With the fall semester coming to an end, the University Dance Theatre’s Fall Concert is on the horizon.
This captivating recital performed by the students of the Old Dominion University Dance Program will include three ensemble pieces, a new work choreographed by a guest artist, an intimate duet and a dance film.
This semester’s choreographers include special guest artist Alfonso Cervera, along with ODU Dance faculty James Morrow, Lauren Sinclair, Janelle Spruill and Victoria Fink.
I had the chance to speak with Victoria Fink on her featured piece, “Fervent Wind,” which she describes as an “evocative dance piece that explores the multifaceted roles of women during the Great Western Migration.”
“I picture images in my mind that I want to create. And then from there, I go into the movement, and create phrases, motifs and gestures that I find are kind of helping me build the landscape. And then, once I get started on the dancers, I start to develop, ‘What is this really about?’” Victoria recalls about her process in coming up with the inspiration for her piece.
The piece aims to explore the different tropes that women during this era experienced.
“It’s kind of a juxtaposition between that sort of two roles between power and femininity,” Victoria said.
The dances in the show aspire to tell a story through movement. Guest artist Alfonso Cervera’s piece, “Los 43,” represents the true story of the forty-three male students from the Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers’ College who were abducted in Mexico on Sept. 26, 2014. ODU Dance faculty member Lauren Sinclair’s piece, “Perspective,” is a contemporary ballet piece that follows a dancer’s experience from auditioning for a show all the way to the final performance.
The choreographers and the student performers have been working tirelessly since the beginning of the semester to perfect this highly-anticipated show.
The University Dance Theatre’s Fall Concert will run Nov. 20-22 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 for ODU students and $20 for general admission.
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Patrick Done, an external affairs committee general member, presented a survey that said students did not want checkpoints to return in the Spring. (Teo Gonzales / Daily Trojan)
Speaker of the Undergraduate Student Government senate Diana Carpio was removed Tuesday night following an anonymous vote of at least a two-thirds majority of senators excluding Carpio, according to a statement from vice president Brianna Sánchez to the Daily Trojan.
Despite being allowed to keep her position as a senator following the removal vote, Carpio told the Daily Trojan she plans to resign from USG as a whole, effective immediately.
“I think that the reason why I was removed was more for personal reasons than professional,” Carpio said. “All I’ve ever tried to do is support senators, including times [when] I’ve not felt supported by them, so I think I’ve done the best I could as a speaker, and to the next speaker, I wish nothing but good luck.”
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Carpio said the individuals she thought initiated the removal process had not addressed specific grievances with her, which she said negatively impacted the culture of USG.
“I’d hope that in the future, people … [are able] to really be straightforward with the next speaker and to be honest and transparent about what it is they’re feeling,” Carpio said.
In her statement, Sánchez — a member of the executive cabinet — said the executive branch does not have direct oversight over the removal process, limiting her knowledge on the removal.
“The decision of the senators to remove the Speaker will be respected and the proper procedure to elect a new Speaker will be followed,” Sánchez wrote.
Carpio said she is “not bitter about anything” and acknowledged the difficulty of the speaker of the senate role.
“It’s a lot of entertaining the interests of students, entertaining the interests of senators, entertaining the interests of [the executive] cabinet,” Carpio said. “It’s so many stakeholders … one person can [only] really have so much bandwidth to do it all.”
When asked about her legacy in USG, Carpio mentioned her work to reinstate the 24/7 Tommy Watch and her laundry stipend project, which received $4,000 of legislative branch funding through senate bill 144-11 on Oct. 22. Carpio said she hopes to be able to name her successor to lead the laundry stipend project.
During the meeting, the senate heard a presentation about the findings of a student survey regarding campus access from Patrick Done, an external affairs committee member and a sophomore majoring in political science who worked on the project.
The survey showed 75% of the 152 respondents do not want the barriers and checkpoints that were erected last semester to return in the spring. Nearly a seventh of respondents want the barriers to return, while 11.2% said they were unsure.
“This data, I think, paints a very vivid picture of how students at USC actually feel about these barriers,” Done said. “We hope that [the] USC administration will listen to this feedback.”
After authoring a resolution calling for a reform or removal of the barriers, which passed through the senate in the summer, senator Jeremiah Boisrond said he hopes the survey data will spur the University to take action.
“Historically, data is embedded into the resolution, however, because [the summer resolution] was the last senate meeting of the summer … we had to act,” Boisrond said. “This is just following through with that resolution to show administrators that this isn’t working, please reevaluate.”
Chief programming officer Hunter Black reported on upcoming programming assembly events. In response to a question about the Undocumented Trojan Success Assembly’s approval process, Black said the programming assembly vote of confidence concluded Tuesday night.
If the programming assembly’s vote of confidence passes with a two-thirds majority, the UTSA’s appeal to become an incorporated assembly will appear before the senate Dec. 3 following a report from Black.
In her report, Sánchez mentioned a solar panel umbrella and bench project that she is working on alongside president Bryan Fernández and reallocation efforts for USG funds.
Sánchez said she is aiming for the reallocation to appear before the senate Dec. 3.
Senator Ali Bhatti presented his work on proposals to improve pickleball access after the courts adjacent to the Jefferson Boulevard Parking Structure permanently closed Sept. 16, add Raising Cane’s to the list of approved vendors for USC events and create a new TrojanLearn Module focused on the land history of the Kizh Gabrieleño.
Bhatti said the planned module will be mandatory for all students and between 30 and 40 minutes in length. In response to a question about concerns over the length of the module, Bhatti said he did not want to compromise the information provided in the module due to the sensitivity of the topic.
Accessibility committee chair Izzy Del Gaudio presented on the committee’s projects, which included an email template for students to use for accommodation requests to professors, an accessible yoga class, a rebranding of RestSC and the implementation of Speechify — a text-to-speech listening tool — for non-native English speakers with disabilities.
Chief communication officer Faiz Ahmed reported on the upcoming USG election and the intent to run application, released Monday. The intent to run is due Dec. 18, and the voting period will occur from Feb. 18 to 21, 2025.
Former affordability and basic needs committee chair Klarissa Palacios resigned Nov. 12 after being reinstated in a judicial council opinion released publicly earlier that day. The judicial council found her guilty on six of 22 charges brought by Fernández and Sánchez for attendance violations and indecent speech.
The position is currently vacant, Sánchez told the Daily Trojan in a statement.
“Former Chair Palacios informed us of her resignation on the [Tuesday] following the judicial opinion, and we respected her decision,” Sánchez wrote. “We remain committed to ensuring that the Affordability and Basic Needs Committee has the necessary support to continue working on its important projects.”
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In an intense game that drew a sellout crowd of 21,984 fans during family weekend, ODU football came up just short against the James Madison Dukes, losing 35-32. This clash was crucial for both teams as they battled it out in the Sun Belt Conference. With the victory, the Dukes improved to an impressive 8-2 overall and secured a second-place standing in the Sun Belt East with a 4-2 conference record. Meanwhile, the Monarchs, with the loss, fell to 4-6 overall and found themselves in the middle of the Sun Belt East pack at 3-3.
“We made too many mistakes to win a game like this,” commented Head Coach Ricky Rahne.“Too many correctable mistakes. The bottom line is that we didn’t really ever give ourselves a chance to win that game.”
The first half of the game was a thrilling back-and-forth affair, with ODU holding a slim lead of 24-21 at halftime. The Dukes wasted no time in making their mark, scoring on their very first drive with a three-yard touchdown run that set the tone early on.
Senior RB Aaron Young celebrates with ODU Students after scoring touchdown against Dukes. (Maria Toombs )
But the Monarchs quickly answered back. Redshirt freshman Colton Joseph connected with his go-to receiver, Isiah Paige, on a 27-yard pass, then took it himself into the end zone, leveling the score at 7-7 with just over seven minutes left in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, JMU capitalized on some costly penalties by ODU’s defense, allowing them to kick a field goal and take a 10-7 lead just 41 seconds in. The Dukes continued to surge, with quarterback Alonza Barnett III breaking loose for a stunning 50-yard touchdown run. After successfully converting a two-point play, JMU widened their lead to 18-7 midway through the second quarter.
But ODU wasn’t backing down. A game-changing blocked punt by safety Mario Easterly gave the Monarchs a golden opportunity, setting them up on the JMU 3-yard line. Aaron Young charged into the end zone for a touchdown, narrowing the score to 18-14 with just under 10 minutes left in the half.
After JMU added another field goal, ODU rallied again, with Joseph executing a well-timed QB draw to tie the game at 21 with a little over two minutes remaining in the half. The Monarchs’ defense admirably forced the Dukes off the field, giving their offense one more chance before the break.
During that final drive, the Monarchs managed to get into field goal range, and Ethan Sanchez nailed a kick after a big play by Isiah Paige. With that, ODU went into halftime with a 24-21 lead over their rivals.
However, the momentum shifted in the second half. The ODU offense struggled to find its rhythm, and JMU’s offense initially looked flat as well. But that didn’t last long—Barnett connected with receiver Yamir Knight for a stunning 58-yard touchdown pass, reclaiming the lead for the Dukes with less than three minutes left in the third quarter.
The fourth quarter brought more challenges for the Monarchs. A key defensive penalty on a fourth-and-one play allowed JMU to keep their drive alive, leading to another Dukes touchdown, this time on a rushing score from Barnett. With that, JMU took a two-score lead at 35-24 with just 2:30 left on the clock.
Facing a tough uphill battle, the Monarchs executed a solid two-minute drill, capping it off with a three-yard touchdown run from Joseph and a successful two-point conversion to tight end Pat Conroy. Unfortunately, their efforts were too little, too late, as their attempt at an onside kick fell short, allowing the Dukes to escape with the win in front of a passionate Norfolk crowd.
Senior WR Isiah Paige makes a diving effort for the ball in matchup against JMU. (Maria Toombs)
Despite the loss, there were bright spots for ODU. Isiah Paige and Aaron Young stood out with impressive performances; Paige had three catches for 77 yards, and Young rushed for 116 yards on 17 carries with a touchdown, averaging nearly seven yards per carry. Senior Diante Vines also had a noteworthy game, racking up four receptions for 89 yards.
Yet, not everything went smoothly. Joseph struggled with his passing, completing just 9 of 21 attempts and facing five sacks, which has been a recurring issue since their loss to App State. The defense, too, faced challenges, giving away crucial yardage with four offsides penalties throughout the game.
When asked about the defensive performance, Linebacker Koa Naotola commented, “You’ve got to be able to consistently do your job. We talk about it all the time, especially on defense, when our keys are playing fast, tough and disciplined. That was the key. We didn’t consistently do our job and we made too many mistakes.”
The Monarchs, following this loss, will face the Marshall Thundering Herd this coming Saturday, November 23rd, in a night game at 7:30 PM. They will conclude the season at Arkansas State on November 30th. The Thundering Herd currently leads the Sun Belt East with an in-conference record of 5-1 and an overall record of 7-3, making this another challenging matchup at home for the Monarchs this season.
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Nestled in the Nancy Richardson Design Center, Colorado State University’s interior architecture and design students possess the industry’s latest technologies and scientific innovations at their fingertips, developing skills that will carry them well into their professional futures.
The design and merchandising department is home to two undergraduate majors — interior architecture and design and apparel and merchandising — both of which award a Bachelor of Science upon completion. The program is housed in the College of Health and Human Sciences, a discipline that correlates with the very foundation of interior architecture.
“A lot of times, people think of interior designs as being just a subset, like picking furniture, picking finishes,” said Laura Malinin, associate professor and Nancy Richardson Design Center director. “But it really is about (the) whole spatial layout.”
The Colorado State University Nancy Richardson Design Center houses a number of different studios and classes studying design of all kinds Nov. 14. The center has an emphasis on innovation, creativity and design thinking. (The Collegian | Alison Bolin)
Interior architecture includes everything within a building’s shell, including wall locations, door height, specific lighting angles and interior finishes. All are aspects that contribute to a building’s psychological effects on occupants.
“Interior designers need to understand how the environment impacts people, both in terms of their cognitive processes and in terms of their physiological well-being,” Malinin said. “So there’s a lot of research. For example, a lot of the theories that students learn, even from the very beginning that help them understand how to design, have to do with the human experience.”
This process of incorporating natural elements is known as biophilic design, and it can be utilized to conjure various emotions from a building’s inhabitants.
“Natural elements within design can help people not only feel more comfortable in a space — especially within hospitals — they can actually make patients feel better and bring (an) outside element of natural healing,” said Bryce Greenwood, an interior architecture and design student.
Students are trained to ensure their designs meet top industry criteria, including the WELL Building Standard, which is awarded to buildings that have been “developed with people’s health and wellness at the center of design,” as outlined on the organization’s website.
“It’s creative problem solving. So it really is a nice bridge between sort of art, the more engineering technology and the human sciences all together in one package.” -Laura Malinin, Nancy Richardson Design Center director
Even the smallest of design elements make a difference, such as the placement of stairs, which are critical in the science of interior architecture, as it encourages physical movement in visitors.
To achieve holistic spaces, students utilize various technologies and softwares, all of which are industry standard.
“This year, as a third year, we are learning (Autodesk) Revit, and Revit is super cool,” Greenwood said. “Last year, we learned more of SketchUp and AutoCAD.”
Autodesk Revit is a three-dimensional modeling software. Other softwares utilized include Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign, all used for 3D conceptual designs.
Students also have access to several learning laboratories within the Nancy Richardson Design Center, including the DLab, which was designed to serve as a flexible space for students to access cutting-edge technologies that allow them to experience their layouts firsthand through virtual reality.
“Students use a plug-in so that while they’re using the design software, they can actually put on the headset and work in real time,” Malinin said. “So while they’re working, if they put the VR headsets on, they would see what they’re designing in real size with respect to their body. So while designing a building, they can actually virtually walk through it and look around and see what their design would feel like right in that space.”
The Lighting Lab also enables students to gain experience with different lighting sources and systems both in commercial and residential settings. The major is developing a lighting focus course series, and one such lighting technique relies on understanding the circadian rhythm of the human body.
“There’s a whole science behind lighting design to help promote health and well-being,” Malinin said. “Especially when you start talking about people that are differently abled that process light differently or that have dementia (or) have sleep challenges, lighting becomes (a) really important … part of their interest.”
As students progress in the program, the scale of their projects increases along with their knowledge.
“You start out with these tiny projects, and at the end of our capstone, we’re designing 60,000 square feet, which is massive,” said Chloe Gillis, an interior architecture and design student.
Sophomore student Grace Racine shows the photographer her ceiling layout in her capstone project at the Nancy Richardson Design Center Nov. 14. “It’s really nice to have so many things readily accessible, like the computer labs,” Racine said. “We have a materials lab on the second floor that has a whole bunch of (material) samples you can feel. It’s nice, and it helps so much because it’s one thing to see stuff on a screen and another thing to see it in person.” (The Collegian | Samantha Nordstrom)
The capstone project spans two semesters, beginning in the fall of students’ junior year when they are tasked with designing an adaptive reuse of a building that exists in the real world with the help of industry professionals.
“They create what’s called a program,” Malinin said. “So what are the types of spaces and the qualities of those spaces they would need for this project to function successfully? They interview people. They do a lot of primary and secondary research to understand their project type and the needs of their potential clients and users.”
Several capstone projects are on display on the second floor of the Nancy Richardson Design Center, and each project is available for viewing online.
While engineering software is utilized in the design process, the program is not limited to those whose thinking aligns more with engineering or mathematics.
“It’s creative problem solving,” Malinin said. “So it really is a nice bridge between sort of art, the more engineering technology and the human sciences all together in one package.”
With the critical eye of an interior architect reflected in every building a visitor enters, every aspect is carefully curated through the science behind the discipline.
“Appreciate all the design around you,” Greenwood said. “It’s all for a reason, and all of the design intent behind it was intended for you.”
The Boston University Student Government discussed changes in funding requirements for the Student Activities Office, confirmed a co-chair for the finance committee and approved funding for the Mexican Cultural Association at BU at their meeting last night. StuGov also endorsed both a new songwriting club and a financial aid workshop. Margaret Babson, the interim director of SAO, discussed the changes in the Allocations Board funding and how the process works. The AB is overseen by SAO and provides funding for student groups. Senators sought clarification on required documentation, potential funding caps and reasons for funding denials. Babson said while the […]
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Jack Rutter, lead singer of Ritt Momney, at RedFest at the University of Utah in the A. Ray Olpin Student Union Ballroom in Salt Lake City on Nov. 15, 2024. (Photo by Addy Cowley | The Daily Utah Chronicle)
On a whim, I picked the clarinet at the school music fair in fourth grade, and for the next eight years, I was a part of my school’s band programs.
In middle school, I stayed in band class so I wasn’t required to take another gym period. When I entered high school, it was so I could go on the band trip.
Whether it was by choice or happenstance, my clarinet and I were together for almost half my life.
Those first few years, it was just about making my sounds tolerable. Getting a solid note out of a clarinet is a combination of having the correct embouchure, finger positioning, breathing and reed strength. Even the three-note tune, “Hot Cross Buns,” was a nightmare to get through at first.
The thing about clarinets is that when you don’t get that right combination, they squeak — a lot. So when you make mistakes, you make them loud.
I learned from those first few delicate years that perhaps loud mistakes aren’t so bad after all. When mistakes are loud, you can hear them, and when you can hear them, you can fix them.
To be pushed from a young age to loudly mess up in front of your peers makes you more immune to doing it later on.
Evelyn Beyer, a second-year student and baritone player in the University of Minnesota marching band, said being in band allowed her to become comfortable with being uncomfortable.
“You’re getting into uncomfortable situations all the time,” Beyer said. “In band, there will be songs or parts where you have to stand out and stand on your own, and you have to be able to work through it.”
Beyer said being bad at something teaches you how to work at it.
“You can clearly hear when you mess something up,” Beyer said. “I had so many moments when I would hear myself and I would be like, ‘Oh, I have to work on that.’ I definitely spent a lot of time by myself trying to get better at things.”
Rory Schaefer, a second-year student and flutist in the Maroon Band, one of the University’s athletic bands, said working at your instrument can give you confidence.
“Band definitely plays into your confidence just because of the simple fact that it’s nice to be good at something,” Schaefer said.
Sooner or later, my squeaking slowed down. And so did everyone else’s. Once we could hear over ourselves, we could all start to hear each other.
Clarinets usually sit at the front of the band, closest to the audience along with the flutes and other woodwinds. Often, clarinetists are given the melodies of songs, but, contrary to my original beliefs, that doesn’t mean they are any more important.
A whole is always greater than the sum of its parts, and in the case of a band, our sound together was always greater than any combination of our instruments individually.
My melodies as a clarinetist would never sound as good without the French horns backing me up. As preteens and teens who had every reason to despise each other, we soon learned that we needed to rely on our classmates and peers to create anything worth listening to.
Not only did we have to work together, but we had to work together to create a piece of art.
Schaefer said bands hinge on working as a unit.
“It is a good way to be part of something that’s bigger than yourself,” Schaefer said. “You know that this song is something you’re participating in and that you quite literally matter. There are places where people depend on you and where you are needed.”
It is fun to be good at something individually, but usually, it is more fun to be good at something together.
In band, I learned to make loud mistakes. I learned about community. I learned to be good at being bad at things and to be OK with not being the best at something.
I learned how to get better.
If you hear yourself squeak, you can figure out how to fix it. If you don’t ever attempt the music, you’ll never know what you can make of it.
Posted in NewsComments Off on Opinion: What band class taught me
On a whim, I picked the clarinet at the school music fair in fourth grade, and for the next eight years, I was a part of my school’s band programs.
In middle school, I stayed in band class so I wasn’t required to take another gym period. When I entered high school, it was so I could go on the band trip.
Whether it was by choice or happenstance, my clarinet and I were together for almost half my life.
Those first few years, it was just about making my sounds tolerable. Getting a solid note out of a clarinet is a combination of having the correct embouchure, finger positioning, breathing and reed strength. Even the three-note tune, “Hot Cross Buns,” was a nightmare to get through at first.
The thing about clarinets is that when you don’t get that right combination, they squeak — a lot. So when you make mistakes, you make them loud.
I learned from those first few delicate years that perhaps loud mistakes aren’t so bad after all. When mistakes are loud, you can hear them, and when you can hear them, you can fix them.
To be pushed from a young age to loudly mess up in front of your peers makes you more immune to doing it later on.
Evelyn Beyer, a second-year student and baritone player in the University of Minnesota marching band, said being in band allowed her to become comfortable with being uncomfortable.
“You’re getting into uncomfortable situations all the time,” Beyer said. “In band, there will be songs or parts where you have to stand out and stand on your own, and you have to be able to work through it.”
Beyer said being bad at something teaches you how to work at it.
“You can clearly hear when you mess something up,” Beyer said. “I had so many moments when I would hear myself and I would be like, ‘Oh, I have to work on that.’ I definitely spent a lot of time by myself trying to get better at things.”
Rory Schaefer, a second-year student and flutist in the Maroon Band, one of the University’s athletic bands, said working at your instrument can give you confidence.
“Band definitely plays into your confidence just because of the simple fact that it’s nice to be good at something,” Schaefer said.
Sooner or later, my squeaking slowed down. And so did everyone else’s. Once we could hear over ourselves, we could all start to hear each other.
Clarinets usually sit at the front of the band, closest to the audience along with the flutes and other woodwinds. Often, clarinetists are given the melodies of songs, but, contrary to my original beliefs, that doesn’t mean they are any more important.
A whole is always greater than the sum of its parts, and in the case of a band, our sound together was always greater than any combination of our instruments individually.
My melodies as a clarinetist would never sound as good without the French horns backing me up. As preteens and teens who had every reason to despise each other, we soon learned that we needed to rely on our classmates and peers to create anything worth listening to.
Not only did we have to work together, but we had to work together to create a piece of art.
Schaefer said bands hinge on working as a unit.
“It is a good way to be part of something that’s bigger than yourself,” Schaefer said. “You know that this song is something you’re participating in and that you quite literally matter. There are places where people depend on you and where you are needed.”
It is fun to be good at something individually, but usually, it is more fun to be good at something together.
In band, I learned to make loud mistakes. I learned about community. I learned to be good at being bad at things and to be OK with not being the best at something.
I learned how to get better.
If you hear yourself squeak, you can figure out how to fix it. If you don’t ever attempt the music, you’ll never know what you can make of it.
Posted in NewsComments Off on Opinion: What band class taught me
