ALL ABOUT SPRING JAM
EUGENICS AT THE U
// PG. 7
PG. 13 //
CRUZ VS. TRUMP
FATEFUL THREADS
// PG. 9
PG. 21 //
VOLUME 15, ISSUE 11 // APR 18–MAY 1
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VOLUME 15, ISSUE 11 BACK ON THE RISE // PG. 5
EUGENICS AT THE U // PG. 13
ALL ABOUT SPRING JAM // PG. 7
Q&A: NICK JORDAN // PG. 16
CRUZ VS. TRUMP // PG. 9
FATEFUL THREADS // PG. 21
EDITORIAL: Editor-in-Chief Grace Birnstengel Managing Editor Lauren Cutshall Cities Editor Alex Van Abbema Voices Editor Russell Barnes
Sound & Vision Editors Peter Diamond Olivia Heusinkveld Art Directors Lizzie Goncharova Max Smith Copy Editors Vanessa Nyarko Joe Rush
PRODUCTION: Executive Director Kelcie McKenney Head Designer Becca Sugden Graphic Designers Caleb Vanden Boom Kate Doyle Olivia Novotny Web Manager Carter Gruss
Editorial Interns Emma Klingler Carson Kaskel Colin Miller Gabby Granada Bella Dally-Steele Laura Beier John Blocher Hannah Kloos Faculty Advisor Chelsea Reynolds Distributors Abigail Rommel Sam Gunderson
PR/Ad Manager Sara Erickson
Photography Interns Kellen Renstrom
Social Media Manager Abby Richardson
Illustration Interns Aaron Musickant Madison Digiovanni Helen Teague Sophie Fesser Emily Hill
Social Media Intern Holly Wilson Finance Manager Nels Haugen PR Interns Jenna Ogle Emily Planek
Design Interns Breanna Vick Erin Bankson Web Interns Laurel Tieman Julia Holmes
THIS ISSUE: Photographers Carson Kaskel, Madison Digiovanni Illustrators Lizzie Goncharova, Max Smith, Helen Teague, Emily Hill, Sophie Fesser, Kellen Renstrom, Madison Digiovanni, Lindy Wirth, Katelyn Heywood, Rachel Lepinski, Andrew Tomten Contributing Writers Vanessa Nyarko, Grace Birnstengel, Olivia Heusinkveld, John Blocher, Abel Mehari, Hanna Kloos, Bella Dally-Steele, Claire Becker, Avery Boehm, Emma Klingler, Gabby Granada, Lauren Cutshall, Carter Gruss, Peter Diamond, Erik Newland, Jack HedlundFay, Colin Miller, Karl Witkowiak, Carson Kaskel, Russell Barnes, Andrew Tomten ©2015 The Wake Student Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Established in 2002, The Wake is a fortnightly independent magazine and registered student organization produced by and for students at the University of Minnesota. The Wake was founded by Chrin Ruen & James DeLong. Disclaimer:The purpose of The Wake is to provide a forum in which students can voice their opinions. Opinions expressed in the magazine are not representative of the publication or university as a whole. To join the conversation email gbirnstengel@wakemag.org.
The Wake Student Magazine 126 Coffman Memorial Union 300 Washington Avenue SE Minneapolis, MN 55455 www.wakemag.org facebook.com/ thewakemagazine @the_wake wake-mag.tumblr.com
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
As journalists, I think it’s in our nature to collect information until our hands cramp up. And in many ways, the spirit of journalism is to juggle many things at once. We are bound to let a few things slip from our grasp every once in awhile (luckily it’s not always chainsaws that we’re juggling). I bring this up because there’s no way you’re reading this in print. In the spirit of transparency— another value we journalists hold—I’ll say that’s because, financially, we couldn’t make this issue exist in print. Yet, as always, I have been reminded of the hard work that our staff and contributors put into making this magazine possible, especially on top of everything else. Shout out to the people stepping up to work outside of their normal roles, like our web manager, Carter, co-writing our feature on the U’s eugenics history (p.13), and one of our copy editors, Vanessa, writing about the bands everyone forgot about (p.19). Be sure to also check out how the arts fuse with recent politics in the piece on DeNiro’s stance on vaccination (p.11), and take a deeper look into what’s happening locally by reading about the University’s tuition hike (p.12) and the University’s Raptor Center (p. 5). As my last letter from the editor, I am tempted to write only of nostalgic moments. But I’d like to avoid sounding like the paragraph you wrote in purple pen on the inside cover of your high school best friend’s yearbook. Instead I’ll keep it simple and just say this: It’s been truly great. Lauren Cutshall Managing/Features Editor
Telltale Signs o r B of a e i n r
Be r
BY OLIVIA HEUSINKVELD
1. Desktop background is a picture of #BirdieSanders 2. They have a playlist called "Bernie is Bae" including the songs "Burn Baby Burn" and "Mr. Sandman"
3. Everything
on their phone auto-corrects to "Billionaires!!" "The one percent," or "YUGE."
4. They
refuse to watch anything with a celebrity who has publicly supported Hillary
From Wake illustration intern Helen Teague's “Doodle a Day” series
Horror Story
BY GRACE BIRNSTENGEL
BY VANESSA NYARKO
Because of the ubiquity of ridesharing apps like Uber, it’s easy to forget about the safety and trust implications that go along with the concept. For women, these thoughts linger more often. Uber drivers are predominately men, and the fear of mistreatment, sexual harassment or assault, and even abduction are very real scenarios in the world of Uber.
I’ve never been to Miami, and I don’t want to go to Florida, but I imagine it to be like Will Smith’s “Miami” video with “every different nation, Spanish, Haitian, Indian, Jamaican, black, white, Cuban, and Asian.” However, my best friend Ari went during spring break and came back with worst Uber story I’ve ever heard.
Some business guy from Boston named Michael Pelletz decided to swoop down and become our white man savior and invent Chariot for Women, an app launching April 19 in Boston that works like Uber, but with women drivers and women passengers. Oh, and any gender children under 13.
One sunny Miami afternoon,Ari and her friends went grocery shopping and called for an Uber to take them back to their rental. A green sedan pulled up, and after placing their groceries in the trunk, they enter the car to find a stoned-as-hell Uber driver.The girls didn’t know what to do, and the man began driving.
The initial downfall of the app is its inability to recognize trans, genderqueer, and gender-nonconforming passengers. It’s in the name—Chariot for Women aligns with the gender binary.
A few minutes into the ride, he asked if he could play some music, and after the girls said yes, he began to blast his “friend’s mixtape” with the volume all way up. The main single from this mixtape was entitled “Uber Drivers Fuck Bitches.” He proceeded to blast his motto through the fancy streets of Miami, built by drug money, where the bourgeoisie openly gawked, as Ari and their friends hid their heads in shame. This went on 15 minutes until they arrived at their desitination and the girls ran out. I never asked if she tipped him or enjoyed her welcome to Miami—high Uber style.
UBER
Alternative?
If the app finds success in Boston and expands to other cities, let’s hope it brings not only a heightened feeling of safety, but inclusiveness as well!
4 / / A PRI L 18 – M AY 1
O L I V I A NOVOT NY
5. Considering the use of the phrase #ImWithHim
THE WAKE // CITIES
Back on the
AND R EW TO MTEN
RISE
The U’s world-renowned Raptor Center BY JOHN BLOCHER Next time you have the temptation to squash one of those pesky pigeons bobbing underneath your feet in downtown Minneapolis—think twice—you could be stepping on someone’s next meal. The connoisseur in question is the peregrine falcon. Just 30 years ago, there were only two nesting pairs left in the North American Midwest. Today there are more than 200 pairs.This is just one of the many accomplishments attributed to University of Minnesota’s Raptor Center, which celebrated 40 years of research, medicine, and conservation in 2015. What started with a modest grant of $5,000 from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service back in 1975 has now become a universally renowned center for birds of prey. Through diligent work and philanthropy, the Raptor Center evolved into the state-of-the-art facility it is today. The $2.5 million, 21,000-square-foot facility built in 1988 is located on the University’s St. Paul campus. The purpose of the Raptor Center is to educate the public and provide in-house medical care for birds. Although internships and externships are limited to those with degrees in veterinary medicine, students and community members are encouraged to volunteer and take part in educational workshops. The Raptor Center has programs for younger enthusiasts as well, some of which include field trips, summer camps, and birthday parties. Raptors are distinguished from other birds by their incredible eyesight, curved beak for tearing meat, and talons for gripping prey. In North America, they range from the kestrel falcon, weighing about as much as a stick of butter, to the golden eagle, which has a wingspan of upwards of seven feet. Hawks, owls, ospreys and vultures are also classified as raptors—some of which were endangered prior to the creation of the Raptor Center— the first of its kind in the world. One of the biggest threats to raptor populations in Minnesota is lead. In the last 24 years, over 500 eagles received or admitted to the clinic have either been euthanized, or died as a result of lead poisoning. Bald eagles in particular rely heavily on lakes and rivers as hunting grounds. Although the use of lead ammunition for hunting waterfowl was banned in 1987, lead poisoning continues to be an issue. The use of lead slugs for deer hunting is largely to blame. Dr. Patrick T. Redig, co-founder and director emeritus at the Raptor Center, has held clinics for hunters demonstrating the shrapnel-like effects of lead bullets. Fragments are present in deer guts left behind by hunters for scavengers, as well as the meat hunters feed to their families. Copper bullets are one of a few alternatives, which are comparable in price and can travel at higher speeds.
Efforts to ban lead ammunition have outright failed. Even legislation to promote educational programs regarding the issue have come under fire from groups like the National Rifle Association (NRA). Convincing the hunting community to change its methods has been an uphill battle as well. “It miffs me that the hunting community doesn’t get out in front and put their white hats on to do something about this,” Redig said. While there is still progress to be made, the raptor population is on the rise in recent years. One successful recovery, Pi the bald eagle, is a bit of a celebrity around the Twin Cities. He is the figurehead of several ceremonies throughout the year, perhaps best known for his annual appearance at the Twin’s opener. There is also Nero, the old man of the house, a 41-year-old turkey vulture. He was one of the first birds ever to be equipped with a radio-transmitter, playing a role in the California condor restoration project. Julia Ponder became the executive director of the Raptor Center in 2007. “I have always been a bird lover. Before moving to Minnesota, I had an interest in environmentalism and conservation,” Ponder said. “Also, with my veterinary background, the Raptor Center seemed like a perfect match.” While admission fees and government subsidies make some contributions to the Center, Ponder was quick to congratulate individual donors. “We are very grateful to our philanthropic donations. We couldn’t do it without the support of the community,” Ponder said. The new Vikings Stadium, which has been criticized for its hazardous glass frame, is more of a concern for songbirds than raptors, according to Ponder. She admits that while there has been some progress in mitigating the risk, not nearly enough has been done thus far. The Raptor Center is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Tours are available every half hour.
WAKEMAG.ORG // 5
THE WAKE // CITIES
The Road to 73 Wins From the ‘90s to now, the evolution of the NBA has led to the Warrior’s historic season BY ABEL MEHARI Entering the 2015-16 NBA season, the Golden State Warriors were ready to defend their championship after setting a franchise record of 67 wins last season. This season, the Warriors are chasing the NBA record of 73 wins and attempting to surpass the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls record of 72 wins. Golden State began the season by winning their first 24 games, eclipsing the previous best start in NBA history, set by the 1993-94 Houston Rockets at 15-0. Led by reigning MVP point guard Stephen Curry, the Warriors are leading the NBA in three-point shooting percentage, attempts, and makes. Curry has already broken numerous records this season including his previous record of 330 threepointers made in a season, breaking last season’s record of 286. Curry also leads the league in scoring with 30 points per game. With two rising all-stars, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, the Warriors have three young stars leading their race to history. Green’s 11 triple-doubles broke the previous franchise record of nine, and Thompson is second in three-point shooting behind Curry, but was able to defeat his teammate and win the three-point shootout during All Star weekend in Toronto.
Free-flowing offense is the new norm, where players are able to go almost unencumbered anywhere on the court. The ‘90s Chicago Bulls would maybe have trouble adjusting to these rules because their suffocating defense relied on hand-checks, and forearm and elbow use with their fullcourt trapping defense. In Chicago’s full-court pressure defense, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen could take away a whole side of the court, able to defend on-ball and also get into passing lanes for steals that ignited the Chicago fast break. Dennis Rodman had an ability to trap out front in different areas and recover back to his man, as well as rebound and quickly outlet to start the fast break. Chicago also had standout players like Luc Longley and Ron Harper, creating one of the most feared defenses in the NBA. Golden State plays almost a similar defense to Chicago’s. The main difference is they constantly switch defense in their rotations. With their small lineup, they like to play man-to-man defense and trap in corners. This creates opportunities for steals and turnovers. Their defense gives them chances to bury quick three-pointers, which shift the momentum in their favor.
Despite all the accolades Golden State has achieved, many have criticized their success. Some think the Warriors’ style of play has benefited from numerous rule changes throughout the years. Since the 1990s, the NBA has instituted a series of rule changes to eliminate physical play and increase offensive flow. The first changes came during 1990-1993 when heavy suspensions were handed out for flagrant fouls and fighting. Defensive hand-checking was removed in 1994, and using the forearm to defend was also removed in 1997. In 1999, the league took away contact by a defender with his hands and forearms in the backcourt and frontcourt.
MA X SMI TH
The rule changes took away the physicality of defense and opened up the court for more scoring, which helped the Warriors develop their offensive attack.
6 / / A PRI L 18 – M AY 1
Surprisingly, Jordan and Pippen were actually easy to score against early in games because they concentrated on getting their rhythm on offense. Against Golden State, you cannot allow Curry and Thompson to get good looks early because of their movement and shot creativity. However, Jordan and Pippen could wear you down with their constant defensive pressure on both ends. Draymond Green is a better all-around player than Dennis Rodman was, and he can rebound effectively. Green would have a definite edge on offense with his ability to shoot and create for others, but Rodman controlled games by getting under his opponent’s skin and taking away their spots on the offensive side. Regardless of their differences, both teams are an elite class of all-time great teams. Jordan and Curry are proven clutch performers and come to put on a show while winning games. We’ll never know how both paired in reality.
THE WAKE // CITIES
LI NDY W I RT H
All About
Spring Jam
Love it or hate it, the festival lives on every year BY HANNAH KLOOS Spring Jam has sprung. This year, the University’s annual endof-year celebration boasts a groovy, diverse lineup including a variety of indie, rap, and EDM acts hailing from the Twin Cities and beyond. But you might have heard a different story. “I thought the lineup was so-so,” said freshman Jake Johnson. “I hoped to see some bigger names.” The only notably high-profile performers on the ticket are Jeremih and R3hab. Jeremih is probably best known for his 2009 ode to celebratory coitus, “Birthday Sex,” but his latest release, “Late Nights: The Album,” has been well-received by critics across the board. According to Pitchfork, it “establishes [Jeremih] as one of R&B's most singular voices.” Additionally, R3hab is a staple within the EDM scene. His energetic remixes will surely close out the show on a high note. This year’s Spring Jam features three local groups: the University’s very own Goodnight Gorillas, Minneapolis funk and soul band, Hustle Rose, and the TBD Battle of the Bands winner.
Goodnight Gorillas consist of four University of Minnesota sophomores. Their latest release, an EP called “The Absurd,” came out back in 2014. Hustle Rose’s single “Make You Mine,” has received heavy airplay from 89.3 The Current. Lastly, whoever wins the Battle of the Bands show the day before the big show will also perform at Spring Jam, so make sure to go cast your vote. While you might not have heard of them individually, West Coast rappers Cozz and Bas are signed to rapper J. Cole’s Dreamville label. Cozz’s dynamic, inspirational rap speaks to struggles of growing up and Bas creates atmospheric, wordy rap without sacrificing good beats. As the only indie-pop group on the lineup, MisterWives will bring some variety to the show. Their singles “Reflections” and “Our Own House” received major buzz last year. Don’t cast Spring Jam off because you aren’t familiar with all of the bands. Just because you aren’t a huge fan yet doesn’t mean you can’t be in the future.
WAKEMAG.ORG // 7
THE WAKE // CITIES
Coddling? Or Consequences of the Modern Workload? University of St. Thomas introduces controversial laundry service BY BELLA DALLY-STEELE The University of St. Thomas (UST) has recently partnered with the dry-cleaning service Laundry Doctor, which allows students to shuck their laundry responsibilities for $1 per pound of dirty clothes. Students can deposit their laundry in designated lockers to be swept up and dry-cleaned by Laundry Doctor employees, and then returned to the same locker within a two-day period. Although St.Thomas’s student-run news service, TommieMedia, reported that concerned parents encouraged this unlikely partnership, this resource has been subject to scrutiny.
Some supporters say that it helps students to feel less stressed. Others say it helps students who don’t know how to do laundry. Bonnie Hanson, St. Thomas’s vice president of marketing and client relations, took a more academic approach and told TommieMedia, “It frees them up to reap the benefits of their education.” Still, university students have targeted St. Thomas, the service enables the of students, abetting their learning life skills.
and parents claiming that infantilization resistance to
“I get that [UST] can’t control the fact that there are students that were raised without knowing how to do laundry,” stated one alumnus in an MPR blog, “but they certainly don’t need to enable this behavior.” According to parents of students at St. Thomas, this service isn’t about coddling. It is a necessity for students with unwieldy workloads, who lack the time and energy to do their laundry themselves. It is no secret that university workloads are at a peak. STEM students in particular
suffer from crippling workloads, with engineering students receiving an average of 18.5 hours of work per week outside of classes and labs, according to a New York Times blog. With such a time-consuming school life, students are forced to postpone their acquisition of life skills, whether it be laundry or time management. Speaking out in defense of St. Thomas students, University of Minnesota student Dina Carpenter-Graffy commented on her rigorous course load as an astrophysics major and how the STEM curriculum may be forcing students to seek out services such as Laundry Doctor. “It’s not that I don’t want to do my laundry,” Carpenter-Graffy said. “It’s that I don’t have room in my brain or time in my schedule to think about doing my laundry on a daily basis. I leave it until I can’t anymore.”
FL IC KR USER I NVERN ODREA MI NG
Clearly, the arguments for and against St. Thomas’s laundry service are both reputable and flawed. Laundry Doctor’s service undoubtedly coddles students, allowing them to forestall learning valuable life skills, but in consideration of students’ unprecedented workloads, such a service may be in demand.
8 / / A PRI L 18 – M AY 1
St.Thomas’s partnership with Laundry Doctor is concerning as it exemplifies the growing trend of babying students to their own detriment. But instead of labeling St. Thomas’s students as lazy, we should be investigating the roots of this unsettling trend. As the pace of university education quickens, students are pushed beyond their limits academically, and as a consequence their life skills are suffering.
// It’s not that I don’t want to do my
laundry. It’s that I don’t have room in my brain or time in my schedule.//
LI Z Z I E GO NC H AROVA
THE WAKE // VOICES
BY CLAIRE BECKER Two competitors stand tense and ready in separate corners of the octagon, preparing for combat. They are both sweating heavily and breathing hard, tired from previous engagements. They are worthy opponents. One is a 5-foot-8-inch Texan with a soft twang in his voice and a perpetual look of mild disappointment on his face. The other is a 6-foot-2-inch New Yorker with a mean streak that won’t quit and hair that appears to have quit long ago. What are their names? Sen. Ted Cruz and ultra-wealthy businessman Donald Trump. The impending smack down is not one of physical strength, but one of wits, passiveaggressiveness, and strategic hashtags. The date is March 22, and contender Donald Trump makes the first move, tweeting, “Lyin’ Ted Cruz just used a picture of Melania from a GQ shoot in his ad. Be careful, lyin' Ted, or I will spill the beans on your wife!” Trump came out of left field and went straight for the jugular. Within the tweet, we see derisive wording (lyin’ Ted), a misguided accusation (about the use of provocative GQ photos featuring a partially nude Melania Trump in what Trump believed to be a Cruz-approved ad, but what was actually an ad produced by an anti-Trump super PAC in Utah), and finally, a vague and bizarre threat (“I’ll spill the beans!”). Which beans, Donald? This question was not left unanswered for long. On March 23, a frail, sickly-looking, semihuman blob named “The Enquirer” entered the octagon and began to scream, “Ted Cruz cheated on his wife five times with vague and unnamed women!” Following this unforeseen outburst, Cruz administered a counterblow in a desperate attempt to fend off Trump and the humanoid “Enquirer” blob. Cruz tweeted: “Pic of your wife not from us. Donald, if you try to attack Heidi, you're more of a coward than I thought. #Classless.” Ol’ Ted pulls us into the big leagues now, bullying Trump with the word “coward” and throwing out a scathing hashtag—a truly valiant effort.
CRUZ vs. TRUMP A few tweets and several sexist memes later, judges have not yet determined a winner. Cruz and Trump, though both gallant fighters, are not the first to have entered the octagon.
A similar smack down occurred in ye olde octagon in 1796 when Alexander Hamilton accused Thomas Jefferson of having relations with one of his slaves. #Classless. (The accusation turned out to be true, but that is beside the point). A smack down of monstrous proportions occurred during the 1828 presidential election when accusations of infidelity, illegal gambling, and international prostitution involving the Czar of Russia flew through the debate chamber and across news headlines. The 1828 presidential race is widely regarded as one of the dirtiest in history, and contenders didn’t use a single hashtag. Politics and the media have always had a close, slightly dysfunctional relationship, but the advent of internet culture has ramped the dysfunction up to a new level. Social media allows voters to directly connect with candidates on a level that didn’t really exist before. For example, smack downs like the one between Cruz and Trump now happen out in the open where everyone with a phone can see and respond to the arguments. Voters in 1796 couldn’t throw shady tweets at Thomas Jefferson, or Photoshop Alexander Hamilton’s head onto pictures of dinosaurs and caption them: “This man ate my son.”
The media-based battle and the evolution of political mudslinging Sure, impassioned voters could talk trash around local taverns, or maybe sketch up a rousing political cartoon, but they didn’t have nearly as wide of a reach as today’s mediasavvy, impassioned voters. The internet has allowed political mudslinging to evolve from accusing an opponent of sleeping around to accusing an opponent of sleeping around and Photoshopping his face onto Nosferatu. Can we take politics seriously with all these wild allegations, memes, and hashtags floating around? The short answer: yeah, probably. Mudslinging and bizarre accusations have been a part of American elections since before light bulbs existed—I think we can handle the addition of a few memes to the process. Introducing social media to politics can make for some great smack downs, dank memes, and—most importantly yet least hilariously— the active and dynamic involvement of constituents in the election process. To stay sane, just sit back and try not to take the sweaty people bullying one another in the octagon too seriously.
WAKEMAG.ORG // 9
THE WAKE // VOICES BY BELLA DALLY-STEELE
LI NDY W I RTH
Minneapolis joined the likes of Ferguson and Chicago when, after four months of tense investigation and public unrest, two white police officers were deemed innocent of wrongdoing after fatally shooting an unarmed black man. Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman decided not to charge officers Mark Ringgenberg and Dustin Schwarze in the Nov. 15 killing of Jamar Clark. The ruling is the first under a new protocol in police shooting cases. For the foreseeable future, the Hennepin County attorney, not a grand jury, will have the final say on police shooting cases. The verdict has shocked—but not surprised—Black Lives Matter activists and the Minneapolis National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), both of whom supported the new protocol in hopes that forgoing a grand jury would lead to more accountability and transparency in decisions on police shooting cases. In the wake of Freeman’s ruling, the events leading up to Clark’s death have come under intense scrutiny. The night of Clark’s death, RayAnn Hayes, 41, called 911 for medical assistance for a broken ankle, an injury that she reported sustaining while intervening in a fight. Upon arriving at the scene, authorities identified Hayes as Clark’s girlfriend. Authorities
report that when Hayes was treated, she said that her injuries were caused by a fight with her boyfriend, whom she identified as Clark. Witnesses recall Hayes throwing Clark into a door. During an investigative review with the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and further questioning, Hayes clarified that she and CLark were not romantically involved, nor were they fighting. “I twisted my own ankle. He was on the ground trying to help me. I don’t know what everybody was talking about he was beating me up.” The case was further complicated by opposing eyewitness accounts. During the altercation leading to Clark’s death, officer Ringgenberg grabbed Clark and took him to the ground, where he reports that Clark reached for his gun. Forensic report has found Clark’s DNA on Ringgenberg’s handgun grips, but not
? k c i m m i G
Simply a
Officers Walk in Jamar Clark Killing Details leave public unconvinced on other parts of the gun. Twelve eyewitnesses and Clark’s forensic report claim that Clark was not handcuffed when he was shot, while another twelve eyewitnesses claim that he was. Although Ringgenberg and Schwarze were outfitted with body cameras, Clark’s killing was not recorded. The officers did not turn on their lights and sirens, and therefore their body cameras were not automatically turned on. Grainy footage of the confrontation, filmed by a bystander, has been recovered and released to the public. In the wake of Freeman’s decision, the Minneapolis NAACP has called for a reopening of the case, in hopes that a second review will find the officers guilty. Within the Minneapolis Police Department, a civil investigation is under way, soon to be followed by an internal review. Although Freeman has ruled against convicting Ringgenberg and Schwarze, it is clear that Clark’s case is far from over.
BY AVERY BOEHM
McDonald’s reevaluates their business ideals
McDonald’s is internationally renowned for its fast food and speedy service. The restaurant is not known, however, for a menu of fresh and healthy options, making it seem inappropriate for the corporation to file registration to create a trademark of the phrase, “The Simpler the Better.”
KELL EN RENS TROM
McDonald’s assembles each item quickly and efficiently, and this ultrafast preparation can leave room for both unhealthy and unsanitary conditions. In recent years, the corporation made moves for the well being of its business and customers. After taking over as CEO in 2014, Steve Eastbrook turned the company’s full attention on evolving a simpler way of functioning.
10 // APR 18–MAY 1
Eastbrook cut costs, and he continues to aim the trajectory of the company toward simplifying the number of things the company focuses on. The cooperation plans to close hundreds of stores worldwide after they failed to perform to sales standards.While on the global scale, this change seems minimal, customers will begin to experience changes hit home at their local restaurant.
McDonald’s also removed multiple items from its previous menu in an effort to further streamline the business and its products. The chain added all-day breakfast to its options following the idea that the morning menu is one of the most popular with customers, therefore doing more of what they do best. The company plans to integrate healthier menu options into their daily roundup, such as experimenting with burger toppings and kale salad. While McDonald’s is arguably a less healthy option for hungry foodies, the company is making steps in the right direction.They are focusing on the interests and health of their customers, and their wayward guests, who have since gone in search of more conscious fast food, may possibly return. Food lovers everywhere may be skeptical of the changes the cooperation is undergoing, but until we see what the company has in store for the public, it is best to applaud Eastbrook’s efforts and have hope that the globally placed company continues to show care for its customers. The changes McDonald’s put into action are hopefully a new wave in the company’s focus that will inspire more changes in the international fast food market.
THE WAKE // VOICES
EMI LY H I LL
Vaxxed is Axed Tribeca Film Festival cut anti-vaccine production
BY EMMA KLINGLER A controversial documentary has been pulled from the Tribeca Film Festival lineup just days after being given the coveted spot. “Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe” promises to expose a devastating institutional effort to conceal evidence connecting childhood vaccination to autism. Robert De Niro, who founded the festival 15 years ago, initially pushed for the film’s inclusion in an effort to forward the discussion about autism. De Niro, who has a child with autism, stated that he is not anti-vaccine, but merely wanted to provide “the opportunity for conversation around the issue.” However, after a review with the festival’s film team and some members of the scientific community, the decision was made to remove the film from the lineup. In De Niro’s official statement, he expresses concerns about sharing the film due to unspecified content issues, and concludes that the film does not contribute to the conversation in the way that he had hoped it would. In response to the festival’s actions, many have expressed outrage at the perceived censorship, claiming that the decision to remove the film is a violation of freedom of speech. The reaction is unsurprising. People tend to feel a threat to their freedom of speech when decisions are made about what they should and should not see. However, in this case, the issue is not whether a discussion can be had, but who should be a part of that discussion. And in that light, the debate about “Vaxxed” becomes more clear-cut.
The problems begin and end with the film’s director, Andrew Wakefield. Wakefield published the original study in 1998 demonstrating a link between autism in children and the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. The study has since been discredited by numerous independent researchers, and the British General Medical Council subsequently ordered a tribunal investigation into Wakefield’s conduct. The tribunal was able to prove three dozen charges against Wakefield, including charges of dishonesty and abuse of developmentally challenged children. In the conduct inquiry, it was discovered that Wakefield and two of his colleagues subjected children with autism to unnecessary, invasive medical procedures. To top off the scandal, the actions of the study were done without the requisite approval of an institutional review board. The findings resulted in a retraction of Wakefield’s paper and his removal from the UK medical register. From the “Vaxxed” film description and trailer, it seems to focus a significant amount of attention on the alleged Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) whistleblower, William Thompson. Thompson made claims that the CDC team responsible for one of the studies disproving Wakefield attempted to destroy significant data proving his original claims true. This information has been widely rejected, but Thompson did manage to persuade a few people. Brian Hooker, a biochemical engineer, was contacted directly by Thompson about the evidence. Hooker published his own paper, using
data provided by Thompson, showing an apparently suppressed link between vaccination in a particular age group of AfricanAmerican boys and autism. The statistical analysis in his study is almost comically flawed, and the journal in which it was published released a retraction note citing concerns about validity and competing interests on the part of the author. The desire to examine the possible causes of autism is completely understandable. With growing attention being given to the mystery of autism’s cause, it is natural that those with personal ties to the issue want closure. But it is not productive to continue raising the hopes of those who are searching for answers by allowing the continued spread of false information. Further, the claims made by the likes of Wakefield, Thompson, and Hooker have had a very grave impact beyond false hope. The effects of Wakefield’s original study are still present in our society in lower rates of immunization and the reemergence of formerly controlled diseases, sometimes with deadly results. As a society, we instill a lot of trust in doctors and scientists—those whom we perceive as being the most knowledgeable, credible, and committed to doing no harm. When irresponsibility and ego lead to betrayed trust and a public health epidemic, there will be consequences. Freedom of speech does have its limits when it comes to causing harm. These men have done their harm, and have therefore lost their right to have their voices heard on this matter.
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THE WAKE // VOICES
The Price of Leaving Home The U’s proposed tuition increase targets out-of-state students BY GABBY GRANADA The topic of the March 29 University of Minnesota Board of Regents meeting was frightening—the proposed tuition increase for non-reciprocity, out-of-state students. President Kaler started off the meeting by addressing a few of the University’s toppriority concerns such as mental health advocacy, diversity outreach and support (or lack thereof), and last but certainly not least, the controversial non-reciprocity, out-of-state tuition increase.
KEL LEN RENS TROM
The student representatives for the Board of Regents spoke next, expressing the student body’s concerns about the lack of transparency surrounding the recent tuition increase proposal. They pointed out that the number one priority for prospective students from other states and countries is affordability. With this in mind, many current University students are deeply concerned that the proposed tuition increase will discourage a diverse applicant pool of students for years to come.
According to our Office of Institutional Research, the University’s current population of students of color sits at a low 17 percent, and its international student body is a dismal 10.6 percent. If the University is looking to grow as a robust, innovative, and diverse Big Ten university, raising non-reciprocity, out-of-state tuition will only undermine their efforts. The repercussions of a swift and significant increase in tuition could deem catastrophic for the students that need the most support on campus: the multicultural and international communities. The Board of Regents assured that retaining, encouraging, and harboring a diverse campus here in the Twin Cities is a top priority for them. However, if they implement a tuition increase that has the potential to severely hinder the University’s diversification efforts, their well-intentioned implementation will have been counteractive. The Board reported that 65 percent of the University’s student body consists of
Minnesota residents, but in the eyes of some regents, that number is far too low. Regent Michael Hsu even went so far as to say that he “wouldn’t mind seeing that number increase to 70 or even 80 percent of Minnesotan students here on campus.” The phrase “We must remember that we are in the business of educating Minnesotan students” was thrown around quite a bit throughout the meeting. While it’s a true statement, it’s also problematic. It inadvertently implies that a student’s birthplace can potentially hold more value than his or her academic merit, a dangerously close-minded approach to collegiate education. The Board of Regents also talked of their goals in building the “University of Minnesota brand” into a more academically prestigious and selective household name.
However, if the University of Minnesota wants to develop into a powerhouse state school, similar to the likes of the University of Michigan, they’ll need to do away with the ideology that increasing its amount of international and out-of-state students is an act of disloyalty to Minnesota and its residents. Non-resident students bring valuable perspectives and cultures that add an unparalleled layer of depth and diversity to a campus. Increasing their tuition will only narrow the University’s national and global outreach and hinder its potential for growth. After a morning’s worth of stalemate debate among administration, the Board of Regents concluded that while the proposal was imperfect, it could be tweaked overtime. The motion to implement an increase in non-reciprocity, outof-state tuition prevailed with an overwhelming sense of “we’ll take what we can get.” There is no telling how this tuition increase will affect diversity on campus for the years to come, but the institution is already experiencing some repercussions. The University of Minnesota provost reported that letters from concerned parents have been pouring in, and the University has already seen an 8 percent decrease in enrollment confirmations this year. But as one regent bluntly remarked, “In business when you raise a price, you can expect a lower demand.” The trouble is that for many young adults willing to leave home for a quality education, the rising tuition rates are far more complex than a clean-cut business analysis of supply and demand. Unfortunately, for an exponentially growing number of students across the globe, their educational aspirations can only stretch as far as their wallets. The price of leaving home has grown far too steep.
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MAX SMI TH
THE WAKE // FEATURE
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THE WAKE // FEATURE
The University’s history of eugenics and its rotting legacy BY LAUREN CUTSHALL AND CARTER GRUSS The miraculous amount of food required to feed the U.S. would not have been possible a century ago—not without the numerous advances in technology, science, and animal husbandry. We owe a considerable amount to the science of breeding—everything from our food to the small corgis we carry around in purses. And yet, when the same concept is applied to humans, the ethics of the act becomes infinitely more complicated. Put simply, the term “breeding” becomes “eugenics.” The well-intentioned positivity crumbles as soon as we call it’s called by its real name: forced sterilization. Eugenics was a genetic solution to a wide host of social issues and moral degeneracy. Through the sterilization of certain people they deemed criminals, deviants, and the “feebleminded,” society attempted to remove the problems altogether. In the 2008 talk “Deadly Medicine,” scholar Mark Soderstrom called eugenics a “socially powerful” movement that attempted to soothe many middle class anxieties rising from the shift away from self-employment. “Politically, eugenics had influence at the highest levels,” Soderstrom said. “It linked dreams of national salvation to the rising corporate economic model and promised a role for the white bourgeois men and women to become surrogate parents to the nation.” As the agricultural based society gave way to the standardization of industry, society clung to these notions of breeding. Contemporary belief has since diminished eugenics to a pseudoscience, and demonized those, like Nazi Germany, who endorsed its practice. But the movement gained traction across the U.S. long before World War II.With an exceptionally strong grip in the Midwest, the first eugenics sterilization law was passed in 1907 in Indiana. As the cleansing treaded north, Minnesota—and the University of Minnesota specifically— became a key location for sterilization. THE LOCAL ENTHUSIASTS It comes as no surprise that those most often involved in eugenics were intellectuals with power. Liberals and conservatives alike found a sense of purpose through this socalled betterment of society. “They were generally well intentioned and sought to do good and serve their community and nation,” Soderstrom said in the talk. “They were all extremely successful in their fields. They were educators and administrators who sought to do the best they could, no different in intent from such individuals today.” A handful of those educators and administrators were prominent members in the University—so prominent, many of them have buildings in their honor.
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Enthusiasm for eugenics began early on with the University’s first president, William Watts Folwell. A key advocate for the eugenics movement, Folwell was a founding member of the Minnesota Eugenics Society, formed in 1923.
“At the peak of his crusade, Dight famously wrote a letter to Hitler, praising him for his good work within the eugenics community.”
Also included in the University’s tainted-building line up is dormitory Comstock Hall and the administrative building Johnston Hall. Ada Comstock, who served as the University’s first Dean of Women, was a strong eugenics supporter. In his talk, Soderstrom addressed Comstock’s enthusiasm, referencing her quote that “Eugenics is the greatest concern of the human race.” More involved than Comstock, Johnston’s eugenics support likely came from his background in comparative neurology. “Johnston created a discourse that emphasized the natural, national qualities of old stock Americans, beset by an invasion of immigrants and racial others,” Soderstrom said. “He enacted policy measures to try to ‘rebuild the University dykes against that flood.’” The University named the building in his honor in 1951.
In many of these academic circles, the issues of human society began to be approached through the lens of agriculture. “It certainly permeates the writings of all the [University] eugenicists, who variously write of weeding the human garden, breeding human thoroughbreds, or raising the ‘man crop.’” The agricultural parallels that justified human eugenics, Soderstrom observed, weren’t surprising, mostly because the first strong eugenics support came from the American Breeder’s Association. Though the University had a strong agricultural foundation that was matched with support from the University higher-ups, a eugenics curriculum wasn’t always assured. Lotus Coffman, a supporter himself, drew the line against a eugenics curriculum during his time as president. When the dean of the medical school, Elias Lyon, suggested the University include eugenics sterilization in its coursework, Coffman rejected the idea.
THE WAKE // FEATURE IMAGE S B Y C ARSON KA SKE L A ND IL L U ST RAT IONS B Y MA X SMIT H
“[Coffman] didn’t think the University should be wielding police powers in that way,” explained Kirk Allison, a current professor of public health and human rights at the University. Despite Coffman’s support for eugenics as a whole, he didn’t want the school to be directly involved. “He had a certain sensibility of what was proper domain for this kind of authority and where it should be and shouldn’t be,” Allison said. Coffman Memorial Union, ironically, now houses various forms of University government and symbols of diversity, including Student Unions and Activities and the Minnesota Student Association. DIGHT’S EUGENICS CRUSADE While Coffman, Comstock, and Johnston all supported the eugenics movement, it was University professor Charles Fremont Dight who spearheaded the crusade for eugenics sterilization in Minnesota. Dight taught pharmacology at the University from 1913 to 1933 and published such works as the pamphlet “Human Thoroughbreds—Why Not?” In 1923, he organized the Minnesota Eugenics Society in order to lay the groundwork for the 1925 Eugenics Sterilization Law. The law, which was ultimately passed, made it legal for “feebleminded” people, among others, to be sterilized without their consent. At the peak of his crusade, Dight famously wrote a letter to Hitler, praising him for his good work within the eugenics community. “I trust you will accept my sincere wish that your efforts along that line will be a great success and will advance the eugenics movement in other nations as well as in Germany,” the letter read. In his will, Dight left the University approximately $100,000 to use for “the study and promulgation of human genetics, provide instruction in human genetics, and establish a resource center.” This lead to the creation of The Dight Institute, which opened its doors in 1941, three years after his passing.
“The University has been rather uncomfortable at times with [Dight’s] will,” Allison said. “They used it and re-tooled it for general genetics research. They moved away from the old, sterilization eugenics context and, as they say, interpreted the will broadly.”
“Among the records collected were forms entitled ‘record of family traits’ that detailed the genetic histories of students studying at the time.” For many years, The Dight Institute held the records that were previously at the eugenics records office in Cold Springs Harbor, New York. Among the records collected were forms entitled “record of family traits” that detailed the genetic histories of students studying at the time. With more than a few skeletons in the closet, the University has attempted to reframe the institute in a more positive light.
In 1984, it was renamed The Institute for Human Genetics and contributed to research in areas of mental disability, cancer and epilepsy. And in 1996, it was demolished to make way for the building that is now Nils Hasselmo Hall. A LEGACY RENAMED Though Dight’s donation to the University is kept mum, and his building has been long demolished, a whisper of his legacy still stands in southeast Minneapolis. Running parallel to Minnehaha Avenue is Dight Avenue, a street just south of the Longfellow neighborhood, leading to the Minnesota icon General Mills. In the summer of 2015, Rep. Phyllis Kahn led a crusade of her own, pushing to find a new name for the street. Similarly, Minneapolitans led discussions to rename the iconic Lake Calhoun, citing its namesake’s advocacy of slavery in the 19th century. Now more than ever, people are digging into landmark histories and questioning their integrity. These days, the honor that is associated with an everlasting legacy is matched with the weight of an ethical track record. Perhaps there is more vetting to be done, or perhaps we must embrace these ugly pasts. At this, Allison smirked. “Pretty soon we’re not going to have anything named after anybody, right?”
WAKEMAG.ORG // 15
THE WAKE // Q & A
Q&A: Nick Jordan
B y day Ni ck Jo rda n Meye rson s t u d i e s music busi ne ss a t t he U n i ver si t y o f St. T ho ma s. By n i g h t , h e dro ps hi s l a st na me t o p e r fo r m smo o th, so ulful music t h a t ’s t h e pe rfe ct so undtra ck t o a su m m er ti me dri ve . A t 22 ye ars o l d , M eyerso n is re a dy to ta ke his b r i m m i n g musi c ca re e r into the s p o t l i g h t w ith hi s pro pe r de but , t h e E P “ NJ,” a pe rso na l sta te ment s t r u c t u re d by Meye rson’s p h i l o so p hy o f the cycli ca l na ture o f l i fe . H is si lk y, bre e z y fa lset t o e x p resse s a qui e t me dita ti o n on rel a t i o n s hips, fa te , a nd love th at , l i ke t h e s e a so ns, co me s a nd goes, b u t i s ever pre se nt. M eye r so n he a dli ne d T he Wa ke’s a n nu a l spri ng co nce r t o n A pri l 14 a t t h e Tr i pl e R o ck So cia l Cl ub.
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I MAG ES COURTESY OF FACEBOOK. COM/NJ ORDA NMUS I C
BY PETER DIAMOND
THE WAKE // Q & A The Wake: When did you start making music? When did you first take an interest in it? Nick Jordan: I feel like I had an interest in music probably all of my life, but the mediums have changed throughout. I always loved singing, and I always sang, but for a while when I was growing up, I was like, “Well, maybe I should do theater or musical theater, maybe I should be on stage,” because I always knew I got a rush from that. I was really weird. I used to have a speech impediment, so communication was difficult with people. Things like performing and public speaking really help me. So as time went on, I kind of got sick of being handed scripts all the time, and being like, “interpret this.” And then it became me wanting to curate my own stories, and write my own stuff. I probably tried trying to write songs when I was 16, and I thought I was like Busta Rhymes. I would write raps all the time, and I really thought I was Busta Rhymes reincarnated.
I still do rap occasionally. It got to the point where I’d leave these spots open and I’d be like, “I need a feature here, I need a feature.” You know, there’d be some inquiries, but it’d never be what I wanted. They’d be like, “Well what do you want?” And I was like, well F it, I’ll just do it. I hear a lot of Frank Ocean and Pharrell on the album, and Ashanti, too, who you give a shout out to on the EP. NJ: Dude when I was 8, I thought Ashanti was it. I thought she was the one. I used to have dreams. Well, she had her debut album, right? I grew up with a single mom, and she is very Christian, like she broke my TLC CD once. She was like “No, this is the devil.” I really wanted the Ashanti CD, but it had the parental advisory. I remember as a kid having dreams, before I knew that Wal-Mart sold edited things, I would have dreams that I would buy it and it didn’t have the advisory, and I was
NJ:You have to, and you have to pay homage. I have a huge beef with people that are like, “I’m self-made. Well I’m this one and I’m the only one.” No one is ever self-made, and when you declare things like that it’s a slap in the face to mentors and people that have came before you who have provided ways for us to express ourselves. I noticed the music video for “Flavors” was very choreographed. Are choreography and dancing also a crucial part of your music? NJ: Yeah, and it snuck up. I didn’t think that it would be, because growing up, I didn’t dance. When I moved here and started undergrad, I just became friends with a lot of dancers. I’d be in dance rehearsals and doing these things, and a lot of opportunities started coming to me. Like in the middle of making “NJ” and finding my artistry, dancing gigs came up. I would do that and train a lot with different mentors and
So that’s when you started to take things seriously? NJ: I was dabbling around 16-17, but I wasn’t fully letting people in on my plan. I kind of wanted to get out of the small town where big dreams die and stuff like that.When I graduated and moved to the cities, 18 was when I really started to hit the ground running. I was just so hungry to dive into creative things, and it’s been a process ever since then.
//No No one one is is ever ever selfself-
made, made, and and when when you you declare declare things things like like that that it’s it’s aa slap slap in in the the face face to to mentors mentors and and people people that that have have came came before before you you who who have have provided provided ways ways for for us us to to express express ourselves. ourselves.
You mentioned Busta Rhymes, so did you start out with a focus on rapping? NJ: It’s just what came out to me. I always sang, but I liked words. And I always loved how words work together, and like wordplay, internal rhyme schemes, and stuff like that. I learned then to integrate melodies, and that’s what I tell myself now when I write, because I know you can write a lot of words, but I want orchestral instrumentations of my stuff one day, and I want vocal melodies that are instantly recognizable. It’s fun. It’s like a puzzle every time.
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I feel like you can’t really question why you perform under a certain genre. It’s whatever comes naturally.There’s still a little rap on the EP.
like “See mom, I can buy this now.” That’s how deeply rooted Ashanti was in my system for a long time. It’s very bizarre. What other influences do you identify with? NJ: Pharrell and The Neptunes are huge to me, because they do everything. It’s melodic, the synths are like from another world, the beats are crazy, and it has that signature sound that you are able to flip in so many different ways, and I think that’s what’s so beautiful about it. Music and artistry isn’t about having to reinvent the wheel every time, which I think people are tempted to do sometimes. But it’s like finding what works for you, and then just flipping it every single time, because you’re growing as a person, so you don’t have to worry about, “Well am I going to run out of stuff to write about.” It’s like acknowledging your influences and incorporating them to make them your own.
people. In retrospect, it’s so important and it was necessary, because now it’s such a part of the NJ show. The EP explores a lot about love and relationships. What did you learn about those things as you were working on it? NJ:You learn how to make peace with yourself. I think there are things that went on with myself in trying to find [my] identity in love and relationships. Writing makes you really go into the deepest, darkest things in your mind. Art can take something that is negative and turn it into a positive. Do you find writing music as therapeutic in that sense? NJ:Yes, yes, yes. I’ve learned more about myself through writing on this journey, and this process. Hopefully, at the end, you have a greater understanding of yourself, so you’re able to love yourself more readily.
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KELLEN R ENS TROM
THE WAKE // SOUND & VISION
10 Forgotten Rock Bands from the ’90s and ’00s Artists you haven’t thought about since Cash Money Records was taking over BY VANESSA NYARKO I have an eclectic musical palette, and I cite certain experiences in my adolescence as the prime reasons for it. The greatness of the ’90s dripped into the early 2000s to create a transitional period that will never be recreated.This period had all the best genres of rock, ranging from ska to pop-punk. Here are my personal—perhaps forgotten or unknown—favorites from the last great decade into the early 21st Century.
10. The Dandy Warhols Calling all “Veronica Mars” fans. This band created the dramatic theme song that encapsulated Veronica’s life: “We Used to Be Friends.” Along with popular hits like “Bohemian Like You” and “Not if You Were the Last Junkie on Earth,” The Dandy Warhols were one of the most kitsch ‘90s bands.
9. Legião Urbana Most of the bands on this list are American, but the ’90s saw the mainstream introduction of foreign rock. Legião Urbana (Portuguese for Urban Legion) is a Brazilian band with a tragic story that never reached American radio waves, but may have if the band hadn’t disbanded in 1997. Legião Urbana are like a Brazilian version of The Cure with songs of melancholy like “Tempo Perdido” and “Eduardo e Mônica.”
8. 311 311 was the ultimate confusion fusion. I’m not exactly sure what to label them, but neither is anyone else. Many call 311 a reggae rock group. Others label it as rap rock, but I think the general consensus is that they were a band for stoners. 311 had hits like “Down,” “All Mixed Up,” and “Amber,” which was written about the only Pussycat Doll that mattered, Nicole Scherzinger.
7. The Donnas
3. Rooney
They were an all female pop-punk group that sang about dating boys, and they were everything I wanted to be. If you don’t remember The Donnas, rewatch “Herbie Fully Loaded” or “Freaky Friday.” They had hits like “Take it Off,” and “Too Bad About Your Girl,” along with a bomb cover of “Dancing With Myself” by Billy Idol.
I hated “Princess Diaries,” but I did love Robert Schwartzman (Michael). When I found out he had a band, I expected the worst, but Schwartzman proved me wrong. Rooney scored major MTV airplay with hits such as “When Did Your Heart Go Missing,” “I’m Shakin,’” and “I Can’t Get Enough.” Rooney was a Hollister favorite because of the store’s illegitimate mass production of Cali style.
6. The Click Five When I worked at Brunswick Zone in high school, all I ever heard was Demi Lovato and a wide array of pop punk, including this band. I only know two songs, “Just the Girl” and “Catch Your Wave,” but they were constantly on repeat. I recall being distraught when I found out these Beatle wannabes were grown men instead of high schoolers.
5. Reel Big Fish Trumpets and rock go together like chicken and waffles: a great combination, but a really random one. Reel Big Fish were a true ska band unlike others (looking at you No Doubt). They also were not the Mighty Mighty Mighty Bosstones, which people often confuse them for.They had hits like “Sell Out” and a great cover of A-Ha’s “Take On Me.”
4. Kaiser Chiefs Brit rock was great in the ’90s and the early ’00s, and the Kaiser Chiefs were on repeat on my Zune. When I needed an escape from Oasis or Blur, I jammed out to “Ruby” and “Angry Mob.” Lily Allen and Mark Ronson have a fantastic cover of “Oh My God” by the Chiefs.
2. Everclear I actually had no clue who Everclear were until an episode of “Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide.” It was the episode where Ned’s music teacher was a former rock star: Art Alexakis. Jamming out to “I Will Buy You a New Life,” “Santa Monica,” and “Volvo Driving Soccer Mom” takes me back to an era where I was nothing but a mere egg.
1. Creed Creed is one of my favorite bands, second to Nickelback, and I couldn’t care less what you think. Creed songs defined the angst and uncertainty of the early oughts with their postgrunge feels. I dare you to listen to “With Arms Wide Open,” “My Sacrifice,” or “Higher” without screaming along. I mainly blame Wednesday night youth service and church camp for my enjoyment of Creed, although they weren’t even a Christian band. False allegations about a lawsuit over a bad performance, substance abuse, jealousy from other bands, and the tendency of society to hate an artist because it’s trendy (looking at you Nickelback haters) caused their downfall.
WAKEMAG.ORG // 19
THE WAKE // SOUND & VISION
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S OP H I E FE S S E R
In ‘The Wonder Years,’ McCullough developed a soundtrack that rooted the show in a time and place but also captured the inner turmoil of adolescence.
Music Direction in Film
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How sound creates atmosphere in TV and movies BY JACK HEDLUND-FAY Television is a medium that engages both sight and sound. visuals interdependently, conveying messages more powerfully Just as shows can be visually compelling, so too can they than either could alone. By juxtaposing smooth, relaxing music make powerful use of audio through music and sound. Many with gruesome, brutal imagery in “Dexter,” Calamar creates a famous television shows have used soundtracks in combination sense of unease in the viewer. In “House M.D.,” Calamar used with their visuals in order to convey time period, set a tone, songs across a variety of time periods and genres in order or develop a mood. Typically, this is the job of the music to convey a variety of internal states. His work shows just supervisor—overseeing the combination of music with visuals how powerful a soundtrack can be in terms of enhancing the in television. Some television shows eschew this role, instead emotional content of a show. employing composers to apply music to visuals appropriately. Composers simply create original music for television shows. Nowhere is music as a means of conveying a variety of emotions Both music supervisors and composers are integral to the better exemplified than in the work of Aivi Trana and Steven quality of a show but, with the exception of a few superstar “Surasshu” Velema. This dynamic duo of composers created the composers like Danny Elfman (“The Simpsons,” “Desperate entire soundtrack for “Steven Universe.” By seamlessly blending Housewives” ) or Hans Zimmer (“Through the Wormhole,” together sounds and styles from a variety of musical genres, “The Bible”), generally do not receive due appreciation for their Aivi and Surasshu have created songs spanning the emotional achievements. spectrum. The contrast of hard crashes and blaring synths with the gentle sounds of piano and violin in “I Am Lapis Lazuli,” Some examples of masterful, albeit relatively unknown, music for example, is a window on the character’s inner torment— supervisors include John McCullough and Gary Calamar. In fearful of capture and imprisonment but isolated and unable to “The Wonder Years,” McCullough developed a soundtrack that return to the home world. On the other end of the spectrum, rooted the show in a time and place but also captured the the song “Alone Together” uses the pleasant sound of acoustic inner turmoil of adolescence. McCullough also supervised the guitar together with vibraphone and bells to represent the music for many famous situational comedies such as “3rd Rock beautiful friendship between the titular protagonist and the From the Sun” and “That ‘70s Show.” In collaboration with lonely introvert, Connie. In many ways, Aivi and Surasshu composer Ben Vaughn, these shows used music to amplify the have done for “Steven Universe” what John McCullough and light-hearted and comedic tone of the visuals they accompanied. Alexandra Patsavas, discussed below, have done for the shows Gary Calamar, on the other hand, often combines music with they’ve worked on.
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Alexandra Patsavas is a woefully underrated music supervisor. In addition to incorporating XTC’s “Dear God” as part of the angsty soundtrack of “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” she created exceptional soundtracks for countless television series. In “Mad Men,” the soundtrack of ‘60s music establishes the time period and sets a backdrop to a look into professional life and the shifting moral values of the era. In “The O.C.,” she used alternative artists such as Death Cab for Cutie and The Killers to deepen the melodrama of the show. Likewise, in “Grey’s Anatomy,” the songs she chose complement their scenes. This is often very overt with songs like “How to Save a Life” by The Fray and “Monster Hospital” by Metric. Across her career, Patsavas has consistently provided the shows she has worked on with memorable soundtracks that strengthen the content within. From the dramatic retrospective of “Mad Men” to the comedic perspective on social attitudes and interpersonal relationships in “That ‘70s Show,” the importance of a soundtrack to a television show is clear.The use of audio often has an immediate impact on how you view the events in a show. When you’re watching a program, it’s worth recognizing that television is not just a visual medium, but a collaboration between visuals and music—a dance between the visible and invisible. Part of the power of television as a medium is its ability to seamlessly combine visuals and sound to transport the viewer to different times and places, to convey thoughts and emotions, and to stimulate the imagination.
F L I C K R U S E R AO LE I T E 5
THE WAKE // SOUND & VISION
Fateful Threads Musician wardrobes at a glance BY COLIN MILLER Music and fashion go hand-in-hand like an annoying travelling couple on social media. Hank Williams, a regular on the musical television event “Grand Ole Opry”, largely responsible for popularizing country music across the United States in the 1940s and ‘50s, dazzled early broadcast TV audiences in his white rancher jacket adorned with musical notes, now on display at the Country Music Hall of Fame since 2003. From there, artists’ attire has oft been a conversation piece among the culturally savvy. The early years of the current millennium and, for whatever reason, 2014 in particular, were rife with historic looks. Some stars use their apparel to make a social statement, others to promote their personal brand or lifestyle. Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake, however, attended the 2001 American Music Awards dressed as home school prom royalty in matching all-denim formalwear, inspiring (very) rough current equivalents Riff Raff and Katy Perry to recreate the concept in 2014 at the Video Music Awards (VMAs). Most of the iconic outfits that go down in history are custom, oneoff pieces tailored by nameless talents behind the scenes. Meanwhile, some celebrities enlist major design houses, like Kanye West’s exclusively produced and meticulously curated wardrobe by Maison Martin Margiela. The collection, worn at every stop on Kanye’s “Yeezus” tour, consisted of a leather bomber jacket, printed pants, a blanket coat, sneakers, and a tank top, as well as several mirrorembroidered masks. It served not only as an indicator of West’s solidified place in the fashion world, but also helped construct his image as a timeless maverick and enigmatic artist. But “Pablo” isn’t the only rapper who made waves (pun retroactively intended) with his fashion sense. A discussion of exceptional outfits is nothing without mention of “Hey
Ma” rapper Cam’ron and his magnificent pink fur. The Diplomats member’s flair for bold, flashy monochromatic color schemes and all-over designer logo prints was a nod to Harlem aristocracy, the practitioners of the ancient art of pimping. Considering how brand worshipping and matching has
// The Diplomats
member’s flair for bold, flashy monochromatic color schemes and all-over designer logo prints was a nod to Harlem aristocracy, the practitioners of the ancient art of pimping.
//
continued to trend in the rap community, it’s safe to say that Killa Cam exemplified the style of the “bling-bling” era of hiphop both on- and offstage. In a more left-field move, Andre 3000 of Outkast fame (and, slightly more recently, Gillette commercial appearing alongside Adrien Brody fame) took the group’s 2014 reunion tour circuit as an opportunity to provoke thought, questions and dialogue with a series of 47 jumpsuits, each emblazoned with a slogan. Among these were “life is short, take more baths,” “children of the cornbread,” “I’ve never been to afrika,” “obviously oblivious,”
and “how good a friend are you?”, the rest falling within a similar spectrum of cryptic and poignant to incisively self-aware. No matter what goal the clothing worn by famous musicians is meant to accomplish visually, it’s all designed and/or selected by a wardrobe stylist. This could be anyone from a high-profile designer like Jean Paul Gaultier, who was responsible for Kylie Minogue’s 2014 tour styling (not to mention Jeremy Scott and Ricardo Tisci who both worked with Madonna), to 23-year-old economics major JoJo Zarur in the case of Young Thug. The outfits themselves need to hold through on-stage movement without breaking and injuring and/or exposing the performer, be on-brand, and fit the specifications of the artist wearing them. One lesser-known name in the field of wardrobe styling is Franc Fernandez, the Argentinian-born visionary behind many of Lady Gaga’s unforgettable looks. The diamond crown suit in the “Bad Romance” video, the infamous meat dress (which required an initial purchase of over 50 pounds of raw beef and a consultation with a butcher), and nearly all of Gaga’s tour and award show attire are all the brain children of Fernandez. He also collaborated with Chicago rapper Vic Mensa on his Black Panther-referencing ensemble for the 2015 VMAs. Without access to musicians’ accounting books, it’s difficult to say how much these luxurious wardrobes cost. Most garments are in private collections or museums if they aren’t still in the original wearer’s possession, so their exact worth now is even harder to pin down than what they cost to make in the first place. I am inclined to argue, however, that these outfits are really priceless. Their value is more symbolic of their cultural significance than the mere fabrics and rhinestones from which they’re stitched.
WAKEMAG.ORG // 21
THE WAKE // SOUND & VISION
POP REBELS
The breakaway stars from beloved pop groups
BY KARL WITKOWIAK Zayn Malik, formerly of One Direction, recently released his solo debut “Mind of Mine.” This album has been overall well received as Malik takes a step away from his boy band roots for slower and darker R&B. Is he pulling his solo venture off in comparison to other breakout stars from pop groups? Well, let’s compare. JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE
RAC H E L LE P I NS KI
He’s the go-to artist when talking about pop group artists going solo, and there are plenty parallels and differences between Timberlake and Malik. Both moved from the bubblegum love songs of their respective boy bands to more sensual and interesting songs with more complex production. Neither N*SYNC nor 1D would release songs as odd sounding as “SexyBack” or “LUCOZADE” as a group. They differ in that Timberlake pursued his solo career after N*SYNC broke up while Malik left 1D while they were still together. All that’s left for Malik is to star in movies and work with The Lonely Island.
LCD SOUNDSYSTEM RETURNS AFTER 5-YEAR BREAK
GWEN STEFANI In a bit of a unique case, we have a member of a rock band group going full pop. No Doubt were popular in the ska scene of the ‘90s, but when Gwen Stefani left the group in the 2000s, she went full pop, and singles like “Hollaback Girl” were proof of that. Now with Stefani releasing new pop albums, being a judge on “The Voice,” and her high-profile relationship with Blake Shelton, her success as a solo artist seems to have eclipsed her fame when she was with No Doubt. Not to say that 1D were never mainstream, but whether or not Malik’s success will eclipse that of 1D is yet to be seen. NICK CARTER Back to the boy bands, we have Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys. Like Malik, Carter’s turn to a solo career turned out relatively successful, although, unlike Malik, Carter was still a part of a group. Despite maintaining his solo career, he never managed to keep his initial success and never strayed from cheesy bubblegum pop, if the embarrassing “19 in 99” is anything to go by. Malik, at the very least, seems to be holding success while maintaining his own style, at least for now.
Is it really a reunion? They say so BY CARSON KASKEL
Countless bands and musicians have gone that long, even longer between albums, which raises the question, what really is a “reunion” and what officially counts as a “break-up”? Modest Mouse went nearly eight years to the date between their two most recent albums. They spent that time touring, but never considered themselves “broken up” nor “reunited.” During the time that LCD Soundsystem was disbanded, some members pursued other music projects. It was Christmas of 2015 when the band released a holiday single together, setting the stage for a possible reunion. LCD Soundsystem went out with a bang in 2011, playing a well-publicized final show in New York City, which included acts such as Arcade Fire and Reggie Watts. They also released a final concert DVD. But after just enough time that people actually started missing them, poof! They’re back! The band announced that they would release a new album, tour around the world, and headline this year’s Coachella music festival, which, ironically, will also include the reunion of the original lineup of Guns N’ Roses.This will be the first time that Axl Rose and Slash have shared the stage since 1993.
22 / / A PR 1 8 – M AY 1
Is it fair for LCD Soundsystem to call this a reunion? Is it fair to market their new album and concerts as “reunion shows?” Will all the fans that once showed love and support for the band be back in their places again? This seems more like driving off into the sunset, but on second thought, turning back around. James Murphy, the frontman of the band, released a statement saying he understands fans who abandoned the band, but he promised great things for the fans that stuck around. “The only thing we can do now is get back into the studio and finish this record, and make it as fucking good as we can possibly make it,” Murphy said. “It needs to be better than anything we’ve done before.” Does the world need another LCD Soundsystem record? If the band is willing to come back in full force and fans are willing to listen, I sure as hell don’t see why not. Regardless of whether this is considered a true “reunion” or not, we know this much: LCD Soundsystem is back. But time will tell if they will be better than ever.
H ELEN TEAGUE
After a five-year hiatus, electronic dance punk band LCD Soundsystem is back at it. The band is prepared to release a new album and embark on a 17-show world tour. For many LCD fans, this is great news. But is five years really enough time to justify a reunion?
FAC E B O O K AZ E ALI AB ANKS MUS I C
FAC E B O O K GO 953MN
Go Show
at First Avenue BY COLIN MILLER
The Jet Life is not for everybody, but if the crowd at First Avenue on March 24 was anything to go by, rapper Curren$y’s dogma of elevation has a hearty following in the Twin Cities. Hosted by Go 95.3 radio personality (and unconfirmed Spiderman) Peter Parker, the evening showcased a cavalcade of mostly local artists at it unfolded. Kicking things off was the multitalented Sophia Eris. The singer, rapper, GRRRL PRTY member and touring DJ for Lizzo mesmerized the venue as it filled up. Surprise guests, announced intermittently by Parker as he raffled off Soundset tickets, included two skinny, high-impact white dudes, Prof and Sean Anonymous, whose rattling bangers punctuated an otherwise fairly laid-back event. Greg Grease and Your Old Droog also represented, albeit to significantly more muted receptions compared to the rest of the lineup. I sympathized especially with Droog, whose Brooklyn sensibilities didn’t quite translate to the Midwestern audience. For example, his quip that “Kevin Garnett, [his] godfather” was in the back of the room fell disappointingly flat. By the time headliner Curren$y emerged, the haze was thick and the tension high due to an altercation that demanded the attention of nearly the whole security staff. Apparently taking the “fire in a crowded theater” exception to the first amendment literally, Curren$y himself nonchalantly suggested that the offender had a gun, since there was “no way he [was] getting thrown out just for smoking weed.” Once things calmed down, the New Orleans spitter returned to his element, delivering smooth, sensi-centric rhymes as audience members, one by one, boarded the proverbial jet.
FAC E B O O K E S P ER ANZ A S PALD I NG
THE WAKE // SOUND & VISION
Azealia Banks’
“Slay-Z”
BY RUSSELL BARNES Beyonce claims she slayed in “Formation,” and created new boundaries with her music. Yet, when Azealia Banks appropriated Yonce’s husband’s stage name as the title of her new mixtape, “Slay-Z,” the result was not the same. Azealia Banks was arguably seen as the future of hip-hop upon the drop of hit single “212.” Yet nothing on “Slay-Z” matches the impact of “212.” While “Slay-Z” isn’t terrible, it’s not her best work and doesn’t have the innovation that Banks is known for. This is most evident in the track, “Used to be Alone.” The track samples Tony Igy’s track, “Astronomia,” which was also sampled by Banks’ most notable nemesis, Iggy Azalea, in “My World.” Banks can showcase her flow and powerful vocals and establish herself as the most versatile female rapper in the game, yet mimicking her strongest enemy vastly knocks her down on originality. It also feels as if she’s trying to create “Chasing Time,” the best single of her career since “212.” The song isn’t bad, but the formula cannot be duplicated. She also aligns herself with Nina Sky and Rick Ross on her mixtape. Her track with Ross, “Big Talk,” is definitely one of the highlights on the tape. Banks’ snappy flow serves as a contrast to the trap beats, and the musical genius that Banks is makes it work. However, there are disappointments, like “The Big Big Beat,” that feel awfully generic. Banks is better than generic. I wouldn’t pay for this, but for Banks’ fans, this is luckily a free download, especially if you’re feeling “Broke With Expensive Taste.”
Esperanza Spalding’s
“Emily’s D+Evolution” BY ANDREW TOMTEN
There are quirks or character traits that we as people, for whatever reason, suppress. A small part of us wants to be known for being loud, outspoken, and blunt. Some of us never want that part of ourselves to see the light of day, but if you are intent on meeting your alter ego, try Esperanza Spalding’s new record, “Emily’s D+Evolution.” Known most widely as the jazz-goddess whose synchronized bass/vocal solos make older musicians self-conscious of their own abilities, Spalding is literally making a new name for herself on the album, assuming a stage character with her alternate personality, Emily. Like discovering her alter ego, Spalding’s distinct sound abandons its jazz foundation and veers aggressively toward alternative rock. The first track and featured single “Good Lava” explodes with a flurry of Hendrix-chords and smooth vocal lines that lead to a grandiose chorus. Spalding’s lineup is integral to the album’s theatricality. Consisting of a few background singers and a rock trio (bass, drums, and guitar), the band is equally vital in transmitting the record’s message. Last June when Sparling toured with the band, she and her fellow musicians languidly crawled onto the Fine Line stage to assume their positions, eventually breaking out in an a cappella chant about what sounded like anti-classist rhetoric. Serving as an intro to the song “Ebony and Ivy,” they soon settled into a funky, dissonant groove reminiscent of their underlying jazz influence. “Emily’s D+Evolution” explores the idea of learning and evolving from different versions of ourselves. Much like her change in character and genre, Spalding illustrates a transformative experience in this concept album, expressing traits and styles that exist deep within her.
WAKEMAG.ORG // 23
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