Happy nearly-end-of-the quarter to you all! This will be our last Pilot column as we prepare to hand over the reigns to Laura and Esteban next quarter. We’ve been honored to serve as your student body president and vice president for the past three quarters, and are looking forward to seeing where student government heads in the near future. We are inspired by the progress that has been made in student government this year and look forward to seeing that continue with Laura and Esteban in charge. 

The recent student government elections had an unprecedented student turnout, with 69.4% of the student body casting ballots. Students had three excellent pairs of candidates to choose from, with an ultimate result of 41.1% voting for Laura and Estenban and 29.4% each voting for the two other pairs. Thank you to all the candidates for their excellent campaigns and desire to serve student government!

Student Activities Board positions have also been filled, with five election positions and six representative positions. Look for more information about the newly elected candidates on the student government bulletin board. 

Over the past year, student government has passed a new student government model, moved offices from behind the Pub to the first floor of the School of Government, sponsored talks on Principia’s history and purpose by Chief Executive Peter Stevens, initiated the community Go Bikes pilot program, held the annual club fair, passed a new free speech amendment, and regulated the Student Activities Fee budget. We’ve held weekly meetings with Presidential Board and Student Activities Board, met weekly with President Palmer and Dean Glenn, and had the opportunity to meet with many of you either through one-on-one meetings or chance conversations around campus.

Throughout all these activities our appreciation for the dedication, integrity, and energy of the students, professors, administrators, and staff at Principia College has continued to grow. Our meetings have often reminded us of Mrs. Eddy’s words in her first address to the Mother Church on May 26, 1895: 

“Beloved children, the world has need of you, – and more as children than as men and women: it needs your innocence, unselfishness, faithful affection, uncontaminated lives. …What grander ambition is there than to maintain in yourselves what Jesus loved, and to know that your example, more than words, makes morals for mankind!” (Miscellaneous Writings, 110). 

We have seen that the world does have need of Principia students. We are honored to report that from our vantage point, the past year has been full of evidences of Principians living out these pure motives. We humbly thank all of you with whom we’ve had the opportunity to work this year. The pleasure has been all ours. 

With gratitude,
Will and Chelsea

The Panthers kicked off their season by splitting games with the Grace College Lancers. The first game they lost 9-3, but won the second 8-4. Sophomore Nate Gotch started the game strong on the mound with a wicked fastball and splitfinger, and sophomore Alan Cheatham threw out two runners attempting to steal a base in his first game as catcher. Unfortunately, the Lancers picked up six unearned runs in the fourth, which gave them the victory. The second game went much better with strong pitching from sophomores Samuel Thomas and Robbie Nickell. Junior Jeff Strickland earned Player of the Game for his three doubles and amazing outfield play.

Swimming and Diving

The season ended on a high note at Liberal Arts, which was hosted in the Crafton pool. On the men’s side, a new school record was set. The 200-meter freestyle relay team, consisting of juniors Will Crowley and Colin Clark and freshmen Andy Furbush and Tyler Loechner, swam a 1:29.05, which now puts them on top of the record boards. The women nabbed eighth place and had a strong showing at the meet. Senior Jenny Bailey swam season best times in her races and finished a solid Principia career.

Track and Field

The indoor season ended well for the men, with several team members chasing school records. Junior Oyintari Aboro was three-hundreths of a second off the school’s 55-meter dash record, and freshman Jake Meier finished the 800-meter run with a 2:00.27 and is looking to set a new record in the near future. On the women’s side, senior Stacey Bird and sophomore Mackenzie Olson have made huge strides in their distance running, and can expect great results in the spring.

Tennis

The men hosted their first invitational last weekend. Sophomore Paul Sanderude and junior Clayton DeLaney walked away as winners of the number one and two singles slots. At the women’s first invitational, junior Heather Libbe grabbed fifth place in the Flight A group and freshman Zandrea Kaye-Duchesneau took fifth place in Flight C.

Basketball

In the final men’s game of the season, the team played Westminster in an epic fight to the final buzzer with a score of 111-105. Seniors Sam Douglas, Isaac Swiderski and Stuart Waller all had an exceptional game and contributed to the memorable evening. Together, Douglas and his best friend and co-captain, junior Todd Zimmerman, scored over half the team’s points. Douglas scored a career high 33 points, putting him three away from the 1000-point mark, and Zimmerman had 24 points, an incredible number considering Westminster put their best defender on him full court for most of the game. The women struggled a little at the beginning of their game against Westminster’s energy because it was their senior night. However, the second half was an all-new ball game. The ladies shot 44 percent from the field, played stellar defense and held Westminster scoreless for the last five minutes of the game.

All eleven art students worked hard this quarter to push themselves and their artwork to a more professional level before graduation. Of the eleven, two are focused on Fine Arts and nine chose to focus on graphic arts. Although most of the artists are seniors, one junior’s work will be part of the exhibit. After graduation, some of these artists will head directly into the professional world, some will find an internship or related experience to boost their perspective, and some will gain admittance into graduate school. Until then, they invite members of the community to come and take a look at their artwork and portfolio collections. Selected works will be available for sale. 

The exhibit will be open all spring quarter until graduation in June. Come join the art majors for an hour filled with interaction with the artists, have some snacks and enjoy all the displayed artwork. Students exhibiting: Jenny Bailey, Christian Coker, Carey Erwin, Nancy Glascock, Brittany Jenks, Anne Jenne, Gwyn Ochs, Drake Schaberg, Alanna Truog, Alyssa Valentine, and Bryce Winslow.

This week I ventured into a town called Edwardsville to try out the food at Sacred Grounds Café. Located in the downtown area, this cozy neighborhood joint has a weekend brunch special that changes each weekend based on the chef’s desires. Upon entering the building, I noticed that the brick walls gave the room a warm, red-hued feel, and every table was filled with happy people drinking coffee and enjoying the morning. When I reached the counter and was deciding what to order, my experience was soured a bit by the pretentious cashier. Instead of helping me out as an obvious newcomer, the cashier basically gave me a metaphorical eye roll. I felt snubbed and small, yet I was still able to order a cappuccino, a piece of the weekend’s special quiche, and a banana walnut waffle. 

After waiting for a family of five to finish up and buckle the tots into their strollers, I sat down and waited for my food. First came my hot soy cappuccino in a white cup and saucer. It was not the best cappuccino I have ever had, but since it was coffee and it was hot, there is not too much to complain about there. Looking back, the drink was a hint of what I should have expected for the rest of the meal. The quiche was light and egg-y, filled with red bell peppers, corn and basil, on a whole wheat crust. Yet again, it was good, but not the best I have ever had. Personally, I felt like the quiche was lacking the “oomph” that makes food exciting for me. The best part was the crispy and flavorful pear on the side.

Sadly, the banana nut waffle was even more of a letdown. The waffle was visually appealing, steaming with a pitcher full of silky maple syrup on a blue and white china plate. But once I bit into it my taste buds screamed that something was not right. In the world of taste, to make something sweet, you need salt, to make something savory, you need a sour, almost spicy element to make it pop. Pretty simple logic, right? This waffle didn’t seem to understand; it tasted like there was not a pinch of salt in the batter. The waffle was bland, pretty wimpy on the bananas, and needed massive amounts of syrup to add flavor. I went so far as to grab a salt shaker just to try and salvage the meal. I feel like the chefs must know what they are doing based on the number of customers I saw. I hope this batch of waffles was more a fluke than anything else. 

Looking around at the tables next to me, I caught a glimpse of a gorgeous breakfast burrito filled with some yummy looking ingredients. After asking, I learned it was filled with eggs, beans, pieces of butternut squash, and a bunch of spices. The items in the bakery counter also looked appetizing, and once I glimpsed the lunch menu hidden behind the breakfast chalkboard, a couple of items really caught my eye. So, although my first experience at Sacred Grounds Café was less than thrilling, I am willing to give the place a second chance. Sacred Grounds Café is located at 233 N. Main St, Edwardsville, IL 62025 and is open daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.

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Is Ke$ha’s smash hit “TiK ToK” just of rip-off of other pop songs?

This week I wanted to address a topic that has recently been popping up on blogs and in my conversations with other music journalists. The other day someone was singing the chorus to “Tik Tok,” the breakthrough song from new party pop princess, Ke$ha. I cringed as I thought of the first time I heard it – I was in a friend’s room doing homework when I heard the eerie Gameboy synth that opens the song, with a bratty teenage girl imitating a hip-hop vocal delivery.

There was the shameless one-line co-sign from rap mogul P. Diddy (“Ay, what up girrrl?”) – a sure sign of the song’s desire to reach a broad audience through Diddy’s popularity. There was the AutoTune on Ke$ha’s vocals – a trendy accessory for the contemporary singer. A confusing lyric: “And now, the dudes are lining up cause they hear we got swagger / But we kick ‘em to the curb unless they look like Mick Jagger” (Dare I ask if Ke$ha has seen Mick lately?). The song sounded fun, sparky, and destructive-on-purpose with Ke$ha’s trenchant voice, sounding edgy since white girls don’t usually pull off the rap aesthetic well (save for Debbie Harry). All of these features made Ke$ha’s “Tik Tok” a surefire hit and the perfect fixture for a successful dance party.

I would’ve happily joined the Ke$ha party had it not been for one other thing that was hard to ignore (and this is the point of my article where I run the risk of sounding like a music snob): all the elements described above that made the song successful were a total rip-off of the French-based, electro-skank sensation, Uffie.

But who cares? Who the heck is Uffie, right? “Tik Tok” is a fun, upbeat song. Period. So what? I was thinking the same thing, until I heard another song by the G-rated electronic singer-songwriter Owl City. The song is called “Fireflies,” and like Ke$ha’s “Tik Tok,” if you’re into anything remotely Top 40, you’ve probably heard it recently on somebody’s iPod or computer. Again, “Fireflies” is another example of an infectious song, bursting with warm starburst melodies – yet, when referring to my Rolodex mind of pop genres, it massively fails with its flagrant similarities to another electronic pop band, The Postal Service.

At first I couldn’t decide why I was offended: perhaps this was merely a side-effect of my above-average consumption of music. I understand that this isn’t the first instance of bands sounding alike, or even identical. Dozens of bands ripped off the Beatles when they were still making music, and bands continue to do it today: this process is how pop genres are invented.

I kept digging for why Ke$ha and Owl City’s music bothered me. Was it merely their pop sensibilities that annoyed me? No, because both songs are insanely catchy and if I didn’t know what I know, I probably would have them on blast till 3 a.m. every night. Was it their declining record labels that are milking the heck out of any aesthetic that generates audience approval on the Internet (a recent example would be Rihanna’s music video for her song “Rude Boy,” which has many similarities to M.I.A.’s music video for her song “Boyz”)? Partly, but a dying industry that is attempting to take from the same medium that took and continues to take away sales from said industry through file sharing is ironically understandable.

youtube.com / screen capture

A scene from the music video for Rihanna’s “Rude Boy,” which closely resembles the video for M.I.A.’s song “Boyz.”

I came to the conclusion that this whole notion of copycatting in music is really a problem for the musically obsessed journalists, bloggers, and fans like me who can’t get around the fact that style is largely subjective – especially in music. In our post-modern viral culture, there is a fine line between subtly borrowing and blatantly imitating. It started with hip-hop in the early 80s, and has branched out into a messy assortment of subgenres that all share the common link of composing songs using samples of other records. This has made the role of a music critic all the more difficult, blurring the question of what aspects of a song to pay the most attention to – its level of originality, its cultural significance, its authenticity, or its ability to speak to the average listener’s inherent, personal concept of “good.”

Furthermore, this culture of appropriation has made the grounds for respecting a pop artist very ambiguous. While Ke$ha and Owl City may have scored points in the area of mass appeal, what makes them culturally significant is that their appeal is tied to their appropriation of fundamental elements from other artists, thus making them less original and authentic (which to the credit of both artists is hard to achieve when you are contracted to commercial record labels that feed what the consumer wants). Based on what I value in music, I do not respect artists like Ke$ha and Owl City. However, someone who is solely invested in what makes these artists appealing is free to respect them as if they were Nelson Mandela.

While I am disappointed that certain aesthetics developed by lesser known artists are being annexed for heavily advertised artists like Ke$ha and Owl City, it is wrong to be miffed by the latter two artists and their popularity. For me, this experience was a nice reminder about what makes entertainment culture great. What it all boils down to is that people value their own ability to like what they like for whatever reason. Even the snarkiest college music journalist can’t take that away from you.

Download These Songs

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Joanna Newsom – “Go Long”

Northern California’s most famous indie harpist just released a two-hour, three-disc album called Have One On Me. “Go Long,” one of the many gems within the lyrical masterpiece, is a woeful ode to a lost lover, and represents Newsom’s quirky approach to classical composition. Channeling an intimacy akin to folk recluses Elliott Smith and Nick Drake, Newsom lightly weaves spiral staircase harp harmonies against her distinctly Lisa Simpson voice. This is a rare instance where skillful musicianship and crafty songwriting are equally impressive and alluring.

Stay Gold featuring Damien Adore and Spank Rock – “Back Seat”

Are you upset that Jersey Shore is over? Get your dose of fresh trashiness with this gooftroop of Swedish synth-poppers that liken true love to backseat parking lot parties. Lines from MC Spank Rock like “my love is real, so I cop a feel” will blissfully bring you back to the good old days when Snookie was out on the dance floor doing cartwheels in high heels and a mini skirt. 

thefader.com / photo

Gorillaz featuring Bobby Womack and Mos Def – “Stylo”

Damon Albarn, aka Britain’s most outrageous pop chameleon, continues to rule the world with his experimental “cartoon band.” The first cut from the highly anticipated album, Plastic Beach, is a smattering of Albarn’s dexterity in composing spacious synth for Womack’s soulful and refreshingly AutoTune-free pipes, and Mos Def’s unstoppable, swagger-injected flow. The song serves as a snapshot of Albarn’s awesomely diverse collaborations on Plastic Beach with artists like Lou Reed, members of the Clash, Snoop Dogg, and The National Orchestra for Arabic Music.

A few hours later, after returning to my room from a night class, my Facebook was brimming with activity. Friends current and past had posted their support on my wall and even more people had written me messages and e-mails asking just how the whole thing had happened. For the rest of the week I also received various phone calls and text messages from people I hadn’t spoken to in months. I tried to stamp out the lie by posting my own Facebook status as “Alice Stanley is not getting married!” Still, I dealt with confusion as the joke was already out. People jokingly congratulated me at dinner, and then bystanders would congratulate me as well. Just two weeks ago I ran into a friend working at the Upper School who gave me a big hug and looked for the ring. The incident taught me that Facebook can be terrifying.

So, last week I decided my column was going to be an account of a week without Facebook. Now, a week is not too much time, so while I am and always have been fully aware of the many implications of social networking, I figured the results of this experiment would be interesting but less than life changing. Frankly, I am shocked by how difficult my endeavor was.

No, I wasn’t shaking in withdrawal, nor did I break down and cheat. However, the difficulty of the experiment existed on many levels. First of all, not being able to use it made me realize how much Facebook was a hardcore habit of mine. I don’t consider myself someone who spends too much time on the Internet – let alone social networking. I would say I probably spend about half an hour a day on Facebook, split up over about five visits to the site. If I get into a conversation with someone via Facebook chat, I might spend a little more time on any one visit. Still, I rarely have those conversations unless I would have spoken with that person in some other form soon. For example, if I know I need to call someone about a class question, and I see that person online, I ask via Internet instead. 

That said, it was completely instinctual to visit Facebook anytime I opened my computer. I follow a little pattern – walk into room, check phone messages, check Prinmail, check Gmail, Facebook, continue on to other business. The whole checklist is so habitual that I can do it all without getting too sidetracked. But, regardless of how involved I get with Facebook on a regular basis, I am still accustomed to checking in often. So, after I read my Gmail, I found myself very frequently beginning to type Facebook’s address into my search bar before stopping myself.

Then, after I stopped myself, there were several times I was legitimately a little disappointed by my inability to use Facebook. One reason I realized I enjoy Facebook is that I enjoy being a productive person. Especially at school, I feel like it is almost my duty to be productive all the time. But sometimes, I cannot do homework anymore for whatever reason. Then, I like to do things I can pretend are productive. Facebook is a perfect example of my false productivity. On Facebook I can feel like I have accomplished things (“okay sent that funny message to so-and-so, accepted some invites, wished that guy a happy birthday…”) but I don’t actually do any work. It’s gratifying and relaxing at the same time. It’s better than unwinding with a video game, because although the site is virtual, I am connecting with reality on the other side of computer screens.

On that note, sometimes when I am working in solitude for a while, it feels good to have interaction with other people – even if it is online. Although everyone tells us we are very similar, my sister (five years older than I am) and I have very different social trends. For her, college was all about being surrounded by people, and in general, she enjoys company. I, on the other hand, am not bothered by whole days without any interaction with other people. Honestly, I think because I grew up with the Internet as a device to communicate with friends, it is hard for me to feel lonely ever. If that statement doesn’t sound sad, I don’t know what does. But I can’t deny its truth. Since I missed the interactive nature of Facebook, I banged out several letters and cards I had been meaning to send out. I’m sure you can argue which is better, cards or cyber chats, but it is just an observation I had about myself.

I also found myself missing Facebook because I haven’t memorized other people’s personal information (phone numbers, birthdays, etc.) because it’s all on the site. Also, because others have similar communication habits concerning Facebook, I started to get antsy by the end of the week that if someone (including a future boss) tried to contact me and never got a response, I would look rude. Lo and behold, once the trial period ended, I found a message about my summer job, some social plans I had missed, and information about a concert my friend wanted me to buy a ticket to. Although there are other ways to contact me (because clearly I had not responded to these people), they figured the ball was in my court, and that was all they needed to do.

I didn’t miss the gossip and rumors on Facebook. However, I couldn’t help but wish I could look up someone’s page when I heard some news about him or her. For instance, I heard about a recent hook-up and immediately wanted to see if the girl or guy would have anything interesting and cryptic as their statuses. I guess I won’t ever know, but I really didn’t need to. I think Facebook has definitely over-emphasized my interest in other people’s petty life choices because, frankly, I find it fascinating that I can hear about something happening to someone and immediately see that person’s response to it. However, as I well know, information on Facebook isn’t always true.

I have wondered if I would ever give up Facebook completely after I graduate, but I really doubt it. I do recognize that I sometimes substitute bare interactions on the Internet for quality time with others. I also know Facebook can perpetuate rumors that might not be true, which probably aren’t my business in the first place. I still enjoy some aspects of Facebook too much – like a running log of information I don’t have to keep, ability to contact all sorts of people so easily, and the ability for others to contact me. So, the Facebooking continues!

Shutter Island takes place in 1954 during the McCarthy era of paranoia and suspicion.
A murderess escapes from the Shutter Island asylum for the criminally insane, and two US marshals are called in to help with the investigation of her disappearance. Upon their arrival, the island is locked down and the marshals are relieved of their firearms just before a hurricane devastates the asylum.

The casting and performance of every actor is exceptional. DiCaprio captures the essence and emotionality of a tormented federal marshal and World War II veteran. His character, Teddy Daniels, experienced the liberation of the Dachau death camp and is haunted by those memories. The viewer is subjected to these horrors as Teddy’s memory relapses during his investigation.

Sir Ben Kingsley plays Dr. Cawley, the head psychiatrist at the asylum. His character departs from the conventions of his field in a time when psychiatry was divided between brain operations and pharmacology. His benevolent attitude towards his felonious patients is often both kind and disquieting.

Don’t let the trailer fool you: this film is no cliché. The plot’s twists and turns will keep you engaged throughout its unfolding. What seems like a standard fare thriller soon becomes something far more disturbing and emotionally evocative. The film addresses themes of insanity, love, genocide, and cruelty to children. The story told here is not for the faint of heart.

Scorsese employs cinematography in conventional and unconventional ways. Alfred Hitchcock introduced many of the angles and shots present in this film, causing reviewers to call Shutter Island Scorsese’s homage to the famous director.

Artwork / Phoenix Pictures

More important are Scorsese’s unconventional methods used to disturb and disrupt the viewer. Throughout the movie, he intentionally breaks continuity in various ways. During the span of a conversation, the lighting and coloration of the scene will change noticeably. All other filming conventions remain the same, which disorients viewers and keep them on edge.

In another scene, Teddy interrogates a patient who asks for a cup of water from his partner. When she takes a drink, there are three shots shown in a conventional manner. She grabs the glass. She is shown drinking. The glass is set on the table. Scorsese removes the glass from the second shot – leaving the viewer bewildered.

Shutter Island’s soundtrack is powerful, moving, and sinister. Every track is used to great effect in the film. The music will keep you in suspense, startle you, and move you to tears. The pairing of dramatic music with intense camera angles, as in the case of Teddy’s drive from the docks to the asylum, sets the precedent for the powerful use of music throughout the entire film.

Many critics fail to appreciate the narrative twist in Shutter Island. Already desensitized to the horrors depicted in the film and unable to invest themselves in characters they deem predictable, they miss the true purpose of the film. There is a deeply moral message engrained in the film that eludes these mainstream authorities.

The message is made lucid at the end of the film for one who has empathized with Teddy and suffered alongside him. This movie is more than capable of moving you to tears. Shutter Island deals with powerful themes in an intriguing and disturbing manner.

Congratulations to Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio for another excellent film.
I will end on a note of caution: You may want to avoid or mentally prepare yourself for this film if you are easily disturbed or if a loved one has been touched by some form of insanity in your experience.