OFF Week 3 • Winter 2010
The Wall
A1
Cinnimon Roll Cupcakes
COA Makes Best Value List
This Crisis, “Woman”
D3
An Alternative Christmas C2
C3
Responses to Online Comments about COA
B1, B2
A1
Inside the Bubble
COA one of 50 Best Value Colleges DONNA GOLD College of the Atlantic offers one of the nation’s best values in undergraduate institutions according to The Princeton Review, which this year has chosen 50 private and 50 public institutions for their stellar combination of excellent academics and financial accessibility.
attendance and/or generous financial aid, including some that may surprise applicants.”
Located on the Maine coast between the Atlantic Ocean and Acadia National Park, COA offers one major, in human ecology. According to Princeton Review, this major is “more than a course of study, it is an approach The selection of the deliberately small to education that is interdisciplinary, in which College of the Atlantic for this list is based all areas of study are seen in relationship to on surveys of administrators and students at each other.” The guide calls COA “a very more than 650 close-knit Princeton Review’s popular “The 371 Best colleges and community” universities. and notes Colleges” placed College of the Atlantic as The criteria the “eclectic number 20 among all top colleges—public and and brilliant” covers more than 30 factors faculty who private—for financial aid. in academics, are “extremely cost of accessible.” attendance and financial aid. COA’s one major encourages students to “Being the best possible value for our apply the skills, knowledge and passions of students is a goal we consciously set for the arts, sciences, humanities and practical ourselves every year,” says COA President experience to every endeavor. It’s intensive, David Hales. “The investment in a college individualized educational approach education is the most important investment promotes active learning, sustainable living decision most families will ever make, and and involved community membership. every college has a tremendous responsibility to honor the trust placed in us by students and their families.” In a Princeton Review survey of college applicants and parents, 85% of those responding said financial aid would be “very necessary” this year. Last summer, Princeton Review’s popular “The 371 Best Colleges” placed College of the Atlantic as number 20 among all top colleges—public and private— for financial aid. But being considered a “best value” college means that COA’s academics equal its generosity. According to Princeton Review publisher Robert Franek, “there are many first-rate institutions offering outstanding academics at a relatively low cost of
A2 Getting into the Swing of Things MARIANA CALDERON
COA has its fair share of dancing. Spontaneous moves break out in TAB, techno beats follow me down the stairs of Seafox, and DJ’d dance parties heat up Gates on Friday nights. In preparation for the upcoming Aurora Ball-ealis however, there was a change of pace last Tuesday, when Donna and Keith, two local dance instructors, came to Gates to teach COA how to swing.
The enthusiastic instructors led us through the quick-quick slow-slow rhythm of East Coast Swing’s jitterbug rock-step, leaving just the right amount time for everyone to get proficient and nearly get bored (if such a thing was possible in a room full of fumbling, giggling, and dancing couples) before moving on to teach various turns and tricks. They taught everyone about inward and outward turns, the Charleston, and cuddling. They patiently repeated steps, and wandered around helping individual couples when needed. Once the lessons were over, they spent an hour dancing with those who stayed, twirling and stepping along with the rest of us. When the room was almost empty, Keith and Donna attempted to teach an aerial move to the few of us left, and eventually, they departed to many Thank you’s and See you next time’s.
After a day of hearing and asking, “Are you going to the lessons tonight?” repeatedly, I wasn’t too surprised to see a sizable crowd in Gates on the fateful hour. People stood in an uncertain circle around the room, with Keith and Donna chatting in the center. Some people wore their winter boots, some, simple flats, and some were only in socks, or barefoot, but most everyone was already moving their feet restlessly in excitement. It was obvious – COA was more than ready to learn to dance circles around the usual It was a night of hilarious mistakes, a moves of today’s young’ns. few sore feet, and a lot of energy and fun. There was a marvelous turnout Though many of the participants were of forty plus people, but if you didn’t apprehensive, worried that their two left happen to be one of them, you have feet would only trip them up in a “refined” another chance. Keith and Donna will dance such as swing, Donna and Keith’s return to the Gates Auditorium this carefree and casual lesson produced more Friday the 22nd to continue the lessons laughter than frustration. They began for newly experienced set, and also to with a demonstration to the seemingly teach the basics to next time’s neophytes. unusual song choice of K.T. Tunstall’s If you have nothing to do after dinner, “Black Horse and a Cherry Tree.” The or even if you do, stop in and check it smooth moves of the jitterbug and lindy out. (Yes, I’m speaking to you males as hop seemed so easy and impressive, but well - remember, there’s nothing hotter once everyone paired off and got started, than a guy who can dance). That way, it became apparent that there was much next time you need to know a few moves more to the dancing than at first met the (say, perhaps, the Aurora Ball-ealis on the eye. 30th), you’ll be ready.
A3 New to the Library CASEY YANOS Thorndike is constantly getting in new items, updating their collections. Patrons interested in searching the library’s recent arrivals can do so in one of two ways. From ThornCat, the Visual Search button in the upper right-hand column brings up a page of illustrations, the first of which is New Arrivals. Or, from the Thorndike Library webpage, selecting the link to ThornCat: Library Catalog on the left-hand column brings up three additional links under it, the second being New Arrivals. This list is updated monthly. New arrivals can be found in the New Books display in the library lobby or on the green counter-top in the Reading Room on the left-hand side under the New Arrivals label. Recent additions include:
A Matter of Life and Death A Walk to Beautiful
Featured Title
Balance: Art and Nature
One recent arrival to the Thorndike Library of particular interest is The Hawk and the Dove, by Nicholas Thompson. The book tells the story of two seemingly unlikely friends, Paul Nitze and George Kennan, who were both deeply involved in influencing America’s decisions in the Cold War while holding radically different views. Nitze, the Hawk, advocated for a nuclear defense, perhaps more than any other American, and was one of the strongest forces responsible for the arms race. On the other hand, Kennan, the Dove, encouraged a peaceful containment of the Soviets, arguing that they would soon fall apart as a result of their own forces, fighting the arms race every step of the way. Thompson’s writing illustrates the two men’s political clashes while placing an emphasis on their unyielding friendship even in the most unlikely of circumstances.
Beasts of No Nation Becoming Americans Cemetery of Mind Hanna-Barbera Cartoons Helping Boys Succeed in School It’s Complicated Nomad’s Land Remarkable Creatures Strategies for Teaching Boys and Girls Teaching the Male Brain Teenagers: A Natural History The Curse of a Good Girl The Hawk and the Dove The Potbellied Virgin The Powers of the Presidency, 3rd Edition Tree Biology Notebook Tropical Plants of Costa Rica
The Hawk and the Dove was donated to the Thorndike Library by COA Trustee and CoChair of the Board’s Academic Policy Committee Phyllis Anina Moriarty. Moriarty is the daughter of Nitze and mother of the author.
B1
Outside the Bubble
CARBON-14 AMELIORATION APPLIED TO CHRONOLOGY PAUL SMITH Science held a useful development for the research community on Monday. Michael Balter and his research team was able to extend radiocarbon dating technologies from an effective range of 25,000 years to 50,000 years; they have essentially turned back the sun-dial for humanity! But what is radiocarbon dating anyways? How does it work? And most of all, why should I care about some way-far-out science nerd technique used to distinguish the old from the old?
pace. The atom used in these dating techniques is carbon-14, which has a half-life that is calculable to 50,000 years with fine instruments. By employing these instruments on previously estimated dated specimens, two curves were developed to more accurately estimate their ages. So cool! Researchers had to scour the planet to locate these specimens, from areas as far reaching as ancient swamps in New Zealand and coral bands at the bottom of the ocean.
Radiocarbon dating is a technique that manipulates So what do I say? Climate-politicians, scientists, the radioactivity of atoms as a clock. Things that humanitarians, evolutionists and human ecologists, are radioactive decay, like an apple or plate of come together and rejoice. Another 25,000 years food from TAB, but they do it at a much slower of history may now be recorded accurately.
The Absence of Human in Social Dialogue. MATT SHAW There is a lot going on around the recent article published in the Bangor Daily News, specifically this commentary surrounds the comments left in response to the article. The majority of the comments appear scurrilous in nature, attacking the College as a bastion for twenty-somethings with too much money to find ways of appeasing their misguided philanthropic fancies. But why fear the unhuman? The comments left at http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/134909.html come from a masked body. Like other un-educated groups of the past and present they cannot bear to lift the veil between their reality and that of the College. However, we cannot blame JoeDoe, mike_staples, queenkat, quayhog, shalwechat, howbri, Ladyslipper, markko, outdoorman, JWBooth, bemused, dogood, letterreader, paying42manyslackas, blhitler or even SnarkyButthead. Does the avatar of a person who cannot be addressed by their real name exist? The “people” who left these comments exist somewhere in the phenomenal realm but notably lack the requisite presence in the noumenal realm. Another course of response to the tirade against the College would be for COA to increase its efforts of pluralist orthodoxy ( http://www.youtube.com/user/collegeoftheatlantic#p/a/u/1/Gz8nqCFAfL8 ). This may prove SnarkyButthead correct in its argument that COA is a CIA front, but would that be so bad? It would make studying abroad easier and less expensive for students as well as make such courses as Grant Writing, Organizing a Protest, Bumper Sticker Slogans, “Creating Problems” (that can then be solved by your Non-Profit), Taking Yourself Too Seriously & Trust Fund Preservation obsolete.
B2 Response to Bangor Daily News Comments LUCIANA GRECO COMMENT: “[COA] offer[s] graduate level courses in Grant Writing, Organizing a Protest, Bumper Sticker Slogans, “Creating Problems” (that can then be solved by your Non-Profit), Taking Yourself Too Seriously & Trust Fund Preservation.” LUCIE SAYS: Really? I looked for hours in the Course Catalog, but I didn’t find any of those courses listed. Must be a misprint...but if the OTW crowd is flipping out over this remark, then perhaps you ARE taking yourselves too seriously (too bad you can’t get college credit for it, though).
would know that drinking plain old tap water is more in keeping with our ideals than a bottle of Poland Spring (even if it is bottled here in Maine). But COA does put an awful lot of emphasis on being the “greenest” college in the country - I’d rather see us have the closest community than the best recycling program.
COMMENT: “They are going to set the world on fire but they don’t know how to light a match” LUCIE SAYS: Whoever wrote this was never a Boy Scout (or went camping). This is another COMMENT: “My Prediction.....3-4 years into stupid remark...and it’s missing some punctuation. the future.......”I have a Liberal Arts Degree from the Next. COA......Would you like fries with that order?” LUCIE SAYS: Considering how things are in COMMENT: “So this is what $40K/year pays for the state of our economy (rotten, Horatio), it is - an artsy fartsy pinkie-lifter to join “students” almost entirely possible that COA graduates will have to as pretentious as himself, getting together in their cozy take an entry-level job. What’s wrong with that? classrooms to discuss plans concerning how to make the rest Everyone in my family took a blue-collar job of the world more like them.” after they finished their studies (collegiate or not). LUCIE SAYS: So...COA is trying to take over Why? Because that’s essentially what you do after the world? Wow, that sounds pretty important...I graduation - you get a job! If the OTW gang has wonder how I managed to miss that one. Someone an issue with this fact of life, then take this into has a touch of paranoia...don’t get your panties in consideration: no employer will look at your BA in a twist over this one, either. Human Ecology and offer you $500,000/year. Get real and grow up. COMMENT: this article...has some scurrilous comments directed at the COA population...what do you think of COMMENT: “Reading this article has rocked by them? are they true? we want to hear your opinion planet. I’m going to stop bathing and shaving and roll one LUCIE SAYS: “Scurrilous?” Really? Here’s a up every day - and I’m not going to worry about what to simple fact of life - ignorant people say ignorant do with a degree in human ecology. I’m going to change the things. These comments are not offensive at all... world, man.” unless they are partially true. If there is truth to LUCIE SAYS: This one is beyond my help - it some of these comments, than admit it and try to doesn’t make sense, it has a typographical error make yourselves and COA better for it. Don’t play and it shouldn’t be taken as an insult by anyone. the slander card to make yourselves feel better. Next. COMMENT: “I’m sure they think they’re so awesome in their all-natural “green” heated & AC building, snacking on their non-GMO chips and drinking their fancy bottled water.” LUCIE SAYS: If the writer of this comment knew anything about being environmentally-friendly (or read Bottlemania like I did in the core course), they
Lucie Greco is not a syndicated columnist for a fancy-shmancy newspaper, nor does she have a blog or website where people can rant at each other about things they know very little about. She does, however, have two cats and a great recipe for potato pancakes. E-mail her at lgreco@coa.edu, or just say hi around campus. “In LEMONS We Trust.”
OpInions/Editorials
This Crisis, “Woman” ALAN FERNALD I recently watched Pirate Radio, an apparently innocuous British comedy directed by Richard Curtis. It tells the story of a group of DJs who live on a boat in the Atlantic Ocean, of their haps and mishaps. They broadcast rock music during a time (1966) when the government of the UK was making efforts to ban the genre by halting its radio presence. A cursory glance at the film could lead to conclusions of harmlessness. A feminist look reveals otherwise.
C3 their “date,” Maryann finds out about Carl’s taking the condom and expresses disappointment, telling him he must have thought her an easy lay to get a condom so quickly. Moments later, she is sleeping with the DJ Carl borrowed the condom from. The moral and social legitimacy of her character are sacrificed for the sake of humor and “historic authenticity,” or replication of the “bohemian” social conditions of 1966. After this incident, when Carl and Maryann are alone again, his poor attempts at talking rapidly shift into her making out with him and implied sex. What could have been a female character is reduced out of character status.
In a moment of sudden news, one of the DJs discovers he is to be wed to an American. She arrives by boat in her wedding dress. The shots and dialogue during their marriage strongly emphasize her physical beauty. After a few hours of marriage, the DJ is having a difficult time with his wife, and she admits to him that she only got married to him to get on to the boat, to have sex with the most popular DJ. Here, although a female character asserts herself, it is within the framework of male sexual desire; she came to the boat to consume the The DJ crew members of the Pirate Radio boat popular DJ’s sexuality and sexual experience, she are entirely male. The narrative content of the film remains an object to men, she has no identity. exists entirely within a mode of maleness: a young The crisis that is “woman” emerges from the nonman, Carl, is sent to the boat as a “punishment” by narratedness of female identity. Female identities his mother and discovers the “bohemian culture” are never asserted because they are subjugated to that persists there. The politicians working to the male; either one exists as a mysterious force end Pirate Radio are all male, but have a female capable of harnessing male desire, or a freak secretary. The only woman living on the boat is lesbian cook that deigns to adopt the status of lesbian and therefore floats in an unarticulated but maleness through a form of male desire. Despite “humorous” maleness, being attracted to women. this, the film sails along with its surface tone of She is also the cook, a traditionally female role in innocuousness and entertainment goal. Perhaps the extreme. Here, women exist on the narrative this “reifying” of “woman” is so silent that it only periphery and occupy only gender-acceptable feels like a whisper. roles. What goes unaddressed in Pirate Radio, or at least is avoided by “cultural and historic tribute” is the categorical denial of feminine existence and identity. In my opinion, the debilitating shallowness of the female characters approaches misogyny. I hope to show that a film with expressly “entertainment” purposes functions to reinforce institutionalized paradigms of sexual and gender identity, and uses the mask of “cultural” or “historic accuracy” to avoid discourse on these issues, which it obscures.
Throughout the film, it is made clear that occasional boats of women come from the UK to have sex Works Cited with the crew. The relationship is that transparent. Pirate Radio. Dir. Richard Curtis. Perf. Philip Seymour The women are depicted as blank canvases, Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans, Nick Frost, Kenneth characterless sites for male fantasies and desires. Branagh. Focus Features, 2009. Midway during the film, Carl is set up with a date by the captain, with the captain’s niece, Maryann. Upon seeing her he has a “moment of truth” of sorts and excuses himself to borrow a condom from one of the older DJs. During the course of
C2 Underlying Assumptions: Environmental Action from Our Generation KATHERINE SHLEPR
simplified analysis of scientific research. Is this okay? Can we trust these conclusions to be accurate in the long-term?
Within one or two generations of So I’ve been doing some thinking...feedback, criticism climactic research, we (the public) and discussion are absolutely encouraged. are coming to accept climate change (as accelerated I’ve been a big advocate for the precautionary by humans) as truth. But climate is a long term principle when it comes the climate change, study of weather patterns. It seems to me that figuring the potential consequences of increased (or much of the research that has been happening over decreased?) world temperatures are too big to ignore. the past few decades tests weather patterns and the But I’m beginning to wonder if the consequences of carbon fluctuations--short term. Just because these addressing climate change are also underestimated. (I findings don’t [generally] negate the idea of climate don’t mean consequences of flipping off the lights, change, they don’t inherently “prove” it, either...yet but of altering our whole energy infrastructure, for we continue to look at these studies as solidifying “proof ” of the idea. example...) I get the sense (perhaps inaccurately) that the environmental movement--the push for actively pursuing a “sustainable” way of life--has been stronger in this past half century than ever before. Most of COA’s student body would agree that we should change our way of doing things to prevent the proposed consequences of inaction. But I wonder how many people in these most recent generations have actually looked at the science behind the analysis from which they draw their conclusions. Have YOU examined and questioned the research data? Most of what we’ve come to accept is based off of [over]
It’s preposterous to think we should start from the beginning by reanalyzing all research before moving forward in the political realm, but how cautious should we be when deciding to completely alter our way of living? Many of the technologies proposed as alternative and less destructive methods are not even well developed. (Offshore wind turbines, for example, sound like an excellent proposition to eliminate necessity for coal plants in places like Maine, yet very little is known about the long-term impacts on marine life or the hidden costs of production and disposal.) Should we fully commit to these alternatives when we have such a limited understanding of their costs?
Christmas in Alternative Way LENKA SPRTOVA When someone says the word Christmas, most of us usually imagine staying with our families, talking, visiting friends, eating Christmas cookies... But what if you are an international student and you just don’t have (or don’t want to spend) so much money for airplane tickets? There are a few options: stay on-campus, visit your host family, hangout with friends... I decided to spend Christmas in a place which is nowadays not very common to go to – a convent. Nevertheless, to make this idea happen wasn’t very easy. I spent a couple of hours searching the internet and sending emails to different places. But in the end I received one email: “We are sympathetic to your request; we only want to know a little more. Could you get a character reference (from a teacher or priest or someone like that)?” When I
sent everything they asked for, they told me that it sounded good and I could come. I didn’t have any plans about what to DO there, I wanted to BE there. They have prayers three times a day, a daily mass, community meals, and also comfortable house, silent chapel and a lot of books. Nuns are really friendly, you can talk with them about everything and they appear to be much younger then they actually are (I don’t think there was anyone younger then seventy, but...). One of the sisters plays a guitar, sometimes joins bands and wanted me play with her – she played guitar and I played organ and together it was actually a lot of fun. I had a lot of time, when I didn’t have to do anything, to just enjoy the silence of the chapel, read some books, go out for walks... continued on next page »
C3 (London’s Footsie100 -3.18, Frankfurt’s Dax -3.25, Paris’ CAC40 -3.41…) and then a couple of weeks later inaugurate the tallest building in the world, with a cost of 1.5 billion dollars and some other cool what about the “Burj Khalifa”? features: the first Giorgio Armani designed hotel MOISES FLORES BACA (wtf!), the highest swimming pool in the world on the 76th floor, the highest observation deck, and finally Last Friday I took an Economics class for the first the highest mosque on the 158th floor. time in my life: “Introduction to economics: Global But it makes even less sense to consider the Issues” with Davis Taylor. I was never that interested humongous amounts of effort and money that need in Economics until very recently. I now kind of regret to be put into keeping “the Burj” standing. The not having taken economics in high school: if I had environment in which Dubai is all but friendly with done so I would probably better understand many projects such as the mentioned building: it’s hot (did I things about how the world works. Probably I would forget to mention it is a desert?), it’s windy (the winds be able to understand how after 2 months of almost can get as strong as 150 Km/h at the highest end hitting bankruptcy, and causing many stock markets of “the Burj”), it’s seismic… In other words, keeping around the world to contract, last November 27, projects such as the Burj and other big buildings is Dubai inaugurated the tallest building in the world: Dubai is an economic pain in the butt. Why would the “Burj Khalifa” (Khalifa tower): 2,717 feet high the developers of such project be willing to bear such and named after Abu Dabhi’s emir Sheik Khalifa bin pain? Are they being really reasonable in doing so? Zayed Al Nahyan. Is it really sensible to build such monstrosities in a One of the first things we learned in the mentioned place like Dubai? It is not only “the Burj” of course. class is the assumptions in Economics. The first “The Burj” is only an example of how the extreme of these assumptions is that “people are rational”, stubbornness of those who have the economic in other words, that people make choices that will power can get. The stubbornness of saying things benefit them for they are self-interested. This of like: “I want to build a freaking golf course in the course does not mean that people are selfish. As middle of the dessert”. Davis put it, even Mother Teresa was self-interested: I have been to the Dubai airport twice. It really hurt what she was interested in was helping others. something deep inside my little heart to get out of the Such an assumption seems pretty reasonable, however, airplane, feel the desert killing heat while crossing the events like the inauguration of “the Burj” make you bridge that connects the plane with the terminal, and wonder “are those who make economic (especially then enter the airport and feel that you bones freeze the big ones) choices really that reasonable?” because of the freaking air-conditioning. You are For the common individual (this is, the one that has inside that monster of metal and glass with its UFO little or no knowledge of economics [Ex. Myself]) it shaped lamps above your head, wearing the sweater does not seem to make sense to have this country, that your aunty gave you because ‘it’s chilly’. You look is so buried in debt (as Dubai is), decide to allow this outside to that sky that does not look blue because one construction company (Nakheel) an extension to of the desert sand flying around and think “this is pay its debts (something like 59 billion dollars) and wrong, very, very wrong”. produce stock markets around the world to shock
First assumption in Economics: “People are rational”… really,
Christmas in Alternative Way (continued from C2) Sisters are really interested in what is happening in the world. They read newspapers, watch evening news and pray for all they have seen. On Christmas day they had a festive dinner, opened their gifts and got together, just like in a usual family and I was like their loved guest or daughter. They acted as if they had known me for years and I felt almost like at home.
That was wonderful Christmas. Their convent is full of peace, joy and love. I don’t want to use these words, just because they sound good - you can really feel it. If you don’t believe me, just try it, you will not regret it.
D1
Art & Literature
Take #1 KATHERINE SHLEPR I called Brother last night and he said I’m going to go to school to write and he said I’m going to go to school and write poetry and I said How do you write poetry it just doesn’t work Classroom Doodle by Chitra Shanmuga
and he said Try writing down what you see every day but in an uncommon way
Untitled BLITHELY BRIGHT
and I said Sure maybe I’ll give it a try and here you are reading my poem.
This here is a blank page. True but what else could you expect from a machine. The tool, the hand, the brain, the body. Must do laundry! The daily duties of domesticity that one takes so much, or so little pleasure in. Inside and away from the sun, keeping skin as white as water and the sharks gliding about throughout. The stripes from that shirt are green and static still. The window is open and cold is slipping in. What’s more is the noise slipping in, magnified by the amphitheatrical high walling buildings. Slick rain. And what of it, if I had not a little wine? So what! This is Friday! Friday! Friday! The loaded day of release, promise for a wasted or productive weekend, and doing nothing at all to accomplish either. A purgatorial setting. And type, this case and that… lower and upper. Little leads that make for a whole meaning. A book perhaps, some lines, or three.
D2 Dark Clouds Conspire Over Lake Michigan JAKE WARTELL I love driving in the rainstorms. I love sitting quiet in the back seat
There’s this beast that writhes inside me:
Inhaling sweet humidity
It’s called highway 80
In the heavy heavy Ohio highway afternoon.
And it manifests its self dangerous and free Clawing at the landscape, holding tight the horizon.
We made it to the windy city before sunset,
It is manifested mystic anarchy
A skinny sliver moon waxing into a toothy grin
All the way to the mountains.
Over the tentacle traffic lanes,
Where I sit in solidarity
Waxing our senses
In fields with unfamiliar grasses
Slick for synesthesia.
Being creative and classless.
Come and breathe your colors.
And the aspens
Oranges, pinks, lavender purple dip diaphragms.
Are clapping union hymns and punk ballads
Each exhale smells like whisky and
With the warm wind.
This place, it tastes like traffic jam. But on the road we spoon our peanut-butter plain.
There is magic Pouring out of every brick, branch, and syllable.
At the east river we fed ourselves
Your intuition has not forsaken you.
Left handed lunch and screamed East Coast Attitude You At the Chicago Skyline.
Can cast spells.
The stainless steel mirror Millennium bean
Just spell it out.
Warped our American dream Into a vision quest.
Teenagers go to playgrounds at night.
Magical and Medicinal knowledge awaits us.
Sit on swings. Back and forth
This city is ferocious flexible.
Chains creak
Intense at its entrance
Bellowing their weird whale songs.
But I can coax out audacious joy
It is healing.
With my back-pack and faded flannel charisma.
If we allow it as medicine we will be health.
Ain’t no one a stranger, stranger than I’ve seen. This beast that writhes inside me, This is political work:
It is a shaman.
Being sincere.
It mixes elixirs my being’s been longing for.
Friendly with my eyes,
They are the rainstorms.
Making jokes in public,
I drive through them.
And dropping my god of love, intuition and mystery In every street corner conversation. I will find all that hides within me and reveal it.
D3 Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes Makes 24 cupcakes
MARISSA ALTMANN 1. Dissolve the yeast and 1/4 cup of the granulated (white) sugar in the warm milk in a large bowl and let stand for about 10 minutes until foamy. (Foamy doesn’t mean it gets poofy or anything. It just gets light and the yeast covers the top layer of the liquid. It won’t totally dissolve, so don’t worry) (This is also the most difficult step, you might want to have a backup of ingredients in case the yeast doesn’t activate.) 2. Mix in the eggs, melted butter, salt, and other 1/4 cup of granulated sugar. Add flour gradually and mix until well blended and the dough forms a ball. (I would use a Kitchenaid or equivalent stand mixer. If you use a hand mixer it might break. Use a dough hook when it starts to get thick. But since we don’t all have a good mixer, you might start off with a regular mixer and switch to hands. That worked for me when I made a yeast cake at COA last term.) 2.5. Put in a bowl, cover (I cover with clingwrap/plastic wrap) and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about one hour). (You’ll know when it’s done if you press two fingertips a half inch into the dough and the indentation remains.) 3. After the dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover again and let rest for 10 minutes. 3.5. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon (use a fork). Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners (I like to double them up because these cinnamon rolls are so moist), and lightly spray over the top of them with cooking spray. 4. Roll dough into a 12x22 inch rectangle. (I used a ruler to measure. Try to get it as rectangular as you can, so you don’t need to cut it. Cutting dough is always kind of a bad idea, so just stretch it and roll into corners to shape. Go for longer and skinnier, rather than shorter because the rolls will be too big.)
Ingredients 2 1/4 tsp. or 1 packet (1/4 oz./7 g) dry active yeast. 1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided (that’s white sugar, and divided means have 1/4 and 1/4 of it separate) 1 cup warm milk (approximately 110 degrees Fahrenheit) 2 eggs, room temperature 1/3 cup butter, melted 1 tsp. salt 4 1/2 cups bread flour (It has to be bread flour. They have this in the supermarket, too.) 1 cup brown sugar, packed (I used half dark brown, 1/4 light brown sugar, and 1/4 coconut palm sugar. But I’m weird and you can just use dark or light brown. It has to be the packed kind, not the brownulated kind that comes in a bag. This comes in a box) 2 1/2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon 1/3 cup butter, softened Icing of your choice
Spread dough with 1/3 cup of the softened butter, using a spatula, and sprinkle -evenly- with sugar/ cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough so that the cinnamon and sugar is inside, and you end up with a looooong roll, and cut into 24 rolls. (I cut it with a sharp serrated knife. The lady who provided this recipe online used floss, but my dough was too elastic for that to work. So I cut it and it worked fine.) 5. Place each roll in a cupcake liner. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 6. Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 10-12 minutes, on middle rack. Let rolls cool completely before frosting (or else the frosting will melt and slide off). Now I used Betty Crocker Vanilla frosting to ice mine, rather than the Cream Cheese Frosting that was suggested in the link. You could do whichever. I just dislike cream cheese based frostings. http://www.lafujimama.com/2009/05/cinnamon-roll-cupcakes.html
D4
Field Sketch by Luka Negotia
Doodles by Chitra Shanmuga