The Hoya: The Guide: February 16, 2018

the guide F R I DAY, F E B R UA RY 1 6 , 2 0 1 8

Down the Dahlgren Aisle

ILLUSTRATION BY: GRACE CHUNG AND VALERIE MA/THE HOYA

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friDAY, February 16, 2018

Amanda Van Orden/THE HOYA

Over the years, many weddings have been held at Dahlgren Chapel, which has a long history as the spiritual heart of Catholic life for students and alumni. Georgetown may be changing, but love stories will always be a constant.

Georgetown Love Stories Unfold at Dahlgren Molly Cooke Hoya Staff Writer

Years after meeting as participants at Mask and Bauble Dramatic Society’s Midnight Theater production of “All in the Timing,” Diana Valdivia (COL ’05, LAW ’10) and Carlos Valdivia (COL ’05) were married at the university that brought them together.

The 2011 wedding harkened back to the couple’s time as Georgetown undergraduates: Most members of the party were friends from college. Founding members of Harmony, Diana’s a capella group at Georgetown, sang at the wedding, and the ceremony was performed by her favorite professor, Fr. Ronald Murphy, S.J. But it was the venue of the wedding ceremony that held special significance for the couple.

“I used to work for Campus Ministry and one of my jobs while I was there was as a sacristan,” Carlos said. “I used to sweep the floors at Dahlgren, and I used to attend Sunday morning Mass as the sacristan. I like all the chapels, but Dahlgren Chapel especially is near and dear to me.”

Chapel of Love

Dahlgren Chapel of the Sacred Heart, the red brick chapel that has served as a campus staple since opening in 1892, is now the site for a majority of the 50 to 70 weddings that take place at Georgetown each year, according to Wedding and Faith Formation Coordinator Maura Gregory Kasper (GRD ’00). The busiest time of the year for Georgetown weddings is fall, and as many as four weddings can be packed into a single Saturday, according to Kasper.

Kasper began coordinating weddings for Georgetown in 2015 after 20 years of a fulltime career in student academic advising in the study abroad office, School of Nursing and

Health Studies and the School of Foreign Service Dean’s Office.

“Over the years, I have cantored at masses, weddings and funerals, so I was already well acquainted with Campus Ministry,” Kasper wrote in an email to The Hoya. “A definite highlight is that I have been able to witness many of my former students’ weddings.”

Although some campus weddings are held in Copley Crypt and St. William’s Chapel, both of which are located in Copley Hall, Dahlgren is easily the most popular destination for university nuptials. Contrary to campus lore, however, the waitlist for a wedding date is not four years long — at least not according to the chapel’s online availability calendar, which shows vacancies for Saturday weddings as early as April 14, 2018 at press time.

Nevertheless, archdiocesan requirements dictate wedding arrangements must be made at least six months in advance, so “ring by spring” couples who just got engaged on Valentine’s Day should not count on being able to tie the knot on campus within two months.

Catholic Eclipse of the Heart

To be eligible to be married at any Georgetown sacred space, couples must be affiliates of the Georgetown community. Only students currently pursuing a degree, alumni and current faculty and staff, as well as their children, qualify to reserve a space.

At least one of the betrothed must be a Roman Catholic to be married at either Dahlgren or Copley Crypt, while St. William’s Chapel may be reserved for ceremonies of any faith, according to the Campus Ministry website.

Catholic weddings include their own lengthy set of prerequisites, including baptismal certificates, permission from the pastor of the bride’s parish for her to be married elsewhere and Pre-

Cana, premarital counseling for Catholics that covers topics ranging from conflict resolution to personal finances and spirituality.

Some of these requirements are determined by the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, which suspended the practice of Dahlgren weddings through the late ’90s. Through the effort of former university chaplain Fr. Adam Bunnell, S.J., the university was able to petition the Archdiocese of Washington to resume weddings at the chapel.

In 2000, Dr. Ennio Mastroianni was hired as the director of Sacramental Formation to restore ministry to engaged couples in the Georgetown community.

“Dr. Mastroianni was given the mandate to assure that Georgetown Sacred Spaces would be a place of ministry for members of our community and to avoid the chapels becoming a destination rental chapels,” Kasper wrote. “To assure this mandate, we work closely with the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington.”

Maura Kasper herself married her husband Brian Kasper (GRD ’08) at Dahlgren in 2009, when they both worked in the School of Foreign Service. Years later, the chapel continues to hold an emotional resonance for the family.

“We knew each other before we worked together in the SFS, but the daily interaction led to a close friendship and ultimately marriage.

We couldn’t think of a better place to be married for this reason,” Kasper wrote. “Our 4-yearold son Aidan was born at GU hospital and baptized in Dahlgren.”

It’s a Love Story

Jill Dailey (COL ’91) and her husband Steve Smith (MSB ’91), opted for a wedding that explored many of the most popular destinations from their alma mater.

“Classic Hoya style, we had our rehearsal din-

ner at 1789 [restaurant], we went down to The Tombs for drinks after the rehearsal dinner, we had our wedding obviously at Dahlgren and then we had our reception at the Car Barn,” Dailey said.

The couple met for the first time at a bar in New York City three years after they had both graduated, even though they both lived in Harbin Hall during their freshman year.

“What was great was a lot of our friends knew each other, and the funniest thing is also everyone who knew both of us in school said, ‘Well it’s a great thing you didn’t meet there because you’d never be married today,’” Dailey said. “Let’s just say that I actually knew where Lauinger was.”

Patsy Peters Martin (COL ’76) and Jim Martin (COL ’75, LAW ’78) did not technically wed in Dahlgren — though, when they were dating as students in the mid-’70s, Jim’s friends pelted the couple with rice after a Saturday Mass at Dahlgren and serenaded them with lines from the song “Chapel of Love”: “Goin’ to the chapel and we’re gonna get married.”

Yet the Martins feel attachment to the sacred space. Their daughter Madeleine Martin (NHS ’13) — the youngest of five children who all graduated from Georgetown in some capacity — is scheduled to be married at Dahlgren this May. In the four decades since her wedding, Patsy said, the university continues to shape the values of her family.

“Georgetown has played a role very much into the core of who Jim and I are,” Patsy said. “Georgetown has so many love stories because any people who go to Georgetown would have similar values of service to others and loyalty and faithfulness, and if you meet people like that, you’re going to fall in love with them.”

friday, February 16, 2018

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courtesy martin family

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courtesy valdivia family

courtesy martin family

courtesy valdivia family

courtesy martin Family

courtesy hoffman family

The Dahlgren Chapel is an iconic scene for Hoya weddings but the rumored four year waitlist is a myth. The beautiful church in the center of campus is the site of 50-70 weddings per year and is the perfect locale to commemorate relationships formed on the Hilltop.

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Underground in Dupont, the Cabaret Comes Alive faris bseiso Hoya Staff Writer

As I was walking through the Dupont Underground, I felt a sudden tap on my shoulder. I turned around and saw a woman with transparent white cloth wrapped around her clothes — a ghost.

Without uttering a syllable, she led me to another ostentatiously dressed figure.

The ghost handed me a ring, pointing at the second figure. When I showed him the ring, he almost burst into tears. He told me it was his wife’s.

This experience was not a weird dream.

Rather, it was part of “Cabaret Rising,” an immersive theater show.

Last Friday, Dupont Underground, a cultural organization that holds events in the former streetcar station underneath Dupont Circle, hosted the opening night of “Cabaret Rising.” The show was put on by TBD Immersive, a performance company that believes in “creating art that blurs the line between audience and performer,” according to the company’s website. This installment comes as a sequel to “In Cabaret We Trust,” which was put on in September 2017.

TBD aims to turn theater into an interactive experience. Rather than limiting the audience’s experience to a passive,

seated role, TBD hopes to give viewers a chance to actively engage with the actors.

“Cabaret Rising” takes attendees to the 2020s, where a rebel fringe group called the Resistance is using the underground tunnel network to hide from a populist Republic, an apparent allusion to the administration of President Donald Trump.

Dupont Underground’s graffiti and empty tracks serve as an excellent setting for a revolutionary group, and the lack of phone service was a serendipitous touch for an off-the-grid movement.

Upon descending into the tunnel entrance, participants were greeted by a figure welcoming us to “our home.” His remarks were forceful, as he politely warned us not to “f--k with our s--t” or we would be kicked out. He set the tone for the incredibly strong performances that followed from the rest of the actors.

Unfortunately, the specifics of the performance cannot be revealed without spoiling visitors’ appreciation: The show is best experienced with as little background knowledge as possible. Additionally, there is no universal experience at an interactive show, as the performance changes based on the audience’s response.

Throughout the tunnel, there was a

plethora of different installations and props that added details to the story, including murals, gift shops, acrobatic acts and even several ghosts who claimed the underground belongs to them. These installations gave participants a chance to piece together bits of the plot while everyone was exploring the tunnel.

It quickly became clear that my investigation alone was insufficient to fully comprehend the unfolding story. Audience members were mingling with actors and being led to important points of the story.

After about 45 minutes, we were led to the end of the tunnel, where the cabaret was taking place. Until I sat down, I believed that I had gotten accustomed to the unorthodox format of the show, but the cabaret showed me that I could not have been more wrong.

Initially, I felt as if I were watching a dystopian open mic night. The topics covered by the singers in their acts were direct and pointed, which was unsurprising considering the political nature of the plot. The diversity of acts was impressive as well: There were sword ladders, jugglers and even ventriloquist burlesque dancers.

The variety of costumes and decor was both impressive and fascinating: Some

actors donned a hipster look similar to a Palo Alto techie, some were dressed in all-black punk-rock aesthetic and others looked like Harley Quinn’s futuristic minions.

What audience members get out of the show is largely determined by how open they are to immersing themselves in their surroundings. Passive viewers may feel extremely lost in the vast array of events, and visitors will likely be intrigued by plot gaps between intermissions. I, for one, could definitely have discovered more if I had participated more actively.

Regardless of how much one engages with the show, the performance is enjoyable for every type of participant. The myriad of political messages leaves audiences with plenty to ponder. The extraordinary talents of the show’s actors, particularly those performing in the cabaret or as acrobats, made the performance all the more intriguing. On the whole, “Cabaret Rising” is by far one of the most original experiences that Washington, D.C., has to offer.

“Cabaret Rising” runs at the Dupont Underground every Sunday until March 4, with entry between 2 p.m. and 2:45 p.m. depending on the ticket purchased.

TBD IMMERSIVE

TBD Immersive gives the audience the chance to fully engage with theater. Viewers are transported to a dystopian future and join a resistance composed of punk rockers, hipsters and more. With fantastic imagery and abundant political messages, “Underground Cabaret” forces viewers to think.

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friday, february 16, 2018

Børns

concert review

Special to the Hoya

Børns is as fascinating as the “lightning in a bottle” he sings about on his hit “Electric Love.”

Although his voice and personal style take inspiration from Mick Jagger and Michael Jackson, he lacks those performers’ emotional commitment and live energy. Technically his music shines, but his lackluster stage presence cast a negative light on the Feb. 13 concert experience.

At the start of his performance at The Anthem, Børns emerged from a cloud of blue light to open with his Lana Del Rey duet, “God Save Our Young Blood.” His voice rang confidently, but the performance missed Del Rey’s signature croon.

From there, Børns sang each song off his new album, “Blue Madonna,” in sequence with very little pause. Every song ended with a dark stage, and Børns avoided audience connection until after his sixth song, “Iceberg.” His comment on the crowd’s energy and sunny dispositions felt like an obvious lead-in to “Second Night of Summer.”

After a lackluster performance of “I Don’t Want U Back” — the least dynamic song off “Blue Madonna” — Børns started into “Tension,” a hypnotic interlude from the album. Basked in warm orange light, Børns combined the tropical, hip swaying jam with Madonna’s “Holiday.”

The two songs paired stunningly well, and the crowd was excited to hear Børns take on something new.

The singer breezed through “Supernatural,” performed as celestially as the title suggests, and paused before the song “Blue Madonna” to shout-out his strong openers, Mikky Ekko — best known for his role in Rihanna’s 2013 single “Stay” – and the French-Canadian Charlotte Cardin, whose style is similar to Tove Lo. Børns closed his first set with “Bye-bye Darling,” a sweet 1980s breakup dream. The singer teased the song’s ending before abruptly returning with staccato keys and surprisingly angelic harmonies. It was a satisfying ending to the concert, but the crowd refused to leave until they

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concert review

Declan McKenna Jammin’ Java

The Anthem KYRA DIMARCO

THE HOYA

heard Børns’ signature track, “Electric Love.”

Pausing just for a quick change, Børns and his band returned to the stage. The encore consisted of highlights from his past album, plus a lovely cover of “Strawberry Fields Forever” with opener Cardin. With him in a cream suit and her in a coordinating jumpsuit, they looked and sounded like twins, particularly with their matching shoulder-length brown hair and complementary voices.

Although the encore reinvigorated the crowd with favorites like “American Money” and “Past Lives,” Børns maintained his apathetic attitude.

Børns best demonstrated emotional detachment in the second-to-last song of the night, “Holy Ghost.” On the album, Børns’ falsetto is confident yet pleading, and the crescendo at the beginning of each chorus is truly cathartic. In concert, however, Børns did not give the song’s powerful moments enough emphasis. He has sung this song hundreds of times, and it was disappointingly obvious he had no interest in making this one feel special.

He closed with “Electric Love,” the debut single off his second EP “Candy.” Though the crowd jumped and sang along, Børns seemed only slightly invigorated by the crowd’s energy.

Børns’ stage presence is much more stoic than his music would suggest. Throughout the night, his stiff movements matched the stiffness of his double-breasted suits. Rather than engaging with the crowd, Børns stood on a short, upstage platform, a great feature for shorter audience members in the mostly standing roomonly venue, but Børns’ vibrant music demands a greater stage persona. The most dynamic element of the concert was the vivid light display that pulsed and shifted color to complement each song.

Børns absolutely delivered skill and recordinglike voice quality. However, live shows should be a more passionate affair with new interpretations. The otherworldly quality of his music deserved a spectacle and performance worthy of its electricity, which Børns sadly did not deliver.

Julia Yaeger Hoya Staff Writer

British singer-songwriter Declan McKenna made everyone feel like his valentine with his Feb. 14 show at Jammin’ Java in Vienna, Va. “I’m here to steal your hearts this Valentine’s Day. And I’ve got more crappy lines like that prepared,” McKenna said.

A quirky, 19-year-old musician from London, McKenna truly did steal the crowd’s hearts with his boyish demeanor, throwing flowers into the crowd and serenading the audience throughout the performance.

McKenna began his set with the hit, “The Kids Don’t Wanna Come Home” off of his 2017 debut album, “What Do You Think About the Car?” The song started off slow, building up to a chorus that set the perfect mood for swaying and dancing and establishing the casual vibe that would continue for the rest of the concert.

McKenna’s cover of David Bowie’s “Valentine’s Day” was a particular highlight of the night. “I just kind of wanted an excuse to play it because it’s one of my favorite songs of all time.

But it’s called Valentine’s Day and it’s by David Bowie,” McKenna said. The cover was phenomenal, doing justice to the original track.

McKenna continued to make cheesy, romance-themed comments throughout the set, fooling around with the crowd and fostering an inviting environment. At one point, an audience member yelled, “Will you be my valentine?”

“I’m everyone’s valentine because this is what you’ve all decided to do on Valentine’s Day,” McKenna responded. He created a special performance for the holiday, bringing out flowers and pink balloons to throw into the crowd.

The crowd’s energy picked up halfway through the set when McKenna played the

upbeat hit, “Why Do You Feel So Down?” Even the members of the audience who had just been swaying and standing started jumping and singing along. McKenna stood up on the amplifier on stage, bopping around and dancing to the beat. It was clear he was genuinely enjoying the performance.

McKenna was extraordinarily carefree throughout the night: His chill demeanor reflected his young age. He came out in a dress with fluffed up, messy hair and glitter all over his face. When at one point someone in the crowd screamed, “Your hair’s so fluffed!” McKenna responded, “Yeah, it’s — it’s so — I don’t really know — voluptuous these days.” The interactions with the crowd made the entire performance intimate and engaging.

Jammin’ Java’s venue contributed to the intimate concert experience. The coffee shop-bar-hybrid was the perfect environment for McKenna’s low-key, alternative stylings. There were, at maximum, only a few hundred people in the venue, and the singer even commented on how nice it was to play in such a cozy space.

McKenna closed the set with his two most popular songs, “Brazil” and “Listen to Your Friends.” The songs were the perfect ending to the concert, as every casual fan in the audience knew their lyrics. The two songs brought the entire crowd together in the final moments of the set.

Because he only has one studio album out, the concert was only about an hour long. However, the brevity was to be expected, and McKenna made up for the show’s length with over-the-top energy.

McKenna is blowing up fast, and he presents a cool, rock star demeanor. While his music also has a pop vibe, it has the potential to mature into something more alternative and interesting. Even for those who are not fans of alternative pop music, McKenna is worth seeing just for his performance and charisma.

BØRNS

RYAN BAE/the hoya

Børns’ show at The Anthem was faithful to the electrifying sounds of his album “Blue Madonna,” but his stage presence and showmanship were lackluster.

Cheesy Valentine’s Day references and boyish energy made 19-year-old indie pop singer Declan McKenna’s performance at Jammin’ Java intimate and fun.

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friDAY, Feburary 16, 2018

Testing Truisms

Can You Work Hard and Play Hard?

Vera Mastrorilli

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longside students at other elite institutions such as Columbia University and Washington University in St. Louis, Georgetown students are reputed to have “work hard, play hard” lifestyles.

In 2018, Georgetown was ranked No. 20 on U.S. News and World Report’s 2018 Best National Universities. It was also dubbed the No. 20 most intense college in America in a report from Business Insider, which based its rankings on data from student surveys and public reports about schools’ academic rigor, student intelligence, Greek life and party scene.

But does devotion to academics correlate with intense partying, as the idea of a work hard, play hard mentality implies?

Research about the relationship between college students’ drinking habits and their academic commitments suggests that it does not, for the most part.

A study published in the Journal of Drug

Education found that college students do not consume more alcohol after finishing important assignments than they do during other times. Students do not blow off steam after a tough paper or exam by drinking to excess.

Moreover, students generally drink less on days they have an assignment due or the following day than when they do not. When students have to work hard, they do not play hard.

The reverse is also true — other studies conclude students who consistently play hard do not work hard. An analysis of data from the 1993 College Alcohol Study asserts binge drinking reduces the number of hours students spend studying and thereby decreases their GPAs. Another study found that the more frequently students drank heavily, the lower they rated the importance of having good grades and the worse they thought they performed academically in comparison to their peers.

The use of this phrase to describe elite schools rather than less-competitive institutions is misleading. Students are assumed to have more rigorous academic work at selective colleges and universities such as Georgetown, so these schools tend to be dubbed work hard, play hard schools.

But students at top colleges find their studies no more challenging than do

those at schools with less competitive admissions rates, according to the 2015 National Survey of Student Engagement.

According to the National Survey of Student Engagement, none of the 50 colleges that seniors rated as having the most challenging courses were highly selective institutions. So the schools that people often refer to as having a work hard, play hard lifestyle may not require more work than other colleges.

The American Enterprise Institute went a step further in challenging the work hard lifestyle of college students.

The think tank found that while students studied for an average of 24 hours per week in 1961, they only studied for 14 hours per week in 2003, regardless of their schools’ selectivity.

While this finding calls into question how hard students work as compared to their predecessors, it may indicate an increase in how hard they play.

Some educators suggest that students may demand more leisure time now than they did in the past. Seeking to appeal to students and thus remain competitive among other colleges, institutions lower their standards for student performance, so students spend fewer hours studying.

As demand for play increases, work decreases.

Research shows that students seek out a play hard lifestyle in college. An annu-

al survey of college freshmen concluded that students who drank frequently during their senior year of high school were more likely to say that the reputation of their college’s social scene factored strongly in their decision to attend the school than were those who drank occasionally or not at all. Frequent drinkers were also more likely to profess strong interest in joining a fraternity or sorority.

Joining such a play hard environment in college increases one’s chances of taking up a play hard lifestyle. Another study found that freshmen are more likely to begin binge drinking if they go to a school with high rates of binge drinking or are members of a fraternity or sorority.

Although some students look for play hard schools, the two lifestyles do not go hand in hand. On the contrary, those who play hard tend to work less hard than their peers, and those who work hard do not usually play hard — at least not when they have assignments due. So the desire to let loose after a hard week of work cannot explain why students line up outside The Tombs or crowd into Henle Village apartments on Friday and Saturday nights.

Vera Mastrorilli is a junior in the College.

TESTING TRUISMS has been renewed for the spring and appears in print every other Friday.

between bali and me

Meeting Friendly Strangers

Olivia Buckley

T

o know a place is to know its people. Unfortunately, my imagination conjured an image of Bali, Indonesia, as a crowded, westernized beach scene swarming with perfect “Instagrammable” moments. I must admit that lounging on the beach, getting cheap massages and eating delectable, inexpensive food sounded incredibly appealing for a semester abroad. But there was something deeper that drew me to the island: its people.

Over the next few months, I want to make lasting relationships with the people on this island. I only know a few words and phrases of the language, Bahasa Indonesia, so far, but it is not difficult to practice.

I live in the village of Kerambitan, Ta-

banan, where the smoke from incense curls up your nostrils on every corner and the ground is littered with petite offerings made of palm leaves that brim with gardenia flower petals and sticky sweets, or sometimes cigarettes. Bathrooms are outfitted with a large bin of water and two small buckets: one to rinse your hands or body and one to flush.

After the seventh cold bucket shower, I must admit, I asked myself, “What am I doing here?”

Then my host mother called my name, “Oli,” and showed me the snack plate of freshly fried bananas and called me “cantik” which means beautiful. Even though I was already sweating again, I was refreshed by her kindness.

Generosity is not limited to my host family. One afternoon, a man and an elementary school-aged girl on a motorbike pulled off a busy road to speak with my friends and me as we strolled down the street. He asked us where we were from and where we were going, telling us that he was an English teacher at a school in the neighborhood and inviting us to his house to share a meal.

A little girl, his granddaughter, didn’t

say a word, but stared at her pink backpack featuring the characters of “Frozen,” patiently waiting for the conversation to end. After about 10 minutes, we said our goodbyes, and he invited us to his house once again, this time offering a bonus: “I will bring my students and they can learn English from you while you learn Bahasa Indonesia from them,” he exclaimed.

I have never been invited by a stranger to share a meal, but for the man, it wasn’t odd at all.

Indonesians, like all people, hail from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives. However, from my limited experiences here so far, I have been struck by the remarkable generosity that is present even in casual exchanges. In the touristy areas of Canggu and Kuta, people were noticeably excited to interact with me if I spoke more than two words of Bahasa Indonesia.

I came to Bali with little knowledge of the culture here. While I’ve only been here two weeks, my host family and teachers have not hesitated to load me up with knowledge of their customs. I’ve learned that the Balinese enjoy heaping

spoons of sugar into their tea until it pushes the edge of cloyingly sweet. I’ve learned that it’s considered terribly disrespectful to grab anything with your left hand or touch someone else’s head.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting a break from bucket showers, especially when you’re from a country like America where luxuries are often treated as essentials. Staying in a hostel in Kuta Beach this weekend and standing beneath a showerhead as hot water flowed over my tangled hair, sticky from the salt water, felt like an indulgence compared to my experiences in Kerambitan.

As I travelled around the beaches in Denpasar, I marveled at the contrasts between Kerambitan and the tourist area of Denpasar. I enjoyed pushing a button to flush instead of filling a bucket, tremendously. It felt like we were on another island. I am so grateful that for the next three months, I have the opportunity to experience Bali in its entirety, beginning with its majestic scenery and its people.

Olivia Buckley is a junior in the School of Foreign Service. Between Bali and Me appears in print every other Friday.

friday, february 16, 2018

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theater review

ARENA STAGE

Some of the greatest dramas have been inspired by the travails of real people and “The Great Society,” directed by Kyle Donnellyand written by Robert Schenkkan, follows in this tradition with the story of President Lyndon Johnson’s second term in office. The play’s name derives from Johnson’s grand program of progressive political reforms.

Arena Stage Reimagines President Johnson Meghan decourcey Hoya Staff Writer

Directed by Kyle Donnelly and performed on Arena Stage, “The Great Society” brings to life the ambition and struggle of the 36th president of the United States.

Robert Schenkkan’s play, “The Great Society,” begins with President Lyndon Johnson’s 1964 landslide presidential victory. Picking up where Schenkkan’s Tony Award-winning play “All the Way” left off, “The Great Society” begins with Johnson poised to cement his place as one of the great American presidents, but the triumph of 1964 is fleeting.

While Johnson puts an emphasis on passing his Great Society domestic program, racial injustice afflicts the country at home and the Vietnam War plagues it abroad. The play covers Johnson’s presidency from January 1965 to December 1968, and the audience witnesses his tenacity fade into uncertainty.

Johnson’s strong-willed personality is portrayed masterfully by Jack Willis, who played the same role in Arena Stage’s 2016 production of “All the Way.” Capturing Johnson’s southern drawl and mannerisms, Willis commands the stage in times of humor and despair, occasionally conveying Johnson’s thoughts and emotions by directly addressing the audience.

Bowman Wright also returns as Martin Luther King Jr. The relationship between Johnson and King is rocky, as King pushes for the Voting Rights Act while Johnson urges patience.

Wright gives a powerful performance, depicting King organizing the Selma march, taking the civil rights movement north to Chicago and giving speeches against the Vietnam War. Other storylines include Johnson’s competitive relationships with Sen. Robert Kennedy, played by John Scherer, and the odious segregationist Gov. George Wallace of Alabama, played by Cameron Folmar, and the looming presence of the Vietnam War as Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, played by Tom Wiggin, who pushes for more intervention.

Fichandler Stage’s distinct four-sided seating layout enhances the drama of the performance. However, the venue’s shape has its drawbacks; in every scene, the characters have their backs to at least one side of the audience.

This setup means that one side often misses facial expressions and sometimes even the lines themselves.

Besides the unusual seating arrangement, the lighting and visuals are extremely impressive. Along the upper walls of the Fichandler, projections are used to give a sense of time and place. For example, every time the Vietnam War is discussed, the date

and numbers of Americans wounded and dead are projected onto the walls. This technique gives the audience a sense of the war’s devastation and how quickly the conflict spiraled out of control.

Furthermore, the play uses Walter Cronkite’s famous 1968 news report on the Vietnam War, which is credited with sealing the American public’s disapproval of the war. The integration of projections and actual action onstage is seamless.

On the stage itself, the set is simple. The circular stage is covered with the presidential seal, and as the setting changes, different pieces of furniture are wheeled on and off.

The most interesting elements of the set are the use of fire and blood. As riots take place across the country, the play does not shy away from showing violence and destruction. For example, as the Watts riots unfold in Los Angeles, blasts of fire arise from the ground. During one of the more harrowing scenes, Johnson struggles to find the words for letters to send to the families of deceased soldiers while, a soldier drags a dead body along the outside of the stage, leaving a circle of blood that stays there for the rest of the play. Schenkkan makes it clear throughout the show that unrest and bloodshed intensified during Johnson’s presidency.

As the play comes to an end, the joy of Johnson’s 1964 win is completely forgotten. Johnson shocks the country when he announces that he will not run for president again in 1968, as the gravity of the Vietnam War has become too heavy a burden to bear.

Soon King and, just a few months later, Robert Kennedy, are assassinated. With Vice President Hubert Humphrey, played by Lawrence Redmond, as the Democratic candidate, Richard Nixon, played by Cameron Folmar, is easily elected president. As Nixon assumes office, a defeated Johnson returns home to Texas.

Schenkkan portrays Johnson as a president caught between two poles: determined to enact his domestic reforms but weighed down by his foreign policy failures in Vietnam. For most of history, Johnson has been remembered as the president who trapped the United States in the Vietnam War. While Schenkkan does not make this statement explicitly, the playwright attempts to rewrite Johnson as a determined idealist committed to ending poverty and creating a society that works for everyone. It is this undertaking that makes “The Great Society” compelling.

“The Great Society” is showing from Feb. 2 to March 11, 2018, at Arena Stage. Tickets are available at tickets.arenastage.org.

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friDAY, February 16, 2018

EXHIBITION review

HIRSHHORN

“Brand New: Art and Commodity in the 1980s,” the newest exhibit at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, presents nearly 150 works that catalog the transformation of art into advertising and artists into brands. Colorful and thought-provoking, the exhibit juxtaposes paintings with household objects like vacuum cleaners.

Art Gets Rebranded at the Hirshhorn

Alexandra Brunjes Hoya Staff Writer

Advertising and art are inextricably linked.

Today, every color, logo and slogan in the world is thoughtfully planned out as market research groups gauge consumer response to minute variations in product presentation.

While this type of fine-tuned artistry may seem ubiquitous, in reality it is the product of the 1980s, when art fused with advertising and artists became brands.

“Brand New: Art and Commodity in the 1980s,” the newest exhibit at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, presents nearly 150 works that catalog this transformation.

Running from Feb. 14 to May 13, “Brand New” documents the rise of counterculture art in New York City and presents viewers with the subversive, ironic and brilliant artwork that has led to the creation of the contemporary artistic language seen today.

At a press preview for the exhibit’s opening, curator-at-large Gianni Jetzer quoted Walt Disney: “Here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy.” Jetzer continued to say, “This is kind of the motto of the show.”

He gestured at the artwork and walked through the rooms of the exhibit, explaining “Brand New” as a meditation on the material world of the 1980s.

“Commodity isn’t the product, but rather the message,” Jetzer said. As advertising became more artistic, it communicated more effectively with viewers and began to dictate – and then satisfy – their needs.

“Brand New,” named for the prevalence of brands in the 1980s, presents work from nearly 70 American and European artists. Although all the work is impressive, several pieces pack a particularly hard punch, including the large photographic silkscreen-on-vinyl piece by Barbara Kruger that reads, “I shop therefore I am.”

“It’s very ambivalent. It makes you question if it’s true,” Jetzer said of the quote.

Kruger’s piece lends itself to another central theme of the show: linking objects to messages. In the 1980s, everything became “brand new.” As art and advertising merged, innumerable combinations of messages were created.

The art featured in this exhibit spans a broad range; colorful paintings hang near vacuum cleaners, and dye-transfer bottles sit in cases near intricate sculptures. The intermingling of

manufactured objects with larger, more complex artistic creations demonstrates the powerful role even small objects had in making art a commodity.

A standout piece in the exhibit is a self-portrait by Andy Warhol, who is widely known for his iconic self-branding. Ironically, the piece hangs on a wall plastered with wallpaper made by an artist who called himself “Not Warhol.”

“Tormented Self-Portrait” by Ashley Bickerton, a large black case hanging from the wall that is plastered with colorful brand names, is particularly fascinating because it is partly inspired by the self-portraits of Van Gogh.

This “self-portrait” presents the notion that human beings are an aggregation of the products they use. Brands featured on her piece include the Metro symbol and a cigarette brand, logos that allude to aspects of Bickerton’s identity.

In conjunction with the debut of “Brand New,” the Hirshhorn is offering a variety of free public programs that allow visitors to further explore the exhibit’s message.

Yesterday afternoon, the museum hosted a walk-in curator’s tour of “Brand New,” and on March 9 at 12:30 p.m. it will host a gallery ex-

perience in which the Hirshhorn librarian will present rare archives to attendees.

On March 30 at 12:30 p.m. there will be a tour of “Brand New” focusing on the role of women, and on April 27 at 12:30 p.m. artist Peter Nagy, whose art is featured in “Brand New,” will lead a tour through the exhibit to give viewers insight into his artistic experience.

“Brand New” is a colorful, thought-provoking exploration of the artistic transition of the 1980s that conflates art, commerce and entertainment to produce the advertising we see today.

During the tour, Jetzer cited a 1988 piece

by Haim Steinbach that covers the walls outside the exhibit’s opening. In large black letters, the piece reads, “ON VEND DU VENT,” or, “we sell wind,” a phrase that encapsulates the message of the show.

“You can’t feel the wind, but it has power,” Jetzer said. Although advertising may not always be at the forefront of our minds, its cultural impact is powerful .

“Brand New” is available for viewing at the Hirshhorn Museum as of Feb. 14. The museum is located at Independence Ave. SW & 7th St. SW. Admission is free.

the guide

friday, february 16, 2018

Black Panther

Special to the Hoya

“Black Panther” is a visually stunning marvel with a stellar cast that elevates an uninspired script.

The film follows the newly crowned king and superhero T’Challa as he returns home to Wakanda and is thrust into conflict with a foe who threatens his homeland.

Rachel Morrison’s cinematography, Ruth Carter’s costumes and Jay Hart’s sets illustrate the stunning fictional African country of Wakanda with vivid colors and lush settings, creating an aesthetic that marries futuristic technology with a traditional African feel.

Each of Hart’s sets is visually interesting and adds details that beautifully flesh out the world of the film. Carter, whose past credits include period dramas such as “Selma” and goofy comedies like “Daddy Day Care” effortlessly dives into the superhero genre, making some of Marvel’s best dressed characters.

The film is worth watching for the visuals alone, as nearly every frame is a tapestry of beauty and detail that enhances both the story and the aesthetic enjoyment of the movie. Ryan Coogler’s third directorial effort is as much a political drama as it is a superhero blockbuster, as characters debate foreign aid and open borders in one scene and fly off to do battle in the next.

Ultimately, the key flaw of “Black Panther” is its determination to control how the audience feels in every frame rather than allowing the members of the audience to interpret the film themselves. This spoon-feeding makes the film feel like more of a lecture by the writers than a political action movie.

As the hero is an African prince raised in Wakanda and the villain is an African-American soldier raised in Oakland, Calif., topics of racism, colonialism and a wealthy nation’s place in the world feature prominently. There is no chance that viewers will leave the film unaware of its messages and intentions, as characters discuss their motivations and political agendas in a blunt, unrealistic manner.

In one scene, a character states that rather than face imprisonment, he would prefer to be killed and buried at sea in the manner of slaves jumping from ships, as “death is better than bondage.” While the sentiment is undeniably powerful, the line itself makes little sense in context and was clearly inserted solely for the audience’s benefit.

Such dialogue, which sounds more like the writers’ notes of what they wish to convey than actual conversation, is prevalent. The audience is smarter than Coogler appears to believe, and the narrative does not need to be interrupted for the central themes to come across — the story does a fine job of conveying these on its own.

Little Dark Age

Chadwick Boseman is strong and commanding as the young king and superhero, T’Challa, and brings heart and hesitation to the role of a young man saddled with the responsibility of running a country long before expected.

Boseman, known for playing talented black men who overcome prejudices with the sheer force of their ability, including Jackie Robinson in “42,” has a mix of affability and determination that makes him a strong lead.

Lupita Nyong’o and Danai Gurira have an easy chemistry as friends and fellow warriors Nakia and Okoye, respectively. The warmth and openness that Nyong’o brings to her role complements the focus and grit of Gurira, highlighting the difference in their jobs: Nakia primarily works outside of Wakanda to help oppressed peoples around the world while Okoye remains within the borders, protecting the office of the monarch and whomever sits on the throne.

Nyong’o and Boseman also effectively capture the awkward affection between Nakia and T’Challa, ex-lovers whose relationship ended not because of lack of love but rather because of rather challenging circumstances.

Another notable character is Martin Freeman as CIA agent Everett Ross, who provides an endearing comedic foil to Boseman’s T’Challa.

An outsider to Wakanda, Ross also serves as an audience surrogate, learning about the world alongside the viewers.

Special to the Hoya

MGMT’s 2018 album “Little Dark Age” follows in the vein of the spaced-out indie-pop that rocketed the band to stardom 11 years ago. However, while the project almost succeeds in reviving the duo’s early retro-synth success, it struggles to find its own identity.

MGMT, which Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser formed while students at Wesleyan University, experienced a sudden rise to fame with its 2008 debut album “Oracular Spectacular.” With tracks like “Time to Pretend” and “Kids,” VanWyngarden and Goldwasser toed the line between the comfortable cubby of childhood and the uncertainties of early adult independence.

After fumbling through the thematically confused albums “Congratulations,” from 2010, and “MGMT,” from 2013, it seems

 In a cast filled with strong performances, the standout is Michael B. Jordan, who gives a nuanced performance as the villain, Erik Killmonger. Killmonger is a far cry from the charming down-on-his-luck but good-at-heart roles that Jordan typically gravitates to, such as his role in “The Wire.” Yet, Jordan vacillates effortlessly between sympathetic — albeit misaligned — to monstrous and irredeemable.

The action scenes in “Black Panther” are Marvel’s typically fun but overcut battles in which the camera never stays on one action for more than a second before cutting to another angle. In one battle, which takes place in an underground casino, a long shot showed Okoye batting a series of assailants in front of a nearstationary camera before the camera panned to Nakia fighting other enemies alongside T’Challa. The viewer can actually see the fight, which raises the stakes immensely and makes it all the more disappointing when this technique is never revisited.

“Black Panther” proves to be a welcome addition to the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe, and fans of Disney’s juggernaut superhero franchise will thoroughly enjoy this trip to Wakanda. However, even non-Marvel fans who appreciate socially conscious, politically relevant and genre-transgressing films such as “Get Out” will find themselves inspired — unless they feel lectured.

Album review

MGMT

Sarah cammarota

B9

movie review

Directed by: Ryan Coogler Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o Paulina Enck

THE HOYA

 MGMT is still trying find its place as adults with “Little Dark Age.” The album’s first track, “She Works Out Too Much,” is a jarring shift from the hazy psychrock of MGMT’s previous two albums. Sounding notably similar to the niche vaporwave genre of the early 2010s with its warped and nostalgic samples, the track laments the struggles of online dating, though it goes slightly overboard with the synthetic sounds of a SEGA video game.

While “She Works Out Too Much” takes a tongue-in-cheek look at the detachment of the digital age, other tracks on the album employ equally sarcastic but more downbeat criticisms.

“When You Die” employs some of the same New Wave techniques popular on “She Works Out Too Much,” but in contrast is lyrically angsty. With lines like “You die / And words won’t do anything / It’s permanently night / And I won’t feel anything,” the lyrics take on an ironi-

cally goth feel.

Similarly, the fifth track on the album, “TSLAMP,” which stands for “Time Spent Looking At My Phone,” slithers along with a manufactured bassline and the same melancholic disdain for digital aloofness that permeates the whole album.

The album falls somewhat flat with “James,” a confused combination of monotone droning, hazy synthesizers and a misplaced French horn solo. Here, MGMT struggles to reconcile the blurry introspection of “MGMT” and “Congratulations” with the earlier commercialized hooks of “Oracular Spectacular.”

Instead of an experimental romp through wonderland, “One Thing Left to Try” most resembles the festive earworm pop of “Oracular Spectacular.” The song echoes tracks like the band’s 2008 single, “Time to Pretend,” with its shiny hooks and kitschy use of synthesizer. “One Thing Left to Try”

also lyrically harkens back to MGMT’s earlier work with unimaginative declarations like “to last until the sunset” and “die just to feel alive.”

Tracks like “One Thing Left to Try” and “James” represent the two opposite spectrums of MGMT’s musical past — accessible indie-pop and surreal introspective ballads. Although the majority of the album waffles between these two extremes, they are finally married in “Me and Michael” and “Hand it Over.” These two tracks bring together reflective themes, catchy melodies and nostalgic synth-pop.

“Little Dark Age” is neither a total shift from MGMT’s mid-career attempts nor a complete return to the band’s early work, falling instead somewhere in the middle. While MGMT is still experiencing growing pains, “Little Dark Age” provides some hope that the band is finally emerging from its indie puberty into a longoverdue musical maturity.

B10

the guide

THE HOYA

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2018

What to Do in DC

MUSIC

NEW RELEASES

WILLIAM LEO

Hoya Staff Writer

1

NOAH HAWKE AND NOAH LEVESQUE Hoya Staff Writers

DC INDIE FILM FESTIVAL

This year’s D.C. Indie Film Festival will be held Feb. 17-19 and features the showing of the latest indie films — including documentaries, shorts, dramas and comedies.

It also includes seminars and workshops on the film craft, offering a great opportunity for film ingenues to gain exposure to D.C.’s indie film scene.

2

JAMIE ISAAC

RAVYN LENAE

JAMIE ISAAC ‘DOING BETTER’

RAVYN LENAE ‘COMPUTER LUV’

London-based singer and producer Jamie Isaac’s new single, “Doing Better,” is sensitive and heartfelt. Driven by gentle yet catchy percussion featuring frequent hihat and rhythmic bass, Isaac steps carefully though the track’s beat, successfully toeing the line between vulnerable self-investigation and poetic ambiguity.

Backed by Steve Lacy’s smooth, funky production, Chicago rhythm-and-blues singer Ravyn Lenae shines in this new track from her 2018 EP “Crush.” Lenae’s voice is powerful in its range and delicacy, delivering lyrics that offer a serious and refreshing treatment of longing in the digital age.

DCIFF

BLACK PANTHER POP-UP BAR

If you are excited for the release of the “Black Panther,” head from the movie theater to the Enter Wakanda pop-up bar at the Red Lounge Bar & Grill near 14th and U streets. The pop-up bar will open this weekend, so expect long lines given the hype around the movie. It is decorated with art inspired by the movie and will host late-night parties featuring hiphop and African-inspired beats.

3

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, FREDERICK DOUGLASS

In honor of the great social reformer and abolitionist’s 200th birthday on Feb. 14, the Frederick Douglass National Historic site will host celebrations Feb. 17-18. The events include tours of historic Anacostia and Douglass’ home at Cedar Hill. Free shuttles will run from the Anacostia Metro.

4

STALLEY

KENDRICK LAMAR, TRAVIS SCOTT

STALLEY ‘HOLY QURAN’

KENDRICK LAMAR, TRAVIS SCOTT ‘BIG SHOT’

Last week, the Ohio rapper teased the release of “Tell the Truth Shame the Devil, Vol. 2” with a new single titled “Holy Quran.” Stalley discusses political events like President Donald Trump’s actions and the desensitization of death in modern media. Despite the tragedy around him, Stalley, a devout Muslim, raps, “With mercy, embrace all things through this Holy Quran.” With heartfelt bars and a talented flow, Stalley hits home.

It is rare for a blockbuster movie’s soundtrack to contain genuinely good original songs. The soundtrack to “Black Panther,” curated by Kendrick Lamar and Top Dawg Entertainment, however, is chock-full of quality. “Big Shot,” the penultimate track, is carried by Lamar’s signature bars and a masterfully stripped-down version of Travis Scott’s autotuned vocals over a woodwinds-heavy beat by producer Cardo. As “Black Panther” premieres Feb. 16, it will be interesting to see how well Lamar and Top Dawg’s sonic vision enhances the feel of the film.

If you like beer, visit the Brewers Association of Maryland’s latest promotion, “Love Thy Beer: Winter Warmer Showcase.” Beer lovers will have the opportunity to enjoy numerous winter ales and sit-down conversations with some of the best and most prominent brewers from across Maryland. Admission to the event is $55 and includes admission to a three-hour tasting session.

5

MARVEL AND WALT DISNEY

Have some pent-up anger at your ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend? Bad Axe Throwing, an ax throwing parlor, provides the perfect opportunity to exorcize that love demon. Located in northeast Washington, the “world’s biggest urban axe throwing club” charges $20 for walk-ins and is a bring-your-own-beverage venue.

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

LOVE THY BEER

BREWER ASSOCIATION OF MARYLAND

BAD AXE THROWING

BAD AXE THROWING

friday, february 16, 2018

the guide

THE HOYA

B11

Prescription Chicken Cures Sickness Through Soup emily greffenius Hoya Staff Writer

In spring 2016, Valerie Zweig, suffering from her second bout of laryngitis in six weeks, dragged herself down to her local bar and scratched a note on a piece of paper: “Can I just get some soup broth, please?” The bartender squinted at her.

“Uh, we don’t really do that,” the bartender said. Zweig returned to her apartment, brothless.

Soon after Zweig’s unsuccessful foray down to the bar, she developed the idea for Prescription Chicken, a chicken soupdelivery business. At a Passover Seder, Zweig told her cousin, Taryn Pellicone, “I have this crazy idea.” Her cousin, unhappy at her current job, was immediately interested.

“I think that’s an amazing idea,” Pellicone told Zweig. “Let’s do it.”

“I have always loved to make chicken soup,” Zweig said in an interview with The Hoya. “It’s what I’ve always done. And you know, when you’re not feeling well, the last thing you want to do is leave the house, round up a bunch of ingredients and cook it yourself.”

Originally a journalism major at the University of Southern California, Zweig

had planned to become a sports writer focused on baseball. As her interests veered toward food, she decided to attend culinary school and earned a degree from the Institute of Culinary Education in New York.

After a few years of bouncing around the restaurant world, Zweig landed at Vucurevich Simons Advisory Group, a business focused on restaurant and hospitality consulting, where she still serves as the vice president for concept development.

“If I looked back and sort of connected all the pieces,” she said, “it would have forecasted exactly what I’m doing now.”

In September 2016, just months after the birth of their idea, Zweig and Pellicone — both with hospitality and business experience — began breathing life into their idea by asking everyone they knew to help. Zweig does not regret their haste.

“It’s the only way to start a business,” she said. “If you really take the time to understand what it’s all going to come with, no one would do it.”

The cousins spent summer 2016 developing recipes, testing logos and debating names until they landed on Prescription Chicken.

“Once we landed on the name, everything else sort of fell into place,” Zweig

said. “You want a strong brand that tells you exactly what it is: Prescription Chicken. Chicken soup is what makes you feel better, so it is the prescription.”

Zweig and Pellicone originally planned to operate strictly on a local delivery basis, but soon found that business model came with challenges. Facing unpredictable changes in their delivery radius from the companies they partnered with, they asked themselves if this business was sustainable as a delivery service.

While visiting Baltimore to explore expansion into Maryland, the duo found the answer to its worries. A friend took them to have coffee at R. House, a Baltimore food hall. Zweig and Pellicone fell in love with the space, which was teeming with diverse food vendors, and decided they had to use R. House as a pop-up space for Prescription Chicken.

“When I started the business, it didn’t occur to me,” Zweig said. “I thought we would always do delivery. But, thinking back, both Taryn and I have the hospitality background. We did this month [at R. House], and it was so exhausting and energizing, but we loved being able to talk to people. We were like, ‘We have to do this. This has to be our thing.’”

With a new goal on the horizon, the

cousins began contacting people, reaching out to prospective pop-up locations in Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Philadelphia. The real prize for the two was landing Union Market here in the District, where they are currently based.

As Zweig and Pellicone continue to explore pop-up locations, the two are focused on protecting the brand’s focus on providing delicious, comforting chicken soup. The menu currently features a wide array of chicken-based options, ranging from the traditional “Grandma Style” to the Vietnamese-inspired “Faux Pho.” Still, Zweig does not yet want to explore uncharted territory.

“It would be easy to go into other soups, but it’s not what the brand is,” Zweig said. “I like being the expert in the one thing that we do. Things could change, but our goal right now is to stick with chicken soup.”

Zweig and Pellicone have been working hard for 18 months to drive this endeavor forward, and they show no signs of slowing down.

“Prescription Chicken is the best and the hardest thing I have ever done in my entire life,” Zweig said. “Simultaneously, the hardest and the best. We want to be here forever, and we want to have a footprint in local markets.”

AARON WEINMANN FOR THE HOYA

Exploiting a gap in the current D.C. food market, Valerie Zweig, pictured, and Taryn Pellicone founded Prescription Chicken, a service that delivers various kinds of chicken soup directly to consumers through services like Postmates and Uber Eats. This is the perfect offering for sick people or those who just want a wholesome taste of home in the form of delicious broth.

Illustration BY: mina lee and angela perez/THE HOYA