The Great Behind the Lakes

Diving a little bit deeper into the ecosystem of the lakes (metaphorically) BY CATALINA GRIMM The Great Behind the Lakes

I’ve lived by the Great Lakes for the majority of my life without giving them too much of a second thought. Sure, I know they’re big and full of freshwater, but until I went to Alexis Rockman’s exhibit, “The Great Lakes Cycle” at the Weisman Art Museum, I was severely lacking a visual understanding of just how complex and crucial their existence is.

The exhibit starts off with an artist’s statement emphasizing how the Great Lakes hold 20% of the earth’s freshwater. Rockman unapologetically reminds the world that’s facing severe freshwater shortages that such a large concentration is only going to increase in value in the upcoming years, making their protection even more vital.

Moving past the opening statement, the exhibit splits into two collections. The first is comprised of watercolor pieces that illustrate the complexities of the ecosystems within the Great Lakes. Each painting contains a multitude of the Great Lakes flora, fauna, insects, mammals, and marine life that coexist together, each species incredibly interwoven and interdependent on the next. The soft colors and blurred lines of the watercolor pieces represent how each organism blends into both the environment and the other species it shares the environment with, playing further with the concept of codependency.

The second collection is far louder. Comprised of five works, every piece is gigantic, exploding with color and demanding of the viewer’s attention. Each painting depicts a scene split between the natural environments of the Great Lakes and the brutal interruption of human influence. Waters infused with the chemical green of pollution, transferred invasive species running rampant, and E. coli monstrosities wrecking havoc are magnified to convey their detrimental impact. Where the first collection was soft and whimsical, the second collection sharply contrasts it with bright hues, harsh lines, and even harsher realities.

I left the museum in awe of the impact Alexis Rockman loaded into each of his pieces and with a newfound awareness of how important it is to protect such precious resources. His collection masterfully portrays the complex ecosystems that make the Great Lakes so great and how easily human

influences can destroy their equilibrium.

“My Brother, My Brother and Me,” and You

4

They don’t have the answers, but they did bring the goofs BY KINAAN TAHA

It’s been almost two years to the day since Justin, Travis, and Griffin McElroy brought their patently wholesome, borderline absurdist comedy to the Orpheum Theater, but on Friday, November 16, it was as though they had never left.

The familial vibe of the night could be felt from the beginning as Clint McElroy, the self-described patriarch of the family, emerged to announce his three sons. Clint, who made his career in radio, talked briefly about letting his granddaughter do his garish stage makeup for the night, before reciting the introduction that prefaces every recorded episode of “My Brother, My Brother and Me.” Between opening the show alongside one of their wives and being introduced by their father, the McElroy brothers built a sort of family roadshow dynamic around their night of entertainment.

Over the course of the night, the McElroys answered such absurd questions as, “Can I have a vegetable day?” (sourced from Yahoo! Answers verbatim, in all its nonsensical glory) and, “How can I find out who keeps leaving snacks in my desk at work?” (from the audience). They spent about ten minutes on each question, throwing out hypotheticals and building on the proposed scenario until they reached a point where they could go no further. One of the most impressive skills that the McElroys have cultivated over their nearly decade long careers as comedians is knowing when a bit is dead: none of their goofy answers overstayed their welcome or retread covered ground.

For longtime listeners of the show, the live performance was more of what they already enjoy. For anyone not yet inducted into the McElroy fandom, it is very possible that it came off as inscrutable nonsense. Either way, it was a whole lot of fun.

A Sonnet for Bean

By Marley Richmond

Each day a mew assures you that I wake, A second call of my alarm bell’s ring, Intentions good, though for quiet I ache, But of cold air, your love eases the sting.

Your golden fur shines in the golden sun, Yet still I often find you sleeping in my drawer, like a sweet, soft cinnamon bun, Your hair on all of my sweaters therein.

Each night, stand guard and await my return, I want your warmth while I am off, away And so, I hurry home for you in turn That petting you may end my every day.

Bean, my sweet love, I am so happy that I have the good luck to call you my cat.