The Hoya: The Guide: September 24, 2021

FILM Despite great songs, “Dear Evan Hansen” botches its transition from stage to screen B4

MUSIC Soccer Mommy forges authentic bonds with her audience at 9:30 Club B6

NEW RELEASES From Lukas Graham to Lil Nas X, explore this week’s newest hits B8

September 24th, 2021

Adventures in Amateur Animation ‘Introduction to Animation’ passes the pixels to aspiring storytellers

Ishaan Rai and Adriana Guzman Hoya Staff Writers

ILLUSTRATION BY DOMINIC PHAM/THE HOYA

Creating Characters, Stories: College Students Animate New Worlds Georgetown’s “Introduction to Animation” course, taught by professor Elyse Kelly, makes animation accessible to students of all skill levels Ishaan Rai and Adriana Guzman

duction to Animation” course at Georgetown University is tranpsporting stories and faces to the world of animation through the deMickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny and Sponge- partment’s series of three animation coursBob — imagine inserting your own iconic es, which allow students of all skill levels to character into the list of the most recogniz- delve into the medium. able animations in the world.

No matter what initially draws students More Than Just Disney Films to the art form, the same principle rings true “Introduction to Animation” tackles simfor all animation enthusiasts: The wonder ple questions, according to Kelly. The profesof animation lies in its limitless creativity. sor’s extensive background in animation, in“Introduction to Animation” is a distinctive cluding her work with clients such as Netflix course that exposes students to a powerful and Disney Research and her features at film means of storytelling, challenging their own festivals like Sundance, render her uniquely artistic abilities while allowing them to cre- equipped to teach the class. ate projects that evoke deep emotion.

“The intro class is a little bit more of like, Taught by professor Elyse Kelly, the “Intro- ‘What the heck is animation?’” Kelly said in a Hoya Staff Writers

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COURTESY ASHLEY MALAS

Young animator and college student Ashley Malas exhibited an interest in animation as a child. She has channeled her enthusiasm into creating beautifully animated conceptual pieces, like this sketch. Malas adapts these sketches into fuly formed animated sequences.

Zoom interview with The Hoya. “How do you make something move frame by frame? Why are you making me do this kind of thing?

And then if they’re crazy enough to continue on with me, then we start to think about why you are making these choices.”

The focus at the introductory level is handdrawn animation, making the course more beginner friendly, according to Kelly. The class opens with techniques like flip books and storyboarding, then gradually moves on to stop-motion animation and more advanced techniques like pixilation, which is stop-motion animation using live figures.

Not a complete novice in the field of animation, Ella Petreski (COL ’23) took the course during her sophomore year at Georgetown.

THEHOYA.COM | FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2021

She had taken animation courses before and was drawn to the class because it gave her the opportunity to be guided in her animation, rather than doing it on her own time.

“I did animation after school when I was in middle school. I would go to our arts center in town with a few friends twice a week for a year. Other than that, I kind of just on my own would try to animate stuff,” Petreski said in a phone interview with The Hoya.

Although Petreski is a physics major, in an ideal world, she would spend the rest of her life animating. For her, the animation course fulfills a childhood dream of attending art school.

“I just really love art in general. I draw all the time, when I can,” Petreski said. “When I was younger I thought about going to art school, and my dream job is actually to be an animator. I think that I saw that it was an option here and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is perfect for me.’”

The course’s welcoming environment appealed to Malcolm Delfish (NHS ’23), who is taking the class this fall. In spite of only having made a few flip books in the past, he was ready to take the leap into drawing with “Introduction to Animation.”

“With my slightly decreased workload this semester, I decided to take the time to take an art class, Delfish said in an interview with The Hoya. “I have done stop motion animation on my own before, as a child, with Legos.

I’ve made very terrible flip books in the past.”

Whether students take an animation course because they are passionate about the medium or just because they have an opening in their schedule, the class does not require any previous animation experience.

Kelly recognizes that digital animation in particular can seem daunting to students with no prior experience.

Cultivating an environment that simplifies complex projects is possible by pushing students right into drawing and storyboarding, according to Kelly.

“I want people to be able to jump in and start making things move as soon as possible,” Kelly said. “It’s kind of really accessible in a way that strips back some of the more complicated parts of animation.”

The combination of group and individual projects throughout the course was one of the highlights for Petreski. One project in particular she highlighted was a picture animation assignment, in which students combined photography and drawing to create an animated series.

“We had to take pictures of different objects, and there were two different groups, and each group had to make their own, and we compared them,” Petreski said.

Different projects ask students to tap more deeply into their creativity, such as one assignment that Kelly has dubbed “visual music.”

Students make music videos by picking a section of a song that resonates with them and animating the verses abstractly using various

mediums such as paint, sand and paper.

Other assignments rely heavily on collaboration, imitating the structure of a film crew, according to Kelly.

“We have a director, a cinematographer and we have the actors. So it’s something where everyone has a role to play,” Kelly said.

Throughout the course’s many projects, from hand-drawn flip books to digital shorts, Kelly seeks to combat misconceptions about animation as an art form. The beliefs that animation is only embodied by Pixar and that it is meant for children minimize the appeal of the medium to the general public, according to Kelly.

“Here, we very rarely watch anything Disney Pixar mainstream,” Kelly said. “We watch a lot of independent, weird, experimental, kind of off-the-beaten-path animation because I want the class to understand what animation can be and what it is, so they can determine for the stories they want to tell what fits best.”

COURTESY ELLA PETRESKI

The animation courses at Georgetown University create space for beginner and seasoned cartoonists to build visual narratives, such as stop-motion animation and visual music.

The Animator’s Impact

“Introduction to Animation,” although accessible to students of all skills, is about more than just the drawing board. Kelly loves to teach the course because she feels that animation tells emotionally rich stories that can tap into a wide range of emotions.

“It allows us to oftentimes tap into the core emotion or the core essence of something, and in a different, unexpected way,” Kelly said.

Kelly is not alone in her understanding of the social importance of animation. Ashley Malas, a professional animator and student at the Laguna College of Art and Design, fell in love with animation early on. Like the young animators taking “Introduction to Animation” at Georgetown, she feels that animation is great for everyone to learn, regardless of major or career aspirations.

“I knew I wanted to work with animation since I was 12 years old. I saw the bonus feature for films and thought, ‘I can’t believe people get to do this and get paid for it,” Malas said in a text interview with The Hoya.

“Animation teaches you to understand people, and that is an invaluable skill wherever you go in life.”

Petreski finds that animation is powerful because of its inherent universality. The art form can provoke a range of emotions, both in childhood and adulthood.

“I think it is such a wide form of consumerism and entertainment. Growing up, everyone watches cartoons, and I think that even as you get older a bunch of people do as well.

It really makes pictures come to life and is exciting and many times visually stunning,” Petreski said.

Beyond fictional cartoons and imagined personalities, animators also retell reallife experiences in a way that evokes strong emotion and empathy from an audience.

Kelly said she once animated a project for the

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2021 | THEHOYA.COM

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) about a man who was incarcerated for over a decade and visited Times Square after being released.

The creative process involved capturing and expressing the emotionally charged atmosphere that surrounded just a few minutes of that person’s life, according to Kelly.

“Imagine what that would be like: going from a prison cell and then into that chaos and that light and that color, and just the insanity of Times Square,” Kelly said. “That kind of was what grounded the piece. We kind of built out the aesthetic from there so that particular moment could really resonate with the audience.”

Kelly knows that the project would not have been so successful had it not been for those who worked on the animation with her.

A crucial part of telling people’s stories with compassion also comes from having a diverse team, and animation suffers from a lack of di-

versity, which Kelly seeks to address in her current work animating for documentary series and organizations like the ACLU and Sony.

“I try really hard to build diverse teams of women and people of color and making sure that I’m, you know, looking for the people that aren’t necessarily getting the opportunities or being noticed as much as often as I can,” Kelly said. “I hope we continue on this trajectory of more diversity, more interesting stories, more unexpected.”

With the “Introduction to Animation” course, more and more young people are able to engage with animation, hopefully diversifying the medium. The desire to tell more stories propels the class, a purpose that is beneficial for animators and animation fans alike, according to Petreski.

“It’s just good for your health to watch something that’s fun and has something you can’t get with live action.”

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SOCCER MOMMY/FACEBOOK, @SOCCERMOMMYBAND/INSTAGRAM

Indie performer Soccer Mommy connects with her audience through relatable lyrics and expressive performing, creating an effortlessly personal atmosphere.

MUSIC

Soccer Mommy Stuns With Vocals, Visuals at the 9:30 Club ‘Color Theory’ ­— Soccer Mommy

 Sanskriti Reddy Hoya Staff Writer

Clad in all black and surrounded by glowing rows of television screens, Soccer Mommy seemed every bit a chic indie performer at first glance.

The illusion of sophistication was shattered, however, when Soccer Mommy, also known as Sophia Allison, shouted, “You don’t know how hard it was getting these suits from Macy’s,” while the drummer lazily blew a bubble.

That easygoingness is Allison’s appeal; she capitalizes on being ordinary and fresh, with family in Wyoming and a tight grip on the drabber aspects of life. Her newest album released in 2020, “color theory,” performed Sept. 19 at the 9:30 Club, presents a three-part introspection into the blues of depression, yellows of sickness and grays of loneliness that highlight her signature indie pop sound.

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Opening with the gripping “bloodstream,” Allison ruminated on the slippery nature of happiness as the stage was washed in red light. Sea blues and watery greens shimmered from the backdrop for crowd favorites “circle the drain” and “Cool,” while darker songs such as “royal screw up” and “stain” presented the delicate uncertainty of being insecure in a relationship from a dim, gray stage. The gaps between songs were filled with familiar, conversational banter. “I just hit my sweat point!” Allison said at one point while someone in the crowd yelled back, “Blame global warming!”

The intimacy between Allison and her audience was emphasized by the atmosphere of the venue, the 9:30 Club, which played into the casual, girl-next-door attitude Allison embodies. She detailed the ups and downs of yearning in “Henry” with an easy, witty attitude, a tilt of the head and a crease in her forehead. There is never an element of artifice with Allison’s performances; every

lyric out of Allison’s mouth is punctuated by an expression that almost feels wrong to observe because it is so genuine. After all, these are her deepest worries and her personal sentiments.

As Allison sang “gray light,” which depicts the suffocating helplessness of reckoning with mortality and her mother’s illness, pounding synths knocked the breath out of listeners. The dim blues of the softly lit television screens hovering above made it feel as though the audience was underwater.

Transitioning into a solo segment, Allison strummed out a few of her more strippeddown songs to a near-silent crowd held in rapture. Illuminated by saturated pink light, she performed a cover of Slowdive’s “Dagger,” a song she claimed she listened to frequently while locked away in the mountains of Wyoming. “Still Clean,” a piece from Allison’s days before a record deal, came on the tail end of an anecdote about performing in bars before becoming a breakout indie star.

“It’s crazy to stand here and play it now,” Allison said, but the audience knew nothing had really changed. She still played her heart out on an engraved guitar with the raw intensity her fans have always known, displaying her vulnerability under colored lights and hand-painted sets. The song “yellow is the color of her eyes” swirled through oranges and lemony yellows before bathing Allison and her band in white, smoke twirling as they finished their set in a blood rushing guitar session.

Returning for an encore, Allison performed an invigorating rendition of “Your Dog” from her 2018 album “Clean.” Screaming about throwing off an imaginary leash with a crowd full of people was strangely unifying. As Allison brought the night to an official close with the soft, passionate “Scorpio Rising” from the same album, she left the crowd feeling a little lonelier, a little more contemplative and a lot closer to her than before.

THEHOYA.COM | FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2021

‘SURVIVOR’ SURVIVAL GUIDE

Georgetown Junior Could Win It All on ‘Survivor 41’ Ali Unal

Columnist

The first new season of “Survivor” since May 2020 is finally in reach for enthusiastic audiences, and I, for one, could not be more excited! To get everyone as eager as I am for this 41st season of the flagship CBS island endurance competition, I had the opportunity to interview upcoming contestant Liana Wallace (MSB ’23), who happens to be a student at Georgetown University. As potentially the biggest “Survivor” fan on this side of the Potomac River, I am so thankful for the opportunity to talk to Wallace to hear some of her opinions on the show and to understand her motivations as a contestant.

My personal introduction to “Survivor” was through channel-surfing many years ago: I

was intrigued by a group of people running around a sandy island while $1 million was at stake. By contrast, Wallace has a much deeper connection to the show. Wallace first encountered “Survivor” in her childhood, and she credits her mother for introducing her and ultimately encouraging her to go on the show.

Wallace’s proclivity for “surviving” goes all the way back to her childhood, when she would pretend to play the game with her older siblings, Andre and Jordan. She remembers that Andre would focus on defeating Jordan before her, and I personally hope she retains the same luck on the show.

“Thank God it wasn’t me that he always snuffed out — it always was Jordan. I guess I wasn’t threatening,” Wallace said.

In my opinion, Wallace has impeccable taste when it comes to her favorite players, and she clearly has a deep understanding of “Survivor” history, from 2005 to now. When asked who she admired, Wallace, who is Black, referenced “Survivor” legends who are

NEW RELEASES

also women of color, like Cirie Fields, Natalie Anderson and Sandra Diaz-Twine. Each of these women are definitely in my own top 10 players, and I think Wallace perfectly captured why they are among the greats.

These women all made the top six on their respective seasons, and Diaz-Twine was the Sole Survivor of “Survivor: Pearl Islands.”

“I think it’s just really amazing just to see the confidence that they play with and the wit and the social game and all that kind of combined into one,” Wallace said. “Also, they’re all women of color, and they’re just incredibly impactful.”

I wouldn’t be shocked if, by the end of this season, Wallace has the exact same impact on fans as her favorite players did for her.

Wallace’s preparation and her personal history as a longtime fan create the perfect recipe for a stellar contestant.

“Survivor” is making history this season as a part of CBS’ new commitment to cast BIPOC contestants in 50% of all reality competition roles. Wallace joins the legacy of women of

color who came before her on “Survivor,” and she expressed gratitude for their efforts to diversify and improve the competition.

“All creds to the people of color that were on the show before to really push and to have a cast that would be more Black and Indigenous People of Color. Because I really think that ‘Survivor’ is a microcosm of the real world,” Wallace said.

In my opinion, Wallace has all the tools to win her the title of Sole Survivor. She has prepared both physically and mentally for the show — she said she has been both putting on some muscle and meditating. Further, Wallace has a great strategy of being unassuming, plus she is both a sociable and analytical person, so she should have no problem connecting with the other contestants.

“Survivor 41” kicked off Sept. 22 at 8 p.m.

EDT. As her season begins, Wallace is grateful for the opportunity to challenge herself and pursue joy, and she encourages her fellow Hoyas to do the same.

By Maeve Silk

CARLY PEARCE

LUKAS GRAHAM

‘NEVER WANTED TO BE THAT GIRL’

‘CALL MY NAME’ Lukas Graham hits the mark with his new single, “Call My Name,” an uplifting meditation on unrequited love. Graham’s signature folksy style is updated with a livelier beat than some of his earlier hits, successfully drawing listeners into his timeless narrative.

Rising country music star Carly Pearce collaborated with fellow country singer Ashley McBryde to create “Never Wanted To Be That Girl” highlighting Pearce’s strong vocals in a beautiful ballad that will satisfy her fans.

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LUKAS GRAHAM/FACEBOOK

CARLY PEARCE/FACEBOOK

LIL NAS X

KEHLANI

Groundbreaking performer and icon Lil Nas X’s “MONTERO” album release was highly anticipated by his fanbase this week. “DEAD RIGHT NOW” demonstrates Lil Nas X’s versatility in blending rhythmic styles and creating bold dance music that does not shy away from deep lyrical vulnerability.

Kehlani’s newest single “Altar” stays true to her signature style, coupling her graceful lyricality with a catchy refrain. Released ahead of her upcoming album, “Altar” is not an especially moving testament to Kehlani’s abilities or indicative of significant growth from her earlier work.

‘DEAD RIGHT NOW’

 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2021 | THEHOYA.COM

‘ALTAR’

KEHLANI//FACEBOOK

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KEHLANI//FACEBOOK

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MUSIC

Serena Isioma Shuts Down Songbyrd With Lyricality, Messages About Self-Love ‘The Leo Sun Sets’ ­— Serena Isioma

 Haley Resnick Hoya Staff Writer

A coffee shop by day and a concert hall by night, Songbyrd Music House was overflowing with energy to see up-and-coming indie artist Serena Isioma this past Saturday, Sept.

18. Fans at the show were exceedingly fashion forward, sporting clothes and hairstyles of every color. In a testament to Isioma’s promotion of self-love and acceptance, everyone was dressed in their unique taste, no person looking like the next.

After a lively opening act by alternative artist Ernest Rareberrg, Isioma took the stage, effusing confidence when he took the microphone. Although they later shared with the crowd that it was their first time performing in Washington, D.C., one could not tell that Isioma was a beginner.

Yet remarkably, Isioma only began creating music in 2018, inspired by their older brother, who played multiple instruments and introduced Isioma to rappers like Chief Keef and G Herbo. Before their foray into music, they

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experimented with fashion and filmmaking, but when they discovered GarageBand and the software’s “fake Auto-Tune feature,” they found new enjoyment in singing and songwriting.

At only 20 years old, Isioma has already caught the attention of the music industry, receiving acclaim from Nylon and Complex.

Their 2020 song “Sensitive” also became a viral hit, reaching over 50 million streams and getting publicity from popular TikTok stars Bretman Rock and Haley Sharpe. Billboard also celebrated their first album, “The Leo Sun Sets,” in a roundup of the best new releases by LGBTQ artists in 2020. .

A first-generation Nigerian American who identifies as a “nonbinary rockstar,” Isioma wants to create a space in music for those who don’t fit into binaries. Similarly,their music never remains in one genre, with each of their songs offering something entirely different from the last. Some of their songs, like “Meadows in Japan,” are reminiscent of soul and R&B, while others like “King” could be classified as hip-hop or lo-fi.

SERENA ISIOMA/FACEBOOK

New musician Serena Isioma creates music that spans genres and pushes boundaries, earning them fame early in their career.

Their variety in sound helped create a thrilling concert. Isioma constantly shifted between songs like “Hard,” which makes one want to softly sway, and songs that produced a breakout of dancing, like “HUH?” In the same way that Isioma seeks to form an emotional connection with their audience through their songs, they quickly formed an intimate relationship with Songbyrd’s lively crowd. They utilized the entire stage, and they were energized by the audience’s cheers. In the buildup to their single “Really Really,” Isioma split the crowd into halves, proceeding to encourage a mosh pit that drew in most of the audience once the beat dropped.

Before playing their newest song, “VoulezVous Me To ...” Isioma said the song makes you want to dance in front of the mirror. Isioma also said they used French in the title to show their appreciation for all types of people, and although they used these words to motivate the crowd, the words also speak to what Isioma is all about: loving yourself and those around you for being exactly who they are.

Isioma hopes to find their own healing and self-love through their music, something explored by their messages from Saturday’s concert. Their adamant self-love and drive to increasingly accept themself was a source of hope for those struggling with their identity and searching for a sense of belonging. While they may be young and new to making music, Isioma truly has the power to change lives through their sound.

Songbyrd’s intimate setting and Isioma’s vulnerability made it clear that Isioma is not creating music for money or fame, but rather for passion and for their listeners. Every time Isioma smiled, one could not help but smile too, even if under a mask. The joy of attending a concert in person again was only heightened by the presence of someone noticeably grateful to be performing in person too.

If their performance at Songbyrd could be accomplished after only three years of making music, Serena Isioma’s future is undoubtedly bright. One can only be excited for what they have in store.

THEHOYA.COM | FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2021

DEAR EVAN HANSEN/FACEBOOK

While fans loved Ben Platt’s (left) live performance in Broadway musical “Dear Evan Hansen,” the actor and the show fail to bring the same energy and spontaneity to the silver screen, leaving viewers disappointed.

FILM

‘Dear Evan Hansen’ Deserves No Requiem From Disappointed Viewers Directed by: Stephen Chbosky Starring: Ben Platt, Julianne Moore, Kaitlyn Dever

 Cameron Newman Hoya Staff Writer

CW: This article references suicide. Please refer to the end of the article for on- and off-campus resources.

Anyone familiar with Broadway in the last five years will have heard of “Dear Evan Hansen,” the pop-musical sensation that swept the Tony Awards in 2017. Exploring grief, mental health struggles and the dangers of social media, the musical was embraced by young people for its honest depiction of growing up as a member of Generation Z. With music by “La La Land” composers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and coming out amid a resurgence of movie musicals, it seemed inevitable that this Broadway hit would get the full Hollywood treatment. However, inevitability is not the same thing as suit-

ability in the case of “Dear Evan Hansen.”

In “Dear Evan Hansen,” the titular character, Evan (Ben Platt), is a high school senior who struggles with extreme social anxiety and feels ignored by his constantly working single mom, Heidi (Julianne Moore). To improve his selfesteem, his therapist instructs him to write encouraging letters to himself. When Evan’s highly volatile classmate Connor Murphy (Colton Ryan) discovers one such letter in the school printer, Connor steals it after noticing a reference to his sister, Zoe (Kaitlyn Dever), whom Evan has a secret crush on.

Later in the film, Connor takes his own life with the stolen letter still in his pocket, while his distraught parents Cynthia (Amy Adams) and Larry (Danny Pino) mistake it for a suicide note addressed to Evan. Unable to muster the courage to tell Connor’s parents the truth, Evan

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2021 | THEHOYA.COM

becomes trapped in an increasingly elaborate web of lies centering around a fabricated friendship between himself and Connor. This inadvertently leads to Evan bonding with the family and with Zoe, until he gives a speech at Connor’s memorial that goes viral and threatens to implode his ruse.

The premise of the film is complex and tenuous, only held together on Broadway by the emotional performances of a small cast. However, upon being translated to film, jokes that worked on stage were cut for the sake of realism, extraneous shots of student extras and suburban neighborhoods feel hollow and jarring and the entirety of the plot crumbles under its own morbid ridiculousness.

Ultimately, the main issue with “Dear Evan Hansen” is that its very concept does not work in film.

Live musical theatre both necessitates and

accommodates extreme suspension of disbelief because of the stage and live audience format. Musicals are borne aloft on emotional truths over practical ones, and smaller aspects of a play like plot implausibilities or character flaws are swallowed up by cathartic music and dazzling lighting.

The glamour of theaters is not afforded to a movie packed with extreme close-ups and certain scenes that could only be described as gritty.

It is unrealistic for a film with such serious topics to ask its audience to take its plot literally when the characters burst into song while committing morally despicable misdeeds. These moments, played without a hint of camp or humor, could only be met with nervous laughter, as viewers at the early screening event were unsure of how else to react to such bizarre scenarios.

However, there were some salvageable points of the movie. For instance, the use of montages to expand upon character development was an effective use of the play’s new movie format. This was best executed in the song “Requiem,” which captured the Murphys entrenched in grief in ways that looked different for each of them.

Julianne Moore, Kaitlyn Dever and Amy Adams all performed with as much grace and subtlety as was manageable under the circumstances. Moore’s moving ballad “So Big/So Small” was refreshingly honest in a movie about lies. Dever’s clenched-jaw bitterness clashed beautifully with Adams’ desperate optimism, creating authentic stakes amid the plot’s unreality.

The music, when considered in isolation, was excellent. Ben Platt may have looked too old and acted too overwrought, but his angelic voice nearly manages to save the movie.

His performance of “Words Fail” packs a true emotional punch, and the soaring harmonies of “You Will Be Found” transcend their dishonest context.

But overall, the songs feel out of place in the film’s dreary world, and audiences will struggle to develop the necessary sympathy for Evan to get through this nearly two-and-a-half-hour slog of sappy absurdity.

Resources: On-campus resources include Health Education Services (202-687-8949) and Counseling and Psychiatric Service (202-687-6985); additional off-campus resources include the National Suicide Prevention Hotline (1-800-273-8255).

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CONSOLE COMMENTARY

Video Game Maneuver ‘Daigo Parry’ Shows Power of E-Sports

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THE JOHN F. KENNEDY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS/FACEBOOK

WHAT TO DO IN DC

‘SILA: THE BREATH OF THE WORLD’ REACH plaza at the Kennedy Center

Looking for a free concert? Check out “Sila: The Breath of the World,” a “chooseyour-own-adventure” outdoor musical experience inspired by the Inuit tradition.

Wander through the Kennedy Center’s beautiful REACH plaza and immerse yourself in the soundscape this Sunday, Sept. 26 at 5 p.m.

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used the move, the attack would connect and Umehara would be out of the tournament.

Umehara landed his parry at cinematic levels of fragility, correctly predicting Wong’s move.

After parrying a long string of volleys from Wong, Umehara gained enough meter of his own to defeat his opponent.

In this moment, Umehara proved both his technical and intellectual superiority over his opponent by parrying 15 hits in a row and by predicting the “Super Art” before it was used. Had Umehara won the match without performing the parry, he would not have demonstrated such skill. More than anything, Umehara proved that he was willing to participate in a performance of fantastic proportions.

Had Umehara played the earlier parts of the match better, perhaps he would have been able to take the set over Wong without resorting to a nearly impossible feat. However, at the same time, had Umehara simply won the match, he would be remembered only as a good player, not a great player. To be good at a fighting game means winning matches against strong opponents. To be great at a fighting game is to turn every match into a performance of style, grace and skill that will inspire others.

By Cameron Newman

DUMBARTON HOUSE

Georgetown

If you like history, check out Dumbarton House in the Georgetown neighborhood, open this week from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Friday through Sunday.

Built in 1799, this historic building provides a window into the United States’ earliest era.

The Dumbarton House is currently hosting an exhibition titled “Power in Preservation” that explores the importance of women in preserving history. Student admission is free.

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BEST NIGHT EVER: ONE DIRECTION VS JONAS BROTHERS DANCE PARTY

Union Stage

Whether you’re a diehard Directioner, forever in love with the Jonas Brothers, or just looking for a good time, head to the showdown to jam out to some of your favorite boy bands. This nostalgiafilled dance party will be held at Union Stage on Friday, Sept. 24 at 10 p.m. Admission is $18.

PHILLIPS COLLECTION

Dupont Circle

Celebrating its centennial, the Phillips Collection in Dupont Circle has opened a new exhibit entitled “Amalgama Phillips” as part of its “Digital Intersections” series.

The work uses an algorithm to create an ever-shifting animation that combines all of the collection’s displayed artwork. Student tickets are $10, and you can receive free admission if you are 18 or under.

UNION STAGE/FACEBOOK

Since the dawn of the genre, fighting video games have been defined by more than just winners and losers. Fighting games are characterized by the pursuit of fantastic battles in which skilled players can show off their talent through specific moves, achieving the impossible by looking for the right situations in the game. Nothing encapsulates the drama of fighting games better than the “Daigo Parry.”

Also known as Evo Moment 37, the move known as the “Daigo Parry” surfaced at the Evolution Championship Series in 2004, a fighting game tournament that took place over 17 years ago at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. At this tournament, two players, Japanese champion Daigo Umehara and American prodigy Justin Wong, faced off, playing the game “Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike.”

players were tied 1-1 going into a third match.

Umehara ended up on his avatar’s back foot, meaning that any hit, however small, would lose him the match. To make matters worse, Wong had saved up meter throughout the match, which would allow him to execute one of his avatar Chun-Li’s devastatingly powerful moves called the “Houyoku-Sen Super Art,” which instantly hits the opponent once and then unleashes several volleys of kicks for a total of 15 hits.

Rather than give up, Umehara recognized that in order to have any chance at victory, he would have to pull off something absurd.

In “Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike,” the player can block attacks, reducing the damage they deal greatly. Unfortunately for Umehara, his single pixel of vitality would not sustain a single block, let alone the 15 blocks required to avoid the “Houyoku-Sen.” However, Umehara had another very risky option. By moving toward his opponent, Umehara would be able to perform a parry that, if timed perfectly within one-tenth of a second, would allow him to nullify all damage taken by the hit. If Umehara did not initiate a parry within that window before Wong

PHILLIPS COLLECTION/FACEBOOK

Columnist

Umehara’s namesake move, the “Daigo Parry” was an impressive stunt that ignited fighting game fans around the globe.

Umehara did not win the tournament in the traditional sense of placing first; he won the tournament by showing off his skills in a dramatic comeback. Without these epic sequences, the fighting game genre is reduced to mere technical optimization. The beauty of the fighting game is found in moments like these: moments of dynamism between players.

The “Daigo Parry” inspired a generation of players to chase the shock and awe that Umehara and Wong showed possible in fighting games, fundamentally altering the lens through which they are played.

“Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike” is a twodimensional fighting game made in 1999. Two players each select a character from a unique roster and fight head to head. Each player has a set amount of vitality, or health, which they lose in portions each time they are hit. When a player’s vitality runs out, they lose the match. Players also slowly gain meter, which allows them to perform special, powerful moves in combat.

After trading blows in the first match, the

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Palmer Hudson

THEHOYA.COM | FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2021