In the case of “The Great Gatsby”, Luhrman builds a frame for the action of the film by having the novel’s narrator, Nick Carraway, write the whole proceeding from the ill comforts of a sanitarium. Seeing this turn, I found it a manipulative and a reductive mechanism to give the story an immediate emotional undercurrent.

By placing the action of “Great Gatsby” as a foggy memory, Luhrman is heeling to one of the worst tropes within film period. A friend imagined another reading though, one that while it doesn’t totally satisfy my views on the tonal issues, makes a modicum of sense. What if this choice of framing was a function of hinting at another tone or explaining some of the perspective blindness? I’m not sure there’s a statute of limitations for spoilers but considering “The Great Gatsby” was written almost a hundred years ago, I can’t imagine too much uproar. The final page of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s influential novel is one of its most famous, a page that prophesizes a hopeful future even as the world around them is falling apart. Luhrman’s film doesn’t imagine the ending with the same kind of cynicism, instead using the ending as a hinge for Gatsby’s failed dreams and a simplistic scolding of Daisy. But this last scene can’t be triumphant when the film ends, returning to Luhrman’s framing. Nick’s disillusionment has broken him.

I’m not sure I can really get on board with this interpretation, but I think this viewpoint opens up a whole new index of possibilities in what an adaptation is supposed to accomplish. I realize I’m getting caught up in exacting representations of the source material but why? By hoping for a perfect imitation, I’m assuming that the original novel is infallible, that any changes to the original, whether positive or negative, would be sacrilegious. While “The Great Gatsby” may rightfully fit into the canon of American literature, why do audiences automatically assume that other hands can’t do justice to original source material.

I saw this same outrage when friends talked about the recent “Hunger Games” film. Admittedly, I have not read the books of the same name, but when I heard friends criticize the film, it was often within the context of closeness to the text. An all too perfect representation of this issue manifested itself in the Internet race-war over a character’s skin color as differing from the book.

Then again, there’s another side to this discussion. Maybe most fans of the source material aren’t really looking for anything more than a visual representation, an adaptation that’s purely fan service and is never meant to have lasting impact outside acting as a vicarious fantasy for fans who want to see a film match the vision inside their heads.

From table manners to greetings, French culture is a bit more formal than American culture. When I first arrived in Grenoble, I brought Beer Nuts, a hometown specialty of Bloomington-Normal, Illinois, for my host family to enjoy. But now after I have been here in Grenoble for four and a half months, I have no idea what to give to my host parents for a thank you gift. Hopefully I think of something, and quick, because I leave in two days!

Just as I was warned about culture shock by my study abroad coordinator of API, I have also been forewarned of the perils of re-entry and reverse culture shock. To demonstrate just how bad this reverse culture shock can be, my study abroad program gave us an orientation featuring testimonials from former students saying how they did not feel that American was their home anymore and that no one understands them or what they went through. Although I assume that only the most passionate students responded to API’s questionnaire regarding re-entry and that this explains the terrifying testimonials, I am a bit nervous about coming home.

While I am looking forward to summer barbeques, laying by the pool, the Fourth of July, and my summer internship, I know that I will miss the French pace of life, speaking French, the bread (the food in general),  friends I have made, the Alps, the architecture, and the new experiences. I hope that my reactions to life in the United States is not too extreme. It is frustrating to leave right when I feel that I am really starting to make progress with my French speaking abilities, but at the same time I feel a bit travel weary and ready to return home. I definitely cannot claim fluency, but the other day when I used a conditional past-tense correctly in an impromptu conversation, I knew I had improved and reached one of my goals.

One thing I really want to avoid upon my return home is talking about my experiences in France too much. Although this has been my life for the past semester, I realize that not everyone will enjoy my “When I was in France…” stories as much as I will enjoy telling them. I realize how incredibly lucky I am to have had this experience and I do not want to come across as pretentious (although who am I kidding, French is a fancy language and I am positively fabulous).

I can definitely tell that I have grown and changed throughout this experience. I am certainly not as shy or timid as I was before coming here. After spending some time here, being alone is no longer something to be afraid of, but something I have begun to relish. I have become more confident in my intercultural skills, less afraid of failure, and really good at charades due to my travels in non-francophone or Anglophone countries.

One thing that strikes me about the French language regarding greetings and goodbyes is the word adieu. To break it down, it means to God…as in I-will-not-see-you-until-we-can-also-see-God-so-goodbye-forever. Keeping that word in mind, I’m really hoping that this return to the United States is not an adieu to France or to the wonderful people I have met along the way.

Bisous,

Kaylee

It may not have seemed like it then, but looking back on my college career, I can draw several parallels between Oregon Trail and college life. I managed to find a copy of Oregon Trail that I could play on my laptop yesterday and spent a glorious hour reliving my childhood. You know, for science. Here’s what I learned:

 COLLEGE LESSONS FROM THE OREGON TRAIL

 You’ll most likely be asked to pick a major before you really know what you want to do. Just as in Oregon Trail, the banker may be the most attractive position now, but you may find out that the doctor or farmer would have suited you better. The good news is, unlike Oregon Trail, you can change your mind on this “trail.” And even if you do end up going in a different direction than the major you pick now, the process of pursuing the degree will still teach you valuable skills regardless of your career path.

Carefully choose your pace and rations. It may be tempting to take as many credits as possible in an effort to graduate early and save some money, but try to balance academic progress with your mental health. That grueling pace might not be as sustainable as you’d like. Also, small bowls of ramen probably aren’t the best fuel, either. Take care of yourself!

Sickness spreads like wildfire. Speaking of mental and physical health, take care of each other, too. We may not have dysentery and cholera spreading through the dorms, but the last thing you need before finals is catching the flu from Charity. At least her broken leg and snakebite aren’t contagious. . . .

Don’t overdo it. I always hated that one buffalo yielded 400+ pounds of meat and you could only carry 200 back to your wagon. How wasteful is that? Can’t you take more than one trip? Can’t your wagon members help you? When you start college, it can be tempting to sign up for all of the clubs, organizations, sports, events, and classes that interest you. Feel free to explore, but try not to overload your schedule, either.

Sometimes, you lose the trail, and it can take longer than expected to reach graduation. It can be something as small as feeling behind in a class, or as big as feeling lost on your entire campus. It happens to all of us. But whether it takes you 4 days, a semester, a year . . . you’ll find the trail again.

In Oregon Trail, you had the option to choose your starting month. And even if you reached Independence Rock before July 4^th, that was no guarantee that November wouldn’t roll around before you made it to the Willamette Valley. Don’t sweat it: many people take more than 4 years to graduate.

Enjoy the ride. Some people say that college was the best years of their lives. I hope not, since we’re all a bit too young to “peak” – we may joke about it, but in all seriousness, it’s not “all downhill” from here. That said, you should still make the most of college: it provides a unique experience to explore, to learn, and to grow.

Things may pile up sometimes, and you may face unexpected challenges and struggles even when you hire the Indian guide to get you across the 1000-foot-wide, jagged-rock-filled Snake River (thesis metaphor, anyone?), but once it’s behind you, it’s mostly smooth sailing – er, rafting – down that last river.

Thanks for a wonderful 2 years, Carthage. To my fellow 2013 graduates, CONGRATULATIONS! To the rest of you, enjoy, and best of luck!

No matter what, an 8 a.m. class is always a good time to toss on a sweatshirt. The big question is, what happens if you own a sweatshirt from another college/university and when is it appropriate/inappropriate to wear it?

Mike McDonald can relate to this problem, “I have been building up a collection of other college’s apparel from those that I visited or my friends gave for a gift, sometimes I don’t know when I should wear them.” Picking the right time and place to wear other college apparel is difficult.

Some Carthage students like Cory Perlman would argue does it really matter? “It’s a choice of clothing, you paid for it and Carthage doesn’t pay us to promote it.” Yes, this is very true but keep in mind there are some instances that may be considered to be ‘fashion faux pas’. For example, when Carthage is playing a rival team – in football, soccer or baseball – and if they have the same colors as the school sweatshirt you’re wearing, that may look bit strange.

Other Carthage students like Iftou Yoya thinks, “wearing another college’s apparel makes a college more diverse. Besides, our school is a D3 school and if you’re wearing other apparel from big schools it doesn’t really matter!” This is true, there is always leeway, for example, there may be parties that have different college themes to them. It is your call however, to base this decision on different factors.

Krystal Perez states, “the four years you go to Carthage, you should have pride in your school and support it by wearing Carthage apparel.” College is an amazing time in everyone’s life and seeing others wear Carthage sweatshirts can make it feel more unified and reminds you that others are sharing this college experience with you.

When you are outside of Carthage wearing a Red Men sweatshirt is a great conversation starter as well! Carthage is small and can go unnoticed with bigger universities around. Showing your Carthage pride outside of school will enhance and encourage you to be more sociable. In Jill Evans opinion, “it’s a lot easier to approach someone who is wearing a Carthage sweatshirt than someone who is wearing one from another school because they may just be touring the school.”

Again this is just a clothing preference as well, many top clothing brands have nice college apparel that is cheaper than Carthage’s apparel. In certain situations you may want to steer clear from different college apparel but it is your decision. Take in to consideration the advice your fellow Carthage students said the next time you want to wear a different school’s clothes. Carthage is pretty small and it’s important to show your pride in the school you plan on calling home for four years.

]]> http://www.carthagecurrent.com/blogs/campusfashiononabudget/2013/05/16/is-wearing-another-colleges-apparel-on-campus-ok/feed/ 0 http://www.carthagecurrent.com/blogs/2013/05/16/putting-it-all-together/ http://www.carthagecurrent.com/blogs/2013/05/16/putting-it-all-together/#comments Thu, 16 May 2013 16:25:58 +0000 Corey http://www.carthagecurrent.com/?p=4501 As you read through my articles this past academic year, it seems as if there are a lot of rules to follow in order to become fit. The truth is, there are! Don’t let a couple of mistakes cause you to give up on your goals, though. I will help tie it all together in my final blog to help guide you in the right direction.

Let’s start with food. Since abs are made in the kitchen, nutrition plays one of the biggest parts of a healthy lifestyle. Don’t worry about following a specific diet that you saw online or becoming obsessed with calorie counting. If you fuel your body with foods that are as close to nature as possible, you will experience higher energy levels and be able to maintain a healthy weight. Just follow these guidelines: if you feel full, stop eating even if there is still food on your plate. Eat the colors of the rainbow, and I don’t mean Skittles. Limit fast food and processed snacks. Drink tea, water or coffee. If you can’t pronounce the ingredient, avoid it. Use spices such as cinnamon and basil to make food taste better, not sugar and salt. Don’t starve yourself. Eat every 3 hours to keep your metabolism humming. Focus on protein to build muscle, which burns more calories at rest. Eat carbohydrates during times when you are most active. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats in nuts and oils are key to keeping you full, as well as fiber found in fruits and grains. Enjoy the indulgences in your life on occasion. By creating one healthy habit per week, you can ease into a better lifestyle without overwhelming yourself.

Exercise is vital to keeping your joints healthy, your immune system functioning and preventing conditions such as heart disease or Alzheimer’s. Among the many benefits, it is important to stay safe and prevent over-training when starting a new program. Start small: begin by walking a few miles per day, working your way up to moderate jogging and intense sprint intervals. Trying out a gym for the first time may seem daunting, but with a little research and help from a trainer, you can start whipping your butt into shape quicker than ever! Remember to keep the intensity up and don’t just “go through the motions”. Don’t be afraid to switch it up on occasion or try a new class, such as Pilates or cycling. Keep your body guessing to prevent plateauing while trying to reach your goals. For muscle building, focus on lower repetitions and higher weight with limited cardio. Trying to burn fat? Increase those repetitions with a lighter weight and incorporate high-intensity interval training (HIIT) a few times per week. Rest is just as important as working out, so be sure to give your muscles adequate time and nutrients to repair. Looking for a quick fix will only leave you disappointed. Living a fit life takes time and dedication, not a “12 day cleanse” or a workout that will make you “tank top ready in 6 weeks”. No matter if you are just starting to become active or are an Olympic athlete, exercise is beneficial for all levels.

The mind-body connection is essential to maintaining a fit lifestyle. Just like you can’t run without being properly nourished, you cannot continue making healthy choices without motivation. Let the unseen benefits of exercise and clean eating be your inspiration. You will live a much happier life if you are in good health as a result of staying active and eating well. Stay positive and know that change takes time. You can do it no matter your current weight, fitness level, or gender. Break through those barriers and become strong in the mind and body! Best of luck to all of you, and thank you for reading.

Why You Shouldn’t Be Scared

1. Quality.  The average household with a 3D printer probably does not own an industrial model capable of cutting metal or plastic hard enough for firing a single round with the Liberator.  In fact, the reason Defense Distributed nicknamed their lower receiver “Liberator” is because it functions similarly to the infamously low-quality pistol mass-manufactured by Ford for the United States during World War II.  The FP-45 Liberator could only fire a single shot before requiring an elaborate reloading process, and was meant to be airdropped into German-occupied friendly territory by the thousands.  It was America’s only war effort that relied exclusively on scare tactics and under-the-table deals with a massive corporation instead of actual results until the War on Drugs.

2. Legality.  Just because Defense Distributed’s printed lower receiver legally qualifies as a gun, that doesn’t mean that it can be used as a gun.  Without at very least an upper receiver, barrel, magazine and trigger, Defense Distributed’s Liberator is inoperable.  Indeed, what qualifies as a gun is comically illogical.  Case in point, in 1996, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives ruled that a fourteen-inch shoelace qualifies as an automatic weapon, on the grounds that a shoelace can be used to convert a semi-automatic weapon into a fully-automatic weapon (albeit highly dangerously) and that “any part designed and intended solely and exclusively, or combination of parts designed and intended, for use in converting a weapon into a machine gun.”

So, yeah, that’s a thing.  Oh, and check out the sweet machine guns I have strapped to my feet:

Homemade guns have been around forever.  This guy made a fairly accurate shotgun with just a few parts that I will not go into detail about.  The Liberator is neither a cheap nor lethal weapon as far as “garage guns” go.

3. You can always print a bulletproof vest!  Okay, that was kind of joking, but people seem to overlook how much utility a household 3D printer can have.  There might be a day when it is possible to watch the unskippable warnings at the beginning of DVD’s from the 2000’s, see this…

… and say, “Yes, yes I would,” before putting on your 3D-printed sunglasses and climbing into your 3D-printed convertible.

At their heart, movie trailers are ostensibly commercials, but they can also be artful, moving and of course their prime intent, accurate representations of the content. I still find myself swooning over the original teaser for Terrence Malick’s “Tree of Life”, a magisterial trailer that conflates the whole universe into two minutes. But for every affecting “Tree of Life” trailer, there’s an “Iron Man 3” trailer. Those who’ve seen Iron Man 3 may notice that trailers for the famed Marvel heroes’ third outing skirted pretty sneakily over a major plot point, but the trailers are also distressingly revealing, disclosing everything from a major third act action beat to a thematic reveal. I’ll resist the urge to tear apart “Iron Man 3” but let’s just say the trailers misrepresent “Iron Man 3”’s tone, appropriating a mood of somber introspection that’s only modestly represented in the film.

It’s unfair to merely rip apart one film in relation to its trailers, but “Iron Man 3” re-emerges the important question of ‘What is the purpose of a trailer?’. Should it tease or should it reveal? Is it meant to convey an essence or the most visceral moments? Obviously each film has different intentions, but when it comes to the tentpole summer films, it’s hard not to feel like the viewer has already seen the movie when every major scene is revealed.

If today’s minute and a half trailers to are considered by some to ruin the film, it’s only ironic to note that trailers have significantly trimmed down. Going back to the 60s, 70s, for instance, trailers usually lasted three plus minutes. This trailer for 68’s darkly romantic classic, “Bonnie & Clyde,” ran 2:55 and never even edges toward spoiling any of the big scenes. Perhaps this is an unfair choice though as whoever cut this trailer with groovy bubble title cards that read, “They’re young. They’re in love. They kill people.” is a pure genius, but still the trailer shows that our priorities have changed.

Similarly brilliant and representative of this restraint is the 3:00 trailer for “Rosemary’s Baby” which builds a horrifying headrush around a central motif of a silhouetted baby carriage and misty imagery from the scene which gives the film its name.

In the case of these two trailers, there’s definitely a build and subtlety that seems to belie most contemporary trends, but it seems simplistic to merely blame today’s trailers on the modern attention span. Rather, the issue seems to be that trailers have fallen into a rut.

Recent trailers for Star Trek, Thor 2, Pacific Rim and the aforementioned, “Iron Man 3” are practically interchangeable in rhythm: begin with an image that establishes scope or familiarity, provide a quick rundown of plot details and then assault the viewer with out of context pastiche of the best scenes.

Guillermo Del Toro’s robot monster movie “Pacific Rim” is exemplary of the this mold with its opening bludgeoning soundtrack buzz (Thanks Inception) and an elegiac image of a young girl staring up in awe at jet fighters over a devastated city before giving a few brief details about the plot (Giant robots…monsters…blah blah blah) before then giving about a minute of random images before ending with some grand slam end tag.

The problem isn’t the audience and I’m not even sure it’s the disclosure of key plot details. It’s that trailers are over concerned with following the mold. Trailers have forgotten the first rule of advertising: “Always stand out”.

Although I am saddened that this is the last time I will be a part of the mysterious yet
enchanting world that is college, I am grateful to have shared all of my first and final college moments with people who have become some of the most important in my life. I do not have enough space to mention everyone that has shaped my college experience and me as a person, but I extend to
you all my extreme gratitude. So here’s to the mentors that taught me, the friends that loved me, the
family that supported me, and to the strangers that changed me. You have made every moment a
memorable one and have made my years at Carthage some of the best years of my life. Until next
time.

The ladies are Kayla Arbet, ’13, Christina Bart, ’13, and Karin Wirth, ’13. Each musician plans to continue with music in some fashion, and they all share great memories of their performances for the Carthage community.

Each lady started with music very young. Perhaps the funniest story is that of Arbet’s, in which she “played piano 2-8th grade, saxophone 5-12th grade, guitar 7th-present and have been singing for a really long time, it probably started in the shower.”

Both Wirth and Bart echoed the sentiments, talking about the early age they began their music career.

Bart started singing as young as she could remember, but “did not take it seriously until about five years ago when I taught myself guitar and began writing.” Wirth began at just three years old singing in church choir and she has continued to play saxophone in the Carthage Pep Band.

While both Bart and Arbet are mainly solo acts, Wirth is popular for her band at Carthage, Karin and the Ding Dongs. Wirth has also always been about playing for fun, while both of the other ladies have released albums and actively pursued music. “We don’t take ourselves too seriously but enjoy playing cover songs, and we always have a good time,” said Wirth about her and her band.

All three groups had successful Wednesday Night Student Spotlight shows. Arbet sights her first WNSS her sophomore year as her fondest memory at Carthage, saying, “Until that point I had never performed my original songs for a crowd so that was cool to see that people liked them.”

Both Bart and Wirth agreed that the students and atmosphere of extracurricular music at Carthage was the best part. “One of my fondest memories would have to be hearing fellow students sing along to original songs I’ve written when I perform at different shows during the year,” said Bart.

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of these departing seniors is their plans for the future with regards to music. While Wirth will only keep music as a hobby, she definitely won’t stop playing anytime soon. Bart plans to move around and try different hotspots for music. “I plan on traveling around the US to play shows in different locations such as California and Nashville,” she said. Bart went on to say, “I am currently working on producing my very first music video this summer for a song that will be featured on my second album released sometime this year.”

Arbet voiced a similar opinion stating that, “I’m always going to write and perform. It’s something that I really enjoy and I’ll play for whoever listens. My short-term goal is to get a job in a community that has a good art/music scene. I think I’m at a point where I want to be surrounded by people who have the same passion for music that I do.”

While campus will no longer be blessed with such great voices, musicians at Carthage will never disappear. In fact, these musicians have YouTube channels, Facebook profiles and even personal websites.

Wirth has videos of her and her band on Facebook. Both Bart and Arbet have released albums for sale to the public, with Bart’s EP, “Selfless,” available at christinabart.com, and Arbet’s album, “Paint a Picture”, available on iTunes. Even though these ladies are leaving campus, their music will remain in Carthaginian’s heads for a long time to come. I believe Bart summed up the parting sentiments of all three ladies when she said, “The amount of support that I’ve received from students, teachers and other staff members here at Carthage has been overwhelming.”