Mount Hood

Western student recitals

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Hannah Hazlewood’s senior recital on May 16 put an emphasis on vocal performance. Performing a musical, “Once Upon A Dream,” that incorporated music from other musicals, Hazlewood’s senior recital included other actors and singers as well to put on an entertaining show about love and dreams. The recital included music from musicals such as “Into the Woods,” “Enchanted,” “Cinderella” and more through six scenes that told the story of a young woman finding love. The musical was narrated by Eli Schenk and included vocal performances from Laura Killip, Cole Aldred and Scott Dickens.

Yuzhou Huang performed seven pieces for his senior piano recital on May 18. The performance showcased Huang’s piano ability with songs from Scarlatti, Beethoven, Chopin and more. Huang played music through close to a hundred years of classical composers, beginning with Scarletti and ending with Chopin. The performance ended with Huang thanking his parents, who couldn’t make it to the recital due to their jobs in China, but it was recorded to send to them later on. Huang also took a moment to thank his professors before playing his final song.

Emily Dalziel’s senior recital took place on May 19. She performed pieces from five different composers on the piano. The composers ranged from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s piece, written in 1777, to a work of Dmitri Shostakovich’s, written in the early 20th century. Other composers performed include Frederick Chopin, Felix Mendelssohn and Claude Debussy. Dalziel also took time to thank her professors, students and family for supporting her.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

Campus music recommendations

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

“The one everyone’s talking about right now is Kendrick Lamar’s new album ‘DAMN.’ I’d recommend that one. It’s hip hop so, if you like hip hop, I’d recommend it.”
Daniel Villegas, sophomore, criminal justice

“John Mayer’s ‘The Search For Everything’ is a really good one. He uses a whole bunch of expressions in his lyrics that apply to everyone.”
Austin Monk, senior, interdisciplinary studies

“‘I’m the One’ by DJ Khaled, there are just a bunch of different artists in it.”

Tiffany Applegate, freshman, business

“I’d recommend Mac Demarco’s ‘This Old Dog,’ it’s a really good album for people who like alternative, psychedelic or indie rock.”

Lisette Cervantes, sophomore, psychology

The “Pageant” gets cancelled

By: Zoe Strickland
Managing Editor

This started out as a review of “Pageant,” the sophomore album of the would-be up-and-coming queer rock band PWR BTTM. However, due to recent allegations, PWR BTTM has been dropped by their label.

The record label, Polyvinyl, announced on May 12 that they were dropping PWR BTTM due to allegations that one half of the duo, Ben Hopkins, sexually coerced and assaulted people while on tour.

As a result of these allegations, the band has been taken off of the label’s website.

On March 13, Polyvinyl released a statement regarding the allegations, “Throughout our 20 years, Polyvinyl has purposefully operated on the core principle that everyone deserves to be treated with fairness and respect. There is absolutely no place in the world for hate, violence, abuse, discrimination or predatory behavior of any kind. In keeping with this philosophy, we want to let everyone know that we are ceasing to sell and distribute PWR BTTM’s music.”

Similarly, the label is offering full refunds to anyone who has purchased PWR BTTM products.

The story broke on Jezebel, where they interviewed a member of the LGBTQ+ community who accused Hopkins of being a “‘known sexual predator’ who has perpetrated multiple assaults, bullied other people in the queer community, and has made unwanted advances towards underage minors.”

Being let go from a label isn’t the only thing to happen to the band; touring members of PWR BTTM, as well as multiple tour openers, have dropped out of PWR BTTM’s upcoming tour and their management company has dropped their representation.

“These allegations are shocking to us and we take them very seriously. Further, the alleged behavior is not representative of who Ben is and the manner in which they try to conduct themselves … Our primary goal here is to ensure that a survivor of abuse has a voice, that their story should be heard and that people who cross the line should be held accountable,” read a statement from May 11 that was released by the band on their Twitter account.

The band has also set up an email account wherein survivors of assault can discuss the allegations against Hopkins. According to the statement released by the band, the only person with access to this email will be a neutral mediator.

PWR BTTM’s songs continuously preach messages of acceptance and advocacy, and Hopkins’ alleged actions represent the opposite of what the band tries to promote.

Contact the author at journalmanaging@wou.edu

Community spotlight: Second Chance Books

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Just down the road from Monmouth sits Second Chance Books, a used bookstore tucked into Main Street, Independence and a wonderland for book lovers. Shelves stand seven feet tall filled up with books of all genres. The store extends back through narrow corridors that are lined with even more books that lead to poetry, drama, travel and much more. Cozy chairs sit in some aisles welcoming customers to come in and stay a while.

“We opened in 1991. We were originally across from Highway 99 and then we moved to this location about eight years ago,” said Dina Carter, co-owner of Second Chance Books.

Dina runs the store alongside her husband, Steve Carter. The store is open seven days a week and provides something fun to do on lazy Sundays.

“Students get in a little bubble up in Monmouth and don’t seem to know that there’s anything over here, which isn’t all that far away,” added Carter. “We’re also open on Sundays too, where not a lot of places around here are.”

Second Chance Books doesn’t just sell books, they buy used books as well.

“If customers bring in their books that they don’t want, we’ll give them half of what we’ll sell it for in trade credit and that credit can be used for half of what they pick up at the store,” said Carter.

There was also a book signing being held in front of the store. Activities such as that can be found on Second Chance Books’ Facebook page.

Dina and Steve Carter also enjoy supporting Western, they’ve donated to the Smith Fine Arts Series and they’ve donated gift certificates to auctions at Western.

“I’m always happy to see students in and I’m always encouraged that they want the physical book as opposed to the electronic gadget,” added Carter.

Second Chance Books can be found right on Main Street Independence and is open seven days a week. Check out more on their Facebook page or online at their Abebooks.com page.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

Review: “Master of None” season two

By: Alyssa James
Staff Writer

The Netflix original series “Master of None” had many positive and raving reviews with its first season, released in 2015. Over the past two years, fans have awaited the return of Aziz Ansari’s comedy series. On May 12, the second season was released for streaming on Netflix.

Ansari, actor and creator of the show, nailed the second season with fresh new episodes following Dev, a 30-year-old aspiring actor from New York, and his life. The show focuses on many aspects that truly portray what it is like to live in the year 2017. One of the best attributes within this show is the focus on technology and social media and how it relates to the young people living in today’s age. It truly represents the dating culture that is present within society regarding technology.
Along with that, there are appearances from old characters. While there are old characters present, they are not the main focus of Dev’s life in this season. Adding new characters was a good choice because it opened up many more opportunities for episodes. While the last season focused mainly on his relationship with Rachel, this season shows a different side of Dev and how he now chooses to live his life.

On a 1-to-10 star rating scale, “Master of None” deserves a 10 for authenticity and originality. Ansari shows his true talent in his show, not only as an actor but as the creator of it. It brings humor into real life situations that leave the audience laughing and wanting more. More than that, it’s a binge-worthy show and super quick to watch. “Master of None” is perfect for a student wanting to dive into a new show but not wanting to commit hours on end to watching television.

Contact the author at ajames16@mail.wou.edu

Western trips the light fantastic

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Western students have been hard at work rehearsing for the 2017 Spring Dance Concert. Directed by Darryl Thomas, the Spring Dance Concert features 12 different dances from student and faculty choreographers, including a performance from Rainbow Dance Theatre and a guest piece from Tim Cowart.

Students have been rehearsing since January for multiple days a week for the performances, which will be May 11-13 at 7:30 p.m.

One student, Brooke Cross, sophomore elementary education major, recounted her experience preparing for Spring Dance Concert as a positive one.

“It was fun right away. I really enjoy learning choreography. Technique is good in dance classes, but I miss the whole learning a dance, performing it, having the lighting and costuming – everything like that is just really fun,” said Cross.

Cross is performing in two pieces, which has kept her swamped since the first auditions in January.

“I’m performing in a faculty piece done by Sharon Oberst. It’s a tap number and it’s done to three box songs. One is a minuet, one is a rondo and one is badinerie. We wear tuxedos and it’s very fun,” said Cross. “The other one, I’m in a student piece by Jordan Daniels called ‘The Place That Never Changes,’ she’s basing it off of a story about her grandparents house, a special place for her.”

The 12 dances each incorporate the different styles of the choreographers, and each dancer brings their own unique style to it as well. Coming from a dance team background, student dancer Jesse Johnson, first-year undeclared, expressed that working on these dances has been a much different experience than anything she’s done before.

“It’s not dance team, so staging and where your formation is doesn’t really matter necessarily,” said Johnson. “It’s not about the big overall movement, it’s about the little cool things that you get to do because you only have around eight people. Creatively you can do so much.”

The Spring Dance Concert auditions were open for any Western student, so the performance is filled with both dance students and students who just love to dance.

“It’s cool to see everyone from different dance backgrounds come and do a piece that a student choreographed. It’s really cool to be in something like this,” said Johnson.

Johnson is also performing in two dances, both of them student-choreographed.

“One of them is Caitlin Rose’s piece ‘Primordial Awakening.’ It’s kind of a druid dance. There are two main people and we fight until the end, until we come together. It’s powerful and really cool. It’s more ballet heavy, which isn’t my forte, but I really like the music, it’s very tribal,” recounted Johnson. “I’m also really excited for Brittany Hortert’s piece ‘Incognito.’ We’re pretty much running away from something the whole time. We wear sunglasses and a jacket, we look like spies the whole time. We get to play around with character and facial expressions, it’s just a lot of fun.”

Johnson also expressed her excitement for seeing some of the other dances in the Spring Dance Concert that will be performed alongside hers.

“There’s one piece that I’m particularly interested in watching called ‘Nasty Woman.’ It’s a solo piece and the way [Hayleyann Evers] has recorded some choreography ahead of time and will put that out as she dances to music is going to be one that I really want to see. It pertains to what’s going on right now and that’s really cool,” expressed Johnson.

Both Cross and Johnson are excited to put their hard work to the stage and to see the other dances that their fellow dancers have rehearsed.

“I’m excited to perform for the other students and the members of my family that are coming. I’m really proud of the dances that I’m in and I think they’re great,” said Cross.

The Spring Dance Concert will run from May 11-13, beginning at 7:30 p.m. each night in Rice Auditorium. Tickets are available now for $12, or $7 with a Western I.D.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

Editor’s picks

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Editor’s Recommendation
NPR Music is a great place to hear all about new music, popular artists and music news. Their Tiny Desk Concerts feature a great diversity of artists that actually come to the NPR offices and perform a small concert.
Tiny Desk Concerts will feature anyone from T-Pain to Adele to Alt-J. They’re a great way to see high quality performances from popular artists and to discover new music. The sets can go anywhere from 10 minutes up to 30 minutes.
Each year NPR holds a Tiny Desk

D.R.A.M. performs a Tiny Desk Concert on Jan. 4, 2017. (Claire Harbage/NPR)

Contest, where musicians can submit their own Tiny Desk Concert and one will win a chance to go to the NPR Offices and perform. 2017’s winner was Tank and the Bangas. In addition to their Tiny Desk Concert, the group also gets to tour through the U.S.
Tiny Desk Concerts support local artists and provide great entertainment. Tiny Desk Concerts are available at npr.org/music and on NPR Music’s YouTube channel.

Editor’s Disparagement
“Doctor Who” has had a serious decrease in quality over the last few seasons. Episodes frequently feel rushed and supporting actors rarely give passionate performances. The story arcs don’t pack the same dramatic punch as they used to and the Doctor has changed so much in the timeline that he’s lost a lot of the core values that made up his character.
The newest season is no different. The addition of new companions helped to make the show less repetitive, but the episodes are still rushed and the storytelling isn’t nearly as strong as it used to be. The new characters are fun and add a new dynamic to the show, but they aren’t enough to save it from the unmemorable “monsters of the week” and the deus ex machina at the end of every single episode.
Due to it being Peter Capaldi’s final season, the show promises a dramatic season with some familiar faces, but four episodes in, the quality is still subpar.

Review: “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2”

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” was a huge success in 2014. Featuring a cast of obscure characters that fans instantly fell in love with, “Guardians” expanded the Marvel Universe and laid the groundwork for many films to come. “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” is a fun film, like the original, but set on a much smaller scale.

At the film’s start, the team is established and stronger than ever before. Where the first film had to set up a team dynamic, this film just enforces it. The focus is put on strengthening the bonds between the characters, rather than simply making them tolerate each other.

The movie has an expectation that viewers have already seen the original, allowing for them to jump straight into the action. There’s no hand holding as the movie picks up speed, but the character interactions and some jokes would have had very little effect without having seen the original.

That said, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” fails to match the original’s huge scale. The stakes are lower, the villains are weaker and there’s nothing that feels too risky in the film. The original movie expanded the Marvel Universe so much, with connections to other films and diverse locations, that the smaller scale in “Vol. 2” feels off-putting and takes away from the movie.

Marvel is criticized for having overpowered heroes and forgettable villains, but Marvel toys with this concept in new and exciting ways in this film. “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” feels very different from other Marvel movies throughout based on its setup and dynamics.

The character interactions are definitely the highlight of the movie. The Guardians are each so unique and their actors have found their groove in such a way that the characters are both hilarious and sympathetic throughout. The newcomers, Yondu, Mantis and Nebula, offer even further depth and more laughs to the team.

Interactions between Starlord and Rocket Raccoon, as well as those between Drax and Mantis, stand out the most in the film. These characters were great foils of each other and added to the overall quality.

Just like the original, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” is a fun and hilarious film. Even on a much smaller scale, the sequel offers some fantastic moments of character interaction and humor. It’s not the best or most memorable Marvel film, but that doesn’t stop it from being some great fun.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

Review: “Girlboss”

By: Zoe Strickland
Managing Editor

Knowing virtually nothing about the aim for the series, besides that it was based off of a bestselling memoir by fashion connoisseur Sophia Amoruso, I was excited when Netflix announced that they would be making a show aptly-named after the memoir of the same title.

“Girlboss” was overall enthralling and I’ll most likely watch it again.

However, I mistakenly went into “Girlboss” thinking that it would pack the same female empowerment punch that the memoir did; that it would be a show that would make me want to sit down and get stuff done.

At the beginning of every episode, it reminds you that, though the show is based off of a memoir, it’s still a “loose retelling of real events.” Readers of the book should take this warning to heart.

My main complaint about the series is that “Girlboss,” to put it bluntly, is a show built for 20-somethings. The main character Sophia, played by Britt Robertson, is snappy and a bit too immature to find endearing. She’s abrasive, a bit entitled and has a problem with taking any criticism or accepting that she needs help from others- even though she clearly does.

On one hand, these attitudes make her more realistic by not presenting her as an idealized go-getter. On the other hand, it plays into her own inability to connect with the characters around her; Sophia’s narcissism leads to the lack of sustained secondary relationships with the other people in her life, which make it difficult to connect with the character on a deeper level.

The cast of secondary characters is gold: RuPaul as Lionel, Sophia’s firecracker neighbor, and Mobias, a vintage shop-owner played by Jim Rash, were my personal favorite members of the cast. They were vibrant and acted almost as older siblings to Sophia. Sophia’s best friend Annie, played by Ellie Reed provided a breath of fresh air in contrast to Sophia’s tendency to be standoffish. However, the main love interest in the show, Shane, played by Johnny Simmons, occupied space as a doormat for Sophia’s problems.

These characters are all delightful in that they did a good job of being harmless, but they’re all too busy coming to Sophia’s aid to actually get their own sufficiently developed storylines. I cared more about them than I cared about the person the series is devoted to. Their storylines have the potential to be far more interesting than Sophia’s.

The plot was strong enough to maintain my interest, but I don’t expect the show to gain many accolades. There were certain threads that could have ended up either making or breaking the integrity of the show’s heroine, and I found it fulfilling to see how the writers dealt with balancing out everything that Sophia has to deal with.

However, the timing of the show needed a lot of work; they packed two years in a mere 13 episodes, and were inconsistent with how each year was represented. The show takes place between 2006 and 2008, but had references to media and events that occurred after the time period that’s shown. It was difficult to look past those minute details and focus on the storyline at hand.

One of the highlights for me was the soundtrack. The music accompanying “Girlboss” was beautifully chosen; the tracks complement the scenes that they accompany while also being kick-butt anthems suited for a heroine like Sophia Marlowe. The soundtrack is somewhat ‘90s and extremely empowering.

“Girlboss” was good, but that’s all it was. If you’re looking for something that will make you want to rally, I’d skip this and go read the book. If you’re looking to kill a few hours and get your mind off of things, “Girlboss” may be the show for you. “Girlboss” is enjoyable, but I’m not about to shout my love for it from the rooftops.

Contact the author at journalmanaging@wou.edu

Superheros, tacos and fireworks

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

If April showers really bring May flowers, here’s hoping those come up soon. In the meantime, there are plenty of fun local events both inside and outside to keep busy with.

Keizer Homegrown Theatre’s latest show, “Hearts Like Fists,” is running May 5-7 and 11-13 at 7 p.m. in the Chemeketa Community College Auditorium. “Hearts Like Fists” is a superhero romance that plays to fans of both genres.

“The play is very smart in that there’s nothing supernatural and no super powers. They are crime fighters. It’s grounded in reality,” Director Jay Gipson-King told the Statesman Journal.

Tickets for “Hearts Like Fists” are available now for $15 and can be found at keizerhomegrowntheatre.org.

Salem’s Pentacle Theatre opens their newest show “Leading Ladies” on May 26 at 7:30 p.m. and runs until June 17.

“Leading Ladies,” originally written by Ken Ludwig, is a comedy that finds two down-on-their-luck Shakespeare actors posing in drag as an old lady’s nieces in order to get ahold of her fortune but, when romance gets in the way, things don’t quite go as planned.

Tickets for “Leading Ladies” cost $25 and can be found at pentacletheatre.org.

Leading up to Cinco de Mayo, Salem is hosting the annual Taco Crawl. On May 3-5, participating downtown restaurants will be open for guests to come in and try all the tacos they can eat. The event is all day long and ends with a performance from the Orquestra Pacifico Tropical at Venti’s on May 5.

For more information and a list of participating restaurants, check out tacocrawlsalem.com.

A little further from Monmouth, Portland’s famous Rose Festival begins on May 6 and has events throughout the month. The biggest event in the festival is Portland’s CityFair, running May 26-29. On May 26, the fair opens at 5 p.m. and includes a firework show at 8 p.m. Each day following, the fair runs from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

CityFair will have exotic animals, music, rides and more. The fair is held at the Portland Waterfront and only costs $8 to get in. Tickets can be found at rosefestival.org.

There are plenty of events this May to take a break from class and hopefully enjoy the sun.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

Window into the life of a composer

By:Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Western hosted the 13th annual Composers Workshop with guest speaker Dave Metzger on April 28. Metzger is an award winning composer and orchestrator who has worked on feature films such as “Frozen,” “Moana,” “The Avengers” and “X-Men: First Class.” He also orchestrated the music for the “Lion King” broadway musical.

Originally from Corvallis, Metzger found his passion for music at a very young age. In middle school, he began writing music and, after seeing “Star Wars” in 1977, decided that he wanted to become a composer.

Metzger started the workshop by talking about how he entered the entertainment industry. He made a point to note that his success partly came from the friends that he made in the industry.

“I can trace my entire professional career back to one trombone player in college,” joked Metzger.

With a room packed full of student and non-student guests alike, many of whom were in Western’s film composing class, Metzger’s expertise on the subject was met with many questions and a great amount of enthusiasm. Members of the audience asked questions about his connections in the industry and what it was like working with different composers.

One member of the participants asked if working for months at a time in New York and Los Angeles was tough on his family. Metzger made a point that living in Oregon has definitely helped his family life, but on projects like “Lion King” where he’s gone for six months, it can be difficult.

The most recent project that Metzger worked on was “Moana,” so he brought in a sample of the song “We Know the Way” and talked about working alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda to compose it, recounting the experience as a positive one.

Questions from the audience then shifted toward the technical side of composing. Metzger brought in pictures of his setup from home and gave recommendations on equipment and software to buy. Metzger mainly works on film scores from home, video chatting with colleagues in other parts of the country, so having up to date technology and an efficient workspace is important.

Many participants asked about their specific equipment and how to better their setups, especially while being on a college budget. Metzger gave advice on the best equipment and software to buy for maximum efficiency while composing.

Metzger ended the talk with some stories from working on “Frozen.” He first joined the project when he had a single day to create a mockup for the song “For the First Time in Forever” using only the rough draft animation. Impressed by his work, Disney offered him the job to work on every song in the film.

Western’s Composers Workshop offered a great look into the life of a composer and gave guests and students a plethora of tips and inspiration.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

Review: “Solid State”

By: Darien Campo | Designer

“Dance like they are watching you – because they are watching you.”

This is one of my favorite lines from Jonathan Coulton’s brand new album, “Solid State.” The 17-track concept record tackles a story about the internet, trolls, artificial intelligence and how love and empathy will save humanity. It’s a complex, gorgeous album and a huge step forward for the internet-based musician.

In 2005, software developer Jonathan Coulton quit his job to pursue his dream of being a musician. He launched the “Thing-a-Week” project wherein he wrote, recorded and released a brand-new song every week for a year straight. Using the internet and Creative Commons licensing as his tools, Coulton managed to completely circumvent the crumbling music industry and build his own rabid fan base by writing geek-rock songs like “Code Monkey,” “RE: Your Brains” and Portal’s “Still Alive.” His 2011 album, “Artificial Heart,” broke away from the geek-focused storytelling of his previous music in favor of a more “elliptical” rock album inspired by producer John Flansburgh of They Might Be Giants.

“Solid State” pushes Coulton even further from his monkey-and-zombie-song roots. While the album is a concept record, telling a very specific story, each track stands on its own without needing to be supported by the rest of the tracklist. Songs like “Brave” and “Don’t Feed the Trolls” are very reminiscent of the “Artificial Heart” indie-pop-rock vibes and are very hard to not dance to, even if they are watching you. And then there are tracks like “Wake Up” and “All to Myself” that have a very droning, Beatles-esque feel to them. “Solid State” is a wonderful blend of Coulton’s own soft-rock tendencies with a bit of synth-pop and psychedelic rock thrown in as well.

It’s a challenging album, which is a wonderful surprise, but might be a bit off-putting to some returning fans. Coulton’s previous work covered easy-to-follow, quirky narratives. Co-workers who have turned into zombies, mad scientists who fall in love with their captives – you know, the usual stuff. But “Solid State” tackles much more complex and difficult-to-parse ideas. The record follows a particular narrative, but each song’s lyrics swing wildly around what they’re trying to say.

“That’s my favorite songwriting trick,” said Coulton in an interview with Paste Magazine, “is to say a thing without saying it directly, to let something be revealed by what you’re saying rather than saying it out loud. That’s the kind of songwriting that has always delighted me, and the thing that I always aspire to do.”

“Solid State” is released under SuperEgo records, Aimee Mann’s label. Mann can be heard all throughout the album, providing backup vocals on songs like “All this Time.” Coulton and Mann also collaborated on her most recent album, “Mental Illness.” They are currently on tour together.

For fans who want a little more, Coulton also offers a companion graphic novel on his website. The comic is 132 pages long, written by Matt Fraction and drawn by Albert Monteys.

“Solid State” a challenging album, and you may not like every song the first time you hear it, but this record is worth the relisten. You will find yourself discovering more and more things on every play. Coulton is ever-growing as a musician, and “Solid State” is easily his best work yet.

Contact the author at dcampo13@wou.edu

Review: “The Circle”

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

“The Circle,” directed by James Ponsoldt, is a thriller about a tech company that is connecting everybody online and the implications that complete social transparency has on people, based off of a 2013 novel by David Eggers. It’s an obvious response to things like the cloud and Facebook, but due to poor performances and odd pacing, it really packs no punch.

Emma Watson’s character, Mae Holland, starts out as a customer service representative for The Circle, a tech giant with goals to place cameras all over the world for complete online transparency.

Mae Holland is the worst protagonist that I’ve seen in a recent film. Watson’s performance was passionless and amateur-feeling and the character choices were so sporadic that it was hard to pinpoint what the character’s actual values were. Her trials, her achievements, her personal life: they all felt meaningless. Watson’s poor American accent and atrocious fake cries helped to make Holland not only unlikeable, but distracting to the movie itself.

That said, there are some side characters that keep the movie from being absolutely horrible. Tom Hanks and Patton Oswalt play the two in charge of The Circle. Both men believe what they’re doing with The Circle, having everyone’s information, is right, but are taking immoral steps to make it happen. Hanks gives a likeable but untrustworthy performance, causing me to like him, hate him, like him, hate him and like him again.

Karen Gillan plays Mae Holland’s friend and fellow employee at The Circle. Her performance throughout the movie is by far the best. She shows a side of working for a tech giant that isn’t all yoga breaks and exercise ball office chairs and acts as the film’s sole voice of reason.
Cultural relevance is what “The Circle” is really banking on; working at The Circle is much like what is shown of working at companies like Google and Facebook. There’s an emphasis on fun, but all the while The Circle is collecting every bit of information that anyone has.

The problem with this is that the protagonist weaves in and out of supporting and disliking The Circle, so much so that I was lost on who I was supposed to care about that I stopped caring altogether.

“The Circle” is an intense movie with a great concept. While watching, I was constantly wondering where the film would go next, and it did go down some unexpected and interesting roads, but without anyone or anything to root for, the film fell short of what it was trying to be.

“The Circle” stands tall and tries to speak loud, but no words come out.

¼
– Awful performance from Emma Watson
– Poor attempts at cultural relevance

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

Artist spotlight: Patty MeLT

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

For many students, music is a great hobby. Writing, playing and even listening to music is beneficial and rewarding. Western student Patrick Jaursch, sophomore psychology major, takes that one step further by pursuing music as a passion.

“My music is very freeing. For me, I write music to get away from the stresses of life. Music is a way for me to relieve and get things off my head while I express myself through a creative outlet which allows me to make something that I can enjoy doing and other people can enjoy hearing,” said Jaursch.

Jaursch goes by the name Patty MeLT for all his music, a name he carefully chose.

“I chose Patty MeLT as a name because I love music so much that I wanted to take the whole ‘rapper’ stereotype out of its box,” said Jaursch. “I’m Patty MeLT because it clicks in your head and makes you say ‘isn’t that a sandwich, that’s kind of weird.’ I just wanted to evoke an emotion that’s off-putting.”

Jaursch is actively writing and recording new music. In 2016, he released a 10-track album called “TIMBERLINE: A Comprehensive Journey” that featured rap, some folk and a skit. A new single, “T I D E S,” was released on April 10 and marks a shift in Patty MeLT’s music.

“I’m moving onto bigger and better things, making music that actually comes from my heart. I’m doing things because it’s what other people do, I’m on my own path now.”

Patty MeLT’s next big project, which doesn’t have a release date yet, comes straight from the ideas that he begins to work with in “T I D E S.”

He says the album “is about saving the world. It’s a story, an audiobook. It’s not actually an album, I can say that much. While there’s music in it, more than anything I want to convey a message, so I’m trying to tell a story. I wrote a book and I’m having somebody, who if people listen to my music they’ll know who they are very well, narrate the album.”

When he’s not making music, Jaursch enjoys hanging out with friends, writing poetry and doing anything creative.

“I just like to be creative, I’m a very creative person. I’ll just draw, I’ll make music— anything that entertains me.”

Western has helped Jaursch follow his passions of music with their music program and services on campus.

“Western does a great job of being sure that students have access to resources. For example, our music program has studios on campus and drum labs that are both useful, and students who are music majors and minors have access to them. Western has been great at accompanying me with a studio that I can work with,” said Jaursch.

To anyone else wanting to follow their passions in music or any other field, Jaursch made sure to point out that it’s important to do what’ll make you happy.

“Follow your dreams, follow your passions. Do what makes you happy in life more than anything,” expressed Jaursch.

Patty MeLT’s music is available for streaming right now on Bandcamp and Soundcloud.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

Review: “DAMN.”

By: Kevan Maloney 
Staff Writer

Two years after his last album, Kendrick Lamar returns better than ever with his latest release: “DAMN.”. He brings a fresh take on his career by making an album that sounds much more modern than any other album he has made to date. Despite how original this album is compared to his earlier work, Lamar still highlights and brings out his highly thematic lyrics and his unmatched flow, for which he is best known. While his lyrics are second to none, his ability to perform them is better than ever.

The first song released from this album was “HUMBLE.” which became an instant hit, with his high-powered rapping skills combined with a rags-to-riches storyline. It’s the perfect song to use as the frontline for the album.

After listening to this album a few times, some songs seem to shine more than the rest. It comes to no surprise that “LOYALTY. FEAT.
RIHANNA.” is one of the best on the album. Lamar brings Rihanna into the song and lets her show off her best qualities and mixes it with his best, this created an instant hit.

“DAMN.” is Lamar’s fourth studio album, featuring 14 songs. Unlike his previous albums, “DAMN.” has no skits.This album came out of left field for those who weren’t paying attention. It took a little over two weeks from the release of the frontline single to the release of the full album.

Compared to rest of his albums, “DAMN.” is almost as imaginative as “To Pimp a Butterfly,” while sounding nothing it by abandoning the styles of his previous works. “DAMN.”, follows the tropes of early and modern rap, as opposed to the jazz inspired album “To Pimp a Butterfly.” “DAMN.” takes on a more violent tone as he verbally duels with several artists and public figures, making for some of his hardest hitting songs on this album.

This album isn’t the best Lamar has made, yet it is still one of the best albums on the market. It’s an amazing and imaginative album, though it’s missing the same quality in the middle of the album, which would have made it extraordinary.

Contact the author at kmaloney15@wou.edu

Celebration of galactic proportions

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Each year, fans from around the world gather to celebrate “Star Wars.” This year’s celebration took place from April 13-16 in Orlando, Florida and brought in huge crowds to celebrate the 40th anniversary of “Star Wars.”

Fans gathered together to watch panels with “Star Wars” actors, writers and directors. During the many panels, new content was revealed, tributes were given and actors shared their opinions and favorite moments.

The most talked about moment of the Star Wars Celebration was the trailer reveal for “Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi.” Following the trailer reveal, stars Mark Hamill, Daisy Ridley and John Boyega took to the stage alongside director Rian Johnson to discuss the themes, characters and speculation surrounding the film.

While Johnson didn’t reveal much about the film, he did tell the audience that “things are going to get dire.”

Also during the Star Wars Celebration, Disney announced a new line of toys accompanied by new animated shorts titled “Forces of Destiny.”
Launching later this year, “Forces of Destiny” will consist of 16 original shorts focusing on six of the most influential female “Star Wars” characters. Both Daisy Ridley and Felicity Jones will reprise their roles as Rey and Jyn Erso, respectively. The shorts and toys will release this summer.

Fans dressed in costumes from all eras of “Star Wars.” One of the most viral videos from the celebration showed fans in cosplay reenacting the end scene of “Rogue One” in the middle of the convention center.

In one of the most heart wrenching parts of the celebration, Mark Hamill took to the stage to give a tribute to the late Carrie Fisher.

“Here’s a panel I was hoping wouldn’t happen for another 30 years,” said Hamill. By the end of the emotional panel, there were few dry eyes in the audience.

Hamill’s tribute wasn’t the only one; a tribute video was shown during the panel, as well as tributes from George Lucas and others who had worked with her throughout the years. Finally, the panel ended with John Williams performing Leia’s theme.

During the celebration, it was announced that season four of the animated show ”Star Wars: Rebels” would be the last. A new trailer was revealed and present fans were surprised with a screening of the first episode of the season.

The Star Wars Celebration is taking a year off in 2018, but Disney told fans to keep their ears peeled for more fun announcements this summer. In the meantime, the trailer for “The Last Jedi” is out now and fans are taking to the Internet to speculate and get excited.

“Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi” comes to theaters on Dec. 15.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

Nintendo Prepares for an exciting 2016

By: Ashton Newton
Staff Writer

Nintendo has a big year planned for 2016. Fans have a lot to be excited for, including a new system, the NX, which is shrouded in mystery. Nintendo first officially announced the NX back in March 2015, saying that the NX is a “dedicated games platform with a brand new concept” before going silent.

Since then, rumors have begun popping up all over the Internet about NX. Rumors say that Nintendo will release a handheld in 2016, with the full console coming in 2017.

Rumors have also surfaced that the NX will be able to pair with mobile devices and PS4’s. As to what this means specifically, the general public is not sure, but there are hopes that this will be a means to share games between the devices or use them as second screens.

Fans of The Legend of Zelda have something to get excited for too, with “The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD” releasing on the WiiU March 4.

“Twilight Princess” came out in 2006 for the Gamecube and Wii, and has held a solid fan base since.

A brand new Amiibo will be releasing with “Twilight Princess HD.” Amiibos are Nintendo’s line of collectible figurines that grant bonuses when paired with their games. Amiibos feature Nintendo characters, and the one releasing alongside “Twilight Princess HD” is Wolf Link, a character from the game.

Also in 2016, Nintendo’s “Legend of Zelda WiiU” is scheduled for release. Although not much is known about the next installment of the Zelda series, a few screenshots of the new game were revealed at E3 2014.

Nintendo promises that the players will have more freedom than ever before and that they’re “rethinking the conventions of Zelda.” Fans can be on the lookout for new information soon.

Additionally, Nintendo will be releasing “Pokkèn Tournament,” “Star Fox Zero,” and the well-received PC game “Kerbal Space Program” for WiiU in the first half of 2016. As well as Mega Man creator’s releasing “Might No.9” later this year, after several production delays.

Even with lower hardware specs than the Playstation 4 and the Xbox One, Nintendo’s WiiU has remained a competitor for both systems since launch.

Nintendo’s previous President, Satoru Iwata, who passed away in July 2015, is quoted as saying “Above all, video games are meant to be just one thing: fun. Fun for everyone.”

Fun is largely Nintendo’s goal for players, and there is a lot of fun to be had, both announced and unannounced, for 2016.

Whats Western watching?

By: Ashton Newton and Kinsey Bushart

“I’ve been watching ‘The Arrow’ since it’s been a long time since I’ve seen it. They’ve got five seasons on [Netflix] so it’s pretty good.”
Gael Maren-Valdez, exercise science, junior

 

“Workaholics for sure. It’s hilarious.”
Samantha Lindsey, interdisciplinary studies, senior

 

“‘13 Reasons Why.’ It was super good. It was crazy, I bought the book because it was that good.”
Kameron Acebo, early childhood education,
sophomore

 

“’The Walking Dead’ because it’s just entertaining”

Daniel Monrroy, business, sophomore

Blast from the past

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

There was a lot of energy in the audience as Micky Dolenz, lead singer of The Monkees, took to the stage at Rice Auditorium alongside the American Metropole Orchestra as part of the Smith Fine Arts Series. The April-15-concert packed the auditorium for a night full of laughs and music.

The night began with a tune from the orchestra and an introduction from music director Keller Coker, before Dolenz took the stage.

Dolenz is not only the lead singer of The Monkees; he’s a beloved actor, director and producer, whose music and personality has helped to shape television and rock and roll.

Throughout his career, Dolenz had many different people write songs for him. During the concert he made a point to dedicate each song to the individual who wrote it. He performed songs written by individuals like Carol King and Neil Diamond.

Two songs from the Monkees movie “Head” were also performed. The tunes were met with much applause from the audience.

Between songs, Dolenz entertained the audience with stories of his career, his family and meeting The Beatles. Each song performed had a story alongside it, most of which were met with laughter.

“This is the song that got me the gig!” yelled Dolenz as he played Chuck Berry’s “Johnnie B. Goode,” which he sang at his Monkees audition.

The concert ended with the fan favorite “Daydream Believer,” in which the audience’s singing almost overpowered Dolenz’s booming voice.

Some members of the crowd were up and dancing as Dolenz finished out the night with “I’m a Believer.”

“Don’t forget, I was singing this song long before ‘Shrek,’” joked Dolenz.

The Smith Fine Arts series will finish out the season with Danilo Perez and The Western Hemisphere Orchestra on June 10. More information can be found at wou.edu/smith/current-season/.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

Review: “Mystery Science Theater 3000”

By: Darien Campo
Designer

Everyone’s a critic these days.

The fine art of “riffing,” making fun of bad movies through biting commentary, is still alive. On the internet there is no shortage of critics and reviewers all vying for attention on the digital stage, but we must be careful not to forget the original show that taught us how to make fun of movies; the critics who inspired a thousand differs.

Netflix sure hasn’t, and on April 14, they released the long-awaited return of cult-classic “Mystery Science Theater 3000.”

For those not in the know: “Mystery Science Theater 3000” was a cult sci-fi comedy series in the ‘90s about a man and his two robot pals trapped on a spaceship, the Satellite of Love, where evil scientists force them to watch the worst movies ever made. In order to keep their sanity, the three resort to riffing on the terrible onslaught of low-budget films.

Watching the show was akin to hanging out with a group of friends and watching the Syfy channel late at night just so you could add your own commentary on top of the movies.

Netflix’s revival and next season of the show focuses on a new human subject, Jonah Heston, played by Jonah Ray, co-host of “The Nerdist Podcast.” Original creator Joel Hodgson personally picked Ray to host the show, while giving him the choice over who would be the new voices of the show’s robot co-hosts, Tom Servo and Crow T. Robot, voiced by Baron Vaughn and Hampton Yount, respectively. Mad scientists Dr. Forrester and TV’s Frank are replaced with their descendants, played by Felicia Day and Patton Oswald.

The show’s format hasn’t changed over the last 30 years, and still focuses on the three hosts riffing on a cacophony of film flops interspersed with short, goofy segments. Yes, the invention exchange is back.

I was amazed at just how similar the revival was to the original. The sets look cheaply made, the segments have a very loose “first-take” feel, some of the jokes are too obscure for anyone to get – it is everything that “Mystery Science Theater 3000” ever was and more.

For returning viewers, you’ll feel right at home from the silhouetted theater to the numbered hallway. For brand new viewers, jokes and references aren’t 30 years old anymore,making it possible to actually follow them, but luckily they never feel like they’re referencing modern pop culture in a pandering manner.

I only have minor gripes with the new season.

I, and other viewers, have noted that the speed that riffs are delivered is way faster than it was in the ‘90s. We’re not given as much time to absorb the film itself, and the rapid-fire jokes break the illusion that these three characters are improvising on the spot. But, for a modern audience’s short attention span, it makes sense.

The “Mystery Science Theater 3000” revival perfectly blends recreating the original show’s campy feel while bringing modern humor to a new audience. This is not just for returning fans, I would invite anyone who loves bad movies to take a look at season 11 of “Mystery Science Theater 3000,” exclusively on Netflix.

Keep circulating the tapes.

Contact the author at dcampo13@wou.edu

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