In the eye of the academic storm
Thanksgiving misled you. The extended weekend gave you a taste of rest, and you’re finding it difficult to bounce back.
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Thanksgiving misled you. The extended weekend gave you a taste of rest, and you’re finding it difficult to bounce back.
For months Americans have watched politicians engage in tumultuous debates on the future of health care. But after all the political back and forth, the same problem underpins current health care plans: a fundamentally unsustainable economic system that is entirely reactive. If you’re sick, you to go the doctor. If you’re really sick, you go to the hospital.
Pitchforks: 2.5/5
With the eponymous Alfred Hitchcock masterpiece as the inspiration, The Arizona Theatre Company presents Tony-winning Broadway comedy “The 39 Steps.” Directed by Joel Sass and performed by a cast of four that seems like one hundred, the musical stands out for using minimal materials for maximum impact.
The Arizona Theatre Company’s new musical “Daddy Long Legs” has been a considerable success since its opening night in late December.
Varying from all art concentrations, the Undergraduate Juried Show accepted submissions from ASU art students ranging from figurative works to more abstract pieces. Submission into the gallery proved to be a competitive process: 114 submissions were whittled down by visiting assistant professors and jurors of the show, Ellie Honl and Jessica Metcalfe.
With the close of the semester also comes the end of this blog. I started writing this as a way to challenge my readers and myself to understand and integrate the cultural opportunities that the Phoenix metropolitan area provides. As learned from experience and observation, stagnant thought creates repetitive action, but having had the opportunity to write about interesting local features has motivated me to look for the value in individuals’ and collectives’ passion and interests.
'The Night Circus' by Erin Morgenstern
Based on the premise of deception, disguise, and seduction, it’s no wonder that the Lyric Opera Theatre’s performance of Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) has been so popular. Considered one of the great operatic masterpieces, the ASU production of Pierre Beaumarchais’ work has so far been very well-received. Though ASU has showcased the story before, this is the first time the whole work has been performed in Italian here (with English supertitles).
Three days after Thanksgiving I’m sure most of you are thinking, ‘How can Thanksgiving be over? I still have so much thanks to give!’ I know, it can be hard to contain your gratitude until next November. While waiting for next year’s holiday, here are other cultures’ celebrations you can observe in the meantime:
‘The Descendants’
When I read that the ASU German Devils club was having a Stammtisch last Thursday night at Rula Bula on Mill Avenue, I looked up a translation to find out what this meant. The German to English translation dictionary I looked through defined it as ‘crackerbarrel,’ and since this was still beyond my vocabulary, I decided I would go to find out more about it.
When deciding which elective to take next semester, I looked through the dance classes offered at ASU and saw that capoeira is on the list. I’d heard of it before as Brazilian fight-dancing, but considering that I don’t fight and can barely dance, I thought it probably wouldn’t be my thing. However, I got in touch with Jay Spain, the listed instructor, and asked if I could shadow a lesson to learn more about it, and he recommended that I come down to the Axé Capoeira studio in Tempe.
I’ve heard countless times the term “Generation Me” given to youth’s culture today, so it was interesting to read The New York Times editorial “Generation Sell,” which traces the history of youth culture from the beatniks and hippies in the ‘50s and ‘60s to the punks in the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s. Writer William Deresciewicz also makes a trajectory of the direction we’re going in now by highlighting many different cultural facets. What stood out to me was that he defined the self today as “an entrepreneurial self, a self that’s packaged to be sold.”
'Damned'
With the ending of the fall semester comes either the stress of doomsday finals or anxiety over the impending holiday family time (or both). As stress levels rise, so does the popularity of yoga. Though most know that yoga is relaxing, a lot of those who practice don’t know why it is.
My Tuesday morning was off to a unique start as I began the day eating breakfast with Portuguese artist Miguel Palma, and then hearing a group discussion about battery-operated orange jumpsuits and seed-blasting cannons. (Bagels, orange juice, and conversation all provided by the ASU Art Museum). Known for his prodigious combination of engineering and artistic measures, Palma provided an overview of his artwork and explained his newest commission with ASU. The sculptor’s fascination with building models and kits as a child extended itself to his career as an artist with installations he creates from an assortment of mechanized and industrial objects. At the beginning of the breakfast, he described, “I like to take on challenges that I have no control over, and then use the imagination to find a solution… I like to transform things and give it a new function.” Viewing the videos and photographs of Palma’s previous work, it was clear how meticulous he is in terms of quality, craftsmanship and ideology. One of the main themes in Palma’s art is the protection of ecologies. For one of his pieces, Projecto Sementeira (Seed Project), Palma formed an agricultural cannon that projects seeds which are then implanted into the ground. This brings a whole new meaning to the phrase “planting an idea.” Palma explained that though the machine seems aggressive, its purpose is to nurture beauty and growth in the landscape. Since he has shot the seed balls, flowers and trees have sprouted in the area, transforming a violent machine into a peaceful, “avant-gardening” practice. Palma also touched on his project Inside Out, which addresses the relationship between the public and recreation. In some Portuguese cities, Palma described, there are empty concrete ditches that people only use to throw their garbage in. Instead of contributing to the trash, though, Palma decided to place a tarp in one of them and fill it with water. With his man-made pond, he played with the toy motorboats he crafted for about 12 hours, until the police came. Throughout the day, people passed by him on their way to work and were unsure of how to react to the public display. As Palma pointed out, adults forget how that playtime takes focus and dedication. Towards the end of the discussion, Palma answered questions about his research and collaboration with Desert Initiative, a project that supports independent and joint research concerning desert cultures and environments. Though Palma is from Lisbon, he’s interested in working with Arizona’s desert environment because of its similarity to the dry climate in southern Portugal. So far, he’s created a model military vehicle that will be able to film desert terrain while he steers it with a remote control. He’s also designed an orange jumpsuit to wear, choosing the bright color with the idea that it would be easy to spot from an aerial view. The suit is covered with small battery operated fans so that he can stay cool while guiding the vehicle through the desert. (Question: How can I apply this concept to my summer wardrobe?) With the images of the landscape, he plans to project them in the city to show the contrast. Making art can be a lonely process, but Palma’s intricate self-sustaining systems and large-scale sculptural pieces require a group effort. It seems it would be a good idea for all of us to take Palma’s cues, not only about art, but also in fashion, gardening, and recreation. [gallery link="file" order="DESC" columns="2"] If you have any suggestions for what I should check out next, email me at Mary.G.Richardson@asu.edu or follow me on Twitter at MG_Richardson.
With the recent publication of "Start Something That Matters," Blake Mycoskie, the philanthropic founder of TOMS shoes and evolving entrepreneur, can include published author on his list of accomplishments. In the book, Mycoskie tells the story of TOMS, currently one of the fastest-growing shoe companies, and the lessons he has learned from other innovative organizations, such as method, charity: water, FEED Projects and TerraCycle.
What does trauma feel like? What does safety feel like? These are the questions Athens-based artist Jennifer Nelson posed during her artist residency at the ASU. Friday night, I went to the artist’s reception at the ASU Art Museum to hear about the conversations, activities, and gathering that have taken place to create Nelson’s exhibition “Securing a free state.”
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