‘Vagina Monologues’ leaves audience wanting more
By Melanie Correia
“My vagina — it wants everything.” And after seeing the Friday, March 9 performance of “The Vagina Monologues,” much of the audience was left wanting more performances.
The one-night-only performance of Eve Ensler’s Obie Award-winning play was absolutely flawless. Sponsored by the UMass Dartmouth Women’s Resource Center, all of the evening’s proceeds were donated to the New Bedford Women’s Resource Center.
This year’s Monologues were an attempt to raise awareness about V-day, a global movement to stop violence against women and girls.
One monologue, “The Crooked Braid,” focused on Native American women. On a yearly basis, they have a 3.5 percent greater chance of being raped or sexually assaulted than other women. This particular narrative told the story of a woman who, on a daily basis, was beaten by her husband.
In “My Vagina Was My Village,” the woman telling the story described how she was afraid to even think about herself because of the treacheries she experienced as a female during a war zone.
A monologue called “They Beat The Girl Out Of My Boy...Or So They Tried,” was performed by four of the girls in the cast and spoke of transsexual women and the discrimination they face on a daily basis.
There were monologues that had a more light-hearted tone that made the audience roar with laughter. In “The Woman Who Loved to Make Vaginas Happy,” the audience was entranced by the ex-lawyer turned professional sex worker who, as the title suggested, loved to make women happy. This monologue ended with her describing every moan that she had ever heard, from the “good-girl moan” to the “African American moan” and “the triple-orgasm moan.”
The audience was pretty taken aback by another monologue, a very angry piece entitled “My Angry Vagina.” The performance took a stand against anything that a vagina wouldn’t like. It spoke out against everything from tampons to douche sprays and waxing. It was definitely an impressive performance that gave the audience a roar.
I applaud directors Laura McHugh and Cristina Stanwood and all of their “vaginas” for the stand they took for women everywhere and on delivering such a controversial performance. Each of the monologues were presented with a passion that left women in the audience feeling proud of their vaginas and left the men wishing that they could be a “Bob.”
For more information on the V-Day campaign and how you can help, visit www.vday.org.
Students unleash their ‘Temper’
By Ed Burns
“The scenery is shifting, locations are changing, metal rusting, skin burning. Tapestries are mocking me. Horror. Lies. Angry accusations of lust, admonitions of false love sought, God casting down the waste,” wrote junior Adam Al-Harbi in a recent submission to Temper, UMass Dartmouth’s annual literary journal.
Temper has been published annually for the past thirty years and gives many aspiring writers an opportunity to publish their writing. With the submission deadline recently passed, students from all majors across campus have been sending in their submissions.
“I’ve never submitted to Temper or anywhere else before,” said Al-Harbi. “But I’m trying to get my stuff out there because there’s no point just sitting on it.”
One of his submissions, excerpted above, is an autobiographical account of a recent trip to the Bonnaroo festival held annually in Tennessee.
Marsha Zeitz, a graduate student in the professional writing program reflects the diversity of the journal’s contributors. Having graduated with a degree in journalism from Boston University, Zeitz now publishes regularly in the New Bedford Standard Times. She recently decided to submit some of her writing to Temper as a more creative outlet.
She writes, “The last time stole by without my even knowing. / It winked as it passed me and kept right one going. / It crept by so quickly I didn’t even hear / that little warning whisper as it brushed by my ear.” This comes from a poem Zeitz hopes to have published, titled “The Last Time.”
This diversity of contribution is something the journal really seeks. Speaking about the journal’s goals for this year, Professor Jerry Blitefield, the faculty advisor for Temper, said that they “really want to make sure that the campus knows it’s not just for English majors. New and experienced writers are welcome.”
Blitefield continued, “Ideally, we would like to have to turn down some good submissions because we receive so many quality submissions.”
“There is little demand for Temper right now, so our goal this year is to spread the word,” said Erin Bowen, managing editor of the journal. “I can’t stress enough how important this publication is for the university.”
This year’s issue will be released this coming April, and Bowen is looking forward to events to be held to launch the journal.
“I want to make launch parties a regular occurrence,” she said. “In December we celebrated the 2006 issue by renting out the Underground Café. We served coffee and desserts, had a few guest readers, and then turned the mic over to the students.”
More events such as this are expected to come as the journal is released.
Among some changes to this year’s issue, the design should be a prominent departure from past years. “We’re looking for a more modern, clean design this time,” said Bowen.
But in the end, the quality of the submissions will determine the journal’s success or failure.
“The poetry is a labor of love,” said Zeitz. It has been a way to give voice to my inner thoughts with a freedom that doesn’t always come with prose.”
As Zeitz writes in a poem titled “Mounting Pegasus”: “Inspiration engulfed me. I began to write, / and birthed a poem by morning’s first light.”
ASK LADY CORSAIR
Confronting food finaglers
and decoding a break-up
By Lady Corsair
By Lady Corsair
DEAR LADY CORSAIR: I live in the new apartments, and I love all of my roommates, but one is really starting to get on my nerves.
Originally, she bought her own food and cooked, but slowly as last semester went on, she stopped buying food. This semester almost nothing in the fridge is hers. Every time I have a lot of leftovers in the fridge, she will ask to eat some saying how hungry she is and how she doesn’t have any food. If she thinks no one will notice, she just eats other peoples’ food.
She does this to all five of us, yet the very few things that are hers are very carefully labeled as such.
I don’t want to be mean, but it is really bothering me how much of other peoples’ food she just steals and eats. Yet she is very nice; I really like her as a friend. — TROUBLE IN THE FRIDGE
DEAR TROUBLE: Seems to me that your roommate has what is called the “I’ll have your cake and eat mine too” complex. This actually happens a lot to college kids living in apartment-style housing, so you’re not alone.
The key to getting her to stop is to be nice, but firm in what you want done. You want her to stop eating your food, but you don’t want to be mean or somewhat snooty about it, because she is your friend.
Since you and all of your other roommates feel the same way, you have to approach it in a way that won’t feel like you’re all ganging up on her. Try talking to her while all of you are just lounging, maybe watching TV or playing cards, but not when you’re all eating, because that will draw attention to the problem more than necessary.
Say something simple, along the lines of: “If you want something of mine, that’s fine, so long as you ask.” And then your roommates can add to what you’re saying, offering that if she wants some of someone’s food, you guys should be able to have some of hers.
If that doesn’t work, unfortunately, you’re going to have to be very direct and mark your territory, like saying, “I just got back from Applebee’s, and I better not find any of my leftovers missing in the morning.”
After you go food-shopping and you’re putting your groceries away, simply go to her and say, “I went food-shopping, and I would appreciate it if you didn’t eat any of it.”
Sounds a little pert, but hey, if that’s what it takes to make sure she doesn’t go rummaging through your cabinets, so be it.
Cheers!
DEAR LADY CORSAIR: My boyfriend of one year and I broke up a week and a half ago. I know he’s still very upset about it, but he avoids me and ignores me when he sees me.
Everyone tells me, “Give it time, give him space, he’ll come around.” Even he told me himself, “I need to avoid you and ignore you to get over this.”
Well, I’m trying so hard not to get my hopes up. It was a mutual breakup, but I never wanted it to be “THE END.” To a guy, what is “time”? Should I start moving on and accept being single, or consider this an “it’s complicated” sort of situation? — CONFUSED
DEAR CONFUSED: The “time and space” issue is something many couples go through when they break up. Depending on who your ex-boyfriend is, it could be one of two things:
1. He could truly need some time and space to realize what it is he actually wants. He might need some time to clear his head and get his priorities straight — and then realize he does want to be with you. He might just need a breather or a break.
Or, more likely:
2. He just wants to end things, but doesn’t want to seem insensitive by saying he has lost interest in you. Many guys will use this approach because it seems less hurtful than by simply saying it’s over or the spark has been lost.
Cheers and hope.
Facing a problem? Need some guidance? Ask Lady Corsair! Send your e-mails to LadyCorsair2007@gmail.com to get some good, old-fashioned Corsair advice.
MUSIC REVIEW
‘It’s Not Over’ for Daughtry
By Shara Sarnelli
“Daughtry”
Daughtry
RCA (2006)
When he was voted off of American Idol during its fifth season, everyone in the media and everyone around the world froze in disbelief. No one saw it coming.
Chris Daughtry won the hearts of millions as he sang “Wanted Dead or Alive” for the first week on the Idol stage. He held onto those hearts with his rendition of songs like “Walk the Line” and “Hemorrhage.” Somehow, he did not end up winning the title. But he would not trade his experience on the show for anything; it was, after all, how he became noticed.
Straight out of North Carolina, Daughtry began his musical journey as just a songwriter. But he knew there was more out there. As a band, the connection between the members would undeniably create stronger music. He soon took the liberty of seeking out other musicians who each illustrated certain skills and, very importantly, chemistry.
The band, appropriately called Daughtry, was formed. Along with Daughtry himself, Josh Steely (guitar), Jeremy Brady (guitar), Joey Barnes (drums), Brian Craddock (guitar) and Josh Paul (bass) were chosen for the band.
Media has often compared Daughtry’s voice to bands such as Shinedown, Nickelback and Hinder, but even with the comparisons, Daughtry stands out. In fact, their debut album, released just last November, has already gone platinum.
Throughout the twelve tracks, Daughtry continues to give fans what they love most about him: his rugged, rock vocals. He utilizes his enticing voice through hit songs like “It’s Not Over” and “There and Back Again.”
Daughtry says that he doesn’t set out to write a rock song specifically because then he would feel conformed to follow guidelines determined by music critics about what classifies rock. The media still portrays Daughtry as a rock band, but with a twist of uniqueness.
To create the meaningful lyrics, the band had personal assistance and criticism from musicians like Brent Smith of Shinedown, who is one of his very own idols, Greg Wattenberg, who is the producer for Five For Fighting, and Brian Howes, who is the producer for rock band Hinder.
The first single off of the platinum album, “It’s Not Over,” is a song about how mistakes within a relationship are made, followed by promises made by the partner to change. It’s a song expressing the importance to keep trying for something you believe in. The song means a lot to him, more than the relationship aspect of it, because he started as a struggling musician and grew to become a star. His transition of playing in front of small, local shows of fifty or so people, to playing in front of thousands plus gives hope to all musicians in the same position.
With over twenty concerts running through April 19, less than five of the shows are NOT sold out yet. So, if you want to see Daughtry perform live, you may have to wait until later in the summer or early fall!
Until then, rock out to the album in stores now and available on Ruckus. After watching him for many weeks on American Idol, the loving father and husband is an idol himself.
RECOMMENDING RHONDA
Rhonda says: Visit this restaurant!
By Recommending Rhonda
For those of you who still don’t know all of Dartmouth’s dining options, I can sympathize. I mean, I didn’t even find out that Horseneck Beach is only fifteen minutes from campus until my sophomore year.
That’s pretty sad.
But I didn’t think to ask, and no one ever volunteered the information. Which is why I’m here. I want to let you know what you’ve been missing, while you stick to shopping at the Campus Store, eating at Res Caf or Sky Ranch, reading only assigned work, and listening to the same pop, punk, jam, rock, jazz, emo, screamo, hip-hop you fell in love with in high-school. And while it’s well and good to do what you know (I can totally relate), I have come to discover the miracle of trying new things.
I bet you’ve gotten take out from Good Friend Chinese Restaurant, conveniently located between campus and Route 6, or as I like to call it, Service City. The food is good, the prices are reasonable, and heck, they even deliver. Not only do they deliver, but they deliver exclusively to UMass Dartmouth.
I’ll admit, that’s flattering. And easy. You could definitely walk there if you were so inclined.
But easy doesn’t necessarily mean better. It just means easy. And while I’m not by any means “dissing” Good Friend, I think it’s time you tried something new for a change. There are so many wonderful Asian cuisine businesses littering Route 6: Thai Taste (which is scrumptious, but holds odd hours), Gumbos (which I wasn’t personally thrilled with — everything seemed bland, in my opinion), Oriental Pearl (a little farther down Route 6, in Westport) and of course, Dartmouth Wasabi.
I want to promote Dartmouth Wasabi because I don’t think many people know about them, but I think everyone should.
I love Chinese food. There is nothing better to me than the thought of kicking back, watching Seinfeld and mowing down some Crab Rangoons. Who invented those little cream cheese delights? I would marry them in a heartbeat.
The reason I like Dartmouth Wasabi so much is because they offer a great variety of Asian cuisine at a reasonable price. They have your everyday typical Pu Pu Platters and Chicken Teriyaki and Wonton Soup, and aside from those classic combinations with a side of pork-fried rice, they also offer traditional Japanese food and have (get this!) a sushi bar, which includes traditional sushi, sashimi and rolls.
Who doesn’t love sushi? (Well, I must admit, when I first heard of it, I wrinkled my nose at the thought of raw fish and vegetables, but I soon gave in to temptation, and have to come to love those little rolls stuffed full of delicious.)
The rolls range from three to nine dollars and are worth every penny. I recently tried the Spider Roll, which is made of deep fried soft shell crab, avocado, cucumber and flying fish roe (eggs). It was fantastic. And the spicy tuna roll was fresh and flavorful.
The best thing about sushi is that it isn’t bad for you, and yet it still manages to fill you up. When I even so much as think of Americanized Chinese food, I gain three pounds reviewing those deep fried concoctions in my mind. Sushi, however, is light and yet still tastes just as good (if not better!) than regular Chinese food. It fills you up, but doesn’t leave you feeling bloated.
How exactly do you get to this Asian cuisine paradise? It’s actually only three minutes from campus. Located on 747 State Road (Rt. 6), you merely take a left out of campus, a left onto Cross Road, and a left onto Route 6. Wasabi is on the left hand side of the road.
You can also find their entire menu on www.menujoy.com/menu60a.htm. This website includes a printable coupon for a free California Roll or order of Crab Rangoons with any purchase of $25 or more.
Wasabi is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. So scoot your newly invigorated and curious caboose to Wasabi, and try something new!
