These ‘Windows’ are open to interpretation

By Allison Reitz

The CVPA Campus Gallery’s latest exhibition makes it easier to look at the world through rose-colored glasses — as well as cobalt-, jade-, amber-colored glasses.

“Through Windows,” a stained glass exhibition, is the culminating effort of Rebecca Worden-Andrews’ Visual Capstone project. Though the installment is not the most expansive or diverse in media to grace the Group VI gallery’s walls, Worden-Andrews’ work is highly concentrated and well conceived.

In her artist’s statement, the MFA student explains, “I have looked to the illustrative potential of stained glass and used the medium as a means for narrating and documenting the stories and events that have influenced my family and, in turn, my experience.”

Worden-Andrews translates this narration to stained glass in an innovative and modern way. She uses transparency film and vellum to impose vintage photographs and script words on each piece in the exhibition.

The process is so skillfully completed that the images often look like natural features of the glass. These details create an added visual interest. Instead of simply standing back and enjoying the view of the gallery, it becomes an interactive experience. Viewers will be leaning in to inspect each work from just a nose-length away.

Sometimes in such situations, it is easy to become lost in the process of how a piece of work was created, rather than focusing on the meaning behind the work. This is not the case with Worden-Andrews’ work. The techniques used detract nothing from the emotive, narrative feel of the stained glass.

With such a personal narrative theme running throughout the works, their translation into the gallery setting is interesting to consider. Certainly, it is difficult to imagine setting up a stained glass show in a windowless room. However, that is exactly what has been done in the Campus Gallery, and the results are surprising.

Most of the larger panes are hung a few inches away from the wall, allowing some overhead light to shine through.

The nicest example of this is “At Sea,” which has a convenient and well-lit location right next to the door. With this natural backlighting, the rich greens and deep blues are reminiscent of the sunlit ocean’s glitter. The lighting effect and colors work well with the maritime-themed photographs featured on the glass.

Other works, like “Perennial” lack that natural lighting and, for whatever reason, seem out-of-reach for the gallery’s overhead lights. The vibrant golds and indigos of this work don’t reach their full potential, which is unfortunate but forgivable.

Perhaps the lighting is not as ideal as one would hope, but in terms of working with the space provided, this exhibit does its best. Surprisingly enough, the vibrancy of the glass is still clearly noticeable in most of the work on display.

Other works fare better in the lighting, such as the spectacular “Souvenirs.” The seven boxes, probably no larger than four-by-four inches, are wonderfully charming. Fashioned out of glass, vellum and found objects, each box seems to tell its own story of times past. Each miniature glass display speaks volumes about everything from the innocence of childhood to the severity of adulthood.

Several quotes are placed prominently among the various works on display, feeding off Worden-Andrews’ skillful work and adding to its relevance.

One such quote, by Linda Lichtman, reads, “Stained Glass connects us to and separates us from the world. It reveals and conceals. It protects and exposes. It creates a seemingly fragile boundary that touches both the material and the immaterial.”

This quote is perfectly illustrated by the three-dimensional works “Distance,” “Facade” and “The Distance Between.” Placed in a dimly lit corner of the gallery, each enclosed case is internally lit, giving off a warm amber glow that fills the space.

Again, Worden-Andrews uses transparency film and vellum to impose images of people and homes on each side of the illuminated structures. The atmosphere created is palpable — and open for personal interpretation.

Despite the fact that these works draw on her own family history and personal experiences, Worden-Andrews writes, “I have chosen to create works that explore themes, based in family relationships, which remain open to interpretation.”

She is sincere when she adds, “Each work will resonate differently with viewers depending upon their own past experiences and perspectives.”

“Through Windows” is on display in the CVPA Campus Gallery on the main campus of UMass Dartmouth. Gallery hours run Monday through Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The exhibition is on display through April 8. The show is free and open to the public, with parking available in Lot 8 and 9.

Annie

Don't wait until 'Tomorrow'!

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — The musical that taught us tomorrow “is only a day away” comes to the stage of New Bedford High School from March 29 through April 1, when the New Bedford High School Drama Club presents a spectacular production of Annie.

Shows are at 8 p.m. on March 29, 30 and 31; and at 2 p.m. on April 1. Tickets are $10 for adults, with a $1 discount for seniors and students. Special rates for groups of ten or more are available.

Annie is a spunky, Depression-era orphan determined to find the parents who abandoned her years earlier on the doorstep of a New York City orphanage operated by the nasty, bitter Miss Hannigan. In a song-filled journey, Annie spoils Miss Hannigan’s scheme, inspires FDR to create the New Deal and finds a new life with billionaire Oliver Warbucks and a lovable mutt named Sandy.

Inspired by Harold Gray’s “Little Orphan Annie” comic strip, “Annie” hit Broadway in 1977 and ran for six years, becoming the longest-running musical of the 1970s with more than 2,300 performances. The production picked up seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Original Score and Best Choreography. The musical was adapted into a 1982 film of the same name.

Songs such as “It’s the Hard Knock Life” and the show’s signature ballad “Tomorrow” have become stage standards with the latter being recorded by over 150 different artists.

“Annie” is directed by Jarrad Nunes and produced by Bruce W. Lackey. Choreography is by Loralee Levesque, vocal direction by Erik Thompson and music direction by Chris Chambers.

For more information on the New Bedford High School Drama Club production of “Annie,” visit the website at www.nbhsdramaclub.com. To reserve tickets for a performance, order online or call 508-763-9561.

The performances will take place in New Bedford High School’s Main Auditorium, which is located at 230 Hathaway Blvd., New Bedford. The theatre has ample parking and is fully accessible for handicapped patrons.

Audience experiences an 'Orgasmic' event

By Megan Gauthier

On March 15, partners Dorian Solot and Marshall Miller were finally able to present their weather-postponed event “I Heart Female Orgasm.” The event was free, and many students took advantage of it, nearly filling the auditorium.

Upon arrival, each student was handed a Chinese food container with suntan lotion, chapstick, condoms and a list of resources and recommended books and websites discussing female sexuality, male sexuality, sexual abuse and the recently released “I Love Female Orgasm: From ‘Right There’ to ‘Oh, Yeah!’ and Everything in Between” by Solot and Miller.

Says the duo of their new book “It’s jam-packed with our top tips, real stories, down-to-earth advice and fun facts for women and men of all sexual orientations — way more than we can fit into our college program.”

What exactly did they fit into their college program?

The event was prefaced by Solot instructing everyone to “Set your phones to vibrate.”

Then the duo presented a clip from the movie “When Harry Met Sally,” in which the male protagonist is insisting that no woman has ever faked an orgasm with him. The female protagonist, in an attempt to prove that he would never know if a woman was faking or actually having an orgasm, proceeded to imitate one in the middle of a restaurant. It was highly amusing and probably worrisome for most of the male audience in attendance.

After the clip, Solot began to talk about how she and her partner became involved in studying and presenting the female orgasm. She revealed that at the young age of 26, she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and admitted that she would not have found the lump if she did not feel comfortable touching her body and exploring her body.

From there, she took a more light-hearted approach, talking about how she had attended a Masturbation Presentation at Brown College (which is where she and Miller met) because she had not really had very much experience with masturbation. She explained that after the presentation, she went out and bought a book about female orgasm and went through all of the exercises in the book until she finally had an orgasm, adding, “That was the best $5.99 I ever spent.”

Eventually, the audience was split into males and females. The females discussed what they heard about masturbation when they were growing up. Most of the females said “Nothing,” and others admitted that they had heard it was gross or wrong.

Then we had to make a list of things that can help a woman have an orgasm, which included vibrators, being relaxed, oral sex, feeling safe, confidence, being familiar with your anatomy, position and foreplay.

The audience then was led into a debate over the ever-pressing question: “Does size really matter?” About 1/3 of the females admitted that it did matter, and most of the other 2/3 agreed that it is not about “the size of the boat, but the motion of the ocean.”

Everyone discussed the necessity for patience when dealing with female genitals. For instance, on average it takes 20 minutes for a female to orgasm in contrast to the average 2 to 5 minutes it takes for males to climax.

The presentation also worked to bust some sexual myths. One such myth is that a man believes he is so talented in bed that he could walk into any room and pleasure any strange woman. Solot argues that this isn’t true because every woman likes different things and takes pleasure from different sexual activities, and therefore, unless you have feedback or experience with the woman, you will most likely not be able to bring them to orgasm.

The audience began talking about “first orgasm” stories when the men and women were brought back together. One thing led to another, and discussion began about the different places individuals learned about female sexuality.

Most people don’t learn about sex in educational institutions and are forced to resort to porn and movies to form opinions on what they believe they should do to bring their female partner to orgasm.

And most of them are wrong.

Media versions of sex are very distorted, and often portray people having simultaneous orgasms, which is actually quite a rare occasion.

The audience learned that 70 percent of women do not have orgasms through intercourse alone. Solot and Miller went on to discuss the location of the g-spot, female ejaculation, what an orgasm actually is, Masters and Johnson’s orgasm study “The Arousal Cycle” and the benefits of Kegel exercises.

Finally, they discussed what everyone came for: the ever important step-by-step guide of “So you want to have an orgasm?”

1. Start alone.

2. Befriend your body.

3. Befriend your vulva (or learn what it is, for those of you who don’t).

4. Touch yourself experimentally and without a goal.

5. Keep touching every day. Experience what happens. Don’t give up.

6. Experiment with tensing and relaxing.

7. Use fantasy.

And there you have it. For those of you who missed the orgasmic experience, or for those of you who wish to repeat it, I recommend checking out Solot and Miller’s website ilovefemaleorgasm.com, and embrace the female orgasms in your life.

TCo provokes a ‘melee’

On Tuesday, March 13, eager students crowded into Room 006 of the Campus Center with $5 in hand and melee on the mind.

Far from being a real melee, the Super Smash Bros. Melee Tournament sponsored by UMass Dartmouth’s Theatre Company was simply a video game showdown of fast fingers and gaming smarts.

Students bought into the tournament for $5, which ensured a starting spot in the bracket — and a monetary prize for the first- and second-place winners.

In total, 40 people showed up, helping raise a total of $250. Of that amount, $75 was allotted for prize money and $125 went to benefit TCo. The top two winners of the match were brothers, winning $50 and $25 for first and second place, respectively.

The event was declared a success by all who attended. As a result, Company Manager Retha Charette says, “There will definitely be another tournament — hopefully before the end of the semester.”

EAT A DUCK I MUST

Why grad students delay entering the real world

By Wan Yan Ling

All quotes taken from Jakob Nielson’s “Usability Engineering.”

The System:

A recipe for healthy, nukeable potato chips targeted at the health-conscious and impoverished (read: cannot afford to replace entire wardrobe due to waist spread) grad student.

The Participant:

Snoopdogg, a Ph.D. candidate in artificial intelligence. A novice user egotistically deluded into believing his relative prowess at jazzing up instant Ramen puts him in the “expert user” category.

“Tremendous pressure to perform” due to being “highly educated and intelligent” conflicts with initial skepticism about system’s base functionality. However, participant’s investment in and commitment to test success ensured by requiring test results be participant’s dinner.

Test Conditions:

“Test should be conducted in a relaxed atmosphere...serve refreshments.”

Participant plied with favorite comforting (and expensive) imported Japanese grape gummies.

“Experimenter should make small talk to calm user down.”

Participant told that even an undergrad could do it.

Participant duly informed prior to test that “they can always stop the test at any time.”

Experimenter: Cheerios for dinner.

“Test should be conducted with as few observers as possible...it is less embarrassing to make a fool of yourself in front of 1 person than in front of 10.”

No observers: Russian housemate fetally positioned in room due to violent hangover; American housemate incarcerated in study due to looming paper deadline.

“Avoid disruptions: Close the door and post a sign on it.”

Test room (code named “kitchen”) has no door to close; housemates threatened with gangsta rap and accidentally spilt water respectively.

“Test tasks should never be frivolous.”

There is nothing frivolous about dinner to a hungry grad student.

“The experimenter should mention that she has no personal stake in the system being evaluated.”

The experimenter has already eaten dinner.

“Videotapes of a user test session should not be shown publicly without explicit permission from the user.”

Participant obnoxiously withheld permission for videographic evidence.

The Test:

“A thinking-aloud test involves having a test subject use the system while continuously thinking out loud. Since thinking aloud seems strange to many people, it may help to give the test users a role model by letting them observe a short thinking-aloud test.”

Participant given 30 minutes with Rachael Ray.

“By verbalizing their thoughts, the test users enable us to understand how they view the system.”

Participant: Oops, I already skinned the potatoes. Why didn’t the recipe say so earlier?

“Users will often make comments regarding aspects of the user interface which they like or do not like.”

Participant: I don’t see why it should specify what brand cooking spray to use. Is PAM sponsoring this?

“Experimenter will often need to prompt user by asking questions like, ‘What are you thinking about now?’”

Participant: I’m hungry. This is a lot of work for chips.

“Experimenter may only make uncommitted sounds like uh-huh to acknowledge comments from the user.”

Experimenter: Uh huh.

“The users’ comments often contain vivid and explicit quotes that can be used to make the test more readable and memorable.”

Participant: YeeeeeOUCH! Stupid f***ing knife!

“If the user asks a question like, ‘Can I do such-and-such?’ the experimenter should not answer, but instead keep the user talking with a counter-question like, ‘What do you think will happen if you do it?’”

Participant: Can I use wax paper to nuke the chips on instead?

Experimenter: Try it!

“If the user acts surprised after a system action, the experimenter may prompt the user with a question like, ‘Is that what you expected would happen?’”

Participant: Shite! It’s on fire!

Experimenter: Did you not expect it to happen?

“Experimenter should refrain from helping the test user, even if the user gets into quite severe difficulties.”

Participant: What are you standing there for? Go get the smoke alarm, woman!

“The main exception from the rule that users should not be helped is when the user is clearly stuck and is getting unhappy with the situation.”

Experimenter: Smoke alarm’s disabled.

“Thinking aloud may also give a false impression of the cause of usability problems if too much weight is given to the users’ own ‘theories’ of what cause trouble and what would help.”

Participant: This recipe sucks. It should have warned me not to nuke wax paper.

Post-Test:

“Participant should be debriefed and allowed to make comments about the system.” Experimenter: That was...interesting.

Participant: I want dinner.

“Help users recover their self-respect after the many errors they probably felt they made during the test itself.”

Experimenter: There, there. I’m sure the undergrads who worked on this were child prodigies.

“It is a good idea for the experimenters to have tried the role of the test subjects themselves a few times, so that they know from personal experience how stupid and vulnerable subjects may feel.”

Experimenter: You want chips? I made these earlier.

“Specifically, the experimenter must never laugh at the users.”

Experimenter: My eyeballs hurt. I think I rolled them too much.

Conclusion:

“Quantifiable usability measurement: Number of commands utilized by user; Number of commands not used by user.”

Experimenter: Hoo boy.

“It may be difficult to get children to follow instructions.”

Light bulbs, roses or brickbats?

E-mail eataduckimust@gmail.com.

RECOMMENDING RHONDA

Rhonda says: Embrace the Bens!

By Recommending Rhonda

"Ben Kweller"
Ben Kweller
ATO Records (2006)

I’ll admit it: I love the musical Bens. You might already know this, based on my rave review of Ben Harper’s newest release “Both Sides of the Gun.” Well, here I am, ready to plug another Ben. Ben Kweller.

Learn it, listen to it, love it.

Kweller’s 2006 self-titled release makes my heart melt. I was shopping the other day, and the popular song “Run,” came on in the store. I knew that I had heard the song and I knew that I liked the song, but I could not for the life of me figure out who it was. After I came into the realization that it was, indeed, Mr. Kweller, I ran home and looked him up on Rhapsody, and here I am today, smitten.

The entire CD is, to use my favorite adjective, delicious. It is light and poppy, folky, sweet, sunny and sad.

Before going solo, Kweller fronted the Texas-based band Radish (a group reminiscent of Nirvana) at the tender age of 16. He moved to New York when he was 19 and released his first album “Freak Out...It’s Ben Kweller,” which kick-started his career. From there, he began opening for major artists, including Death Cab for Cutie, Dave Matthews Band and Juliana Hatfield.

In 2001, he signed on to Dave Matthew’s record label, ATO, and his next album “Sha Sha” was released. The song “Falling” began to circulate the radio network waves, and Kweller soon released his next CD “On My Way.”

From there, we come to his newest CD.

Kweller has been compared to Beck (a watered down, mellower version, in my opinion), Peter Brady (and he kind of looks like him, too), Pete Yorn and Ben Folds (another Ben that I love).

His newest album seems to have the strongest lyrical and piano arrangements of all of his albums. The songs are catchy, and many of them have become singles: “Sundress,” “Run” and “I Gotta Move.”

I love them all. They are easy to listen to, and certainly easy to enjoy. Kweller’s smooth voice and mellow musical accompaniment flow together to create a ‘70s-sounding folk-pop album.

The songs range from quiet and haunting to upbeat and groovy, and will leave you feeling sunny inside. For instance, right now it is snowing, miserable, and I have to work tonight, yet my heart is dancing along to his tunes, despite these sad circumstances.

What I’m really trying to tell you, people, is that you need to give the Bens a chance. Specifically Ben Kweller’s self-titled album. Pick it up today, or visit www.benkweller.com to preview some of the songs (and it’s actually a quite trippy website, as well), and do as I say: Learn it, listen to it, and love it.

SCREW THE ACADEMY

Something for everyone in ‘300’

By Bronson Michaud

"300” (2007)
Rated R for graphic battle sequences throughout, some sexuality and nudity.
Runtime: 117 minutes

The latest Frank Miller movie adaptation can be summed up in about two words: freakin’ awesome.

“300” is mainly great because it reaches out to so many different types of fans out there. Whether you are a movie fan, a history buff or a comic book lover, this movie would be perfect for you. The acting, directing and special effects of this movie are incredible. It is historically accurate, and it is perfectly adapted from Frank Miller’s comic.

The title number is a reference to the 300 Spartan soldiers who defended their people against the Persian invaders at the Battle of Thermopylae. Heavily outnumbered, the Spartan King Leonidas urges his men to remember that it is glorious to die in battle, during a pre-battle speech that rivals Mel Gibson’s in “Braveheart.” With their heroic underdog mindset, the Spartans are prepared to give their very last breath for their people.

History aside, this story has everything that we as movie lovers have come to expect from large scale epics like this. The violence, heart pounding action and multiple nude scenes are enough to keep any man glued to his seat, while the romance and teary-eyed parts are adequate to keep women awake while their boyfriends are on the edges of their seats.

The directing done by Zack Snyder was very good because he was able to capture the imagination of Frank Miller better than Robert Rodriguez in “Sin City.”

I also have to tip my hat to the costume and make-up designers of this film because all the different Spartan uniforms, weapons and make-up done were very original, all while maintaining the historical accuracy of Spartan war dress.

The effects done in the film were simply mindblowing in many of the scenes. To do a movie like this, one would think you would need a “Lord of the Rings”-like budget. However, this movie was relatively cheap to make, as far as epics go, and it was mainly shot in-studio.

I found that this movie was actually difficult to review, mainly due to the fact that I could not find anything wrong with it. So far, this is hands down the best movie of 2007 and will at the least be in my top ten at the end of the year.

If you like war epics or outlandish comic adaptations, go see this movie. If you don’t, go see it anyway.

I give this movie 5 out of 5 stars.

Arcade Fire presents a ‘Bible’ for the masses

By Allison Reitz

Arcade Fire
“Neon Bible”
Merge (2007)

Arcade Fire’s gorgeous, melancholy release “Funeral” was immediately a critical and commercial success, and “Neon Bible” is proving to be no different. Even before it was released, contributors to RateYourMusic.com, a similar site to RateYourProfessor, had voted “Neon Bible” the #1 album of the year.

Because of this premature hype generating on the Internet and in the recording industry around such a long-awaited album (keep in mind, this is Arcade Fire’s first release since 2004), a lot of fans were wary of the album becoming a flash-in-the-pan Internet phenomenon, along the lines of “Snakes on a Plane” hype. Having heard the whole album, I can say that this album deserves all the acclaim it has received, and certainly will receive even more in the coming weeks.

That being said, listeners should not expect this release to be “Funeral, Part II.” And that’s good. One of the best things about Arcade Fire is their ability to retain a trademark sound without their songs and albums having that “been there, heard that” quality to them. Each song is distinctly Arcade Fire, but also incredibly different and covering a large range of music influences and styles. As a result, they’ve been classified as everything from bossa nova and indie-folk to post-punk and chamber music pop.

As for “Neon Bible’s” sound, the album has a futuristic, apocalyptic atmosphere to it. Beyond that, it’s hard to give an exact description for Arcade Fire’s sound. Just trust me when I say that everything about this album feeds into a very modern, world-weary dystopian sound - without being oppressive or depressing (believe it or not).

The lyrics are not as symbolic or complex as they were on “Funeral,” which some fans may use against the band. But the simple, straightforward lyrics fit the stripped-down, “end of the world” tone of the album, so it actually works in favor of the album as a whole, though specific songs may suffer or sound as though they’re just barely grazing the surface of a subject.

As always, Arcade Fire plays into their French Canadian roots with French lyrics woven into songs. Lyrics effortlessly shift from English to French and back again. If done incorrectly, a sudden language change might seem abrupt and break the flow of a song, but band leaders and spouses Win and Regine are so skillful with their transitions that most listeners will be too drawn into the songs to even notice the change.

For example, when I first got “Funeral,” I didn’t even realize that some of the album’s lyrics were in French until my third or fourth listen. I was singing along with a song and suddenly thought, “Waaaait a minute. What were they just singing? I don’t think that was English. And if it was, I didn’t understand it.” The transition from French to English is so natural for the band that it comes off as natural to the listener.

Even the design of the Deluxe Edition of “Neon Bible” is spectacular. The hinged box for the package has a holographic cover of a neon sign-style Bible. Inside are two flip-books designed by the band. The lyric booklet, which is separate, is actually designed like a bible. The song numbers and names are laid out like the chapters of a bible, with each verse of the song having a superscripted number preceding it, like verses in a bible. It’s the small touches like that which really show how much thought and time a band put into their album.

Simply put, “Neon Bible” is bleak, beautiful and refreshing — and, yeah, I’ll say it — #1 album of the year.