Independent Collegian Fall 2011 Issue 9 by The Independent Collegian

Sports, A5

Arts and Life, A6

Quarterback battle wages on this week at Syracuse

Beauty and obscenity grace the stage

Independent Collegian IC The

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Serving the University of Toledo since 1919

www.IndependentCollegian.com 92nd year Issue 9

Ottawa River grant to help sustain wildlife By Casey Cheap IC News Editor

Nick Kneer / IC

The $235,000 grant will help UT make the river a more suitable aquatic habitat for fish.

The 3,700-foot stretch of the Ottawa River that runs through Main Campus will have a different look by August of 2012. A $235,000 grant from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency will be used to clean up a large section of the river. This grant will allow UT to clear out some of the dead trees along the river, making a more beneficial environment for the wildlife. UT will also make in-stream

habitats using natural stone and tree trunk-like material to create shelters for fish swimming in the river and adjust rock placement to alter the flow of the river. Patrick Lawrence, chair of the Department of Geography and Planning, said one of the goals of construction along the river is to make the water ripple more, creating a better aquatic habitat. “Right now there is not a lot of diversity in the river’s habitats,” he said. “We want to recreate some of the river’s natural habitats and diversify

species.” Phase one of the grant was originally to just address a section of the river near Savage Arena. “We got a grant from the Stranahan Foundation, had planning from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and had additional funding from U.S. Fish and Wildlife [Service],” Lawrence. The annual grant from the Ohio EPA will be used to expand upon a previous grant from the Stranahan Foundation awarded two years ago. — River, Page A2

Library renovations underway By Sura Khuder IC Features Editor

Nick Kneer/ IC

“Our library has to be something we can really show off,” he said. “Libraries are things students look at when they come to an institution; they are things that parents look at when they come to an institution. I wouldn’t go to the University of Toledo if I saw what I saw in January.” The renovations to the second floor will occur in three phases. Plans in the first phase are final and are set for completion tentatively by Spring 2012. The second phase is less set in stone, but will be a center of innovative design and technology according to Pryor with plans to be completed by the middle of 2013. The third phase is anticipated to include renovations that will create a balcony overlooking the first floor of the library and a bridge linking the second floor of the library to the second floor of the Student Union Building. Pryor said the last phase still has many details to be worked out. “The goal is to be responsive and collaborative and get ideas from people. I can’t, however, go

Dismantled bookshelves are left on the second floor of Carlson Library. The shelves are set to be replaced by study and collaboration areas.

— Library, Page A2

The renovations happening on the second floor of the Carlson Library have left many students, faculty and staff with unanswered questions.

According to Benjamin Pryor, vice provost and dean of the College of Innovative Learning, university libraries, and learning ventures, the second floor renovations are in response to the depressing shape the floor was in when he saw it last January.

Jazzing up UT

Nick Kneer / IC

World-renowned trumpet player Wynton Marsalis, the sixth speaker in the Shapiro Lecture Series, spoke about the importance of remembering America’s roots through music. yesterday.

Author of First Read book encourages persistence By Jennifer Ison IC Staff Writer

When author Ron Currie Jr. first took the stage at Doermann Theatre, he told the audience, “I am a paid liar,” referring to his career. Currie Jr. visited the University of Toledo Tuesday to

speak to the freshman class. He discussed his latest book, “Everything Matters,” as a part of UT’s annual First Read program. He wrote the book based on experiences from his own life as an adolescent with one large exception. Junior,

the main character, knows when the world will end and he wonders, “does anything I do matter?” He admitted he experienced writer’s block when preparing for the speech, saying he couldn’t advocate the value of higher education

as a college drop out. “Oh, delicious irony,” he said. After going back and forth between praising higher education and bashing it, Currie Jr. settled on speaking about the message he hoped the book conveyed

-- persistence. “Junior must persist like I needed to persist in my own life,” Currie Jr. said. Currie Jr. went on to discuss some of the situations he found himself in that required persistence throughout his life including two

stays in a hospital ward for depression and suicidal thoughts, the death of his father and the seemingly constant rejection of his writing. “But we persisted, he and I,” Currie Jr. said, referring to —Read, Page A2

Read From Page A1 Junior. At 25, Currie Jr. said he saw himself working as a “lifer” in a restaurant if he didn’t make a change. He promised himself if he couldn’t sell a story by the time he turned 26, he would give up writing. He then threw himself into his writing with seriousness like never before. “I spent days and evenings working in restaurants and wrote all night, every night,” he said. A few weeks before his 26th birthday, his persistence paid off. He was hired by Carve Magazine, an online publication and shortly after, Pen-

Library From Page A1 back to what the library once was,” he said. “We have to look at libraries that have looked towards the future.” The renovations occurring during the first and second phase are anticipated to cost anywhere from $1 to 3 million. The money will come from the university’s capital budget. The $63 library fee introduced last year to student’s bills will indirectly fund the project, since the money from the fee is pooled into the general fund of the university. “Libraries are expensive, and at every university, libraries are called ‘cost centers,’ not ‘revenue centers,’” Pryor said. “My thinking is that if a library fee allows us to invest in renovation, in new equipment for students and electronic resources that faculty need, then the library fee is being well spent.” First Phase Currently the second floor is undergoing the first phase of renovations. This plan includes

River From Page A1 Lawrence said money from the Ohio EPA is actually federal money that the state disperses for local projects. Lawrence said the work will only take about two week; but because of some of the pre-construction planning, construction on the river will not start until Aug. 2012. Lawrence wanted to stress that although there would be construction along the river, there would not be rerouting of the river channel because the current bank structure offers flood control. “We are not going to move the river channel or anything,” he said. “Back in the 1940s and 1950s, the river

The

Independent Collegian guin Books of New York published “God is Dead.” It was the first time Currie Jr. experienced happiness and contentment. He realized life was important and things do matter. He closed the speech by thanking the audience not for coming, but for staying. “This has been like the academic equivalent to a gun at your back, being forced to attend for a class,” he said. Nick Mondelli, a freshman majoring in English, said he thought the presentation by Currie Jr. was more down-toEarth than he expected. “I thought the book was very good. Pessimistic, I guess in a way. I think from just like a literature aspect, it’s deeper than it kind of building more group study rooms, learning spaces for collaboration and study and art centers for student display. Group study rooms will include flat-screen monitors for projecting work on. The writing studio on the third floor will be moved permanently to the second floor A collaboration center will be created to allow students in different disciplines to collaborate on ideas and work on projects together. “I want to see a place where the student who is interested in sociology or business is encouraged to work with students who are in physics or chemistry, which neither of them in their separate world would have a place to do [this in],” Pryor said. Pryor said he is not under the impression that by building a space, collaboration will magically occur. “We’ll see. The worst that could happen is we end up with a really nice learning environment,” he said.

makes itself out to be,” Mondelli said. Liz Pickett, a freshman majoring in biochemical engineering, said she had not read the book prior to Currie Jr.’s speech and only attended the speech because she was required to. “I actually thought it was going to be something about chemistry so it was surprising,” she said. “I want to read the book now.” According to the Office of Student Involvement, the First Read Program brings incoming students together to provide a common reading experience. Activities are designed to engage students in stimulating and intellectual discussions and strengthen critical thinking skills. are still open for discussion between faculty and students but will essentially involve installing high-tech equipment, including computers and SMART Boards. “I don’t think we have sufficient space at this university where students have access to higher end technologies that they can use for projects that are not classroom specific,” Pryor said. The eventual amount of funding available towards the second phase will determine the extent of this project.

Second Phase Plans for the second phase

Third Phase “Imagine a big hole in the floor where the first and second floor can talk to each other,” Pryor said. The third phase of the renovations will include a patio that will look down on the second floor of the library and is meant to create open space. The project is expected to include a bridge connecting the second floor of the Carlson library with the second floor of the Student Union Building. Pryor said many universities across the country deliberately integrate student unions and libraries because both are so-

used to flood until the river was diked in 1960.” He said much of the construction on the river is going to be carried out by subcontractors and professionals, but the department of geography and planning is in charge of the grant money. “Some of the people working on this are graduate students from the department of geography and planning and from the department of environmental sciences,” he said. The month of August was selected because it will be a relatively calm time of year before the fall semester starts, fish migration and spawning will be minimal and the river will be relatively low. There has been relatively little work done on the river

since 1960. “There was a design report done in 1981, but there was no follow-up done on that,” he said. “ It wasn’t until former UT President Don Johnson formed the President’s Commission on the River in 2005 that there has been progress.” The grant also came just in time for the “Celebrate Our River Week” on campus last week. Lawrence said 196 volunteers helped clean up the stretch of the Ottawa river that runs through Main Campus and river about 650 people volunteered to clean the river throughout other parts of Toledo. “We are working to do our share on campus to address water quality of the river,” he said.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Nick Kneer / IC

Author of “Everything Matters” Ron Currie Jr. speaks to students on Tuesday. His book was this year’s selection for UT’s annual First Read Program.

cial and learning places. Some students interviewed were not happy with the price of the library renovations. Brenton Boitse, a senior majoring in biology, said it was fiscal irresponsibility and the university should not be spending student’s money on this project when tuition and fees went up this year. “UT needs to act like it’s broke,” he said. “If it has, three dollars it should not spend five.” Boitse thinks the university has more pressing projects at hand. “The library doesn’t need to be renovated. If anything [University Hall] does; it’s the symbol of our university and it’s falling apart,” he said. Other students said, however, the second floor needs to be renovated. Erin Nichols, a junior majoring in mechanical engineering, said she liked the plan, pointing to the walkway leading the Student Union Building to the library as being helpful especially when it’s cold outside.

Forum

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Randiah Green Editor-in-Chief

Mike Dumont Sales Manager

Vincent D. Scebbi Managing Editor

Megan Gross Forum Editor

- in our opinion -

The socializing of studies If UT’s objective this year was to “go green,” then most of us must have misunderstood the message. The first assumption would be that UT plans to move toward a more eco-friendly campus environment. Instead, UT hopes to spend the “green” we thought they didn’t have. UT has once again revealed a new campus project to throw money at. The second floor of Carlson Library will eventually be a place for classrooms and collaboration for students and faculty alike. Students can come together to study, work on projects or meet for discussion — in other words, socialize. Only a portion of this project will cost $1 to $3 million. The rest of the costs are yet to be determined. If UT wants to fund our social lives, then so be it — as long as they figure out the educational side first. College students can be social on their own. The university’s primary job is to provide a place of education and leadership development for students. Libraries were once the place to go for quiet studying; however, the lines between a library and the role of a student union, where socialization normally occurs, have been blurred. Socialization is what our generation thrives on. Usually, such things are fine to do outside of the classroom, in places such as Student Union Building. In the recent years, libraries have become the hang out spots for teens and young adults. If you’re not allowed to talk, you can find a group study room. If no rooms are available, you can whisper, or as some people are prone to do, text each other in “quiet” conversations. Libraries were once the place to go for quiet study or reading sessions. UT could potentially mock the original purpose by creating a scenic location for learning and an easy access tunnel stretching from the

library’s second floor to the Student Union. How can students be taught to focus more on their studies outside the classroom when so many distractions are around them? Every building on campus has tables or chairs where students can sit to socialize with friends or take a break during their day. The chances are highly unlikely that every single chair will be occupied on campus. If so, there are always venues off campus to socialize. With lives are filled with things to do and people to see, this generation has lost focus on how to study. The last thing the average student wants to do is stick their head in a book for two or three hours looking over terms, formulas and theories. Professors want to encourage students to make studying a more beneficial experience, but that includes taking it seriously. How many students will be focusing and studying to their full potential if people around them aren’t being quiet? What students should do is buckle down and try to determine what environment is best for studying, whether it’s in a dorm room or in a little corner of Memorial Field House. If the library is your choice, try to return it back to its former glory — a quiet place to study and work only. Be respectful of your peers in the library and use your time wisely by focusing on what’s in front of you. Understand that your professional attitude in the classroom as well as outside of it says a lot about your character. That includes how you prioritize your time. With better grades and a more balanced lifestyle, students’ work life and social life will prosper.

Responding to a foreign cry Even after the price of books and rising tuition, the students of UT have big hearts and are not afraid to support charity. Of course, social responsibility encourages citizens to take part in community events. However, some Toledo students had a much larger goal. Currently, Somalia is in a state of debt and emotional turmoil. The lack of funds has forced many in the country to stay put. In other words, they’re not allowed to leave the country peacefully, so they just don’t leave. The White House announced last Thursday that they were donating $30 million in U.S. currency in order to help the thousands of Somali refugees have better access to health and nutrition at camps they’ve successfully traveled to. UT students, who feel that it’s unconstitutional to force someone to stay in their country wanted to help out. They’ve organized fundraisers to raise money for the country and the refugee camps for Somali people in Kenya and Ethiopia. Somalia, located on the east coast of Africa, has had little to no central government since 1991, when militia took over the former government parties. Southern Somalia has been in connection with Al Qaeda since late 2007.

Recently, the fearsome Islamic group has stepped back, creating a violent, chaotic mess while leaving everyone wondering who will run the country and return it to a balanced economy. With a drought this past summer and wars raging in the streets, the country is a poverty stricken nation that has lost all humanistic attributes. Is it okay for students to associate themselves with a country that had connections with a despised terrorist group? Looking at the big picture, the majority of Somali people are not Al Qaeda related, they were simply taken over by the Al Qaeda. UT students have come together for worldwide efforts before, such as the disaster relief in Haiti. The goal for student organizations should be not only to improve campus recognition and group funds available for “fun money,” but they should also put forth efforts to do some good for surrounding areas. By understanding what their community needs and meeting those needs without asking for anything in return, students will learn the importance of social responsibility and what it means to others in this struggling economy.

The

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- Letters To the editor Issue 2, if not defeated, would carry dire consequences for every person attending the University of Toledo, as well as every other student in the state of Ohio. It would also have crippling effects on the democratic process and economic situation for Ohioans and potentially the entire country. Issue two, originally forced through the state government by John Kasich as Senate Bill 5, removes the rights of state employees to bargain collectively for their contracts. Without this ability, employees will be at the mercy of their employers in regards to benefits and pay rates. This attack on our public workers is a two-pronged assault in service of securing Kasich’s far-right vision for the state. The most obvious effect will be the rapid degradation of not only education, but all public services in Ohio. Perhaps even more sinister is that with the state unions eviscerated, there will be no counter-balance to the influence of corporate money in subsequent elections, ensuring an unfair, undemocratic

advantage for Kasich and his corporate allies to continue tightening their grip on control. The governor and those behind SB5/Issue 2 are not pushing for any kind of pragmatic approach to state budget concerns, as they think us naïve enough to believe. What they are pushing is a dangerous ideology of extreme social and economic stratification--a world where a small handful of the obscenely wealthy live on the backs of the impoverished masses, and insurance for those at the top against the threat of democratic action bringing about socioeconomic equality. Unions in the education and service sector are an important line of defense because they are in positions that cannot be easily outsourced to impoverished people in other countries. If Nike can’t get child labor at twenty-cents an hour here in the U.S., they simply move the factory to somewhere they can. If teachers here in the U.S. refuse to work for sub-par wages, they’re not so easy to bypass (though the ongoing proliferation of webbased classes is perhaps making some headway on

that issue). There are important longterm implications here. We risk doing to American public service what we’ve already done to American manufacturing. It is one thing to subject ourselves to cheap, low quality, manufactured products. It’s quite another to accept cheap, low quality education and public services. Anyone who’s been employed in a low wage job understands all too well the kind of work attitude that comes with feeling underpaid and underappreciated. This is not an acceptable path for one of the finest education systems in the world. Issue 2 lowers the quality of our education system and diminishes the value of our degrees. It sells out our students, educators, public servants and the hopes for a fulfilling, secure future, the benefit of the wealthiest few and stifles the ability for those hoping to ever make better lives for themselves and their communities. Vote “No” on Issue 2.

In response to the recent article published in the September 19, 2011 issue regarding the proposed revisions to the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics curriculum, we wish to make the following statement. The College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (CNSM) includes five departments--Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Environmental Sciences, Mathematics and Statistics, and Physics and Astronomy-that were part of the former College of Arts and Sciences. Currently, students in majors within the CNSM are following the old Arts and Sciences requirements until a new college curriculum is developed and approved through the normal faculty processes. As a new college, we have been presented with an opportunity create a curriculum that provides greater flexibility for our students, while still exposing students to the breadth of knowledge that is important in our global society. Our goal in creating this new curriculum is not to

eliminate anything, but rather to build a curriculum that best meets the needs of our students and provides them with the best preparation and opportunity for success in their chosen fields. In this model, our goal is to minimize the number of college-level requirements imposed upon students who are pursuing a B.S. degree. Many of these students have intentions of pursuing graduate or professional degrees. We believe that our approach will allow individual departments and programs within departments, who have specialized knowledge about the route to success in these technical fields, to develop a curriculum that best meets the needs and goals of their students. We have also maintained the option of B.A. degrees within the college, which will be structured to provide students with a more traditional Liberal Arts degree, again providing our students with more flexibility and choice to prepare for their specific career goals.

We assure you that these changes are not being made without careful thought and discussions by our faculty, including feedback from students who have requested greater flexibility to take the advanced courses that are important for placement in professional schools--medical, dental and veterinary--and highquality graduate programs. By no means does the new curriculum preclude or discourage students from taking any available courses that interest them, including foreign languages; and in fact, students will be encouraged to pursue areas that will provide them with cultural diversity. It is our desire to create a strong science and math curriculum that will give students the critical thinking and analytical skills needed to be competitive in future job markets.

— Steve Hallock Toledo, OH

— Karen Bjorkman and Brian Ashburner Dean and Associate Dean of the College of Natural Science and Mathematics

Have you met TED? If you are unfamiliar with the annual Technology, Entertainment and Design conference, or TEDx, then you are missing out on a great organization. TED began in the 1980s as a conference that invited experts to speak from the three title fields. Today, it has grown into something much bigger — TED has turned into an international force of good. TED Braeden Gilchrist continually gives me hope for the future. People from all disciplines and backgrounds come to the annual conference to share their ideas. Speakers range from the wellknown such as Al Gore and Bill Gates to the obscure. Subjects from sustainable architecture and agriculture, marketing and medicine, to war and zoology are fair game. One talk features John Francis, who witnessed two oil tankers collide near the Golden Gate Bridge. He was so disturbed by this experience, he went 17 years without speaking or using motorized transportation. He earned his PhD in environmental science, and wrote to the university to let them know that he’d be there in about two years — long walk. He taught a discussion class entirely through sign language. The horror-struck student got used to his “speaking style,” and it was filled to capacity the next semester. John began writing about oil spills when no one else in the country was.

After the Exxon Valdez oil disaster, he wrote regulations on oil spills. John now speaks and drives to share his amazing story, which was one of my favorite TED talks. The annual TED conference is so popular, it costs thousands of dollars to attend, but the talks are available on TED.com for free. A new one is released every weekday. After religiously watching TED talks for over two years, I

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While TED tackles global issues, TEDx events allow the conference to be focused.

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have watched over 500 of the 1000 plus talks available. I made a promise to watch every new talk regardless of the title — I figured even if the subject seemed uninteresting, I would still learn something or gain another perspective. TED strives to make their ideas as accessible as possible. All of the talks get translated into a variety of languages. TED supports independently organized conferences that keep the same format. While TED tackles global issues, TEDx events allow the conference to be focused. There have been TEDx’s on individual topics like health or education and others dedicated to local stories. Bowling Green State University recently hosted their first TEDx event. I was able to

attend and was very impressed with the quality of the conference. The day consisted of 20 speakers; each speaker was allotted 18 minutes to tell their stories. None of the presenters were professional speakers. Some touched on too many ideas, while neglecting to present any take-away message. Some of the speakers were fantastic—they had focused ideas that were engaging and entertaining. One speaker described her efforts to portray a realistic and healthy image of women by standing in Times Square wearing a bathing suit on national television; another shared his happiness of forgetting his degree and pursuing a career in comedy. A local Toledo man talked about his youth-centered urban agriculture program in which teens that have been prone to violence discover nurturing actions can yield better results than bravado and macho-ness. I left Bowling Green full of thoughts. I could see why TED is often described as a life changing event. I felt resolved to do some good in this world and leave it a little bit better. I whole-heartedly recommend going to TED.com and checking out some of the talks. I cannot wait until Toledo organizes their first TEDx event.

— Braeden Gilchrist is an IC columnist majoring in mechanical engineering at UT.

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We just got to go out there and do what Toledo does. We need to make plays to be successful. Terrance Owens UT Junior Quarterback

Section B

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Sports Thursday, September 22, 2011

Page

Joe Mehling — Editor

Quarterback battle wages on this week at Syracuse

File Photos by Nick Kneer

University of Toledo quarterbacks Austin Dantin and Terrance Owens will continue platooning under center as they face off against Big East foe Syracuse at the Carrier Dome this Saturday. By Nate Pentecost IC Assistant Sports Editor

Following back-to-back losses to then No. 18 Ohio State and No. 4 Boise State, the Rockets will close out a grueling non-conference schedule this Saturday when they head to the Carrier Dome to clash with the Syracuse Orange. Last week Toledo found itself severely overmatched as senior quarterback Kellen Moore led Boise State to a 4015 trampling of the Rockets at the Glass Bowl. By night’s end the Heisman hopeful torched Toledo for 455 yards and five scores. “They made the plays,” said UT head coach Tim Beckman. “Their quarterback made the

plays, and our offense and defense did not.” The Broncos (2-0) defense also shutdown Toledo’s twoheaded quarterback attack. Duel-threat Terrance Owens was held to 201 yards on just 17-of-31 passing and only 18 yards rushing. Austin Dantin was rendered largely ineffective in limited playing time, and in addition to a coughing up the ball in the red zone, he completed just 3-of-8 passes for 50 yards and a touchdown. “Austin was a little bit off throwing the football,” Beckman said. “And we knew it was going to be hard to run the football on their front four. We just decided as a coaching staff that T.O. might

give us a little bit more throwing the football.” On the ground, the Rockets finished with just 98 yards on 3.3 yards per attempt. Leading rusher Adonis Thomas (227 yards on 6.1 yards per carry) was held to 65 yards in the contest, though he did rumble his way to pay dirt in garbage time for his third touchdown of the season. The secondary obviously faltered against Boise State, and they will need a quick turnaround in order to contain Syracuse senior quarterback Ryan Nassib. Nassib has completed over 70 percent of his throws on the season, posting seven touchdowns against one interception. The Orange were soundly

defeated 38-17 by USC (3-0) last weekend but Nassib managed to record impressive numbers against a solid Trojans defense, completing 25of-37 passes for 230 yards and a touchdown. “He has an extremely strong arm,” Beckman said. “And he’s a very competitive guy.” That touchdown went to junior wide out Alec Lemon who ended the contest with 72 yards on seven receptions. With a team-best 24 catches on the year Lemon has emerged as the Orange’s go-to receiver, but the Rockets will also need to account for deep threat Van Chew who is averaging 16 yards a catch and leads the club with three touchdowns.

The potent Syracuse passing attack will challenge a banged up Rockets secondary from start to finish. For a third consecutive game Toledo will be without junior linebacker Dan Molls, the nation’s tenth-leading tackler from last season, but the defensive unit should still have a manageable task in stopping the Orange on the ground. Leading carrier Antwon Bailey has racked up 204 yards on 49 carries (4.1 yards per carry) but Syracuse has rushed for under 80 yards per game on the season, registering just three yards per carry in their first three games. On the other side of the ball, there is no doubt Syracuse

struggled. In week one the Orange were punished through the air by Wake Forest’s three touchdowns on nearly 300 yards passing. Last week against the Trojans, Syracuse was again illequipped defensively, finding itself on the business end of quarterback Matt Barkley’s 324 yard, five touchdown performance. To add insult to injury, the Orange also surrendered 175 rushing yards to USC. “We just got to go out there and do what Toledo does,” Owens said. “We need to make plays to be successful.” With both teams relying on the passing game, points should come in bunches this Saturday at the Carrier Dome.

Kirthmon F. Dozier/Detroit Free Press/MCT

Hockey is Here Pavel Datsyuk and the Red Wings opened the 2011 preseason last night with a 3-2 loss in Pittsburgh. The Wings play again tonight at 7 p.m. at the Philadelphia Flyers.

Arts and Life Thursday, September 22, 2011

www.IndependentCollegian.com

Sept.22Sept 26

Thursday Finn’s

Pub

Shades of Red (hardcore) featuring Fight It Out at 8:30 p.m. Owens Community College – Taming of the Shrew. Shakespeare’s classic with a Wild West flair at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 for general admission, $10 for students.

Friday Headliners – Circa Survive with Maps & Atlases and States at 7 p.m. Circa Survive

By Lynnette Bates IC Staff Writer

The accidental death of a young son throws his family into a downward spiral of grief in the Glacity Theatre Collective’s production of Jenny Schwartz’ “God’s Ear,” directed by Irene Alby. The intimate theatrical space of Studio A at the Valentine Theatre lent itself to this production quite well, aside from a few brief moments when visibility was compromised. The cast of this production was excellent, from professional actors Dave DeChristopher and Qarie Marshall to the young daughter of the director, Angelica Alby-Gabara. “God’s Ear” depicts the various — and sometimes dangerous — ways in which people try to cope with their own

distress. The show was both heartbreaking and darkly comedic as Schwartz expertly manipulated language to force the audience to think. Entire conversations were repeated during the play, leaving one with the impression that a great indeterminate amount of time was passing in what seemed mere moments. These characters were finding solace in the mundane. The use of cell phones in the production made it obvious that Mel, played by Aggie Alt, and Ted, played by Marshall, were never actually communicating about anything. Each character would be talking about one thing, while doing something completely different and all the while no

‘Drive’ to theaters

is an American progressive rock band that has received critical acclaim and mainstream success. Tickets are $17 in advance.

Saturday Frankies Inner City – Blood of the Prophets featuring Organism, Vivian Banks, New Found Element, Killer Kadoogan and Vanquish the Populace. Local band Blood of the Prophets is almost finished with their new album and may be playing some tracks off it at the show. Tickets are $5 over 21, $7 under 21. Show starts at 8:00 p.m.

Sunday The Ottawa Tavern – Netherfriends will be playing starting at 10:00 p.m. Frankies Inner City – Thick as Blood with Legend, The Pilot In You, The Air I Breathe and Miracle At St. Anna. This is a hardcore show starting at 5:00 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance.

Monday Toledo-Lucas

County

Public Library – Film FOCUS, An Independent Film Festival showing the documentary “These Amazing Shadows”

Megan Aherne – Editor

Beauty and obscenity grace the stage

Around town

Mickey

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Ollivier-Calo-MF/Abaca Press/MCT

Nicolas Winding Refn, right, and Ryan Gosling pose for portrait at the Winners Photocall of the 64th Cannes International Film Festival, at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, southern France on May 22, 2011. By Max Peltier IC Staff Writer

is expecting it. Yet, when it happens it is nearly impossi“Drive” follows the every- ble not to jump. day life of Driver, played by There is no movie magic in Ryan Gosling, as he works this film that allows characas a stunt driver, a mechanic ters to be shot and walk and moonlights as a get- away. Because of this, everyaway driver for criminals one in the movie seems vulwith Bryan Cranston as nerable and close to death. Shannon, his manager. When it comes to the actIn the movie, Driver being, there seems to be a slight comes emotionally involved with his neighbor Irene, sense of detachment in some played by Cary Mulligan, of the characters. This works and Shannon gets financial- for the movie, and I would ly involved with two small argue that Gosling’s retime crooks, Bernie Rose served performance is a and Nino, played by Albert blank canvas for the audiBrooks and Ron Perlman ence to project their ideas onto his character. He can respectively. Due to some bad luck, be perceived as a shy indiDriver gets stuck in a situa- vidual, but he can also be tion that rapidly spirals thought of as confident and down and tests his calm calculating. demeanor. The cast is filled with “Drive” is a minimalist stars, yet none of them steal movie in many respects. the show. There are long takes They all give where it seems very good that not performancmuch is es that fit the happenpicture very ing, the well. music is The direcProduction rather tor, Nicolas Drive simple Winding ReRating Grade and the fn, is an artist story is who should basic. All be better of these Starring Ryan Gosling, Ron known at this things Perlman, Bryan point in time. Cranston are comOther than bined to “Drive,” he make a has directed several great slow, methodical film that movies such as the fantastic does not drag and is far from crime trilogy “Pusher” and boring. the shocking and stylisticalThe chases, although very ly interesting “Bronson.” short, are masterfully craftRefn has great aesthetics ed and reminiscent of other and cinematography that auto movies such as “Bullitt,” where cars were cars make his movies distinctive. I found the way in which and not computer gener“Drive” focuses on masterated models. The cinematographer ing the minimalist style to organized shots so well be really amazing. It is not the action that any frame of the movie could be printed packed movie that many out and hung as a may expect, but I think that is a good thing. As opposed photograph. Unlike many movies, to having the constant cut“Drive” makes every single ting and action to keep the viewer’s attention, it focusaction matter. Whenever a car crashes or es on pulling the audience a gun is shot, the moment is into the world in which Driver operates. jarring and feels real. For example, there is a I would definitely recscene where someone gets ommend seeing this shot and everyone movie.

one ever spoke truthfully about anything. This denial of their grief led these characters down a dark path of escapism involving extramarital affairs and possible hallucinations. The presence of the Tooth Fairy, played by DeChristopher, and a G.I. Joe, Phillip Taylor, may be physical manifestations of Mel’s conscience or perhaps these childish figures were meant to symbolize Mel’s feelings about her lost son. G.I. Joe offered an interesting concept. He was buried in the ground and then escaped. It could be that his life after death embodiment represents Mel’s own wish that her son could still be alive. Whether it was authorial or directorial decisions to have a man play the Tooth Fairy, I do not know, but either way, it was fabulous. DeChristopher played the part perfectly and was both endearing and a bit foreboding. Nikki Soldner and Ernest Green had amazing stage presence as the dark forces dragging Ted further and further into his own sorrow. An older woman that was seated in front of me was less than thrilled with Act I. After a hushed exclamation of, “The devil wrote this!” during intermission, she discretely found her way to the door and never came back. This woman never got to understand the truth and necessity of the offensive moments in Act I because she skipped out on Act II. If there is one thing I’ve learned, it is that the most crude, obscene and shocking images can be the most powerful and even the most

Nick Kneer / IC

Aggie Alt, Angelica Alby-Gabara, Qarie Marshall, Ernest Green and Nikki Solder fighting and tempting in “God’s Ear.” beautiful. Life is not always happy, politically correct or proper. As art is an expression of the human condition, it cannot ignore ugliness and despair. Act I shows the very fiber of a family torn apart by death and it isn’t until Act II that we begin to truly understand why things in Act I were so extreme. After the show, I found myself contemplating the title. God is not exactly a focal point of the show and yet the name is in the title. Despite barely acknowledging the existence of a god, the characters’ actions and lines seemed prayers in themselves. The characters were floundering about trying to distance themselves from the death of their son and, in effect, they were crying out for something bigger than themselves to lift

them out of their own sadness. In the end, it was the voice of a small child that brought an ounce of peace to the room full of chaos and created a spark of hope in both her parents and the audience. Glacity’s production of “God’s Ear” is a must see to anyone--not only those involved in theatre, but those who wish to view life from a different perspective. This weekend will be the last run of “God’s Ear.” Tickets are available at the Valentine Theatre’s online box office, as well as at the door the evening of the show. Admission is $22 at the door and student rush tickets are available for $5 with a college ID, five minutes before the show begins. Sundays are pay-what-you-can. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday at 2:00 p.m.

We Came As Romans and left average

Courtesy of www.wecameasromans.com

Cover art of We Came As Romans’ new release “Understanding What We’ve Grown To Be.” The album is available in stores now. By Danielle Gamble IC Copy Editor

Screamo music is generally an acquired taste. As a friend of mine says, “You either hate it or it’s the only thing you listen to.” If this is the rule, then the band We Came As Romans is an exception. This band from Troy, Mich. released their second album entitled, “Understanding What We’ve Grown to Be” Sept. 13. The band has been facing a major upswing this year, as they performed for the entirety of the Vans Warped Tour and headlined Scream It Like You Mean It European Tour. The album opens with “Mis// Understanding”, a slightly melancholy song with edge provided by screaming interludes. These sets up the sound for the rest of the album, making it feel repetitive at times.

Songs like “What I Wished I Never Had” are livelier and help to break up the gloomy atmosphere. The album doesn’t entirely pick up until almost the end. The songs “What My Heart Held,” “I Can’t Make Your Decisions For You” and the title track are the highlight of the album. Instead of filling the songs with guitar riffs, the drummer has the most creative lines in the music. The songs seem to be rhythmically-driven rather than melodically inventive. Also, this album seems to be geared toward audio effects, especially reverb. These effects work mostly to the group’s advantage, but sometimes the songs sound hazy and over-processed. According to their website, the band is very proud of their lyrics. They lean toward an upbeat message, something that is more evident in their

first album, “To Plant a Seed.” While the lyrics are decently inventive, this album sounds like the band is trying to stay true to their happy roots but is struggling with inner-turmoil. Overall, “Understanding What We’ve Grown to Be” is an interesting, but unimpressive album. It is an average album with average lyrics and average chord changes. I don’t stress purchasing this album, but if you would like to see the best of We Came As Romans, I suggest you check out “To Plant a Seed.” They might have arrived as Romans, but they left something to be desired. My Rating: C “Understanding What We’ve Grown to Be” is available nationwide in stores like Hot Topic, Best Buy and FYE, as well as online at the band’s website www.wecameasromans.com.