Happy Fucking Valentine’s Day
Fringe Encore/04
Cage Fighting/08 PLUS
The Weekly Student Magazine of the University of Minnesota
MCP / New Orleans / Bob Dylan / and more. 14–20 February 2007
Editorial/ Editor-in-Chief Jenny Odegard
Managing Editor Eric Price
Athletics Editor Nick Gerhardt
Campus Editor Janessa Dohse
Literary Editor Jacob Duellman
Sound & Vision Editor Alice Vislova
Voices Editor Nathaniel Olson
Editorial Assistants Dan Olmschenk, Tammy Quan, Brad Tucker
Staff Writer Carl Carpenter
PRODUCTION/ Production Manager Jeremy Sengly
Art Director Sam Soule
Photography Editor Ethan Stark
Web Editor Luke Preiner
Copy Editors Brent Campbell, Erin Lavigne
Graphic Designers Dave Hagen, Eric Price, Becki Schwartz, Jeremy Sengly, Krista Spinti
BUSINESS/ Business Manager ?
Office Manager Elizabeth Keely Shaller
Advertising Executive Tyler Jones
Public Relations Director Allie Dinnocenzo
Distributors Preston Jones, Luke Preiner
Public Relations Interns Marlys Huismann, Alison Traxler, Julie Veternick
THIS ISSUE/ Cover Artist Jeremy Sengly Illustrators Ben Alpert, Eric Price, Jeremy Sengly Photographers Caroline Burghardt, John Cohen, Kelli Connell, Jamison Klair, Abbey Kleinert, Jean Laughton, Rahima Schwenkbeck, Ethan Stark, Craig Vander
Contributing Writers Elizabeth Aulwes, Anna Brauch, Carl Carpenter, Kolina Cicero, Sage Dahlen, Janessa Dohse, Nick Gerhardt, Rosemary Grunhard, Andy Irland, Trey Mewes, Brad Tucker, Andrea Vargo, Alice Vislova
/5:18 Š2007 The Wake Student Magazine. All rights reserved. Established in 2002, The Wake is a weekly independent magazine produced by and for the students of the University of Minnesota. The Wake is a registered student organization.
The Wake Student Magazine 1313 5th St. SE Minneapolis, MN 55414 (612) 379-5952 • www.wakemag.org The Wake was founded by Chris Ruen and James DeLong.
MCP/12
I’d wish you all a happy Valentine’s Day, but have a feeling most of you feel the same way as I do about it. Maybe I’m getting a skewed perspective, but it’s amazing how many people have come to not only see the so-called “Hallmark holiday” for what it is, but despise it as well. And I’m not just talking about the pathetic and lonely. Maybe there’s hope for the future after all. Next up, Christmas? Anyway, Andy Irland has more on the subject on page 18. And while you’re at it, how better to not celebrate Valentine’s than by reading about cage fighting (p. 8) and blackface (p. 17)? Happy Wednesday, Eric Price
Managing Editor
Sound & Vision/04 ATHLETICS/08 PHOTOGRAPHY/11 CAMPUS/16 VOICES/18 LITERARY/20 BASTARD/22
Sound & Vision/
Every August Minnesota is swept up in the whirlwind of off-color jokes, unexpected tender moments, and an eclectic variety that is the Fringe Festival. In the summer of 2006, The 13th annual Fringe Festival sold nearly 45,000 tickets, maintaining its official status as the largest nonjuried performance festival in the nation, and its unofficial status as completely insane. From hip-hop to calculus, to the University’s own annual “Deviled Eggs,” what makes the Fringe unique is its method of selection. Shows are selected not by jury but by lottery to insure its three
basic principles of “Fringeness: Unjuried, Uncensored, and Transparent.” In addition to consistent growth for the Fringe, 2006 was a year of newness. For the first year ever, the Fringe boasted “nightcaps” at a different designated bar each night, new sneak-preview events, and 100% handicap accessibility. Also new this year was the “Fringe Encore,” performed in the Guthrie’s Dowling Studio February 1-4. This event highlighted four of the twenty best-at-
tended shows of Fringe 2006: “Love and Times of Rinderpest,” “Google: The Musical,” “African Roads, American Streets,” and “Wonderland.” On the first weekend of February the more odd-looking patrons in the Guthrie Theater lobby were ushered to the ninth floor, where the Dowling Studio was transformed into a typical Fringe performance-setting. The stage was bare and black, with only a disco ball on the ceiling. Rows of chairs were set up in an open-seating arrangement among the faint but characteristic smell of old dug-up costumes and set pieces. One show with particularly elaborate costumes was “Love and Times of Rinderpest,” performed by the Bedlam Theater. This absurdist comedy about high school forensics competitors featured such distinctive characters as the drama coach known as “the Oracle of Chaska,” performed by Sarah Paley Garner, costumed as a renaissance bard, and the love struck “Cardboard Box,” performed by Jon Cole, costumed as, well, a box. Written specifically for the actors, the success of this play was made, according to actress Kristi Ternes “by the people, the characters in it; the story is really irrelevant.” Indeed, each actor seemed to revel in his or her part; the performers’ enjoyment of the play transferred to the audience. The play began with an onslaught of jokes and spoofs— some of which hit the mark, and some of which missed. As the story progressed, however, it developed a warmth that struck a chord with the audience, who responded more and more favorably to the completely random turns of event and left-field comments. The characters presented in “Love and Times of Rinderpest” struck many a familiar chord. The play allowed audience members to laugh at themselves in a loving way—whether as the awkward, hormonal high-school sweetheart, the over-zealous drama coach, the thick,
Scott pakudaitis
04/14–20 February 2007
Sound & Vision
“With the Fringe you can be as crazy and out there as you want to be.”
craig VanDer
sports-fanatical athletic director, or one of the many other caricatures presented in this play. By the time the characters, having all found love— “the weirdest prize of all”—joined “Bruce Springsteen” in a touching rendition of one of Cardboard Box’s folksy tunes, “Love and Times of Rinderpest” was like the puppy that you just had to take home with you. Actor Topher Brattain expressed surprise at the success of the play. “It was like the little show that could,” he says, “[my favorite part] was fighting the laughter, and being on the edge of hysteria at all times.”
Gooogle’s announcement of its plans to digitalize all books. It discussed the idea that the Internet is the “next big thing” in the development of culture, and regardless of our opinion, now that we have lived with it, we will never again be able to live without it.
of our ducks in a row,” Chamberlain says. Be it so, at its first performance at the Dowling Studio, the musical suffered but a few bumps and bruises early in the performance, from which it recovered with grace as it moved towards the dynamic musical finale.
“The Internet is the new great discovery that’s changed everything,” explains actress Haley Chamberlain, “[this show] was a lot of fun, but it also meant something to us.”
On February 12th, the Fringe Festival Lottery for the summer of 2007 was held at the Mixed Blood Theater, where ping-pong balls in a spinning bingo cage determined the performers’ fates.
Actor Joe Efans had a similarly entertaining experience working on this production—“With the Fringe you can be as crazy and out there as you want to be,” he explains.
This production employed music, dance, and most of all, humor, to bring across its thought-provoking message. Off-the-wall characters kept the audience amused, confused, and alert; among them were sex-crazed, bipolar avatar “Gooogle,” performed by Debi Kilde, and Indian “outsourced” tech support guy Ragit, performed by Cherian Koshy.
An equally wacky production also performed at the Fringe Encore was “Gooogle: The Musical.” Performed by The Imbecile Domicile, this play was inspired by
With only one rehearsal in the Dowling Studio, “Gooogle: The Musical’s” choreographed dance numbers faced challenges in an unfamiliar environment. “We didn’t have all
“We’re fiscally sound, our board of directors is talented and engaged, and the staff, both seasonal and year-round, is terrific,” says Fringe Executive Director Robin C. Gillette, “so I’m excited by the possibilities that lie before us.” Thousands of artists, performers and fans are excited as well. Ever expanding, the 14th annual Fringe of 2007 may be the biggest, wildest, and quirkiest yet.
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Sound & Vision/
Cover Songs + Cheap Wine = The Definition of Class by Brad Tucker In case you missed it, the temperature was well below zero in downtown Minneapolis last Friday night. But as they say, the show must go on. On this freezing night about 75 people showed up to see First Avenue’s 11th Annual Cover Song Contest at the 7th Street Entry. Eleven area bands were given a half-hour to prove that they could play other people’s songs and a case of cheap wine awaited the winner. The night started with a thud. The Fillmores, moonlighting as Who’s the Boss and the E Street Band, opened the competition with a set of Bruce Springsteen covers. From the opening bars of “Thunder Road” it was obvious: the lead singer was no Boss. The group worked its way through five songs, looking and sounding rather unrehearsed—a fact that fully manifested itself during a hyper-speed attempt at “Born to Run,” where the singer missed about half the words.
In the middle of this song, the trombone player, looking like a member of ZZ Top with at least six inches of beard flowing down his shirt, expertly and unexpectedly began to play a previously unrevealed flute.
ben alpert
06/14–20 February 2007
Next up was Terry Eason, who proved to be a pleasant surprise, choosing to stay away from the crowd pleasers, and going instead with a collection of songs by the Go-Betweens, a long-running indie rock band fronted by the late Grant McLennan. Sadly, nobody in the crowd seemed familiar with these selections, and after a couple of songs their interest began waning. It was one of McLennan’s solo songs, “Malibu 69,” that finally won the crowd over. Eason picked up the pace and his guitar solo set the stage for the rest of the set, even succeeding in getting a couple dances out of the crowd.
The show also featured some soft 1970s rock from last year’s champs, Stringray Green. The Conquers tried their hand at the Bee Gees while the Busiest Bankruptcy Lawyers played the Cure’s entire 1989 album Disintegration. Crowd favorites Plate-O-Shrimp could have won the award for “Loudest Band” with their Mission of Burma set. Box of Dicks, sometimes also known as Housebreaker, closed the show with songs from the 1988 Jane’s Addiction album Nothing’s Shocking. The rhythm section held a sturdy beat while the shirtless lead singer did his best to emulate Perry Farrell’s soaring vocals. The highlight of the night came in the form of jazzjam band GST. The band, which describes itself as “punk rock for grown ups,” featured six members who combined to play at least ten instruments through the course of the night. A three-piece horn section, featuring trombone, trumpet and tenor sax, fueled stirring renditions of songs by War. Guitarist Greg Schaefer’s understated guitar playing fit with the horns, and drummer Joe Cline was perfect for the song selection. “Cisco Kid” got the audience going right away, and was followed by a dead-on version of “Spill the Wine.” In the middle of this song, the trombone player, looking like a member of ZZ Top with at least six inches of beard flowing down his shirt, expertly and unexpectedly began to play a previously unrevealed flute. The group’s virtuosic and tight performance was more than enough to make up for the lack of a true lead singer. The use of multiple instruments, from the horns to a cowbell, carried the group through six great songs. GST finished with “Low Rider,” and the winner of the competition seemed clear. The crowning ceremony came from representatives of Grumpy’s Bar and Grill. To the winner went a case of Axl Rose favorite Night Train Express bum wine, the recipient of which, to no one’s surprise, was GST. It was promptly opened and passed throughout the crowd.
\Sound & Vision
Crisis Point Theater to Produce Songs for a New World by Sage Dahlen Sometimes life can be a little pastiche. That is to say, there are so many different things going on that they seem random, or unrelated. According to the late American playwright Arthur Miller, “…theater is so endlessly fascinating because it’s so accidental. It’s so much like life.” And so it is. Jason Robert Brown clearly reflects the seemingly disjoint aspects of everyday life in “Songs for a New World,” a musical made up of 16 different songs, each of which stands alone as its own story. To Nicky Fritz, this sounded like a challenge she was willing to take. Fritz is the artistic director of Crisis Point, an entirely student run theater group based right here on campus. Currently in her third year at the U, Fritz began working with Crisis Point last year as an archivist. In addition to being Crisis Point’s artistic director this year she is directing “Songs for a New World.” When Fritz selected the show she was already very familiar with the music. While attending Trollwood Per-
forming Art School, each student in the class was given a piece from “Songs” as a solo.
and not just actors, either, with students also providing the music, makeup, costuming, and set construction.
“I thought it was brilliant and challenging music,” Fritz says, and seemingly everyone agreed.
Though all of these roles are challenging, the actors have their work cut out for them. Not only are the songs unrelated but also there is no spoken dialogue in this performance and the vocal parts are widely regarded as being extremely demanding.
“We’re having a great time. It’s a great show.” Many more people auditioned than anticipated, and Fritz expanded the original cast of four to ten members—five males and five females. The cast ranges from freshmen to seniors; for some this is their first time being involved in this type of production, while others are seasoned performers.
“I think it’s a great opportunity,” says cast member Kelsey Dahlquist. “Usually you’ve only got your one character that you get to explore.” Because the production is simply a collection of 16 different songs, there is a little something for everyone, and all are executed proficiently.
The University theater department’s decision to put on a musical only every two years also contributed to her reasons for selecting this show.
“We’re having a great time. It’s a great show,” Snortland says.
“I get so frustrated,” Fritz says, “I wish there were more opportunities for singers like myself and other students.” Crisis Point provides many opportunities for students—
The performances will be held at the Old Arizona Theater in Downtown Minneapolis February 22-24 at 8pm. Tickets are $5 for students, $7 for public. For more information visit oldarizona.com, or for reservations send an email to: songsforanewworld2007@hotmail.com.
Review
Bloc Party A Weekend in the City by Carl Carpenter Duplicating the success of a heralded first album is a task unrivaled in difficulty. Bloc Party, a foursome out of England, set the bar high with their 2005 release, Silent Alarm, an album that led to frequent comparisons to dance rock predecessors like Gang of Four and Joy Division. They are now stepping up to the plate with their second album, A Weekend in the City. The opener, “Song for Clay (Disappear Here),” starts qui-
etly. Singer Kele Okereke relays the thoughts of his troubled mind over strummed guitar and mounting strings. Unfortunately, the guitar riff is second rate, and fails to recreate the urgency of their last opener, “Like Eating Glass.” It is thankfully aided by some chirpy background vocals, overtaken by the resurgent deep baritone of Okereke’s voice, but lacks the catchy choruses and soulstirring chants which anchored the core of Silent Alarm. Okereke’s words remain sullen throughout the album, though this time from a new perspective. Whereas before the cry was for sought-after love and the insecurities in its way, A Weekend in the City is focused on the riggers of fame. Few can speak to the life altering complexities of fame, and the relatable romanticism of Silent Alarm has passed. With that out of the way, I can assure this album rocks in its own right. Drummer Matt Tong appears un-phased, remaining an innovatively driving force whose tumultuous hammering and precise fills will likely prove an inspi-
ration to a future crop of British drummers. On “Waiting for the 7.18,” a smiling bell loop starts a tale of transportation affairs, and then tears through the remainder of the song as if his skinny arms were engulfed in flames. There are some processed beats; gun shots and hand claps kick off “The Prayer,” and reoccurring background bells and shakers grace the album when necessary. The bass is given fewer opportunities to showcase, but maintains its cohesive relationship with the drums, a staple of the Bloc Party sound. The guitars are sharp and punchy, but noticeably less aggressive than in the earlier album. This is not to say they aren’t raucous in a new way. The tremulous crescendo on album closer “SXRT” makes an equal impact as any Bloc Party moment on record. The full choir at the song’s end seems forced and far too grandiose to be genuine, but it wins you over quick, and leaves you lifted. This album receives a 7.9 out of ten on Carl’s, less highfalutin then Pitchfork and far more consistent than Rolling Stone, scale of review.
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Athletics/
By Nick Gerhardt Herpes is spreading quickly across the state, and it seems possible that cage fighting will do the same very soon and be just as nasty. Thursday night at the Myth Nightclub, Elite Fighting X-treme celebrated its one-year anniversary the only way they know how: they hosted a jaw-dropping, tongue wagging, drooling spectacle of mixed martial art fighting along with strippers and ring girls dancing between matches. The crowd, sufficiently amped and drunk, enthusiastically cheered for every takedown, haymaker and arm-bar inside the octagon. The action was quick inside the cage with all but three fights lasting past the first round. The arena was peppered with yells of “KICK HIS ASS!!!” and incredulous reactions to the violence. Twelve matches took place that night with many memorable moments of stark reality and brutality. In one of the early matches, Rich Taylor squared up against Zeb Hansen. This match was over as soon as they rang the bell. Taylor rushed Hansen, unloading fists of fury upon his skull until Hansen fell. Hansen wrapped his legs around Taylor while on the ground. Taylor then picked Hansen up and dropped him on his neck. It looked as though his spine was sure to snap. After that Taylor continued to pummel Hansen’s face until the referee stopped the match. One Thursday a month, EFX overtakes Myth and provides fans an up close view of an emerging sport that may replace boxing in popularity. EFX draws over 1,000 people on a Thursday night. “We came up with a whole new concept as far as doing it on a Thursday night rather than a Friday or Saturday night, which is pretty typical. We tried to make something so that it was continuous throughout the year. We do the show once a month, ten months out of the year. We’re trying to make jamison klair
08/14–20 February 2007
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Thursday night the ‘it’ night,” said Nick Gamst, co-founder of EFX. Gamst worked as a promoter across the Midwest before beginning the EFX endeavor with co-founder Carey Thul, who also worked as a promoter for nightclubs. Gamst said he is trying to take the local mixed martial arts fighting scene to a different level by making the events more of a show for everyone to enjoy. “We try to make it more of a show than just a fight with a lot of give-aways and dancers who perform on the stage,” Thul said. Through their connections, Gamst and Thul proved to be the perfect combination to increase the popularity of cage fighting in Minneapolis. Gamst knew plenty of free-style fighters from his promoting days and Thul knew a healthy amount of wrestlers across the metro area from his days in the ring and as a wrestling coach. That combination brought in two modes of fighting that appear complementary inside the octagon because while there may be the guy throwing haymakers to KO an opponent, the wrestler employs wrestling moves like shooting his opponents legs to get him to the ground and then KO him. Gamst and Thul have used every play in their books to establish a good crowd for each event from giving away tickets to helping develop local, recognizable talent. They have attracted advertisers by giving away tickets to shows and other bonuses. “We’re advertising for these people for pennies and then giving them tickets to the show so they get jacked about it and want to do business with us in the future,” Gamst said. Perhaps the strongest method of attracting people stems from having local fighters appear on a regular basis. The local fighters bring in their friends and introduce them to the sport while telling others. Among the local talent is former wrestling standout Marcus LeVessuer, the four-time Minnesota state wrestling champion. The local influence was evident throughout the night, especially when fighters from the Rice Street Gym entered the caged octagon. Some in the crowd began chanting “Rice Street” to encourage fighters like Frank “The Tank” Johnson. Johnson attempted to defend his EFX Lightweight Amateur title against Richard Silva from Northfield. Silva handed Johnson his first defeat and took his title in one of the better fights of the night. Johnson had the height advantage and looked larger than Silva, but Silva, with his wrestling background, shot at Johnson’s legs immediately and took him down. Johnson tried to escape
, n e s n a H d e h s u r r o l y y a r T u f f o s t s fi g n i d a o l n u . l l u k s s i h n upo from Silva but ended up getting stuck in an arm-bar and subdued. The fight looked like a chess game, each fighter able to counter the other’s moves.
“If I win my next match I would have grossed $20,000 in a six month period. The pay is starting to get up there,” Larson said.
Understanding the mind of a fighter resembles studying the mind of a drug addict, because they search for an indescribable rush that no other activity really provides.
One component to the sport is the competition between the different schools and gyms that train the fighters. “There’s animosity and respect for the other schools. A few months ago we fought Team Bison and won two belts,” Barrera said.
“I’m pretty calm until they say fight and then I get a shot of adrenaline. Then it goes away real quick. My heart makes two pumps ‘bump, bump’ that I can hear and it seems like the loudest thing in the world. Then by the time I get to my opponent it’s all gone. It’s a weird kind of rush I’ve never really experienced before,” said Brock Larson, a UFC fighter and EFX referee. Chris Barrera, the EFX Lightweight champion prepares himself for a match by thinking about his children. “I think about my kids running around with the belt and if I lose they won’t be able to do that anymore. That and the embarrassment of losing are my motivation inside the ring,” Barrera said. Larson, a Minnesota native, began his career in a jiu-jitsu dojo competing in those tournaments. He won many of the tournaments and talked to others about the next step, which was fighting, he said. He started working with Sean Sherk, another Minnesotan and Lightweight UFC champion and eventually was noticed in some smaller events like EFX, he said. He’s had success in the UFC, compiling a 13-1 record along the way.
Although the teams fight each other, he was quick to add that the schools help each other out in any way they can. A member of Team Bison rubbed down one of Barrera’s teammates before a match that same event, he said. “There’s about five or six schools for full contact fighting,” Barrera said. It’s difficult to say a sport with so much carnage resembles a sport, but fights like Johnson versus Silva remind people that although fighting typically proves fruitless, it’s quite impressive to watch two intelligent fighters, like Ali and Frazier. If this sport is going to grow, this is how it will do so. It rivals boxing now because boxing hasn’t had accessible champions since Ali, Foreman and Leonard. With our culture’s acceptance of more violence, mixed martial arts fighting does look like a viable vehicle in sports. Many people enjoy watching fights whether in a cage or on the street, and EFX unabashedly allows these people, along with the people who enjoy strategy fighting, to revel the event.
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\ Photography
Abbey Klienert
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Caroline Burghardt
The Minnesota Center for Photography Shows Off 12/14–20 February 2007
/Feature
“All three of those bodies of work are about relationships and the way people interact with each other.”
jean laughton
Kelli Connell
By Trey Mewes Tucked away in a discrete corner of northeast Minneapolis is the Minnesota Center for Photography. On the outside, the center looks plain and drab, similar to the other shops around it. One step inside, however, transports you to art galleries, a bookstore and 8,000 square feet of an artistic atmosphere comparable to the Weisman. The entire place is a photographic paradise which is now focusing on its newest exhibition, “ICY: Clear Views 01”. “ICY 01” is a new exhibit which will feature a handful of contemporary artists. This year the exhibit contains works of art by Caroline Burghardt, Kelli Connelland Jean Laughton. According to Cole Saras, the Center Administrator, each of these artists was chosen by George Slade, the Artistic Director of the center, based on previous works he’d seen. Jean Laughton’s work was featured previously by the center during their annual juried exhibition, Photocentric, in 2005. “All three of those bodies of work are about relationships and the way people interact with each other,” says Kaia Hemming, the center’s Development and Com-
munications Coordinator. Each of the artists examines the relationships people have, and the perceptions behind these relationships. Many of the images produced by the artists seem intrusive, almost as if you were observing a confrontation. Caroline Burghardt is an artist from New York, whose work centers around her family and the life they lead in their Cape Cod community. Many of her images involve her relatives, and sometimes herself, in leisure activities. From a tennis player to the elderly grandmother playing solitaire, everything looks serene and peaceful, as if time can’t catch up with these privileged New Englanders. Yet most of the focus in her photos is on the environments around the people in the picture, seemingly illustrating the relationships they have with nature. Kelli Connell’s work is especially interesting. An artist from Ohio, her work is rooted in a relationship between two women. Several images depict the women having fun out and about, at a bar, or at the pool hall. Yet the most intriguing photos are of the women at home, or in some other
closed space. It is apparent these women share an intimacy that at times makes the viewer feel uncomfortable, peering into the world these characters share together. Even more puzzling is the similarity between the women, raising questions of whether or not the two are sisters. The best aspect of Connell’s work isn’t the work itself but the story behind it. The two women were never in the same space together, Connell posed just one model for each of the women in every single photo, and digitally manipulated the photographs so it would seem there were two women present and interacting. The Old West seems to be the major theme in Jean Laughton’s work. Indeed, the images shown in this exhibition are from the artist’s series entitled Go West. Each work of art comes from Laughton’s experiences at powwows and rodeos, and every person she photographs is a complete stranger to her. Each subjects is photographed against a painted backdrop. Much of her work deals with the relationships people have with their own ideas of the West. She often blends both the reality of the western lifestyle with romanticized ideas and popular
myths surrounding her subjects. For example, one piece, Blur, Cowtown, is an image representing the quintessential cowboy with his thumbs on his belt, blurred and sepia-toned. The Minnesota Center for Photography is a non-profit organization. “Our mission,” Hemming says, “is to support and promote the creation and appreciation of photographic art.” It is located at 165 13th Avenue NE in Minneapolis. The center is open Tuesday through Sunday from noon to 5 p.m., open until 8 p.m. on Thursdays. Almost all of the artwork featured in “ICY: 01” is available for purchase, with the proceeds going directly to the artist and the center. For more information about the Minnesota Center for Photography go to www.mncp.org or contact the center by phone at 612-824-5500.
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ethan stark
BY kolina cicero The Coffman Memorial Union Theater crowd’s enthusiasm was almost startling. The smiling faces are those of the children and their families from New Orleans who lost nearly everything except each other to Hurricane Katrina in August of 2005. “Children of New Orleans, Still Weathering the Storm” was sponsored by Mercy Corps, New Orleans Center for Creative Arts/Riverfront and Operation REACH, Inc.; each of which are organizations contributing to the rebuilding of New Orleans. The speakers were eleven children sharing the documentary they made during six weeks at Gulfsouth Youth Action Camp. Before the film was screened, a slideshow displayed photos of devastated homes and ruined communities. And it was impossible to ignore the children talking and laughing as the desolate photographs faded in and out in front of them. Their high spirits were admirable, considering the sadness I felt looking at the images. The empathy in the eyes of those around me was noticeable as the documentary began. It is one thing to watch clips of the wreckage on the news, but it is a very different experience seeing the children’s homes in shambles while sitting in an auditorium with them. The documentary helps tell every child’s unique story. Bryanna Cooper, 14, explains that for nearly two weeks after Katrina hit she was separated from her mother. “I had to basically grow up overnight because I had major responsibilities to take care of,” she says. Such responsibilities included taking care of her grandmother, whose health assistance was swept away with everything else.
14/14–20 February 2007
The documentary captures Bryanna returning to her house for the first time since the storm. She walks into her barren room devoid of everything she once had. “Life as I knew it before Katrina is gone,” Bryanna explains. She says her experience was a wake-up call, and now finds it easier to express herself rather than keeping her thoughts and feelings closed up inside. I was shocked by the maturity and bravery these children possess. Jonathan Calders, 11, stands in front of what he once considered his house and points to a rusty line that spreads across it. “This is how high the water got,” Jonathan says. “It’s as tall as me.” Jonathan tells us that he lost contact with all of his friends except for one, and he was forced to leave the family cat, Ghost, behind.
Along with the standing water lines that embellish each house is a big “X” spray painted by the relief teams. Lingering above the “X” is the date the relief teams entered the house, some of which date up to three weeks after the hurricane hit. To the right is the number of bodies found, and underneath the “X” is the number of animals found when entering the house. On a Hurricane Katrina tour through New Orleans in December, I witnessed the reminders of the hurricane that still tarnish the sides of the houses. Many rooftops have holes in them carved by people in boats trying to find residents stuck in their attics. I had thought that New Orleans would be put back together after what seemed
to be so much rebuilding, but the tour showed me otherwise. The documentary expresses the children’s desire for help in making the transition from devastation to restoration. Parts of New Orleans still don’t have electricity or safe water. After the documentary, the children answered questions posed by the audience. They spoke about their participation in the summer camp, their perception of the government’s involvement with Katrina, and what gave them hope through the troubled times. They each expressed their gratitude for the volunteers that worked with them at the camp last summer. “Not only did I bond with the kids, I bonded with the counselors too,” Yorel Moon, 12, says. The camp provided a space where they were able to discuss their feelings and learn to cope with their tribulations. All of the children were enthusiastic about the success of the New Orleans Saints (the city’s professional football team) and how they contributed to the renovation. Angela Causie, 12, says the Saints give her hope because they reacted to Katrina quicker than the government did. The Saints also gave her a reason to celebrate, which is something these children needed in a period of such sadness. Despite the young ages of the children, they all have insight about the government’s involvement in the rebuilding process. “I think that the government didn’t respond to Katrina,” Tyre Brown, 11 says. “When they did it was too late. The houses were messed up from bottom to top.” Tyre
continues to say that people should go down to New Orleans to help because it isn’t over yet, and the money the government gave wasn’t enough. All of the children are all adamant about needing volunteers, not money. The Times-Picayune newspaper reports one year after Katrina that the number of Louisiana residents whose lives were taken by the hurricane totaled 1,464, and a total of 160,000 homes were destroyed. The Aug. 29, 2006 article continues to report that 240,000 Gulf Coast residents were forced to relocate, many who may never return. The effect of this many people fleeing the town was equally as devastating to some as the natural disaster itself, costing the elderly their medical assistance, some adults their jobs, and the children their education. Yorel compares New Orleans to a zoo. “People come, they look, and they leave,” she says. “New Orleans shouldn’t be treated like a zoo; it’s our home.” As the children stated, they need our help. They don’t need monetary donations or clothes; they need volunteers. If you are interested in helping, the Gulfsouth Youth Action Camp is looking for volunteers for the summer of 2007. Lisa Albrecht, Associate Professor from the School of Social Work at the University of Minnesota, is the consultant for this summer’s program. If you are interested in helping restore New Orleans, you can email her at lalbrech@umn.edu, or log onto www.thegyac.org for more information pertaining to the summer camp. “There is more than just the Mississippi River that connects us to New Orleans,” Albrecht says. “It’s our humanity.”
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The Next Fad in Popular Culture: Jewishness Hillel ponders what it means to be Jewish, what effect Jews have had on American society and why their influence matters. BY elizabeth aulwes Think, for a moment, of all the Jewish actors, directors, musicians, comedians, writers and other pop culture icons that you can. Is your brain overloading or are you drawing a blank? A long list should probably come to mind, Rafi SamuelsSchwartz of Hillel says. According to the JCSC Fellow, the context in which pop culture exists is one that was shaped by “Jewishness.” In Hillel’s entrance lounge, SamuelsSchwartz and nine others gathered for a discussion entitled “Just how Jewish are we anyway?” to talk about the influence Jews have had on American culture. “This much,” one student joked, holding his thumb and finger about an inch apart. No serious conclusion was arrived at, but the January 30 conversation made the prevalence of Jews in pop culture easy to see. Take, for example, indie rock. It’s predecessor, punk, was born in a dirty little bar in the Bowery in New York City, CBGB’s. The bar was a favorite hangout and performance spot for many of the most revered musicians in indie rock history, such as The Ramones, The Dictators, Lou Reed of The Velvet Underground, Richard Hell and The Voidoids and more. All of whom (except half of The Ramones), SamuelsSchwartz explained, are Jewish. None of these bands may be considered pop culture strictly, but musicians such as U2, Green Day and the Red Hot Chili Peppers cite them and underground rock in general as huge inspirations. “The Jews that came out of CBGB’s established a new genre of not just music, but popular culture,” SamuelsSchwartz says. You may have heard of some other popular Jewish entertainers. Recently a satirical film about an Eastern European
journalist who decides to travel through the United States, making a documentary of his adventure along the way, was released. It was called “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.” Sound familiar? Sacha Baron Cohen, its writer and leading actor is Jewish. And Jon Stewart, Jerry Seinfeld, Steven Spielberg, Norman Mailer, Adam Sandler, Thomas Friedman, Sarah Silverman and Ben Stiller, to name a few, are also Jewish.
So which came first, the chicken or the egg? “Is it inherent to Judaism to set the tone for pop culture?” Samuels-Schwartz wonders. “Or are we only noticing because they’re Jewish?” There are so many successful Jews. Perhaps they do possess some special DNA strand of superior creativity. Or on the other hand, we could just be looking too hard at their success. Maybe every minority community contributes, albeit in its own way, and we’re just not pay-
ing attention. It’s impossible to know, but an irresistible thought nonetheless. Perhaps time will tell as pop culture and the Jewish community evolve. “Jewishness has reached a point in American dialogue where it’s begun to reflect back on itself,” Samuels-Schwartz says. It’s very introspective and aware of its role on the national mood. “It’s reached a second renaissance.”
The discussion at Hillel focused for some time on what it means to be Jewish. “It’s not simply a religion,” Samuels-Schwartz says. There’s a culture behind Judaism that’s more than just birthright or faith. He calls it “Jewishness” or “Jewyness.” The difference is “a question of semantics.” It’s societal; it’s an “attitude”, Samuels-Schwartz explains.
There’s a culture behind Judaism that’s more than just birthright or faith. He calls it “Jewishness” or “Jewyness.” But really, what’s the significance of “Jewishness” in American pop culture? There’s no clear answer, but the discussion came to a few enlightening conclusions. “[The Jewish history] is the quintessential American success story in that it’s a small minority that goes on to great success but still feels the pressure of being a small minority,” SamuelsSchwartz explains. “American pop culture is always the story of the underdog who makes it big.” In other words, many Jews have had the personal experience to identify with a classic storyline that sells easily, but at the same time, many in the Jewish community feel an obligation to produce, give back or succeed because of their small size. An excerpt from Samuels-Schwartz’s inspiration for the discussion, Steven Beeber’s book The Heebie-Jeebies at CBGB’s: A Secret History of Jewish Punk elaborates: “Punk is Jewish… Punk reflects the whole Jewish history of oppression and uncertainty, flight and wandering, belonging and not belonging, always being divided, being both in and out, good and bad, part and apart.”
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Campus/
Bob Dylan’s American Journey 1956-1966 Wiesman Art Museum: Feb. 3rd – April. 29th BY carl carpenter The story of Bob Dylan is as mythological a tale as any ever told. No iconic figure has loomed larger in the cultural conscience over the last forty-five years. How could any single tale or any body of work claim such longevity? The new Weisman Art exhibit does its best to piece together the puzzle while paying due tribute to Minnesota’s favorite son. The exhibit kicked off on the night of February the 2nd via a preview party featuring several area musicians. “Spider,” John Koerner, and Tony “Little Sun” Glover, Dylan’s contemporaries on the Dinkytown folk scene, were the first to perform. The duo is as true a testament as can possibly be paid to those times of old. They sat on a makeshift stage, howlin’ and stompin’ their way through a much appreciated set. The next act was a confusing selection. A rap group from Hibbing, Minnesota, named, The Big Ticket, took the stage a half hour later. They must have been the only musical act going in Hibbing as I can think of little other explanation. I spoke with them before they took the stage, where they announced their disdain for the powers that be. “We always have to clean our shit up for places like this,” claimed one of the two MC’s. Their short performance was a comical series of frantic pacing, pumping fists, botched lines, aborted freestyles, and un-memorized lyrics. Next, Haley Bonar played a characteristically captivating set, offering the crowd a true display of impassioned music. She started with favorites like “Hawaii,” and “Am I Allowed.” She also played a new song, “Queen of Everything,” and a cover of Dylan’s, “He Was a Friend of Mine.” The exhibit itself begins with pictures and artifacts from Dylan’s youth. There were photos and paintings of the sparse, desolate landscape of his hometown, old yearbooks Dylan signed and old writing assignments from the quiet, seen but not heard, student. There was a bit of verse Dylan had written about his town. It talked about high school football and being able to see clear across mainstreet. The
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final line was about escaping these doldrums, “I ran away from it when I was 10, 12, 13, 15, 15 1/2, 17 an’ 18. I been caught an’ brought back all but once.” There were other lyrics painted on the wall as well. There’s an interesting effect to reading the handwritten lyrics of my favorite songs - it allowed the words to hit closer to home. There’s a large section dedicated to the next phase in his life. Dylan was in Minneapolis from the summer of 59’, right before his freshman year at the U of M, to fall of 60’, right before he took off for New York City. It was an exciting moment frozen in time and captured to perfection. The folk history is rich, often cited for its importance in the Bohemian movement that soon followed. A listening station and an accompanying chair allow visitors to sit back and enjoy a bit of priceless nostalgia. Titled, “Minnesota Party Tape,” it is a recording of Dylan at a Dinkytown apartment, playing and laughing with friends. Nearby are copies of the Little Sandy Review, a folk magazine produced by pioneer rock critics, Paul Nelson and John Pankake. They taught Dylan a great deal about folk and were the first publication to announce that Dylan was using a pseudonym. I talked with John Koerner, Dylan’s first friend in Minneapolis, about this memorable point in history. On the topic of Dylan’s flattering words about him in the autobiographical Chronicals, Koerner said, “Well I told him, either you’re making it up or I just can’t remember as well.” When I brought up the passed around story of Dylan stealing some of Paul Nelson’s albums, Koerner said, “Well I wouldn’t doubt it.” “Dylan was just one of many goofballs hangin’ around together,” Koerner laughed. He came across one of the guitars in a display case and he pondered who the rightful owner truly was. “Well I was lookin’ at it, and I started thinking, ‘Hey, that looks awful familiar. Looks a lot like one I used to have.’ ”
Dylan was in Minneapolis from the summer of '59, right before his freshman year at the U of M, to fall of '60. From there, the exhibit moves on to Greenwich Village, Dylan’s post U of M headquarters. A diagram marks the area
John Cohen
Dylan played, with a picture and paragraph revealing its particular importance. There are photographs and authentic posters from his earliest of shows, and an audio recording of Dylan’s debut concert at Carnegie Hall. On display is Dylan’s evolution to writing topically, as his idol Woody Guthrie often did. This was accompanied by a video and a few readings illustrating his immeasurable effect on both the counterculture and Civil Rights Movement, and his service as a bridge between the two. Seven listening booths, each holding a different Dylan album, provide explanations and insight. Several areas focused on the trend of artists covering Dylan to great commercial success. Newspaper clippings were dispersed among the displays. One spoke of the supposed rivalry between Dylan and England’s heralded folk musician, Donovan, and another about the Beatles’ first encounter with the legendary Minnesotan. They’ve got paintings
from Dylan’s reclusive, post motorcycle crash days in up-state New York. And the video booths could captivate you for hours. The Dylan documentary, Don’t Look Back, filmed by D.A. Pennebaker, is often referred to as the basis for all Rock Docs to follow. The scene of Dylan’s verbal spar with an English science student, writing for a school paper, will make you laugh and appreciate the mystery of Dylan. Even at his most vibrant, arguing unguarded for several minutes, you are still left wondering where his thoughts and intentions truly lie. They’ve also got footage from the unreleased, “Eat the Document,” also filmed with Pennebaker. So when you’re out ‘Blowin’ In the Wind,’ ‘Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright,’ ‘You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere’ but to the Weisman for some ‘Shelter from the Storm,’ you’ll discover how, ‘Bob Dylan’s Dream’ was realized, and how ‘Bob Dylan’s Blues’ were
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Blackfaces in Film BY janessa dohse At the entrance of the Atrium Gallery in the Andersen Library, an old-fashioned marquee reads: “Now Playing: Blackface(s) in Film, The Givens Collection of African-American Literature.” The exhibit celebrates black film pioneers like actor Sidney Poitier and directors Oscar Micheaux, Spike Lee and Gordon Parks, who became Hollywood’s first major black director with The Learning Tree, 1969, and also happens to have spent some of his life in St. Paul, Minn. I walk the miniature red carpet into the exhibit and am greeted at the end by a mannequin, dressed like a ticket-taker in black pants and a gray suit jacket with gold buttons. Movie posters line the wall, some of which include Mo’ Better Blues, 1990, and Shaft, 1971. Exhibit curator Karla Davis says that she hopes the exhibit’s design adds to a visitor’s overall experience. “Rather than just a static display with books and scripts in a case, visitors get to walk a red carpet and are greeted by an usher,” she says.
“Rather than just a static display with books and scripts in a case, visitors get to walk a red carpet and are greeted by an usher.” Once inside the exhibit, I immediately feel like I’m in a movie set. On both sides of the exhibit are huge film lights. On the back wall of the exhibit sits a stilted camera behind a red director’s chair. On the floor next to the chair is a white megaphone and a pile of shiny, silver movie reels. On the left wall of the exhibit are three black and white photographs, one of Dorothy Dandridge, one of Oprah Winfrey, and one of Spike Lee on posters as tall as the room itself. Hanging from the ceiling are five movie reels, each one designating a distinct part of the exhibit. Reel 1, “Directors,” features
screenplays and press kits from many popular black film directors. In wooden display cases covered with thick glass lies a collection of the work of these directors. One case holds some of the images and text from the press kit of Spike Lee’s Malcolm X, 1992, with Denzel Washington and Angela Bassett, as well as images and text from the press kit of Jungle Fever, 1991. A copy of Spike Lee’s That’s My Story and I’m Sticking to It also rests in this case. Reel 2 showcases books made into films. The display cases in this part of the exhibit features, among many, Amistad, by Alexs Pate, which is based on the screenplay by David Franzoni. The book To Sir, with Love, by E.R. Braithwaite and the screenplay by James Clavell is also on display here. “We’ve all had the experience of seeing a movie that couldn’t capture the spirit of the book it was based on. And sometimes the movies are indeed better than the books,” Davis says. Reel 3, “Pulitzer Prize Winners Made into Films,” holds Beloved by Toni Morrison, The Color Purple by Alice Walker, and several others. Reel 4, “Other Scripts of Interest,” contains Belafonte, 1960, and Lena, 1965. In Reel 5, “Biographies of Film Stars,” you can find The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography by Sidney Poitier and Nobody: The Story of Bert Williams by Ann Charters. Davis says that through the exhibit she hopes people might learn of the many ways in which African Americans have contributed to the film industry. “Too often the focus is on actors and actresses, but African-Americans contribute to the scripts and directing duties too,” Davis says. She knows that when most people think of black directors, Spike Lee is the name that comes to mind. But directors like Micheaux and Parks paved the way for him, which is something many people don’t know. “Blackface(s) in Film” is open now until February 28. Normal hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., but Davis is happy to make other arrangements with interested parties.
The Wake is looking for freelance writers, illustrators and photographers. To apply visit wakemag.org or e-mail us at office@wakemag.org
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Voices/
Valentine’s Day is the worst, and you know it BY andy irland More couples break up on Valentine’s Day than any other day of year. Surprised? Given that everyone takes the frivolous festival way too seriously, this shouldn’t register as a shock. Just when you think you’re clear of another heavily commercialized holiday season, businesses and the media give you another excuse to splurge on worthless clutter. Never mind that your checkbook has yet to recover—now you’re obligated to buy flowers, cards, candies, jewelry, stuffed bears, little pink hearts and cupids for your sweetheart. What’s worse, the unattached are left out and made to look a fool. Valentine’s Day marks that special time of year when people are expected to either give in to those warm, squishy feelings or slide deeper into the despairs of sexual frustration. I, for one, see through the lies clouding the minds of those on either side of this deadly divide. Stop planning, take a moment to evaluate and the futility of it all will be made clear. Let me just say that Valentine’s Day isn’t even a real holiday. In 1969, the Catholic Church realized that St. Valentine was more myth than man and abolished his saint’s day. Still, every year without fail, the symptoms are everywhere. Almost every storefront screams of the same sappy, idealistic love that seems so tired and unconvincing within the backdrop of reality. The notion of equating impulse buys to unconditional love has made February 14th another reminder of the pitfalls of materialism.
18/14–20 February 2007
Consumers under the spell of this evil, false holiday often convince themselves into being moved by the gesture of a giant bear or a lavish bouquet. The reality is that Valentine’s Day gifts can needlessly justify or strain a relationship. People will attempt to express feelings they don’t possess or smother a good situation with a pricey piece of commitment jewelry. A quick glance at the unspoken etiquette involved exposes more ridiculousness. Guys are taught to pamper their ladies with prepackaged sentiment, usually coupled with a romantic rendezvous, preplanned and prepaid, of course. This can lead to a quiet tension between men, stemming from rivalries over who’s secured the best dinner arrangements. There should be limits to what a guy will do for sex. Girls ogle over and judge each others’ gifts, or lack thereof. To some, finding the perfect greeting card for the occasion is a matter of life or death. If you’re gonna say it, don’t pay someone to say it for you.
People will attempt to express feelings they don’t possess or smother a good situation with a pricey piece of commitment jewelry. What if you don’t have a special someone? In recent years, the indifferent, inadequate and awkward have resorted to creating their own anti-holiday: Singles Awareness Day. Participants take this as an opportunity to revel in the single life, usually carried out by exerting their independence or buying things. Giving in to the desperation brought on by society’s pressure to get romantically involved, they pull the shades, plant themselves on the couch, and watch the most violent flick they can find.
Others have “Singles Awareness” parties, where they exchange gifts, drink copious amounts and vent about their failed attempts at courtship. I don’t agree with any of this. The real way to resist Valentine’s Day is by not acknowledging it to begin with. Why deal with all the shitty self-evaluation that comes along with going out of your way to avoid every last pink balloon and kissing couple? If you oppose making even the slightest adjustment to your daily routine, you’ve got Valentine’s Day by the balls. Furthermore, any attempt to fill the void by procuring a personal truckload of Sweethearts and gobbling them down in secret is doomed to failure. It’s only a matter of time before their soft-spoken little carvings will reduce you to what Hallmark expects: a miserable single on Valentine’s Day. Silly consumer, love messages are for couples. Others still insist that February 14th is about spreading goodwill to all. They tell us to wish a perfect stranger on the street corner a Happy Valentine’s Day and scamper off with glee. This is the same as getting pinched on St. Patrick’s Day for not wearing green. The fact that it’s supposed to be a gesture of kindness just adds to the irritation. As I have demonstrated, the real joy of this Hallmark holiday is reserved for society’s cynical non-participants, who are struck with a tinge of sympathy as their committed friends leave to make that dreaded trip to the florist. “Poor guy,” we say to ourselves. It’s ironic that Chaucer’s poem, which first associated the Feast of St. Valentine with birds choosing their mates, was actually in reference to May 3rd. Maybe that’s why this holiday sucks so hard. It goes against nature itself to force romance amidst the bleakness of mid-February. If only society could take a hint.
I’m a “Woman,” Not a “Girl,” You Sexist Shit Head Everyday language demonstrates a prejudiced society
she is less important than the males in her presence; whether or not she is conscious of it, the message is out there. This belittling is bound to make a woman less confident to ask for a raise or go for a promotion, thus adding to the pay discrepancy between women and men in the United States. (In 2005, college-educated women earned only 72 percent as much as college-educated men, according to the National Committee on Pay Equity.) In short, it is patronizing. The word “girl” (similar to boy, which is used much less often) has come to have negative connotations no matter who it’s applied to; calling a man a girl, for example, is to say that he is a wimp, a sissy, childlike, un-masculine or effeminate, which in our culture is obviously meant as an insult. When the word “boy” is used, nobody would think of a professional, middle-aged man in a work setting. They would instead picture a child, so why would a professional woman of the same age be labeled “girl?”
BY anna brauch The general belief among the American population today is that sexism is a thing of the past. When someone points out a sexist behavior or remark, the people around often write it off as hypersensitivity about being “politically correct.” The truth is that sexism is still extensive in our society, and the very fact that people believe sexism is nonexistent is symptomatic of the problem. One of the largest areas in which sexism is problematic is our language. Specifically, the word “girl” is often used to refer to an adult woman, whereas the word “boy” is almost never used in reference to an adult man, unless an insult is intended. When someone uses the word “boy,” the listener pictures a child, not past adolescence. But “girl” is universal for females of any age; many grown women refer to themselves as girls.
The word “girl” (similar to boy, which is used much less often) has come to have negative connotations no matter who it’s applied to. This mislabeling of women appears to be indicative of the association of women with children, or the idea that women are “childlike” in nature; it also reflects disrespect toward women that, unfortunately, seems to be regarded as entirely acceptable since people are rarely admonished for their sexist language. When women refer to themselves as girls, it is also symptomatic and reflects the damage done to her by hearing “girl” applied to her and the women around her. Social conditioning like this makes evident that women have been made uncomfortable referring to themselves as adults, apart from children. Aside from a reflection of a greater disrespectful attitude toward women, calling us “girls” has larger consequences that are tied to other gender discrepancies in our society. For example, when a woman is referred to as a girl by a male colleague or boss, she is getting the message that
In college classrooms, the problem is especially prevalent and painfully damaging. Male professors, as well as female, are likely to refer to the women in the classroom as girls. The anti-feminist would argue that gender equality in higher education has been achieved because the numbers of men and women in colleges are roughly even, but to spend time in a classroom that has both male and female students would show differently, and the words used to refer to women reflect the trouble women still face in educational settings. Arguably, women have reconfigured the word “girl” in some instances to be a positive one, as in “girl power” or “girls’ night out,” and used feminist plays on the word, such as in “grrl” and “gurl,” but these uses are not applicable to the more widespread use of the word, mainly by men, to refer to a woman in a professional, social, or educational setting. Arguing for a change in language toward women is not simply a fight for “political correctness” or a squabble over semantics; it brings with it the changes women seek in equal pay, equal treatment and equal opportunities, as well as an improvement in attitudes towards women’s worth. To dismiss this noticeable cultural anomaly as insignificant would be at the very least an insult to the feminist movement. And speaking of which, when did “feminist” become such a dirty word? What with the ultra offensive label of “feminazi,” I think popularized by the devil’s own Rush Limbaugh, it is not surprising that assertive, self-confident women are still second class citizens throughout most of the world. A facet of some women’s reluctance to adopt this attitude is likely seated in the fear of becoming “unattractive” or seeming “too brainy”. With childhood companions like the talking Barbie dolls of the 90’s, which declared, “Let’s go shopping!” and “Math is hard!” it’s no surprise that as adults, we continue to subconsciously demote ourselves. We’re women, not girls, so ditch this misnomer and start treating us the way you’d expect to be treated, with respect. That’s all we ask, and honestly, it shouldn’t be that big of deal.
\Voices Photo Poll
by Rahima Schwenkbeck
How do you feel about the proposed law allowing police to pull you over for not wearing a seatbelt? I worry that this new law will open the doors to a lot of citizen/police confrontation. Any officer could just pull you over and claim that you didn’t have your seat belt buckled, even when you did, then try to get you for something else. ERICE SMITH
Print Journalism Senior
I believe that a person has the right to choose to wear one or not. That choice does not impede on anyone else’s safety, and therefore it shouldn’t be the soul reason someone is pulled over. CRYSTAL DICKSON
Public Relations Junior
I think it’s your own prerogative how safe you want to be by choosing to wear a seatbelt or not. ALLISON KOSIR
Biochemistry Sophomore
That’s just another excuse to try and catch me ridin’ dirty. THOMAS WENDT
PSYCHOLOGY AND COMPARATIVE LITERATURE Junior
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Literary/
I Saw the Tree
A Special Thank You From Jacob Duellman
By Rosemary Grunhard
I saw the tree and it was knotted and twisted Its face was hidden from me. It was twisted, her body was twisted. Right around the middle she was twisted. And she was there. Rooted and hunched and twisted. She was rooted and hunched and twisted. She was winding in her waiting, growing more twisted, waiting and growing, twisted and waiting to release, to let go, to unwind those knots, to spring to open to fling her hair, shriveling contortions of brown and green She waits to spread her branches, to scream a song of release, to walk uprooted. Feet entangled in dirt she tilts and toils to lift her head that’s buried beneath, buried with eyes closed. Rooted within her waiting she is holding knots and twists at a stand still.
Boat Ride on Lake Vertigo By Rosemary Grunhard Chasing sun on water we glide on husks of metal across earth or sky not knowing which end is up. Wind slides between shirt and skin causing bodies to search for heat, thigh against thigh. His profile cuts horizon, searching infinite blue as I watch ripples recede from oar, wooden, smooth, and slender. I grab his hand as we slip through water like glass
20/14–20 February 2007
It is not every Friday night that one may find Dinkytown alive with such wonderful creativity as we experienced last Friday at our first open-mic of the semester. It was a true delight to see so many brilliant minds assemble at the Starlight Cafe, regardless of the rather frigid temperature or the weather-exposed treks some had to make across town to attend. Among the musical highlights, Old Time Religion and the Jokes, along with Raw Sugar, kept the night running smoothly (both have been regulars at our events). We got to hear some brilliant poetry and comedic essays and were even graced with some additional stellar acoustic performances from people around the community. The strong interest we received from so many of you in the crowd has us itching to get started on planning the next event. Look for it in the coming weeks. Thank you to the performers and all who attended.
I’m looking for Monster Truck themed poems and stories. Got any? jduellman@wakemag.org
HOW TO submit to the Literary section: Submitting is easy! Send your poems, short stories or suggestions to jduellman@wakemag.org Attach your work using Microsoft Word and also include your piece in the body of the e-mail. Any accompanying illustrations must be sent at 300 DPI. Still have concerns? We are also available to meet in person to workshop your creative work. Just send an e-mail to set an appointment. We don’t bite... hard0
\Literary
Literary Events Who: David Treuer What: The author discusses ‘The Translations of Dr. Appelles.’ When: Thursday, Feb. 15th, 7 pm. Where: Hamline Midway Branch Library (1558 W Minnehaha Ave, St. Paul), FREE
The Liminal, a literary journal sponsored by The Wake Student Magazine is now accepting submissions. We welcome everyone to please send poetry, prose, short fiction, creative non-fiction, art & photography to Liminal@wakemag.org. Submissions should be 2,000 words or less. Art & photography must be sent at a resolution of 300 DPI. In addition, we have free copies of past issues of the Liminal available in the Wake office. If you would like a copy, please send us an e-mail so we can make arrangments for receiving.
Deadline for Submissions:
March 9th, 2007 Liminal@wakemag.org
Who: LUSH What: A Poetry Anthology and Cocktail Guide Publication Party with Readings (live music too) When: Thursday, Feb. 15th, 8:30 pm. Where: Nomad World Pub, (501 Cedar Ave S (at Riverside Ave), Mpls.) $4 Who: U of M MFA What: MFA Reading When: Thursday, Feb. 15th, 7:30 pm. Where: The Loft Literary Center (1011 Washington Ave S, Ste 200 (Open Book), Mpls.), FREE Who: Annual Camden Colloquium What: Poetry; Prose; Visual Art. When: Saturday, Feb. 17th, 1 pm. Where: Gethsemane Lutheran Church (4656 Colfax Ave N, Mpls.), FREE Who: Cheryl Strayed What: The author reads from her novel, ‘Torched.’ When: Monday, Feb. 19th, 7:30 pm. Where: Magers & Quinn Booksellers (3038 Hennepin Ave S, Mpls.), FREE Who: Thomas R. Smith What: Poetry, with Robert Bly When: Monday, Feb. 19th, 8 pm. Where: Plymouth Congregational Church (1900 Nicollet Ave S, Mpls.), FREE Who: Tim Nolan; Kim Ode What: The authors read from recent works. With host Carol Connolly. When: Tuesday, Feb. 20th, 7:30 pm. Where: University Club (420 Summit Ave, St. Paul), FREE
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Best Valentine’s award: The Rod Stewart International Award of Merit for Advances in Reanimating the Dead Honorable mention: “The Rape Wine Awards”
Men Seeking Men
Women Seeking Women
Tall, Dark and Handsome w/ Scuba Gear danceswithdolphins@gmail.com SWM Recently divorced, obese, seeking sugardaddies, both candy and guy who will pay for my shit. 555-867-5309
SWF seeking mutant lover, Eye beams prefferable, advnced healing factor acceptable, advanced telekinetic abilities capable of lifting at least 18 inches of double dildo a must shehulk@hotmail.com
Women Seeking Men
Men Seeking Women
Single Jamaican Woman, heavily tattooed, seeking Shaman for freaky witch sex, contact pinktiggleson@wakemag.org
SWM seeking tits with legs for aggressive, unfulfilling sex Todd@anyfratinamerica.edu
SWF seeking serial killer for random makeout sessions. 651-555-BONER
Men Seeking Orks We ride north in the morning … into my pants. bbruininks@umn.edu
Best Valentine’s laxative: White Castle Honorable mention: The Screech Sex tape
Worst way to die on Valentine’s: Masturbating to Cat Fancy Honorable mention: reading Cat Fancy Best aphrodisiac: romance
Honorable mention: violence Best secret to making sweet love: Scented candles Honorable mention: A vat of pudding, rabid racoons, and Rubbing Alcohol
22/14-20 February 2007
Eric Price
Call it supporting irony—or even overthrowing tyranny, if you’d like. Vote for The Wake as “best student group” on the fifth page of the Minnesota Daily’s annual survey. It’ll only take a minute—you can even leave everything else blank. Go to: www.mndaily.com/grapevines/grapevines2007.php
Eric Price
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Guitar Lessons in Como Neighborhood | Beg-Adv Acoust/Elect, Rates OAP | 605-228-5595
HP Deskjet 832C printer w/ good cartridges and cables $30 | 651-291-0827 erinandpete@comcast.net Fedders window air conditioner $50 obo 651-291-0827 erinandpete@comcast.net New Frigidaire black microwave, overthe-range, $150 612-251-0577 dkim40@ yahoo.com New Slumberland full mattress, box spring + frame, $150, 612-251-0577 dkim40@yahoo.com 4 black suitcases: 2 Samsonite, 1 Swiss Army, 1 American Tourister $60obo, 612251-0577 dkim40@yahoo.com
Looking for a drummer and bass player.Heavy metal/industrial genre. If interested call: 651-492-8692. Free Lunch and Mural viewing of OM’S LAW, on how to cleanup pollution in a hurry, cheap and easy, safe and sane. From scrap. Daily 11:00 am to noon inside and outside at the Pillsbury-Waite House by the painted Rockfish at 13th and 26th ST S, in Phillips. come, or be hungry. ARIZ ANON