Category: Entertainment

Female students will intersect femininity and ethnicity in a pair of performances centered on the empowerment of women.

“The Vagina Monologues,” first performed at Ohio Wesleyan University in 2006, will be joined by Yetta Young’s “Butterfly Confessions” in the 2014 show.

Auditions for both performances were held this past weekend in Smith Hall and were open to all self-identified female students.

“The Vagina Monologues,” which is a play by Eve Ensler, is formatted into a series of monologues that tell women’s stories and experiences.

The pieces discuss empowerment, sexual violence, positive sex, and seeking justice and healing for women who are survivors of sexual violence.

“Butterfly Confessions” is similar to “Monologues,” but explores the relationship between womanhood and ethnicity. As Young describes in her LinkedIn profile, “‘Butterfly Confessions’ is a love letter to women and girls of color that reveal heartfelt emotions about intimacy, sexual responsibility and overcoming adversity. Audiences will be taken from girlhood to womanhood as “Butterfly Confessions” airs our dirty laundry.”

Sophomore Kaila Johnson auditioned for a part in the performance, and plans to be as involved as possible in the show.

“I am very eager and excited about the fact that we have brought (“Confessions”) to OWU,” said Johnson.

“I think that the women of color on this campus often get left out when it comes to discussions about the different issues and problems that exist in today’s world.”

Senior Claire Hackett said “Confessions” was added to expand the movement to those not reached by “Monologues.”

“Women of color should have a space where their voices can be heard and everyone else can listen,” Hackett said.

Echoing Hackett’s statement, junior Brianna Robinson said the event developed as a result of “a group of women who are passionate about the voices of all women being heard.”

“Confessions” discuss topics such as colorism, sexuality, AIDS, and self-love. The directors for the performance include Robinson, Nola Johnson, Khristina Gardner, Kaila Johnson and Felicia Rose.

In last year’s Monologues show, Robinson performed “My Angry Vagina.”

She also read a piece titled “Respect” by activist Kimberly Crenshaw that echoes many of the same themes as “Confessions.”

“The Vagina Monologues” co-directors Hackett, senior Margaret Knecht, and junior Zoe Crankshaw conducted their auditions separately in order to determine each candidate’s comfort level with various subject materials.

“It was very stress-free,” said sophomore Claudia Bauman, referring to her audition process. Last year, Bauman read the monologue “My Vagina Was My Village.”

“My Vagina Was My Village” describes the experiences of Bosnian women who survived wartime rape in the early 1990s.

“From the moment I picked up (“The Vagina Monologues”) I fell in love with it,” Bauman said.

“I love reading women’s stories, the good and the bad, from around the world, which in turn, opens my mind to hardships and to understanding others.”

Owtsiders, Ohio Wesleyan University’s only co-ed a Cappella group, has six new voices.

Sophomore Camille Mullins-Lemieux, Owtsiders co-director, said the auditions went well but she hoped that more people would have come.

Sophomore president Julia Stone said she agreed with Mullins-Lemieux.

“I think the cold weather deterred some people from coming out,” Stone said.

“We were able to find all the singing parts that we need though, and I’m happy with the talent we found.”

The audition process consisted of three parts: a prepared song, a blending exercise and a test of one’s range.

Junior Katie Butt said she messed up the words to her Rihanna mash up of “Disturbia” and “The Monster.”

“But no one noticed,” she added.

The groups’ new members range in grade level, with three freshmen, one junior and two seniors. Mullins-Lemieux said she is excited about the full sound and fresh energy that these members will bring to the group.

Freshman Curtice Taylor, who is also involved in the Choral Arts Society, said he is looking forward to singing a cappella, as well as being a part of the Owtsiders’ community specifically.

Butt was previously a member of the Owtsiders, and the female a cappella group Pitch Black, but had to leave both due to the intense time commitment.

She said she was excited to learn that the Owtsiders were having auditions again.

“I missed that environment – just hanging out with people and creating beautiful music together,” Butt said. “It’s laid-back and a lot of fun,” she said.

Freshman Megan Marren wanted to audition in order to be more involved on campus.

“It wasn’t a hard audition, but it was nerve wracking sitting around and waiting until my turn came up,” Marren said.

In the past, the Owtsiders have performed at Ollie’s Fine Ice Cream, a local ice cream parlor.

They also sang on stage at “A Cappellooza!” an event sponsored by Campus Programming Board that featured a cappella groups from OWU and surrounding schools.

Stone said that the group has plans to sing at J. Gumbo’s, a local restaurant, on Mardi Gras and to have more sporadic performances in the atrium of Hamilton-Williams.

“I’m hoping that we are able to have a great semester full of new music and more performances,” Stone said. “We’re going to start the semester by working on Counting Stars by One Republic and Royals by Lorde.”

The image Philip Seymour Hoffman left imprinted in my mind is his exceptional portrayal of rock critic Lester Bangs in  the 2000 film “Almost Famous.”

With needle still in arm and evidence of drug abuse throughout his apartment, actor Hoffman, 46 years old, was found dead on Sunday morning.

According to the New York Daily News, Hoffman was discovered by friend David Katz. Officials suspect the overdose was caused by heroin injections considering the 70 bags of the drug found scattered around Hoffman’s apartment.

Hoffman was best known for his role in the 2005 film “Capote,” as well as his Academy Awards and Tony Award nominations. His ability to transform into enticing characters transports audiences to new worlds and isn’t that what art is all about?

In the aftermath of  events such as these there arise two kinds of people: those who mourn the loss of a fellow human, and those who mourn the loss of an entertainment source. In the case of any death, those who care for the deceased usually experience a spat of selfishness. Especially when the death could be seen as self inflicted,  friends and family may blame the deceased for “playing God” and removing themselves from the world.

Personally I see people blame celebrities for robbing us of their talents. In any case with celebrities it is not our place to criticize. We are unaware of the personal circumstances involved in the death. Particularly with Hoffman’s case, who had been clean for two decades, the overdose was most likely unintentional.

Other drug related celeb deaths, such as that of “Glee” actor Cory Monteith, not only raise awareness of the ever escalating drug problem in our society, but a question of why? Is there a high concentration of fatal overdoses within the world of celebrities because there is more coverage? Or is there a specific variable in that culture that pushes many actors over the edge?

We may not be able to answer why after 23 years Hoffman resorted to drugs but we can accept his passing, appreciate the performances that he has given us and not resent him for those he will not be able to.

By Julianne Zala

Transcript Correspondent

On Oct. 25 and 26, Alan Morrison performed two recitals on the newly restored Klais organ in Gray Chapel. To commemorate the event, alumni and members of the Keller and Blanchard families appeared to hear the performances.

The Klais organ arrived to OWU in 1980; the organ had not received any restoration since, until a fundraising effort to improve and restore the organ began in September of last year.

The new renovations to the organ included a thorough cleaning of the entire organ, which involved the removal of all the original 4,522 pipes and windchests and the installation of an additional 122 pipes.

In addition, workers repaired any defects with the organ. The slider seals, which function to prevent the organ leaking wind when it exits from the windchests, were also replaced.

Once the cleaning process was finished, the 400-500 pound pipes were placed into the organ stop by stop.  The term stop refers to the admittance of pressurized air into a set of organ pipes. Organ voicers made sure each stop spoke correctly at the proper volume, while other stops were made louder or softer, and others were completely revoiced.

Robert Griffith, an organ teacher at OWU, said there were, “five people who upfront gave seed money to get the project underway.”

“Most people were alums and former students,” said Griffith, who studied under Rexford Keller.

Most importantly, the new division of an additional 122 pipes, called the Blanchard Memorial Bombarde division, was added to the organ.  The division is named after Dr. and Mrs. Homer D. Blanchard, who were both in the class of 1933.

Dr. Homer Blanchard began studying the pipe organ at the age of 13. Blanchard became a major proponent to acquire the Klais organ in Gray Chapel during his time teaching German at OWU in 1963.

After his death in 1988, his wife Gwen Blanchard established the Homer D. Blanchard Memorial Organ Recital Series Fund, which provides an opportunity for future performances on the organ. The family and friends of Dr. Homer and Gwen added the division, which includes two trumpet stops that will add a new voice to the organ.

University President Rock Jones opened the concert with a speech, detailing the history of the organ.  He also recognized the family members of the Keller and the Blanchard families who attended the concert.

He then introduced the performer Alan Morrison, who has played the organ since he was a senior in high school, and is currently known as one of America’s premier concert organists.

Morrison graduated from The Curtis Institute of Music and The Julliard School of Music. He has played internationally in Canada, Europe and South America. He has been chosen to perform at four national conventions of the American Guild of Organists.

Morrison began the program with “Phoenix Processional” by American composer Dan Locklair. He followed with “Concerto in A Minor, BWV 593” by Johann Sebastian Bach, a piece that Bach transcribed after Vivaldi’s piece for the organ.

This was followed by “Ciaconna in B-flat Major” by Johann Bernhard Bach, which Morrison said to the audience was, “something [Bach] would have improvised while inspecting organs.” The piece also featured individual voices of the organ, while the previous two-piece served as ensembles.

Morrison then performed “Andante Sostenuto” by Charles Marie Widor, a French composer who composed the piece specifically for the Christmas season. The composition featured the strings and flutes of the organ. This was followed by “Scherzo, opus 2” by Maurice Durufle. Morrison described the piece as “a game of chase” that features the “lush strings and beautiful flutes of the organ.”

After intermission, Morrison performed “Five Dances” by Calvin Hampton, an American composer. Morrison said to the audience that the piece “works beautifully on this organ.” Morrison finished with “Variations on Sine Nomine” by John Weaver, an American Composer.

Morrison described to the audience that this piece was a “romp” of the tunes “The Saints Come Marching In” and “From all the Saints.”

Morrison closed the concert by recognizing those involved with renovating the organ. He described the process as, “such an overwhelming task” and “very labor intensive, a labor of love.”

Morrison said that the Klais organ, “has a lot of character,” and described it as “one of the best.”

By Adelle Brodbeck

Transcript Reporter

Sunday, Oct. 13, the Ross Art Museum welcomed two new exhibits from local artists Melinda Rosenberg and Rod Bouc.

Rosenberg’s work transforms reclaimed wood into creative sculptures while Bouc takes to another side of nature through his intricate landscapes and portraits of rainclouds.

The opening reception matched the art’s sophistication. Students and community members roamed the gallery admiring the different pieces and sipping lemonade while a live harp played in the background.

Both Rosenberg and Bouc agreed the opening was a success.

“The harp was beautiful, snacks yummy and a bunch of friends and family came,” Rosenberg said.

Rosenberg decided to showcase her work for OWU due to her many connections with the surrounding community, including her membership at the North Unitarian Universalist Church.

She also said she had previously shown at the Ross at the beginning of her career in 1987.

“I wanted to complete a cycle of making and showing by showing again at Ohio Wesleyan,” she said.

Bouc said it was a privilege to show at OWU and enjoyed the opening reception. He said he thinks the Ross is “one of the best exhibition spots in Ohio.”

“There was a nice crowd and the show looked great,” he said. “I love showing my work to others.”

Rosenberg’s creates geometric and visually exciting sculptures from old barn sidings, ladders, rocking chairs and various trees such as pine and maple.

“My work is very much about Ohio and its changing landscape,” she said.

Her series titled “Hokey Pokey” playfully recreates the beloved but somewhat corny dance through repurposed bits of rocking chairs.

“The arms and legs of rocking chairs needed to do something,” she said about her inspiration for the series. “It started with the fact that a rocking chair has body parts. I also wanted to do something playful and free.”

“Anaphase” shows a more serious edge to Rosenberg’s work. It’s made from a pair of wood blocks sanded down and painted to create an emphasis on the space between the two and their connection. She also added a bundle of roots “to add to the sense of pulling apart and earthiness of the piece.”

“When I was looking for a title I looked up division in the thesaurus to find ‘anaphase,’” she said. “Anaphase is the moment in cell division just prior to the separation of cells, which seemed to capture the tension of the piece.”

Bouc’s exhibit, titled “Nature’s Edge,” takes the same concept of tension within our natural world and presents it in vivacious paintings and drawings.

“I’ve been fascinated with how places in the country or the sky can inspire you, calm you, frighten you,” Bouc said about his inspiration. “We go places to evoke feelings. We look to the sky and are awestruck. It’s very interesting to me. I try to evoke those feelings in my (art).”

Bouc’s exhibit features art from three different areas, charcoal portraits of clouds, landscapes of serene farm life and depictions of threatening tornadoes.

One particular pair of paintings in the exhibit, “Fields and Dusk” and “Fields at Dusk (Ghost),” show Bouc’s talent and resourcefulness. The works are monotypes, involve creating a painting on glass, transferring that paint onto paper and then using the residue to create a ghostlike reprint of the first image.

“Monotypes go back centuries,” he said about the technique used to create the paintings. “Yet, they are not well known. I did my first monotypes in graduate school at OSU in the late 1970’s. Monotype is a great process of printmaking for painters like myself.”

Monotypes Bouc said that what he finds particularly interesting about the process is that it always produces a distinctive image.

“Often, I work on and run the plate through multiple times and get a kind of series of prints that result in images that are similar, yet unique,” he said. “Each print is original. It’s a very creative process and there are very few rules as in most art-making.”

Bouc said his exhibit shows a culmination of his work throughout his many years as an artist.

“It’s all experimentation,” he said. “As you can imagine, the work reflects where I am in my life, how I feel, is echoed in the work. It’s not necessarily intentional. I don’t say, ‘I feel sad today, I’m going to make a sad painting.’ It just comes out during the process of making the work.”

By Adelle Brodbeck

Transcript Reporter

A cappella groups may have just recently become a hot trend in pop culture with shows like “Glee” and movies like “Pitch Perfect,” but Ohio Wesleyan has been making unaccompanied singing magic since 1999.

Currently there are three a cappella groups on campus: the two youngest are Pitch Black and the Jaywalkers, and the oldest is Owtsiders.

Pitch Black, the women’s a cappella group, was founded in 2005 and continues to grow and improve each year. They recently held auditions for new members and out of over 30 girls who auditioned, only eight made the final cut.

Junior Grace Thompson, Pitch Black’s director, said the audition process was fairly stressful.

“It was a really tough decision,” she said “Honestly, everyone that auditioned had a great voice.”

Thompson joined Pitch Black her first semester and by the end of freshman year she had earned the role of the group’s director.

“I wasn’t sure if I wanted to take on such a big role after only a year in the group,” she said. “But I was encouraged by some older group members to go for it, so I did.”

As director, Thompson had to make tough decisions concerning new members, but she said other members provided a good support system.

“Our group is very trusting and honest,” she said. “We’re very good at keeping each other in the right mindset.”

Junior Emma Buening, one of Pitch Black’s new members, said she is very excited to finally become a part of the group. After a failed attempt to join her freshman year, she took voice lessons to help improve her singing.

“I really think (the voice lessons) helped my confidence,” she said.

Buening said “find(ing) your own voice)” is important to having success with a cappella.

“(T)rying to make your voice sound like someone else’s will never pan out,” she said.

Junior Todd Zucker has been a member of Jaywalkers, the men’s a cappella group, since the second semester of his freshman year.

Zucker said a cappella has been a very rewarding experience.

“It is something that I enjoy very much,” he said, “It’s a pretty relaxing moment twice a week to be able to sing with the group, who have become my close friends.”

After two and a half years with the group, Zucker said his favorite song to sing overall has been the Pokémon theme song.

“People always seem to be pleasantly surprised to hear it,” he said.

Sophomore Jerry Lherisson joined Jaywalkers his freshman year as a way to continue pursuing his passion for singing. In high school, Lherisson started a coed a cappella group as well as belonging to a men’s group, so singing unaccompanied is not something new to him.

“The best part about being a Jaywalker is the atmosphere that such an eclectic group of guys develop,” he said. “We all contribute to a very enjoyable and fun atmosphere.”

Lherisson said one of the other positive aspects of being a member of the Jaywalkers is the group’s vast diversity.

“There is a wide range of backgrounds, ideologies and interests in the group,” he said. “There are athletes as well as actors, members of SLUs as well as fraternities, and there are fine arts majors as well as politics and government majors.”

The third a cappella group that belongs to OWU is Owtsiders, the only co-ed group of the three. The group was started in 1999 when two students wanted to bring a new and exciting club to the school that would allow people to embrace their passion for singing.

Sophomore Julia Stone said the Owtsiders still sing some of the same arrangements as the first members did in 1999. Stone also said other members are allowed to suggest songs or present their own arrangements, but her favorites to perform are “Valerie” by Amy Whinehouse and “Hide and Seek” by Imogen Heap.

Stone said she has been involved in singing in choirs since the third grade and hopes to continue singing after college. Many other members of Owtsiders share her experience of being involved in singing for a long time, and it is one of their many interests.

“There are a lot of people in the group with different majors,” Stone said. “We have quite a few music or music education majors this year, but also several others in the sciences or humanities.”

OWU’s three a cappella groups display the wide range of interests of the students, as well as the immense talent that they all possess.