Quick Center hosts eco-friendly exhibit

By Liam McGurl

[Images courtesy of Caitlyn Morral]

The Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts will be hosting an eco-friendly exhibition through next fall, calling on visitors to think about their part in the future of our planet.

“Green Revolution,” geared towards Bonaventure’s K-12 summer program, discusses avenues for minimized carbon footprints and heightened conservation of reusable materials, offering practical advice on ways to “reduce, reuse and recycle.”

Sean Conklin, the assistant curator of the Quick Center, said the exhibition was offered by Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), which created basic prototypes for the galleries’ educational panels, sent electronically to reduce carbon footprints. Conklin added that the visual aspects of the panels were created by the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago and its Black Creativity Council.

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Adele says “Hello” with first new song in three years

By Liam McGurl

On Friday, Adele said “Hello” to another No. 1 spot on iTunes with her tear-jerking new single.

While the 27-year-old singer isn’t set to release her newest album, 25, until Nov. 20, fans got a sneak peek of the album with the single “Hello,” and its accompanying music video of epic proportions.

The sepia-filtered video, directed by Xavier Dolan, opens with a frazzled Adele trying to find cell service, as she stands in the middle of a forest windstorm. After closing her flip phone, Adele makes her way into an old country home, where the windows are coated in dust and the furniture shrouded in dirty sheets.

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St. Bonaventure Students Give Back with Saint’s Place

By Liam McGurl

[Image courtesy of rochester-ny.aauw.net/]

Despite the temptations of a day full of sunbathing, students spent Sat., April 18, volunteering in the Rochester-based Saint’s Place Home.

The group of volunteers gathered for the event at 6 a.m. on Saturday morning—ready to lend a listening ear and helping hand to those in need. While the trip to Rochester was not too long, many said the day ahead of them was tiring.

“On this trip, I did most of heavy lifting. Since I was one of two guys, we had to load the Saint’s Place truck with beds, dressers, couches, chairs, bed frames, TVs and other home items,” said Taquan Brown, a freshman theater major and volunteer at the event. “I had to help unload, put together and place the furniture in specific places while also helping clean up any messes.”

While this may have been some students’ first time going on the trip, campus ministries has been offering this day trip since 2010—once in both the fall and spring semesters.

According to the Saint’s Place website, “Saint’s Place is a volunteer organization, based on Christian values, that provides household goods, clothing and education to legal refugees of all races and creeds who settle in the Rochester, NY area to escape violence, discrimination and poverty.”

Along with their personal outreach efforts, Saint’s Place also collaborates with Catholic Charities Organization, Rochester, NY.

“The city of Rochester welcomes 700 legal refugees each year,” Sr. Kush, Thomas Merton Center director, said. “Many of them are from hispanic-speaking countries; Burma, Butan, and Somalia—that’s just to name a few.”

Although Saint’s Place has been providing to local refugees for over a decade, St. Bonaventure has been dedicated to collaborating with the organization over the past few years.

These trips began when Kush, was introduced to Colleen Knauf, the founder of Saint’s Place, when Knauf was awarded the Gaudette Medal for her exemplification of Franciscan values.

After speaking with Knauf and researching refugee ministries, Kush decided she wanted to begin these bi-yearly trips to Saint’s Place.

During their time at Saint’s Place, students volunteer working in either the organization’s clothing closet or setting up local-refugees’ apartments. For this specific weekend, volunteers in the apartment helped a local refugee set up his new home.

While this group painted and decorated, volunteers in the Saint’s Place clothing closet mixed and matched—putting together spring and summer clothing options for local refugee children.

Although volunteers spent the majority of the trip doing hands-on work, the students were also able to hear from a local refugee who recently became an American Citizen.

“We had the opportunity to hear a Bhutanese man’s story, and it was absolutely incredible,” Rachael Herrmann, a senior business management major said. “It is so easy to get caught up in our own lives and trouble; we lose sight of what reality is for most people—no electricity, no running water, fear, hunger, and extreme poverty. This gentleman’s testimony was so very eye opening for me, giving me a fresh perspective to come back to campus with.”

While those who attend these trips say the experience is enjoyable, other students may look past all the benefits of service. Although some students might think volunteering is boring, or that they don’t have enough time to do it, dedicating a day to service could be more enjoyable than expected.

“There are so many service opportunities Bonas offers, both locally and regionally, nationally and internationally,” Kush said. “[Volunteering] takes what we might read in a textbook or talk about, and give a name and a face to marginalize individuals. It makes the issues of poverty, homelessness and mental illness real, and it enhances the education students are receiving.”

ENACTUS prepares for St. Bonaventure’s “Give Back Bash”

By Liam McGurl

[Image courtesy of Twitter.com]

After months of planning, ENACTUS is looking forward to their upcoming Give Back Bash on the weekend of April 17-18.

As the recent winner of the Friar and Joe Doino Award for “Organization and Club of the Year,” St. Bonaventure’s largest non-profit organization has proven its outstanding dedication and service. While the club is often recognized for its yearly service trip to the Bahamas, members also do a great deal of local charity work—which has had major impacts in surrounding communities.

Every year, ENACTUS designs a legacy project, which is independently planned and executed by the club members. Although the club has only rounded up 15 members to plan their upcoming event, members said their dedication is what pushes them through.

“Being a part of ENACTUS has truly been one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had,” Alyssa Honaker, a sophomore finance major said. “Through ENACTUS we have the opportunity to use skills we are taught in the classroom and apply them to real-world situations. Students in ENACTUS develop teamwork, organization and presentation skills by being placed in situations outside off the classroom—making them well rounded.”

While a trip to the Bahamas may seem like a lavish getaway, club members spend the trip preparing for their legacy event just a few months later. Over the course of this two week trip, members participate in local community work—such as teaching elementary students—in order to work on enhancing their problem solving skills and understanding of servant leadership.

“ENACTUS specifically pushes you so far out of your comfort zone and you’re constantly being thrown into situations where you don’t know what to do,” Taylor Douglas, a sophomore biology major and second-year club member said.

As the trip comes to a close, members begin narrowing down ideas for their legacy project and select a charity to donate the proceeds to.

This year, the club decided to break up into three separate legacy teams. One group focused on planning the Science of Magic event, while the other two collaborated on the upcoming Give Back Bash weekend.

The Science of Magic event took place on March 21, with all proceeds being donated to a fourth-grader, Olean, New York, who has been battling bone cancer since age 3. For this event, ENACTUS members planned interactive science experiments and demonstration stations that featured different types of magic.

Over the course of Give Back Bash weekend, ENACTUS members will be holding three events aimed to bring students together in support of both local and national efforts to combat childhood cancer.

Half of the proceeds will be donated to the Rochester-based Cure Childhood Association, while the other half of the proceeds will be given to an 11-year-old boy, Olean, New York, who is battling terminal bone cancer.

“I’m hoping that Give Back Bash will help people understand that it’s possible to have fun while helping out a cause like CURE,” said Haylei John, international studies and Spanish double major. “It would be great to see more people become involved in ENACTUS and other service opportunities after Give Back Bash.”

The first event will be the Blacklight Bash, scheduled for Friday, April 17 at 8 p.m. in the Rathskeller. Members said they encourage students to come in all neon and white—and be ready to dance! There will also be a number of drink and food specials for attendees.

On Saturday, April 18, the festivities will continue with the Fluorescent 5K at 10 a.m. Beginning at the Rathskellar, attendees will run 3.1 miles along the Allegany River Trail. Once again, students are encouraged to wear all white.

Registration—either through the event Facebook page or the Reilly Center event booth—will be $15 with a free pair of neon sun glasses upon payment. T-shirts will also be available for purchase at the event.

Douglas said ENACTUS is planning on having at least 100 attendees for both the Blacklight Bash and the Fluorescent 5K.

After the conclusion of the Fluorescent 5K, the club will be holding the Shoot for Strength Basketball Tournament at 2 p.m. in the Reilly Center. Five-player teams will be competing in three-versus-three matches. The winning team will receive free t-shirts and a grand prize at the end of the day. While there is still debate over what the grand prize will be, Douglas said it will be something worth getting competitive over. The club also said they are planning on having around 50 teams as registration comes to a close.

To register a team, visit the event table in the Reilly Center or the Give Back Bash Facebook page. The registration price is $20 and registration will be open until the day before the event. Once again, registration can be done through the Give Back Bash Facebook page or at the event booth in the Reilly Center.

For those planning on watching the competition, prizes will be awarded to random patrons, as well. Whether students plan to participate in the Give Back Bash events or not, members said everyone is encouraged to attend and show support for these causes.

“I’m really excited to not only get the students on campus involved with this event, but also those in the community, as well, Honaker said. “I know a few people are going to be driving up from Buffalo for the Fluorescent 5k, and we also have many from the Olean/Alleghany area registered, as well.”

Any students interested in applying to join ENACTUS can speak with either club advisor Dr. Todd Palmer or current members—who will be present at all events.

“ENACTUS gives you a huge sense of pride,” Douglas said. “Overall, it’s just really rewarding.”

Marina and the Diamonds: “Froot” Review

By Liam McGurl

[Image courtesy of Wikipedia.org]

On March 13, Welch singer/songwriter Marina Diamandis, known professionally as Marina and the Diamonds, released her third studio album, Froot. While Diamandis’ latest effort was originally set to release on April 3, its recent release was prompted due to a series of unauthorized internet leaks over the past few months.

marina-diamonds-leak1 — A tweet from Diamindis’ Twitter shortly after her album hit iTunes. [Image courtesy of bhmaincdn.breatheheavy.com]

While the complete release of the album came as a shock to some, many fans anticipated an upcoming release due to Diamandis’ constant promotional campaigns on her website and her Twitter account. To kick off the promotion of the album, one official single was released each month leading up to the official release. By the time the album was made available to the public, the singles “Froot,” “Happy,” “Immortal,” “I’m a Ruin” and “Forget” were officially released and received generally positive reviews from critics.

Often noted for her 2012 pop track “Primadonna Girl,” Diamandis features a much more mysterious tone on these new tracks – unlike her definite pop sound on her preceding effort Electra Heart. Overall, the majority of the leading tracks are somber with serious undertones. While Diamandis’ evolving style may stray her away from guaranteed success in the pop world, it is likely that it will create an appeal to a whole new audience.

“Happy,” the first track to appear on the album, features the dark story of a struggle to find happiness. Singing the words, “I found what I’d been looking for in myself / found a life worth living for someone else / never thought that I could be, I could be / happy, happy.” “Happy” discusses the human condition of being upset, wanting to find love and finding someone we feel we can live for.

Other songs which conform to the haunting nature of many of the tracks are “Solitaire,” “Weeds,” “Gold” and “Immortal.”

While “Happy” is a sentimental ballad, the second song on the album, “Froot,” has a slightly more upbeat and mysterious tone. Perhaps this song is the most eclectic of the bunch as the track uses the metaphor of Diamandis being a fruit waiting to be juiced. This song seems to be fairly sexualized and is one of the more promising successes off the album.

[Image courtesy of wikipedia.org] — A screen capture from Marina Diamindis’ music video for “Froot.” [Image courtesy of idolator.com]

The third song to appear is “I’m a Ruin” which comments on a lover’s desire to continue on loving, despite being a detriment to their partner. Also on this track, it is suggested that the lover being discussed has some sort of secret as shown in the line “Don’t wanna keep a secret but I don’t know how to keep it fair, yeah.”

Moving through the album, “Blue” is the most seemingly pop conforming song on the album. Much like “Froot,” this track seems to have pop undertones that may be hit for mainstream broadcasting. “Forget” and “Better than That” are other upbeat tracks off the record.

Perhaps the most empowering song on the album is the feminist track “You Can’t Pin Me Down” which plays off of the expected sexual and gender roles of women. Diamandis takes a bold risk with this song and touches on a topic often ignored singing the words “I am never gonna give you anything you expect / you think I’m like the others, boy, you need to get your eyes checked / checked.”

The most controversial track off the album, “Savages,” mentions some touchy topics like rape. This effort seems to be a direct critique on society’s violent, narcissistic and hedonistic nature. The catchy chorus of this painfully honest tune comments on facades and deception: “Underneath it all we’re just savages / hidden behind shirts, ties and marriages / how could we expect anything at all? / we’re just animals still learning how to crawl.” Also, throughout the song Diamandis discusses the idea that man should be our biggest fear due to the recurrent destruction of self and others we see in the media.

Diamandis’ efforts are expected to be successful—whether in the mainstream media or among her constantly growing fan base. Along with Diamandis’ efforts with Froot, she is also expected to go on “The Froot Tour” which will be stopping at major annual events such as Coachella Festival and Lollapalooza Festival.

Regardless of if listeners are past fans of Diamandis, emerging fans or are uninterested in her catchy tunes, most agree that she has most definitely rocked the music industry.

Comedy Central to host Justin Bieber roast

By Liam McGurl

[Image courtesy of Splashpress.com]

On Jan. 20, Comedy Central announced the upcoming premiere of their newest special The Roast of Justin Bieber.  It is assumed that millions will tune in on March 30 to watch this controversial heartthrob get grilled with insults.

In past years, Comedy Central has been home to the roasts of Hollywood’s most talked-about public figures including James Franco, Charlie Sheen and David Hasselhoff. For those who haven’t tuned in for any of the previous seasons, these roasts feature a panel of celebrities who take turns at slighting the celebrity “roastee” of the season. With all of the recent talk about Bieber’s arrests, partying and alleged photoshopped Calvin Klein ads, it is likely that the show will be met with better reviews than previous seasons.

As if a Bieber roast couldn’t get any better, Comedy Central’s very own Kevin Hart will serve as roast master.  “I’ll definitely tune in and watch the roast—especially since Kevin Hart is hosting the show,” said freshman accounting major Madeline McDonald. “I think it’ll be nice to have some comic relief surrounding everything going on with Justin Bieber.”

Within the past year, Bieber’s name has been a recurring topic in the media.  Due to his police charges of dangerous driving and assault—after his ATV allegedly collided with a nearby minivan—viewers can expect the panel to have some things to say about that.   The celebrity roasting panel probably will not be forgetting about Biebers unsettlingly happy mug shot after his arrest for drag racing and allegations of the singer driving under the influence, either.

Even though Bieber had a year full of reckless behavior, it is safe to say that none of the roasters will fail to bring up Bieber’s long lasting pretty-boy reputation.  The audience should also expect an abundance of jabs at Biebers on and off relationship with “The Heart Wants What It Wants” singer Selena Gomez.  It is likely that some of the panel members will take a few shots at Bieber’s musical talent, given the constant debate between “Beliebers” and Bieber “Haters” over the quality of his music.

In the off chance that the group fails to bring up any of these topics, there’s always the trending hashtag “Deport Bieber,” which took over Twitter this past year.

“I’m not a huge Justin Bieber fan; I’m excited to see what everyone has to say about him,” said freshman english major Arshia Mehra.  “Making fun of Justin Bieber has been a huge thing for comedians over the past couple years.”

The Roast of Justin Bieber is likely to entertain just about anyone.  Whether viewers are fans of Bieber, could do without him or are indifferent, these specials seem to jerk a laugh out of anyone.