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10.28.10 vol. xlii, no. 8
The Indy has been hoarding Halloween candy for 40 years.
Cover art by MIRANDA SHUGARS
President Weike Wang ‘11 Vice President Whitney Lee ‘14 Presidents Emeritae Patricia Florescu ‘11 Susan Zhu ‘11
FORUM On the Trail 3 SPECIAL Naughty or Nice 4 Dia de los Muertos 5 6-7 Pick or Treat ARTS The Horrors of Eraserhead 8 Pops Gets Gangster 9 SPORTS 10 Time to Get Iced 11 World Series Prognostication
As Harvard College's weekly undergraduate newsmagazine, the Harvard Independent provides in-depth, critical coverage of issues and events of interest to the Harvard College community. The Independent has no political affiliation, instead offering diverse commentary on news, arts, sports, and student life. For publication information and general inquiries, contact Presidents Patricia Florescu and Susan Zhu (independent1969@gmail.com). Letters to the Editor and comments regarding the content of the publication should be addressed to Editor-in-Chief Faith Zhang (independent1969@gmail.com). Yearly mail subscriptions are available for $30, and semester-long subscriptions are available for $15. To purchase a subscription, email subscriptions@harvardindependent. com. The Harvard Independent is published weekly during the academic year, except during vacations, by The Harvard Independent, Inc., Student Organization Center at
Editor-in-Chief Yuying Luo ‘12 Editor-in-Chief Emerita Faith Zhang ‘11 Production Manager Miranda Shugars ‘14
Executive Editor Riva Riley ‘12
Business Manager Amanda Hernandez ‘14 Associate Business Manager Eric Wei ‘14 News and Forum Editor Arts Editor Sports Editor Design Editor
Publicity Coordinator Ezgi Bereketli ‘12 Meghan Brooks ‘14 Zena Mengesha ‘14 Brett Giblin ‘11 Alexandria Rhodes ‘14
Columnists Sam Barr ‘11 Luis Martinez ‘12 Staff Writers Arhana Chattopadhyay ‘11 Peter Bacon ‘11 Arthur Bratolozzi ‘12 Colleen Berryessa ‘11 Sayantan Deb ‘14 Levi Dudte '11 Gary Gerbrandt ‘14 Sam Jack ‘11 Marion Liu ‘11 Hao Meng ‘11 Alfredo Montelongo ‘11 Nick Nehamas ‘11 Steven Rizoli ‘11 Marc Shi ‘14 Jim Shirey ‘11 Diana Suen ‘11 Alex Thompson ‘11 Christine Wolfe ‘14 Sanyee Yuan ‘12 Graphics, Photography, and Design Staff Chaima Bouhlel ‘11 Eva Liou ‘11 Lidiya Petrova ‘11 Schuyler Polk ‘14
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10.28.10 • The Harvard Independent
Forum
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Tales from the Trail
A Canadian’s experience with the Harvard College Democrats. By GARY GERBRANDT
I
freely admit that one of my
most prominent extracurricular activities is one in which I should probably not be involved. I cannot now and will most likely never be able to vote in America, considering that I am a Canadian citizen who is almost certainly going right home after May 2014. Honestly, the fact that I’ve thrown myself into the Harvard Democrats is almost laughable. Yet, I have enjoyed almost every minute of my time sitting in Adams LCR for meetings, sitting in a green Naugahyde school bus seat, chattering endlessly, knocking on doors in New Hampshire and repressing the linguistic subtleties of my Canadian upbringing during phone banks. I’ve made new, politically minded friends, most of whom posses vast sheaves of American governmental history. So, while campaigning with the Dems might turn out to have been a losing battle this upcoming Tuesday, it has been worth the effort and time. I think. This is going to sound clichéd, but I really became interested in American politics in 2008, in the age of unbelievable politics. Breathless media coverage of the election spilled over into Canada, where, personally, I was a huge Obama supporter. Coming from a home where the importance of government had been firmly established, and understanding the massive power for good that can come with an effective, progressive, socialdemocratic system, I had always appreciated the Democrats. Not that it mattered. I was bound for McGill, so American politics, other than foreign policy, were more than irrelevant. Less than a year and a half into Obama’s presidency, though, I got into Harvard, and then found myself in an interesting political predicament. Given the chance to participate in one of the most hostile, divisive elections ever, I jumped at it. One of my Peer Advising Fellows is Evelyn Wenger ’11, the current chair of the Harvard Democrats’ Campaigns Committee, The Harvard Independent • 10.28.10
and, naturally, she took me under her wing. I canvassed doors in Manchester on one of my very first weekends in the States. Since then, I’ve been back twice. So far, the most amusing things about the campaign have been the bizarre events that have happened on the trail. The first time I went out, I met a woman who had emigrated from Mexico and was “definitely going to vote for the Democrats. Always the Democrats! Since we (she and her husband) got our citizenship. Since Clinton!” On the other side of the political spectrum, there was the strangely hysterical couple who loudly dismissed me with indecipherable grunts and a loud, “I’M SO TIRED OF THIS FUCKING BULLSHIT.” I have also met people who plan to vote Republican but are neither angry nor threatening. They’re out there, though I don’t really know how many of them there are because it seems as if every time we head to the Granite State, no one is ever home. This past weekend, I wandered a working-class and semi-frightening neighbourhood with my canvassing partner. We knocked on forty-two doors, and a total of three people were home. Yep. 7% of the people we sought were there. The first was a woman who simply refused to talk to us; the second, a Republican whose “husband always votes Democrat, but I’m sorry that he’s not here, and I’m sorry you didn’t convince me, but I hope you have a nice day”; the third, a bugeyed, toothless woman who pointed to a picture of Obama and shouted, “HE SHOULD BE OUT!” before going inside and later popping her head back out to shout, “I LOVE JOHN LYNCH, THOUGH.” (John Lynch is the immensely popular Democratic governor of New Hampshire, who can’t manage to convert his lead into support for the rest of the ticket.) Craziness was hardly limited to the people whose doors I’ve knocked on, though. At one impossibly large house
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outside Exeter I was confident that a dog was going to maul the crap out of me. The dog, an imposing, muscular black Labrador, growled and bared her teeth at me until I growled back, at which point we became friends, and she began running will-nilly around me. (Her owners were committed Democrats. Just saying.) Then, of course, there was the frightening, Deliverance-esque man who first screamed at me about being on his “perperty” and then politely gave me directions to the next house. Calling voters at home has been equally entertaining. There was the amazing phone call in which I fully informed a New Hampshire voter of the merits of the Democratic party and managed to get her to commit to voting entirely for Democratic candidates. She even gasped at the appropriate points in the call script: Me: “…influenced by Sarah Palin…” Her: “Oh no!” In addition, I have twice developed Southern accents while making phone calls, possibly because my brain sees me as its toy. I actually spent most of Sunday afternoon calling voters in West Virginia, all of whom had an accent which I quickly adopted. Mine helped me significantly as I entered a fifteen-minute call with a woman who first let me know that,
for some reason, she couldn’t vote, was ignorant as to who the candidates were because she didn’t have local TV stations, that no one would help her, and that she had “no Internet.” I think I might have persuaded her with my antebellum charm to vote for Joe Manchin, but I can’t be sure, especially because I was distracted by everyone else at the phone bank who literally had to stop making calls in order to laugh uncontrollably at my bizarre predicament. Funny stories aside, the campaign so far has been a surprising and exciting introduction to the world of American politics. So far I’ve worked out of an office that hosted Bill Clinton’s 1992 primary campaign, explored New England, made some great friends on the bus and knocking on doors, and eliminated my need for dialect classes. I’m not claiming to be a political analyst, but the Democrats are probably going to lose the House, in spite of the Harvard Dems best efforts. But I think that we’ve made a difference, and, no matter what, this has been an amazingly memorable campaign, even for a resident alien like myself. Gary Gerbrandt ’14 (garygerbrandt@ college) wishes he were this excited about his own country’s politics. independent1969@gmail.com
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Special
Halloween Hotties and Chilly Cheeks Why we dress like we do on Halloween. By MEGHAN BROOKS
T
I make my way across the Yard this sunny October afternoon has brought to my attention the unfortunate fact that Halloween is scheduled an entire month and a half too late. This Saturday evening the temperature will dip to a chilly forty-one degrees Fahrenheit, not low enough to cause frostbite, but not warm enough for legions of “schoolgirls” and “bunny rabbits” to be able to frolic about Harvard’s campus comfortably. Saturday night the usual clatter of high heels on brick may very well be drowned out by the chatter of teeth as girls in nothing but spandex and rabbit ears make their way from house to house. Likewise, the probability that not everyone with blue skin will be dressed as a character from Avatar will be quite high indeed. To put it simply, this Halloween, just like every Halloween before, a whole bunch of us are going to freeze our tails off. Why do we dress the way we do on Halloween? What happened to long flowing princess dresses and magic wands and, for those of us who inhabited the frozen north, winter jackets under cowgirl vests? Well, we say, growing up happened. Halloween started to be less about trick-or-treating and jack-o’-lanterns and more about parties some time between middle school and high school. (They had stopped selling princess dresses in our size well before then anyway.) Then we saw Mean Girls and realized that scary isn’t pretty, and that, really, there is nothing more in the spirit of the season than leotards and four-inch stiletto heels. 4
he wind nipping my cheeks as
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Sure, we still eat way too much candy corn and M&Ms, try to carve pumpkins, and sneak up behind our friends and shout “BOO!” but Halloween now is about getting down while looking slightly ridiculous, and hopefully more than a little hot. And why shouldn’t it be? Parties are fun! Dancing is fun! Wearing kneehigh pirate boots, a mini-skirt, and giant hoop earrings is fun! Even the group shopping trip to the Garment District beforehand is a good time — who doesn’t love digging through racks and bins to find the perfect pair of Madonna cone cups? Halloween is the one night of the year where
students do not seem to agree with this assessment. “I feel like when girls dress up like that it makes them feel good about themselves… I don’t think it’s necessarily an indicator of low self-esteem,” said a male student sitting in the Lamont Library Café, “some of them just do it for the fun of it.” (No interviewees would give their names, as they did not wish to be judged negatively by their peers.) A freshman girl agreed: “I think that sometimes women feel more confident when they dress like that, and Halloween is a great excuse to dress more sexily.” Whether Harvard students agree
we can get away with dressing in ways that would make our older selves blush. On Halloween we get to put on too much make up and too little clothing and celebrate our young, pre-childbirth, pre-wrinkled bodies. We get to reveal the wild side of our sexuality that we keep under cardigans for the rest of the year, and dance a little dirtier than circumstances usually allow. We are free and empowered! Or is that just what we tell ourselves? Because, if we’re neither, we’re just “sluts”, silly little girls with no self-esteem and no self-respect. While low-self esteem might be the popular explanation for girls dressing provocatively on Halloween, Harvard
that the image of the insecure or attention-seeking “Halloween slut” is a fair representation of girls on Halloween or not, the stereotype has been perpetuated in television, movies, and popular culture in general, and will not be disappearing anytime soon. This October, AskMen. com ran an article by Kevin Conklin titled “Why You Shouldn’t Pick Up the Halloween Slut” that listed her presumed insecurity as one such reason. However, interestingly, the article differentiated between “real sluts” and the girls who simply dress provocatively on Halloween because it feels like a social requirement. Even more interestingly, Harvard students also made this distinction.
"We get to reveal the wild side of our sexuality that we keep under cardigans for the rest of the year, and dance a little dirtier than circumstances usually allow."
“I’m just wearing a black dress and cat ears”, a female student at the College said, “but I know that a lot of my friends are dressing ‘sluttily’. I feel like a lot of people conform to it because that’s what is expected of them… Halloween is like the only day of the year when you’re supposed to dress like a slut.” The male student sitting in Lamont echoed other students’ comments, saying, “I don’t think (dressing like a “slut” on Halloween) is a bad thing. I mean it’s bad if you’re doing it because of self-esteem issues or for attention, but if you’re doing it because it’s what the group is doing, I don’t feel that it’s an issue.” While some might argue that, on average, Harvard girls do not dress as provocatively as girls at other schools might, it can be deduced from students’ comments that the social expectation is that we will go out in groups of friends Halloween night wearing costumes that expose a bit more skin or are a bit tighter than usual. Whether or not all Harvard students agree that such costuming is acceptable, Halloween night will see leotards, spandex, short skirts, high heels, blue eye shadow, glitter, and cleavage, perhaps punctuated with vampire fangs or the occasional ironic moustache. At press time, however, it seems that many girls have not yet settled on a costume. While there is no question that Saturday night will be a whole mess of fun, one question still remains: what will you be wearing? Meghan Brooks ’14 (meghanbrooks@ college) has yet to decide on a Halloween costume herself and is open to (most) suggestions. 10.28.10 • The Harvard Independent
Special
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Día de los Muertos: Un Tiempo para Celebrar Personal reflections on the Day of the Dead.
By AMANDA HERNANDEZ
W
Halloween quickly approaching this Sunday, an eerie feeling looms over the traditional haunted houses, scary movies and the classic ghost stories. However, the end of this month also signifies something far more meaningful for Hispanics in Mexico and parts of Latin America. Beginning every November is the celebration of the dead, more commonly known as El Día de los Muertos. As strange and unusual as it may seem to those unaware of this holiday, it holds a great deal of importance to Hispanics, particularly those of the Catholic faith. It is a time to reflect and celebrate the lives of loved ones, remembering that they are in a better place, and to reminisce over the good times once shared. Rather than running around in costumes and collecting candy from strangers, kids celebrating Día de Los Muertos are taught of the true joy in the cycle of life, death included. They are given pan de muerto, sugar skulls, and toys that all symbolize the celebration. Each of these gifts demonstrates the beauty and appreciation that should be shared over the miracle of life, and each allows the children to grasp the fact that death is not something to be feared. Now, I understand this all may seem ith
The Harvard Independent • 10.28.10
a bit, well, odd, but those who celebrate this day reconnect with their loved ones through several traditions that occur on November second, starting with the cleaning of tombstones. After they have decorated and perfected the appearance of the grave, family members prepare a feast with the favorite dishes of those who have passed. Families and friends gather around the graves and smiles spread throughout the group. Although such a sight is not likely to be seen in the states, on this joyous day in Mexico cemeteries are filled with the overwhelmingly beautiful sounds of laughter, and the uplifting aura overflows from each person celebrating. Recalled memories and humorous tales are told as a means to remember the positive experiences the living shared with the ones no longer there, creating new moments with the dead. Just thinking of the joy shared on this occasion, I cannot help but question why I have never taken a part in such a tradition, a celebration deeply embedded in my roots. This thought conjures up many bittersweet recollections of family and friends who have passed away. The memory of being a little girl floods back. I look back at times where I would laugh with my grandpa, who never admitted his age and always flashed a crooked smile when asked it. It has been over a year since his passing, and although I wasn’t able to see him very
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often as I grew older, tears still well up in my eyes as I write this. It is true that death has always been a forbidden thing for me to allow myself to think or talk of. With that realization, it has hit me that death is not something most people feel comfortable talking about. But why? Why is it that we cannot bring ourselves to think of our loved ones who have moved on in a more lighthearted way? Surely I can feel the joy that my ancestors and fellow Hispanics have felt every November second, going as far back as is possible. Rather than feeling the low emotions typically accompanying death, I am challenging myself to express the bliss I once felt with my loved ones while they were still here with me, to consider Día de los Muertos an opportunity to think of my departed friends and family, particularly my grandfather, not in sadness but in gratitude for moments we were able to share. I challenge you to do the same. This weekend, after you put away those ridiculous costumes and trash the rotten pumpkins sitting outside of everyone’s dorms, take a moment to celebrate Día de los Muertos in
your own way. I am not asking you to share in the religious context behind the holiday, but rather to remember the good times you had with the people you once had in your life. Those little memories every now and then can do a lot to cheer you up amidst the stresses of midterms and being away from home. Yes, it can be somewhat depressing to reflect on the reasons why you cannot be with these people in person, but I encourage you to do as Hispanic children do every November second. Remember as you eat treats to take in the fact that even if Auntie, Uncle, Grandma, or Grandpa can’t be here right now, there are still so many positive memories to smile about. I leave you with a quote from Thomas Campbell: “To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.” Keep these words in mind next time you think your loved one is gone and there is no reason for joy, and tenga buenos recuerdos en este Día de los Muertos. Amanda Hernandez ’14 (ahernandez14@ college) sees dead people — in her memories on Día de los Muertos. independent1969@gmail.com
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Special
The Indy's Top Ten Villains By ART BARTOLOZZI 10. Heffalumps and Woosels— Haunting every child’s dreams as well as the Hundred Acre Wood, they form a ghastly balloonelephant alliance. 9. The crazy Ring bitch—I pray you don’t come back as a torrent.
Out soul searching this Halloween.
MARIA BARRAGAN/ Independent
8. Mandark—SEAS, you’re next! 7. Scar – dropped his brother and then dropped a crazy beat with his hyena army: extra points for reveling in the moment. 6. Chucky —pretty much just supremely creepy. Watch out, Avenue Q! 5. Freddy and Jason—Get out the way: these Master Townies had their PowerThirst. 4. Norman Bates—Bloodthirsty momma’s boy who’s his own mother: add a kitchen knife and this disturbed psychopath becomes nightmarish. 3. Jigsaw—Only the gnarliest of BAMFs can get people to kill themselves in 3D… three sequels after he’s died. 6
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MARIA BARRAGAN/ Independent
2. Tom Marvolo Riddle—An apparating genocidal genius with an unquenchable thirst for power green flashes. 1. Hannibal Lecter —Swallow your own tongue or the Doctor will desecrate your face …without raising his heart rate. Art Bartolozzi '12 (abartol@fas. harvard.edu) is practicing his cackles and sharpening his knives.
10.28.10 • The Harvard Independent
Special
Countdown to Creepy
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indy
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Top horror movies for your viewing pleasure. By SAYANTAN DEB
H
alloween is around the corner,
and we are all looking for an excuse to procrastinate… how about a scary movie? While there are plenty to choose from, a good scary movie is hard to come by. For me, a scary movie needs to not only have those moments of thrill, gore, blood, and violence but also a story— something that sets a truly good scary movie apart from the many that only thrive on gore, or a smattering of scary moments, tied loosely with the semblance of a plot. The movie also needs to be original. How many times have we seen the squeaking door, the psychotic killer, and the mangled bodies? The three movies I’ve chosen are not only original, bounded by a good story and theme, but they also defined a generation of horror movies that came after. (Disclaimer: These are my top three. I understand that there are plenty more horror movies, and some of them were probably scarier for others.) #3: The Ring Well this one’s not really a surprise. When Samara climbs out of the well, with her hair plastered on the front of her face, I don’t think there was anyone who didn’t squirm in his or her seat. When the tagline of the movie asks, “What would you do if you had seven days to live?” you know that you are in for something great. The premise of the story is simple. There is a videotape, and if you watch it, you will die in seven days. The “why” is what makes this movie great. The story unfolds at a feverish pace as Naomi Watts races time to figure out why the videotape was created, and how she can save herself, and her son, The Harvard Independent • 10.28.10
Aidan, from fate. The scariest part of the movie is not the mangled faces, or the chills, but the death of the girl in the videotape, Samara. Without giving too much away, let’s just say that the back-story stays with you long (read: weeks) after the movie is over. The Ring is essentially a remake of the Japanese movie, Ringu. While definitely not as subtle, it is adapted remarkably for an American audience. Its timing, as well as its overall tone, is brilliant. The cinematography is beautiful, and adds a lot to the story. The moments of thrill are interspersed and give the story forward momentum. The movie is iconic because of the many movies that followed and tried to build off of the former’s success. Among them are The Grudge series and a slew of gore movies (i.e. Texas Chainsaw Massacre, or Saw) that have become ubiquitous in the years since. While the Ring boosts a complicated storyline, it is the way this storyline unfolds that gives the movie intrigue. It’s a horror movie that makes you think—that’s what makes it number three on my list. #2: The Sixth Sense “I see dead people.” Need I say more? The movie is M. Night Shyamalan’s best work by far, and as ranked by American Film Institute, one of the hundred greatest movies of all time. Bruce Willis plays a child psychologist who is visited by a scorned patient, one fateful night. A year later, he finds similarities between that patient, and a child he is treating who sees hallucinations. The child realizes that, yes, he sees dead people, and he also convinces Willis. Willis tries to help the child by telling him to communicate with these
“people” and eventually cope with his “sixth sense.” The best part of the movie is the last ten minutes, and perhaps that in and of itself is reason enough for the movie to be on the list, but the movie also deals with the question of life after death. The spirits reflect our own malaise as a society, and our insecurities when dealing with the question of death. The movie is touching, and the execution of the emotional sequences is deft. Most horror movies deal with death lightly. The Sixth Sense handles the question with the reverence it deserves. Not only does it tackle the question of the afterlife for the dead, but also the afterlife of the deceased’s loved ones—the life that they are left to live when someone so close to them passes away. Bruce Willis delivers his most sensitive performance to date and you question if this is really the same guy from Die Hard. Furthermore, the movie doesn’t restrict itself to thrills. The scary parts of the movie are a general progression, seamlessly integrated into the screenplay. What makes it even better is the fact that it was brave enough to depart from the then popular slasher movies. It is a horror movie that’s emotional, and doesn’t shy away from the big questions—that’s what makes in number two on my list. #1: The Exorcist When the little girl turns her head 180 degrees, and mouths the most vulgar slew of dialogues ever uttered on screen, it’s not so much scary as it is disturbing. In fact, The Exorcist doesn’t make an effort to scare at all. It disturbs. And that’s what makes it so scary, and #1 in almost any list of
horror movies. The story is simple. A daughter is dealing with the separation of her parents. A priest is dealing with his loss of faith. Their paths cross as the girl becomes possessed, and as he tries to save her, the priest regains his faith. What makes this movie so great? Let’s consider the context of the movie. The movie dealt with the questioning of faith. In 1973, when the movie was released, the U.S. was in the middle of The Cold War. The questioning of faith was an issue that had come up time and time again during that period, from the election of the first Catholic president to the Red Scare in the 1950’s. During that time, the devil was genuinely feared by the average American citizen. If you add to this the fact that a twelve year girl not only is possessed by the devil, but also insulting Jesus, and you have a movie that is, to put it lightly, disconcerting. Even after three decades, the movie still retains that quality. The girl who enacted the part is in no small part responsible for this. Her transformation from innocent to the manifestation of the devil himself is chilling. While not blatantly scary, the movie is powerful. It affects you in a way that is not obvious, but it sickens you nevertheless. A movie that scares you without your realizing it, disturbs you in such a way that it is difficult to watch in one sitting — now that is what warrants not only a number one spot on my list, but on any horror movie list created in the new millennium. Sayantan Deb '14 (sdeb@college. harvard.edu) will have nightmares for weeks because of “research” he conducted for this article. independent1969@gmail.com
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Arts
Top of the Pops Harvard Pops Orchestra performs the year's first show.
By MARC SHI
W
Halloween fast approaching, the Harvard Pops Orchestra did a little costume work of their own by dressing themselves up in Lowell Lecture Hall and transporting a room full of eager audience members back to a time of fedoras, smoky rooms and gangsters. October 22nd saw the first of the Pops Orchestra’s concerts for the year. As a unique hybrid of a stage production, the show joined together musical pieces with acting and dance and was bound by an overarching narrative that was both an homage to and parody of the 1940s and 1950s in America. Interspersed with pieces from “Chicago,” “On the Waterfront” and “Catch Me if You Can,” as well as an arrangement of pop songs that followed a similar theme of the hardships of gangster life. The story followed Charlie Brannigan (Daniel Gale Rosen ’10), a hapless but confident detective and Moxie (Leslie Rith-Najaria ’12), a cabaret singer with a secret as they confronted both their feelings for each other, and the nefarious Fat Tommy (Brandon J. Ortiz ’12). Though weakened by a few seemingly unpolished performances, “Pops Gets Gangster” proved to be a thoroughly enjoyable experience, marked by an authentic, light-hearted atmosphere and palpable enthusiasm from the performers. The story is populated not so much with characters, as with archetypes, and the plot on its own is quite predictable and formulaic: Moxie is torn between her debt to Tommy and her love for Charlie. Guess who she chooses? The entire thing plays like any number of similar stories. The veritable overload of clichés is, however, part of the fun, and the cast and audience are both in on the joke, with the actors, especially ith
Rith-Najaria, knowingly and cheekily exaggerating their performances. In fact, it ended up that any actor not chewing the scenery, as David Kersen ‘14 as Charlie’s inside man occasionally failed to do, stuck out. Even at the height of their absurdity, however, the cast committed entirely to their characters, with Rosen and Rith-Najaria playing off each other with natural and believable chemistry. Unfortunately, that sense of ease did not always apply to their secondary role as vocalists; Rith-Najaria’s
instrumental work that the Pops Orchestra truly shone. Right from the opening number – a medley from the Broadway production “Chicago” – the rich, bombastic sound of the brass and articulate work from the percussion section evoked perfectly the mood of the period. The orchestra maintained a tight control on its sound throughout the entire show, exemplified in the performance of “On the Waterfront,” in which the strings were able to generate a slow-building tension throughout the piece. The flute solo in “On the Waterfront” was
of the beat, with vocal contributions from the orchestra adding a light humor to rather aggressive song. The entire show ended with a rendition of the by now ubiquitous “Jai Ho,” and while in principle quite contrived and indulgent, the performers’ enthusiasm is quickly infectious and one couldn’t help but sing – or dance – along. It is this almost casual atmosphere that sets a Pops Orchestra performance apart, and while this spirit is the highlight of the show, at times it seems almost indicative of a lack of rehearsal, even a slight sloppiness. Neither Rosen nor Rith-Najaria seem to have their lines memorized, relying instead on the rather distracting use of books throughout the performance. Changes between sets are also done with full house and stage lights on, which draw attention to these occasionally awkward pauses and the dance number in the second act to “Slaughter on 10 th Avenue,” though beautifully performed by Ali Berman ’13 and Shayna Skal ‘13, could have used a little more synchronicity between the two. Still, as the orchestra leads us out of the cabaret and back to the present, it is difficult to focus on these small flaws; fortunately for the group – who’s next concert is on December 5 – the atmosphere they are able to create is able to smooth over any wrinkles in execution. The enthusiasm and commitment of the performers as well as the overall technical ability of the group draws one in and makes it easy for one to simply go along for the ride, even if that ride leads to a few shady places.
The entire show ended with a rendition of the by now ubiquitous “Jai Ho,” and while in principle quite contrived and indulgent, the performers’ enthusiasm is quickly infectious and one couldn’t help but sing – or dance – along.
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performance of “My Romance” became somewhat strained at times, though the richness of her voice did shine through, especially in her performance of “Night and Day.” Rosen’s strong, expressive voice was unfortunately underused, as he only sang with Rith-Najaria in “Night and Day,” instead yielding the male vocal solo to Ortiz, who, despite occasionally struggling with the range and richness required for “Poor Unfortunate Souls”, displayed a charisma and a full embodiment of his role that carried him through. The vocal pieces were, of course, only one aspect of the musical programming, and it is in the
particularly impressive, both in clarity of sound and melodic complexity, not to mention saxophonist David Kersen’s brilliant runs throughout the song “Escapades.” The group’s technical proficiency did not, however, stop them from contributing to the same light-hearted atmosphere generated by the narrative and their repertoire. Though evident in the smattering of props across the stage – a cigar here, a liquor bottle there – as well as the occasional twirling of a cello in “Chicago,” it was most clearly exemplified in the inclusion of popular songs. The performance of Jay-Z’s “Run This Town” preserved the driving force
Marc Shi '14 (mshi14@college. harvard.edu) will be free for further commentary on any of the orchestras on campus. 10.28.10 • The Harvard Independent
Arts
Guts and Gore
indy
The unerasable horrors of Eraserhead. By CHRISTINE WOLFE
I
am
what
some
may
call
a
of the creepy. I, like so many other adolescents, have spent copious hours with muscles tensed, hands clasped to arms of couches while horrific images of demonic possession, blood baths, and Naomi Watts choking on something that looks a lot like hair flash across a screen before me. I developed an obsession for horror movies in fourth grade and have never turned back (scary movie lesson one: don’t ever look behind you). I search out the most terrifying of movies—the classics, the slashers, the cult—and have found the fantastic, the chilling, and the simply stupid. However, there is only one film that has ever made me so sick and disturbed that I actually thought I would vomit. Why I ever watched Eraserhead the first time, let alone the second, is as much of a mystery to me as reality must be to the director, David Lynch. Eraserhead is a 1970’s surrealist film that symbolizes the fears of parenthood and commitment, or so I’m told because if one had asked me what the film is about, I would have clutched my gut and whispered, “Maggot puss.” When I first rented Eraserhead, I was expecting an interesting cult film that delves deep into the human psyche. Instead, I got a movie that reached down my esophagus and twisted my small intestine into balloon animals. I finished the movie feeling distraught, dizzy, and completely confounded. I promised myself to never think about the film again, as it had caused me to feel inhumanly awful. Of course, I watched it again the next year on my birthday. I was half an hour into the movie when nausea connoisseur
The Harvard Independent • 10.28.10
struck again and I remembered the unpleasant feeling of the first time; however, I had already dedicated myself to watching it, so it was too late to stop. I now implore the world to not make the mistake I did—don’t even watch it once. The protagonist of the film is
shriveled thing floats through space before landing in a boiling pool of liquid on said planet. This scene, of course, has no relevance to the rest of the movie, besides being positively disgusting. The “plot” then continues with Henry’s depressing, creepy-as-hell
Courtesy of Wikicommons a man with Marge Simpson-like hair named Henry who lives in a cold, dirty, industrial world. The movie begins with a boil-covered man sitting alone in a shack on a mysterious planet. He cranks a rusty lever that causes what looks like a shriveled intestine or fetal dinosaur to emerge from Henry’s mouth. The
life. In one particularly memorable scene, Henry has dinner with his girlfriend’s parents. Henry is asked to carve the chicken, which is the size of a Cornish Game Hen. Henry, confused, sticks the fork into the chicken, which causes a thick, dark liquid to bubble and ooze out of the main body cavity. The haggard-
looking mother then has what seems to be some sort of orgasmic experience before running out of the dining room in tears. Henry then learns that his girlfriend, Mary, has had his child after a short pregnancy. Unfortunately for everyone, the child is bizarrely deformed, has no skin to speak of, and cries incessantly. Over the course of the movie, Henry’s mental state deteriorates until the final crescendo of insanity, which I will not describe for lack of words and just in case anyone—who is crazy enough—feels an unbearable desire to watch Eraserhead. The movie disturbs on multiple levels—first with its repulsive visuals and second with its lack of dialogue. The most talkative character is a singing girl with chipmunk cheeks who lives in Henry’s radiator. As for the title of the movie, let me just say that there is a reason why pencil erasers and our brains are both soft and pink. Watching Eraserhead is truly an out of body experience; the plot is otherworldly and at times, incomprehensible. So when you and your roommates are considering watching a horror movie to get in the Halloween spirit, I implore you, watch anything but Eraserhead. There are so many movies that terrify without causing severe mind displacement and violent urges to puke. But, if you do decide to watch Eraserhead, I have one piece of advice—don’t eat for at least four hours in advance. Christine Wolfe ’14 (crwolfe@college. harvard.edu) will be doing something ELSE on her next birthday (or this Halloween). independent1969@gmail.com
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Sports
The Quest for Atlant(ic City) Harvard Men’s Hockey seeks to ECAC Championship and earn NCAA berth.
Harvard men’s hockey seeks ECAC championship and NCAA berth.
Courtesy of Wikicommons
A
By BRENDAN ROCHE fter two disappointing nine -
win seasons, the Harvard Crimson men’s hockey team will be looking to make it to Atlantic City for the ECAC Championship this season and to earn a spot in the NCAA tournament. Around the league, the Crimson’s chances seem slim with Harvard projecting to finish 7th as picked by the league’s coaches and 10th by the ECAC Media Writers and Broadcasters. The Crimson certainly have some question marks surrounding them, but experience combined with the drop in talent across the ECAC this season gives the Crimson faithful a reason to be optimistic. Key Departures: Louis Leblanc, C (Professional Contract); Alex Biega, D (Graduation); Chad Morin, D (Graduation); Doug Rogers, C (Graduation) New Arrivals: Raphael Girard, G; Danny Fick, D; Dan Ford, D; John Caldwell, D; Connor Riley, G Strengths: For the first time in recent memory, the Crimson will have no freshmen cracking the offensive lineup, and nine of their fourteen forwards will be upperclassmen. The sophomore forwards are expected to make a jump forward in their play, and exciting playmaker Alex Fallstrom ’13 and talented goal scorer Conor Morrison ’13 should benefit from having played a full season of college hockey. The Crimson will also be strong in the crease, with Kyle Richter ’11, a former Dryden 10
independent1969@gmail.com
Award winner for best goaltender in the ECAC, and Ryan Carroll ’11 providing a one-two punch in net. If either or both can consistently find the form they showed in their spectacular sophomore seasons, the Crimson will steadily climb up the standings over teams lacking goaltending talent. Weaknesses: Despite some talent on the back line, including captain Chris Huxley ’11, the blue line for the Crimson will feature some new faces and this inexperience in the back could cause a few hiccups for the Crimson along the way. Along with Huxley, the regulars include the experienced Ryan Grimshaw ’12 and Danny Biega ’13, but players like Peter Starrett ’12 and Brendan Rempel ’13 will be thrown headfirst into the action this year (along with a few new freshmen) after seeing limited action last year. Unfortunately for the Crimson, they can ill afford to experience growing pains during the opening stretch. During the opening three weekends, Harvard will play five teams in the ECAC who will have had an extra month of playing time under their belts due to limitations placed on Harvard and other Ivy League programs regarding when seasons can start. Two of these teams, Union and RPI, are considered to be in the upper echelons of the ECAC and will be challenging opponents to face especially in the opening weekend, and Harvard will also need to make the seven-hour trip to the North
Country, where the Crimson have not earned a win since November 2007. Lastly, the Crimson will need to find a more consistent offensive effort from its talented forward corps. The departure of last year’s leading scorer, Louis Leblanc, who signed this summer with the Montreal Canadiens and is currently playing in the QMJHL for the Montreal Juniors, was a big loss for the Crimson. Harvard forwards like Alex Killorn ’12 and Michael Biega ’11 will need to increase their offensive output, and get contributions from the players around them. The loss of Leblanc, combined with the graduation of Doug Rogers ’10, also hurts the Crimson’s depth up the middle, as the two natural centers remaining are Colin Moore ’12 and Pier-Olivier (P.O.) Michaud ’11, both of whom missed time with injuries last year. The Crimson will likely move a few wingers over to play center, which may hinder them in improving their terrible face-off percentage from last season. Harvard also had the 39 th ranked power play (out of 58 teams) and 43rd ranked penalty kill so special teams will be key to increasing their competitiveness. Rest of the ECAC: If any team has to be considered the runaway favorite, it has to be the Yale Bulldogs. They were unanimously picked by the coaches and almost unanimously by the media to take their third straight Cleary Cup as regular season champions. Union and Cornell,
based on last season’s result, seem to be their strongest competition, although Union lost its talented scorer Mario Vallery-Trabucco to graduation and Cornell saw the key departure of several top scorers in Colin Greening, Riley Nash, and Blake Gallagher, along with top goaltender Ben Scrivens. RPI, with a Hobey Baker candidate in Chase Polacek, lost some talent to the NHL with the signing of Brandon Pirri and Jerry D’Amigo. Colgate should also be in the mix for a top four bye. The rest of the league will likely be a tossup involving Dartmouth, Princeton, St. Lawrence, Harvard, Brown, and Clarkson. The Bottom Line: Plenty of questions still remain for the Crimson, and they will likely be pushing for home-ice advantage in the first round rather than a first round bye. The Crimson is also seeking their first win over a non-ECAC team this season. But with a weaker non-conference slate in Merrimack and Army, Harvard should win at least one of those games. If Harvard can quickly find answers to some of the questions surrounding the program the last few years, they might surprise a few around the league. Brendan Roche ’12 (bkroche@fas) is the play-by-play man for Harvard Radio, 95.3 FM WHRB. For more info on the Harvard hockey season and other Harvard sports, check out whrbsports.blogspot.com. 10.28.10 • The Harvard Independent
Sports
indy
Go West Young Man! The World Series from the unbiased perspective of a Texan.
By ALFREDO MONTELONGO
I
am from Texas and grew up rooting
for three teams: the Cowboys (let’s not talk about it), the Astros, and the Spurs (future 2011 champs). If you noticed, the Rangers are not on that list. They were always an afterthought for me. As a kid, I would check the sports page daily to see if the Astros still had a chance of making the playoffs (where they would then proceed to get destroyed by the Braves). I would then glance to the American League standings to see how the Rangers were faring. Each time, I would quickly realize that the Rangers couldn’t make it and then I would forget about them and read the comics instead. Their period of ineptitude began exactly when I started following sports so I never had much reason to be loyal to the Rangers other than the fact that they’re a Texas team. Heck, I probably had almost as much loyalty to the Giants as I did to the Rangers if only because I was the on the Giants in Little League for seven straight years. However, something crazy happened this year: the Rangers were winning. Following the Rangers in the playoffs has been a legitimately fun experience. They have personality, The Harvard Independent • 10.28.10
good chemistry, and a superstar pitcher in Cliff Lee. Oh, and lest anyone forget, they completely embarrassed the New York Yankees and their 200 million dollar payroll (the Rangers payroll is a paltry 55 million in comparison). Let the David versus Goliath comparisons begin. Last year, I wrote about the Yankees and how they clicked together as a team during a tough series against the Angels before they took on the Phillies. It sure seemed like history was doomed to repeat itself this year. The Yankees won Game 1 in dramatic fashion and after that, I didn’t believe the Rangers had the fortitude to rebound from that loss. I fully expected them to fall in five or six games, and I think the Yankees thought they would too. The funny thing is that the Rangers weren’t done by any means. They absolutely crushed the Yankees in the next three games, helped by masterful pitching in game 4 by Cliff Lee (does anyone else wish Cliff Lee had pitched the last inning?). The Rangers lost game 5 despite banging out 13 hits and then dominated the Yankees once again in game 6 to earn their first-ever trip to the World Series where they will face the San Francisco Giants.
Courtesy of Wikicommons Some people may wish that it were the Yankees and the Phillies in the World Series. Actually, I think most of America wished for such a matchup and for good reason — they’re the big name teams and a rematch of last year’s final would have been fantastic to watch. They hate each other already, why not let them go at it again? I must admit that a part of me is in this camp as well, but before you attack me, let me explain why. My dream is for the Yankees to make it to the World Series each year, only to lose in Game 7 by one run in the twentieth inning every single time. But as my tutor, an avid Red Sox fan, just pointed out to me, that would mean that the Yankees would beat the Red Sox if two teams played so I want to clarify that I want the Yankees to lose in the World Series unless they play the Red Sox. Then I want the Red Sox to be the first ever baseball team to come back and win the series from down 0-3 (Oh, did they do that already?). To be fair, the Yankees are good for baseball: they draw people to the sport because people either passionately love them or passionately hate them. And unfortunately, a lot of people just don’t care about the Giants or
Rangers – which is sad, because the two teams are a lot of fun to watch on their own. Just look at the Giant’s pitching staff! Tim Lincecum looks like he belongs in high school on a punk rock band with his long black hair (does anyone else think he looks like a younger version of Snape? Anyone?) and his nickname, “The Freak”, fits him perfectly. Then you have Brian Wilson. The man should have been a lumberjack – if you can grow a beard like that, then you have a duty to mankind to wear flannel and chop down trees. But I digress. Sure, the World Series isn’t going to be as high profile as last year’s (No A-Rod or Jeter? What’s the point then?), but these teams are hungry. And so are their fans. The Giants have endured enough heartbreak of their own and the Rangers have never won in their long history. It’s going to be an exciting series and you should watch at least one game, especially if it goes the distance. Prediction: Rangers in 7. Alfredo Montelongo ’11 (amontel@ fas) would like to remind Giants fans that there is no crying in baseball… including during the offseason after you’ve lost a championship. independent1969@gmail.com
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captured & shot By SUSAN ZHU