Entertainment – Page 9 – The Transcript

Toxic greed infects water in “An Enemy of the People”

By Gopika Nair, Chief Copy Editor

Tensions run high as one man stands alone in a town filled with toxic greed in Ohio Wesleyan’s first theatre production of the academic year.

OWU’s theatre and dance department is presenting four performances of “An Enemy of the People” by Henrik Ibsen at Chappelear Drama Center. The Norwegian play revolves around the struggles of one man’s fight for truth against those who stifle it for personal and political gain.

Though the play was written in 1882, its themes remain relevant as it parallels current water disasters in Flint, Michigan and throughout the country and world, said Elane Denny, professor of theatre and director of the play at OWU.

“I have wanted to direct this Ibsen play for a long time and felt that now was the right time,” Denny said in her director’s note. “It has been interesting and informative to hear our students comment about how relevant this play is to world in which they now live.”

More than 50 OWU students are involved with the production and rehearsals began in late August.

Environmental programs and clubs at OWU will also have displays in Chappelear’s lobby in conjunction with the show, said freshman Josh Martin who portrays Dr. Stockmann, the protagonist.

Martin said he was first introduced to Ibsen’s work and “An Enemy of the People” in 8th grade.

“I was always fascinated by the shift of character that Stockmann has and his hope in the face of political turmoil,” he said. “He’s justified in doing what is right and he’s very passionate in standing by his morals.”

The play also stars junior Daniel Haygood as Peter Stockmann, Dr. Stockman’s elder brother; and freshman Sarah Gielink as Petra, Dr. Stockmann’s daughter.

Haygood said he hadn’t intended to perform in any plays this year until he read the script and realized he couldn’t turn down the role given the timing of the production with the upcoming election and the Flint disaster.

“The places that the characters go can be very dark,” Haygood, who plays the antagonist, said. “It’s important, I think, to see what my character and other characters are capable of and I think that’s going to surprise people going in because it’s also very relevant today.”

Ibsen’s pieces are generally regarded as serious, but during rehearsals, the actors experimented with the script, approaching it in different, sometimes comedic ways, Martin said.

Gielink said that was one of her favorite moments during rehearsals. “There are definitely funny moments that you might not get reading it the first time, but how some of the characters interact with each other physically is very funny,” she said.

The three actors said they are looking forward to having an audience on opening night because they contribute to the actors’ energy on stage.

“I hope the audience will take away the message of hope that [the play] leaves with and how the struggle for fighting for truth isn’t an easy one, but it’s necessary,” Gielink said.

“An Enemy of the People” was held on the Main Stage at Chappelear Oct. 6 through Oct. 9.

Earthdance returns to OWU

By Hannah Wargo, Transcript Correspondent

Earthdance, the global dance event, returned to promote peace and sustainability at Ohio Wesleyan for its 8th year Sunday, Sept. 18th in the Benes Rooms of Hamilton-Williams Campus Center.

Earthdance is the “largest synchronised dance event in the world,” having been held in over 1,000 locations in 80 countries since its first event in 1997, according to earthdance.org.

The event is aligned with the United Nations’ International Day of Peace every year to commemorate and strengthen the ideals of peace and nonviolence through dance and music.

This year, several OWU student groups performed: the Introduction to Dance class, OWU Rhythms Tap Club, Terpsicorps dance club, some dancers from Orchesis 2016 and chemistry professor Dave Lever served as the DJ.

Other groups that were scheduled to perform included Bellydance Columbus, Halal Israeli Folk Dancers and Hayes High School’s dance team.

Earthdance did not just comprise of performances, but participation, too.

The event started with guests learning and performing “Dances of Universal Peace” from around the world. The leader of the universal peace dances said, “There are no mistakes, it’s not about performance dancing; it’s about feeling energies in our bodies, like sun energy or moon energy.”

Following the peace dances, there were swing dancers, line dancers and Halal dances from Turkey. All attendees were encouraged to join.

After dancing, guests could purchase a bagel from the Short North Bagel Deli Company’s food truck, or make a smoothie by pedaling the Environment and Wildlife Club’s ‘smoothie bike.’

Many of the students in attendance were surprised by the number of groups performing and the number of people present.

Sophomore Kimberly McCalmont, a member of the OWU dance groups and first-time Earthdance attendee, said, “I didn’t realize so many people were coming to this [to perform].”

Sophomore Eva Blockstein, who ran the smoothie bike at Earthdance, said, “There are a ton of people here [dancing]… I didn’t know OWU groups would be performing.”

Earthdance was presented in partnership with Sustainable Delaware Ohio, a local nonprofit charity aimed at promoting environmental, social and economic stability for the Delaware community.

There was a suggested donation of $5 at the doors of the event, $3 of which go to Sustainable Delaware Ohio. Students were also able to donate food points.

The theme of Earthdance 2016 was “Global Shift.” The Earthdance event at OWU was the only Earthdance event in Ohio, and one of eight Earthdance events happening in the US, according to earthdance.org.

McCalmont and Blockstein both agreed that Earthdance deserves more publicity and attendance.

“[They should] publicize it a bit more, ahead of time, definitely have more advertising,” McCalmont said.

Blockstein said, “I think Earthdance is really important because it’s bringing dancing and peace and the planet all together… it’s a good way to bring a community together and show us some fun things.”

All Earthdance events link up with Global Prayer for Peace, according to earthdance.org.

Earthdance Ohio hosted a separate event to link up with Global Prayer for Peace on Wednesday, Sept. 21, International Day of Peace, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Peale Chapel on the third floor of Hamilton-Williams Campus Center. There, Aikido instructor Paul Linder, Ph.D., presented “Body-Based Conflict Resolution & Peacemaking.”

The Beat: Mac Miller is feeling the love on new album “The Divine Feminine”

By John Bonus, Transcript Reporter

With a new approach but familiar style, Mac Miller is back at it again with his fourth studio album.

Malcolm McCormick, better known as Mac Miller, released “The Divine Feminine” Sept. 16. This comes almost exactly a year after the 24 year-old Pittsburgh native’s last album, “GO:OD AM” came out.

On this project, the rapper and singer decided to open up and dedicate every track to feelings of and about love. While it is not uncommon for rappers to make songs about love, it is rare to see an entire hip-hop album dedicated to the topic.

In an interview with Complex Magazine, Miller talked about the main idea behind the album, which is that love and the universe are connected.

“I’ve noticed that love is just a concept, but it works with life in general as well,” Miller said. “Treating the world how you’re supposed to treat a female is awesome. It’s a deeper experience with life.”

Inspiration for the project may also stem from Miller’s new relationship with singer Ariana Grande, who features on the song “My Favorite Part.”

Miller brought a variety of other artists to the table ranging from Kendrick Lamar on the track “God is Fair, Sexy Nasty,” to CeeLo Green on “We.”

While the album may differ from past projects in its overarching theme, Mac Miller still returns with the jazzy beats and clever (and sometimes cheesy) rhymes that he has become known for in his accomplished career.

“The Divine Feminine” is available on iTunes and Spotify.

Former R.E.M manager discusses education reform in schools

By Anna Davies, Transcript Reporter

Ohio Wesleyan University’s Arneson Institute hosted a lecture with Bertis Downs, former manager of R.E.M., educational reform activist and entertainment lawyer, on Monday, Sept. 12 in the Benes Rooms.

The lecture was a conversation between Downs and politics and government professor Sean Kay. The discus- sion opened up to students near the end. About 50 people were there and it was a mix of OWU students, professors and other community members.

Downs, an advocate for public schooling, said what he’d like to see from public school policymakers is a change from focusing on standardized tests to helping students from all walks of life learn valuable skills that help them rise in the workforce.

“Circumstances and privilege should not determine what you can achieve. There’s always examples of diamonds in the rough,” Downs said. “How do we get more of those first generation college students? They’re the future of society.”

“I think the reason I’m so interested in race and privilege is because as the son of missionary parents in Taiwan, I’ve been a minority,” Downs said during the lecture.

Downs said his ideal school system would have adequate funding, teachers making a decent wage and not having to deal with the stress of constant standardized testing, a diverse curriculum and a multicultural student body.

“You need true integration,” he said.

Downs praised small liberal arts schools for teaching students how to be critical thinkers and learn skills that go beyond typical workplace knowledge.

Downs also talked about his time spent with R.E.M. He said an especially impactful event was watching R.E.M. play a show in Hyde Park in London a week after a terrorist attack.

“I remember someone in the crowd was holding a sign that said, ‘Thank you for staying,’” Downs said.

“They (R.E.M.) were good at what they did. I had some- thing to do with business planning and strategy,” he said. “I had a pretty light touch as a manager. They didn’t want a lot of control.”

Downs said he was proud of R.E.M. for getting involved in social activism and playing benefits for Neil Young’s Bridge Schools, Bruce Springsteen’s Vote for Change and for helping get the Motor Voter bill signed into effect during Bill Clinton’s presidency.

Downs also said R.E.M. helped get the first liberal fe- male mayor elected in their hometown of Athens, Georgia.

Emma Sampson, a student in Dr. Kay’s American foreign policy class, said she hoped the lecture would be a good example of intersecting interests, an important part of OWU’s education plan.

Michael Wadsworth, who is in Dr. Kay’s global issues class, said, “I’m pretty excited. It’s about rock music…and I’m happy to be here.”

50-Day Club takes off

David Fradkin, Transcript Correspondent

It is finally spring where the weather is getting warmer and the school year is winding down. It is also that time of the year when Backstretch Bar hosts its annual 50-Day Club event.

This year is the 13^thannual 50-Day Club where 57 people signed up to participate. The deadline to sign up was March 21.

The even is open to Ohio Wesleyan students, Backstretch employees and Delaware residents.

Every day, participants are required to spend at least 30 minutes at the bar and order two beverages during each visit for 50 consecutive days. But participants are granted three excuses that must be requested and approved before missing a day.

The event began 13 years ago when two employees, who were also OWU students at the time, created a competition between each other to see how many days they could attend in a row.

The competition lasted 23 days until they were both unable to attend. The bar owner, Joanne Meyers, thought it would be a great way to count down the days until graduation.

She said there are roughly 50 days left of school after spring break, which is when senioritis really kicks in. It has been a tradition ever since.

“A lot of what we stress and what we really promote is kind of developing like a little family unit,” Meye’s said. “It builds a very nice little community of people that you probably wouldn’t have been involved with.”

There are also more interactive activities that are optional such as the elite club.

The elite club is designed for dedicated participants. All participants are given Sundays off as a day of rest. But elite members are required to attend for 50 consecutive days, which includes Sundays anytime between noon and 2 p.m.

There are also team competitions on Wednesday nights for around two hours. For this optional activity, students are randomly divided into groups. Since employees and town’s people make up a smaller portion of the group, they are equally allocated in groups.

The groups compete in these weekly activities which vary each week. At the end, the winning team members get to sign and add some decoration to the winning trophy.

Senior Bridget McQuaide said she is excited to participate in the event for her first time.

“I think that 50-Day Club is a really good way to give seniors an opportunity to do something fun together everyday up until graduation,” McQuaide said. “It’s definitely something that you have to dedicate yourself to, but it’s a really awesome experience where you get time everyday to make more memories with friends and maybe even people you haven’t talked to since freshman year.”

Bishop Bash performer announced

Courtney Dunne, Copy Editor

Anticipation filled the air Friday afternoon Feb. 26 as the Campus Programming Board (CPB) announced this year’s Bishop Bash performer.

CPB, the organization set up to fill the need for fun and excitement, brings to campus some kind of larger scale entertainment every year.

This spring, CPB is ramping things up and bringing Bo Burnham to campus. Burnham is a musically inclined comedian that went from being a YouTube sensation to being featured on MTV and Comedy Central.

As CPB announced that Burnham would be this year’s Bishop Bash performer, balloons fell from the lofts of the Ham-Will atrium and students screamed with excitement.

“I have been following Bo Burnham on YouTube since I was in middle school,” said sophomore Zoe Rosenthal. “His performance has changed a lot since then and his stage presence is ridiculous.”

As students popped balloons and ate brownies, courtesy of CPB, after the announcement, they discovered that there were free tickets in the balloons. Five students were able to get free tickets to this year’s Bishop Bash.

“I was so excited that I got a free ticket and it is actually a performer that everyone can enjoy,” said junior Jess Sanford.

President of CPB, sophomore Catie Kocian, told the Transcript that CPB had a ranked list of performers that they wanted to bring and Bo Burnham was at the top of their list.

“The mission of CPB is to bring high quality entertainment that will appeal to campus,” Kocian said. The reactions in the atrium after the announcement made it clear that many students were pleased with CPB’s choice to bring Burnham to campus.

On March 24, Burnham will be performing in Grey Chapel. Tickets are on sale now. They are $10 for OWU students, $15 for non-OWU students and $20 for general public.

Tickets are only available to OWU students until Monday, Feb. 29, which is when they will go on sale to the general public.

Hidden talent in the Public Safety office

Photo courtesy of Facebook. — Photos courtesy of Facebook.

David Fradkin, Transcript Report

Chris Mickens, a Public Safety officer, discovered his passion for designing jewelry on an Ohio Wesleyan mission trip to the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota.

As an activity to pass time, Mickens and the attending students started making traditional Lakota beadwork. But it wasn’t until the summer of 2013 that Mickens began producing jewelry.

During that summer, Mickens’ mother passed away. His mother had a vast collection of earrings.

“If I didn’t know what to get [my mother], I knew I could always get her earrings,” Mickens said.

Initially, it was a coping mechanism and that fostered his passion for designing jewelry, especially earrings.

For more than 20 years, OWU has had a relationship with the Rosebud Reservation, which is the home of the Sicangu Sioux, one of the seven tribes of the Lakota nation.

“OWU has been sending mission teams for many years now. It was Chaplin Powers’ brainchild basically,” Mickens said.

Creating jewelry also helps him with deal with his mild obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). He said designing jewelry helps prevent his OCD from occurring in other places in his life and he can use it as an advantage when creating pieces of work that require fine detail.

As of now, Mickens has only designed some basic necklaces and bracelets and noted he is planning to create some that are more complicated.

Other creations include beading guitar strings and some medallions, specifically ones in Lakota style that are made in a circular piece of leather where beads could be sewed on to make a variety of patterns.

Mickens uses a large assortment of materials in his work. When he does “beading,” it particularly relates to the Lakota style. The beads he used are called seed beads.

“They are very small and made of glass, Mickens said. “And the colors of them span the spectrum.”

One of Mickens’ best pieces is untitled, but it has a larger glass rainbow bead in the middle, surrounded by wire that has smaller beads around it.

He started out with very little supplies: beads, headpins and ear wire. “This is the pair [of earrings] that kind of told me I knew what I was doing,” he said.

Mickens’ jewelry is mainly sold on his Facebook page to friends and family. One of his goals is to use the revenue he generates through his sales to help the Cuba mission team who has some financial struggles.

But he said his ultimate goal is to open a nonprofit organization, where all proceeds would be used for either purchasing school supplies for elementary school kids or provide a scholarship.

His mother helped out the community by donating school supplies to elementary school students, so starting a nonprofit organization honors his mother, he said.

Mickens would not consider labeling himself an artist or someone who comes from an artistic background.

He studied physical education and recreation of dance briefly in college, but came home after his second year when he had a child.

Mozart, Schubert and Fauré fill Sanborn Hall

Sam Ripper, Transcript Reporter

Music filled Sanborn Hall as senior Billie Paulus began her senior recital on Feb. 14 at Ohio Wesleyan University.

Paulus had selected a variety of music to sing, which emphasized and showcased her wide range of vocal ability. The songs centered around love’s plight and anguish.

She performed works by Mozart, Schubert and Fauré, creating a mix of emotions as she sang about lovers’ sweet embrace.

Her mother said Paulus’ appreciation toward music began at a young a age. “[Paulus] loved music as a child [and] played piano by ear.”

She added that her daughter’s “love for choir really fueled her passion for music.”

Paulus said she had never expected to major in music, but she knows that she would’ve regretted it if she hadn’t.

Since Paulus is a senior, this recital was her last time performing at OWU.

“She looks, walks, talks like her grandmother… to see her up on that stage meant the world to me,” Paulus’ mother said.

Paulus reflected on what it felt like to sing at OWU one last time, “[It was an] opportunity to share what I’ve been given, but mostly it just feels like I was able to give a gift I really love,” she said.

After graduation, Paulus said she plans on staying in Columbus, Ohio. She also said she wants to attend a postgraduate school for English after she works at her local church.

Jason LaVessuer is back for Valentine’s Day

David Fradkin, Transcript Reporter

Jason LeVasseur, the most awarded music performer in the history of campus entertainment, according to his website, performed a Valentine’s Day special at 9:30 p.m. at the Milligan Hub in Stuyvesant Hall on Feb. 14.

Ohio Wesleyan offers three overnights during the spring semester for admitted students called A Slice of College Life. It is designed for admitted high school seniors who want to get a taste of what college is like.

The free event was primarily geared toward people attending A Slice of College Life, but was open to all students.

LeVasseur has created and performed music for almost a quarter century. He has toured around the country and opened for many bands such as Dave Matthews Band, Maroon 5, John Mayer, LMFAO and others.

Although singing and performing is one of his great talents, he said he prides himself on his ability to influence others. LeVasseur runs “The Rock Star Project,” which is a creative student leadership program designed to inspire, motivate and educate students.

LeVasseur is also a keynote speaker. He assists students in developing leadership experience, which “focuses on the student leader’s influential role and responsibility to themselves and to their team’s,” according to his website.

As a major in English and secondary education, LeVasseur proves that anything is possible as long as you truly put your heart and soul in it. That is one of the main reasons why he performs at OWU.

He interacted with the future freshman class of enrolled students for 2016 and encouraged them to do what they love.

A part of his performance was his ability to interact with the audience. He encouraged a girl in the crowd to come on stage and perform a song of her own.

LaVesseur noted that one of the biggest downsides of his occupation is the traveling, which means being away from his family. But it is something that he wants to continue to do and make a difference in the lives of students.

LeVasseur has almost one hundred songs that can be found on YouTube or downloaded on Spotify and iTunes.

Senior project will redefine boundaries

Olivia Lease, Online Editor

Senior Yasmin Radzi didn’t always like dancing.

Her mother, Fauziah Embi, was open about this. “The funny story is, I tried to start her earlier [in dancing] when she was five, but she hated her teachers.” A few years later she had Radzi try dancing again and, “she loved it, hasn’t stopped since.”

The Houston-raised dancer is currently president of the student-run dance organization Terpsicorps and majoring in both neuroscience and theatre and dance.

Radzi has trained in ballet, tap and jazz. She was also a part of a competition jazz team and a contemporary company before coming to OWU.

“Ohio Wesleyan was a place that encouraged me to continue my passion of dancing, but also to pursue neuroscience,” she said.

At OWU, she said she’s learned a lot, especially about composition and choreography as an art.

Rashana Smith, assistant professor of theatre and dance said, “Her first piece I saw in Orchesis had to do with light, I really liked that piece a lot just because she worked so hard on it and in many ways, although it had to do with light, it also had to do with architecture.”

Radzi said there’s been an underlying theme for her work these past four years. She likes to focus on the idea of architecture and the idea of dealing with boundaries, how one can push them as well as embrace them.

“For my senior project, I wanted to push my limits. All of my previous work had to deal with revealing and hiding within boundaries.”

Radzi is pushing the limits by filming, editing, directing and choreographing her own senior project.

She’s looking at dance for camera work, specifically film. Smith said this style became popular around the 1940s, but has not been explored extensively at OWU.

Radzi said that for the most part, she had always seen dancing performed a frontal view where the audience is seated, but for her senior project she wanted to do something different. “I wanted to be able to use a medium that would allow me to view movement from many angles.”

The setting for her film will be a storage closet on campus.

“She’s really determined, she cares a lot about finding her creative process. She’s dedicated to the field of dance,” said Smith.

When asked if she gets nervous on stage, Radzi replied, “I love performing, [it] is one of the most rewarding things I think that I will ever feel.”

Her mother said each show Radzi performed in growing up was unique and that she loved them all. Even though she hasn’t been able to see her daughter perform at OWU, Radzi makes sure to send her DVDs of all her performances.

The only thing Radzi wishes OWU offered would be more dance classes, specifically technique-based ones so dancers can keep up on their training. She has already taken every dance class offered.

Radzi will present her senior project at the Spring Dance Showcase on April 24 at 2 p.m.

After graduation, she plans to apply for research positions, eventually go to podiatry school and join a local dance studio in Columbus.