Daisy James Issue #1

DukeEllington

School of the Arts - est 1974

daisyJames

Volume 1, Issue #1

HANK WILLIS THOMAS JR

JAY-Z

INVISIBLE CHILDREN

occupy dc NICKELODEON’S

VICTORIOUS

Building the 21st century writer

DaisyJames lifestyle magazine produced by Literary Media & Communications at Duke Ellington School of the Arts Editor’s Welcome You are about to read issue number 1 of Daisy James magazine, and all of us in Literary Media and Communications at Duke Ellington School of the Arts hope you enjoy it. This is actually the third publication of Daisy James, following on the heels of the Mario spotlight that we named issue number 0 and the Dreamgirls spotlight that was a special edition. Personally this edition is my favorite of the three and not just because I edited it or have two of the best articles in the magazine (smile). At times it was a pain in the rear end but everybody worked really hard to make this magazine the best that it could be. Despite numerous setbacks amongst other issues we managed to finish this magazine somewhat close to deadline. It wasn’t easy and many of the writers required stern and persistent motivational incentives, but in the end we got it done. Parents were emailed and voices were raised but once I got to see the early proofs, I realised it was all worth it.

There isn’t much that one can compare with seeing their hard work in print with their name attached to it. My playwriting teacher said that ”seeing your play performed is the closest in feeling a male gets to childbirth”. I see my two pieces in the magazines as twins, and the magazine as a whole as my adopted child. A lot of time and effort was put into researching and writing the material in these magazines.

For those of you that aren’t familiar with the arduous schedule of Duke Ellington, please allow me to inform you. We have classes from 8:30 in the morning to 5:00 in the afternoon, with a total of 10 classes in both academics and arts. This means that not only did students on my team have to worry about completing their Daisy James material, but also their academic homework and whatever assignments they were given in our other three art classes. After a school day longer than most work shifts, the writers of Daisy James interviewed random people in the street, slept outside in McPherson Square, dressed as they wouldn’t normally dress, and traveled all over the DMV to gather research for their pieces.

However the real MVP of the magazine is our journalism instructor, Mr. Koye Oyedeji. He tried his best to keep all of us in check and make sure everybody did what they were supposed to on top of teaching three other classes. Having literally no free time whatsoever Mr. Oyedeji was up at all hours of the night editing and proofreading work along with enforcing deadlines. We didn’t make his job easier, and at one point even I, the editor, dropped the ball and required scolding. I didn’t appreciate it then, but I understand now he was just doing what was best for Daisy James.

I’m not saying all of this to guilt trip you into reading the magazine, but if I did I’m glad. I’m just informing you that a lot of time and effort went into making this magazine what it is and that we hope you appreciate it. They’re are music reviews, fashion stuff, serious stuff, and funny stuff, all for your entertainment. No matter what you are looking to get out of this magazine I'm willing to bet the amount of money you spent on this magazine that you will find it. I don't want to sound presumptuous but this magazine is great so yeah, you’re welcome.

Marcus Brown, editor

Daisy James, Volume 1, Issue #1 DAISY JAMES is a publication of LMC, LITERARY MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS @ DUKE ELLINGTON SCHOOL OF THE ARTS, 3500 R STREET NW WASHINGTON, D.C. 20007 DEPARTMENT CHAIR MARK WILLIAMS EDITOR: MARCUS BROWN CONTACT: DAISYJAMESMAG@GMAIL.COM CONTRIBUTORS: ASIA ALSTON, MARCUS BROWN, KYNDALL BROWN, ISIS COOPER, LUCY FRESHOUR, MADISON HARTKE-WEBER, IMONIE KING, GENNA KULES, IDIA LEIGH, NILE MYERS, LAURYN NESBITT, KEPHREN PONDEXTER, BARRETT SMITH, RASHAWNDA WILLIAMS INSTRUCTOR/MANAGING EDITOR/LAYOUT: KOYE OYEDEJI ONLINE / ASSOCIATE EDITOR: KELLI ANDERSON COPY EDITOR: RICK WEBER PHOTOGRAPHERS: MARCUS BROWN, AURIELLE CATRON, ZOE GATTI, BRIAN NIELSEN, RASHAWNDA WILLIAMS

THANKS TO: Kelli Anderson, Chris Berntsen, Eric Breese, Kalia Brooks, Olivia Drake, Brittany Fenison, Kim Gaines, Saudia B. Harris & the Prime Movers Program, Brittany Jones, Jackie Jones, Alan King, Jiro Schneider, Jack Shainman Gallery, Elena Soboleva, Rick Weber, Mark Williams, Hank Willis Thomas Jr, Students in the Literary Media & Communications Department

cover photo: hank willis thomas jr shot by jiro schneider and kindly donated to duke ellington for use www.jirophoto.com

contents

28

4 first up: Ten Questions Ten subjects you might want (or not want) to know about Duke Ellington School.

6 Victorious The cast of the hit TV show makes a surprise visit to Duke Ellington.

9 Profile: Invisible children A spotlight on the organization,

20

and what measures they take to combat child abduction in Uganda.

10 Commentary: Let’s Talk about Slavery Isis Cooper

25

goes on a quest to find out if the history of slavery is important to today’s youth.

12 fashion: Style on the Streets Lucy Freshour takes to the streets to find out what’s hot in Georgetown.

14 Cover Story: Hank Willis Thomas Jr. Marcus Brown

6

celebrates the achievements of the acclaimed artist and former Duke Ellington student.

20 Feature: Inside The Classroom Daisy James talks to Duke

36

Ellington teachers about the secret lives they lead.

22 Feature: A Walk In The Park Occupy D.C. - A teenage perspective.

25 Commentary: Where The Ladies At? Idia Leigh contemplates the question.

28 Rising Talent: Bleu Friday A spotlight on the rising star.

30 Feature: Unplanned Parenthood Three pregnancies. Three

9

different stories.

14

32 Top 5 Performance Venues in the DMV Madison Hartke-Weber highlights the best places for live music in the city.

34 spotlight: Museum Studies 36 Profile: Jay-Z Kyndall Brown explores the man behind the myth.

22

38 Reviews

FIRST UP:

ten

questions?

FEATURING THE DUKE ELLINGTON SCHOOL OF ARTS

1. Why do students lose their way at Duke Ellington?

At Duke Ellington the possibilities are endless, and because of this it is not like most other schools in D.C. However, for many this can be a double-edged sword. If you work hard in order to achieve your goals, you’ll find your path well lit, but for those who don’t want to put in time, there is a world of mediocrity waiting for you. It is easy to become enveloped in everything else going on at the school and find yourself far from where you hoped you would be. For some, Duke Ellington is a fertile plot of soil for success, while for others the path to failure is paved with good intentions.

3. Why is fashion such a big deal at Duke Ellington?

Personally, we couldn’t care less about the way students dress. For some of us Daisy James writers, we usually just throw on whatever looks comfy. However, a number

of students at Duke Ellington spend hours planning out their outfits for the week. They accessorize to the max: earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings. Everyone has their own style whether it’s hippie, emo, ghetto-fabulous, hipster, rocker, whatever; every day is a runway.

But why is fashion such a big deal at Duke Ellington? It differs. Some people are desperate for attention.

They wear outfits that don’t match, wear stiletto heels, dye their hair rainbow colors, and get piercings in places that should not be pierced. Some students just like to express themselves through their clothing and there’s nothing wrong with that.

4. Why don’t students at Duke wear uniforms?

It’s felt that Duke Ellington students do not wear uniforms because, as young artists, selfexpression through dress is just as important to the development of their “voice” as their art is.

2. Why does the Dean of Students, Father Payne, patrol the streets of Georgetown after school hours?

Rumor has it that the school’s Dean of Students, Father Payne, has teamed up with the local police to monitor Duke Ellington students’ after-school behavior within the local neighborhood. There have been a number of reports of Duke Ellington students up to no good in the Georgetown area, whether it is on the D2 bus or outside of Wingo’s. Father Payne’s patrols seem to be a way to get a grip on the students even after they leave campus. After all “you represent more than just yourself in public.”

5. Why do they have a bad library?

Well, firstly, there isn’t a librarian so access to the library is not monitored, anyone can walk in and take a book.

Sadly, very few students take books, as nowadays very few like to read. Daisy James has it on good authority that the school once had a good library but it has since been neglected and abandoned.

6. Why are some students at Duke Ellington more interested in their reputation at an arts school than being serious and making a career out of art?

We cannot speak for the majority of students at Duke Ellington, but yes, there are a number that we have watched closely and we have come to the conclusion that they are serious about neither their arts nor academics. As underclassmen, they are not getting as much as they can out of the Duke Ellington experience, which often leaves them scrambling for success in their junior and senior years, should they get there - as these students are not likely to stay at Duke Ellington for long. Many are here for the sake of their reputation. They want to be known as that well-rounded girl or boy who is talented in the arts. What good comes out of being in a place where you can practice what you say you like to do, and yet ultimately make nothing out of it? Some students fail to realize that their reputations are not built upon their talents and abilities, they are built on their actions and what they make of their experiences. Performing better in the halls and between classes than you would when it actually matters, does not matter a great deal. Furthermore, it does not prove anything.

7. Why do teachers forget that the students are still children?

Well okay, although they are artists, Duke Ellington students are still children. At times it is felt that this fact gets lost, given the huge amounts of responsibility placed upon them. For every poem they write, they are still scribbling over childhood.

Students are human first, and while they appreciate the responsibility that teachers give to them, there are the occasions where it can become overbearing.

8. Why can’t Duke Ellington students double major?

Well, Duke Ellington students cannot double major simply because they don’t have enough time to complete the necessary credits that each department requires. There would need to be either less credit requirements or even longer days than the 8:30a.m. to 5p.m. days that currently exist.

But wait, why try to be a jack of all trades and master of none? Why double major when you can put all your attention into one area and become the best that you can be in that area?

9. What is up with our vending machines?

Yeah, the vending machines are kind of weird. Sometimes they only accept crumpled dollars, or only crisp ones.

Sometimes they only accept coins.

Also, all of the options are “healthy”, or whatever that word means. They used to have Cheez-It’s, but then someone decided that Cheez-It’s were bad for you and had them taken out.

This sucks because everybody loves Cheez-It’s. We also have a soda machine which only puts out juice, this could be taken as a metaphor for the school.

5

10. How does Duke Ellington help students launch their careers as artists?

Not only does Duke Ellington teach students to develop their craft and strive for perfection, the school also teams up with organizations around the city to help get students used to working in career fields within the arts. Some of these organizations include: Words Beats and Life, The Kennedy Center, and even the White House. The experience that students receive helps them determine the right colleges to attend and helps them develop a work ethic for when they finally branch out on their own. Contributors include: Bridget Dease, Lucy Freshour, Sienna Laster, Idia Leigh, Nile Myers, Lauryn Nesbitt, Khat Patrong.

art schools collide:

the cast of nickelodeon’s

victorious meets ellington school

words: genna kules

photos: brian nielsen

At Duke Ellington School, word of the arrival of a cast of Nickelodeon actors traveled faster than the school's dance students could move their feet. Before we knew it, the stars were upon us. Students flanked each side of the gallery, as though welcoming royalty, as our principal, Rory Pullens, came bounding in, closely followed by Victoria Justice, Ariana Grande, Daniella Monet, Leon Thomas III, Matt Bennett, Elizabeth Gillies, and Avan Jogia, the cast of the Nickelodeon hit show Victorious.

They toured the gallery with Mr. Pullens, exploring the artwork created by students from the Visual Arts Department. They stopped every so often to pose for photos, before making their way into the elevator.

Upstairs, the school’s media center was filled with the buzz of excited students. Sitting next to me was my Ariana Grande-obsessed friend, behind me were two juniors, boys who had loved Victoria Justice since her days on Zoey 101.

6

We sat in the media center with the show’s theme song on repeat, the room packed with chairs and recording equipment, convoluted set-ups from both Nickelodeon TV and the Literary Media and Communications Department. Ms. Brittany Fenison, the assistant to the Dean of Arts, entered just before the cast did, reminding us of the professionalism demanded at the school.

“You’re not fans; you’re artists,” she said.

Victoria entered the room first, tripping over her heel before taking the center seat at the table. The rest of the cast filled in around her. Daryl Bright, an 11th grade Theater student, introduced them and launched the afternoon’s Q&A session with a previously submitted question: How did you [the cast] get started in acting?

Victoria’s story is well known. She went from Hollywood to Hollywood. Growing up in Hollywood, Florida, she started modeling at age eight and was featured in over thirty-five commercials. She moved to L.A. where she attended the city’s magnet school. Since then, she has gained fame with her breakout role as the mischievous student, Lola Martinez, on the TV show Zoey 101, managed to secure a recording deal with Sony, and will appear in the upcoming film Fun Size, scheduled for release in October 2012.

Like Victoria, each of the young actors’ first breaks were unique and they gave varied answers to the question, yet one thing remained common amongst them: they all displayed a level of ambition rarely seen at such young ages.

Yet listening to them, and their stories, I couldn’t help but feel that it all seemed too simple and reliant upon fortune. “I auditioned and I got it.” “I moved to Hollywood and got on a TV show.” “I tried out for a Broadway show and I magically made it on my first try.”

For many actors, there are huge obstacles that they must overcome. They jump through hoop after hoop in the search of recognition and stardom. I wondered why the stars of Victorious could not tell us about that struggle, the tenacity, and how it isn’t all about talent. Those are the types of things our teachers frequently tell us.

When asked about education and college, they all agreed that they would go to college if they could. There was a consensus among them that education is very important.

Victoria has taken her education into her own hands, and works to be self-educated. Daniella takes classes when she can. She has her real-estate license and used to be a personal trainer. She says that it is important to have a backup plan when you’re an actor. “You never know when the jobs are coming. You could be overwhelmed one month and the next three not have anything to do.”

The cast also gave some comedy tips to the theater students. Matt said, “You have to give up some jokes, you can’t always be the funny one,” while Ariana added that you can’t be afraid of what other people will think of you. Avan explained that comedy is about accuracy. You have to come in at the perfect time or else it won’t be funny. “It is important to play off of other people,” said Victoria.

Ariana finds similarities with her characters. She wants to be more like her character, Kat, who is openminded and loves to make friends. Although, she added, Kat is a little bit too extreme.

When Victoria was asked what character she wants to play, she responded with “the tortured soul,” someone with issues and problems. Liz was asked how performing live is different than performing on camera. Her answer?

“Performing live is invigorating - you need lots of energy and volume.” When she first started on camera, she needed to calm down. Daniella explained that at her craziest audition she walked in with green grapes in her eyes. For her Victorious audition, they had her bark like a dog and act like a five-year-old. Matt told us that he had ventriloquist training to learn how to hold a puppet. “You don’t realize how much upper body strength it takes to hold a puppet.” He added that he works out a lot to prepare for shows.

The real fun began when it was time to collect autographs. They had us chant “Victorious! Victorious!

Victorious!” and scream and cheer for the Nickelodeon cameras. They signed cast photos that they handed out to us and I had the opportunity to ask them further about their lives. Liz’s current goal as an actress is to go into movies.

Matt has always wanted to be a writer and wants to write a Nickelodeon show. He feels like he knows what they are looking for and would enjoy doing that.

The day wrapped up after the autographs and conversations. Students stayed in their seats as long as possible in an attempt to be around the stars until the very last moment. The obsessions and conversations continued on after Victorious left. The buzz of anticipation turned into one of reminiscent glee.

8

spotlight:

words: lauryn nesbitt

9

In the United States, when a child goes missing, police are notified and an Amber Alert is sent out. There is a rush to find the child, bring him home safely and imprison the one responsible.

An ocean away, Joseph Kony, the leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in Uganda, has been responsible for 30,000 children who have vanished in the last 23 years. Africa’s longest running war has resulted in many child abductions, villages being attacked and destroyed, and families burned out or killed. For many years, the wider world has been kept in the dark about these casualties on the African continent.

Kony and the LRA soldiers have terrorized Northern Uganda, parts of Sudan, and the Republic of the Congo. Innocents in fatigues, these children are forced into slavery and forced to fight. The children are recruited from the villages and schools of northern Uganda. Thousands of children have been robbed of childhood and, in many cases, of life itself.

Boys and girls are turned into ruthless killers. They are taught to be numb within, and their souls have become seared. The conflict has been going on for years without resolution.

Even in the midst of tragedy, there can be triumph. Organizations such as “Invisible Children” have made it their mission to shine a light on the issue and do all they can to save as many children as possible.

The organization was launched after three young American filmmakers went to Uganda in 2003 to observe the issues firsthand and filmed what they saw. After returning to the States, they created the documentary "Invisible Children: Rough Cut," a film that exposes the tragic realities of northern Uganda’s night commuters who go out to recruit - and sometimes kidnap - young people and child soldiers.

Those who work with “Invisible Children” define themselves as storytellers, visionaries, humanitarians, artists, and entrepreneurs who spread awareness about the issue.

Now, in its eighth year of existence, “Invisible Children” goes to high schools around the country to tell the stories of these children in hope that it will spark young people to support the efforts. This fall, they visited Duke Ellington School of the Arts.

The current “Frontline” tour is raising money for a “protection plan” so that the “Early Warning Radio Network” can be expanded. The Early Warning Radio Network is a High Frequency service that allows Ugandans in remote parts of the country to communicate with other communities in the hope that they can spread the word about attacks, abduction and the many casualties faster and more efficiently. To date they have raised more than $1 million from 2,521 teams and 44,700 participants. Those who raise the most money are rewarded with a trip to Uganda to meet the extraordinary survivors of the war.

This is only one of many ways that they help to shine light on the ongoing genocide. There is a Bracelet Campaign, Legacy Scholarship Program, Mentorship Program, Economic Development Initiative, and an online shop where all proceeds go to the cause.

For more information on Invisible Children’s programs and initiatives visit: www.invisiblechildren.com

commentary:

let’s talk about

slavery words: isis cooper photos: zoe gatti

I imagined them exhausted, drenched in sweat, while picking cotton under the scorching sun; and with every cotton field we passed the same reccurring images would appear in my mind. With these images, as an African American, I began to think about how easy our generation has it compared to our ancestors. I wondered if we acknowledge them the way we should. A simple family road trip to South Carolina triggered a quest for the answer to the question: “Does our generation take slavery for granted or find it irrelevant?”

“I would say your generation is detached, but it’s not intentional or your fault, natural progression is detaching from the past. Every generation starts to integrate into America’s vision a little more, forgetting about our beginnings,“ said Kenneth Robinson, a Duke Ellington alumnus, who views our generation as something that has just evolved over time. Could this be the case? With each generation passed, a new step is taken forward, away from past struggles and we sometimes forget the path that led us to where we stand now.

Dean of students at Duke Ellington, Father John Payne, suggested that it’s the past generation’s fault for not teaching our generation the importance of our ancestors. “I think the problem is that people are so far removed from reality and what life really

is, and what it was like before their time,” he said.

“It’s the previous generation’s fault for not teaching them.” This could very well be the answer. Some things aren’t intentional, such as forgetting to teach the youth the importance of their heritage. Some just don't view it as a priority. Others, however, believe there's a different answer.

There are some people who view slavery as something that should simply be left in the past.

“We’re not detached, we remember, but there’s no sense to dwell on things that are so depressing. We are an upbeat generation that doesn't want to be suppressed by the actions of the past,” said Imonie King, a junior at Duke Ellington.

Although slavery was an impactful era of the African-American community, many of us intentionally don’t acknowledge our ancestors because we feel that America as a whole shouldn't live in the past. But is knowledge not the key to growth? Slavery is a very delicate subject that most people try to avoid. However, growing, not only as people but as a nation, requires us to acknowledge dark times that have helped us venture to the light.

Another trait that is starting to become increasingly more common in our generation is the desire to be a part of a different ethnicity, or to be more than just “black”.

Many people such as Elijah Cooper, a student at SUNY Purchase, considers this behavior “a smack to the face of our ancestors, as if having softer hair or being lightskinned proves you’re better than those who don’t, ...we should be past this.” Our ancestors fought to break down color barriers, and here we are still keeping them alive. I, myself, am guilty of this too. As the darkest of three children, I often felt cheated of the “light skin” gene, until I was old enough to understand that the melanin in my skin is beautiful.

Our heritage as African-Americans is something that should never be disowned, despite our views on slavery. On my way back to D.C. from South Carolina, I realized how grateful I am for the roots of which I've grown from, of which we have grown from. Without them this generation of African-Americans wouldn't exist.

FASHION:

STYLESTREETS ON THE

INTERVIEWS: Lucy Freshour photos: rashawnda williams

DANA

Dana is wearing black boots with buckles, sleek black jeans, a trendy plaid shirt, and a brown jacket.

How would you describe your style? I’m pretty casual but I like to add a nice jacket or something for extra flair.

Where do you like to shop? Well, I actually just moved here from North Dakota! The style there is very different than the Georgetown style but I like a lot of the stores around here. I like J. Crew, Cusp, and Ann Taylor Loft.

What is your favorite thing in your closet? I got this really cute necklace for my birthday. It has a blue stone on it. I like simple things like that.

Whose style do you admire and why? Lady Gaga! I mean, I wouldn’t wear half the things she wears but they look great on her.

SOPHIA Sophia is wearing brown boots, blue jeans, and a cute and cozy tan coat.

How would you describe your style?

Simple and classic.

Where do you like to shop? Zara has some great stuff.

What is your favorite thing in your closet?

Definitely my black riding boots.

Whose style do you admire and why?

Audrey Hepburn! She is such a style icon.

NATALIE Natalie is wearing classic black ballet flats, black skinny jeans, and a red jacket that adds a great pop of color.

How would you describe your style? Comfortable but cute.

Where do you like to shop? I love Zara.

What is your favorite thing in your closet? I have these gold leaf earrings that look great with anything.

Whose style do you admire and why? I can’t think of anyone. I like to think I have a style of my own.

Leo is wearing orange sneakers with a wedge heel, blue jeans, layered tee-shirts, a pink scarf, and a very stylish white coat.

How would you describe your style? I’m fashionable. I’m a trendsetter.

Where do you like to shop? I’m from France so I love French stores. Oh, I love Balenciaga.

What is your favorite thing in your closet? My Louis Vuitton bag. I carry it everywhere. I’m carrying it right now!

Whose style do you admire and why? Brigitte Bardot. She is so glamorous.

LEO Seboe is wearing white high-top sneakers, red jeans, a super cute khaki colored coat, and a multi-colored scarf.

How would you describe your style? Simple but with a little hint of rock and roll!

Where do you like to shop? Forever 21 and H&M. What is your favorite thing in your closet? Probably these funky boots from Lord and Taylor.

Whose style do you admire and why? Rihanna wears some very cool stuff.

SEBOE

Joan is wearing black ballet flats, black pants, a sand colored sweater, and a stylish cobalt scarf.

How would you describe your style? I’d say I’m pretty chic.

Where do you like to shop? Anywhere vintage! I also love J. Crew.

What is your favorite thing in your closet? A friend of mine owns this boutique called Onyx Feather. You should check it out! It’s awesome. Anyway, she gave me this checked glass necklace from there and I just love it.

JOAN

Whose style do you admire and why? Jenna Lyons, J. Crew’s creative director. Her style is simple but tailored.

cover story: hank willis thomas jr.

one

words: marcus brown photos & artwork: courtesy of the artist & jack shainman gallery

american 14

I have an empty stomach, a full bladder, and a persistent desire to take a nap. It is after nine at night and instead of being home relaxing or doing homework, I’m at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in downtown D.C. with two of my teachers. As readers I know your first thought, and the answer is no, I didn’t do anything wrong.

I’m seated in a movie theater chair, in a stark white rotunda seemingly supported by white, Roman columns that dwarf the huge projector screen. As I scan the rest of the audience I see two types of people. The first being young, hipsteresque college students who could not be anymore happier to tweet or text about what they are thinking this very moment from whatever Apple product they spent their trust fund money on. The second type of people are slightly less enthused and only take out their phones to check the time or send the occasional email that had earlier slipped their mind. These people are noticeably older than the first crowd and are here because of a mutual love for art and for talking about loving art. These two groups of people were evenly dispersed throughout the auditorium and as it got later into the night anticipation filled the room. The man of the hour and the reason for such an eclectic grouping of people was the photographer, visual artist and graphic designer, Hank Willis Thomas Jr. Seeing as how he was a former Duke Ellington student, like myself, I was there in hopes of getting an interview with the man behind the art. Thomas was speaking at the Corcoran Gallery of Art as part of a lecture series from the artists of the 30 Americans exhibit on display at the gallery. The exhibit is made up of pieces from the Rubell Family collection and features 30 talented African-American artists ranging from Jean-Michel Basquiat to David Hammons. After a lenghty introduction by both the junior and senior curators the entire room grew silent as Thomas took the stage and began talking. After a few minutes of awkward, funny banter something surprising happened. Right in the middle of a sentence Mr. Thomas began to cry. Admittedly, I was caught off guard but that seemed to be the theme of the night because from then on it was a combination of emotion and inspiration. He went on to explain that he was crying because his family was in the audience along with his former teacher and a host of other mentors, such that he was overcome with gratitude and emotion.

His mother, Deborah Willis, is also a respected artist in her own right and professor at the Tisch School in New York. Part of what inspired Thomas to be an artist was his mother along with a coterie of the artists that surrounded him at a young age. This experience showed him that he could succeed, “not just at making art but also curating and writing about art”, his mother said. This is probably why of all the places Thomas could have ended up for an education he ended up at Duke Ellington School of the Arts in the Musuem Studies Department.

Thomas is a Duke Ellington alumni and was taught by the current chair of the Museum Studies Department, Marta Stewart. He ended up at the school after a frenetic search for a place to continue his education culminated in a family friend suggesting his mother try out Duke Ellington, where she served on the board. It was at Duke Ellington where Thomas began to grow as an artist in an environment that was in sharp contrast to the predominately white, sport-oriented high school he had left behind. Here he was allowed a place to foster and hone his craft for the outside world in a place accepting of his own unique talents and abilities. It was here that Thomas says he “became a person in a way” and that his time at Duke Ellington was monumental for his development into an artist and member of society.

Top: Absolut Power, 2003 Below: Branded Head, 2003

Basketball and Chain, 2003

Not only was Thomas very open in discussing how “all of [his] wonderful life experiences” came from his time at Duke, he was also open with discussing the darker inspirations for his work.

A notable influence on Thomas’ work was the death of his cousin Songha. Along with various photos of Songha, including one of his autopsy, Thomas made a stop motion film using miniature toy army men to depict Songha’s death during a robbery, as it was told to him by friends who were there. He went on to explain that the reason toys were in the film as opposed to actors was because he wanted take a shot at the cultural norm of practically putting guns in the hands of children. How troublesome the idea that in America children are so jaded to the dangers of guns and weapons because at a young age they are exposed to them as play things. Thomas pointed out the irony, that on most toys the warnings they hold for say, “ages 5 and up”, are there not because the violent nature of the toy but because there is the potential to choke on the small pieces. This in turn creates a society that almost justifies the hackneyed nature of weapons but is outraged and dumbfounded by acts of violence.

Another one of Thomas’ more controversial pieces of work was a parody of the Master Card commercials, in which he used a photo taken at Songha’s funeral to again speak on the vicious cycle of violence that is an almost intrinsic part of society. The picture shows the varying prices of items at the funeral from a gold chain to a 9 millimeter pistol and ends by saying picking the perfect casket for your son is priceless. Again Thomas uses some of the darkest parts of his own life to speak on harrowing topics that most can relate to. As an artist this is an indispensable characteristic and one that inspired me most about his work.

16

Many of Thomas’ pieces are centered around race or class issues and how they are portrayed in the media, specifically in advertisements.

He uses sardonic edits of common place advertisements to prove a point.

By slightly altering images seen in the media on a daily basis the audience is caught off guard because instead of the usual propaganda they are accustomed to seeing, they are instead struck with a biting piece of social commentary. One of his most popular works is a picture of a black man with the Nike Swoosh branded into the side of his head. The picture speaks to the nature of corporate branding and slave branding and the similarities between the two. Another picture states a similar theme in a bit more obvious manner in which a basketball player is shown jumping and the basketball beside him forms a ball and chain with the chain being tied around his ankle. Institutions like the NBA and NFL can be seen as a modern day slave trade for African-Americans and the corporate conglomerates behind them like Nike as the new slave masters. The resurgence of slavery in more subtler forms is a reccurring motif in his work such as the one where the images of an Absolut Vodka bottle and a slave ship are merged into one.

From the top, counter-clockwise: Time Can Be A Villian Or Friend, 1984/2009 The Discover Card, 2004 The Afro-American Express, 2004 The Chase MasterCard, 2004

17

However not all of his work is as serious as these and some merely poke fun at the racist undertones of modern media. A fairly large portion of his work is just advertisements with the words taken away or juxtaposed with another in order to make some of the understated messages more clear. I found myself laughing at many of the pictures, but after I was done laughing I began to reflect on the pieces. I would laugh at how blatantly racist or ignorant some of the advertisements were but then I began to realize that it could not be further from comedy. Thomas’ cousin Youtha Hardman-Cromwell commented on Thomas’ exhibit, arguing that “we don’t see how the things we are being presented with and are participating in are hooked into our history.” I couldn’t agree more. We live in a day and age where we are constantly being bombarded with images that shape our society and cultural identity, and what does it say when you can strip and move these images around to reveal such shameful messages?

As an artist, student and individual I found Hank Willis Thomas’ lecture inspirational and provocative. On the one hand I saw an African-American whose background almost perfectly mirrored mine, standing on stage talking about his life’s work to a crowd of people eager to listen. I saw an artist who has made something of himself, despite all the trials and tribulations that he might have faced on the way there, doing what he loves. I also saw a man who was trying to force the world’s eyes open and make the public see what is really out there, as every good artist should.

I could not help but be inspired by this man who created art that spoke to people, because at the end of the day an artist cannot be judged by the popularity or the acclaim he receives but instead by the value and substance of his work. Hank Willis Thomas’ work speaks nothing but truth and I am glad I had the opportunity to see his work and meet the man behind the art.

“On Hank Willis Thomas Jr” Marta Stewart chair of Duke Ellington’s Museum Studies Department “He was a good student. He had many of the characteristics that we look for in Museum Studies students. He was curious and creative. He had an open mind. He had a willingness to work at figuring out how to be successful at completing assignments even if he did not really know how he was going to accomplish that task.” “[I recall] students were challenged to create a living history biography if a person of their choice and he chose Prince. He memorized and delivered Prince’s life story in the first person in a convincing and compelling way.”

Photo: Aurielle Catron From top: Jordan and Johnnie Walker, 2009, Scouring The Earth, Edition 1 of 10, 2010

Shooting Stars, 2011

19

inside the classroom:

an inside look at the ellington staff The first in a series of stories that looks into the hidden lives of staff at Duke Ellington School of the Arts.

Frances Peterson

WORDS: RASHAWNDA WILLIAMS

Photo: Zoe Gatti

I pass her in the halls, and stop by only to turn in months worth of old needed forms that she has long since requested. But whenever I drop into Frances Peterson’s office, I get a good sense of both her casualness and humor all wrapped into one. When I found out Ms. Peterson, our school Registrar, was a former police officer I wasn’t too surprised. The witty and sarcastic remarks that I’ve come to enjoy began to make sense. “I have always been a daddy’s girl” she said, “and I always wanted to be on the same page as my father, that’s why I joined the force.”

Yet it was the same person that caused her to leave the force. Her father had been on the force and was aware of what took place behind the scenes. He didn’t think it was an appropriate job for a woman.

“My father became ill with brain cancer and he made me promise him that I’d leave the force. He didn’t think it was the appropriate job for a woman.”

Asked what was the worst thing she ever saw as an officer, Ms. Peterson said: “There was a set of twins in Potomac Gardens; there was a good twin and a bad twin. After the mother died the bad twin killed him [the good twin] as a result of being jealous at the praise he received. He then set the apartment on fire.”

The experience led her to begin to consider her future but the incident wasn’t ultimately the deciding factor for Ms Peterson leaving the force, even after speaking with her father this event set things in motion. It was when she had pulled her gun on a young boy - who was acting as if he was going to shoot his father while trying to protect his mother - that she knew it was over.

“The gun was unloaded and the safety was on and if I would have shot him it would have been for no reason. That’s when I knew the job wasn’t for me.”

Her time on the force had not been long. “Just a year. A year and a half was all it took”.

Photo: Rashawnda Williams

Natalie Bruford I was sitting and tapping my foot on the ground, waiting to see what Natalie Bruford had to show the class when she brought out a piece of wood, about the size of a piece of paper in length and thick like a large textbook, from a door she had built.

Everyone reacted with shock and admiration for a teacher who at 5’ 4” could operate heavy machinery needed to make a sample of that size.

“I am much more than a woodcutter, I do floor finishes and also know how to make furniture,” she said. “Woodcutting is something that has been in my family for years, it’s something that's always been around. I used to spend every summer in my father’s wood shop, with my siblings.”

But Ms. Bruford, my 11th grade History teacher, didn’t decide to make a living at it.

1120

She said she loves “history and teaching from the age group of 14-18,” and that the experience of being a missionary in Venezuela helped her decide to become a teacher. “I was in Venezuela at 23 teaching teens the scripture and I learned I loved it.

When I got back [from Venezuela], I changed my major from history to history teaching. So I wasn’t too off track. I began as a student teacher at Ellington in ‘05, and when I came to work in D.C. this was the school I was assigned to.”

She described woodcutting as a way to ‘bond’ with her family. “It’s an indescribable feeling knowing you created something with your bare hands, and you’re able to see it, and know it will last for over 20 years,” Ms. Bruford said ”You’ve left a piece of you, even after your gone.”

As she described her parents’ house, she pulled up pictures online that revealed her handiwork. I was in awe of the detail. The pieces were made of mahogany. She had made chevron-patterned floors; there was a large cabinet that had hand-cut detailing.

“One of my favorite things in the house is the stairs. We cut each pieces of wood that the steps were made with.”

Asked how you make a parallel between teaching and constructing wood, her response was: “In the end you want a product you’re proud of and you want a product you can say, ‘I made that’ with your name on it. I feel like in teaching I want students to feel the same way too; when they put their name on work they worked hard on. Students should have that satisfaction.”

Reggie Melbrough So I live in D.C. I don’t have a car so I have to take the subway system everywhere I go, especially when I perform, and as a black guy I find it very ironic that I take an underground railroad headed towards Virginia. I have a fear that I’m going to end up in a time warp, and some guy will hit me and say my name is Toby.

“That’s a joke I often open my sets with,” said Reggie Melbrough, a stand-up comedian who teaches history at Ellington.

My first few weeks of school were an exercise in adjustment to Mr. Melbrough’s sarcastic and witty sense of humor. I even learned a few things you never do in his class: like sleep. His voice fills the small classroom as he calls you out: “WAKE UP [insert your name here], this isn’t Brookland.”

Mortifying as it is to be the one called out; it is jarring to others in the room who know that they just dodged a major bullet.

The allusion I’ve learned is from the Beastie Boys rap song No Sleep till Brooklyn; ever since then it is hard not to laugh when he wakes a poor soul from sleeping.

If that doesn’t wake you up, wait for the whistle.

“I used to be a coach at Coolidge [High School], and I played lots of sports throughout my life,” Mr. Melbrough said, in part explaining why he likes to blow his whistle to hurry us to class.

I remember my friends asking me if I had seen Mr. Melbrough’s video on YouTube; usually I would laugh and say no.

Finally I broke down and watched it. I was surprised to see that he was actually funny. ”I started to think about becoming a comedian” he said, “when I saw another friend of mine perform and thought: ‘I’m a lot funnier than this guy.’”

After moving to the D.C. area from Idaho, he decided to become a local comedian, building his career in the DMV. “It’s hard being a comedian, and there’s always going to be a few bumps along the way. The hardest part is making people laugh. I entertain crowds full of people of all races, and I have to make them all laugh. A joke is a joke and if it’s funny everyone will laugh.”

“Most times the best jokes are those when you put a personal aspect in them.

You pour your heart out on stage, and it’s like ‘OK, just laugh at my faults.’ One of the most rewarding things is having a whole crowd laugh, but when a room’s completely silent, it’s embarrassing.”

Mr Melbrough explains that it is hard sometimes to separate being a comedian from being a teacher and not go off on a long tangent. “I have to make the connection in my brain that I’m talking to students while my comedic brain is working two seconds ahead and I have to suppress distractions and not go off on tangents. Sometimes I go too far.”

An avid sports fan and former scholastic athlete, Mr. Melbrough often makes sports references in class that some students don’t get.

Asked if he would continue to perform even if he weren’t paid, Mr. Melbrough replied, “Yeah, I already do sometimes. But I prefer being paid.”

15

A WALK IN THE

PARK

(A YOUNG MAN’S JOURNEY INTO THE MOUTH OF OCCUPY D.C.) words & photos: Marcus Brown

Amidst a sea of tents and the disenfranchised was me, a 15-year-old Duke Ellington student armed with a sleeping bag, a camera and far too many granola bars. As I sat in the middle of McPherson Square, one site of Occupy D.C. -- the other being Freedom Plaza -- I began to wonder if I was in a bit over my head and way out of my element.

Occupy D.C. is a branch of the original Occupy Wall Street Movement in New York which is basically a protest against the greed and corruption of the wealthy and their manipulation of the government. What I experienced during my overnight stay at Occupy D.C. was nothing like what I expected.

The campground didn’t smell nearly as bad as I thought it would. No it wasn’t the smell that scared me, but the people.

One of the first things I saw was a 6-4 black man with waist length ivory dreadlocks and a dread beard that went down to his jean short/loin cloth garment. Did I mention all he was wearing were these makeshift denim shorts?

Although not all of the Occupy D.C. denizens were this frightening; most could be filed under the eccentric category. I saw a man with a kitten on a leash, more Guy Fawkes masks then I could count, and barefoot hipsters playing hackey sack in 40 degree weather. I didn’t even have a place to put my stuff since the person with whom I was going to be sharing a tent hadn’t arrived yet and so I decided to do some sightseeing.

What I saw amazed me and absolutely decimated any predisposition I had about Occupy D.C. It was like an organism, and everyone in the park were like organs or cells. There was literally a tent for anything and everything one would need to live in the middle of the park -from food to medicine, it was all there. The kitchen tent equipped with working stoves, frying pans, and more spices than my own home, churned out food practically every hour which included spaghetti and some damn good pancakes in the morning. The medicine tent had everything from Tylenol to tampons and I had to admit that I wouldn’t have even thought to have a medical tent but it was the thorough ingenuity I saw all throughout the camp that amazed me.

For the intellectual types there was a library full of books and a chess tent where my tent-mate spent a good six hours playing. The camp even had its own soundtrack, or maybe heart beat would be more appropriate, because like a pulse there wasn’t a second when bongo drums could not be heard from at any given place in McPherson Square.

As the sun began to go down, and the temperature with it, the merry weather protesters began to trickle away and the park was left with the more serious veterans who began to assemble their tents. During this mini diaspora I was asked quite frequently whether or not I was staying. “Are you staying?” It was a simple enough question and was never followed with a discussion of length or reason for staying. However looking back this question was the embodiment of the movement itself as it was the only thing that tied all the people from every walk of life together.

The only thing that I truly shared with these people was that I was staying and so were they. I don’t want to write some cliche article about how after spending time with some alien group I learned their strange customs and got a new found appreciation of them.

As far as strange customs go, Occupy had plenty. The most amusing but pragmatic technique used all night was “mic check”. Basically one person announces mike check then proceeds to speak and everything he says is repeated by the crowd as he says it. I thought it was silly at first but I found out later that “mic check” was a way to get around using a bullhorn because it was illegal for the protesters to use one. So much of Occupy D.C.

was founded on taking what little they had and spreading it as thin and far as they possibly could.

The level of just pure utilitarianism I saw was amazing.

Some of the stuff I saw was something I would expect to see in a third world country, like tents made out of straw, cardboard, bamboo, and tarp. Shelter is a given, but the fact that a ridiculous amount of water would be needed to keep the operation going hadn’t crossed my mind. Where would one find enough water for a hundred or so people to drink for weeks and still have enough to cook with, wash dishes, etc? Leave it to those crafty Occupy folk to trick out the water fountains in the park using some duct tape and cut bamboo to stockpile water 24 hours a day.

I found a real respect for these people’s ingenuity and willpower, but I do not envy them one bit. That night was the coldest I’ve ever been in my life. I had on thermos, two undershirts, a flannel and a sweater I acquired from the surplus clothing and supplies tent, and still found it impossible to get warm in my sleeping bag. The warmth of an insulated home was one of two things I took for granted, but the other more serious vanity I was deprived of was a clean lavatory. The twin port-opotties were both pungent and repulsive as I urinated with the door open for fear that being enclosed in the stench might make me black out in the abysmal pit of excrement. I’m thankful all I had to do was pee that night. After hours of shivering I eventually fell asleep.

I was up bright and early taking pictures, as the ones I took the previous night were too oblique to make out. As it turns out, the day starts early at Occupy as people were already outside doing yoga on the lawn as the the aroma of fresh flapjacks wafted out of the kitchen tent. I spent the rest of the brisk morning sprawled out under the sun with a copy of Herman Hesse’s Under the Wheel ruminating on my time at Occupy.

I didn’t have any profound epiphanies about the state of the world or my own future in it. I thought about all the people I talked to, all the people I bummed cigarettes off of, and all the conversations I eavesdropped on as I tossed and turned that night. If this was really history in the making, you would think I would be more appreciative to be a part of it, but I wasn’t.

As marvelous of an existential experience as my time at Occupy was, I couldn’t help but feel pity for some of these people. I wondered if these people would be remembered as anything more than a picturesque representation of the so-called revolution that will never come.

I wondered if these people would be reduced to nothing more than a commodity or a candid talking point for the rest of the 99% asleep comfortably at home when they discuss the horrible state of the world. I knew that I could never genuinely say I was a part of the Occupy Movement, and I felt deceitful in knowing I could hop on the train to a warm bed at any point and most of these people couldn’t.

The only way I could justify my being there that weekend was that I could at least say I was there even if only for a weekend which is more than most people can say. Zachary Clare, another student from Duke Ellington and the person with whom I was sharing a tent, said that “a movement based on principles and morals is how we shall see a change in us and our world.” And that made me wonder. I wondered if this was true and if principles and morals could really change anything.

It seems like people always want to answer the problems of the world with lofty ideals and indefinites. As I packed up my sleeping I did feel a tinge of regret and the comforting thought came to me that maybe if the whole school thing didn’t work out at least I’d have a cold tent waiting for me at McPherson Square.

commentary:

where the

LADIES AT? IDIA LEIGH argues that today’s young girls are increasingly being portrayed in an over-sexualized manner, sending confusing messages to a future generation.

Jenna Rose is a tween star well known for her playful song, My Jeans, produced by Ark Music Factory – the same company that produced Rebecca Black’s Friday.

She’s also known for a song that possibly passes the boundaries of playful: OMG. The song’s lyrics provoked some controversy on whether or not the content is appropriate for the young girl to sing. Sure there are some possible sexual ideas that could come out of “she looks good… you know you wish you could”, but the music video for the song definitely leaves little room for debate by pushing Rose’s sweet little girl look out the window.

Dressed in shorts almost too small to be considered shorts, Jenna Rose dances provocatively in the video to OMG while singing “just shaking that boom boom” and “take a picture, baby”. In one shot, she struts suggestively down a hallway in an almost tipsy fashion.

Although the video refers to her as the “teen boom boom doll”, Jenna Rose was only twelve at the time of the 25

recording. The company may be aging her only a few years, but the video’s sexual themes age her by at least a decade.

Unfortunately, Jenna Rose isn’t the only girl to be over-sexualized in this way. In fact, many teenage girls are. Girls wear skirts too short, pants too tight, and shirts too low cut. One teenager, who talked to Daisy James (we'll refer to her as Alana), says girls “feel the need to dress in little clothing to get attention,” and that’s the message that’s being sent to them. The most popular stores for girls of that age, such as Forever 21 and H&M, sell the types of clothes that the girls on TV shows, such as Victorious, Degrassi and Jersey Shore, wear. Alana adds that girls are bombarded with images that pressure them into thinking in an over-sexualized manner. She says this pressure, combined with other teen stressors, force them to act in an overly mature manner.

“Being a teenage girl, I don’t feel too much pressure [to sexualize myself] because I am already aware [that the pressure exists]. But also as a teenager, I deal with certain pressures and complexes. Personally, some days I dress questionably, but not consciously; it’s usually something I saw out of a magazine or my friend suggested it. It’s almost impossible to escape the pressure from doing certain things or acting a certain way,” Alana says.

Dr. Janice Caro, a psychologist in Rockville, Maryland, says the environment in which teens live in sets an image that girls try to live up to. She says that our society is “robbing our kids of their childhood.” A teen girl living an over-sexualized life is encouraged by almost everything around her. Although parents chide “that’s not the kind of attention you want”, the idea of being appreciated, and treated like a mature woman, is an appealing thought to most teen girls, who often feel insecure and awkward, and, unfortunately, most sexualized teenage girls do get a lot of attention.

I decided to investigate the idea of gathering more attention through the clothes I wear. I dressed beyond my years, as many teen girls do, and I went out onto the streets for the real experience, ensuring that I would be vigilant of any additional attention received. Sure enough, there was a lot of attention, and it wasn’t just from boys my own age. There were twenty-, thirty-, forty- and even sixty-year-old men who weren’t at all hesitant about giving me approving looks, or even approaching me and my friend, who had accompanied me on the experiment.

Maybe getting your cheeseburger upgraded to a double for free (this was my experience during my experiment) is enough of a perk for some teens to be willing to over-sexualize themselves.

Girls often learn how to play the game in our “sex sells” society. It’s not hard for a teen girl to use her body to get ahead.

This may not be too great a danger when using this strategy against boys their own age, but it’s near disturbing when teens use this strategy with grown men. What makes it worse is that it often works.

Girls shouldn’t be dressing or acting in such provocative ways to get ahead, but what’s to stop them?

The idea of young girls with an older man is also encouraged in society. There are a number of male actors, in their twenties, playing the role of teenagers on TV shows, while teen celebrities, like in the case of Miley Cyrus, tend to date older men. Age, sometimes mistaken for maturity, is often an attractive quality in males to teen girls.

The “racy teen” is a sex symbol not only in America, but throughout the world. In fact, in eastern Asia there are dresses called “Lolita” that are very much an accepted style. Yes, Lolita, as in the same name taken from Vladimir Nabokov’s novel about the romance between an older man and his teenaged step-daughter.

These dresses are similar to dresses that little girls would wear, adorned with bows and ruffles. Unfortunately, this little girl style is considered to be attractive in the media, which continues to portray young teenagers as a sexually attractive prospect. Oddly enough, people openly speak about their outrage at girls being forced into marriage and bearing children at such young ages in foreign countries, while the issue of sexualized teens is hardly discussed in the United States. There are protests against human trafficking and sex slavery overseas, yet there is little discussion in regards to our teenage girls becoming slaves in our sex-crazed society.

From playing with Barbie dolls at an early age, to buying anti-aging cream when they are older, physical beauty has become a part of the American female preoccupation. But how healthy can that be for a girl growing up today? Caro says more and more girls are dealing with matters and concerns that they aren’t mature enough to fully grasp. “Girls are dealing with cliques and mean girls in fifth grade,” she says, “something that only used to be a teenage problem.

“Girls are sent mixed messages: whether to be over-sexualized or not. TV and male attention tells them, ‘Yes! Do it!’ But school systems often place rules telling them otherwise.” Caro says there isn’t enough education

on the matter for girls. In a society where the objective from birth is for females to be attractive, there isn’t enough emphasis on more positive and healthy attributes to being female.

I believe that we should bring back the former term of “a young lady”, yet at the same time, to give new meaning to the term. To attribute this title to a girl who’s main objective is to grow up, enjoy her present age and grasp the learning tools needed to make herself successful in the future, rather than a girl who tries to live the future now. Why has America eradicated the notion of a young lady, and replaced it with the sexy teen? Caro says that “as long as sex sells it’s going to be hard to stop.”

Girls that don’t follow this “norm” are often ostracized. They get negative feedback. They are often teased and bullied for having qualities that used to be seen as good values. Caro says that “girls do better in single-sexed education.” She argues that when girls are taken out of an environment where they are pressured into becoming sexualized in order to gain attention from boys, they actually tend to focus better and have more success in school and in maintaining friendships.

Caro says that over-sexualized girls “have issues making decisions. They don’t recognize dangers.” Pressure to be sexually attractive can often lead to mental issues such as depression or eating disorders. In situations like date rape, it was stated in Seventeen magazine that rapists believe that the girl “got what she deserved” or was “asking” to be raped by the way she was dressed. The world can be a much more dangerous place for teen girls who are over-sexualizing themselves.

So why don’t we encourage the growth of the young lady? Maybe it’s too late to reverse the society that we’ve created. The band Outkast said it best in their song Behold a Lady: “One day our kids will have to visit museums to see what a lady looks like…”

bleu friday rising talent :

words: madison hartke-weber photos: courtesy of the artist

16

The age-old question is whether to create music for art's sake or for fame and fortune. For your average teenager, a career in music would be a dream: parties, playing sold-out arenas, and having the paparazzi chase you as you head into your limo from your hotel.

When you picture this, and think of the many songs that were clearly written for the radio, it seems only logical that music is about the fame. However, some musicians are still in it for the art. Bleu Friday is one of them.

The 18-year-old rapper from Alexandria, Virginia, started writing poetry and saw rapping as a good way to make use of his talent. Bleu Friday, who originally performed under the name KidMusiq, established himself with the release of the mixtape Classic 93’. For the past year he’s been recording, producing and performing at venues in the DMV, as well as in places such as New York and Tennessee.

Bleu Friday recently sat down with Daisy James to explain his take on the music industry.

“I didn’t want to be 'the kid' forever,” he said, referring to his original name KidMusiq. He decided to change it, he thought, to something that would speak truer to himself and his art. Bleu Friday was born.

“When you think of blue, you think of sadness and sorrow. When you think of Friday, you think of joy and nirvana. The name puts two very different things together.” When talking to him, it is clear that he doesn’t fit the stereotype of your average rapper.

When asked what his musical influences are he responded with, “Beethoven and Mozart, mainly, in the ways they lived and the struggles they overcame as artists.”

His creative process is somewhat simple. “[In terms of writing] I write about whatever life brings to me. I was in a car accident, so that gave me things to write about, in terms of the emotions I went through. If I had to pick one thing to write about it would be me. Experiences I’ve had.” With his beats, Bleu Friday takes a similar approach. “I like beats that have more of an unusual sound to them. I strive to make them sound dope”.

There is a variety to his songs. There are the slower, ballad-like songs, laced with emotion; songs that would make perfect party anthems.

Then there are songs with some of the trippiest beats one could encounter, such as Bad Company, which has an equally trippy animated video to accompany it.

“What makes him unique is his poetic side,” says the rapper’s manager, Vann Rimpsey.

“He isn’t only trying to sound dope, like a lot of mainstream rappers.” In concert Bleu Friday likes to transition between the slower and faster songs, instilling the elements of excitement and surprise in the audience. “He’s a great performer mainly

bleufriday.tumblr.com

facebook.com/bleufriday

twitter.com/bleufriday

because he’s good at transitioning. He starts out with a slower, more poetic song like Dancing Flames and then finishes it out with the amped-up Rebel Life”.

Bleu Friday does much to expand and keep up with his extensive fan base, frequently updating his Tumblr blog and Facebook page, and having all of his music available for download online. The rapper also has a large YouTube presence; his YouTube page is full of video blogs, all of his songs and his music videos, including the animated one for Bad Company. In addition, he is all about making connections: with music industry professionals, video directors, clothing lines, and other opportunities that will help keep his music in the spotlight.

With the way his music career has been working out for him, it wouldn’t be surprising to think that he was in it for the fame. He was featured in Thrasher magazine, has almost 30,000 followers on Twitter, and his song Just a Fan has over 250,000 plays on YouTube. However, Bleu Friday continues to create music for the art, by “striving to be different and staying true [to myself], by focusing on the music.”

UNPLANNED PARENTHOOD NILE MYERS talks to three women about the life-changing decisions they’ve had to make, and how they live with the choices they’ve made day by day.

Amber's favorite color is light blue, and she sleeps with four stuffed animals. When she grows up she wants to become a chef, yet her favorite food is cereal.

She eats it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Despite all this, she is marked by a single moment in her life; the moment when she walked into Planned Parenthood and told the women at the desk, “I need an abortion”.

Amber,* 15, became pregnant in May, found out in June, and received an abortion days after her birthday in July. “I didn’t feel good killing my seed,” she said. She added that every girl should be realistic with themselves, be deliberate in deciding whether and when to have sex, and wait until they are certain that they are in a committed relationship.

While interviewing Amber, I asked where the father was. “He ran out,” she said, and added that he wouldn’t answer her calls or texts, creating a void in their relationship, and leaving a young Amber both confused and scared. The thought of a child growing inside of her affected her performance at school. She was determined to fix the “problem.”

Since she was only a child, she couldn’t figure all that on her own. When she lost hope that she would get help from her boyfriend, she went to her mother for answers. Her mother took her to the hospital to get an abortion. They would later return because of complications from the procedure.

“At first you feel numb, then afterwards you feel pain because the pills and shots they give you wear off,” Amber said, describing the process. She said she’ll never forgive her boyfriend for what he did, but she still loves

him and said she understood why he ran out on her. She stayed with him, although she emphasized that “he was nowhere to be found” while she had to make the decision about whether to have an abortion.

Like all teenagers, she continued to experiment with sex because she thought the “mighty birth control” was on her side, but Amber got “knocked up” again, and had an abortion - again.

She now encourages everyone to use condoms as a backup birth-control method.

Photo: http://chanclalej.deviantart.com/

Her mother, Sarah Brown*, 32, blames herself. Like Amber she was pregnant at an early age - 16. “Me and my daughter’s story are very similar,” Ms. Brown says “I was young, just like her, and thought someone loved me, but really, [he] just loved my body parts and got caught up on the fact that I thought I was an adult.”

Amber didn’t keep her children, but her mother kept her child. Amber didn’t run away from her house to make it on her own, but her mom did.

Ms. Brown dropped out of school to support her baby, so her career opportunities were very limited.

She didn’t tell her mother about her child until Amber was 5 years-old. Ms. Brown worked a number of odd jobs to make ends meet in the early years, because when she had her baby she was too young to qualify for any of the jobs she wanted to work at. Eventually, she found a job at a Hair Cuttery in Washington, D.C., which allowed her to carve out a future for herself and Amber.

Early on, the money wasn’t enough to make ends meet. Funds wouldn’t allow her to buy a place to stay and she was forced to live with a friend at an apartment in the outskirts of Maryland, making her trips to work in the mornings hell.

“If I didn’t grow up too fast, and listened to my mother, I would have ended up with a better job and a better view on life,” Ms. Brown said.

Over time, she moved from a housing project to a high-rise apartment with much more space. She is now a licensed cosmetologist at a hair salon two minutes away from her home. She says that if she had finished school and didn’t get pregnant, she would’ve had a better job, but since hair was all she knew she just stuck with it to make money to support Amber.

*Names of the ladies interviewed were changed to protect their privacy.

Nicole*, 15, also kept her child. Her best friend invited her to a hotel party, where the usual teenage antics occurred. She drank a little too much and ended up having unprotected sex with her boyfriend at the time. The next day Nicole realized her mistake, and recalled yelling at the top of her lungs. Rather than discuss the situation with Nicole, her boyfriend - who already had three children with other girls – cut off communication with her. She told her mother who blamed her best friend, and Nicole was forbidden from ever seeing her again.

Nicole knew she would keep her baby, but everyday has been a struggle taking care of her son. Nicole’s mother angry and indifferent to her daughter’s situation, as well as barely able to make ends meet herself - is not a major source of support.

“This is where he sleeps,” said Nicole, pointing to her dresser drawer. She wakes up to constant screams from her one-year-old Kamrin. “No one told me it’s hard work to be a mother. But I would've guessed.”

Nicole manages to balance school and taking care of her child. “My mother kept me when I was born, so I’ll do the same for my child. That's what mothers are supposed to do.”

5 the dmv

words: madison hartke-weber

the top in

performance venues

The key to creating an audience for yourself is to perform, and most budding performers know this. But what they don't know is where to perform. Although we’d all like to perform at places such as the 9:30 Club, Warner Theater, Kennedy Center, etc. that’s not likely where your first show is going to be. Luckily, there are many smaller performance venues in DC, Maryland and Virginia, featuring a variety of opportunities for musicians, rappers, poets, dancers, and more. Here are five favorites for young performers:

bloombars This is a small bar located in Columbia Heights, D.C., with an emphasis on young performers. It features the widest variety of shows, including music, spoken word, theater, comedy and dance. It also screens short films and shows artwork.

3222 11th Street, NW, DC 20001 - (202) 567-7713

jaxx nightclub This is a music venue located in Springfield, Virginia, that hosts a range of musical acts from rap to metal. This is a popular venue for national acts as well as for local talent. They frequently host local shows and competitions.

6355 Rolling Road, Springfield, VA, 22152 - (703) 569-5940

the fridge dc This is a small art gallery located in an alley on 8th Street, S.E. They pride themselves in hosting shows for musical acts, dancers, comedians, and poets. They also screen films and host young visual artists.

516 8th St SE, 20003 - (202) 664-4151

THE BLACK CAT Located just a few blocks from the legendary 9:30 Club, this unique spot emerged in 1993 when music venues in D.C. were scarce. It has hosted many well-regarded indie rock bands as well as local shows, making it a great opportunity for smaller acts.

1811 14th St NW, DC 20009 - (202) 667-4490

busboys & poets There are four locations; two of them are in D.C., one in Virginia, and another in Maryland. Its diverse audience, and the central location of one of its D.C. sites on U Street, makes it a great venue for singer/songwriters and poets. They host many open mic nights; some of which are specifically for teens.

2021 14th St NW, DC 20009 (202) 387-7638 1025 5th Street NW, DC 20001 (202) 789-222

5331 Baltimore Avenue Hyattsville, MD 20781 (301) 779-2787 4251 South Campbell Ave Arlington, VA 22206 (703) 379-9757

SPOTLIGHT: MUSEUM STUDIES WORDS: ASIA ALSTON PHOTOS: ZOE GATTI

Duke Ellington’s Museum studies department opened their second exhibition on Jan. 12, entitled “Reuniting Ellington”. Their theme was inspired by the school-wide theme “Reinventing Ellington”.

Within the Museum Studies department’s efforts to redefine Duke Ellington, they thought that bringing all aspects of the school together would renew the school’s atmosphere. For the curators and photographers, it was important to show that even though Duke Ellington is divided into various departments, they all are capable of coming together to create a much bigger picture. “I’m excited and happy about the turnout [for the opening night], and I’m pleased with the amount of cooperation from everyone, such as the models, artist, administration, etc.“ said Marta Reid Stewart, chair of the Museum Studies department, as she talked about the process of piecing together an exhibition of this sort. The exhibition displayed photography that depicted the different elements of Duke Ellington school - whether it be academic or artistic - as they are taken outside of their comfort zone and placed in a different space. A popular collection within “Reuniting Ellington” is “Charlie and His Academic Angels” by photographers Brittany Boone and Kadijatu Bah. This piece shows Mike Easton, chair of the Visual Arts department, painting alongside his three “academic angels”, Jillian Busath, Kimberly Mills, and Bethany King, who are teachers in the math department.

profile:

JAY-Z

words: KYNDALL BROWN with BARETT SMITH

Thousands of people flooded the streets surrounding the Verizon Center in Gallery Place, Chinatown, all anxious to see Kanye West and Jay-Z perform songs from their highly anticipated joint album, Watch the Throne. They opened the show with their hit single H*A*M., then during the rest of the concert, they led the audience through songs representing each of their rap careers, from Jay-Z’s Big Pimpin’ and Kanye West’s Jesus Walks, to their finale, Niggas In Paris, which they sang three times, followed by Encore. When the show ended, almost everyone was pleased.

One of these artists, Jay-Z, represents a man who, despite adversity, became a self-made millionaire. According to the Forbes 400 list, Jay-Z is worth over $450 million. Much of his success is a result of his crossover success, as well as his hardcore following. Jay-Z’s albums have topped the charts since his debut album Reasonable Doubt, which he decided to release through his own label Roc A Fella, when no other label would sign him to a deal. Since then he’s had 11 Billboard No. 1 albums, sold over 50 million records worldwide and won 13 Grammy Awards.

The size and excitement of the response to Jay-Z’s music shows his impact on the generation of today. Jay-Z’s albums have topped the charts since Reasonable Doubt. The Blueprint and The Blueprint 2, released in 2001 and 2002 have achieved cult status while 2003’s The Black Album sold more than 400,000 copies in its first week of release.

More recently, Georgetown University Professor, Michael Eric Dyson has developed a course on Jay-Z’s impact on youth and America as a whole. Sociology of Hip-Hop — Urban Theodicy of Jay-Z deals with “everything that’s important in a sociology class: race, gender, ethnicity, class, economic inequality, social injustice…His body of work has proved to be powerful, effective and influential. And it’s time to wrestle with it.” says Dyson, an author, radio host, and ordained Baptist minister.

The class was met with much excitement and controversy; the university was forced to move the class to a bigger hall to accommodate the demand for the course. However, according to Vibe magazine, many parents of students at Georgetown expressed concerns about the idea of a course being dedicated to a hip-hop artist. Dyson conversely encouraged students to invite their parents to the class so the parents could see exactly what was being discussed in the course hall.

Jay-Z was born Shawn Corey Carter on a late winter evening on Dec. 4, 1969 and raised in the Marcy projects of the Bedford-Stuyvesant area in Brooklyn. He started writing lyrics at age fifteen, after witnessing a cipher among the other kids in his neighborhood. It was also around this age that he began dealing cocaine. Jay-Z used his experiences to inform his writing and they began to give his raps life and breadth.

In an interview on the Forbes 400 official website, Jay-Z talks with Warren Buffet about success and giving back.

He discusses how he eventually came to a fork in the road, where he had to decide whether dealing or hip-hop was closer to his heart. He goes on to talk about how, now that he has matured, he can write raps that have more layers and experience. We have watched Jay-Z evolve while all the time he remained in the spotlight, his growth, arguably, has helped along the evolution and growth of hip-hop.

“The deeper we get into those sidewalk cracks and into the mind of young hustler trying to find his fortune there, the closer we get to the human story, the story of struggle, which is what defines us all,” Jay-Z says in is autobiography Decoded. According to an interview Jay-Z participated in with author and record executive Steve Stoute, Jay-Z has been able to “go beyond musical boundaries and into the psyche of young Americans.” He has used his position to shed light on issues that effect humanitarian issues. According to Look at the Stars: A World of Celebrity Giving, Jay-Z and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan collaborated to create a world tour to raise awareness of and combat global water shortage. Soon after in 2006, Jay-Z partnered with MTV to create a documentary entitled Diary of Jay-Z: Water for Life.

Jay-Z was also one of the many donors to assist the American Red Cross with relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, addressing the issue of the government response to the Katrina disaster in his song Minority Report. Jay-Z doesn’t discount his importance to the youth of today and he understands his responsibility to give back to the generation that he has inspired.

He recognizes his music as his product, and sees his fans as his customers, which is a method that is benefiting him in more ways than one. Jay-Z has been able to satisfy his audience on both sides of the spectrum - the mainstream followers and the die-hard fans. He has created a loyal fan base that is willing to support him, and willing to spend their earnings on his creations; but he also remembers that he must constantly attempt to win over the popular fan base to stay relevant. Jay-Z has had one of the longest careers in the hip-hop industry and has so far been able to avoid a career low point in his career. He has created the mold for a successful business-man and artist to co-exist as one in the same person, he has discovered the formula for the perfect balance between the two.

reviews

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn (Part One) Director: Bill Condon Summit Entertainment DVD Release: February 11th

Mylo Xyloto Artist: Coldplay Parlophone Records (EMI) Release: October 11th 2011

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn (Part One), marked the beginning of the end for the passionate and addictive saga. Unlike the first three movies, Breaking Dawn was fast-paced, more intense than we expected, and constantly worked to keep its audience on edge.

The movie that millions had waited for was certainly worth the wait. It depicted Bella living life after high school, after marriage, and, well, after...life.

From the opening scene you are immediately drawn into the movie, with Jacob’s heart being broken (once again) after receiving a wedding invitation to Bella and Edward’s wedding; the only slow moment of the entire movie. The tying of the knot between Bella and Edward was something that most viewers expected, but no one one could imagine what would happen next.

The visual aspects of the movie are things we’ve all seen before, but given to the viewer in a new way, unlike many other films being released to DVD this year. What made this movie different and gave it an edge was the change in relationships as the story progressed. Much of the cast has to adjust to a different way of life, on account of Bella and Edward’s recent nuptials. Jacob can no longer have Bella and she is now family to the Cullens, which throws many curves their way. These two relationships are key to the rest of the movie, being one of the many twists that takes place.

Entranced by the shots and the flowing dialogue, it’s difficult to notice the almost two-hour long movie slip away. Towards the ending, you are left wondering what the heck happened? The movie has slid by like butter and as a viewer you try to take stock of the last minutes before it’s over, and you’re left with another year of waiting for the final ending that will take place in Breaking Dawn (Part Two).

The movie leaves the viewer teetering on the edge of their seat and grabbing for the hand of whomever’s near. Rating this movie, we would have to give it five stars. One of the only movies, possibly the only, that has captured us from the first second to the last.

I’ve been listening to Coldplay ever since their first album, Parachutes, was released. I was five years-old at the time, but even at that age I could tell this was good music. Then A Rush of Blood to the Head was released. What an incredible album... Politik, Clocks, Warning Sign; every song on that album is amazing. They followed this up with the “X & Y” album which rolled out everything from rock anthems to tearjerkers (If Fix You doesn’t make you a little teary eyed, you must have a heart of stone.) Then came the oh-so timeless album, Viva La Vida, that is still getting radio play four years after the album was released.

Now there is Mylo Xyloto. I am not a big fan of this album.

One of the things I loved most about Coldplay was that they never conformed to the masses. Their music was different. They used interesting melodies and made unexpected choices. Their music told stories of heartbreak, love, death, and happiness that people of all ages could relate to. But now, after listening to this new album, the first word that comes to my mind is “conformity”.

Let me start with what I personally believe is the worst song on this album, that just so happens to feature one of my least favorite “artists” of today, Rihanna. The song is called Princess of China, a curious title to which the lyrics don’t help you interpret.

The song is replete with over-processed voices that all sound like T-Pain and freakishly loud instrumentation created by synthesizers. Oh, and don’t even get me started on Paradise (Well, too late, I already started.) This song, for lack of a better word, sucks.

Just look at these lyrics: “Para-para-paradise, Para-para-paradise, Parapara-paradise, Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh, She’d dream of para-paraparadise, Para-para-paradise, Para-para-paradise, Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh.” That’s pretty much how the whole five-minute-long song goes.

Now you may be thinking, “What’s the big deal? A lot of songs have lyrics like that. A lot of songs use techno beats. A lot of singers use the ‘T-Pain’ effect.” But as a lifelong Coldplay fan, I expected more. I never thought in a million years that Coldplay would sound like this.

The one song I did enjoy was titled Us Against the World. It’s beautiful and is the only acoustic song on the album. The track reminds me of Coldplay’s former music. Songs like this give me hope that maybe someday the band will return to their roots. I sure hope they do.

Reviewed by Isis Cooper and Imonie King

Reviewed by Lucy Freshour

November 15th marked the release of Drake's highly anticipated sophomore album.

Despite many of his tracks appearing on mix tapes and various leaks of his album, Take Care still managed to sell over 500,000 copies on its first day out on the shelves. It features his songs Headlines and Marvin's Room and a number of artists, including The Weeknd, Andre 3000, Rihanna and of course, Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj. Even Stevie Wonder appears on the album.

Th e p r o d u c t i o n o n t h e a l b u m i s impressive; not one song can be described as boring or dull. Drake has gotten comments about how he sounds and people often say "he always sounds so depressing" or "he's too emotional for me." For some, that's what connects the artist and the fans. They share similar feelings.

This is very much more a hip-hop album than R&B. There are the odd moments where he taps into past tracks for lyrical gimmicks like Lesley Gore’s It’s My Party (Take Care), George Straight’s All My Exes Live In Texas and Juvenile’s Back That Thang Up (Practice).

Drake fights to exist in limbo, somewhere between remaining humble while embracing the fruits of his success without turning himself over to the negative influences of fame. Songs like Lord Knows, featuring Rick Ross, detail his struggle to remain human while existing in the mainstream’s s u p e r h u m a n s t a t u s l a b e l . Ta k e C a r e i s exceptionally personal, yet relatable in universal terms, and Drake shares a level of himself throughout that is a rarity among most artists of his status.

Reviewed by Kephren Pondexter

Located in the heart of Chicago’s Loop and at saic.edu

Take Care Artist: Drake universal republic Release: November 15th 2011

AMERICA’S MOST INFLUENTIAL ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL INVITES YOU TO TOUR OUR CAMPUS! Discuss your work in-depth with our admissions counselors, who are also working artists, designers, and visual scholars Tour our state-of-the-art facilities and incomparable residence halls Explore Chicago, our urban campus For more information and to reserve your space, visit saic.edu/tour ADMISSIONS | 800.232.7242 | 312.232.7242 | admiss@saic.edu

SAIC is the largest school-museum campus in the U.S. Photo by Kirk Gittings, The Art Institute of Chicago, Modern Wing.

see. hear. feel.

experience Arts majors for students grades 9-12: y y y y

Dance Literary Media & Communications Technical Design & Production Visual Arts

y y y y

Instrumental Music Museum Studies Theater Vocal Music

Learn more and apply at www.ellingtonschool.org Applications must be complete by December 15.

Questions?

eMail bpower@ellingtonarts.org or call 202-298-1777 ext. 1774.