Entertainment – Page 11 – The Transcript

A cappella singers, fans come together for A Cappellooza

Julia Stone '16 of The OWtsiders, OWU's only co-ed a cappella group, performs at the 3rd annual A Cappelloza hosted by CPB. Photo by Spenser Hickey. — Julia Stone ’16 of The OWtsiders, OWU’s only co-ed a cappella group, performs at the 3rd annual A Cappelloza hosted by CPB. Photo by Spenser Hickey.

On Nov. 7, members of the Delaware and Ohio Wesleyan community came together to enjoy song and laughter at the third annual A Cappellooza.

The event was held in Gray Chapel, with music fans filling the orchestra and balconies.

Organized by the Campus Programing Board (CPB), A Cappellooza brought together groups from OWU, Wittenberg University, Denison University and Akron University.

CPB also hosted a professional guest for the night, a cappella group Street Corner Symphony.

Street Corner Symphony sang Johnny Cash to open their set, a choice that reflected their southern heritage. The group’s band members are all from Nashville, Tennessee.

Senior Miranda Dean said “they sounded pretty Southern.”

Street Corner Symphony went on to invite volunteers from the audience to join them on stage as they sang the theme song from “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.”

Oberlin's all-female a cappella group, Just Eve, begins their set. Photo by Spenser Hickey. — Oberlin’s all-female a cappella group, Just Eve, begins their set. Photo by Spenser Hickey.

Compared to last year’s group, sophomore Maddy Bonfield believed that Street Corner Symphony “tried to get the crowd more into it.”

Senior Julia Stone, member of both OWU a capella groups, the OWTsiders and Pitch Black, mentioned that “all the groups are really supportive of each other.”

Bonfield noted that it was “cool to see the other schools…and their fan base.”

After the event, all the groups were invited for an A Cappella mixer at the Peace and Justice small living unit.

Stone said “quite a few [from Denison] showed up and we just sort of improvised music together.”

It shows to the unifying effect that A Cappellooza had on the community.

Sneak peak: Orchesis 2015

By: Gopika Nair, Assistant Copy Editor

This year’s Orchesis is unlike past performances. For the first time in several years, Ohio Wesleyan’s theatre and dance department joined forces with the music department to devise the annual contemporary dance concert.

Orchesis features 24 dancers performing eight pieces created by students, faculty and a guest choreographer. The theatre and dance department at OWU will present “Orchesis 15/16” on Nov. 13, 14 and 15 in Chappelear Drama Center.

The choreographers of the show are primarily students who have taken a dance composition class, Rashana Smith, the artistic director of Orchesis and a professor in the theatre and dance department, said.

“It seems like the thread that’s going through all of our pieces is inter-connectivity,” Smith said.

The concert will conclude with the 24 dancers performing Smith’s piece, titled “Effort of Interface.”

The piece examines how much effort people put into being connected with one another, especially through technological devices and personal interactions. Smith’s inspiration stemmed from wanting to understand what the point of interface is.

Through dance, she explored the extent to which technology, besides making life easier, has improved the quality of life. The performance will feature original music by Jennifer Jolley, assistant music professor at OWU.

“[The collaboration with the music department] has been really nice because of how we all compose similarly, differently and trying to make all those things come together has been an interesting challenge,” Smith said.

All student pieces have varied musical elements. Junior Jeremy Griffin-Jackson’s piece explores breaking the traditional lines of dance and features original music composed by his cousin.

“It’s much different than what people would hear at Orchesis,” Griffin-Jackson said. “It’s piano- heavy, it’s violinheavy and it kind of has a cyclical nature, so it sounds like it repeats itself, but it’s just a lot of the same instruments used in different ways throughout the piece.”

Griffin-Jackson said that one of the most memorable moments from the rehearsal process was watching the dancers in his piece perform to the music for the first time. Their excitement gave him energy and they picked up the routine fast.

Griffin-Jackson’s piece was born out of his distaste for the more refined lines in dance such as the ballet line, which is the outline of a dancer’s complete body while performing steps or poses.

“To me that’s not pretty. That’s just mechanical,” he said. “So the idea [for this piece] just came from my own body and movement patterns.”

Each choreographer drew inspiration from something that resonated with them. Sophomore Alexia Minton’s piece, titled “Solitude of the Soul,” is an adaptation of a statue by the same name that she saw in the Chicago Institute of Art.

Minton’s piece explores the idea that no matter how closely people are connected, no one truly knows each other.

“When I went to Chicago and saw the statue, it was the one thing that really stood out to me,” Minton said. “When I got back to the university setting and had the opportunity, I thought it would be really beautiful to place movement into it.”

Some, like junior Diana Muzina, chose to express societal issues through dance.

The piece she choreographed deals with a specific thematic question involving society’s impact on women and the potential for messages to make them feel less human, she said.

“I’m really trying to comment on the socialization process, and allow the audience to place themselves in the piece.”

Over the last few years, Muzina encountered several physical and health problems that prompted her to modify her movements. One of the challenges she faced during the rehearsal process was choreographing for bodies that could do more than hers could, she said. Communicating certain movements to dancers that she could not demonstrate was also tough.

Rehearsals for the show have been underway since the second week of classes, Smith said.

Though the dancers have faced their share of challenges during the rehearsal process, they are excited to share their complex ideas with the audience.

“A lot of the work you will see will really make you think, and I believe it will have a huge impact on the audience,” Muzina said. “There is something for everyone to find a connection to in the overall performance.”

Tickets are free for OWU students with a valid student ID. Orchesis will be performed on the Main Stage in the drama center at 8 p.m. on Nov. 13 and Nov. 14 and at 2 p.m. on Nov. 15.

A Cappellooza returning to OWU for third year

By: Emily Rupp, Transcript Correspondent

Street Corner Symphony is the professional a cappella group who will be performing at this year's A Cappellooza. — Street Corner Symphony is the professional a cappella group who will be performing at this year’s A Cappellooza.

Ohio Wesleyan University will be hosting its third annual A Cappellooza event that will bring a cappella groups from all over Ohio together on Nov. 7 in Gray Chapel.

For the last two years, OWU has brought together different colleges from around the state to have their a cappella choirs perform. Each year has a different theme. Last year Denison, Oberlin, Wittenberg and the University of Akron were present. The same groups will perform this year in line with a 1990’s throwback theme.

Along with the college choirs, OWU will bring in a professional a cappella group to perform. Last year, VoicePlay was booked for the event. This year, The Street Corner Symphony will make an appearance.

The Street Corner Symphony is an a cappella group of six men. They perform all different styles of music and competed in the popular NBC competition, “The Sing Off”. They came in second place on season two.

A cappella music has recently become a huge sensation again. Shows like The Sing Off have helped a cappella gain popularity.

“I think we need to thank both the explosion of Pentatonix after their win on The Sing Off and Pitch Perfect for the acapopularity,” Pitch Black member and junior Kelly Summers said.

The response to the film “Pitch Perfect” really sparked an interest in college students.

College groups now continue to show their talents on campus giving students a chance to find their home away from home.

“I absolutely love the fact that it’s made a comeback, because I’ve found a family with my group and love the fact that I am still singing,” said junior Sarah Kennedy, president of OWtsiders said.

Pitch Black and the OWtsiders will be the two groups representing OWU at A Cappellooza.

Both women said the choirs are putting in about five hours of rehearsal a week to put on the best performance possible. They are excited to perform.

“We are extremely excited for A Cappellooza,” said Summers. “It’s always a blast performing alongside other groups from our own university and from other colleges!”

“It is exhilarating to stand on that stage with so many people staring at you and cheering.

I love every minute of it,” echoed Kennedy.

Landscape artist comes to OWU

By: Katie Kuckelheim, Transcript correspondent

Panoramic paintings of urban and rural landscapes in oil called “Matter of Fact,” an exhibition at Ross Art Museum, is a collection of paintings in plein-air by Todd Gordon.

PleinAir, according to professor Frank Hobbs in the fine arts department, is, “Painting or drawing… on site, rather than in a studio or from photographs or drawings.”

Gordon explained, “These regions are typically overlooked as mundane …industrial, or even ugly, but, as a painter, I find them profoundly interesting visually in their wealth of various shapes, colors, textures, and spatial relationships.”

The reasoning for coming to OWU, Justin Kronewetter, the director of the Ross Art Museum, explained was, “because he grew up in Delaware and many of the local residents know the artist and his artwork.”

Growing up in Delaware, it is “distant and familiar” for Gordon to display his art outside of his New York Gallery.

Gordon is coming to OWU on Thursday, Oct. 22 to talk to residents and students alike in the R.W. Corns Buildings, Room 312, at 7 p.m. about his art. A reception follows the presentation from 8-10 p.m. at the Ross Art Museum.

Gordon said, “I plan to give a brief presentation about my work, focusing on my artistic process as an observational painter who makes representational landscape paintings.”

Kronewetter said, “We anticipate a large turnout.”

Gordon expressed his excitement “to share this experience with the students and faculty at OWU and the local community.”

Hobbs, a pleinair artist himself, said, “The work is impressive in its scope and in its honest attempt to capture a personal view of the urban environments in which the artist lives. The paintings owe a large debt to another, older contemporary painter, Rackstraw Downes, who also works on site in urban settings and takes in similarly wide angles of view.”

Gordon’s “Matter of Fact” is currently on display at the Ross Art Museum until Nov. 13.

The museum’s hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m.

Professor reads from her new book

By: Katie Kuckelheim, Transcript reporter

Amy Butcher, assistant professor of English at Ohio Wesleyan, recently published a memoir about her own years as a college student, and on Sept. 17, she gave a reading in Beeghly Library.

But “Visiting Hours: A Memoir of Friendship and Murder” is not a typical campus story.

Butcher’s book details the homicide of Emily Silverstein, who was murdered by her boyfriend Kevin. Butcher was close with Kevin, and even walked home with him on the night of the murder.

Butcher’s interest in the nonfiction genre led to the writing of the book. She writes, “I’m drawn to the essay form because it allows me to step into someone else’s shoes, or perhaps to write a reader into them.”

Kevin had struggled with clinical depression his whole life. With her memoir, Butcher hopes to “add to the chorus of conversation on the often taboo topic of mental illness in America.”

When asked how the events of the book changed her life, Butcher said, “I subscribe to the belief that everything that happens to us invariably shapes us, but in this way, I feel this event shaped my everything. Perhaps I won’t feel this way years from now, and perhaps that will be a blessing, but for now, I think the easier question is to consider the ways in which this event hasn’t shaped me. I have a hard time coming with much, frankly. We are molded exponentially by what we know.”

Sophomore Hayley Mandel, said, “I read it last year. It is a piece that you think about very deeply for a long time. I think back to it often.”

Professor Karen Poremski of OWU’s English department said, “I admire professor Butcher’s ability to address difficult issues in a reasonable, calm way.”

OWU dances for peace

The 7th annual EarthDance brought together students from all walks of life. Photo by Shashank Sharma.

Ohio Wesleyan students promoted peace Saturday, Sept. 19 through dance, participation and community.

The seventh annual EarthDance occasioned this uplifting event. It is a tradition that started in 1997. It has presented more than 600 music and dance events in over 60 countries in the last 19 years and has featured thousands of DJs and musicians.

This year several returning organizations were a part of the event, including the dance composition class, OWU Rhythms Tap Club and members of Orchesis, the annual dance showcase held by the theater and dance department at OWU.

Junior Jeremy GriffithJackson played a central role in the the event.

“My role in Earthdance was to create a piece to represent Orchesis. The event went very well and I felt that the dancers represented the company swimmingly,” said Jackson.

The faculty were also involved this year. Chemistry professor David Lever was the DJ for the event.

“In honor of the international EarthDance, I played an eclectic mix of music, in at least six different languages, ranging from Bhangra to Turkish pop to dubstep and dancehall, and everything in between. The goal was for it to feel like people were going to a European dance club,” said Lever.

As the EarthDance website states: “EarthDance is a world of communities, working and playing together to create a culture of peace, through music and dance events, synchronized global link- ups, and social activism. More than just an epic party, EarthDance is a flash forward to an alt peaceful future.”

The event was able to capture the essence of that message, Rashana Smith, a planner for the event and professor of dance said. “The event truly brought the community together and in doing that was able to achieve EarthDance’s goal.

“While I’m the primary producer and organizer, it wouldn’t happen without the help of lots of people, for whom I’m very grateful,” said Smith. “In fact, we could use more volunteers through the summer, people to help with publicity and communication.”

EarthDance events are synchronized globally, in conjunction with the annual United Nations’ Peace Day.

Medieval combat not just a thing of the past

Those students with an interest in swords and swordfighting can find an outlet for their passion in the Ohio Wesleyan Medieval and Renaissance Recreational Combat Association (MARRCA) club.

The club was formed in the 1970s and was originally called ARMA (Association for Renaissance Martial Arts). It has changed focus and direction many times, but it has always been about exploring Western martial arts and historical combat.

Between 2012 and 2014, the club practiced less combat and looked to games instead. The members learned various sword positions and some obscure moves, like “the wheel.” They also focused on two-handed long swords and roundel daggers.

Since 2014, Mark Wicker, assistant circulation manager at Beeghly library, has helped teach combat. This has allowed the club to move into a more practical, pared down fighting style that is more useful for self-defense. Last year, they also introduced new, more durable swords, and the short swordshield or buckler techniques.

“Most of our techniques are based on research of the actual techniques that Medieval and Renaissance soldiers used,” said senior Luke Steffen, a member of MARRCA.

“Really, the members create the club experience,” said senior Christine Mendiola, the MARCCA president. “I’m hoping as president to encourage and promote any direction the members want to take us in.”

OWU grad returns for photography feature

William JanTausch, class of 1969, was not in Beeghly Library to return long-overdue books. It was his photography exhibition, “Forgotten Places,” that brought him back to campus.

According to exhibit information, “JanTausch’s photographs capture haunting images of local scenery, including an abandoned sawmill.”

The photos will be displayed Aug. 15 through Oct. 6 in Beeghly’s Gallery 2001. A reception with JanTausch will be held from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sept. 17, inside the gallery.

“JanTausch is a resident of Delaware, and has visited the Ross Art Museum for many exhibits,” said Tammy Wallace, assistant director of the Ross.

“There are two series on display [in the current exhibit]: the sawmill series, consisting of black and white photographs of an abandoned sawmill here in Delaware County, and the abandoned barn series, consisting of color and black and white photography of barns here in Delaware County.”

Though he expresses himself through photography, JanTausch is not a professional artist.

“Although my degree was in botanybacteriology, I spent the first twenty years of my career in traffic and distribution in the private sector,” said JanTausch.

“Then, in the 1990s, I purchased a few properties and have remained in the real estate and management field since. Ohio Wesleyan taught me to be a problem solver, to investigate and craft solutions and most importantly to ask Wallace said this event “can provide a respite from studying. It can inform, educate and delight. Some artwork can be controversial, spark conversations or encourage viewers to dig deeper into a subject.”

Admission to the exhibition is free.

Strand Theatre features “The Missing Picture”

Clay figures typically do not come to mind when the word documentary is mentioned.

The Missing Picture, nominated for the best foreign language film at the 2014 Academy Awards, was shown at the Strand Theater April 21-22 as a part of the 2015 Community Film Series.

The series is sponsored by the Ohio Wesleyan English department. Professors Lynette Carpenter and Martin Hipsky make the decision of which films will be screened each year.

The documentary – which uses clay figures to fill in for missing or destroyed footage – focuses on the horrible conditions Cambodians faced at work camps under the rule of the Khmer Rouge from 1975-1979. A total of one third of the population died under the dictatorship.

“I was looking for an East Asian film and this one I thought would be particularly useful for students to study because it’s so experimental,” Carpenter said.

Still from the film. Photo courtesy of mubi.com.

Students are not the only ones to go to the screenings. Many residents of Delaware have also attended.

“Honestly I wish more people would come because they’re great films,” said junior Joe Pileski. “They’re not things (films) that really get advertised in the normal cinema cycle.”

The Missing Picture was directed by Rithy Panh who suffered through Khmer Rouge rule with his family. Panh was able to escape to Thailand and today is considered one of Cambodia’s most talented directors.

“It was very interesting… animation superimposed on real images,” said junior Emily Webb.

Panh and his crew who helped work on the film created hundreds of little clay figures and then proceeded to move them to different, recreated sets that resembled Cambodia’s rice fields, work camps and cities.

“It also illustrates the difference perhaps between our assumptions about film making and what it’s actually intended to do and how other cultures see film making,” Carpenter said.

The final film of the 2015 Community Film Series, Sex, Lies and Videotape, directed by Steven Soderbergh, will be shown April 28-29.

Well-known improv group visits campus for Slice of Life

By: Holly Krampitz, Transcript correspondent

If one were to enter Stuyvesant Hall on April 19 he or she would probably hear German accents, adults acting like dinosaurs and lots of laughter.

Campus Activities Magazine’s entertainers of the year, Mission Improvable, performed at Ohio Wesleyan on Sunday as a part of Slice of College Life for prospective students.

Mission Improvable is an improv group that has been traveling all around the world for the past 15 years. These comedians act as agents and incorporate the audience as co-agents for their “missions.” There are four main agents who travel around that switch out every few years.

Mission Improvable was brought to OWU along with mentalist Chris Carter, for the Slice of College Life events. Both acts were recommended by the Student Involvement Office, according to Laurie Patton, senior associate director of admission and events coordinator for the Office of Admission.

“It seemed to me that students really enjoyed the performances,” Patton said. “The acts were professional, entertaining, funny, and engaging.” Students on campus helped agents identify unspecified objects, act out an unwritten Shakespearian play and make up scenes for the agents to act out.

Prospective student Katie Paull attended the show and said it was the highlight of her weekend. “I couldn’t stop laughing during the show,” she said. Students were encouraged to actively participate in the show and a few even got a chance to be on stage with the performers.

The actors in Mission Improvable seemed to have a lot of energy and are very conformable being on stage. One of the agents, Sherman Edwards, joked that his biggest fear is having his pants fall down.

“It’s better to be confident and wrong than shy and right,” Edwards said. Edwards originally wanted to be a doctor and even took pre-med classes. He eventually realized he just wanted to wear a lab coat and decided his real passion was in comedy. Another agent, Matt Garard, always knew he wanted to be an actor.

“Odds are we won’t see our name in lights, but just the fact that we get to do what we love for a living is very cool for me,” Garard said. The actors in Mission Improvable chose improv because they like how spontaneous it is and that anything can happen.

“It is never the same twice,” Garard said. “You never know what is going to happen, which is kind of a thrill for me.”