THERAMBLER
THE VOICE OF TEXAS WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS SINCE 1917
Wednesday, October 9, 2019
Get your BBQ at Smokey’s, pg. 13
TheRambler.org
Vol. 103 No. 8 | Fall 2019 @TheRamblerTWU
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RamblerTV
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OPINION
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Wednesday,October 9, 2019
Who is next to be “cancelled”? The Rambler 1201 Wesleyan St. Fort Worth, TX 76105 Phone: (817) 531-7552 Email: twurambler@yahoo.com Editor-In-Chief: Ashton Willis Rambler TV Director: LaTerra Wair IMG Director: Hope Allison Print/Web Content Producers: Jacinda Chan Hope Allison Arely Chavez Tina Huynh Elizabeth Lloyd Hannah Onder Ashton Willis LaTerra Wair Advisers: Dr. Ngozi Akinro Dr. Jenny Dean Dr. David Ferman Faculty Liaison: Dr. Kay Colley Publisher: Frederick Slabach Letters to the Editor THE RAMBLER, a biweekly publication, welcomes all letters. All submissions must have a full printed name, phone number and signature. While every consideration is made to publish letters, publication is limited by time and space. The editors reserve the right to edit all submissions for space, grammar, clarity and style. Letters to the editor may be subject to response from editors and students on the opinion page. RAMBLER Contribution Please send all news briefs to twurambler@ yahoo.com. Submissions due by noon Friday to see brief in the following week’s issue.
ASHTON WILLIS @anwillis@txwes.edu @AshtonWillis1
W
hen you think of the word cancelled you might refer it to plans or an event that was supposed to happen. For instance, you planned on meeting up with an old friend, but they cancelled. “Being cancelled” now applies to a person, and sometimes their livelihood. This latest trend has been seen all across social media and can range from celebrities to athletes to, really, anyone. You can be cancelled for a variety of reasons, ranging from licking ice cream at Walmart to making inappropriate comments or upsetting someone else’s favorite celebrity. The place where this really seems to take off is YouTube. A variety of Youtubers have
been “cancelled” for various reasons. One of the most famous examples is when popular makeup artist James Charles was “cancelled” due to some drama over a SugarHairBear ad that he did. “Cancel culture” has gotten to the point that people are making videos about people who are “cancelled” and are using the videos as a way to gain followers from someone else’s pain. Some people may deserve to be cancelled. For example, racist and homophobic tweets sent out by Atlanta Braves pitcher Sean Newcomb when he was a teenager were discovered in 2018, according to usatoday.com. Newcomb was “cancelled” by many, and later apologized, according to stlttoday.com. Cancel culture has caused
much more than just a little drama, as it has even caused some people to lose their jobs, deals and credibility. Kevin Hart has sent out homophobic tweets and made comments about people, which put his deal with Nike in jeopardy, according to dictionary.com. Although what Newcomb and Hart did is not acceptable, they should not be punished, or cancelled, for what they did years ago. The purpose of cancelling someone may be to make them responsible for their actions, but in some cases, it does seem to be a bit much. Is cancelling someone really right? In a lot of cases, the answer is no. The crazy part about this is that as soon as you are cancelled you can redeem
yourself and become “uncancelled,” but this is not likely. I think that since the world continues to change so drastically, we need to focus on building others up instead of tearing each other down. Social media has been and continues to be something that has changed our lives in the best of ways, but also in the worst. This new trend is just one example of how social media can destroy someone’s reputation or how their past can impact their future. While “being cancelled” is something that can be taken light-heartedly and can appear to not be a big deal, we need to think about the impact that it has.
Graphic by Ashton Willis Being “cancelled” is one of the latest trends used among young people.
The opinions expressed in THE RAMBLER are those of the individual authors only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Texas Wesleyan community as a whole. ABOUT THE COVER Illustration by Jacinda Chan.
On issue 2 photo credits for the “It” story should have gone to IMDb.
opinion
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Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Culture is not a costume
M
NEWS
Editorial
any college students around the country are getting ready to celebrate Halloween and pull out their various costumes. However, some popular costumes are thought to represent cultural appropriation. Cultural appropriation is “the act of adopting elements of an outside, often minority culture, including knowledge, practices, and symbols, without understanding or respecting the original culture and context,” according to dictionary.com. Many celebrities have been accused of cultural appropriation. Katy Perry dressed like a geisha, Rihanna dressed in a classic chola (gangster) style and, most recently, Adam Levine started wearing cornrows. Cultural appropriation does not just happen in the celebrity community; it is also seen on college campuses. Various sororities tend to hold multiple events with Mexican “fiesta” or Native American “tribal” themes. Most events that are hosted with these themes are not meant to be offensive, but each time that it happens leads more people to talk about why it is wrong. The same is seen in a variety of Halloween costumes. Many people dress as Native American princesses, Egyptian queens, ninjas, geishas, and gypsies because they think they look cute. To be clear, the word “gypsy” is “actually a racial slur, according to the National Organization for Women (NOW), because it has historically been used to stigmatize and discriminate against Romani people,” according to bustle.com. Today’s society is “woke” and people should be more aware of their surroundings than in the past. Texas Wesleyan should consider cultural appropriation as a deciding factor when hosting events that include different cultures. Students should also take the time to understand what is appropriate to wear and say on campus without making others uncomfortable. It is important for college students to do research and be aware of the risks that come with dressing up in cultural Halloween costumes. Take the initiative to find out why a particular costume could be considered cultural appropriation.
Photos by James McBride Lazar Pavlovic says that in his hometown of Belgrade, Serbia the choices are playing soccer or studying, but usually not both.
Pavlovic helped by mentor Milosevic JAMES MCBRIDE
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@jhmcbride@txwes.edu @TheRamblerTWU
azar Pavlovic believes his talent, his faith and a mentor from his homeland of Serbia will help him excel at Texas Wesleyan. Pavlovic has been playing soccer 13 years; he recently trained at the Nike Academy and made a commitment to come to Wesleyan in hopes of one day playing professional soccer. “Over there,” said Pavlovic, “you either play football or you study, but you really can’t do both.” He said his home town of Belgrade is a metropolitan city, where the differences in people can be seen in neighborhoods, much like in America. Pavlovic developed his soccer skills on the streets but, unlike other people he ran with, he chose a commitment to his education. “My parents were a main influence in pushing me to pursuing school,” said Pavlovic, a freshman with an undeclared major. “All my other friends, they did not care about school.” Pavlovic believes that while soccer in Europe is loaded with more talent, it is not as fast-paced a game as in America. “The main difference I see is how the plays move and think here compared to in Europe,” Pavlovic said.
Photo by James McBride Lazar Pavlovic talks to his mentor, coach Dejan Milosevic.
His decision to go to school at Wesleyan was made much simpler due to the presence of assistant coach Dejan Milosevic, who is also from Serbia. “He understands me very well,” Pavlovic said. “It is very important for me to have this in my first year here.” Milosevic understands the struggle of coming from Serbia to America. While his road to Wesleyan was through poverty, most young adults from Serbia face adversities on a daily basis; he is able to see himself in a young Pavlovic. “The mentality is almost the same; we both come from a very proud country, and hate losing,” Milosevic said. He said Pavlovic brings intangible skills to the Rams, including his desire to win and ability to show his leadership skills through the example he sets for his teammates. “The way the team has seen his
ability to fight through some early injuries,” Milosevic said, “has done nothing but make the people around him stronger.” Head coach Cole Sweetser has also been enamored by what he has seen so far from Pavlovic, and believes that his talent on the backline will start to show soon. “He brings a physicality,” Sweetser said. “Although he is a defender, he is a player that loves to get forward in the attack.” Sweetser believes this is an important part of the game they want to implement at Wesleyan, where the backs are asked to play more forward. Pavlovic said there was a driving force behind him to constantly get better. “Without faith there is nothing,” Pavlovic said. “Faith has the ability to make a big difference in your life, even if it is just a little.”
NEWS
TheRambler.org
Wednesday, October 9, 2019
ARELY CHAVEZ
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achavez5@txwes.edu @Arelyc66
exas Wesleyan’s Department of Music received a visit from a major star last spring. Senior music education major Tyler W. Simpson had the opportunity to collaborate and perform with a former cast member of Broadway’s “Stomp,” John Angeles, on April 26 during his senior recital, “Staged?” Simpson, whose major has an emphasis in music composition, conducting, and percussion, wrote in an email that the idea came from the Broadway show “Stomp” to replicate its performance. “The collaboration began with the idea to replicate a “Stomp” inspired performance utilizing trashcans, pans, LED lights on a mounted chain fence, fog machines, lit-up sticks (both fire and LED), etc.in the form of a trio with a colleague of mine and John,” Simpson wrote. “Stomp” is “a high-energy, percussive symphony, coupled with dance, played entirely on unconventional instruments” according to broadway.com. The recital involved a lot of work beforehand. Simpson wrote that he had to give up outside activities to focus solely on the project. “For the recital overall, I ended up quitting my full-time job to allow myself at least six hours a day for rehearsal, self-practice, and the compositions of my originals that were premiered,” Simpson wrote. “While rehearsing late one night in Martin Hall, I tiredly began to drum on the sides of Martin Hall’s walkways, rather than the metallic plates that lay above the stage.” This led Simpson to the idea of sharing the opportunity of working with Angeles with the entire Wesleyan music department as a whole. “The more successful that my peers are, the more recognition and credibility Wesleyan receives, increasing the worth of each of our individual degrees,” Simpson wrote. “So, after making a post online, I received over a dozen of inquiries from the music department’s finest students.” Simpson wrote that the students involved in the project were: Ely Cosmos Guy; Lauren Rayburn Bolding; Dejon Zuriel Wooten; Alexander Lee Santiago;
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Former Broadway star visits Wesleyan’s music department
Jasmin M. White; Cordry James Wiley; Gary Luke Girard,; Evan Blake Piland; Michael Nguyen; Jose F. Vega; Alex Valdovinos; Jose A. Andrade; Reynaldo A. Almanza; and a colleague of Simpson’s, Preston Garza. Simpson explained that the idea of the piece was that performers themselves utilize the natural sounds of Martin Hall, turning it into a playable instrument. “Each student performer was charged with the task of creating their own part with a paired partner,” Simpson wrote. “Halfway through, John came in to provide his feedback and add a line of his own of which he played with us.” The day of the recital, many students performed, but Simpson’s performance was extra special due to him not knowing if he would be able to perform with Angeles and his colleague Garza. “Just days after inviting me to his home one evening to work on the piece, John broke his ankle and I broke my dominant hand. This was a mere six weeks prior to the performance date,” Simpson wrote. “We were of course concerned and convinced that the recital would be canceled, but my friends and mentors insisted that I keep planning
as if everything were alright. John ended up playing with an attachable crutch, and I began rehearsing again just a week before the show, but we pulled it off.” Jasmin White, a senior music education major, worked heavily on the recital along with Simpson and Garza. White wrote in an email that Simpson wanted to produce something that had not been done, a collaboration with Angeles. “For a couple months before the concert, Tyler and I got together planning details such as performance order, program notes, stage handling, prop set up, rehearsals, etc.” White wrote. “During the concert, I performed the first two movements of Tyler’s composition Tales of an Enchanted Forest for clarinet, flute, and piano as well as participated in his large collaborative percussion performance of “Staged?”
White also said she enjoyed being part of this project. “Overall, the concert was fantastic!”, White wrote. “I enjoyed helping Tyler behind the scenes and I think he definitely raised the bar for future senior recitals.” Garza, a 2019 graduate from The Recording Connection in Los Angeles and an audio engineering and music production major, wrote in an email that he was part of the main hands on deck during recital preparations. “I was one of the main performers and composers beside Tyler in all of his main pieces,” Garza wrote. “We’ve known each other for years and played together in the past, and I was more than honored to have participated in his last performance.” Garza also mentioned that Angeles contributed a lot to the recital.
“John was crucial to the development of a couple of our pieces. Tyler and I had met and rehearsed sometimes before the concert, and John definitely held his own,” Garza wrote. “We were a little overwhelmed at first with the whole idea of catering to the lead from “Stomp”, but when John arrived it was just so natural for everyone during the rehearsals and performance. I know Tyler and I more than appreciate his time and dedication to the performance and can’t wait for what the future hold for us.” Overall, Garza wrote, he enjoyed his time helping his friend. “I took home the feeling of awe and respect,” Garza wrote. “My best friend and I accomplished something not a lot of people can say they have accomplished in their lifetime.”
news
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Wednesday, October 9, 2019
TheRambler.org
What’s coming up for TXWES esports this season?
ELIZABETH LLOYD
D
@ejlloyd@txwes.edu @TheRamblerTWU
ue to uncertain scheduling information, there is no posted schedule on any current website for the upcoming TXWES esports competitions and tournaments, according to Eugene Frier, director of Esports and Gaming. Even without having all of the schedule information at present, TXWES esports is working on finding a way to get their information to the students, Frier said. “That’s one of the biggest things we’re working on with our new staff this year,” he said. “Getting information out so people can keep up with it.” On Sept. 21, the Overwatch team competed at the Battle4Texas event at Esports Stadium Arlington, Frier said. “Unfortunately, we got knocked out in the first round,” Frier wrote in an email. Both junior computer science major Eric Pan and his teammate and freshman business adminis-
tration major Emilio Llamas said they were excited to attend the competition. While hoping that the Overwatch team wins enough matches so that they could play on the arena stage, Llamas expressed his excitement when he noted that it will be “a lot of fun” to go up against the other colleges at the competition. “It’ll just be a really great experience, especially for me because it’s my first time ever going to one of those events,” he said. Pan is also an analyst for the Overwatch team; he is excited to be with the team. Students now have much more interest in gaming and esports due to our generation growing up with video games and handheld devices, he said. “For the newer generation, this has become one of our sports. It’s become more and more popular starting from the early 2000s and it’s becoming like a different kind of sport,” he said. Students can still follow TXWES Photo by Elizabeth Lloyd esports’ upcoming on-campus Freshman mass communication major Braden Galley (top) engages with freshman English and secondary certievents via their Facebook page at fication major Skyler Garza (bottom) during a Rocket League practice on Sept. 23. facebook.com/TXWESesports/.
Photo by Eugene Frier Photo by Elizabeth Lloyd (TOP) The Overwatch team poses for a photo at the Battle4Texas event at Esports Stadium Arlington. (LEFT) Freshman English and secondary certification major Skyler Garza (left), and senior management major Marcus Waerstad (right) work together at a Rocket League practice on Sept. 23.
SPORTS
TheRambler.org
Wednesday, October 9, 2019
Photos by Elizabeth Lloyd Drake McKee (left) builds muscle at a Saturday morning practice. Clarissa Archuleta (right) lifts weights at the same 10 a.m. practice in Keller.
Wrestlers prepare for debut season ELIZABETH LLOYD
ejlloyd@txwes.edu @TheRamblerTWU
T
he most difficult part of making the schedules for the men’s and women’s wrestling teams is the fact that Texas Wesleyan’s wrestling program is in its first year, said head coach Ray Bedford. Fortunately, Bedford has contacts with other head coaches within the same conference, so there have been several “home and home” setups with Wayland Baptist University, Oklahoma City University, and Schreiner University. “That helped us pick up six quality meets right away,” Bedford said. Both teams have been put into the hardest open tournaments in the country, Bedford said. “We’re going to the Menlo Open in California
because the Menlo women’s team won nationals last year. I want my girls to wrestle against those girls,” he said.
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he one we are mostnervous about would probably be nationals and trying to qualify for that all-American spot.
-Clarissa Archuleta, women’s wrestling captain Clarissa Archuleta, captain of the women’s team, said the wrestlers are up to the challenge and looking forward to the NAIA national championship as well as their dual meets due to their status as a first-year team. While looking forward to the NAIA national championship, this is also the tournament that
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they are the most nervous about as well, said Archuleta, a freshman criminal justice major. “The one we are most nervous about would probably be nationals and trying to qualify for that all-American spot,” she said. Men’s captain Drake McKee said his team is most looking forward totheir first match, which is on the road against Oklahoma City University on Oct. 31. The women’s first meet is Nov. 2 against Schreiner University on the Wesleyan campus. “It’s gonna be our first opener and they’re a top competitor in the NAIA, they’re top eight almost every year, it’s gonna be a really great way for our team to start out,” said McKee, a marketing and business management double major.
sports
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Get a kick out of what the Rams have in store JAMES MCBRIDE
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@jhmcbride@txwes.edu @TheRamblerTWU
he Texas Wesleyan University men’s soccer team’s 2-10 record at the start of the season has been a challenge to players and coaches. Head coach Cole Sweetser says the Rams have a lot to reflect on; the team is still learning to play together while integrating a lot of new faces. “We only have five or six returning players,” Sweetser said, “that were here last season.” The Rams’ news faces bring more depth and height across the back line with the addition of Matheus Macedo, a junior exercise science major, and James Kerr, a sophomore business major. This is something Sweetser says the team was missing last season. “The ability to win the ball in the air and help us in the air,”
he said, “is something we are able to improve on this season with them in the lineup.” More important, Sweetser says, this season “we have seen the addition of players that can help with the attacking portion of the game.” One of those players, Sweetser said, is Julius Williams, a junior health science major. This is also something else Sweetser said the team lacked last year. “Williams ability to beat people one-on-one,” he said. “His speed and athleticism are what make him dangerous, yet fun to watch.” Sweetser said the team also has depth across the board it has not seen in some time. This has helped build the team as it has created more competition for playing time. After the first few games of the season, Sweetser said, the same lineup has only been on the field two or three times. “Although we haven’t got the results we wanted, I am happy with the way they played,” Sweetser said.
The Rams’ slow start does not reflect the potential the team has, said assistant coach Dejan Milosevic. “I think we are on the right track.,” Milosevic said. “Guys are starting to look more confident.” The deciding factor will be how the team is able to play in the conference, Milosevic said. Milosevic should know the importance of conference games. He was a captain on the soccer team at Wesleyan. In fact, in 2012 the team started 0-4 and finished conference play at 8-2, and earned a spot in the National Championship, he said. Milosevic says the current squad has more talent than the 2012 team. Athletic Director Ricky Dotson said it is just a matter of time before new guys are able to bond together and work better as a team as opposed to being just individual players. “I think we will see better play soon,” Dotson said.
Eddy Rodriguez (14) and Trey Jackson (19) play in the Rams game against SAGU. The Rams lost 3-1.
Photos by James McBride Rams soccer player Trey Jackson warms up before the team plays Southwestern Assemblies of God in September.
CAMPUS
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Fort Worth shares its
Locals talk about their ghost encou ELIZABETH LLOYD ejlloyd@txwes.edu @TheRamblerTWU
Ghost encounters at Miss Molly’s Haunted Hotel
Jake the Cowboy resides at Miss Molly’s Bed and Breakfast but unlike the other guests, he’s dead. Paula Gowins, Miss Molly’s general manager, has seen his apparition multiple times over the years. “After the second time I saw him, I almost quit over it,” she said. “I said, ‘I didn’t sign on for this!’” After seeing him a couple of times, Gowins pulled out all the stops. “I started calling in ghost investigative teams, mediums, psychics, even some preachers because I wanted to know what’s in here and what I can do about it,” she said. “I gotta live here we gotta come to some sort of meeting of the minds.” They all came in separately to have a look around, and every one of them gave her pieces of the puzzle to put Jake’s history together. So the next morning, after everyone left and
the bed and breakfast was e out to talk to the ghosts. “OK buckos! Here’s the d see you, you’re not allowed don’t you ever touch me. W fine,” she told the ghosts. Miss Molly’s is one of doz Cowtown ghost hunters say the Stockyards to historic d Worth is one of the most h nation, according to Arling
Strange sounds at Cow
Right across the street fro the Cowtown Winery, whic spot in the Stockyards. Karen Williamson has be winery for a year now, and have heard knocking from “The basement is where t she said. “The father would He kept him down here all ment.” She said she has never he herself. “I don’t hear the knockin here and say, ‘It’s OK little b out.’ I always tell him to com
Legends of old Thistle
Another haunted place in tle Hill, one of the oldest ho a rich history to match. The main ghost story wit of an older woman dressed tury attire sitting by the win changing room. “It looks like a woman in that’s kind of the beginning
Photos by Hannah Onder (Top) A light from the lobby inside Miss Molley’s Hotel, which is located in the Fort Worth Stockyards. (Left) Pictured is the madam’s bed from the master bedroom in Miss Molley’s Hotel. (Far Left) Elizabeth Lloyd interviews Paula Gowins, the general manager of Miss Molley’s in the Star Cafe next door.
CAMPUS
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Wednesday, October 9, 2019
s haunted history
unters, legends, and records
empty, Gowins came
deal: I don’t want to d in my room, and We’ll get along just
zens of places that y is haunted. From downtown, Fort haunted places in the gton.org.
wtown Winery
om Miss Molly’s is ch is another haunted
een tending bar at the she said that people the basement door. they had a little boy,” d keep him down here. the time as punish-
eard the knocking
ng because I come in boy, you can come me on out,” she said.
e Hill house
n Fort Worth is Thisouses in the city with
th this location is that d in early 20th cenndow in the upstairs
n period dress, but g and the end of what
I’ve heard about that photograph. It’s still kind of an open mystery there,” Thistle Hill manager Michael Allen said. After four years of being manager of the house, Allen has never experienced a paranormal encounter while working. “I hate to throw cold water on it but honestly, I’ve personally never seen, heard, or felt anything here,” he said. Despite not having any ghostly encounters himself, he did say that a psychic reported feeling a presence at the house.
Dark history of the Fort Worth Stockyards
Kay McDonald leads tourists on a ghost tour through the Stockyards, and can describe ghost stories of nearly every building and alleyway. Passing by the rodeo, McDonald shared the gruesome history of lives lost behind the building. “The Trinity River goes behind these buildings here, and the river was called the ‘Black Highway’ because back in the day if someone put a hit out on another person, they would dump their bodies into the Trinity,” she said. “Our ghosts are very active here.” To see the full story, please visit our website at therambler.org.
5 More Haunted Places in Fort Worth 1) Fort Worth Zoo
Photos by Hannah Onder (Top Left) Knocking sounds can be heard from the basement. (Top Right) A man was said to have committed suicide upstairs; shadows have be captured on photo. (Bottom) Cowtown Winery bartender Karen Williamson shares ghost stories and building history.
2) Castle of Heron Bay (Lake Worth) 3) Jett Building 4) Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth 5) Texas White House Sources: https://www.arlington.org, https://dfw.cbslocal.com, https://www.yelp.com, https://www. onlyinyourstate.com/texas/dallas-fort-worth/
Photo (Left) by Elizabeth Lloyd, Photo (Right) from Historic Fort Worth The mirror in the changing room at Thistle Hill where the apparition of a woman in period attire sitting on the pink bench was captured.
A&E
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Wednesday, October 9, 2019
Joker brings in ‘serious’ numbers during October HOPE ALLISON
I
@heallison@txwes.edu @theramblertwu
went to see “Joker” with very little knowledge of the DC cinematic universe. I’ve always considered myself more a Marvel girl. That’s not to say I hate DC’s movies. I think every time DC comes out with a good movie all the reviews are like, “DC finally does it.” DC definitely has made quite a few good movies. All this is just to say I didn’t go into the movie with knowledge of the story, so this review comes from a place of interest in only the movie and the groundbreaking cinematography, not an overview of the story of the comics. “Joker” (122 minutes, rated R) is directed by Todd Phillips and stars Academy Award winner Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck, otherwise known as Joker. The movie has already taken first in the Venice Film Festival, where it received an eight-minute standing ovation. The movie is a technical masterpiece. The application of sound, lights, and camera angles/shots were so well done that it almost made the story hard to focus on. The lighting was my favorite part. It reminded me very much of overdone stage lighting, but for the whole movie. Various colors were used to represent working class versus high class people; Fleck is represented by another color, and Joker by still another color. The lighting is extremely
unrealistic, and extremely stylized. If realism is your thing, this is not the film for you. It’s also worth mentioning how anxiety-inducing the movie is. I was constantly anxious. It even left me leaving the theatre anxious for things in the real world. “Joker” has the potential to be extremely triggering to anyone who is triggered by mental illness, death, or massive amounts of suspense. I feel this could be a problem. Going into the movie you expect a certain level of creepiness. However, you don’t necessarily expect to leave it feeling awful about the world. The background sounds are wonderful in creating suspense and the general feel of background mayhem, but you really have to listen to them to understand everything. For example, there is a trash strike going on. This means the workers responsible for taking out the trash are on strike and the trash is building up on the street. You would miss this fact in the first half of “Joker” if you don’t listen to the radio in the background in the beginning. This is a brilliant idea and isn’t spelled out for the audience; however, it still requires a certain level of intelligence from the viewer. This can be dangerous. This effect could be lost on people who aren’t paying a lot of attention. Anyone who doesn’t hear this part would get confused later, when Joker gets stuck in piles of trash and so on. This means that
people who don’t hear this are going to be lost and probably not enjoy the movie. The camera angles and cuts are what really showed Phillips’ vision. But at some point all the amazing technical elements distract from a subpar script. Besides having a few catchy/crazy one-liners, the overall script left me wanting more. It relied so much on Joaquin Phoenix’s amazing acting skills and we are so lucky he delivered. I definitely see where “Joker” could be a film festival winner. It seems suited for that kind of attention. Some critics believe that the movie is triggering real-life violence and invites the viewer to participate. I did not get this kind of vibe. I actually felt it was mocking violence that we have seen in America over the last few years. Even though the story is more than 50 years old, it seems to bring up topics relevant to today. Everything from the clown scares of 2016 to the Baltimore riots of 2015 seem to be mirrored in this movie. Overall I felt the acting and cinematography were so good that they distracted from the script, which was okay at best. It took me several hours after leaving the theatre to shake off the anxious feeling that everything is minutes away from catastrophe, but that shows the lasting impact “Joker” can have on a viewer.
“Joker” brought in moer than $90 million during its opening weekend.
Photos courtesy of imdb
2019
HOMECOMING WEEK October 16th-19th 16
Wesleyan Wednesday!
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Homecoming Dance
Rams Up! SGA Talent Show Wear your Wesleyan Spirit!
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SGA Block Party 5-8pm at the Clocktower
6pm in Martin Hall
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Midnight Breakfast 11pm in the MUC Ballroom
A Silent Disco 8-10pm @ Lou's Place
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Ram Rally
On Campus Tailgate! Noon to Kickoff
Register on Ramspace
a&e
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Wednesday, October 9, 2019
Theatre Wesleyan kicks off fall 2019 with 2 shows in rep HANNAH ONDER
hlonder@txwes.edu @hannahonder
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heatre Wesleyan is doing their fall shows simultaneously for the first time in a while, and Rebeka Chavez and several other freshmen theatre majors are stepping up to the challenge. Chavez, whose main role is assistant stage manager for “Turandotte: Princess of China,” is looking forward to learning the ropes of college shows. “I’ve done many shows before, but this is my first college show,” Chavez said. “It’s pretty different, but luckily I’m the assistant stage manager, so I don’t have a huge amount of roles. The only hard part is I have three roles (two outside of stage managing). It’s a lot, but I’m glad that I’m going full force into it.” According to txwes.edu, “Turandotte,” which opens Oct. 23 at 7:30 p.m., tells the story of Turandotte, an icy-hearted princess, who issues a challenge of deadly riddles for her hand in marriage and Calaf, a prince, that aims to answer her challenge. It will also be performed on Oct. 25, 31 and Nov. 2 at 7:30 p.m. and at 2 p.m. on Oct. 27. Theatre Wesleyan’s other show, “Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play,” will open Oct. 24 at 7:30 p.m. “Mr. Burns” tells the story of how entertainment has evolved from the pop-culture scraps that remained after the collapse of modern civilianization, according to txwes.edu. The show will also play on Oct. 26, 30 and Nov. 1 at 7:30 p.m. and at 2 p.m. on Nov. 3. Chavez said she looks forward to getting the experience of two shows sharing the stage. “I think it’s good for the experience and I’ve never worked
with two shows,” she said. “It’s kind of a cool variation to be a part of one show, but also get to see a show. It’s a good experience.” Dr. Connie Whitt-Lambert, a professor of theater and director of “Turandotte,” said the idea of running repertory shows to give students more experience came up at one of the theatre department meetings in spring 2018. “Running in rep gives students the opportunity as actors, designers, managers and technicians to work within this particular schedule style,” Whitt-Lambert wrote in an email. “Over the course of a student’s four years in our Program, we like to provide a variety of experiences (including genre & style). Repertory scheduling is one of those valuable experiences.” In order for the repertory shows to work, Whitt-Lambert wrote, she’s had to work closely with Dr. Bryan Stevenson, who is directing “Mr. Burns.” “Since we’re running in rep, the directors of both shows have to work closely together to schedule rehearsal space and all our Theatre Wesleyan resources,” Whitt-Lambert wrote. “Those resources include not only our students, but also the costume shop, scene shop, rehearsal spaces, scheduling and budget. Bryan Stevenson, who is directing the other rep show Mr. Burns, a post electric play, and I worked closely together to fully utilize our resources, plan the schedule and conduct auditions.” Senior theatre major Jasmine Mesre, who plays Princess Turandotte, said that the biggest challenge of doing two shows is keeping everything organized. “I think it’s the fact that we have double the work, double the costumes, and we’re only
able to rehearse in one space so we have to switch back and forth,” Mesre said. “I think if everyone stays organized and keeps up to date calendars and things like that it will be fine.” Mesre also said that students are only a part of the cast and crew of one of the shows unless they’re in a class working on something, which has both pros and cons. “I like that there was one particular show that I liked more, and so I definitely prepared more for that,” Mesre said. “The only bad thing I Graphic would say about contributed by it is you have less Jacob Sanchez Theatre opportunity to act Wesleyan by only being able will perform to do three out of “Turandotte” our four shows, and “Mr. Burns” in though that’s not rep. a bad thing necessarily.” Mesre said “Mr. Burns” is more dark humor while “ Tu r a n d o t t e” is commedia mixed with a fairy tale that teaches a lesson. “I just think the audience will really enjoy [‘Turandotte’], because it is funny,” Mesre said. “If anyone know anything about commedia, they’ll understand that there’s masks in the show. Not everyone, but most people wear masks in the show so that’s something that makes it different from the ordinary theatrical experience.”
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CAMPUS Wednesday, August 21, 2019
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campus Wednesday, August 21, 2019
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RAMS GLOBAL Wednesday, October 9, 2019
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Rams struggle with American food choices ASHTON WILLIS
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@anwillis@txwes.edu @AshtonWillis1
ood all across the world varies in all sorts of ways. Each area has its own style of food and, depending on where you go, can be completely different from where you come from. Due to these differences, international students who travel to America can face several challenges when it comes to food options. Kate Choi, a freshman biology major from South Korea, said that what people in her country eat is very different from food in the United States. “In Korea people usually have rice for every meal,” she said. “In every meal we eat rice, soup and side dishes.” Choi said that the major difference is the pricing when it comes to healthy vs. non-healthy foods. “It’s not hard to find healthy foods in America, but the price is more expensive compared to junk foods,” she said. Choi said that there are definitely certain foods that she misses when she is in America.
“I miss all Korean spicy foods; the spice is different in here,” she said. “I miss my food the most and my family and friends.” Raquel Velasco, a senior athletic training major from Mexico, said that the choices at Wesleyan are night and day compared to options at home. “Home will have more natural, homemade stuff, while sometimes you feel that food at Wesleyan is frozen/pre-heated,” she said. Velasco said that she misses some of the more traditional meals that she has when she is in Mexico. “I miss a lot of typical food from home like flautas, enchiladas, gorditas and real burritos,” she said. “I also miss soups, or different kinds of stews and rice.” Soomin Ko, a sophomore political science major from Korea, said that the way food is cooked in America is the hardest part. “The most food I’ve been struggled is oily food,” she said. “They are too greasy so I feel bloated and sometimes cannot even digest well.” Ko said that when she is in Korea, she definitely eats differently than in America.
Photo courtesy of Kate Choi Many meals that are eaten in South Korea involve rice and soups.
“I don’t eat fast foods often when I’m in South Korea compared to when I’m in America,” she said. “I tried to eat Korean traditional food and vegetables more than fast foods because those are easy to digest for me.” Ko said that there are definitely certain foods that she really misses when she is away from home. “To be honest, there are a lot of foods that I miss back home, but grilled pork belly and rice foods are the most foods I want to eat when I’m in America,” she said. Ko said that Wesleyan does a generally good job of having foods that give students some choices. “I could see that Wesleyan tries to make various kinds of food options,” she said. “But most of them are too oily, salty and sweet.” Ko said that she has some suggestions for how America could improve their food options. Photo courtesy of Soomin Ko “America food options are Cold raw fish soup is a popular food dish eaten in Korea. quite broad so, if the improvement for the health reason, it depends on the person’s choice,” she said. “America could curtail the number of fast food restaurants.”
Photos courtesey of Raquel Velasco Chilaquiles (left) are corn tortillas cut into cubes with red sauce. Corn tortilla with cheese, mushroom and green pepper (right) is also a traditional dish in Mexico.
LIFESTYLE
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Wednesday, October 9, 2019
Battling breast cancer goes further than October ASHTON WILLIS ASHTON W@anwillis@txwes.edu ILLIS
@anwillis@txwes.edu @AshtonWillis1 @AshtonWillis1
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or many years, October has been known as breast cancer awareness month. Traditionally during this month, many people show their support by wearing the color pink. This awareness is great and makes people aware that breast cancer is a problem, but the question is, how did all of this come to be? Although some people may think of October as just another month, the history and reasoning behind making October associated with breast cancer is very important. According to emaxhealth.com, October became breast cancer awareness month in 1985 and was created by the American Academy of Family Physicians, AstraZeneca Healthcare and CancerCare, Inc. The color pink as the choice of color for the ribbon was decided on because it represents females as well as health. The National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) group has been created to urge women to keep up with their health, including getting checkups, according to emaxhealth. com. According to
cancer. org, with the exception of skin cancer, breast cancer affects more women than any other cancer in the United States. There is a one-in-eight chance that a woman can develop breast cancer during her lifespan, with an overall risk of 12%. In 2019 it is expected that around 41,760 women will die from breast
cancer and that 268,600 cases will be diagnosed. Rates of breast cancer have also continued to increase and are rising by .4% each year. A variety of groups, organizations and people have shown their support for the cause in several different ways. In the past, many professional athletes have also shown their support in October by wearing the
color pink during games. A prime example of this is NFL players who often wear the color anywhere from cleats to mouth guards to towels. This tradition sadly has seemed to decline over the last couple of years and the NFL is even doing away with “Pink October,” according to foxsports.com. The NFL has now chosen to take on a different approach and instead of wearing pink, every team can pick a cancer charity of their choice. This allows a variety of which cancer each team wishes to support and also allows for more cancer organizations to be supported. According to foxsports.com, the NFL has been able to accumulate more than $15 million for the American Cancer Society throughout the past eight years that they have been doing this. The Susan G. Komen “Race for the Cure” continues to be the most popular event for breast cancer, according to ww5. komen.org. This organization brings together people from all over the place, including both survivors and people who have never has the disease. Although there has yet to be a cure, with all of the unity that has been created at least people can
feel that they are not alone.
Graphic by Ashton Willis
lifestyle
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Wednesday, October 9, 2019
Ralph Lauren creates a Rachel Green collection ‘The One Where Ralph Lauren creates a Rachel Green collection and we’re obsessed’
defined fashion in the ‘90s but continues to do so now with this Ralph Lauren “wear-to-work collection.” The collection includes, midi skirts, plaid-mini skirts, ribbed turtlenecks, leather ensembles, tailored-pants suits and the classic leather knee-high boots. The collection also incorporates pops of leopard and purple shearling which we saw her styling in the episode “The One That Could Have Been.”
Want the collection? The collection ranges from $69 to $2,998 and is available online at ralphlauren.com and bloomingdales.com, which is very fitting since Green once worked at Bloomingdale’s as personal buyer. If your dreams were to ever channel your inner Rachel Green, this collection will allow you to be “The One Who Becomes Rachel Green.”
Photo by Jacinda Chan Rachel Green and Ralph Lauren in the elevator together in season six episode “The One With Ross Teeth.”
JACINDA CHAN
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@jwchan@txwes.edu @JacindaWChan
t’s been 25 years since the 90s sitcom “Friends” aired on screens. That also means it’s been 25 years since the style icon Rachel Green, in her big wedding dress, ran into Central Perk cafe and into our hearts.
In celebration of the 25th anniversary of “Friends” and the character Rachel Green, designer Ralph Lauren has teamed up with Warner Bros on a collection that perfectly embodies Green’s sophisticated, professional and yet fun work wardrobe.
As most “Friends” fans will know, for several seasons, Green worked at Ralph Lauren. The designer himself even starred in season six, episode 16 where he’s seen riding in the elevator next to Green. According to glamour.com, “The collection, comprised of pieces from Polo and LAUREN Ralph Lauren, encapsulates the polished
style synonymous with the iconic brand. The collection calls on tradition through pinstripe suiting, crested blazers, and equestrian-inspired accessories, while enhancing these classic pieces with navy and orange color-blocking and pops of leopard to offer a fresh fall spirit,” according to a brand statement. The once Central Perk waitress not only
Photo by Jacinda Chan Rachel Green and her assistant Tag Hill working at Ralph Lauren in the season seven episode “The One with Rachel’s Assistant.”