, with dances often going from slower tempo to faster tempo and preventing the recital from growing monotonous.

What made each performance feel special and fun was the excitement that read so clearly on each performer’s face. There wasn’t a single dance where it seemed as if the performers had somewhere else they would rather be and, because of that, there was nowhere else the audience wanted to be, either.

The showcase ended with two dances that celebrated the students who had worked to bring this spring performance to the stage. The Orchesis officers choreographed the penultimate dance “Celebs Gone Wild,” featuring short dances to pop tunes, such as Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball.” The performers were incredibly enthusiastic in imitating the celebrity antics.

The final performance of the night was a senior dance that featured all Orchesis seniors dancing together before the rest of the club joined them onstage in a celebratory conclusion to the show. This positive, upbeat note was the perfect way to end the night.

Harris enchants students with tranquil, folksy performance

Starbucks was not just a place to grab a coffee and go on Friday April 1, but a hot spot for musical performances. The stage—which frequently acts as home to Mics & Mochas performances—hosted none other than singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Brett Harris. Based in North Carolina, Harris has completed four albums that have received overwhelmingly positive feedback––his most recent album, Up In The Air, was called “… a near perfect album from start to finish” in Blurt Magazine.

Student performer and communication major sophomore Allison Altschiller opened for Harris and the two made an excellent pairing. Playing with just an acoustic guitar, Altschiller had a very powerful, yet soft sound. She played both original songs and a cover of James Bay’s “Let It Go.” Her songs were elegantly written and relatable, often reminding listeners to stay true to themselves with lyrics such as, “Why not fly? Forget to try?” and “I can’t lose myself to find you/I will help you find your ground, but I am not your gravity.”

Altschiller attracted a crowd that stayed to see Harris. Armed with just a guitar as well, Harris took the stage shortly after her performance. With his smooth, deep voice, Harris transported attendees to the peaceful small towns of the South. Taking inspiration from real life events, Harris performed songs from his new album as well as his older songs. For example, “Lies” is inspired by his Southern upbringing, whereas “High Times” is about his time spent waiting out Hurricane Sandy in New York City with his old college roommate.

Harris’ voice is hard to exactly pinpoint, but Mayer Danzig from Twangville—a popular music blog—accurately described it as “a voice that is magically warm and inviting,” and that his songwriting is “brilliantly crafted.” With lyrics like, “I make my home wherever my feet hit the ground” and “caught in between the serene and distress,” Harris’ songs evoke a feeling of comfortable wandering and exploration.

Harris was extremely friendly with the student audience, telling jokes and anecdotes and asking questions. He mentioned that this was his first time in Geneseo and that the town charmed him. This added a further authenticity to his already sincere songs.

Harris’ sound is reminiscent of folk artists like The Lumineers and Jack Johnson. This makes sense, since Harris has said that his goal is to keep his songs honest without being completely autobiographical. It is this idea that best describes how Harris is able to fill his songs with whimsical imagination, all while keeping them close to the audience and relatable.

Harris is connected to Big Star—the band who is best known for performing the theme song for “That ‘70s Show”—and he has been touring all throughout the United States, United Kingdom, Spain and Australia with the band. In Geneseo, he honored the group by covering one of their songs.

Other songs that Harris performed that night included “Out of the Blue” from his album Mr. Sunshine and “Up in the Air.”

According to Robert Ross, “It’s simple: Brett Harris is Durham, [North Carolina’s] best kept secret.” Well, now we here at Geneseo are in on the secret. It shouldn’t be long before we’re all hearing Harris’ warbling voice from a myriad of headphones across the College Green on lazy spring afternoons after class.

Battle of the Artists provides platform for original student pieces

The G.R.E.A.T. Battle of the Artists Exhibition opened on Sunday April 3 in the Kinetic Gallery in the MacVittie College Union. The gallery featured multiple paintings from Geneseo student artists all over campus in a welcoming and comfortable atmosphere. Each painting in the gallery was submitted by individual students hoping to win a monetary prize. Every submitted painting was put up in the gallery and students and onlookers were given the chance to vote for their top three favorite paintings. Sophomore Allison Altschiller also performed acoustic songs on her guitar at the start of the event, adding to the relaxed, creative vibe.

The event was run by Geneseo Campus Activities Board’s Kinetic Gallery Arts and Exhibit coordinator senior Tahlia Brody. Taking the reins from Chelsea Butkowski ‘15, Brody explained that she ran for the position in hopes of revitalizing an admiration for art on campus. She added that she realized her passion for the arts after taking art classes at Geneseo. “I wanted to do whatever I could to make sure there was more art on campus,” she said.

Brody noted that students could submit their art in any medium they desire—the gallery’s art ranged from photographs and paintings to ceramics and sculptures. There was also a 3-D printer present to introduce students to the inner workings of this unique technology. All of this was done in hopes of expanding Geneseo’s knowledge and appreciation for art.

“[The gallery] encourages students to do art. It also gives them a chance to show off their art to the rest of the campus community and encourages them to finish their pieces ... or start [them],” Brody said. “I hope it encourages people to be inspired by what they see and maybe start to pursue [art] themselves ... maybe just to appreciate what they see and just be happy or … whatever other feeling that it evokes for them.”

Artist senior Amy Liang expressed a similar sentiment, emphasizing that she wanted her art to evoke certain emotions in the onlookers. “I really like to capture a moment that conveys a sort of feeling,” she said. “Whether it’s the feeling that I had when I was there or the feeling that the photo itself evokes on its own accord, I try to portray [the meaning] through editing and through the name I give it.”

A piece of Liang’s photography got her the runner up position in last year’s competition. She explained that her photo “Stillness,” “created a really calm feeling” through “a river that was very calm [and] hardly moving. There was no one in the photo so it was just a boat, the sunset and the water.”

For her third year in the Battle of the Artists, Liang submitted three photos that were—amazingly—all taken on a camera phone. Each photo was of beautiful landscapes and scenery from her travels to China and the Dominican Republic.

Liang also commented on the talent of her peers and fellow competitors. “I just love reading the captions of how people interpret or try to convey feeling in their work,” she said. “Especially because I’m more of a digital art person, so just seeing the skill that people have in their hands to be able to draw something from charcoal or pencil is very astounding.”

Sophomore Casey Vincelette created a portrait of her friend titled “Our Dear Leader.” For Vincelette, the piece held a lot of sentimental value; she noted in her caption, “While I don’t expect it to win anything, I am excited to share it with the world.”

With the help of Brody and the artists themselves, Geneseo’s Battle of the Artists is more than just a display of artwork. It’s a place where artists and students alike can share and appreciate each other’s ideas and passions.

The winners will be announced on April 19 as part of Geneseo Recognizing Excellence, Achievement and Talent Day.

Lockhart Gallery presents Cottingham’s vibrant, abstract landscapes

The Lockhart Gallery on Main Street is featuring an exciting contemporary artist this month: Cicely Cottingham. Based in New Jersey, Cottingham’s work is mostly abstract, with hints of landscape that are identifiable throughout. She is inspired by her own childhood—as she grew up in a woodsy farmhouse—as well as by post-impressionist front-runner Paul Cezanne. Of Cezanne’s work, she asked, “How can a still life painting composed of mere paint and canvas be so alive and elicit such an emotional response?” It is this connection to the audience that Cottingham strives to emulate in her work.

Other influences on Cottingham––which are visible in her work––include the Luminist painters—who emphasize a “unique clarity of light”—and that of her mother, who always encouraged Cottingham’s desire to create. In fact, Cottingham has dedicated an entire collection in her mother’s honor, entitled “16 Painting for Marjorie.”

Entitled “Everything is Sky,” the exhibit in the Lockhart Gallery includes works from two of Cottingham’s collections: “Everything is Sky” and “Now you feel how nothing clings to you.” Both collections represent something deeper to Cottingham; the former “signal[s] a passing of time and a shift in mood” while still conveying her “love for landscape” and the latter is a “reflection on chaos and impermanence.”

Every one of Cottingham’s paintings in the exhibit—which are done in acrylic on wooden panels—are full of color and texture. It is true that the viewer is able to decipher elements of landscape within them, but the added element of abstraction allows the viewer to create their own landscape instead of being restricted by line and form, as with a traditional landscape piece. Each piece evokes a sense of childishness—or rather the freedom associated with childhood—which only enhances the viewers’ freedom of interpretation.

“Now you feel how nothing clings to you (as swans swim in the lake)” is a perfect example of this, as one can interpret the colors and shapes to be a sun, a tall tree, a mountain and a lake, but without strict representation of those forms. In other words, they do not have to be a sun, a tall tree, a mountain and a lake, if you choose not to see them as such.

In Cottingham’s work, one can see that, “Color and shape reflect a more urban environment, yet the landscape of her youth is never entirely out of the picture.” This is perhaps well demonstrated by Cottingham’s “Now you feel how nothing clings to you (tigers above, tigers below 2).” This piece contains a cacophony off smaller shapes and lines—which translate well into the hustle and bustle of a big city—yet still features many organic forms as well.

Not all of the pieces in the exhibit bombard the viewer with color. Some are more mellow and relaxed, such as “Everything is sky (here is your home).” This piece certainly keeps within Cottingham’s style of intense color and texture, but the color is more spread out and uses more white than other pieces.

Cottingham seems to stress this contrast between peace and chaos, particularly in her two-panel pieces. “Everything is Sky (thatness or suchness)” is a gradual change from a great mixture of many colors—blues, oranges, greens, yellows—on one panel, to a simpler panel that is a flatter, tamer mix of greens and yellows.

Needless to say, there is much to see and experience in just one Cottingham exhibit— and ours right here in Geneseo does not disappoint. As the exhibit will be up until April 30, it serves as a perfect welcome to springtime.

Marvel takes step forward in minority inclusion with Black Panther

Minority representation is an undeniably critical issue in contemporary media entertainment, something that has been recently highlighted in a perhaps surprising arena: superhero fandoms. With Marvel and DC Comics cranking out blockbuster films left and right, there has been a renewed clamor among fans calling for the incorporation of more diversity into these works—both on screen and on the page. With the inclusion of the black superhero Black Panther in the upcoming Captain America: Civil War film and the release of the new Marvel comic book series Black Panther on Wednesday April 6, it seems that industry higher-ups are taking a step in the right direction.

For those unfamiliar with the character, Black Panther—or T’Challa—was the first black superhero to debut in a mainstream comic book in America in 1966. He is the protective king of the technologically advanced, fictional African country Wakanda and is, as explained by Marvel’s website, “a brilliant tactician, strategist, scientist, tracker and a master of all forms of unarmed combat.” Black Panther has enhanced physical abilities as well as a tactical, mesh suit lined with Vibranium—the same material that Captain America’s shield is made from.

While it’s awesome to see that Black Panther will get his time on the big screen—actor Chadwick Boseman currently has a five-film deal that will include 2018’s Black Panther—the stand-alone comic series is arguably more groundbreaking when considering its celebrated African American author: journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates. Coates is not only a national correspondent for The Atlantic, but is also the author of Between the World and Me, which won the 2015 National Book Award for Nonfiction for its harrowing exploration of the struggles of being black in the United States.

According to The New York Times article “Ta-Nehisi Coates Helps a New Panther Leave Its Print,” Coates became involved with the project after working at a conference hosted by The Atlantic in 2015, catching the attention of Marvel editor Tom Brevoort as Coates conducted an interview during a seminar entitled “What if Captain America were Muslim and Female?”

Brevoort asked Coates if he would be willing to write for any characters and while Coates immediately listed Spider-Man and X-Men figures as personal favorites, he was ultimately captivated at the suggestion of writing for Black Panther.

What is truly admirable about the new series is that it won’t just be strictly focused on classic superhero action; it also strives to present a thorough exploration of both the multi-faceted nature of Black Panther’s character and the kingdom that he reigns over. Coates explained that while racial issues will be addressed—commenting that, “Race is always there”—he noted that problems with gender, culture, political structures and morality will also be brought to light.

And for any fans who may be skeptical about Coates’ ability to work with the fictitious, previous Panther comics author Jonathan Hickman expressed his full confidence in Coates’ writing talent and devotion to the project.

“The thing that people should understand about Ta-Nehisi is that he’s a comic-book superfan,” he said. “He knows his stuff.”

Bringing in such an eloquent and renowned African American author to craft this new, in-depth Black Panther series is exactly the kind of minority representation and recognition that the world of superheroes desperately needs.

Rochester native creates dream pop album, emphasizes nature’s ephemerality

With this year’s surprisingly warm, sans-snow winter in Upstate New York, it’s odd to be reminded of last year’s freezing winter by this snow on the ground in April. Rochester native and singer-songwriter Susanna Rose does just that, however, with her latest album Snowbound. With a title like Snowbound, it’s no question that this album will bring back those peaceful winter tunes we all know and love, such as “Once Upon a December” or “Winter Wonderland.” As Snowbound was released on Nov. 22, 2015, the album’s release is far enough away for listeners to have overlooked—but not have completely forgotten—the frigidly cold winter season.

“This album was written during and inspired by Rochester’s coldest winter ever, the winter of 2015,” Rose said.

The songs’ lyrics emphasize that winter motif, especially in the titular song “Snowbound.” Rose sings, “It’s a cold night out there/So come on in/And let’s pretend/ We don’t know how this ends, we don’t know how this ends.” So many of us don’t wish to dwell on the winter snow and harsh winds—it’s much nicer to go indoors, bundle up in warm sweaters next to a fire and drink a hot chocolate, just as Rose suggests.

Although the other songs on the album aren’t quite so apparently winter-themed as “Snowbound” is, the mellow acoustic guitar—mixed with Rose’s soulful voice—create an alluring type of dream pop music that is ever-present throughout Snowbound. Developed in the 1980s, dream pop is like alternative rock, except its emphasis is on creating a more ethereal and dream-like sound. Dream pop is the type of music a person would play while trying to lull into a sleep—or while trying to warm up from a cold hike in the snow.

Snowbound’s plethora of songs are a perfect depiction of dream pop. It is especially apparent in “Lullaby,” a three-minute song that discusses nature and how Rose simply wants to “catch” the sky’s snow. “Lullaby” ends perfectly with, “So goodnight, my dear/Sleep tight” to finish off the dream pop vibe to Rose’s album.

The background music to “Lullaby” is also very hypnotic and airy, as if listeners truly could “sleep tight” while listening to it. “Separate Ways” promises an OK future of dreams, too, as in “Lullaby”—because right now, Rose’s dreams are ‘unsettling.’

That otherworldly quality is apparent in the other tracks of Snowbound. Though these songs don’t quite have the same emphasis on snow and nature like “Lullaby” and “Snowbound,” they do mention these qualities, such as in “Ancient History.” In “Ancient History,” Rose discusses how one can’t always just sit on a porch drinking lemonade—you’ve got to face reality, because there is a brevity to nice weather that people have to accept.

This idea of nice weather being short becomes a symbol of the transient nature of happiness in the other songs on the album. Rose explores harsh, yet relatable topics that people face in their lives; “Old Broken Heart” showcases the pain of having someone you love fall in love with someone else, while “Working Girl” explores the disenchantment that comes with having a job that leaves you feeling only tired and empty.

“Don’t fear that the good times won’t last,” Rose sings in the song “Benediction.” “Because you know of course they can’t.”

And she’s right. The good weather will not last, and neither do picture-perfect times. But with ethereal music like Snowbound, one can have something to listen to and enjoy while it’s snowing outside or while life seems to be crumbling beneath you.