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F RI DAY, FEB R UA RY 8, 2019

Museums, Interrupted Aftermath of the Shutdown

ILLUSTRATION BY: EMILY SHAMBAUGH/THE HOYA

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2019

THE HOYA

Despite End of Shutdown, Effects Persist for Museums CATRIONA KENDALL Hoya Staff Writer

For most of January, one of the single most significant sources of knowledge in the world was sealed behind “sorry, we’re closed” signs. The largest museum and research complex in the world, the Smithsonian Institution, closed Jan. 2 as a result of the government shutdown that began Dec. 22 after exhausting reserve funds from the previous fiscal year. Its closure has had wide-reaching effects. “The Smithsonian exists to really have a dialogue about sort of everything from the science to the humanities to who we are as a country in all of the various ways, so when something like the shutdown happens, it’s really too bad,” Kim Sajet, director of the National Portrait Gallery, said in an interview with The Hoya. The 19 Smithsonian museums, including the National Portrait Gallery and the National Air and Space Museum, as well as the National Zoo, reopened Jan. 29 after President Donald Trump agreed to a temporary end to the shutdown. Yet the effects of this fourweek closure will continue to ripple out over time as the museums reel from lost revenue and disrupted operations.

FORBIDDEN KNOWLEDGE

The monthlong closure of this educational resource put life on hold for visitors and museum research staff alike as they were denied access to the Smithsonian’s array of museum artifacts and libraries, which draw students from around the world. For graduate and doctoral students on deadlines, the shutdown could have severely impeded the academic process, as they provide resources inaccessible otherwise, according to Al Miner, director of the Georgetown University galleries. “There are some things that just don’t exist in digital form, and a lot of people doing research fellowships and different programs in the Smithsonian and the National Gallery — part of the reason they applied to those fellowships was so they would have access to those things,” Miner said in an interview with The Hoya. Internal researchers also experienced disruption caused by the shutdown. For example, one of the National Portrait Gallery’s curators was scheduled to speak at an academic symposium in January but was unable to attend as curatorial and educator travel was cancelled, according to Sajet. The National Museum of Natural History experienced similar obstruction in its research, museum spokesperson Ryan Lavery wrote in an email to The Hoya. “The museum was closed to our own research staff, as well as untold numbers of U.S. and international researchers who make use of our collections and collaborate with our scientists to further our understanding of the natural world, its biodiversity, and its people,” Lavery wrote. Federal researchers were not allowed to conduct their research on-site or in the field, nor were they able to attend conferences, meetings or research trips, according to Lavery. Even Georgetown felt the academic disrup-

tion. Its art and museum studies master’s program requires students to complete at least two internships in museums in the fall and summer, with the option to also intern in the spring, according to Miner. “They need to do these internships to graduate. So what happens if a student had an internship lined up at one of the Smithsonian art museums and he was supposed to start the week that the shutdown started? So he never even started his internship,” Miner said. The shutdown will have further effects for graduate students, such as potentially jeopardizing summer internship applications, according to Lisa Strong, director of the art and museum studies program. “All the people who are coming back to work after missing a month are going to be really behind in their work, and they might not have time to evaluate applications or even to interview and hire students to do summer internships,” Strong said in an interview with The Hoya. “So it’s possible there will be fewer summer internships available to students, and that also impacts our program.” In addition to internships, the program uses museums in other ways to supplement classroom learning; in the face of the shutdown, professors had to make other arrangements, Strong said. “Many of us teach classes that make use of museums, where we have class meetings in museums,” Strong said. “I have one colleague who had planned his seminar to involve almost all museum visits, and he had to change the syllabus around to accommodate that.”

CATRIONA KENDALL/THE HOYA

Though the government shutdown has ended for the moment, Smithsonian museum exhibits are still being delayed, further affecting how long visitors can see them.

SHEEL PATEL/THE HOYA

Internships are a requirement for students in the art and museum studies master’s program at Georgetown University. As a result, the shutdown has created problems for graduate students seeking their work experience at the various Smithsonian museums.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2019

THE HOYA

LEFT: SHEEL PATEL/THE HOYA, RIGHT: CATRIONA KENDALL/THE HOYA

After the four-week government shutdown, the Smithsonian museums face a financial loss of $3.4 million in gross revenue, having missed out on approximately 45,000 visitors per day for nearly four weeks. Not only have visitors had less time to access the exhibits currently showing, but many people lost out on an invaluable free resource distinct to the District.

EXHIBITION INHIBITION

Despite the reopening, the shutdown will have continued effects on the museums. The National Portrait Gallery approximated its own loss at between 150,000 and 180,000 visitors prevented from seeing its exhibitions because of the four-week shutdown, according to Sajet. Smithsonian museums were forced to re-evaluate upcoming exhibitions in light of the time closed: “Striking Iron: The Art of African Blacksmiths,” an exhibit in the the National Museum of African Art, for example, was once planned for late February but has been postponed indefinitely. Furthermore, the Portrait Gallery pushed back its upcoming exhibition “Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence” from March 1 to March 29, nearly a full month, according to Sajet. Even exhibitions scheduled much later this year are now in question as museums work to confirm loan contracts and other logistical concerns. “One Life: Marian Anderson,” an exhibit at the Portrait Gallery highlighting the iconic singer’s effect on the fight for civil rights, is now potentially in limbo, according to Sajet. Originally scheduled to open June 27, Sajet says the gallery is now waiting to see if that date is still possible. “We have an exhibition marking the anniversary of Marian Anderson singing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1939, so we’re not quite sure what the opening time for that will be,” Sajet said. This uncertainty arises from the schedule-specific nature of museums, according to Strong. “It’s not as though a show that was sup-

posed to open during the shutdown in the middle of January can just be pushed forward, because all the loans come in at a certain time, they’re scheduled to go back out, often a show goes to another venue after its Washington, D.C. one, so you can’t just push ahead the timeline,” Strong said. Even as federally funded museums closed, effects transcended national borders and had consequences for museums on an international level, according to Miner. “It hits on all these other museums in the country and around the world,” Miner said. Delaying one exhibition may seem trivial, but that disruption can still have farreaching effects for museums, according to Miner. “It’s this crazy machine that’s always churning. You might be planning, I’d say as early as three years in advance to as late as seven to 10 years in advance on an exhibition,” Miner said. “It may not sound like a lot, but it’s gonna sort of snowball as you go through that process.” The time wasted by the shutdown is a huge loss, both for visitors who would benefit from the exhibitions and for the museums that began planning them years in advance, according to Miner. “A museum is investing a lot of money and a lot of time and a lot of love in the shows that they’re planning,” Miner said. “When you offer them to the public, you think you’re gonna get, say, 12 weeks or 16 weeks or however long your museum keeps this particular exhibition on view — you just dramatically decreased the value of what you have invested in staff time and money for what the public actually gets.”

SHUTDOWN MISFORTUNE

Visitors to the museums were the most visibly disrupted by the shutdown. Around 45,000 visitors per day were prevented from accessing the museums while they were closed, Smithsonian Secretary David Skorton wrote in a Jan. 22 op-ed in USA Today. Programs, tours and special events in every museum were cancelled or rescheduled. Financial repercussions from the shutdown could also have long-term consequences for future exhibitions and programs, Miner said. The Smithsonian Institution lost $3.4 million in gross revenue over the course of the shutdown with the closures of the museum cafes and stores, according to Alison Mitchell, a spokesperson for the National Air and Space Museum in an email to The Hoya. “The loss of income that they sustain from those months has a direct impact on the kind of exhibitions they might be able to do in the future, how many programs for kids from public schools they can do in the future — because that’s what they pay for themselves,” Miner said. In addition to their own financial loss, museums must contend with a blow to the centralized support services shared between the museums. Those central services are pressured not only by loss of revenue but also by increased demand for them as all the museum staff return at once, according to Sajet. “There’s gonna be a domino effect in seeing how quickly the entire Smithsonian can get back into its swing of things, because of course those centralized services are all going to be crunched [for time],” Sajet said.

ACCESS DENIED

The programs and tours cancelled or postponed as a result of the shutdown are another loss for the public. During the Portrait Gallery’s closure, it cancelled 26 public programs, not including daily docent tours, and turned away 37 school groups — just under 2,000 students, Sajet said. These programs are often the kind the larger population does not see, according to Miner. “There are programs for military veterans in almost every museum, programs for kids who are home-schooled; there are programs for kids with special needs; there are programs with people with visual impairments to experience art through touch,” Miner said. These programs also span age groups, providing resources to everyone from toddlers to teenagers to adults, according to Concetta Duncan, head of communications at the National Portrait Gallery. “That’s one of the things of being part of the Smithsonian, is that we really try to diversify our programs for different pockets of the public,” Duncan said in an interview with The Hoya. “So when you have something like this, with the shutdown, it really is affecting a really broad range of people.” The shutdown’s closure of federally funded — and thus free-to-enter — museums also had an effect on who had access to the knowledge in Washington, D.C. cultural institutions, Miner said. “It’s very different when through things like federal funding you can make anybody have the right to enter. It’s a special, rare, uniquely Washington thing,” Miner said. “If you take it away, it definitely will impact what kind of people have access to art and history.”

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2019

THE HOYA

RESTAURANT REVIEW

The Tavern Returns to Sweetgreen’s Founding Principles

THE TAVERN



3333 M St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20007 ALEXANDRA BRUNJES Hoya Staff Writer

In 2007, three young Georgetown graduates founded a salad shop called Sweetgreen and opened its first location within walking distance from their alma mater, on M Street. A few months before the unveiling of Sweetgreen’s large Wisconsin Avenue location in spring 2017, the original shop closed its doors for renovation without announcing concrete future plans, surprising and confusing its customers. The original location’s doors finally reopened in August 2018 and introduced Georgetown to The Tavern, a healthy marketplace that reflects Sweetgreen’s founding principle of using locally sourced food while arguably catering to a different demographic than its predecessor. Sweetgreen leapt into popularity after its opening in 2007 and quickly grew into a chain. Although the chain now boasts nearly 100 locations and its founders are a wellknown post-grad success story, its origins can be traced back to the tiny, green-roofed cottage that is a notable fixture on M Street. Hoyas and Georgetown residents who frequented the location until its closure in spring 2017 likely remember the snaking lines and absence of personal space any time they went there for a salad, some indicators that Sweetgreen had outgrown its original shop. When the M Street shop closed its doors, the shop’s regulars were left wondering

what it would become. Rumors circulated of a solely to-go location but no definite plans came about, leaving Georgetown students to mourn the convenience of their favorite salad spot. In August 2018, the M Street shop was reopened and reinvented. Instead of a salad stop, The Tavern, named for the burger joint that preceded the original Sweetgreen, according to an interview with the Washingtonian, is a small marketplace focused on local farmers and the healthy, fresh produce used in Sweetgreen salads. An homage to the founding principles of the chain – healthy, fast-casual food – The Tavern sells local fruits and vegetables, Sweetgreen-brand trinkets and apparel, artisanal packaged snacks and, perhaps a favorite for longtime Sweetgreen fans, sweetflow, the frozen yogurt that was an original menu item. Sweetflow has now also undergone an upgrade with help from Union Market’s Dolcezza gelato factory and is poised to be more delicious than ever. The Tavern is thoughtfully laid out and extremely well-curated. Particularly since its new store type does not attract hordes of mealtime customers, the space feels brighter and more open. Visitors can leisurely explore while tasting samples of some of the foods and ask questions of the highly knowledgeable staff. The Tavern’s food offerings are diverse, including varied bottled waters and juices, a wealth of packaged snacks, a selection of produce, and pre-prepared foods like soups,

quiches and pies. Everything is locally sourced and often from small farms, and the staff is attentive to customer needs being met. If patrons think of something that they want to see offered, The Tavern will try to bring it to shelves. The Tavern in many ways satisfies a niche: It is a grocery store in a neighborhood whose only other similar fixture is Dean & Deluca, which is more expensive. The marketplace also gives customers access to specific, healthy foods that are not widely offered. While many Georgetown students used to flock to the relatively affordable, delicious salad shop nearby during mealtimes, they appear less drawn to The Tavern, likely because it sells groceries rather than prepared salads and because its new offerings are artisanal and thus somewhat pricey. Some students, like Katherine Furse (NHS ’20), question the consumers that The Tavern has in mind. “The Tavern seems like it’s more geared towards affluent Georgetown community members rather than the general student body,” Furse said. What students may not realize is the ways in which The Tavern focuses on their demographic: There is a 10 percent student discount, Georgetown students may pay by GOCard, and you can order to-go salads on the Sweetgreen app by selecting “sg Outpost at The Tavern.” Students can pick their orders up between 12 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Monday to Friday.

Despite The Tavern’s demographic shift, its intention and impact still resonate. Tala Alrajjal (COL ’19) appreciates The Tavern’s mission to support local businesses and farmers. “Their produce is from farmers they want to work with but who aren’t big enough to fully supply their stores,” Alrajjal said. Alrajjal does not frequently shop at The Tavern, but she hopes others recognize its value. “Dean & Deluca is the same concept,” she says, referring to the high prices and specialty food, “but The Tavern has better intentions.” In addition to its local offerings and informed staff, The Tavern also hosts community events. For example, every few weeks there is an event called Community Graze where, for a low flat rate, you can experience prepared food highlighting the local farmers and companies whose products stock The Tavern. Community Graze is all-you-caneat, including sweetflow. The show is open during the event, so if you love something you can buy it to bring home. Although fans of the original Sweetgreen may miss the convenient salad shop, a visit to The Tavern still has plenty to entice them, as the marketplace has a wealth of valuable and delicious offerings that still follow the philosophy of the beloved restaurant that came before it. The Tavern is open every day from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. It can be followed on its Facebook page, The Sweetgreen Tavern. The Georgetown neighborhood Sweetgreen salad location is now at 1044 Wisconsin Ave.

ALEXANDRA BRUNJES/THE HOYA

Though The Tavern offers student discounts and other options for the budget-shopper, students often shy away from the storefront. As a branch of Sweetgreen, The Tavern seeks to bring fresh produce to shoppers by working directly with farmers. With the purest intentions and the chicest store, The Tavern is worth a visit.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2019

THE HOYA

ART REVIEW

‘Peacock Room’ Reveals Whistler’s East Asian Influences ANNAH OTIS

Hoya Staff Writer

Finally open again after a 35-day government shutdown, the Smithsonian Institution’s Freer Gallery of Art is taking advantage of an exhibition change to showcase 19th-century American artist James McNeill Whistler’s beautifully painted “Peacock Room” between now and mid-April. The room is an awe-inspiring testament to Whistler’s ability and the East Asian influence on Western art during the late 19th century that anyone should go see. Visitors are invited to see the room as a work of art unto itself, rather than as an additional gallery for various porcelain collections. Those interested in impressionism will not want to miss one of the leading U.S. painters in challenging artistic authorities. The “Peacock Room” was originally constructed and painted for Frederick Leyland’s London townhouse between 1876 and 1877. Whistler was commissioned to

decorate the room’s moveable panels and ceiling, which he collectively titled “Harmony in Blue and Gold.” This commission came after the room’s original architect, Thomas Jeckyll, fell ill and discontinued his work. A dispute over fair compensation inspired Whistler to paint two fighting peacocks at the far end of the room. Leyland was not pleased with the outcome and partially hid the decorations with his collection of China. True to the room’s name, pairs of peacocks appear throughout; their feathers are painted in a brilliant gold pigment elegantly set off by a deep turquoise background. Each bird is at once highly detailed and relatively abstract. Whistler’s loose style gives the peacocks a life of their own, encouraging the eye to wander freely. The ceiling is similarly peacock-inspired with painted blue-green feathers arranged around pendant light fixtures. Abstracted clusters of gold feathers placed beneath shelves give the room a

sense of cohesion, dispelling elements of the darkness from the deep blue wall behind. These abstracted feathers reveal Whistler’s coarse brushstrokes upon further examination. The physicality of the strokes, most of which seem to be drybrushed, brings the viewers undeniably closer to the artist himself and deepens their appreciation for the painting. Whistler’s Japan-inspired forms and lively style undoubtedly lend the room a sense of movement. Expressive, visible brushstrokes suggest a vitality mirrored by the fighting peacocks. A painting titled “The Princess from the Land of Porcelain” hanging opposite these quarreling birds carries a similar energy. Following the Western tradition of Orientalism in the 19th century, Whistler’s portrait depicts a young European woman draped in a Chinese robe holding a fan and looking wistfully toward the viewer. Its rosy tones clash with the room’s dark walls, and only a gold frame saves the

painting from looking altogether out of place. Nonetheless, “The Princess from the Land of Porcelain” emphasizes Whistler’s artistic versatility and stands as a clear reference to his European-guided fascination with East Asian cultures. After Leyland’s death, the fully moveable room was purchased by U.S. collector Charles Lang Freer for his home in Detroit. Freer was a prolific Whistler collector whose purchase of the “Peacock Room” likely had more to do with his affinity for the painter than for the room itself. The “Peacock Room” later became part of Freer’s donation to the Smithsonian collection, where it now resides. Extensive conservation efforts have restored the brilliantly painted panels to their current condition. With its meticulous detailing and opulent extravagance, the “Peacock Room” is a must-see for people visiting the Freer Gallery.

SHEEL PATEL/THE HOYA

Constructed in London between 1876 and 1877, the “Peacock Room” takes influences from Japanese art but has elements of Western taste. The room is now located in the Freer Gallery of Art, a Smithsonian museum with a focus on East Asian art. Its collection has over 26,000 objects, with the room as its crown jewel.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2019

THE HOYA

DIRECTOR’S CUT

‘Roma’ Paints Deceptively Simple Portrait of Mexico City Olivia Simon Viewers rarely get to see a film that feels as simple as it does enriching. Alfonso Cuarón’s “Roma” not only offers this experience but also creates a quiet, humble sadness whose climax erupts in raw heartbreak. I had heard mixed reviews from friends — while some praised the film as an artistic masterpiece, others rebuked its slow build as tedious and fruitless. Yet the brilliance of “Roma” lies in this ability to communicate the depth and intimacy of personal life through a relatively sparse and subdued plot. “Roma” paints a black-and-white portrait of the everyday life of a maid Cleo, played by Yalitza Aparicio, while working for an upper-middle class family in 1970s Mexico City. The film follows her life as she deals with continual personal strife. The boundaries of Cleo’s life are defined by how she tends to the family: cooking

meals, doing laundry and spending time with the children. As characters’ vulnerabilities are revealed through a string of unfortunate events, a mix of tension and sadness slowly builds. The chain begins with Cleo admitting to her boyfriend Fermín, played by Jorge Antonio Guerrero, that she believes she is pregnant while they are at the movies. He gets up to go to the bathroom and never returns. As she deals with this struggle, the film also reveals that even the people that she works for, such as the mother of the household Sofia, played by Marina de Tavira, are experiencing strains on their relationships. These smaller episodes culminate in a violent student demonstration involving a pregnant Cleo that threatens her future. Cuarón’s cinematography brings a fresh technique and perspective to contemporary filmmaking. His choice to film in black and white, which filmmakers generally use to evoke nostalgia, is paired with a camera that shoots with such clarity that the composition appears modern. This juxtaposition could initially come across as counterintuitive but instead illuminates Cuarón’s motive to reflect on a story of the past in the present day. The high resolution allows the audience

to feel connected to what is presented on screen, as if the story is something familiar, lurking in our memories. Shooting on an older camera that feels more cohesive with the black and white spectrum would likely have instituted a barrier between the screen and the audience, inhibiting us from appreciating and identifying with Cleo’s emotional journey. Throughout this journey, the audience knows about Cleo through her day-to-day routine and the devastation that upends this routine. She does not speak about her past, and Cuarón never takes a moment to fill the audience in on her backstory. We are most aware of this lack of background knowledge during a scene in which Fermín practices his martial arts routine with Cleo watching from the bed, and he opens up to her about the trials of his own past. He tells her about how his mother died when he was just a boy and how he grew up in the slums. The intimacy of these details prompts the audience to quietly acknowledge the fact that Cleo’s past is hardly recognized. In a review by The New Yorker, Richard Brody argues that Cleo’s lack of character illustration is the film’s “crucial failure.” I could not disagree more with this statement — in fact, I believe that this

choice is one of its greatest strengths. This intentional omission of Cleo’s life story allows us to get to know her naturally, through a gradual snapshot in time — a day-by-day reckoning of her authentic existence with our pervasive gaze. Cuarón’s deliberately slow development toward the climax contributes to this feeling of dipping into her everyday life as outsiders who are there to witness and digest the infinite layers of a personal narrative. Cuarón does not owe us Cleo’s background. His film is a way of offering up her current form to us as viewers — not as a life lesson for us to process, but as a gift for us to cherish. I will be thinking of Cuarón’s artful epic for days, if not weeks, to come. Countless moments of beauty are reflected in the simplicity of his storytelling, conveying the idea that sometimes the most outwardly simple things can be difficult, laborious and complicated to achieve. Through Cuarón’s masterful direction, “Roma” delivers an intimate exploration of the way time breeds reflection and a greater appreciation for life’s moments lost. Olivia Simon is a senior in the School of Foreign Service. DIRECTOR’S CUT appears in print every other Friday.

NETFLIX AND NO CHILL

‘Sex Education’ Delivers Sharp Truth, Comedy Rohit Mahtani Right off the bat, we learn two very important facts after watching the very first scene of “Sex Education”: first, the intensity with which the show starts will surely grab viewers’ attention, and second, British television beats American television by a landslide. Laurie Nun’s “Sex Education” delivers the brutal truth about sex and relationships for boys and girls in high school through a realistic British comedy-drama webtelevision series. Asa Butterfield plays the protagonist, Otis Milburn, a 16-year-old boy who lives with his mother, a sex therapist. He has a serious lack of sexual experience, naturally coupled with an ongoing socially awkward high school career. On the bright side, this teenager has absorbed enough sex therapy from his mother’s sessions to be a “shag specialist”

himself. When Otis and Maeve, a strong, witty classmate played by Emma Mackey, are able to provide sexual therapy to a “sexually distressed” school bully, the two realize the potential for the business opportunity lying ahead of them. While Netflix only produced a relatively standard eight episodes for the first season, the show has more than enough opportunities to delve into the realworld stresses that accompany sex and relationships. The very first thing the audience will notice about the protagonist is that he is an awkward, lanky teenager who cannot masturbate, unlike the rest of his extremely sex-crazed high school. Otis struggles, and his mother’s sex-therapist-fuelled expectations for his sex life don’t help. Most viewers likely questioned the fact that he offers sex and relationship counseling to other students despite still being a virgin who has never been in a relationship. In truth, I think his lack of experience on both fronts significantly defines his character and helps show that he himself must also eventually face the inevitable progression into sexual relationships. Clearly, Otis’ mother’s occupation and

the sex paraphernalia lying around his house have a dual effect on him: On the one hand, they allow Otis to develop a successful business and gain popularity. On the other hand, they simultaneously impede his sexual growth and development until much later in the series. His “business” with Maeve, however, does assist him in realizing that he has strong feelings for his therapy partner. When it comes to the sex therapy business, even though this concept is somewhat unrealistic, the problems that Otis’ clients encounters are very real. Luckily, sex and relationships are represented in more than one light. As a result, blatantly honest conversations ensue about topics like oral sex, masturbation, open LGBTQ relationships during high school, lesbian intercourse, having sex with the lights off and much more. The discussion of such subjects make this series educational and addresses actual issues present yet still deemed taboo in college and high school hook-up culture. In a search for clients at a classmate’s house party, Otis comes across a girl drowning her sorrows in an empty bathtub with a bottle of white wine. For the sake of helping a struggling couple and recruiting

new clients, Otis offers some free advice. Following the boyfriend’s entrance into the scene, Otis make the two sit backto-back in the bathtub and list out five things they each like about each other. He attempts this strategy to help the girl get over her insecurity about her body, as the girl refuses to have sex with her boyfriend while the lights are on. This vulnerable exchange highlights an issue that plagues couples and individuals: body insecurity. With its wide scope of sexual and social topics, “Sex Education” can end up helping its viewers as much as the patients. This show sends a powerful message to our youth about sex and relationships truly being far more blurred than your average rom-com makes them out to be. For a select few, the transition into adulthood may come naturally, but it may be a messy process for many others. “Sex Education” sets the record straight: Everyone matures at their own pace, and complications in teenage sex and relationships are inevitable. Rohit Mahtani is a junior in the McDonough School of Business. NETFLIX AND NO CHILL appears in print every other Friday.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2019

THE HOYA

PERFORMANCE REVIEW

BMDT Explores Joy in Upcoming Show ‘Jubilation!’ STEVEN BOTSOE Special to The Hoya

Black Movements Dance Theatre’s upcoming performance is a captivating examination of the many shapes joy can take. The performance is a showcase of roughly nine dances — this number is subject to change by the time of the show — embodying the show’s name, “Jubilation!” Aliyah Williams (SFS ’20), student director of BMDT, crafted the show under the oversight of Faculty Director and Artistic Director Alfreda Davis, who has helped Williams in her various roles and ensures the performance is in keeping with the spirit of BMDT. BMDT was conceived by black Georgetown students over 35 years ago as a space to express their personal experiences, rooted in their perspectives, according to Williams and Davis. Williams, who has been part of the BMDT for multiple years, is directing her first show for the company. Stepping into that role has been a multifaceted experience for Williams, who has acted as student director, arts administrator, choreographer and dancer over the course of the last several months.

Williams also chose the theme, seeking to break from the heavier topics that the company had previously handled in their shows “Defiance” and “Exodus.” “So I felt like kind of going in a more upbeat, positive direction of how do we find joy through the hardships that we’ve gone through,” Williams said. For Williams, crafting this vision was both a new and intimate experience that will come to fruition on the public stage next week Feb. 15 and 16. She describes last year, when she began working on this piece, as a “very trying year.” Coming to practice every day and putting the theme to work has been deeply personal for Williams and has made working on the showcase all the more distinct compared to her past time with the company. “Jubilation!” is shaped by those same ideals. Davis is aware some have questioned the multiracial makeup of the dance company, particularly in light of its name and history, but she believes this fact is a natural result of the company’s evolution, not at all at odds with its founding spirit. “I think that we get to a place where we can understand, respect and grow as a community when we can learn about varying cultures and how we coexist, so we

love the fact that anyone wants to come and try out for BMDT and it has always been an open organization,” Davis said. The black experience continues to serve as the foundation for the company’s performances. For example, one section of next week’s showcase, choreographed by Davis herself, is a tribute to Aretha Franklin, who died in August of last year. The section, titled “Queen of Soul,” combines a number of Franklin’s works in order to pay respect to her contributions to the work both artistically, in her work as a musician, and politically, in her role as an activist. Two of the works that the company is working on were choreographed by two of their guest choreographers. The first, “Breathe,” was choreographed by Patina Browner, a former artist in residence for the company. Browner’s piece is a dynamic, multisensory experience that gives shifting interpretations of the vitality expressed by a breath. The piece uses the sonics of the dancers and their presence on stage to examine the varying impacts and shapes that a breath can take. Browner’s piece is one part of the showcase’s larger idea of “Jubilation!” that will ask the audience to think about

the connection between breathing and happiness, according to Davis. “How do you breathe, how do you push through and still find joy if you have so many different elements going on in your life, and how do you manage it and still breathe and still find joy,” Davis said. The second piece they rehearsed, the title of which is still a work in progress, was choreographed by Maverick Lemons, who had also previously choreographed several other works for the company. This piece is more impressionistic in its representation of jubilation. Davis describes it as a more “experimental” work in which Maverick’s choreography allows the dancers to “push themselves in ways that they don’t typically push themselves.” Even in the rehearsals, the sense of physicality and energy that animates the company’s performance is palpable; whether a piece is improvisational or rigidly choreographed, the dancers move with a unifying spirit and purpose. When the audience watches “Jubilation!” next week, the audience will surely find answers to all the questions and discovery that wrought the performance’s creation like where to find joy amid hardship.

ALLISON HERR FOR THE HOYA

Black Movements Dance Theatre will open its upcoming spring showcase, “Jubilation!” next week on Feb. 15 and 16. The show, which will feature roughly nine pieces, seeks to examine the idea of joy through its various pieces as a departure from its previous, heavier shows. The captivating dances are a combination of student, faculty and guest choreography.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2019

THE HOYA

What to Do in DC

MUSIC

NEW RELEASES

SUNA CHA

Hoya Staff Writer

TIMOTHY MCNULTY Hoya Staff Writer

HILLWOOD ESTATE: CELEBRATE LA CHANDELEUR

Celebrate La Chandeleur, or Crepe Day, at the Hillwood Estate on Saturday, Feb. 9, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for $10 for students. This French holiday marks the halfway point between winter and spring. Enjoy sweet and tasty crepes, decorate French-style porcelain plates and listen to classic French tales from La Fontaine’s “Fables” while looking at the beautiful tapestries that accompany these stories. The Hillwood, a mansion that became a museum, also offers treasure hunts and guided docent tours of the mansion’s artifacts, artwork and gardens. JLO AND BAD BUNNY

SUFJAN STEVENS

BEN PLATT

BILLIE EILISH

BEN PLATT ‘BAD HABIT’

BILLIE EILISH ‘BURY A FRIEND’

In anticipation of his debut album, “Sing to Me Instead,” Ben Platt bares his soul on “Bad Habit,” an honest and vulnerable ballad that muses on the difficulty of letting a love go. With a touching piano accompaniment, Platt lets his vocals soar to share his heartbreak.

Billie Eilish announced her new album “WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?” by dropping new single “bury a friend.” In a haunting and ceaseless murmuring voice, Eilish further cultivates her grotesque aesthetic for which she is now famous.

HILLWOOD

KENNEDY CENTER FAMILY DAY: LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION

The Kennedy Center is hosting this year’s edition of its annual Lunar New Year celebration Saturday, Feb. 9, at 10 a.m., with entry closing at 3:10 p.m. Celebrate the Year of the Pig and participate in various festivities for free like calligraphy demonstrations, face painting, photo booths, opera costume exhibits, red lantern making and marionette puppet shows. The entire day will be accompanied with lively music and a Cantonese lion dance. The event showcases the arts and culture of Guangdong, a Chinese province known for the best mooncakes.

VALENTINE’S COOKIE DECORATING AT BAKED & WIRED

One of Georgetown’s sweet delights, Baked & Wired, is hosting an event to celebrate Valentine’s Day on Tuesday, Feb. 12, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Come with your friends or partners and decorate cookies! Sprinkles and frosting will also be provided. It’s the perfect opportunity to show your love for others and also treat yourself.

NICKI MINAJ

THEOPHILIUS LONDON

THEOPHILIUS LONDON FT. TAME IMPALA ‘WHIPLASH’ Rapper Theophilus London teams up with Tame Impala on “Whiplash,” a psychedelic and daring song that showcases the electric energy between the duo. With Tame Impala frontrunner Kevin Parker’s dreamy production, London delivers a fiery performance.

NICKI MINAJ ‘HARD WHITE’ For the next single off her 2018 album “Queen,” Nicki Minaj dominates in the recently released music video for her song “Hard White.” In between referencing her throne and her couture fashion, fans claim that Minaj calls out Drake by depicting a dismembered scorpion, the namesake of his latest album.

THE KENNEDY CENTER

BAKED AND WIRED DC

FREDERICK DOUGLASS’ HOME

Celebrate Black History month by visiting the home of Frederick Douglass in the Anacostia neighborhood of Washington, D.C., where he lived his last 17 years. The site will celebrate Douglass’ birthday with a commemorative ceremony, oratory contest and neighborhood walking tour on Saturday, Feb. 16, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2019

CONCERT REVIEW

THE HOYA

ART REVIEW

Pond Mesmerizes With Theatrical Dreamscape

GLENN LIGON, GREY HANDS, SILKSCREEN ON CANVAS. ©GLENN LIGON. LOAN COURTESY OF THE ARTIST, LUHRING AUGUSTINE, NEW YORK, REGEN PROJECTS, LOS ANGELES, AND THOMAS DANE GALLERY, LONDON. INSTALLATION IMAGE. PHOTO: AMANDA VAN ORDEN/THE HOYA, AFTER ANDY WARHOL. FACSIMILE OF WASHINGTON MONUMENT WALLPAPER CREATED BY ANDY WARHOL IN 1974. SCREENPRINT ON WALLPAPER. REFABRICATED BY THE ANDY WARHOL MUSEUM. ©THE ANDY WARHOL FOUNDATION FOR THE VISUAL ARTS, INC. INSTALLATION IMAGE. PHOTO: AMANDA VAN ORDEN/THE HOYA.

The Maria & Alberto de la Cruz Gallery on the first floor of the Walsh Building hosts a timely exhibit as Georgetown University grapples with its role in slavery. The exhibit, “To be a Negro in this country is really never to be looked at,” features numerous artists’ interpretations of what it means to be black in the United States.

De la Cruz Gallery Explores Black American Experience SUNA CHA

Hoya Staff Writer

As Georgetown University students grapple with an upcoming referendum over financial contributions to descendants of the GU272, Glenn Ligon’s exhibition, “To be a Negro in this country is really never to be looked at,” could not be more timely. The exhibit opened Jan. 24 with a reception at the Maria & Alberto de la Cruz Art Gallery, located on the first floor of the Walsh Building. Ligon, born in 1960 and hailing from New York City, uses inspiration from history and literature as a way to engage with his audience through his art. The exhibit is broken down into three components: “Study for Negro Sunshine,” a series of six repeated text-based chalk pieces; “Untitled,” a partial display of James Baldwin’s essay in 1953, “Stranger in the Village”; and “Grey Hands,” displaying images of protesters in the 1995 Million Man March at the National Mall. Each part has a description written by the artist himself, which enhances the audience’s understanding of the artist’s endeavor and the questions he wanted to raise. Whereas the previously exhibit, Jeffrey Gibson’s “DON’T MAKE ME OVER,” highlighted the intersectionality between Native American tradition and queerness, Ligon’s artwork underscores the importance of the

black experience in a racist United States. Both artists, however, link their personal identities to their artistic creativity and craft to make a social commentary on issues that still pervade today. At first glance, the gallery’s lack of color variation conveys a minimalist style. In contrast to Gibson’s colorful diptychs and rainbow patterns, Ligon employs black and white in his pieces to represent the racial dichotomy and history of discrimination in the United States. Precisely for this reason, a minimalist color palette works in Ligon’s favor, concentrating his message on the “invisibility and simultaneous hypervisibility of black people in America,” as he writes in the exhibition’s description. Ligon employs letters and repetition, rather than a colorful design, to make a statement on racial inequity and prejudice. In the series “Study for Negro Sunshine,” the words “Negro Sunshine” repeat in capital letters and contrast against white paper; however, this distinction is not at all clean and simple. Some are nearly covered in layers of black, making it difficult to barely make out the letters. Others have clearer letters, demonstrating the mutability of lightness and darkness — these boundaries are not stable or fixed. The succession of the six pieces, however, seemed to lack a pattern. The display may have benefitted from start-

ing with the most visible letters as they become increasingly darker and invisible. Nevertheless, Ligon’s point about black Americans as being both seen and unseen was very accurate. In addition to Stein, Ligon is heavily influenced by the late James Baldwin, a black writer and social critic. In his essay “Stranger in a Village,” Baldwin documents his experience as the only black man in a tiny mountain village in Switzerland and addresses his relationship to colonialism. Ligon uses an excerpt from this essay to create “Untitled,” a piece that records letters, but also disrupts visibility by adding layers of black. According to Ligon’s description, the gaps between the letters, obscured by black blobs, marks the unknowability of the other. Finally, the repeated scribbles of the Washington Monument catch the audience’s eye. The five large, silkscreened press images of protestors onto the canvas with the scribbles, a technique borrowed from Andy Warhol, brilliantly allude to the civil rights struggles black people in the United States have faced over the decades. The title of these works, “Grey Hands #2” to “Grey Hands #6”, is enigmatic and ambiguous because grey is in between black and white. Ligon calls attention to the issue of colorism, and suggests that, as Baldwin says in his essay, “The world is white no longer, and it will never be white again.”

Through his exhibit, Ligon makes clear his belief that the United States must overcome its black and white dichotomy and address the system of racial oppression and prejudice that has not only affected black people, but also Latinx and Asian-American communities, along with other people of color. From this exhibit, Georgetown students should take away not only what it means “to be a Negro in this country,” as the title suggests, but also what it means to be different, to be an other — because it’s not all about race, even though race is a huge part of it. Ligon’s exhibit is powerful and compelling, playing with language and the limits of visibility to make us feel estranged and defamilizared. The gallery provides a more inclusive space for contemporary arts and social justice, supporting Georgetown’s Jesuit mission. Knowing the context behind a work of art and appreciating modern aesthetics certainly make the exhibit worth the trip. “To be a Negro in this country is really never to be looked at” runs from Jan. 24 to April 7.

The Maria & Alberto de la Cruz Art Gallery is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. It is located on 3535 Prospect St. NW, Washington, D.C., 20007. Admission is always free.

B10

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2019

THE HOYA

FEATURE

Even Without a Host, Oscars Promise to Make History ABIGAIL EASTMAN Special to The Hoya

On Sunday, Feb. 24, the movie industry’s biggest names will gather in Los Angeles for the 91st annual Academy Awards. Following the decadeslong tradition, the Oscars will take place at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood. For the first time in almost 30 years, however, the awards show will be without a host. Kevin Hart was set to be next on the list of names, but after he announced that he would be hosting, concerns surfaced about homophobic tweets published in 2010 and 2011. Hart officially stepped down in a Dec. 7 tweet. Despite an over two-monthlong search for a new host, an Academy spokesperson told ABC News on Tuesday that the show would officially go without a host. Hosts typically set the scene for the show and help keep it interesting between long series of awards, with many iconic performances over the years from Bob Hope, Whoopi Goldberg and Ellen DeGeneres. Given this rich history, a hostless Oscars feels a little risky. The risk is amplified by past controversies that have plagued the awards show, such as the #OscarsSoWhite campaign. Time will tell whether the award choices will help revive the show’s prestige. The big movies to look out for this year are “The Favourite” and “Roma,” each nominated for nine awards in leading categories. “The Favourite” was nominated for eight awards between the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Set in 18th-century England, “The Favourite” tells the story of Queen Anne, played by Olivia Colman, and her rela-

tionships with her adviser and lover, Sarah Churchill, played by Rachel Weisz, and Sarah’s niece, Abigail Hill, played by Emma Stone. Abigail becomes intrigued and jealous of Sarah’s relationship with the queen and schemes to take Sarah’s spot as the favorite. The movie is nominated for best actress, best director and best picture, among others. Despite eight nominations for the Golden Globes and the SAG Awards, it only won the Golden Globe for best performance by an actress in a motion picture for a musical or comedy for Colman’s performance. The online media database IMDb lists “The Favourite” as favored to win Academy Awards for best original screenplay, best costume design and best film editing. “Roma,” a Spanish language film, is making history for the most Oscar nominations ever received by a film in a foreign language. Set in the Colonial Roma neighborhood of Mexico City, the movie follows the life of a middle-class household’s livein maid in the early 1970s. The film’s nine nominations are especially outstanding given that it received no SAG nominations and only three Golden Globe nominations. After “Roma” won the Golden Globes for best motion picture in a foreign language and best director for a motion picture, the film is unsurprisingly set to win the Oscars for best picture, best director, best foreign language film, best cinematography and best sound mixing. While there has been lots of buzz about “Roma’s” nominations, little has been said about the fact that it could be the first foreign language film to win best picture.

ELEMENT PICTURES

“The Favourite,” starring Olivia Colman, above, Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone, heads into the Oscars as the strongest contender for a number of the biggest awards of the season. Perhaps the biggest shock of the 2019 nominations was Bradley Cooper’s snub for best director for “A Star is Born.” The movie was Cooper’s directorial debut, and the movie grossed almost $418 million in box office sales. “A Star is Born” garnered nominations for the Golden Globes and SAG awards, a total of nine, but lost in every category except the Golden Globe for best original song in a motion picture for “Shallow.” It will likely only win the Oscar for best origi-

nal song, and Cooper and Lady Gaga will perform “Shallow” live at the show. The Oscars always create a flurry of excitement and prediction, but every year there are at least one or two surprise winners, such as “The Hurt Locker” beating out “Avatar” in 2010. With the recent decline in popularityand the lack of a host, it will be interesting to see how the Academy tries to captivate a younger, more progressive generation in an attempt to increase its viewership.

LEFT: WARNER BROS PICTURES, RIGHT: PARTICIPANT MEDIA

“A Star is Born,” starring Bradley Cooper, left, alongside Lady Gaga, proved to be a smash in the box office but has not managed to snag many awards other than a Golden Globe for best original song in a motion picture for “Shallow.” Alfonso Cuarón’s “Roma,” right, is aiming to make history by being the first foreign-language film to win best picture.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2019

CONCERT REVIEW

THE HOYA

B11

FEATURE

Pond Mesmerizes With Theatrical Dreamscape

@MAROON5/INSTAGRAM

While the much-maligned NFL opted for a seemingly safe choice in Maroon 5 to headline the halftime show, the decision ended up backfiring as the group delivered an underwhelming performance. The brief cameos of rappers Travis Scott and Big Boi did little to rescue the band’s incredibly forgettable show.

Maroon 5 Disappoints in Lackluster Halftime Show FARIS BSEISO Hoya Staff Writer

The Super Bowl halftime show has produced some of the most iconic moments in NFL history, including Michael Jackson’s jaw-dropping performance in 1993 and Beyoncé’s impeccably choreographed display in 2013. Given the many public relations storms that have been wreaking havoc over the NFL’s reputation, however, such as Nike’s ad campaign supporting alienated quarterback Colin Kaepernick, the league could have used a performance to take the weight of the negative press off their shoulders. Audiences especially needed the lift after surviving a first half in which the two teams generated an unimpressive three points. Unfortunately, headlining act Maroon 5, along with rapper Travis Scott and Outkast member Big Boi, delivered a performance as stale as the game they were offering respite from. Following a recent trend in the NFL, the announcement of Maroon 5 as the headlining act did not go down well with fans. The decision particularly bothered residents of Atlanta, who saw the halftime show as a perfect opportunity to showcase the city’s rich hip-hop culture. Instead of selecting rappers like the Migos, Future, Childish Gambino or T.I. — all natives of Atlanta — the league opted for

a more conservative choice in Maroon 5, a group with more radio-ready songs and greater pop appeal. The NFL later compensated by adding Travis Scott and Atlanta native Big Boi to the lineup. Additionally, many of the bands fans were against the idea of the Adam Levine band working with the NFL. In fact, a petition with over 100,000 signatures called on the group to step down. Many felt it was unjust to support a league that ostracized civil rights activist Colin Kaepernick, including Cardi B and Rihanna, who publicly boycotted the halftime show. The show’s opening was underwhelming. After a giant “M” lit up on the field, Levine emerged in the lights and kicked off the performance with “Harder to Breathe” and “This Love.” The selection of those particular songs, both of which were released in 2002, implies an attempt to evoke a pleasant nostalgia amongst the audience. Levine, however, was quite passive, and his lackluster singing felt more appropriate for a crowd of 70, not 70,000. If anything, the song selection highlighted that the band would have been a great choice for a Super Bowl 15 years ago. The show was begging for something new and fresh. The newer component of the show came in a very unorthodox fashion. After the second song, an animation of Squidward introducing Spongebob Squarepants played. The video was a tribute to the cartoon’s founder, Stephen Hil-

lenburg, who passed away last year. Afterwards, an animated ball of fire crashed into the field to introduce Travis Scott. The fireball appeared to be an attempt to merge the animation with Scott’s famously eccentric concert sets. Ultimately, the animation came off as more of a perverse meme rather than a heartfelt tribute to an iconic creator. Scott’s performance did little to ameliorate the odd nature of his introduction. As an artist known for his histrionics on a stage, the Houston native’s performance was noticeably toned down. Without the screaming and jumping that lifts his usual crowds, his performance felt extremely tame. Despite a roar from the crowd when his hit song “Sicko Mode” began, he did not match the audience’s energy. To add insult to injury, his set was only two songs long, after which he lethargically crowd surfed away. After Scott’s exit, Levine re-emerged walking among the crowd. This part of the show added to the great sense of disappointment, as it felt more like an entrance to the Ellen DeGeneres show than to one of the biggest concerts of the year. As Levine was singing the 2002 hit “She Will Be Loved,” lanterns rose in the sky, eventually forming the word “love.” It is unfortunate that one of the highlights of the show ended up coming from various lights, and not from Levine and his band. In an attempt to switch up the mood,

Big Boi entered in a vintage Cadillac and did an incredibly short rendition of “The Way You Move,” one of his many hits as part of the hip-hop duo Outkast. Yet the brevity of his performance meant he might as well have not performed at all. Rather than being a grateful tribute to the Super Bowl’s host city, his appearance came off as more of a footnote to the show. It seemed to be the NFL’s way of tokenizing an icon of the city. When the spotlight was back on Maroon 5, the headliners’ performance remained incredibly bland. Levine spiced up the moment by taking off his shirt and revealing his tattoo-laden torso, a move that generated more anger than excitement. Very quickly, viewers compared Levine’s decision to the famous 2003 Janet Jackson incident, in which co-performer Justin Timberlake removed a part of her shirt to reveal her chest, and accusations of double standards regarding the response to Jackson’s and Levine’s nudity went viral. Ultimately, this year’s Super Bowl halftime show was both unremarkable and underwhelming. Despite lazy attempts to satiate fans’ craving for hip-hop, the show was simply boring, failing to give audiences anything to remember. However, given all the negative exposure the NFL has been receiving, a forgettable show might actually be the best thing they could ask for.

ILLUSTRATION BY: ELOISE OWEN/THE HOYA