Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
News 4
Feature 7
A & E 17
THE COYOTE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Feature
SKYLAR BARSANTI & MATT FOUTS 4 C of I updates alcohol policy CLAYTON GEFRE 5 Coyote News Blurb LORRAINE BARRERAS 6 AOEC breaks new ground WARREN STEVENS
Opinion
Sports
6 Yote Stats
MACEY HORCH
Internet NICHOLAS STOUT 8 Here to help DYLAN HUNTER 9 Civilization: Power, Propaganda, and Persuasion STEVE MAUGHAN 10 Crystal Rideau and the new Bon Apptit NICHOLAS STOUT 11 Featured Artist BEN SHWARTING 24 Faculty Forum DIANE RAPTOSH
food GABRIELLE NELSON Britanick rules the waves JONATHAN FINE 13 A night of swingin jazz SYLVIA HUNT, CALDWELL FINE ARTS Glamour, ghosts, and giggle water ADDY SOMERVILLE Repave uncharted territory with Volcano Choir ANA LETE 14 Misplacing your car; what not to do when running at night GABRIELLE NELSON 15 A P.C. Breakdown MIGUEL ROBLES TAPIA Runway your way ALEXANDRIA CAMERON 16 Remakes, repeats, and Oscar contenders SKYLAR BARSANTI 17 Saddle-up STEPHEN ANDERSON
News
Rosenthal Gallery debuts the Domestic Wild ASHLEY COLES 20 Pics of the Issue KAT DAVIS 21-23 Events Calendar LORRAINE BARRERAS & MEGAN MIZUTA
COURTNEY INDART 18 Problems and Proposals MEGAN MIZUTA 19 Culture etc: The High Art of Television STEPHEN ANDERSON
THE COYOTE
All through high school, I was told college is a service industry. Universities and state institutions of higher education ultimately want to appeal to prospective students in every way possible from class sizes, student-teacher ratios, and how late one can eat ice cream in the cafeteria. But where do colleges draw the line? What is service, and what is a luxury? Herein we find the issue of the October issue. Since the start of the 2013-2014 academic year, many C of I students have taken to voicing their opinions about the lack of reliable Wi-Fi connections on campus, particularly in the dorms. Seeing that the laptop on which Im drafting this note is anchored to the wall via Ethernet cord, and the addition of several hundred new students on campus, the previous wireless networks simply cannot support the students demands for a faster, more reliable connection. Senior Nicholas Stout opted to get to the bottom of the issue. Ultimately, the necessary cost for updates to the College wireless systems is something to be resolved on the students level not administrations. At its most revealing, the piece Fix our Internet, points out there are those at C of I who think Wi-Fi in the dorms is a luxury provided by the College that students should be grateful for and not a service owed to them by an institution that not only endorses technology, by requires it in different forms (i.e. online course evaluations, Moodle, etc). Of course, thats not the only topic I hope will get people talking this month. I recently received a letter from a student concerning the lack of communication between C of I students and Bon Apptit. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Skylar Barsanti
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far. Campus Safety has had many more students calling them for help this year, and most remarkably, it has been for close friends and peers that theyre genuinely concerned for. Most importantly, this has been the first time in many years that someone has not had to go to the E.R. for alcohol-related problems during the first week of school. If we keep that up, I know we have little to worry about. Its really only been a month, but so far, so good. #yotefam, Matt
Members of YoteFam attended the Coyote Twilight at Brothers Park on September 21.
About: The Coyote is the student-run campus publication of The College of Idaho. We provide a forum for student, faculty, staff and administrative voices. The opinions presented here are not necessarily those of The Coyote or The College of Idaho. Articles may be submitted via email to skylar. barsanti@yotes.collegeofidaho.edu. Letters to the editor are welcomed and will be printed as space allows. Letter may be edited for grammar. Letters can be emailed to skylar.barsanti@yotes.collegeofidaho.edu. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Payment: The Coyote pays $0.03 per word, $15 for an original piece of art, $30 for an original cover and $5 per photograph. Writers will be reimbursed for costs pertaining to reporting at the discretion of the editorial board. Reimbursement must be sought in advance. Advertise and Anything Else: Contact Editor-in-Chief Skylar Barsanti at skylar. barsanti@yotes.collegeofidaho.edu. Social Media: facebook.com/thecoyotenews twitter.com/thecoyotenews
COPY EDITORS
Skylar Barsanti & Lorraine Barreras with the assistance of Chey Paulk
FACULTY ADVISER
THE COYOTE
NEWS
At any given time, how many students do you think know about the Bon Apptit policy changes that have taken effect this year? If there are any, I would wager those students are more than likely employees of Bon Apptit. Ultimately, rather thus publicising policy changes in the caf, students have had to find out by word of mouth. When I first sat down to write this letter I was pretty irate. In fact, I was raging. I first thought that a letter would not send the message I wanted to portray, because I wanted to protest in the spirit of being a College of Idaho student. However, after processing the information I was given, I decided a letter to the Coyote would suffice. When I found out Bon Apptit now charges $1.50 for to-go containers, I submitted a comment card asking about the change. They answered by reason of encourgaing the use of reusable cups, and cutting expenses. Unfortunatly, the expense is hard for me to swallow, since the average price of a caf meal is about $8. Not only does it not make sense to pay $1.50 for a cup that is maybe worth 15 cents at bulk cost, but I can get the same small coffee for 99 cents at the Stinker across the street. Why avoid gas station coffee? Because I pre-paid for meals with Bon Apptit, not using them would be a waste of my money. On the topic of wasted money: Bon Apptit will no longer be giving students the option to donate meals. As is known, donated meals are the saving grace of many upperclassmen throughout the year. Since meals dont roll over, Ive gladly donated meals to my classmates. Even if I wasnt the one using the meals, I was satisfied to make sure my money was well spent. This year, students do not get to choose what they do with left over meals in November and December, thus forcing a large population of busy students to
See Letter 8
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// Food // No Guns, or No Service Starbucks has announced that guns are no longer welcome in its US cafes, and while stopping short on banning them, the move is still causing quite a stir Yahoo News September 18th, 2013 Online // Odds and Ends // Messy May Have Merits Studies have shown that a messy desk may encourage creativity, while a tidy one promotes more discipline Time Magazine September 20th, 2013 Online // Crime // Criminal Joyride Eight inmates in Oklahoma escaped custody when their guard left them alone in a van with the keys in the ignition and the motor running NBC News September 26th, 2013 Online
// Food // Fast Demolition A crane toppled through the roof of a McDonalds in Durham while making a delivery. Not of fast food, of course MSN News UK September 22nd, 2013 Online // Odds and Ends // Cant Scare Their Pants off Now A popular haunted attraction has added a Naked and Scared tour to their haunted house, which sends participants throughin the nude Huffington Post September 26th, 2013 Online
// Odds and Ends // Record Setting Car The World Record for the smallest street legal car was set with a vehicle that is only 25 inches high and 4 foot long Air1 News September 13th, 2013 Online // Odds and Ends // Banning Ink in New Places The army has announced a plan to ban tattoos below the elbows and knees for soldiers Huffington Post September 24th, 2013 Online
// Odds and Ends // $200 in Cookies Not $200 worth of cookies, a man finds $200 IN a box of cookies, cited to the work of an apparent good Samaritan Air1 Radio September 23rd, 2013 Radio
// World // Betting on Degrees Ladbrokes in the UK has launched a service letting people bet on the outcomes of final degrees of university students MSN News, UK September 21st, 2013 Online
// Odds and Ends // Man Delays Wedding When he cut off his testicles before going into the church where the wedding was apparently going to take place MSN News, UK September 21st, 2013 Online
Jarod Kintz
THE COYOTE
NEWS / SPORTS
This year, the College of Idaho will see an expansion in its already large and prestigious athletic community: not to beat a dead horse, but yes, football. Though C of I will not see its first football game until next year, the football program is already present on campus and the Activity Center is already starting to hit maximum capacity. Therefore, the College has started work on a new Athletic and Outdoor Education
building, including football, track, cross country and softball. In addition, the athletic trainer will have an office in the new building. The current Activity Center will continue to be the home of sports like basketball, swimming, volleyball, and baseball. The existing weight room, gym, locker rooms, and swimming pool will serve their current function after some minor remodeling.
Top: Concept art for the Athletic Outdor Education Center Bottom (from left to right): C of I boosters James Grigsby, John Bequette and Linda Bequette, C of I Board of Trustees chair Candy Dale, President Marv Henberg, football coach Mike Moroski, track coach Pat McCurry, and womens basketball coach Reagan Rossi
Yote Stats
Womens Soccer 9/7 vs Great Falls 1-0 (w) 9/6 vs Rocky Mountain 2-1 (l) 9/7 VS Great Falls 1-0 (L) 9/14 VS Northwest Nazarne 2-0 (L) 9/20 VS Westminster 4-0 (L) 9/21 VS Great Falls 2-0 (L) Cross Country Men: 9/21 Coyote Twilight 4th Women: 9/21 Coyote Twilight 1st Volleyball 9/11 VS Lewis-Clark State 3-1 (L) 9/13 VS Evergreen 3-1 (W) 9/14 VS Northwest 3-0 (W) 9/20 VS Corban 3-2 (W) 9/21 VS Northwest Christian 3-1 (W) 9/27 VS Southern Oregon 3-2 (L) 9/28 VS Oregon Tech 3-0 (W) Mens Soccer 9/6 vs Rocky Mountain 5-3 (l) 9/7 vs Great Falls 2-0 (l) 9/17 VS Northwest Christian 3-2 (W) 9/21 VS Northwest 2-1 (L)
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FEATURE
Last year the Colleges ResNet team started phase one of a massive overhaul of the schools wireless network. This overhaul began with changing out the old wireless routers that can be found across campus with newer more efficient models. Before the upgrade, some of the routers in the dorms and buildings ranged in age from five to seven years-old. In a world where most computers, tablets, and cell phones can become obsolete in as short as one year, having anything older than that can be a major problem. The College was in desperate need of some new technology, which it received when phase one ended. But what is phase two? At this point in time there are 18 wireless access points in the various residence halls (22 if you count the Village). These access points were set up in the early 2000s, when access to a wireless network was a much bigger deal. Unfortunately, aside from the occasional update to the system here or there not much has significantly changed over the last decade. Now with more students entering The College of Idaho than ever before, the schools network is struggling. Think about a freeway in a major city. Lets say the population is increasing, and traffic on the freeway is terrible. The city can put in a new exit where the old one was. This new exit can allow faster access to the freeway and can work a lot better then the old exit was. However if traffic is bad you dont really need a new exit. You need more exits and a larger freeway. The college has new routers (i.e. exits), but they only work as routers better than the old ones. What the college needs now is more routers to provide more bandwidth and increase network capacity (i.e. more exits and lanes on the freeway). Phase two would be tripling the number of access points across campus. The goal is to increase the 20 or so that
To some, access to the Internet is still considered a luxury and not seen as a necessity.
that if they live on the far ends of the residence halls. These students have resorted to using Ethernet cables to connect to the Internet. Hayman is the worst, with the six to eight inch cinderblock walls jamming the radio communication between the routers
some, the student access to the Internet is still considered a luxury and not seen as a necessity. As long as students can connect, even in the smallest of capacities, thats all they need. Lets hope not. Hayman remains an absolute joke when it comes to Internet
connection, and with the amount of unique devices demanding the attention of limited access points, its not surprising to notice how the network gets slower and slower over time. With more people enrolling in the years to come, the problem will only get worse, and the longer the College waits to upgrade the network, the more expensive the upgrade will be. Despite everything, solutions have been proposed that would expedite the phase two process. If students are unhappy with the Internet services the College provides, and would like to increase coverage in the rooms enough to potentially support the basic uses of the web, but wireless use of X-Box consoles and Apple TV they can request funding from Student Senate. Should ResNet acquire funding via student funds and Senate, phase two could be up and running as early as Christmas break. By the time students return for the winter term, they would see improvements in coverage, speed, and device connectivity. The technological nature of the campus might be more than just good enough, but actually employ an impressive network that suits the evolving needs of C of I students. By the time this article sees print, Senators will have been elected. Therefore, if students are unhappy with the current wireless network and want the school to take immediate action to fix it, they are advised to speak up to their Senators. Even if student funds are not able to be used to update the network, the influx of demands might alert the proper administrators to how much of an issue this is for the students. The network will be improved and updated at some point, hopefully with the help of the students and Senate, classes will see those improvements before they graduate. If not, the network improvements could be postponed indefinitely.
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Here to help
DYLAN HUNTER
FEATURE
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such changes public knowledge. I do not in any way think Bon Apptit is a terrible company, because they are actually replying to our comment cards for the first time ever. However, their customers depend on good service and that includes understanding exactly what services we should expect when we choose our meal plans and sign our tuition checks. Sincerely, Courtney Indart (Jr.)
Letter
come up with meals on their own. What makes me so angry about this policy change is that it affects a large population of this school, and none were officially informed of the changes. Even a simple email from Bon Apptit with an explanation would have sufficed. Further, I am angered by this because I have many friends who cannot afford to buy enough groceries to feed themselves once they run out of meals or Coyote Cash. It does not comfort me that if I had a surplus of meals this year I would just have to settle with the idea that Bon Apptit is pocketing every dollar without giving me a choice of what I can do with them. I am hoping these are the only two policy changes that directly affect students, and I am hoping this letter opens Bon Apptits eyes, so they will start making
In the basement of McCain, next to the new O.P. office, you'll find the Women's and Men's Center. Quiet, warmly lit, and possessing extremely comfortable couches; the Center is not only one of the most relaxing places for students on campus, but it provides one the Colleges most valuable services: helping students. If students feel that they are in need of help in any way, the Women's and Men's center is worth a visit. Whether big or small, its the duty of the Womens and Mens Centers advocates to field student concerns (either personal or academic) and assist in whatever way they can. Even if students don't have anything to talk about, the Center is a nice place to hang out, chat, and get some homework done. The advocates are well trained and very professional, and can put students in contact with counselors, lawyers, law enforcement, or other specialists at the callers request. Almost all of our members have been the victims of some sort of trauma, explained Olivia Lile, Student Director for the Womens and Mens Center. They became advocates because they wanted to help others who may be going through similar experiences, she said. That being said, there are always advocates available to talk in the Center should students want to stop in for a personal chat. Yet, sometimes mustering the courage to visit can be a challenge. Many students live off-campus or have class during the Centers office hours. Others may have reservations about visiting the Center for fear of embarrassment. Luckily, students don't have to meet in the Center to talk to an advocate. They can call the recently activated telephone number (459-5555) at any time of day to talk over the phone or to arrange a meeting. I've met with people in upstairs McCain at three in the morning several times, recounted advocate Alex Knoblock. We will meet people wherever
and whenever they're most comfortable. Students can also visit The College of Idaho Women's And Men's Center on Facebook. There, students can write private messages to advocates without the pressure of a face-to-face meeting. They can also post questions anonymously using the link located under the about tab. As a C of I student, I highly recommend liking the Women's and Men's Center page, as they are constantly posting about upcoming events, resources, and general information that you can only benefit a student in need. The Center now works in full conjunction with Campus Safety, which will make a big impact on the Center's resources. Our affiliation with Campus Safety means we will have a much larger budget and a greater amount of freedom than we've ever had. We're hosting programs in every dorm, plus more educational events throughout the year, said Lile. The Center's most ambitious project is to bring YouTube-renown, positive-sex educator Laci Green to give a seminar at C of I. According to Lile, Green is not so expensive to book that she is out of our reach, but we will need a lot of fundraising and student support to make it happen. College can be a stressful place, and sometimes situations can seem overwhelming. Students should be aware that if something is bothering them, keeping it bottled inside can make it worse. Reaching out is the first step to recovery, and the people of the Women's and Men's Center will be there for you when you do. Anyone interested in becoming an advocate or assisting at the Women's and Men's Center should contact Student Director Olivia Lile (olivia.lile@yotes. collegeofidaho.edu). Advocate training will be conducted through Winter and Spring terms.
Editors Note: The opinions printed in this letter do not necessarily reflect the views of the Coyote. Letters can be submitted by students at any time, and all are given equal consideration for printing. If you would like to submit a letter, send your thoughts to skylar.barsanti@yotes. collegeofidaho.edu. Please note: anonymous letters will not be printed.
THE COYOTE
FEATURE
This summer, as I conducted historical research in the collections of the British Library in London, one day I happened to view the BLs current exhibition: Propaganda: Power and Persuasion. It was a first-rate, thought-provoking show that traced the development of state propaganda in the 20th and 21st centuries, an age characterized by the rise of mass culture and the need for mass persuasion to direct it. From cartoons to films, from patriotic music to newspapers and news reporting, I learned about the extensive, systematic methods governments have used from Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany to contemporary Iran and the United Statesto persuade support from their citizens, often most vigorously during times of war. Viewing this show I was led to reflect, however, that propaganda systems are not simply the product of modern civilizations, for human societies have always constructed frameworks of understandingwhat philosophers would call epistemologiesas well as techniquesmore or less effectivefor spreading them. Since I was returning in few short weeks to C of I to teach a Civilization course, I also reflected that one of the most important skills these courses teach is how to recognize and analyze these systems of understanding, as they have changed and developed over time, and how groups and governments have used them to influence and shape their societies and times. This is all a long (an over long) way of saying to our first-year students: Greetings. Welcome to Civilization! Im not, of course, talking about the snobby civilization of wine-sipping intellectualsalthough you might see some of that behavior on occasion here at C of Irather Im referring to the
thought and ability; and 2) a professional enhancement that gives our education a particular relevance to the world of practical employment. PEAK is the whole package, and a package that does not undermine the traditional strength of a liberal arts education: the breadth of knowledge that makes liberal arts graduates far more likely to be leaders in business, culture and politics, and far more likely to be critical consumers of the propagandas that surround us all. The First Year Program curriculum has all students choose a First Year Seminar, focused on a particular subject. In your F.Y.S., you will learn depth: how better to write and how better to think about a particular subject, a skill you will return to time and again in college. But in your Civilization course you will learn breadth: how to think broadly, to put together explanations that draw on many forms of information, from many sources, and many domains of knowing, and that tie together human thought and behavior across broad, sweeping, changing timeframes. Depth, yes, but also, critically, breadth. These separate skills in depth of knowledge, theory and technique, are critically enhanced here by the flexibility and perspective provided by breadth, and both are essential to the superiority of the liberal arts education. With these skills you will better pursue yours careers and better make your life, because what a liberal arts education gives you is the critical knowledge to forge your own self, to free you to understand fully who you are, what you believe, and what you value. Consider: in Latin, artes liberals, means the subjects of proper knowledge for free people (not automatons beholden to
See Civilization 10
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propaganda masters, a la George Orwells 1984). This is what the liberal arts is intended to do: to liberate you to be your confident, knowledgeable, critically-aware best self. Each one of the Civilization courses examines (among other things) the origins and development of modern liberal studieswhat might be termed freedom studiesincluding their inception in classical antiquity, their development in the Renaissance era, and their refinement through the developing age of modern science and Enlightenment rationalism. All disciplines you may choose as majors and minors have a history: the foundations of modern business practice, biology, psychology, physics, religion, politics, art, literature and myriad other subjects were fundamentally shaped in the centuries
FEATURE
leading through to the 1800s, as were the technologies of things and ideas that led to the emergenceoften along unsavory paths including the rise of racism and imperialism with all their corrosive legaciesof our contemporary world systems. Civilization classes require the habit of integrative thought, which allows you to tie together a breadth of knowledge. Even if you forget information from the classes (we all forget information from classes), your capacity for the integrative thinking Civ. classes demand will remain as a persistently valuable skill. From the beginning of the emergence of the species, the features that increasingly differentiated homo sapiens (in others words, you all) from other primates have revolved around technologies. Technologies are nothing more than tools that allow the manipulation of environments and others. But technologies extend beyond machines to embrace ideas and their spread. As youour new, gentle first year students enter college, you will be exposed more thoroughly and asked to master more completely a myriad of technologies which, in the end, will give you the freedom to achieve your ends through the understanding and manipulation of your environment. A famous philosopher, ideologue, and propagandist once said Men make their own history, but they do not make it just as they please; they do not make it under circumstances chosen by themselves, but under circumstances directly encountered, given and transmitted from the past. And yes, I know that if youre half the 21st century student you should be,
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you Googled this and now know the philosopher to be Karl Marx (pace, dear students, however, and note that only an ignorant, illiberal ideologue would condemn a philosophical statement based solely on who wrote it). One important meaning to draw from this wise observation is this: if you dont know where you came from (circumstances directly encountered, given and transmitted from the past), you are bound to be a dumbass. You will be incapable of making your own history with the greatest freedom possible. You will be a Yahoo (Google yahoo swift to get Jonathan Swifts meaning) incapable of contextualizing your own privilege and power in the broader environment of well human privilege and power. So, again, welcome to Civilization. Use your education well. Dont be a dumbass.
Civilization
Crystal Rideau is a familiar face for Bon Apptit. She has been a part of the catering company at the college for several years now and has recently been hired as the General Manager. A BSU graduate, Rideau spent nearly a decade working for Airmark food services as the front of house manager for the Universitys caf, a retail worker, and a member of their catering staff. Shortly after her daughter was born in 2009, Crystal found an opportunity here at the College of Idaho. In 2011 she was hired on as an office manager and later became the operations manager while working under the previous G.M., Matt Caldwell. With Matt leaving the College after the 2012-2013 school year ended, Crystal had an opportunity to apply for the General Managers position. Aside from the literal job that comes with her title of managing the general day to day for Bon Apptit, Crystal says that she would like to be considered a liaison between the students and the food service. One of her major goals is to ensure that students and the student organizations here at the College have all of their needs met in regards to food service. There are a lot of challenges that we are facing with so many new students, but I am
There are a lot of challenges that we are facing with so many new students, but I am excited for everyone to see some of the changes we have made over the course of the year.
excited for everyone to see some of the changes we have made over the course of the year, she said. Aside from Crystals new management, there has been a little reorganization with the staff at Bon Apptit. Tim Reinbold is still the Executive Chef, while Barry Korte has been added to the team as the new Executive Sous Chef. Landis Jurd is a new addition this year; hes the Operations Manager, while Damon Schaff remains the Catering Manager. Arlene Williams is the Retail Manager in McCain. Larisa Gavrilyuk is Bon Appetites on-staff Administrative Assistant. The three Caf supervisors this year are Chela Ruiz, April Hawkins and Amy Jacobson, while Toni Hodock is the McCain Supervisor. All of the Bios for the Bon Apptit staff can be found online. Although there have been some changes at Bon Apptit, the staff, food and atmosphere are almost all the same. Students can look forward to all of the traditionally Bon Apptit meals and events they have come to love in years past, starting with the Eat Local Challenge, where the caf served regionally authentic meals from within 150 miles of the school during the lunch hour.
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FEATURED ARTIST
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Ben Schwarting
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an unknown occult, and Evie realizes that her supernatural gift, the one that got her in trouble in the first place, may help catch a serial killer. Evie decides that she must help the boys in blue figure out whos behind the murder before the Pentagon Killer strikes again.
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After months of the summer heat and smoke, a nighttime run under the copper colored full moon seemed to be a fantastic idea. Sure, it may have been a tiny bit risky in the dark, but the cold air was worth it. Rachel Hamery and I met at Camels Back Park in Boise to go for a night run on the trails. I parked my car, and we placed our phones and iPods under the seat. We kept to the buddy system, even though Rachel was much faster than I was.
Sure, it may have been a tiny bit risky in the dark, but the cold air was worth it.
We brought two headlamps for the trail, agreeing to run for a brisk 50 minutes. Camels Back Park is a nice break from running on pavement, and has a variety of trails with a variety of difficulties. Walking and easy hiking are also great options and the park has tennis courts and plenty of space for a frisbee toss or impromptu soccer match. Rachel knew the trails and led the way while I babbled happily. Near the
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-HEARD ON CAMPUS
If theres one place the fashion industry always has its eye on, its the streets. Street style is a grassroots branch of the fashion world that has grown tremendously thanks to online fashion bloggers and Instagram. The beauty of street style finding a home on the Internet is its global appeal. A student sitting in a dorm room in Caldwell can now find outfit inspiration from Tokyo. Internet street style also has a variety of followers, not only, designers and buyers, but highend reporters are taking note as well. The stories from New York Fashion week are split evenly between the looks seen on the runway and those seen on the streets of N.Y.C. Street style has a way of employing a trickledown effect on new runway trends, but more and more frequently, designers are taking inspiration from the streets for their shows. Not only is street style proving to be a great source of inspiration for
Fall Fling: OKTOBERFEST This year we are bringing you Fall Fling: Oktoberfest Edition on Saturday, October 5. If will be an eventful day with live music, free food, and swag! Doors will open at 6:30 p.m., and there will be a beer garden for those 21+. More information will be coming to you. Dont forget: you must have your student ID to be granted entrance into the event. Movie in the Amphitheater On Tuesday, October 8, we will be screening The Rocky Horror Picture Show in the Amphitheater. Come join us with a blanket, some popcorn, and lets get snuggly. Midterm Medicine It's midterms, and you need a break. Come join us in McCain for some snacks and energy drank. Bowling Night Come join us Thursday, October 31, for Halloween Bowling Night. Best two costumes will receive a $25 Visa gift card! Look for those P.C. emails and like us on Facebook to stay connected on all upcoming events.
programcouncil@collegeofidaho.edu facebook.com/collegeofidahoprogramcouncil
seasonal collections, but with the growing obsession with street style bloggers on Instagram, Tumblr and other social media outlets. These designers are being showcased on more accessible medians as opposed to just on the pages of magazines, and those bloggers, who are big on the street style scene, dont just post outfits thrown together. They pinpoint trends and market them on a wider scale. The trick to mastering this new craze is to not try too hard. The beauty of street style is that it grew accidently from people snapping shots of outfits created by ordinary kids walking down big city streets. Once you start trying, the fashion turns back to its flashy, runway counterpart. A great way to ease into the trend is to use streetwear staples as finishing touches rather than attempting to form entire outfits right out of the gate. Throw a varsity style jacket over a feminine dress or pair some Velcro high top sneakers with your favorite leggings. Street style isnt for everyone, and thats perfectly ok. This particular division of fashion is risky, and often times unexpected. Trading in your jeans for drawstring sweatpants and tailored pants that fall just above the ankle may not appeal to you. However, if you do want to get creative with your closet and try your hand at this street style, here is a list of some of my favorite street style blogs to provide you with inspiration. In all honesty, street style is whatever you want it to be, and its that personal twist that oftentimes starts trends. www.facehunter.org www.style-arena.jp/street www.wheredidugetthatstreet.com streetpeeper.com styledavenue.com thestyleplaylist.blogspot.com
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12 Years a Slave
Release Date: October 18 Familiar Faces: Chloe Grace Moretz, Julianne Moore
The Gist: All moms are a little bit crazy; its to be expected. They keep locks of baby hair and get choked up about small milestones like your passing 7th grade English, but for the most part, they dont lock you in closets and force you to pray for your sins. For high school outcast Carrie White (Moretz), this is a regular occurrence. Tormented by her religious zealot of a mother (Moore) and shunned by her peers, Carrie develops telekinetic abilities, but honing her skills while trying to convince her mother shes not devil-spawn is a closet-worthy offense. In a dream-come-true twist of fate, Carrie is invited to the senior prom. When a humiliating prank involving a bucket of pig blood ruins Carries one shot at a normal existence, shes pushed to her limits and unleashes her destructive powers on a small town of unsuspecting victims.
The Verdict: On the Fence Based on the classic 1976 horror film and Stephen Kings 1974 epistolary novel of the same name, the new Carrie isnt much different from any other remake. It does help that Moretz is closer to Carries age than Sissy Spacek was in 1976 (Moretz is 16, Spacek was 26), and the modern effects eliminate the unforgivable cheesiness that now haunts the original, but its still just a remake. Early 2013 reshoots set the release date back to further develop one of cinemas most psychotic mother-daughter relationships. It also puts Carrie at a more appropriate autumn premiere for a horror film, but I remain unconvinced. If you happen to be loyal to the 1976 version despite its laughable setbacks, then youll probably be fine without this near-verbatim adaptation. If youre just looking for some light Halloween fare, giving Carrie a try probably wont kill you, and you can repent the loss of time and money later, perhaps in a broom cupboard.
Runner Runner
face to face with the head of the online scandal, Ivan Block (Affleck), who offers him a prominent place in the high-stakes world of off-shore gambling. Richie accepts only to be cast as a double-agent between Block and the FBI. The Verdict: Free Movie Monday A few years back, Justin Timberlake starred in a little-known film called In Time. In Time had the three basic qualities any decent action film should have: a promising plot, a splash of espionage, and of course, the man who couldnt stop bringing sexy back even if he wanted to. So what happened? Well, a lethal dose of overcrowding and, ironically enough, timing made In Time a boxoffice dud and a critical failure. However, thats not to say that Runner Runner is destined to repeat the past. The plot is less of a mind game, and theres plenty of sexyback to go around, but for $10 a ticket, its not something Im willing to bet on.
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Saddle-up
STEPHEN ANDERSON
What is most striking about Polish sculptor Gregor Gaidas Polygonal Horse (wood, 2011) is its simultaneous newness and oldness. In isolation, its forms are obviously classical in style; any one of its limbs, were it perhaps rendered in marble, would be right at home in the British Museum. Yet the whole composition is contemporary, not only from a conceptual standpoint but from an aesthetic one as well. Ordinarily, we might term this dissonance an anachronism. But the sculpture is neither anachronistic nor dissonant. It is not out of place in its real historical setting, nor does is it ironically divided between two mutually exclusive historical styles. It simply is a sculpture, fully present, and very effective as such. That is to say, it does not look like a historical joke or commentary; it just looks good. I see it fitting in nicely beside a fountain in some lush modern estate. Since there is nothing overtly ironic about the sculpture, and no visual disagreement between its old fashioned components (the horse parts) and its new fashioned composition (the polygonal spider thing), it remains to be decided, is it old or is it new? The answer is obvious. Not only is it literally new as an object, but it is stylistically new without question or compromise. Is this possible given its reliance on a classical motif, the muscular leg of the noble horse? After all, if we were looking at a painting which incorporated collaged bits of a Roman fresco, we would have to admit that it was modern only by appropriation, and not, in a sense, purely or unambiguously modern. The polygonal horse is different. The appropriation of antiquated forms is so complete, so voracious, that the final product shows none of the exhaustion of its antique source. It is a fully successful recycling of materials, such that the sculpture retains the reminiscence of the antique world without conceding any of its oldness. Gaida seems acutely aware of what T.S. Eliot describes as the continuity of tradition in art. Nothing which is truly good can be truly new; all worthwhile art consists in the reapplication of what has already proved successful for past artists. The best aspects of an artwork, its novelty notwithstanding, may be precisely what it shares with all that went before it. I think this definition of good art helps explain why Gaidas sculpture is so appealing to me. It does not reject aesthetic idealism in the name of some anti-aesthetic, postmodern plunge into the unknown. Rather, it adopts the beautiful forms of a Romanesque horse and wistfully abandons their traditional (i.e. representational) arrangement. We are left with something like a trans-historical collaboration, as if Gaida said to the ancient world you supply the legs and Ill take it from there.
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OPINION
18
The Issue: No more stoves and ovens in Anderson, Voorhees, and Finney In past years, its not been uncommon to descend to the dorm basements only to be met halfway up the stairwell by the strong smells of meals being made. Whether its pizza or some more exotic dish whose origins dont stem from the freezer, dorm dwellers have been able to count on the use of an oven and stove to supplement their meal plan. Not so, anymore. Last spring, following a stove flare-up in Voorhees, in which the building narrowly avoided a full-out kitchen fire, ovens and stoves were removed from Anderson, Voorhees, and Finney. The ovens werent removed because we suddenly became more prone to kitchen fires. Rather, the removals were prompted by the fact that several dorms are not new enough to have adequate fire sprinklers. In other words, if you start a fire in Voorhees, nothing is going to help put it out until the fire department gets there. Given this view, the removal of stoves and ovens is an all around safe decision. Id much rather have someone miss out on the ability to cook dinner than have a building burn to the ground or suffer expensive and irreparable smoke damage. However, even the best and safest actions dont come without some negative consequences. In this case, the negatives consequences are going to come to those who most often made use of dorm stovetops and ovens. In my experience, C of Is international students are the ones who most often avail themselves of the use of the stoves and ovens, especially as they weather the Caf-less days of fall, winter, and spring breaks. Sure, there was an odd birthday cake baked in the kitchens and the occasional person who prefers stovetop ramen to the
be to extend the operating hours of McCain. Tacking on a few hours at the end of the day would allow students staying over multiple breaks a chance at a hot dinner.
THE COYOTE
OPINION
19
I am by no means a television person. In my free time I generally read books or watch movies. There are of course occasional exceptions to this rule, one of which occurred several Sundays past. On that date I found myself somewhere between entertainment ecstasy and emotional panic at the closing scene of a television episode. A movie has never done that to me, neither for that matter has a novel. Furthermore, its not the first time Ive practically reeled over at the end of an episode of Breaking Bad. For those of you unfamiliar with the show, do yourselves a favor and cancel your other commitments. The virtues of the show are numerous, but here I want to use it simply as an example of something bigger. That something is a trend in television, which is beginning to reveal the true artistic potential of the medium. Bear in mind that as art forms go, T.V. is still very new. Therefore, it is understandable that its artistic possibilities have yet to be fully explored, and understandable still that it is should not be considered an art form at all. I never used to regard it as such, ignorant as I was of such early critical successes as The Sopranos. The show, actually, which first awoke me to the potential greatness of television was Mathew Weiners Mad Men, whose writing, acting, and cinematography had the quality not of a TV show, but of a good film. Unlike a film, it kept going and going. A movie begins, and in an hour or two it is ended, and along with it my investment in the characters and story. But Mad Men was more like an ongoing theater, a neverending drama in which my interest in Don, Betty and the others went on for months and even years. Of course, this could potentially be true
What I want to emphasize about [these] shows is that they drift away from episodic T.V. conventions towards a better, fuller use of the medium.
for a viewer of any T.V. show, but what I want to emphasize about shows like Mad Men is that they drift away from episodic T.V. conventions towards a better, fuller use of the medium. In an article for The American Reader, David Auerbach distinguishes between several models for television shows, the first of which he calls the Steady-State model. This is perhaps the most familiar format for generic shows: every episode some new thing happens, the thing is resolved, and everything is back to normal for the next episode. Characters in this kind of show are static by necessity. Like figures in a weekly comic strip, they must be recognizable time after time, and action of the show consists in variations of a steady state. The prevalence of this model is accountable in large part to technological limitations. We young people must strain to remember a time when T.V. was a truly temporal medium. If you missed an episode, it was gone forever. Someone new to the show would need to understand it instantly, hence the sort of perennial base-camp setting for each of its episodes. First V.C.R. and D.V.D., and now to a greater extent TiVo/D.V.R. and Netflix have changed all that. The accessibility of a TV show is now the same as that of a movie, which means that it no longer suffers the limitations of
an ephemeral medium. This brings us to the main point of the discussion, which is the special virtues of T.V. as opposed to other forms of art entertainment. I have already introduced our case study. Breaking Bad is the all-too plausible story of Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher who, when diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, takes up cooking meth to ensure the financial security of his family. As the show geared up for its final episode only a week ago, I was among those watchers who developed mild psychosis in anticipation. Why did I care so much? Because over the past several years I watched an epic drama unfold, and its final conclusion was now in sight. I use the word epic advisedly to emphasize what is possible in a television series and not in cinema, that is, a story which takes many many many hours to tell. Think of a Greek poet after Homer, who performs the Odyssey to an audience; the event will go on longer than any play, for more than one day in fact. The story goes everywhere and is about everything. By the end the audience has traveled countless miles over the merciless sea, seen many wonders and met many people, listening hour after hour, and the final conclusion is accordingly impactful. A modern day drama lover who wants a comparable experience should logon to Netflix and begin watching the epic of Walter White. Breaking Bad is, of course, still episodic in the sense that it is broken up into episodes which, formulaically enough, usually end in cliffhangers. But the story itself is continuous. Its settings, like those of the classical epic, are amazingly varied. In Breaking Bad, we see more of derelict road-side Albuquerque, more suburban life, cheap motels, underground labs, corporate headquarters, and backyard
See Culture 20
THE COYOTE
Culture
swimming pools than could be contained in 20 movies. Thus, the narrative is allowed to expand into a realm hitherto unknown to cinema: the realm of epic, of endless detail and matchless duration. This is the unique privilege of T.V. shows. Because they are not restricted to a single-sitting presentation, they can be expansive as possible. To be sure, past shows have expanded on and on for no other reason than network demands (Auerbach cites The X-Files as an example), and their plots have just become convoluted and unwieldy. But shows like Breaking Bad, which are ambitious enough to apply movie-writing standards to a movie nearly 60 hours long belong to a different breed. These are the shows which will designate television as the new medium for great art. So much for the advantages of T.V. over film. Where does Breaking Bad stand compared to The Odyssey? Even as one who has devoted his studies and likely his career to literature, I cannot deny that the vividness and the enjoyment of a well-made video has no parallel in the literary arts. The experience of film, though ultimately incomparable to that of the written word, has an undeniable advantage in the strength and immediacy of its stimulus. To watch hit men converse in a smoky Albuquerque motel room is perhaps no better than to picture a similar scene in Dostoyevsky, but the visual imprint of the former is greater by far. I do not mean to suggest that T.V. is superior to all other narrative mediums, but it does have partial advantages over all of them. Knowing this, I hope that the success of high-quality shows will inspire future creators to make the most of television. Ideally, it would serve as a kind of new public theater, hosting the best writers and actors in the world, yet accessible to almost everyone.
OPINION
20
In honor of the 2013 Homecoming, C of I faculty members went head-to-head with students in a friendly volleyball match. As one spectator noted, the faculty dominated. The winning team consisted of professors Frank Jones, Dave Johnson and Paul Moulton as well as Alumni Relations Coordinator Jake McClean and Communications Specialist Jordan Rodriguez.
Editors Note: Normally this section would contain one photo, but there were simply too many options. If you have a picture youd like to submit, send them to skylar.barsanti@yotes.collegeofidaho.edu.
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Events Calendar
Mike Riggin PNWU of Health Sciences Osteopathic Presentation 6:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m., Boone Room 132 Psychic Medium and Author John Edward Doors 6 p.m./Show 7 p.m., $150, The Egyptian Theatre
EVENTS CALENDAR
21
School events by LORRAINE BARRERAS Local events by MEGAN MIZUTA
Boise Farmers Market 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Free, 11th and Front streets, Downtown Boise Capital City Public Market 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Free, Downtown Boise Nampa Farmers Market 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Free, Lloyd Square, Nampa Blue October 7:30 p.m., $22.50-50, The Knitting Factory Heywood Banks 8 p.m.-10 p.m., 10:15 p.m.-Midnight, $20, Liquid, 21+ SOL, Sam Lachow, and BFA 7 p.m., $12, The Shredder
Broadway in Boise: Memphis 7:30 p.m., $37.50-57.50, Morrison Center Chris Fairbanks & Duncan Jay 8 p.m.-10 p.m., $10, Liquid, 21+ Krewella 8 p.m., $25-89.94, Revolution Concert House and Event Center The Lonely Forest 8 p.m., $10, Flying M Coffeegarage The North Face Presents: Into the Mind Show 8 p.m., $15, Egyptian Theatre
Late Night 8:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m., KAIC Broadway in Boise: Memphis 7:30 p.m., $37.50-57.50, Morrison Center
James Baur Concert: Tribute to Jerry Baur Langroise Recital and Foyer Broadway in Boise: Memphis 8 p.m., $37.50-57.50, Morrison Center Chris Fairbanks & Duncan Jay 8 p.m.-10 p.m., 10 p.m.-Midnight, $10, Liquid, 21+ Disclosures 9 p.m., $20-40, The Knitting Factory
Yotes Soccer vs. Oregon Tech Caldwell, Simplot Stadium Langroise Trio Concert Langroise Recital and Foyer Boise Farmers Market 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Free, 11th and Front streets, Downtown Boise Capital City Public Market 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Free, Downtown Boise Nampa Farmers Market 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Free, Lloyd Square, Nampa Chris Fairbanks & Duncan Jay 8 p.m.-10 p.m., 10 p.m.-Midnight, $10, Liquid, 21+ GWAR 7:30 p.m., $22-35, The Knitting Factory Stepdad 8 p.m., $5, Neurolux, 21+ The Waterboys TIME Adv. $33/Door $38, The Egyptian Theatre
Chris Fairbanks & Duncan Jay 8 p.m.-10 p.m., $10, Liquid, 21+ Real Friends, Mixtapes, Forever Came Calling, Pentimento 7:30 p.m., $12, The Shredder Zeds Dead 7 p.m., $23-40, The Knitting Factory
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EVENTS CALENDAR
22
4th Annual Groovin in the Graveyard 7 p.m., TBA, Nampa Civic Center Boise Farmers Market 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Free, 11th and Front streets, Downtown Boise Capital City Public Market 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Free, Downtown Boise Nampa Farmers Market 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Free, Lloyd Square, Nampa The Blow 8 p.m., $10, Flying M Coffeegarage Disney on Ice Presents: Rockin Ever After 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., $20-60, Taco Bell Arena The Fab Four Show 8 p.m., Adv. $35-45/Door $37-47, Egyptian Theatre Sing-4!, Chorus Contest 10 a.m., $15, Morrison Center Sing-4!, Combined Quartet Final Contest and Show of Champions 7 p.m., $25, Morrison Center West Coast Fest, Bone Thugs, and Harmony Doors 7 p.m./Show 8 p.n., $19.75-59.50, Revolution Concert House and Event Center Ward Anderson & Aaron Woodall 8 p.m.-10 p.m., 10 p.m.-Midnight, $10, Liquid, 21+
Midterm Medicine 6:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m., McCain Late Night 8:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m., KAIC Australias Thunder From Down Under Doors 6 p.m./Show 7 p.m., $25-50, Revolution Concert House and Event Center, 21+ The Cabin presents: Ruth Reichl, Eating Our Words 7:30 p.m., $37.25-58.50, Morrison Center Modern Day Escape 6:30 p.m., Adv. $10/Door $12, The Shredder STARFKR 8 p.m., $13-30, The Knitting Factory
Lady Yotes Colleyball vs. Eastern Oregon 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m., JAAC Corale & Chamber Singers Fall Concert 7:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m., Jewett Aces UP 8 p.m., $10-20, The Knitting Factory Disney on Ice Presents: Rockin Ever After 7 p.m., $20-60, Taco Bell Arena Magic Sword 8 p.m., $8, El Korah Shrine Sing-4! 5 p.m., $15, Morrison Center Ward Anderson & Aaron Woodall 8 p.m.-10 p.m., 10 p.m.-Midnight, $10, Liquid, 21+
Chiddy Bang 8 p.m., $13-30, The Knitting Factory Disney on Ice Presents: Rockin Ever After 7 p.m., $20-60, Taco Bell Arena Ward Anderson & Aaron Woodall 8 p.m.-10 p.m., $10, Liquid, 21+
Starving artist?
Submit samples of your art for the chance to become the Coyotes next Featured Artist. $30 for cover art + $15 per printed selection Contact Skylar Barsanti, skylar.barsanti@yotes.collegeofidaho.edu
THE COYOTE
Morrison Center Family Reading Series: Canterville Ghost 2 p.m., TBA, Morrison Center Disney on Ice Presents: Rockin Ever After 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., $20-60, Taco Bell Arena Ward Anderson & Aaron Woodall 8 p.m.-10 p.m., $10, Liquid, 21+
EVENTS CALENDAR
23
Lady Yotes Volleyball vs. Warner Pacific 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m., JAAC Alices Mad World 8 p.m., $10 Students and Seniors/$15 General, El Korah Shriners of Boise David Nail 8 p.m., $19.75-35, The Knitting Factory Macklemore and Ryan Lewis World Tour 2013 Doors 6 p.m./Show 7 p.m., $29+, Taco Bell Arena Mike Faverman & Nat Baimel 8 p.m.-10 p.m., 10:15 p.m.-Midnight, $10, Liquid, 21+ Music Theatre of Idaho Presents: The Pirates of Penzance 7:30 p.m., $17, Nampa Civic Center Brandt Auditorium Widowspeak, Pure Bathing Culture 8 p.m., $8, Neurolux, 21+
Kevin Devine, Now Now, A Sea of Glass 6 p.m., $10, The Shredder Mike Faverman & Nat Baimel 8 p.m.-10 p.m., $10, Liquid, 21+
Reoccurring Events
Getting Away with Murder
Oct. 18, 19, 25, 26, Nov. 1, 2 at 8 p.m., Oct. 24, 31 at 7:30 p.m., Oct. 27, Nov. 2 at 2 p.m., General $14 Adv./$16 Door, Seniors and Students $11 Adv./$12 Door, Boise Little Theater
Poetry Slam Delux Sign up at 7:30 p.m., Slam at 8 p.m., $5, Neurolux, 21+ KMFDM 8 p.m., $20-40, The Knitting Factory
Story Story Night 7 p.m., Adv. $8/Doors $10, The Rose Room
The Acting Company of New York: Hamlet 7:30 p.m., $25, Nampa Civic Center Brandt Auditorium
Les Miserables
Lady Yotes Soccer vs. Corban 2:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m., Simplot Stadium
Jeffrey Lewis 8 p.m., $5, The Crux Mike Faverman & Nat Baimel 8 p.m.-10 p.m., $10, Liquid, 21+ Music Theatre of Idaho Presents: The Pirates of Penzance 7:30 p.m., $17, Nampa Civic Center Brandt Auditorium Walk the Moon 8 p.m., $18-35, The Knitting Factory Red Bull Media House and MSP Films Present: McConkey Doors 7 p.m./Show 8 p.m., $15, The Egyptian Theatre
Lady Yotes Soccer vs. Northwest Christian 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m., Simplot Stadium Lady Yotes Volleyball vs. Concordia 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m., JAAC Boise Farmers Market 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Free, 11th and Front streets, Downtown Boise Capital City Public Market 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Free, Downtown Boise Nampa Farmers Market 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Free, Lloyd Square, Nampa Menomena 9 p.m., $10, The Crux Mike Faverman & Nat Baimel 8 p.m.-10 p.m., 10:15 p.m.-Midnight, $10, Liquid, 21+ Music Theatre of Idaho Presents: The Pirates of Penzance 1:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m., $17, Nampa Civic Center Brandt Auditorium Trey McIntyre Project 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., $20-65 General/$10 Military, Seniors, Children, Morrison Center
Everything Fitz Celtic Music and Step Dance 7:30 p.m.-10:00 p.m., Jewett Late Night 8:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m., KAIC
Oct. 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 25, 26, Nov. 1, 2 at 6:15 p.m., Oct. 10, 17, 24, 31 at 7 p.m., Thursdays: $15 Seniors, Students, Military/$18 General, Fridays and Saturdays: $39 dinner and show, $20 show only. Student Rush Thursday: $10, Student Rush Friday and Saturday: $15. Knock Em Dead Dinner Theatre
Red
Baauer 8:30 p.m., $15-40, The Knitting Factory The Chariot, Glass Cloud, Birds in Row, To the Wind, Rebuker 6 p.m., Adv. $12/Door $14, The Shredder
Oct. 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 19, 23, 24, 25, 26, 30, 31 Nov. 1, 2 at 8 p.m. and Oct. 19, 26 Nov. 2 at 2 p.m., General $30/Student $15, Boise Contemporary Theater
Ballet Idaho Presents: Qualia/ Akimbo/Footage/Serenade 8 p.m., $38-58, Morrison Center Backcountry Film Festival TBA, TBA, Egyptian Theatre
Steampact Gala 7 p.m., $25, Visual Arts Collective Boise Farmers Market 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Free, 11th and Front streets, Downtown Boise Capital City Public Market 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Free, Downtown Boise
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FACULTY FORUM
24
I would like to lay to rest the notion that American society can afford the following concept: it is time to craft the epitaph for the discipline of the humanities. So, too, this one: that poetry is likely to disappear from the core of an educated populace. Poetry is a breathing necessity of culture, which, among other things, leverages the souls of people into becoming the consciences of their society. The argument for a liberal arts education, from Isocrates and Cicero onward, has been that the leaders of society, even if they practice one or another profession, need to be well rounded, well informed generalists if they are to make sound decisions in public and private life. In a democratic republic, isnt it imperative that all citizens have the basics of a liberal arts education, even if their participation in public life is restricted to voting? As for making sound decisions in private life, isnt such an education equally essential? Doesnt living with others in families and communities require all the humanities skills one can muster? Is there a better foundation than that provided by the liberal arts upon which to construct a sound ethical base, to build character, and to care for others like and unlike ourselves? *** I am the granddaughter of Sicilian peasants. After my maternal grandparents moved to Detroit as young adults, my maternal grandfather Giuseppe Cardinale grandfather began working for Ford. Evenings, he would read an English dictionary, writing down words he hadnt seen or heard before in a notebook. My paternal grandmother, Anna Raptosh, came here from what is now Slovakia when she was 16. Throughout her life, she worked like . . . well, a beast of burden. I am a poet and a teacher; I work hard too, but I also like to lie in a hammock
The argument for a liberal arts education, from Isocrates and Cicero onward, has been that the leaders of society ... need to be well rounded.
Language, we all know, is the primary tool of consciousness. And, as my poetry mentor from graduate school Alice Fulton (who now teaches poetry at Cornell University) reminds us, Consciousness, when purposefully pursued, encourages conscience. And conscience, I would add, like much great poetry, encourages action. *** The South African poet Dennis Brutus, when asked about the role of the poet in the world, said the following: I believe that the poetas a poethas no obligation to be committed. What Im saying is that I think everybody ought to be committed and the poet is just one of the many everybodies. Nineteenthcentury American poet Walt Whitman never separated his poetry from his vision of American democracy. He tells us in Song of Myself that I speak the pass-word primeval, I give the sign of democracy. *** One of the poems from Poems from Guantanamo: The Detainees Speak reads Just as the heart beats in the darkness of the body, / so I, despite this cage, continue to beat with life. This reminds us of the words of poet John Milton: Thou canst not touch the freedom of my mind. **** American poet Muriel Rukeyser emphasizes one of the points I am trying to drive home, which is that the action is, in fact, in the poetics. Here is what she hypothesizes: If there were no poetry on any day in the world, poetry would be invented that day. For there would be an intolerable hunger. This hunger is what another American poet, Clayton Eshelman, calls the desire, the need, for a more profound and ensouled world. Dont all everybodies yearn, at some level, for just this, even if they might not use those exact words to describe it?