Sixth Issue Word Search

1. Given name of the winter storm that struck before classes returned:

2. This singer songwriter released an album on his birthday, two days before he passed away:

3. Kind of bowls that were made to help support the Empty Bowl Project:

4. This former editor-in-chief of The Delphian shares a last name with a legendary movie director:

5. The winner of Miss Universe is a native of this country:

6. The Center for Career Development offers a completely free reviewing service for these:

7. This actor who recently passed away is well known for his role as Severus Snape:

8. Kylo Ren’s birth first name:

9. The women’s softball team will open their season in this state:

10. John Westervelt, a mental health counselor, is from this town:

History Has Its Eyes on Us. in “Hamilton” by Danielle McDougall

You may balk at the idea that a Broadway musical about the life of our Founding Father and first Treasury Secretary, Alexander Hamilton, was one of the most subversive and socially-aware projects to be released in 2015, but your (understandable) shock would be unwarranted.

            It is highly unlikely, as a matter of fact, that you aren't at least slightly familiar with this project, “Hamilton: An American Musical,” already. That is unless you have the same reflex that I do to anything that enjoys critical acclaim on a massive scale: ignore it because it probably isn't even that great anyway.

            Well, it is. It is that great. For all the reasons that you would and wouldn't expect.

            2015 was a year rife with sociopolitical unrest and activism on a scale that arguably hadn't been paralleled since the slew of Civil Rights movements that occurred over the span of the 1960s all the way through to the 1990s. People are angry, needless to say. As the killing and abuse of unarmed black people becomes commonplace; the vilification of Latino immigrants becomes poll-topping rhetoric for presidential candidates to capitalize on; and the demonization of Muslim-Americans and Syrian refugees for the actions of a comparatively small network of radical groups is being condoned by state governors across the country, one clear issue is beginning to emerge. That is that the respect and dignity granted to a person in this country is contingent upon their conformity with a very narrow set of guidelines for the race, origin, language and religion of a respectable person. The frustration surrounding this issue has been brewing for decades and threatening to spill over; last year, it finally did.

            Where in the world does “Hamilton” fit into this conversation? Right at the forefront of it, actually. It is a story that, with surprisingly few artistic liberties taken in regards to historical facts by its innovative creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, perfectly reflects the broad spectrum of cultures that build and shape our country and the obstacles that said cultures are still striving to overcome right now.

            I would be remiss not to describe how these cultures are represented. To begin with, the cast (the amazingly talented cast), is comprised entirely of black, Latino and Asian people performers, a casting call that was opened only to people of color – save, interestingly, for the role of none other than the overbearing King George III, who can only be portrayed by a white actor.

            Looking at the cast alone, you begin to develop a sense of resonance with the nuanced concerns, desires and struggles of these characters whose stories would otherwise feel totally removed from ours by the centuries-long lapse in time. Their fights – securing freedom and liberty as a people, then as a country, striving for financial stability and being able to make a memorable mark in a new world – all throughout the Revolutionary War and the early development of our country feel familiar because they are our fights, as told by people who resemble the entirety of our population.

            The line "Immigrants/ we get the job done" in one of the songs off the official cast album is reportedly met with a rousing applause during live performances because it serves as an affirmation of the message that various organizations and activists have been tirelessly conveying for years: this country would not be one of the most developed in the world were it not for the thankless work of immigrants who came here with the hope of making theirs and others' lives better. Thus, our lives do matter.

            Hamilton, an immigrant himself from an island in the West Indies, the Marquis de Lafayette, an immigrant from France, and Baron Von Steuben, a German drill expert were each responsible not only for our liberation from Britain but, in Hamilton's case, the almost single-handed creator of our current economic and political structure.

            By looking at our dynamic and revolutionary past through the faces of our dynamic and revolutionary present, we force those who are prejudiced against marginalized groups to see the sheer impact that said groups have made and continue to make on our very foundation and development.

            Of course, the music deserves to be mentioned, for it is yet another shock to the senses of the listening public. Its genres are as diversified and trend-setting as our current sociopolitical climate is: rapping, R&B, Britpop, chamber pop, ballads and any other combination of genres I didn't even recognize, meld with references to celebrated Broadway songs and 90s rap songs in a way that feels so unexpectedly natural that it just feels right to listen to Hamilton belt out Motown-style jams and listen to Washington evoke Jay-Z's aura in order to convey the chaos of the Landing at Kip's Bay.

            In blurring the lines between what's old and new, the sense of a connection to our history and a deep sense of significance as a result of it only stokes the flames of the fire fueling our current social movements.

            Movements charge on and we enter a year where our most polarizing set of presidential candidates yet are set to have one plucked from its pool to either work to our benefit or detriment as a people. I can't help but be reminded of a phrase iterated throughout the play, "History has its eyes on you." If the creative resuscitation of Hamilton's seemingly-dead story, the subsequent significance of “Hamilton” in our culture both then and now and the parallels that we can draw between this story and our current circumstances are any indication, history does in fact have its eyes on us.

            

GAMES Club Scores High for Kids in Need

By Jess Cooper 

The people down at GAMES Club racked up points for charity at their most recent event, "Beat Your Maker." Held in the Gallagher Computer Lab, the club’s event aimed to raise money for Child’s Play, a charity that gives toys to children in need. At the event, gamers played games designed by Adelphi students. As they scored points on the games, names started going up on the leaderboards. Friendly competition and good fun ensued as players battled for playful bragging rights.

Don Hanson, the President of GAMES Club, was happy to speak about the makings of this event. “I said ‘Maybe we could do a fundraising table,’ and my vice president Chris Demartin came to us and said ‘I have this idea about 'Beat Your Maker.' We’ll make these games, and we’ll play them and match the donations.’”

The four games featured were developed by club members, and Hanson was enthusiastic about all the work put into making the designs a reality. “People have been working on these games since around mid-October. The first half of the semester was us teaching them how to use these tools, or assisting them. Then the latter half was basically open-lab, where they came in and worked on their project.” It was an enjoyable night, attended by people bound together by their love of games and the will to help kids in need. “I felt it was important to highlight our members’ work to faculty administration. It was really to show off their work, raise money towards a charitable organization, and get our members together and have some fun,” said Hanson.

He and the rest of GAMES Club raised $180.01 towards Child’s Play, showing that it really does pay to play.

Adelphi Performing Arts: What to Expect This Fall

by Amanda Mullen, Entertainment Editor

With the start of the school year rapidly approaching, Adelphi University’s Performing Arts Center is preparing a variety of exciting performances for the upcoming semester. Encasing five theatre locations, the PAC is home to the music, acting, and dance students of the university. In addition to its educational purposes, the PAC serves as a venue for various performances throughout each year, with appearances ranging from famous Broadway stars to the college’s own talented students.

The PAC is wasting no time this fall, kicking off the semester with its first show on September 7th. A screening of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, starring Christopher Plummer, will take place that afternoon. Only days later, on the 12th and 13th of the month, the Kinesis Project dance theatre will be putting on a rendition of Secrets and Seawalls, a well-choreographed examination of the power of secrets. Also on the 13th, the Libana World Music Ensemble will be performing a diverse series of culture based acts, combining music, dance, and story into one spectacular production. As if this wasn’t exciting enough, Tony Award actress, Patina Miller, best known for her performance in Pippin, will be also be visiting on September 19th. Throughout this evening, she will be singing a mixture of tunes, from R&B to Broadway solos. Her performance is one that students will want to get tickets for quickly.

At the beginning of October, the New York Virtuoso Singers Quintet will make an appearance at Adelphi. Their program will take place on the 4th, and it will include works by prominent musicians from six different centuries. Anyone who is into Bach, Beethoven, Moravec, or Purcell, shouldn’t sit this one out. Mid-October, Adelphi’s Best of Broadway production will come to life, focusing on shows whose anniversaries are 100, 75, 50, and 25 years ago. This is a great activity for those visiting on Family Weekend, especially if they are huge Broadway buffs. Lastly, on the 24th of the month, the Chiara String Quartet will be going back to the old time habit of playing without sheet music.

November is an exceptionally busy and exciting month at the PAC, starting with performances of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night from the 4th until the 9th. On the 9th, there will also be a recorded showing of Moulin Rouge the Ballet, a passionate and romantic tale conveyed through the mechanisms of song and dance. The acclaimed band, Blue Jupiter, will hold a concert on the 14th, with an opening performance from Adelphi’s a cappella group, Paws and Rewind. On the 19th, Trio Solisti will be offering a lecture to Adelphi students in the morning and will be teaching a master class in the afternoon. The Trio will return on the 22nd to blow away the Adelphi community with an ensemble consisting of their usual works, as well as works by contemporary composers. San Francisco Opera’s Lucrezia Borgia will follow on the 23rd, closing out the month of November. 

During December, the PAC has managed to squeeze in several events despite the winter intersession. The World Music Ensemble, in which Adelphi music majors will perform repertoire from countries all over the world, will take place on the 8th of December. This celebration of culture will be a wonderful way for students to take their minds off of upcoming finals. From the 11th through the 14th, the Freshman Showcase will occur, allowing freshmen in the theatre department their first opportunity to show off their talent. Similarly, on the 14th, the Adelphi Chorus and Adelphi Vocal Ensemble will spread some holiday cheer with their Holiday Celebration. This will consist of performances honoring both Christmas and Chanukah. And finally, a staged reading of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol will bring a classic ending to the semester and year.

There is much anticipation for the PAC performances this fall, and students are encouraged to attend these productions. A complete listing of PAC events can be found on the AU PAC website alongside of times and locations. Tickets may be purchased Adelphi’s box office.

CALL ME WEBHEAD, CALL ME AMAZING, JUST DON’T CALL ME LATE FOR DINNER: MY REVIEW OF THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2

By Alex Lavelle

Although Marvel jump-started the summer movie season in early April with the release of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, to the entire entertainment industry, the summer blockbuster stretch starts the first weekend of May. Marvel has, again, been known to dominate this time slot, especially in the past few years. Now, with the release of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Marvel has established a formidable one-two punch atop the box office that should carry for the next few weeks.

Following off the events of 2012’s The Amazing Spider-Man origin story, Andrew Garfield continues to deliver a solid performance as both Peter Parker and the web-slinger. Not only does he provide a comedic side to Spider-Man, something rarely seen during Sam Raimi’s original Spider-Man series, but also covers up his identity acting as the blundering Parker, as shown during select scenes with his Aunt May (Sally Fields). Overall, this movie delivers in the acting department, as all of the stars, not just Garfield, give incredible performances. Jamie Foxx’s portrayal of Max Dillon, aka, Electro, is especially powerful, as we see, to quote The Dark Knight, how “All it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man to lunacy.” The chemistry between Andrew Garfield’s Parker and Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) shines through the movie, as the real-life couple is able to play off each other’s words with ease.

Similarly, the action scenes are amazing, starting just about five minutes in, as we see Spider-Man in a freefall toward the streets of New York, only to sling a web, and shoot up to the skies, all while Hans Zimmer’s incredible soundtrack plays. Foxx’s Electro gets in on the fun too, as we see him, having just discovered his newfound powers, lay waste to Times Square, in what is, in this author’s opinion, the second best action scene in a comic book movie this year, just behind Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The final battle between the two, though, takes that power, and magnifies it tenfold, leaving fans on the edge of their seats.

Unfortunately, while the movie does receive incredible marks for the cast’s acting, the action scenes, and Zimmer’s soundtrack, the plot suffers from an overload of storylines akin to Spider-Man 3. On top of the Electro villain story, we are also given the origins of Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), and his friendship with Peter. While DeHaan again delivers a stunning portrayal, like in 2012’s Chronicle, his transformation into the secondary villain of the film could have been left out until Amazing Spider-Man 3. On top of all of that, there is the continuing will-they-won’t-they between Peter and Gwen, Peter uncovering the further truth about his father, and a scene that would have been much better suited for a thriller movie. Throw in the shocking ending of the film, and fans could understand why Mary-Jane Watson, who was supposed to be played by Shailene Woodley, was cut from the film.

Despite this, Amazing Spider-Man 2 delivers an incredible film, both through its incredible cast, and stellar action scenes. Sony had taken a bit of a gamble for not returning the rights to the film to Marvel, and thus allowing Spider-Man take his place among the Avengers. Yet this film proves that Sony had done the smart thing in keeping the rights to Spider-Man, allowing them to continue to build the universe of the web-slinger for years to come, and be a part of the Marvel superhero summer.

One last thing: while there isn’t an end credits scene directly from the movie (there is a preview for the new X-Men movie, featuring Jennifer Lawrence), you will want to stick around to watch the credits themselves, as they directly tease the future of the Spidey-verse.

A Look to the Summer Movies of 2014

By Alex Lavelle

With April behind us, and finals on the horizon, Hollywood has officially entered into the season of the summer blockbuster. For the next four months, each of the major studios will release their tentpole franchise showstoppers, all to try to win out the box office of the average moviegoer. While 2014 may not be as big as either 2013 was (Iron Man 3, Fast and Furious 6, Man of Steel, Pacific Rim, Despicable Me 2, Monsters University), or the 2015 season analysts are calling the perfect movie season storm (Avengers: Age of Ultron, The Fantastic Four, Jurassic World, Ted 2, Terminator: Genesis, Antman, Minions), it is shaping up to have quite a few movies for fanbases.

And what better way to kick off the monster movie season than the king of monsters? Warner Bros. kicks off the season with the return of Godzilla on May 16, in a retelling of the Godzilla origin story, led by a cast consisting of Bryan Cranston, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Ken Wantanabe, and Sally Hawkins. Then, it’s the release of the third superhero movie this year: X-Men: Days of Future Past. When a new threat arises that threatens to wipe out both mutant and humankind, the X-Men from the original trilogy, and from 2011’s X-Men: First Class, must unite to stop this threat (and tie up continuity errors). Starring, Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Halle Berry, Jennifer Lawrence, Ellen Page, and Nicholas Hoult, X-Men: Days of Future Past opens May 23^rd. The first month of summer concludes on May 30^th, with Disney’s Maleficent, a retelling of the classic Disney villain from 1959’s Sleeping Beauty, starring Angelina Jolie as the titular character.

June features another four big name films, the first being The Fault in Our Stars. Based upon John Green’s New York Times bestseller, the film stars Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort (yes, the brother and sister from Divergent), and releases June 6. Then, everyone’s favorite undercover cop duo returns in 22 Jump Street. After the success of 2012’s 21 Jump Street, the film returns stars Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill and Ice Cube, with Schmidt and Jenko now heading off to college. 22 Jump Street releases June 13. Turning to something a bit more family friendly, Fox/Dreamworks’s How to Train Your Dragon 2 releases that same day, and returns the main cast of Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Hill, and Kristen Wigg, while also adding Best Actress winner Cate Blanchett, as the humans and dragons of Berk, now allies, enter into a conflict that threatens to end their peace. Finally, June rolls out with the release of Transformers: Age of Extinction. The plot of the film, set a few years after the events of 2011’s Dark of the Moon, finds the Autobots on the run from the United States government, but must make themselves known when a new threat emerges. Starring Mark Whalberg, Nicola Peltz, Stanley Tucci, Kelsey Grammar, and Peter Cullen, Age of Extinction opens in theaters on June 27.

Despite being the first full month of summer, July actually seems to be a bit of a calm in the blockbuster/franchise movie storm. The month only has one major sequel set for release, July 11^th’s Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. The film continues the events of 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Fox’s reboot of the Planet of the Apes series, and stars Andy Serkis, Gary Oldman, Jason Clarke and Keri Russell. Perhaps the other two big name movies for July are Jupiter Ascending and Hercules. The first one, directed by the Wachowskis, directors of the Matrix trilogy, stars Mila Kunis and Channing Tatum, in a sci-fi epic with Kunis having the fate of the Earth rest on her shoulders. Jupiter Ascending opens July 18^th. Finally, Hercules, which opens July 25^th, stars Dwyane Johnson as the Greek “Zero-to-Hero”, as he tries to stop a tyrannical warlord.

Finally, August wraps the season up with a few major hits. The first one, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, opens August 1^st. Starring Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Lee Pace, and Karen Gillan, the film centers around a ragtag group of outlaws turned heroes, including a talking alien raccoon with handguns, and a giant alien tree, as they try to outrun the galaxy with a powerful, yet mysterious object on their hands. One week later, both Lucy, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles open up; the first of these stars Scarlett Johansson, who, following exposure to a mysterious drug, develops superhuman abilities. The latter is based on the super franchise of four turtles also being exposed to mysterious chemicals, and developing human-like characteristics. Turtles stars Megan Fox, Will Arnett, William Fitchner, Whoopi Goldberg, and Alan Ritchson. Finally, for a bit of a trip down memory lane, The Giver releases August 15^th. The film is based off the 1993 novel by Lois Lowry, and stars Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep, and Katie Holmes.

Meanwhile, for those who have chosen to focus the past few weeks on studying for final exams, there are several movies that have already come out that will still be in the theatres. Perhaps two of the more popular are Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and The Amazing Spider-Man 2, both of which you can find reviews for in this paper. Hopefully, this article will have helped you find at least one movie to look forward to this summer.

World War II Veteran Attends Adelphi

by Alexandra Wurglics

At first glance, students may just see an old man walking around on campus, but as everyone should know, there is much more to a person than meets the eye.  In Mr. Edmund Rosenblum’s case, he is a 94 year old World War II veteran with a voracious appetite for learning and living life in service to others. The History Department’s Professor Kirsten Ziomek invited Rosenblum to speak to her special topics class, The Asia Pacific War: Regarding the Pain of Others, who learned all about many of the events that Rosenblum had not only lived through, but experienced first-hand.  One of the students taking this class, Samantha Rescigno, commented that “hearing about his experiences was amazing especially because there aren't many World War II veterans left to personally share their stories.  As a history major, it was an awesome experience getting to hear from someone that was personally involved in the war.”

In his presentation, Rosenblum addressed everything from education, his Jewish heritage, Hitler’s reign, Pearl Harbor, D-Day, the atomic bombs, and so much more.  He even brought in pictures of his Austrian passport , his United States uniform, and the flag that he made while in Manila.  It was incredible to hear his stories.  Beginning with his birth, Rosenblum took the class through his struggles during his younger years living in Vienna, Austria.  As a person of Jewish heritage, his entire family was forced to hide when Hilter’s army took control.  He loved school, but because of the war and his background, he did not have the chance to begin his higher education.  Once the United States began issuing affidavits, Rosenblum entered the country in 1939 and became a tailor after his father.  After being drafted for World War II, Rosenblum’s trade came in handy.  He was assigned to a regiment of craftsmen who went to the areas of fighting and helped mend soldiers’ uniforms, shoes, eyeglasses, etc.  This is definitely one aspect of the war that is not addressed often in regular classroom discussions, but was brought to life because of Rosenblum’s discussion.

Throughout his explanation of the events, Rosenblum included specific details and quotes from his time in battle.  One quote that really resonated with the class was when Rosenblum’s captain told his men right before they were about to storm the beaches of France on D-Day that “two things could happen: You could be wounded and you would be sent to the hospital and then home and your war will be over or you will be killed and the war will also be over.  Think positive!”  This just brought what Rosenblum lived through into reality.  He even discussed rations eaten during the war and the girls that he met in France.  His experiences were one of a kind and it was amazing to hear them first hand.

One of the most shocking events that Rosenblum spoke about was his encounter with freed prisoners from a concentration camp.  He recounted that it was a Sunday afternoon in Belgium and he saw people that were skin and bones speaking German, his native tongue.  After questioning them, he learned that they were freed prisoners from a nearby concentration camp.  He told the class that a few of the men from his troop put together a small amount of peanut butter, powdered eggs, and bread to give them, for which they were extremely thankful.  The images of concentration camps are horrifying enough, never mind seeing these people in real life.  It was brave of him to even speak about it with the class.  Professor Ziomek was riveted with his detailed presentation saying, “Mr. Rosenblum's talk was a rare opportunity for students to hear the perspective of a World War II veteran. More and more World War II veterans are passing away and soon there will be a time when no one will be able to talk with a World War II veteran. From hearing about what the rations for soldiers consisted of - salami and cigarettes- to describing his feelings seeing survivors of the concentration camps, and about segregation in the army- these are the details that only living witnesses to history can tell. His life story is not just about fighting for his country, but also a remarkable story of survival.”

After the war was over, Rosenblum returned home in 1946.  From this point on, he began a regular, fulfilling life.  He spoke about his wife, who he was married to for 66 years before her passing four months ago.  After personally speaking with him, Rosenblum said that “it is better to have loved and lost.”  Just the way he spoke about his wife showed his faithfulness and admiration for her.  He portrayed her in such a pure and loving light.

Mr. Rosenblum went on to become a small business owner as a tailor, making and repairing many pieces of clothing for people in Garden City and West Hempstead, where he still resides today.  In 1990, Mr. Rosenblum began taking classes at Adelphi to not only quench his thirst for knowledge, but to finally get the degree that was denied to him countless years before.  He graduated with his honorary degree and still continues to take classes to this day.  He refers to students as the future generation and has extreme respect for all of the younger people taking college classes today.

Even after all of the hardship that Rosenblum has faced and has witnessed throughout his life, he is still an extremely optimistic person.  He took the time to educate the class about his philosophy of life, which is “the joy of living is the joy of giving.”  Living this out daily, Rosenblum volunteers at a homeless shelter and is always seeking to do good deeds in his community.  He is always looking toward the future, not dwelling in the past.  Through his presentation, it was evident that Rosenblum appreciated everything in his life as it had an impact on the man he is now.  The events that he lived through and the trials that he dealt with have helped him view his own life in different ways.  As he stated, “I didn’t want to be the smartest, or richest, I wanted to be a somebody.”  Well, to his community and to everyone that has heard about his experiences, Mr. Edmund Rosenblum is definitely a somebody.  He has not only shown all of us a new and valuable side of history, but also exhibits how to share history with others.  That same history has even impacted himself in more ways than one.  Mr. Rosenblum is someone to live up to and is the epitome of selfless optimism.  It was a complete honor to have him speak in Professor Ziomek’s Asia Pacific War class and hopefully he will visit many other’ classes in the future.