The Guide: October 21, 2022

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Mr. Georgetown Takes The Stage

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ILLUSTRATION BY: LAUREN FRANK/THE HOYA

Pageant Kings Take Over Gaston Hall Stage in Mr. Georgetown

This year’s Mr. Georgetown featured 13 senior men competing for the winning title, alongside a variety of other prizes like “Mr. Fan Favorite” and “Mr. Congeniality.”

Kelsey Cadahia Frankel and Marwa Katir Hoya Staff Writers

Healy Hall bustled on a very special Friday night, filling the building with much-needed excitement amid midterm season. Students patiently stood in line, waiting for a seat to open up for the premier student-run male pageant, Mr. Georgetown — and tickets sold out in just 10 minutes.

The anticipation was palpable in the packed Gas ton Hall on Oct. 7, with music blasting through the air as the contestants jumped onto the stage. With each passing minute, Georgetown University’s mid term blues slowly faded away, replaced by the excite ment of watching contestants show off their best dance moves, fashion sense and talents.

The stage featured 13 talented contestants rep resenting a variety of student clubs, from Club Fili

pino to Ultimate Frisbee to the Pep Band. The con testants fought for the top title — Mr. Georgetown — as well as other awards, including Mr. Congeni ality and Mr. Fan Favorite.

At first, the audience seemed taken aback by the enthusiasm that the Mr. Georgetown hopefuls brought to their opening dance — at times featur ing more than G-rated moves. The viewers, how ever, gradually got into the show and played along well with its informal nature, according to audience member Sydney Blackston (NHS ’25).

“I felt connected to the student body,” Blackston told The Hoya. “The audience reaction and liveliness exceeded what I expected.”

Jacob Livesay (COL ’23), who won the competition representing the Georgetown Improv Association, said competing in the pageant was unlike anything he had done at Georgetown before.

“The whole process, the dress rehearsals, meeting the other contestants, was really fun,” Livesay told The Hoya. “All of us were out of our comfort zones.”

Pageant Night

Every year, the Georgetown Program Board (GPB), Georgetown’s student programming organization, fills the seats of Gaston Hall for the pageant in which male students, nominated by their on-campus clubs, battle it out for a chance to be honored with the title of Mr. Georgetown.

Following the choreographed opening dance, Mr. Georgetown proceeded through multiple trials for the contestants, including a presentation of clubrelated spiritwear, a talent portion, the first elimina tion round, a trivia competition, a formalwear round, interviews and then the final elimination.

Through the elimination rounds, the four judg

13 seniors, representing a variety of campus organiza tions, had to perform tasks ranging from a spiritwear display to a talent show and coordinated dance. The title of Mr. Georgetown ended up going to Jacob Livesay (COL ’23), representing GU Improv Association.

COURTESY GPB

es — Jalen Arthur (COL ’22), the Mr. Georgetown 2021 champion; Elizabeth Grimm, associate pro fessor and director of teaching at the Center for Security Studies in the School of Foreign Service; Kelvia Jaupi (COL ’22), the Mr. Georgetown chair in 2019; and Patrick Ledesma, director of the Center for Student Engagement — would whittle down the candidates until they crowned Mr. George town. In addition to the top title, contestants also competed for Mr. Congeniality, as well as Mr. Fan Favorite, which audience members voted on through a Google Form.

Despite being crowned the overall winner of the pageant, Jacob Livesay (COL ’23), who represented Georgetown Improv Association, said he almost didn’t compete, coming in as a late entry.

“GPB didn’t have as many participants as they wanted,” Livesay said. “I had some friends doing it, so I thought, why not put myself out there?”

Livesay’s impressive performance of the song “Mr. Brightside” on the drums, piano and guitar, along with his seamless interview — where he discussed his experiences working with deaf children over the summer — proved to win the heart of the judges.

Livesay said he felt honored to win, though his favorite part was meeting the new faces perform ing alongside him.

“It was great to meet all of the guys. A lot of them I hadn’t even come across during my time here,” Livesay said.

Blackston said while the strong performance of Mr. Improv may have won the hearts of the judges, other contestants stood out as well. But the metrics of the judges were debated wildly.

“I can see why the judges made the decision of Mr. Improv,” said Blackston. “He was very charming and charismatic, but I think there were other can didates that related a bit more to the student body, and the judges may not have understood the jokes and references.”

Another audience member, Hawkins Nessler (SFS ’22), felt more strongly about the judges, vehemently disagreeing with their choices.

“Even the five who went to the second round felt like they were picked randomly, and the excel lent and charming Mr. Latin America deserved more than fifth place,” Nessler told The Hoya. “Ul timately, however, it was the angelic, crooning Mr. Club Swim who was robbed.”

Mr. Fan Favorite winner Justin Bustamante (NHS ’23), who competed for ESCAPE, the over night retreat group run by Campus Ministry for first-year students, said he enjoyed the multifac eted nature of the event, which he felt set it apart from traditional pageants.

“Pageants are normally physical, but Mr. George town has so many more elements, like talent and stage presence,” Bustamante told The Hoya Bustamante won the Fan Favorite award through a combination of his charm and martial arts talent, according to Nessler.

“He’s a great guy with an infectious personality, and his talent, taekwondo, was extremely cool. His onstage presence was excellent,” Nessler said.

Jola Bankole (COL ’23), who competed for the African Society of Georgetown and won Mr. Con geniality, said he enjoyed participating, but the

event did not come without struggles, particularly in the dancing portion.

“Tall people are just not meant to dance,” Bankole told The Hoya. “I’ll be midway through a move when the shorter people are already done.”

For his talent portion, Bankole lip synced to Sha kira’s “Hips Don’t Lie.” Bankole said he took the ex perience in stride though, recognizing the inherent silliness of the whole affair.

“It’s okay not to have a talent,” Bankole said. “You just have to enjoy the process.”

Before Curtain Call

The pageantry of Mr. Georgetown could not be done without the work of the GPB, which is respon sible for planning a variety of events on campus in addition to Mr. Georgetown, including Haunted Healy, decorating Healy Hall as a haunted house, and Springfest, a celebration of the season before George town Day.

Sarah Silver (SFS ’25), GPB Events Chair and coor dinator of the pageant, managed most of the event planning, running everything from contestant re cruitment to managing ticket sales. Silver said the Mr. Georgetown pageant is open to anyone who would like to participate, although enrollment is usu ally capped at 20 contestants.

“In the spring, a mass email is sent to every club in the university that has access to GPB benefits, though any senior who wants to can discuss with their club leadership and fill out the nomination form,” Silver told The Hoya Silver said preparing contestants for the pag eant is a laborious and time-consuming process, especially for the intro dance, which requires con testants to perform a variety of coordinated moves for nearly 10 minutes, ending with a line dance to Beyoncé’s “Crazy In Love.”

“For just the intro dance, we had a total of nine dance rehearsals that lasted two hours each,” Silver said. “The end of the intro dance is my favorite part of the show, but it does have the most hours put into it.”

The process didn’t feel grueling for the guys, however. They had a blast getting to know the intricate dances choreographed and taught by Groove Theory, a hip-hop dance group on campus, according to Bustamante.

“I loved the dance,” Bustamante said. “It was a great bonding opportunity for the misters.”

Bankole said despite the fun, however, the preparation for the pageant was chaotic, as the contestants had just about a month in total to put the show together and gather their outfits, such as Bankole’s Shakira dress.

“I didn’t know we needed a suit until the day before the show,” Bankole said. “Getting the out fits was hard too — [another contestant] took my dress in the green room, and I had to borrow a skirt from someone else.”

Bustamante also struggled with costumes. Bustamante said he spent a week trying to figure out how to alter the jeans he purchased from TJ Maxx to be ripped off during his performance. In the end, his friend from GPB spent three hours em broidering for him.

“I thought I had to do everything myself,” Busta mante said. “The willingness of people to step in

COURTESY GPB

Mr. Georgetown required weeks of intense rehearsals to put together, but the contes tants enjoyed the opportunity to put their talents out in the open, with the show’s ridiculous nature lessening the pressure.

made me feel so loved.”

On the other side of the show, Bustamante said he was ultimately able to have fun in what was meant to be a defining, carefree experience for seniors.

“I found myself so stressed out sometimes, but this is the lowest stakes thing I’ve ever done in my life,” Bustamante said. “Even if you do a bad job, it’s supposed to be funny and about guys making a fool of themselves.”

Mr. and Mrs. Georgetown

One of the key distinctions of Mr. Georgetown is, of course, its all-male makeup, contrasting with the general perception of beauty pageants as female affairs.

Silver said the exclusively male cast on the stage is exactly the point, helping to emphasize the event’s subversive nature.

“The show was created as a satire of pageants themselves and the way they’ve been used to objecti fy women. The point of using non-female identifying people is to put a spin on that traditional history and flip beauty pageants on their head,” Silver said.

The Mr. Georgetown hosts, Daria FarmanFarmaian (SFS ’23) and Caroline Timoney (COL ’23), played a large part in making the show cohesive, providing entertainment during transitions and lull moments.

For instance, jokes that the hosts made about how Georgetown does not appreciate men enough helped to emphasize the satirical nature of Mr. Georgetown,

further exaggerating the irony of using men for this event, according to Livesay.

“The gender commentary that the two of them had was good. It really flipped beauty pageants on their head, the objectification that women typically experience,” said Livesay.

Timoney said the use of satire in Mr. Georgetown helped maintain the event’s pacing, while the nature of the show provided her and Farman-Farmaian co pious opportunities for humor.

“We enjoyed using the silliness of a male pageant to make jokes about focusing on the men,” Timoney said in an interview with The Hoya.

Overall, the satire helped accentuate the event’s light, not-so-serious nature and enhance enjoyabil ity for all participants. For many in both the audience and on stage, Mr. Georgetown was a critical part of their Georgetown experience, with many seeing the event as a Georgetown bucket list item.

For seniors especially, the event provides one last chance to shine and can serve as a perfect encapsula tion of the vibes of senior year, Bankole said.

“I got to make friends I never met before,” Bankole said. “I feel like it gives second semester energy.”

When he returns next year to host Mr. George town 2023, Livesay said he wants to see the show ex pand its scope even more by making the talent and spiritwear sections even more bombastic.

“The sky is the limit,” Livesay said. “When I come back to judge next year I hope to see people doing even bigger things than we did this year.”

THE 1975/SPOTIFY

“Being Funny in a Foreign Language” certainly lives up to its name, but is also deathly serious with its discussions of heartbreak and modern culture.

The 1975 Returns At Their Very Best

Bettina Bottome Guide Staff Writer

A man in a long coat, dancing wildly on top of a wrecked, graffitied car on a dirty beach — caught still forever, photographed in black and white.

The cover of The 1975’s fifth studio album “Being Funny in a Foreign Language” expertly captures the essence of the album without any direct reference to its contents. The album is cynical and rife with heartbreak, yet at times even — as its title would suggest — funny. It is a true return to form in a record that takes the band’s penchant for philoso phizing and social commentary and turns it into an intimate look at their core.

“Being Funny in a Foreign Language” is The 1975’s newest album since their inception in 2002. It is a re markably short 43 minutes when compared to their 2020 album, “Notes on a Conditional Form,” which was 80 minutes long.

Known for their consistent use of synths, nearly unintelligible lyrics, and references to extremely timely cultural moments, The 1975 has been mired in controversy surrounding lead singer and songwriter, Matty Healy. He has come under fire for pretending to blow himself up for a music video and posting insensitive tweets promoting a song from the band

using the Black Lives Matter movement; both inci dents are referenced in the album.

For Healy, these mistakes are what make him, well, Healy.

With the first track on the new album, tradi tionally titled “The 1975” like the opening tracks of all their other records, the band harkens to their prototypical formula by listing current trends of drug addiction and anxiety, remarking on the dif ficulty of growing up in a world on the brink of im plosion and making an appeal to the postmodern lens. The rest of the album follows these broad themes, using the group’s musings about modern culture as a backdrop for the simple story of the end of a relationship.

Healy spends the majority of the album wallow ing in heartbreak — likely referring to his breakup with fellow musician FKA twigs in June 2022, who he dated for three years. Even the songs that seem ingly detail their happy moments, like “All I Need to Hear” and “Human Too,” are interspersed with red flags and signs of conflict that evolve into despon dent, desperate heartbreak.

This narrative of heartbreak is absolutely obvious in the instrumentals of the album. The first half of “Being Funny in a Foreign Language” is consistently upbeat, with light and airy instrumentation. Every

song on the album contains The 1975’s signature re petitive guitar, which forms each track’s beat.

The tracks are saved from musical dullness by the introduction of new, melodic elements throughout — for example, a piano and some brass — that add layers to the sonics while maintaining the steady rhythm. Added quirks are found in the random noises peppered throughout, like quiet shouts and whispers, a cymbal or a chime.

The division of the album is marked by the song “I’m in Love with You,” which keeps itself simple: the message of the song is the same as the one conveyed by the title. The significance of this sentiment is re vealed in the following song, “All I Need to Hear,” in which Healy begs, “tell me you love me.” The sense of loss, though hinted at earlier, is now undeniable.

Despite this heartbreak — which Healy has not recovered from by the end of the album — love is to be found in other places.

Notably, “Wintering,” a quasi-Christmas song, can be described only as adorable. There is a pal pable excitement in going home for the holidays as Healy teases his family in a clearly loving way. Love, on this record, is not just romantic, but is found in all aspects of life.

Healy generalizes this point early on, describ ing the human condition as one in which flawed,

detestable individuals, including abhorrent kill ers, are just looking for love. Later, in “When We Are Together,” he addresses the audience directly and apologizes for his cancellation, pleading with us to recognize his humanity. He begs for compassion for himself and for everyone, and he promises to reciprocate.

Nonetheless, there are some lines on this al bum that are so ridiculous and jarring that any listener tempted to tune out Healy’s mumbly lyrics will listen. These include lines like “You ask about the cows / Wearin’ my sweater” and “John’s obsessed with fat ass and he’s ten years old.” Though some may find these perplexing lyr ics distracting, they are also small delights that make these songs distinct and memorable.

Though “Being Funny in a Foreign Language,” with all its iconic idiosyncrasies, will not con vert anyone who previously hated The 1975 into a fan, it is sure to entertain, inspire and induce a tear or two in those who already appreciate the band’s musical stylings. It paints a cohesive narrative that sits neatly within the band’s cata log, and yet it marks a turn towards simplicity, towards the self (in a humble way) and toward a sincerity that, though verging on naive, drives home the message that love conquers all.

Hulu’s ‘Hellraiser’ 2.0 Fails to Live Up to Source Material

at the 1992 MTV Music Video Awards.

roommate, Nora (Aoife Hinds).

In 1987, British filmmaker Clive Barker directed “Hellraiser” — a torture-porn, fetish-culture-infused response to the slasher boom that produced “Halloween,” “A Nightmare On Elm Street” and “Child’s Play.” While these other films conjured scares through knife-wielding (or finger-knife-wielding) killers, “Hellraiser” broke the mold.

“Hellraiser” introduced horror fans to the Cenobites: Lovecraftian demons from a dimension beyond our understanding summoned via a mysterious puzzle box and intent on exploring the boundaries between pleasureandpain.Fueledbytwistedcreativityandgore, Barker’s creation was a success, garnering favorable critical reviews and capturing the public’s attention. In fact, its most famous Cenobite, actor Doug Bradley’s Pinhead — named, aptly, after the needles arranged around his cranium — even appeared, rather bizarrely,

It’s no surprise, then, that in 2022, Hulu rebooted the cult hit, releasing its own direct-to-streaming “Hellraiser” helmed by “The Night House” writers Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski. However, while Barker’s original masterpiece was shocking and fresh, Hulu’s remake is the opposite: trite, tired and lacking.

To be fair, the new “Hellraiser” gets off to a solid start, as sinister millionaire Roland Voight (acted with scenestealing camp by Goran Višnjić of “ER” fame), sacrifices an ill-fated sex worker to the off-screen Cenobites in order to unlock the mysterious capabilities of the aforementioned puzzle box. “The Box,” as the film refers to it, is a hellish Rubik’s Cube that, with a healthy diet of human blood, is happy to grant its user whatever they desire — invariably with some cruel twist.

This is a good introduction, but it’s over all too soon, jump-cutting from Roland to a couple relishing off-camera, censored-for-streaming sex. Meet Riley (Odessa A’zion) and Trevor (Drew Starkey), two addicts staying with Riley’s brother, Matt (Brandon Flynn). This living arrangement introduces us to Matt’s partner, Colin (Adam Faison), and their British

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By Nikhil Nelson

In a plotline plucked straight from season three of “Euphoria,” Riley is all too desperate to eschew her brother’s tender support as she recovers from her ambiguous addiction issues. So, short on cash and urged on by Trevor, Riley steals The Box to make a quick buck, unknowingly releasing the Cenobites and setting into motion Collins’ and Piotrowski’s misadventure in horror.

This quick summary alone is enough to evince the film’s most basic problem: its characters. The characters are serviceable to the story, but one gets the sense that they exist only to be killed. Colin is dating Matt, a welcome bit of inclusion, but other than that, Colin has few complex character traits. Trevor, too, never really progresses beyond being “the boyfriend”; Nora’s English accent and obsession with making tapas round out her profile.

The one-dimensionality of the film’s leads is nothing new to the horror genre. Horror doesn’t exactly have a stellar track record of character development, especially during the slasher-dominated 80s. But in 2022, aren’t viewers owed a little more?

Nonetheless, let’s talk about the Cenobites for a moment. Led by a recast Pinhead (Jamie Clayton), they were broadly advertised as the film’s main attraction. It’s so shocking, then, that the Cenobites don’t really do much in the movie itself.

When they’re on screen, they’re the best part, dripping with otherworldly menace — but across “Hellraiser’s” nearly two-hour runtime, the Cenobites don’t feature nearly enough to compensate for the movie’s deficiencies. With the Cenobites, there was always the possibility that the film could muster enough interest to overcome its chronic blandness. Without them? No chance.

“Hellraiser” is not unwatchable, with enough production value to make for a passable watch this Halloween season. However, for those who loved Barker’s original — or are looking for something beyond the pedestrian — this film simply doesn’t raise enough hell to earn a viewing.

William McCall is a sophomore in the College. Hoya Horror appears in print and online every other week.

JAUME COLLET-SERRA ‘BLACK ADAM’

Dwayne Johnson makes his superhero debut as the titular antihero. Set in the DC Extended Uni verse, the story follows Black Adam as he awakens after a millennia-long slumber and must choose between inflicting lightning-infused destruction on everyone in his path or using his powers for good.

SINGLE QUEEN

‘FACE IT ALONE’

New music from a legendary band like Queen is cause for celebration, and “Face it Alone” doesn’t disappoint. Recorded originally during studio sessions for a 1989 album, the previous ly-unreleased track puts lead singer Freddie Mercury’s vocals at center stage, and an un mistakably classic guitar solo makes the song a true Queen classic.

ALBUM RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS ‘RETURN OF THE DREAM CANTEEN’

Beloved funk rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers have come out with their surprise second album of the year following the strong “Unlimited Love” in April. Composed of 17 tracks from the same record ing sessions as the previous album, “Return of the Dream Canteen” calls back to the frenetic energy and eccentric lyrics of the band’s earlier works with songs like “Tippa My Tongue.”

SINGLE BLINK-182 ‘EDGING’

If Queen’s new track wasn’t enough for rock fans, the popular 90s and 2000s group blink-182 re leased a new track for the first time since their pandemic-themed single “Quarantine” in 2020. “EDGING” is the perfect feel-good rock track to end the summer, and represents a long-awaited reunion for the group, with members Tom De Longe, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker uniting for the song and an upcoming tour.

William McCall Columnist

BLACK ADAM/IMDB

@CHILIPEPPERS/TWITTER

QUEEN/SPOTIFY

@BLINK182/TWITTER

Declan McKenna Showed DC He Still Needs Time To Grow

Grace Blendonohy Hoya Staff Writer

Just one strum of Declan McKenna’s glit tered golden guitar was all it took to ignite the antsy crowd.

The 23-year-old indie-rock singer from London has made waves among American listeners, as his concerts have sold out na tionwide to hear his newest album “Zeros” live. Some fans even waited as long as four hours before doors opened to get a front row spot for McKenna’s sold-out show at Wash ington, D.C.’s 9:30 Club on Oct. 12.

McKenna’s electric voice and progressive lyr ics attracted a collegiate fanbase to the show. Few adults were present in the audience.

McKenna began his performance with “Beautiful Faces,” which hones in on the

issues of personal and political inaction young people face in the modern day. McK enna uses his songwriting gifts to high light the stressful realities young adults go through and shed light on global issues. These themes feature in most of McKenna’s new album, which comprised much of the setlist for the show.

The stage consisted of a trippy black and white checkered backdrop and neon strobe lights, but what made the set truly McKen na’s was the inclusion of a shiny disco ball.

His performance props alluded to the idea that life is not “black and white,” a common theme in McKenna’s work.

McKenna played 14 songs, followed by five encore songs. While most of the setlist was from “Zeros,” McKenna included popular tunes from his 2017 album,“What Do You

Think About the Car.”

Some of McKenna’s songs are especially vibrant for concerts, such as “Rapture” and “Twice Your Size,” but most of his songs con tain melancholic but optimistic lyrics that match his folk-adjacent sound.

McKenna uses his lyrics to express frus trations with and bring awareness to cur rent political debates, such as British foreign policy toward arms trading. These themes do not overtake his music, however, as they emerge while listening intently to McKen na’s lyrics. Unfortunately, while elegantly written, these nuanced ideas are not always apparent to casual listeners.

For example, “I Am Everyone Else” and “The Kids Don’t Wanna Come Home” voice McKenna’s frustration with the lack of youth representation in politics and politi

AMANDAFOTES/FACEBOOK

British indie-rock singer

Declan McKenna gave a mediocre performance at D.C.’s 9:30 Club, with minimal movement and audience interaction.

cal inaction. But McKenna’s lyrics are poeti cally dense, requiring several listens to fully comprehend. Those who casually tagged along to the concert with a friend may not have grasped the call for change embedded within the song, resulting in wildy different concert experiences.

It was evident that McKenna was at the 9:30 Club to perform, and perform only. He began his performance without an introduc tion, only making quick comments after the first song. This disconnect with the audience only continued, as McKenna struggled to reach the crowd on a personal level.

Usually, an artist explains the meaning of the song they are going to perform for new listeners in the audience. Annie DiRusso, who opened for McKenna, gave a brief expla nation before each of her songs about what inspired her lyrics. Although not a wellknown artist, DiRusso established a con nection between her music and the fans by sharing stories about her musical journey — a connection McKenna did not achieve.

Additionally, McKenna rarely moved from one spot on the stage while performing. He mostly stood in front of the microphone and played his guitar. His lack of movement on stage was reflected in the audience, who stood calmly with little movement in response.

McKenna’s music is moody and brings up melancholic feelings, but more could have been done to connect with the audience.

McKenna’s impressive singing and gui tar skills are not up for interpretation. The audience watched in awe as he skillfully strummed his collection of guitars through the set with a beautiful voice to match.

Although McKenna’s music may have a different meaning to each listener, his music still emotionally resonates with listeners, which could be felt throughout the venue.

Though McKenna was far from his birth place, his music hit close to home for many fans in the crowd. It was evident from the fans’ engagement in the crowd that McK enna’s performance bridged a connection between his lyrics and his fans, even if his personality did not match. With a bit more connection with his crowd, Delcan McK enna could elevate his status as an artist to new heights.

The Office Experience exhibit arrived in D.C., giving fans of the hit sitcom a chance to explore an immersive replica of the iconic sitcom set.

The Office Experience BringsThe Beloved Sitcom to Life

Melisa Ozturk Hoya Staff Writer

Throughout our lives, as we perpetually seek excitement and novel experiences to overcome stagnation and boredom, we often ignore the value to be found in the mundane, in the tranquility that can be derived from sheer simplicity.

Such is the cautionary tale displayed by “The Office,” the hit NBC sitcom that initially began as a mockumentary of ordinary employees un dertaking routine duties at a regional paper company Dunder Mifflin located in Scranton, Pa. The show later grew into a compelling and resonant narrative that kept fans engaged for nine seasons.

The Office Experience, a Superfly X exhibi tion recreating the setting of the much-loved Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, has now ar rived in Washington, D.C., and not only cel ebrates the series’s signature moments but also retains its core attribute: flourishing in the mundane.

Through the near-perfect recreation of the

main set of the show — supported by Super fly X’s collaboration with Peacock — the of fice of this separate world achieves that very goal, capturing the essence of the show and offering its fans an escape from the tumult of our fast-paced world.

My visit to the Experience, located at 1020 G Street NW, commenced with a mini museum featuring various memorable exhibits from the show, ranging from props like boss Michael Scott’s Prison Mike’s bandana from Season 3, Episode 9 to costumes like married couple Pam and Jim’s signature work attires. A pleasant introduction to the experience, this mini mu seum serves to pique the curiosities of visitors, leaving them excited to delve deeper into the inner world of Dunder Mifflin.

After a pause to have our picture taken in front of the notorious Dunder Mifflin sign, my companion and I finally plunged into the heart of the experience: on our right, Pam’s reception ist desk, faithfully replicated from the the show; on our left, Michael’s office, door ajar with a queue of fans eager to have their picture taken inside; and directly ahead, Jim’s and fellow pa

per salesman Dwight’s desks, closely followed by Phyllis’s and Stanley’s, along with the break room even further ahead.

In this flawless depiction of “The Office” set, it felt as though we were truly immersed into the paper company — as though Michael Scott was bound to overhear and deliver an obnoxious, yet comedic, remark to any of the employees.

Every fan’s urge to capture photos in each of the main areas — at Michael’s desk, in the conference room adorned with the “It is your birthday” banner, at each of the employees’ desks, and even as players of the fictional game of Flonkerton with their feet strapped into pa per boxes — was an essential testament to how effortlessly beauty could be created from the mundane. Fans marveled at seemingly ordinary decor with exhilaration and affection.

The experience extended beyond just photo ops. Visitors were allowed to directly interact with this cherished environment, whether by picking up the phones at many of the charac ters’ desks to hear voice messages from office employees or opening prop-desk drawers to reveal amusing hidden surprises like Dwight’s

stapler trapped in jello, a classic prank Jim played on Dwight.

My visit concluded at the warehouse, Dunder Mifflin’s storage area, which turned into a gift store. After getting the chance to dance down the aisle of the chapel in which Jim and Pam were married and to film a confessional inter view, we left behind a nostalgic world remi niscent of the various sentimental gems that turned the show into a candid, yet poignant, portrayal of office life.

The Office Experience succeeded in captur ing the essence of the series: it was never simply about the office or the paper industry itself, but rather about those who resided in this straight forward environment and the way their indi vidual lives evolved throughout the episodes.

The exhibit was a marvelous diversion from our daily struggles that allowed us not only to remi nisce on the memorable times we spent watch ing “The Office,” but also to discover the beauty hidden in the dreary reality of our daily lives.

As Pam says in the final episode of the series, “There’s a lot of beauty in ordinary things. Isn’t that kind of the point?”

MELISA OZTURK

‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ Still Has Much to Offer

thrilling sci-fi and wushu-style action.

classic films left on the writers.

Noah Portner Hoya Staff Writer

The film also uses its meager $25 million budget well, featuring unique filmmaking techniques such as shooting primarily in one location, which adds a nostalgic quality.

After grabbing an everything bagel from Call Your Mother — a reference you’ll un derstand if you’ve watched the movie — I decided to rewatch “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” The movie was a surprise smash hit in the box office, crossing genres almost as well as it tells a deeply human story. Let’s take a dive behind the scenes to figure out what makes this movie different — and how it advocates for the many groups involved in the telling and creation of the story.

After quickly surpassing $100 million at the box office, people were left wondering exactly what made “Everything Everywhere” so appealing. The answer lies in the wide range of emotions and genre styles that di rectors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, referred to as Daniels in the credits, are able to portray, mixing tear jerking drama with

However, “Everything Everywhere” is more than a series of zany misadventures tied to a central plot. Its representation of Asian Americans, LGBTQ+ people and humans in general has received widespread praise and indicates a shift in the movie industry.

For instance, the apartment of the Wangs, the main characters in the story, is direct ly based on the house of director Daniel Kwan’s grandparents. The primarily AsianAmerican cast, including Ke Huy Quan (Short Round from “Indiana Jones”), adds to the film’s unique makeup.

The film’s nostalgic vibe recalls great Asian American hits from the past like “Minari,” “The Farewell” and “The Karate Kid,” and incorporates multiple homages to Hong Kong filmmaking.

In fact, Jackie Chan was initially supposed to be the protagonist. Chan and film lead Mi chelle Yeoh were close friends, and the film’s fight sequences really show the mark Chan’s

CROSSWORD

By Clayton Kincade

After other recent Asian American media breakthroughs including “Minari,” “Crazy Rich Asians” and “Never Have I Ever,” “Every thing Everywhere” takes the movement into uncharted territory and adds its own flair.

Indeed, “Everything Everywhere” expertly wields and subverts the caricature of the immigrant “Tiger Mom” through the main character, Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh), to highlight the shared humanity between all of us, despite our differences. These connec tions are able to effectively touch the soul of Asian Americans’ ever-changing role in shaping larger pop culture.

But the success of “Everything Every where” is also due to the universality of its message, with a family trying to find each other in the chaos and noise of modern life.

Jamie Lee Curtis, perhaps initially the most well-known member of the cast, set out into the film with a mantra of “no concealing anything,” and it really shows.

Stephanie Hsu, who played Joy, said her experience working on the film helped her overcome intense imposter syndrome that

she said is magnified by being a queer per son of color. As one can imagine, pulling to gether this many identities in defiance of a traditional Hollywood role can be a bit of a challenge, even in an explosive film like “Ev erything Everywhere.”

The film’s rewatchability is amazing, and its heavy reliance on sci-fi and Kung-Fu tropes set it apart from other films. While the superb acting and writing allows tough, honest stories of mental health and queer ness to be told while showcasing AsianAmericans in modern culture, it is impor tant not to overcomplicate a movie that really sets out to say so little.

But let us not forget what the writers really meant for us to take away, the lesson that Ev elyn learns we can use over and over in our everyday lives where everything truly does feel like it’s happening everywhere, all at once: One of the most powerful acts of love you can give someone is just to pay attention to them.

Noah Portner is a sophomore in the College. Culture Shock appears in print and online every other week.

This Week’s Theme: Hard Feelings

ACROSS

Completely fascinated

Undercarriage beneath a railroad

Rival service

Slack

Gaming computer brand

in

DOWN

Spanish surname, like the

Engaged in the act of

intensely for

Last issue’s solutions

ACROSS

Weeks, in shorthand

Explode

To help, in French

Building material

Many of these during midterms

DOWN

Action with a pen or pencil

Good job!

Depleted of energy

Of Eden by John Steinbeck

Three in Spanish