THE CURRENT Your weekly dose of arts and entertainment • Thursday, February 6th, 2014
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HEY, HEY, HEY Ellery Hampton brings hospitality, humor to Allison Dining Hall BY SOFIA RADA
She is not an actress, musician, talk show host or reality TV star, but she has a catchphrase. “Hey hey hey!” Ellery Marie Hampton began working at Northwestern Mail Services 26 years ago. She has been working as a cashier at Allison Dining Hall for the past nine. She works there from Tuesday to Saturday, 5 to 8:30 p.m. She explained she started greeting people with her famous phrase because “so many kids come to the dining hall that I didn’t want to say, ‘Hey, Hi, Hi, Hi,’ 500 times.” Instead, she welcomes everyone at once with her three-pronged greeting, which she pairs with an open-mouth smile and bright, shining eyes. She says she never gets bored. Her favorite thing about her job is the people. She loves getting to meet so many of them and satisfying her
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customers. “I know quite a bit of them,” she said. “I just don’t know their names. I talk to them and ask, ‘How you doing? Are you OK? You ain’t tryin’ to jump off a cliff are you? Don’t stress. You can talk to me anytime!’” Hampton’s love of people also extends to her co-workers. “They’re good people,” she said. “My supervisors, my managers, I get along with all of them.” This is a job she fought for and isn’t considering retiring from or leaving anytime soon. She got it after calling the human resources department, asking what positions were available and putting in an application. But that was not enough. » See HAMPTON, page 2
INSIDE: Odds & Ends 2 | Columns 3 | Reviews 4
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From page 1
“I constantly called the human resource representative until he hired me,” she recalls
with a laugh. Besides Allison, Hampton has worked at Sargent Hall, Foster-Walker Complex and Lisa’s Cafe. When asked whether she likes Allison more than the other dining halls, though, she does not hesitate to answer, giggling, “Yes, I do.” “I guess it’s because I’ve been there so long,” she said. “Once you become stable working in a place, you make the best of it.” She said Allison has become a sort of
family for her. “Some of the students, before they graduate, you know, before they go home, they come back here.” As for the food at Allison, she has no complaints. “All of it is so good, but I’m just a potato eater,” she said. “The mashed potatoes, the sweet mashed potatoes. But I don’t really have a preference. I’m satisfied with how my coworkers cook.” During her off hours, Ellery spends time with co-workers or heads to her office. A bulletin board hangs on its back wall. She has pinned up purple letters, which spell
out “Love yourself ” and “Be happy.” She has also pinned photos of family, friends and President Barack Obama along with notes, letters and greeting cards she has received from friends and students. And a clipping from The Daily. It was written by Samantha Booth in 2011 and titled “A final tip of the hat, wag of the finger.” In it, Booth looks back on the NU experience by approving and critiquing different features of the university. The weather, for example, gets a predictable wag of the finger. However, what stands out from this clipping is the paragraph Hampton has marked with blue highlighter: “Tip of the hat to my
favorite people on campus: the Blomquist mountain climber, the guy with the skateboard shoes who rolls up and down Sheridan, unicycle guy and Ellery. Hey, hey, hey.” One of the notes Hampton has pinned is signed by “Allison Resident” and reads, “Ellery, Hey hey hey. Thank you for the constant hospitality, smiles, laughs and good times!” What you will not find on the board are pictures of Hampton’s kids. “(NU students) are why I don’t have any,” she said. “Cause I got so many.” sofiarada@u.northwestern.edu
5 WORDS
HAMPTON
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Odds & Ends
Bruno Mars and the Red Hot Chili Peppers were already up against some serious odds. Following Beyonce is no easy task, especially when it comes to a Super Bowl halftime performance. However, they lived up to the hype in becoming the most watched halftime show ever Sunday. Did Bruno Mars assert his rightful place with music’s biggest legends? Northwestern students give their five words for his performance. — Compiled by Kendall Siewert
Q&A W/
Angela Lee of Todoroki BY SARAH RENSE
Source: Facebook
Sushi may not have infiltrated your taste pallet quite yet (looking at you, Midwesterners), but there’s no denying that it’s much more than a mere fad. Todoroki Hibachi and Sushi, 526 Davis St., is working to form relationships with Northwestern and the Evanston community by making sushi accessible to most, and it’s hitting up campus first. According to the restaurant’s marketing associate, Angela Lee, Todoroki is all about that community outreach these days, especially with its second anniversary celebration fast approaching. So get ready to stuff your face with spicy tuna and yellowtail, and if you’re really in the mood, Todoroki’s signature Sex on the Beach roll. Sushi is here to stay.
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The Current: Why did the owner decide to open a sushi restaurant in Evanston? Angela Lee: I think the idea is that they wanted to give back to the community, to give it a sushi restaurant with great value and great food. … They’re very conscious of that because obviously, sushi can get very expensive, and they want people to walk out of here with a full meal, a full stomach and not have to spend an exceptional amount. The Current: What’s interesting about Todoroki’s sushi?
AL: I would say our sushi rolls have progressed. For example, I remember we tested out a sushi roll for Valentine’s Day last year. It was so popular we just put it on the menu. … They’re always changing up the menu, trying new things and discovering new dishes. The Current: What is the strangest roll at Todoroki? AL: It’s actually a dessert sushi roll, and it came from our Valentine’s Day special. It’s called the Sweet Tooth, and it’s literally a dessert. It kind of throws me off. … But if it’s popular enough to be on the menu, then I guess why not? The Current: Why do you think people love sushi so much? AL: Sushi’s something that I’ve always personally enjoyed. It’s one of those things where if you like it, you probably love it, and if you don’t, then probably it’s not your thing. The good thing about Todoroki is that we offer not just sushi, but other dishes like the hibachi. If you don’t eat fish, it’s not like you can’t come to the restaurant. The Current: How has Todoroki marketed itself to college students? AL: I think the Munchies have worked out really well. We started that in the fall, and that’s something we hadn’t done before. I know you’re all living in the dorms as freshmen and sophomores. I know there’s a ton of Munchies available, so I thought it would be a really good chance for us to get involved and to provide some free food for different groups on campus. The Current: What has changed in the most in the past two years? AL: We’re very much involved in giving back to the community, making sure not just that people know us but also know that we’re a brand that cares. sarahrense2016@u.northwestern.edu
“Not quite at Beyonce’s level.” — Tanner Maxwell
“Bruno Mars for the win.”
— Stephanie Risler
ichael Jackson.” — Megan Suckut
“Looks like ‘80s M
“I did not watch it.” — Kimmy Fishman
HERE WE GO AGAIN
— Compiled by Erica Witte
THE CURRENT Editor in Chief Devan Coggan
“Guys, it happened. I met Beyonce. And she is an angel. And I am not worthy. And I will never stop shaking. #PatheticFanGirlOfTheYear” — Anna Kendrick on Twitter.
“Just ‘cause you chew it and swallow it and poop it out doesn’t mean it’s food.” — Cameron Diaz about Taco Bell, to Self magazine.
“Weird thing — everyone who went to the Grammys wound up married at the end — whether they wanted to or not. Steve Tyler is now Mrs. Ryan Seacrest.” — Jimmy Kimmel on his late-night talk show.
“MTV’s paying me today in ones, so we can all go to the strip club after this.” — Miley Cyrus after her performance on the network’s “Unplugged.”
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Assistant Editors Laken Howard Hayley Glatter Design Editors Jessica Fang Susan Chen
Writers Mollie Cahillane Rohan Nadkarni Benjamin Kraft Sofia Rada Sarah Rense Chelsea Sherlock Kendall Siewert Erica Witte Miranda Leon
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Columns
The Current | Page 3
Smoked gouda mac ‘n cheese BENJAMIN KRAFT
As the never-ending polar air freezes our hearts one walk to Tech at a time, warm food has never been more appreciated. With a quick trip to Whole Foods or Jewel-Osco and a few pots and pans, it’s easy to make a piping-hot dinner in your dorm or apartment to melt your “Frozen” heart. This week, I took over the kitchen in Allison Hall to make this healthy yet delightful and filling salad and pasta combination. Though last week’s stuffed pepper recipe was tasty, the resulting dish was encapsulated in a wee green suit, all alone on its stark white plate. I thought this week I would combine two dishes to make sure no space on the plate was left unoccupied. What resulted was a meal that could stuff five to six college students for only $40 total. I know what you’re thinking: Pasta and salad, even combined, hardly seems filling, much less tasty. Try this recipe, then email me about your eye-opening revelation. I have never been a health nut and honestly don’t particularly like salad or really anything green. But this dish surprised me. The pasta, even filled with spinach, just tasted like scrumptious molten cheese and cream, even though the whole dish only uses two cups of fat free milk and a tablespoon of butter. The salad, decked out with walnuts, apple slices, mild goat cheese and a sweet, tart dressing was surprisingly enjoyable to eat as well — not just another bowl of iceberg lettuce. As a final note, I have a story: The recipes I used said they would only feed four people, but by combining the dishes, I had plenty of leftovers. I walked out into the Allison lounge and asked if anyone wanted free food. A very lovely young lady reading on the couch looked up at me and asked what kind of food. “Smoked Gouda and spinach mac ‘n cheese with an apple, walnut and endive side salad,” I said. Her immediate response was to ask me to marry her. Notes, single people, you should be taking them. That said, any time you want to impress someone, make them these dishes. They are vegetarian, healthy and delicious and they look beautiful for the brief moments between their completion and complete annihilation.
RECIPES COLUMNIST
Serves 5-6 | Hands-on time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour | Source: MyRecipes and Yummly Smoked Gouda mac ‘n cheese: Ingredients: 1 (1-ounce) slice of whole wheat bread 1 tablespoon butter 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 cups fat-free milk 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded smoked Gouda cheese 1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese 5 cups coarsely chopped fresh spinach 4 cups hot cooked elbow macaroni (about 2 cups uncooked) Cooking spray
Sunday’s Super Bowl not only lacked an exciting contest, but the commercial offerings also lagged behind what we’ve come to expect from America’s biggest game. Despite the disappointment, some ads still stood out from the flotsam. Here are a few awardwinners that caught my eye. Best use of a Northwestern alum: Stephen Colbert for Wonderful Pistachios These two commercials were awesome. Colbert really shined in his two spots — and put on for our school in doing so. One of these days, it will be nice when our star of Super Bowl Sunday is actually on the field. Until then, Colbert is a more-than-worthy replacement. Biggest surprise: TurboTax TurboTax’s spot featured the normal guy who had to suffer through prom while the girl of his dreams went with another guy. Props to the company for delivering this storyline in such a fresh way. Although I still know nothing about taxes or how to do them, this commercial resonated in a way tax commercials usually don’t. While some may complain this ruins the ad, to me, that’s the beauty of it. Well done, TurboTax.
Ingredients: 1/3 cup walnuts (coarsely chopped) 2 teaspoons mustard (grainy) 1 teaspoon honey 1 shallot (minced) 3 tablespoons cider vinegar 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil Coarse salt Ground pepper 2 apples (red, quartered and cored, cutting each quarter into 8 wedges) 6 cups of baby arugula (washed and dried) 1 Belgian endive (leaves separated, washed and dried) 1/4 cup fresh mint (leaves coarsely chopped)
Directions: 1. In a small skillet over medium heat, toast walnuts, stirring frequently until crisp and fragrant, for about five minutes. 2. In a large bowl, whisk together the mustard, honey, shallot and vinegar until well combined. Whisk in the oil until thick; season with salt and pepper. 3. Add apple and arugula; toss to coat. 4. Arrange endive leaves on five to six serving plates, top with apple mixture and scatter mint, cheese and walnuts over the top. benjaminkraft2017@u.northwestern.edu
Benjamin Kraft/The Daily Northwestern
Despite some standouts, commercials disappoint
COLUMNIST @Rohan_NU
2 ounces soft goat cheese (crumbled)
Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Place bread in a food processor, and pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1/2 cup (or just rip into the smallest possible pieces). 3. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic; cook 1 minute. 4. Add flour; cook one minute, stirring constantly. 5. Gradually add milk, salt and pepper, stirring constantly with a whisk until blended. Bring to a boil; cook until thick (about two minutes). 6. Add cheeses; stir until melted. 7. Add spinach and macaroni to cheese sauce, stirring until well blended. 8. Spoon mixture into a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs. 9. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until bubbly.
Super Bowl Ads: ROHAN NADKARNI
Apple, walnut and endive salad:
series featuring Seinfeld, Alexander and Knight reprising their roles from the show. Seinfeld has played things cute for a while. He left his show while it was No. 1 in the ratings. And since, reunions have been few and far between. There was a little excitement when the cast got back together for “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” but the show-within-a-show format of the reunion was another way for Seinfeld to keep things simple. My take? I think Jerry is a little scared. And I understand. Why tarnish the reputation of a show many consider the best sitcom ever? But it would be nice to have a little faith in the fans. Seinfeld has since said the Super Bowl spot will probably be the last time the “Seinfeld” characters will be on screen. So if the Super Bowl spot and six minute webisode of Seinfeld and Alexander is the final time we’ll experience some of television’s most iconic characters, well, I can’t think of a bigger letdown than that. rohannadkarni2015@u.northwestern.edu
Pincidents: Hogwarts Acceptance Letters Hello Northwestern. It is with great pride and a tinge of nostalgia that I formally announce that I will be taking my talents to Hogwarts in the fall. This decision did not come easily, as I have so enjoyed my time here. From the long, bitterly cold minutes spent waiting for a shuttle that never came to every time the football team broke my little Wildcat heart, NU has been nothing short of a young wizard’s dream school. However, upon receiving my Hogwarts acceptance letter in the mail yesterday, I realized that I have been searching for more all along. While daydreaming on the Red Line, I wasn’t merely trying to distract myself from the train’s decrepit, dying smell, but rather, I was thinking of ways to make Floo Powder a Muggle reality. While “putting my hands up in the air” at Ryan Field, I was actually thinking about how much more efficient Venric Mark would be if he had a Firebolt. While debating which Northwestern school corresponded to which Hogwarts house, I was actually prematurely making my case for why I belong in Gryffindor and why my School of Education and Social Policy roommate is the most Hufflepuff person since Cedric Diggory. Clearly, this letter was destined to make its
HAYLEY GLATTER PINTEREST COLUMNIST @heyhay94
way into my hands. And here’s the best part: It can make it into your hands too. That’s right, for just zero easy payments of absolutely nothing other than printer ink, you can be accepted into Hogwarts. I made my letter using these excellent instructions I found on Pinterest. Within minutes, I had an official-looking Hogwarts letter. The letter is completely customizable, and the pin even links to places where you can find the fonts used to recreate the letter. I copied and pasted the wording from the pin into Microsoft Word and included the Hogwarts crest. Then, I personalized the letter and changed a few font things around before hitting print. The only snag I ran into came when I was addressing the letter. The font I used, Wizards Magic, appeared to be flawed when I looked at it in Microsoft Word. For some reason, the tops of the letters I typed looked cut off and incomplete. However, after printing my document, the font looked as good as it did in the example. Not only does the letter look official, but it was also super easy. Instead of poking someone on Facebook or tweeting something witty at them, perhaps sliding an addressed Hogwarts letter under their door would be a good change of pace. It’ll probably brighten their day. hayleyglatter2016@u.northwestern.edu
Biggest letdown: Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee Okay, let’s get to why I’m really here. I own all nine seasons of “Seinfeld” on DVD, and I’ve seen almost every episode multiple times. So when I heard Jerry Seinfeld was seen filming in New York with former co-star Jason Alexander, I had high hopes for a reunion. Instead, we got a Super Bowl spot featuring Seinfeld characters, Jerry as himself and Alexander as George Costanza. The addition of Wayne Knight as Newman was a nice touch, but overall, this whole situation left me unsatisfied. The commercial was for a short episode of Seinfeld’s web Source: Facebook
Hayley Glatter/The Daily Northwestern
Page 4 | The Current
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Reviews
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Avoid studying with these Netflix classics CHELSEA SHERLOCK MOVIE COLUMNIST @MUSOVOGR
Everyone has that one movie they insist every human being should watch, or at least every Radio-TV-Film student does. Those classic films touch the heart and soul and impact popular culture. “Citizen Kane,” “Saving Private Ryan” and “The Godfather” are some of the most commonly named films everyone should see in their lifetime. The summer before starting at Northwestern, my co-workers regularly teased me for not watching movies they thought were critical to have seen. This resulted in the creation of a list of 50 movies that I needed to see before college started. I’m still working my way through that list because some of the movies are hard to find, and time is limited. Recently on Netflix, I’ve begun to see quite a few amazing movies come up as suggestions, and I’ve been surprised by how many of my favorite movies are on the website. With midterm season, and consequently procrastination, in full force, what better way to waste time than watching some of cinema’s best movies on your laptop. Here are my five must-watch films available on Netflix:
1. “Forrest Gump” Starring the illustrious Chet Haze’s father: Tom Hanks! Without actually watching the movie, most people can still quote it because the movie is so ingrained in popular culture. This movie is why whenever people see you run, they yell “Run, Forrest! Run!” Thanks to Sally Field’s character, we now have an excellent way to describe life: “Life was like a box of chocolates.” This movie pretty flawlessly depicts the life of Forrest Gump, a simple man from Alabama who manages to take part in many historically important events in the 1960s and 1970s, including the Watergate scandal. Viewers will laugh, cry and realize how brilliant Hanks is. 2. “Heathers” Fans of “Mean Girls” and almost any other movie related to teenage cliques and angst owe a debt of gratitude to this movie for the way it has impacted the teen genre. It’s dark, intense and thought provoking. Christian Slater is brilliant as the sociopathic J.D., and Winona Ryder is equally good as Veronica, a high school junior who is moving in the hierarchy of high school by joining the Heathers, a group of three girls named, you guessed it, Heather, that rule the school.
When Veronica gets fed up with their cruelty and controlling nature, she and love-interest J.D. begin enacting revenge. It’s an unflinching look at suicide culture and the harsh realities of cruel teenagers. 3. “The Breakfast Club” When “Pitch Perfect” came out, views of “The Breakfast Club” increased because of the movie’s use of the song “Don’t You (Forget About Me),” and that is great because the movie is a hallmark film that, like “Heathers,” is a great look at high school culture. This movie is fun and fantastic. You owe it to yourself to see it. 4. “Fight Club” The first rule of “Fight Club” is you don’t talk about it, so I won’t. All I will say is if you haven’t seen this movie yet, shame on you. 5. “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off ” This movie has a special place in the hearts of Chicago residents. It gives a great look at the city and will give you an immense desire to skip class. It’s light, fun and has a great Charlie Sheen cameo. chelseasherlock2017@u.northwestern.edu
COLUMNIST @ERICAWITTE
continued to thrill us with “Seventeen Again.” No … not the one with the ever-steamy Zac Efron. Even if “Seventeen Again” doesn’t ring any bells, you’ll definitely remember “Twitches” and “Twitches Too,” where the sister act played, yet again, twins separated at birth. Except this time, (spoiler!) they were magical. After those Disney Channel classics premiered, the Mowry sisters started to fall off the radar a bit. Tia starred in the BET series “The Game” for some time, while Tamera did … I don’t know what. When twin separation anxiety became too much to handle, the girls reunited in their reality show called “Tia & Tamera.” I really can’t fathom how they came up with that incredibly creative name. Sticking with the Kardashian theme, Tia and Tamera do essentially nothing but gossip on lunch dates. Also, both twins are now married with kids, which is really weird. Wow, I feel really old. ericawitte2017@u.northwestern.edu
Coca-Cola causes controversy, reveals bigots Coke’s Super Bowl commercial featured numerous people singing “America the Beautiful” in languages other than English, igniting uproar on Twitter. Many people claimed it was “treasonous” to have our “national anthem” sung in a language other than English. Spoiler alert: English is not the official language of the United States. We don’t have one! Here’s a shocker: Glenn Beck and Fox News are among those outraged. Coke’s ad, “It’s Beautiful,” highlighted the incredible diversity and inclusiveness of this nation of immigrants. Featuring a gay family, seven languages and many cultures, this ad is indeed beautiful.
Rundown
Tia and Tamera Mowry stole our hearts in their hit TV show, “Sister, Sister,” back in the ’90s, as twins separated at birth who later reunited at the mall and started living together with their respective adoptive parents. In reality, the twins were not separated at birth — Tia popped out two minutes behind Tamera, and the two have been inseparable ever since. In true Kardashian tradition, Tia and Tamera are sisters to brothers Tahj and Tavior. You may remember Tahj as Michelle Tanner’s super cute BFF on “Full House” back in the day or from one of his cameos on “Sister, Sister.” You probably don’t know Tavior unless you go to University of California, Davis and watch him play football. When “Sister, Sister” ended its five-year run in 1999, the twins
ERICA WITTE
The
Where are they now? Tia and Tamera Mowry
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‘Biggest Loser’ winner’s health criticized I don’t like the show “The Biggest Loser.” I think it’s dangerous and perpetuates a negative image of overweight people. That being said, the newest winner, Rachel Frederickson, went from 260 pounds to a shocking 105 pounds and was crowned the winner of season 15. The reality star says there’s nothing to worry about, despite concerns from the Twitterverse. While I’m all for saying she should do her, I don’t think it’s healthy for this rapid weight loss attitude to invade households. Even “Biggest Loser” trainers couldn’t hide their surprise when they saw her. Chris Brown avoids going to jail, again What a surprise. Another celebrity gets to avoid doing time for the crime. A prosecutor filed to have Brown moved from rehab to prison, but the judge denied it, citing “good behavior.” I don’t know how rehab will help Brown recover from his misdemeanor assault charge instead of prison, but hey, I don’t know as much as a lawyer. J.K. Rowling regrets pairing Ron, Hermione Just in: God actually wanted Adam to date the snake, not Eve. “Harry Potter” author Rowling has shockingly said she wishes she wrote Harry and Hermione ending up together, not Ron and Hermione. Rowling has said the two would definitely need counseling and that she wrote them as a couple as a form of “wish fulfillment.” I’m sorry, J.K., but I really hope you’re j.k.ing with me — because you can’t take this back. Ron and Hermione 2gether 4ever. — Mollie Cahillane
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