“And the Oscar (might) go to....”

Nominations for Best Picture:

“All Quiet on the Western Front”

“AVATAR: The Way of Water”

“The Banshees of Inisherin”

“Elvis”

“Everything Everywhere All at Once”

“The Fabelmans”

“TÁR”

“Top Gun: Maverick”

“Triangle of Sadness”

“Women Talking”

Nominations for Actor in a Leading Role:

Austin Butler Elvis

Colin Farrell The Banshees of Inisherin

Brendan Fraser The Whale

Paul Mescal Aftersun

Bill Nighy Living

Nominations

for Actor in a Supporting Role:

Brendan Gleeson The Banshees of Inisherin

Brian Tyree Henry Causeway

Judd Hirsch The Fablemans

Barry Keoghan The Banshees of Insiherin

Ke Huy Quan Everything Everywhere All At Once

Everything Everywhere All at Once” is named 20 times in this.

**this article may contain spoilers for Oscar-nominated movies**

2022 was a year filled with extraordinary movies– and some, just ordinary.

Nominations for Actress in a Leading Role:

Cate Blanchett TÁR

Ana De Armas Blonde

Andrea Riseborough To Leslie

Michelle Williams The Fablemans

Michelle Yeoh Everything Everywhere All At Once

Our prediction

Michelle Yeoh as Evelyn in “Everything Everywhere All At Once”

Why?

Michelle Yeoh gives a well-rounded performance as Evelyn, accurately portraying a wide range of emotions while acting alongside her co-stars. She quite literally does everything, and it’s all done very well. This is by no means a simple or conventional role, but she brings it to life, giving Evelyn her own pizzazz. Plus, how many other performances can you think of where the actor switches between three languages throughout the film?

Our prediction

“Everything Everywhere All at Once”

Why?

“Everything Everywhere All at Once” is like nothing that’s ever been seen before in cinema. It’s a chaotic, stressful, emotional movie that evokes one too many tears. The cast is filled with memorable actors, all of whom bring a special performance to a complicated movie. Notably, the editing of this movie is phenomenal and we certainly can’t disregard the fact that the editors were self-taught, learning from YouTube clips. Truly, this film is hard to capture in all its glory, but please trust us when we say it’s an honest-to-God great movie that will undoubtedly be the best picture of the year.

Our prediction

Colin Farrell as Pádraic Súilleabháin in “The Banshees of Inisherin”

Why?

Colin Farrell has a history of being phenomenal in every role he lands, and “The Banshees of Inisherin” is no exception. This movie holds darker tones and a deeper message than other nominated films of the year; Farrell is composed, adding a lot of character to a fairly somber part. You can feel every negative yet realistic emotion between him and Brendan Gleeson (Colm Doherty). “The Banshees of Inisherin” is an unconventional movie and Ferell’s unique performance shines through.

Our Prediction

Ke Huy Quan- “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

Why?

Every movie’s characters need depth. With Waymond Wang, Ke Huy Quan gives the performance of a lifetime. I don’t think of him as an actor playing a role, even now, weeks after having initially watched the film. I think of him as Waymond, the lovable husband and father who wants what is best for his family. Or, in some cases, the multiversal secret agent bent on stopping the evil Jobu Tupaki. Ke Huy Wang will pick you up, break you down, and give you a big hug to cheer you up when it’s all said and done. A welldeserved nomination.

WRITTEN BY Andrea Brazis

Jake Ryan

DESIGN BY Prathinav Dutta

Nominations for Actress in Supporting Role:

Angela Bassett Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Hong Chau The Whale

Kerry Condon The Banshees of Inisherin

Jamie Lee Curtis Everything Everywhere All At Once

Stephanie Hsu Everything Everywhere All At Once

Our prediction

Angela Bassett as Queen Ramonda in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”

Why?

We would be lying if we didn’t note that we went back and forth for hours between Angela Bassett and Stephanie Hsu for best supporting actress. In “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” Stephanie Hsu puts on a well-rounded, emotional performance as Jobu Tupaki; her character development and personal antics only improved it. However, Angela Bassett, despite her shorter time on screen, puts on a powerful performance — the kind that sticks with you. She has a way of connecting with the audience, making them feel every heartbreaking emotion, every enraged moment that Queen Ramonda feels — and that is powerful.

Nominations for Animated Feature Film:

“Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio”

“Marcel the Shell with Shoes On”

“Puss in Boots: The Last Wish”

“The Sea Beast”

“Turning Red”

Nominations for Cinematography:

“All Quiet on the Western Front”

“Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths”

“Elvis”

“Empire of Light” “TÁR”

Nominations for Music (Original Score):

“All Quiet on the Western Front” Volker Bertelmann

“Babylon”

“The Banshees of Inisherin”

Our prediction

“Puss in Boots: The Last Wish”

Why?

There’s phenomenal options for this category — “Pinnochio” won a Golden Globe, and “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On” has glowing reviews from every major and minor movie critic across the globe. However, we think that “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” will take the title. Reviews have considered it “wholesome, heartfelt,” and honestly, it has no right being this good. I mean, come on: this is the Shrek universe that we’re talking about. Why is this silly movie about a cat with a sword making us tear up? Because it’s amazing and one of the best movies of last year, animated or not. That’s why

Our prediction

“All Quiet on the Western Front”

Why?

How do you relay the horrors of war? You show them. In “All Quiet on the Western Front,” cinematographer Justin Friend shows us up close and personal shots of death and destruction. The terror reflected in the eyes of the soldiers is horrifying in a way that one would only think possible from photographs of real war. The contrast between young boys, eager to fight for the glory of their nation, and grizzled men worn down from the years of close quarters trench invasions and seemingly infinite, life-threatening sprints across no man’s land, will stick with viewers long after the credits roll. That is due in no small part to the cinematography.

Our prediction

“Babylon,” Justin Hurwitz

Justin Hurwitz

Carter Burwell

“Everything Everywhere All at Once” Son Lux

“The Fabelmans”

John Williams

Why?

There’s something mesmerizing and addictive about jazz music — the swing, the tempo, the trill of notes followed by octave movements and staccatos. A whole new feeling emerges when rock ‘n’ roll riffs are added to these upbeat, fast-paced tunes. This is the kind of music that gets you on your feet, even at the crack of dawn. This isn’t Justin Hurwitz’s first time working with director Damien Chazelle, either. Their previous and most popular production, “La La Land,” earned glowing reviews for the tunes and legato sounds performed in the movie. We have no doubt that “Babylon’’ will follow in its footsteps, earning the title of best original score.

How do you relay the horrors of war? You show them. In “All Quiet on the Western Front,” cinematographer Justin Friend shows us up close and personal shots of death and destruction

A concert review of three Cleveland bands

If you weren’t at the Beachland Tavern on Saturday, Feb. 12, let me set the stage for you. With a capacity of less than 150, you’re in for an intimate show. You’ll be greeted by friendly staff and you can eat some delicious food between sets. The room is dimly lit to let the stage lights shine. But enough about the venue — let me introduce you to Honeyland, the Cleveland locals who opened the show. Their upbeat tempo and energetic stage presence got the crowd going from the start. The band was formed by Evelyn Lindrose, Andi Chakraborty, Seth Bennett, Alex Scalzo and Ben Bildstein in the summer of 2021. The highlight of their time together so far was one of the first gigs the fall of that same year. Being “one of a million acts on the bill,” Lindrose said, the night brought them closer together than ever before.

The main act of the night, The Namby Pamby, cooled things down with their smooth, melodic tunes. With the stage covered in a soft blue light, it was hard to resist swaying along to the moody music. The threepiece made up of siblings McKenna and Emily Parks and longtime friend Payton Knerr came from Fort Wayne, Indiana to tour their November 2022 debut album, “Marketplace.” Vocalist McKenna has a way of pulling on the audience’s heartstrings with her emotional yet relatable lyrics. Perhaps the most memorable moment of the night was when she stood alone plucking her guitar while her bandmates took a seat on the stage. While the phrase “namby pamby” means “without strength or courage,” I’d have to say this act represents the contrary with McKenna’s vulnerable lyrics and unique sound.

The show was wrapped up with another Cleveland based act, Honey Pocket (not pictured). Consisting of brothers Alex and Nick Vihtelic, along with their friends Brett Korsok and Harrison Brill, the selfdefined “Lake Erie Surf Punk” band brought the energy back up to 11 as they shredded the night away. By the end of the night, my ears were ringing but I couldn’t complain because the show was so much fun. I’d highly recommend checking out all three acts, especially if you want to get ahead of the bandwagon.

Cook

DESIGN BY Prathinav Dutta

Captions

Photo 1: Seth Bennett, guitarist of Honeyland

Photo 2: Evelyn Lindrose, singer of Honeyland

Photo 3: Andi Chakraborty, bassist of Honeyland

Photo 4: Payton Knerr, drummer of The Namby Pamby

Photo 5: McKenna Parks, vocalist and guitarist of The Namby Pamby

“Like

- Zainab Salbi

*Content warning: Islamophobia, racism, sexism

For at least the last year and a half, journalists on Cleveland State’s campus have covered the presence and ill effects of Cleveland Heights resident Alexander Popivker on our campus. Their “saga” came to a peak within the last few months, as reports have come in that Popivker allegedly came to people’s private places of work, using duct tape on the CSU fountain, and the now-infamous alleged theft of the Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR) student organization banner from the Student Center. The CSU Cauldron Newspaper reported on Jan. 25 that Popivker admitted to stealing the SPHR banner on his public Instagram account, a statement that he would almost completely replicate in his Persona Non Grata hearing Feb. 1 of this year.

Over the summer, I can report that Popivker repeatedly contacted me on social media. His rhetoric, in my opinion, was disrespectful and antagonistic. I repeatedly told him to leave me alone until I decided to block him. I have learned that Popviker did the same thing to many CSU students, especially the women he targeted in-person on our campus. In the fall, prior to President Bloomberg’s Veterans Day event, Popivker and an unknown CSU student used duct tape on the CSU fountain and attempted to label the university as antisemitic. Over winter break there were reports of Popivker continuing to contact students on social media, along with reports of Popivker even appearing at CSU students’ private places of work. This spring, Popivker came to our campus every Wednesday to spread his ideas and argue with students, particularly Muslim women.

It is because of this radical and dangerous rise in activity, paired with other elements including pressure from the CSU Cauldron and six key women on campus that the University took action. I am proud to say that campus is a little bit safer and a lot more welcoming because of the work put in by the “Power Six.” On Feb. 2, the University banned Popivker for the theft of the banner and hoisting a flag on University infrastructure, among other things.

I had the privilege to sit down for a conversation with Student Government Association (SGA) President and SPHR Treasurer Nina Faisal, activist and CSU Cauldron contributor Victoria Fields, SPHR President and CSU Cauldron contributor Haneen Hamideh, SPHR Vice President Fatima Abuabsa, SPHR Secretary Summer Husein and SPHR Media Coordinator and CSU Cauldron contributor Amina Hamdan, to chat with them about their harrowing feats.

Each of the “Power Six” had disrespectful and hateful interactions with Popivker on our campus dating back to three years ago. Through investigation and conversation with CSU Office of Institutional Equity, Popivker would wrongly label CSU students “terrorists” on social media and even dox these students to open them up to more hate from the online community.

*The following questions and answers have been edited for length and clarity*

In our conversation, President Faisal informed The Vindicator of the nature of Popivker’s harassment on campus. Faisal stated: “He began stalking me on social media… [he] reached out to the department where I work and told them that I shouldn’t be involved in SGA because I am Palestinian … one time in particular I left the library and, unprovoked, he called me a terrorist. I had not even said anything to him to provoke that kind of behavior.”

WRITTEN BY Cael Shaw

DESIGNED BY Jakob Roberts

PHOTOS BY Riley Roliff

Fields highlighted a difference between free speech and hate speech. She said, “What compelled me to stand up was his targeting of visibly Muslim women. I watched him chase these women across the plaza. I saw the fear in their eyes when he would shout terrible things at them.”

When I asked Faisal why she thinks that the majority of people who worked hard to make campus safer — the “Power Six” — are women, she said: “I feel like in this situation, women are more targeted. Especially Muslim women who wear hijabs or headscarves … The Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights board are all women as well.”

When asked the same question, Fields highlighted that “the men on campus tended to counter-protest against [Popviker] in the moment — the women did as well but tended to bring that energy to the administration to demand change and protection for a safer campus.”

Working through bureaucracy is tough. It is especially tough when you get “the Cleveland State Shuffle,” where one administrator puts you in touch with someone else, who puts you in touch with someone else, and so forth in what feels like a doom loop of “we’re looking into it.” I asked Hamideh about working through a bureaucracy like this and she said, “You can’t be ignored forever … so as long as you continue to use your voice and get others to share their experience as well, something has to change.”

I also had the privilege to talk about wading through bureaucracy with Husein, who stressed that, “If you are standing up for what you believe in and what is right and you feel unsafe in a certain manner … no one is going to shut you down. And if someone tries, open the next door and walk through it.”

“Politics aside, it was about safety,” said Abuabsa. “I want to focus on a well-rounded subject where safety on campus is at the forefront, it’s more important to emphasize … Safety on campus is something that the school should assure regardless of political or religious views.”

With the weather getting nicer and the warmth returning to Northeast Ohio, we will start to see other people come to our campus who might preach hate or target students for their identities or religions. Hamdan gave this advice to the student body. “It is important to have patience, when you interact with people who are visibly angry or upset then you are just adding fuel to the fire. The best thing to do is to just walk away from them because you are taking away their power. The longer you stay around them and the more you interact with them the more likely they are to keep coming back to campus.”

But making our campus safer was not a fight restricted to women. Some other notable students that the “Power Six” felt deserved recognition include the editor-in-chief of CSU newspaper The Cauldron, Jaden Stambolia. Through his leadership,The Cauldron put Cleveland State’s administration under pressure to make positive change for our community. He also made the decision to let Cauldron contributors continue to write about the Popivker saga under the alias “CSU Cauldron,” so no individual student can be targeted.

When I reached out to Stambolia he said, “Once I became aware of what Alec Popivker was doing to Palestinian and Muslim students at CSU, I believed it was The Cauldron’s duty to make the campus community aware of his actions and to report on the administration’s handling of the situation.

Our platform was needed to give a voice to the voiceless. I’m proud of The Cauldron’s coverage because Palestinian rights are human rights. The Cauldron will be a platform to ensure all students feel safe at CSU.”

The “Power Six” believe that the Muslim Student Association (MSA), SGA, the CSU Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the CSU Office of Institutional Equity all deserve recognition for taking a stand against hate.

Hamideh told me that film and media arts student Illan Cardenas-Silverstein deserved recognition. In my talk with Cardenas-Silverstein, he expressed his concern with Popivker being the dominant Jewish voice on campus. “To the students of CSU, I am sorry he had to come … my family came here fleeing hatred and violence in the 1930s and 40s. They sought refuge here in the same way many Muslims are today. They don’t want to go, but they have to. Judaism, to me, has always been about acceptance and tolerance. I want everyone to know that we are an open, loving and accepting faith that has been at the forefront of civil rights for many, many years.”

The Popivker saga was emotional, complicated and full of drama. More importantly, it helped many students find their voice. The “Power Six” took a stand for what they believed in: a safer campus community. Many students believe that campus is now more welcoming, accepting and safe. Unfortunately, each of the “Power Six” believe that their struggle did not set a precedent on our campus.

They are, however, hopeful that the university learned from this ordeal. Hamideh said, “I hope it set a precedent. I hope that it set a precedent for the students as well. I hope they know and feel more comfortable to use the media and lift other student’s voices in any future instance of harassment.”

It is through my talks with Hamdan, Abuabsa, Fields, Cardenas-Silverstein, Husein, Faisal, Stambolia, and Hamideh that I am now able to draft this letter to the student body. The following letter is a culmination of my own work, paired with the advice and emotions from the brave students who used their voice to make campus safer.

To the CSU Student Body,

When dealing with bigotry or hatred of any kind, anywhere… do not back down. Use your voice and not your fists, stand up and do what is right. If you are hurting from hateful rhetoric on or off campus just know that you are not alone. Your voice may not be the loudest but it becomes harder to ignore when there is a groundswell of people taking a stand. To those students who were afraid to use their voice, we understand and we are here for you. Haneen Hamideh and Amina Hamdan both stressed that there are resources available to each of you both on and off campus for dealing with stress or anxiety. The biggest resource, however, will be your fellow students. We are all in this together, and we should all be working together.

If you were not hurt but you saw the pain in the eyes of those who were… stand up and be an ally. Fields told me that “good allyship is not speaking for others but, rather, amplifying their voices. Good allyship is not speaking over someone or for them but with them.” Stand up, use your voice to uplift everyone. “Lift every voice and sing.”

I am proud of the student body’s resolve and passion for campus safety. Philosopher Karl Popper is accredited with the discovery of the paradox of tolerance, which is the idea that a tolerant community must be intolerant of intolerance. That is exactly what our student body stood for and we were successful. Thank you all.

Our Viking community will never stand with or for hatred. We stand to protect our fellow Vikings with compassion, intellect and pride.

~Cael

P.S. Throughout the interview and writing process, I came across an account on Instagram with the tag @nina_faisal_fanpage. I took the time to ask Faisal about her seemingly growing fanbase and she informed The Vindicator that once that account reaches 100 followers she will follow it. To whoever runs the Nina Faisal Fanpage, we see you, we hear you, keep up the good work!