September 27, 2022 Volume 79 | Issue 1
Est. 1948
the pace press
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Ukrainian forces reclaim major territory in Kharkiv continued on PAGE 2
JACK PERDUE Contributor
Ukraine recaptured 3,090 square miles of territory previously controlled by Russian forces following a lightning offensive in the northeastern region of Kharkiv; the most successful military operation since the war began in February. Russian soldiers were forced to flee eastward, dealing a major blow to Moscow and its campaign to occupy Ukraine. This comes as one of the biggest developments in the ongoing conflict after months of back-andforth fighting between the two countries. In late February, when the invasion began, Russian troops appeared dominant, taking over much of eastern Ukraine in a matter of weeks and waging an all-out military offensive from land, air and sea. For months, the war stretched on with no clear end in sight as the two former Soviet countries traded blows. The recent triumph against Russia shows signs of a potential Ukrainian victory in the near future, although the roadmap for such a scenario is unclear. On Sept. 14, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to the newly liberated Izyum to deliver a speech to Ukrainian soldiers only hours before Russian airstrikes rained down on the city. “We thank all of you for liberating our state from the enemy—from the terrorists of the Russian Federation and from the traitors who betrayed our state with the bills of artificial republics,” Zelenskyy said. “The last few months have been extremely difficult for you. Therefore, I am asking you: take care of yourself; you are the most precious we have.” While he acknowledged Ukraine’s battlefield successes, President Joe Biden remained hesitant
to send long-range guided missiles to the country to prevent further escalation from the Russian side. Still, the United States has remained committed to supporting their war effort; the White House announced a $600 million spending package on Sept. 15 that would arm Ukraine with weapons and combat equipment. “To meet Ukraine’s evolving battlefield requirements, the United States will continue to work with its Allies and partners to provide Ukraine with key capabilities,” the Department of Defense announced in a press release. The news of Ukraine’s advancements has put Russian President Vladimir Putin in a difficult position as even his allies abroad have voiced discontent with the war in recent weeks. The New York Times reported that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Putin that “Now is no time for war” in their regional summit in Uzbekistan on Sept. 16. “Today we will get a chance to discuss how we can move forward on the path of peace,” Modi said. Chinese President Xi Jinping, one of Putin’s closest allies on the world stage, also appeared wary to show support for the invasion claiming he had “questions and concerns” regarding the war in Ukraine. These remarks came weeks after reports of declining support for the invasion from within Russia.
‘Don’t Worry Darling’ leaves viewers disappointed
Make Instagram casual(ly dying) again
SARAH BERGIN Arts Editor
JOSH ILANO Contributor
While “Don’t Worry Darling” has stunning visuals and beautiful sound design, the rest of the film showcases Florence Pugh shining through a lackluster film that leaves more to be desired. The film opens with aesthetic production design, blinding viewers with a longing for previous decades and eras. It’s clear from the beginning that the storyline is relying on their star-studded cast, consisting of Pugh, Harry Styles, Chris Pine and Nick Kroll. Olivia Wilde, the director of the film, also acts alongside Kroll as his wife. Pugh and Styles, who play couple Alice and Jack, are married in a seemingly perfect utopia. The viewers know they are in love through the dialogue, but the two usually only interact when arguing or being intimate–nothing more than what you’d expect from a typical young adult novel. Things turn sour quickly, as Alice realizes the reality of the world they live in. Chants of “Whose world is it? Ours!” ring throughout the film, repeated again and again as more details become uncovered. “Don’t Worry Darling” relies on Styles for spectacles, having him dance and sing at various–albeit, unwarranted–times. While the audience was receptive to these moments, they were also against his acting skills, laughing at his artistic choices. Many of those screening this piece were fans of Styles but recognized his lack of experience in the field. The attractions appeared to be bait for the audience, who came to the theater for Styles and stayed for Pugh. Kenzie Boudreau, a senior at the University, said, “I think Harry bit off a little more than he could chew when he took on this role. While his overall performance was good, his acting was subpar.” She continued, “It’s very telling that multiple screenings with totally different crowds… laughed at [the] serious parts… it took away from the movie. However, I can’t give enough praise to Florence Pugh!” Pugh and Pine salvaged what was left of the story, but not for long. They only interacted with each other in a small number of scenes, which turned out to be the most intriguing parts of the whole piece. This doesn’t come as a surprise, though, as both of them have been received well in previous works. When science-fiction elements are at the forefront Credit: @newlinecinema on Instagram of a story, worldbuilding is key, and in “Don’t Worry Darling,” it’s blatantly missing. The lack of clarification at the beginning of the film lowered the stakes for the rest of the movie while confusing the viewers. Jack doesn’t have any known motives for anything until the third act of the film, which, in return, leaves the audience in the dust. White feminism runs rampant in this feature, and it’s quite obvious. The only other characters besides Alice that are looked down upon are people of color, which happen to be Margaret (Kiki Layne), Alice’s old friend, and two children. They’re labeled as “crazy” and “creepy,” and Alice as “delusional.” The glaring differences between the way these characters are treated don’t seem like it’s because of the environment in the story, but rather a reflection of the film itself. Even though there were many missing pieces to this film, there are some aspects that rose to the occasion. The sound design and foley work were fantastic alongside the cinematography and editing. It was a gorgeous film; a gorgeous film with a forgettable screenplay. The audience was left with multiple unanswered questions after the screening, with an underdeveloped world and static characters overshadowed by casting decisions and alluring shots. There was potential for “Don’t Worry Darling” to be amazing, but it ended up as a cheap execution of “The Truman Show” and “WandaVision.”
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Gen-Z has never lived in a mented a culture where posting was world without some sort of emulaa religious ceremony that affirmed ted reality. Growing up, coinciding precious likes and comments. The with television gamifying regular idea that your feed’s adherence to an activities such as love, athletics or aesthetic is fundamental, your pristileisure has cultivated a generation nely edited photos are of paramount whose existence is based on some importance. sort of performance. With InstaInitially, the response was magram, the question of performance king a “Finsta,” a typically private regarding casual yet geand separate Instagram nuine posting account validity is a designated poignant to post one. in-jokes, To bad selfies the unand other initiated, relaxed “Casual content. Instagram” However, is Gen-Z’s the way that latest plea for this discerns from authenticity. Prethe Casual Instagram viously a marketplace for movement was the optics. self-expression, Instagram The Finsta was still curated; now stands as a valid communiadmission still had to be earned. cative tool for celebrities to further Finstas separated itself from the advertise and hallowed Credit: @oneinstamind on Instagram sell themselves main page, on. It’s another inadvertently platform to putting it on a perform, just as they would behind higher pedestal than it was before. a screen or onstage. Instagram has Casual Instagram is more outbeen seen as a way to propagate pa- rightly appealing. It’s in your face, rasocial relationships through a new it’s a statement that discerns you curated view of celebrities’ lives. are amongst the enlightened many The emulation of such a and condemn the ones that still use practice led to the concept of the VSCO. A few of Casual Instagram‘s microcelebrity, a person whose onli- practices include the photo dump: a ne presence spans a large but niche method that details months, events group. These two ideas instigated a or an unrelated carousel of images. shift in culture in which Instagram was no longer for “just woke up like this” humble brag posts or “tag your most recent contact” chains. It ce-
Weeks of Welcome spotlight: brunch with the queens
continued on PAGE 7
KATHERINE PAPPAS Contributor
Presence, power and vulnerability are what drag queens Ivory Snow and Inita D displayed during the Sunday Drag Queen Brunch where University students gathered in the Student Center of One Pace Plaza for this Weeks of Welcome (WoW) event. On Sept. 18, students shared a meal while watching and participating in an early afternoon drag performance. To begin the show, Ivory Snow and Inita D lip-synched to their favorite “girl boss” anthems, some of which included “This Is Me” from “The Greatest Showman,” “S&M” by Rihanna and “Heart of Stone” from the Broadway musical “SIX.” Both queens spoke about the importance of love, tolerance and acceptance that this world desperately needs. They expressed the significance of taking care of your mental health and attending to your own needs. “It’s okay to not be okay, but it’s not okay to stay that way,” Inita D stated. Following their speeches, the queens hosted a competition where a group of selected students lip-synced to Lady Gaga’s “Judas.” The room was full of shouts, claps and laughter as audience members cheered on their fellow classmates.
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