Columbia Spectator Arts & Entertainment

Senior profile: Galen Boone, BC

Charlotte Murtishaw — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 EST

This story is one of a series of profiles of 2012 graduates. See all senior profiles for this year here.

Four years ago, Galen Boone completed exactly one college application.

“I only applied to Barnard early admission,” she said, “and I’d never seen the school. I think it was perfect because for me, I really needed to see a community of women doing well. Being surrounded by strong, beautiful, intelligent people helped me break out of my shell.”

An anthropology major and art history minor, Boone’s experiences at Barnard have powerfully shaped her—she even spent last summer in New Mexico excavating a hippie commune with Columbia professor Severin Fowles.

As a sophomore, Boone assumed the typically non-controversial mantel of Postcrypt manager, helping the long-running campus coffeehouse along in its operations. However, early in 2010 an anonymous Bwog comment accused the venue of selling alcohol to minors, provoking University interest in the organization.

“They investigated and it turns out we were just drinking beer and listening to folk music and behaving well,” Boone said.

The venue was continuing a 45-year-long tradition of selling beer, and paid two University alcohol proctors to ensure its legality. However, the administration still pressured the organization, attempting to mandate an additional security guard in the premises, which has a capacity of 30 people.

“There was no way in hell we would be able to pay the 10 grand a year to support the security guard,” Boone said. Instead, the organization fought back, gaining the support of students and the Office of Student Action and Engagement. “I was a pitbull for Postcrypt.”

Though the financial aspect of the conflict threatened the very existence of Postcrypt, Boone and the Postcrypt board eventually won out, preserving the tradition of folk music in the basement of St. Paul’s—albeit with a few changes, such as a dry environment.

“Unfortunately Postcrypt is not the same music venue it was when I came to this school,” she said. “It’s kind of a different vibe, but I think it can be more valuable to the school as this venue bringing amazing folk music to the Upper West Side. It’s still got a long life ahead of it.”

Defining as the conflict was in Postcrypt’s history, it also presented Boone with her own period of growth.

“Working with Sev Fowles in New Mexico, and trying to lead [Postcrypt]—I assumed command when I was a sophomore, and I nearly shit myself. I was so terrified,” Boone said. “But I learned. If I didn’t have those two experiences, I’d be in a very different place. And less fearless. Or more fearful, I think would be a better way to put it.”

Following graduation, Boone plans to spend the summer in the same hippie commune she helped excavate, and is hoping to land an internship with the Museum of Natural History. But that doesn’t mean she isn’t open to other ideas.

“What I want to do in the short term is make furniture out of animal bones,” she said. “That’s just kind of where I am right now.”

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Senior profile: Erica Weaver, CC

Lesley Thulin — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 EST

This story is one of a series of profiles of 2012 graduates. See all senior profiles for this year here.

Words, words, words are the matter for Erica Weaver of Virginia Beach, Va.. A self-described lover of dead languages, yoga, and travel, she will be graduating with a double major in English and Medieval Studies.

“I like to think that I have divided my time equally between creative and critical writing,” Weaver wrote in an email. “I am not sure if I can really separate creative and critical writing; for me, being a practicing poet has honed my critical thinking about poetry and poetics, just as my reading for English classes has improved my own poetry—but maybe that’s just what I tell myself.”

Weaver is the recipient of this year’s Arthur E. Ford Prize for Best Poetry by a Senior in the College and the John Vincent Hickey Prize for excellence in writing about poetry, and has served on the boards of student-run literary magazines the Columbia Review and Tablet.

Most of Weaver’s creative writing education has stemmed from weekly workshops in Writers House, combined with English seminars “on the great poets of the past.”

Although she was inclined to study English before entering Columbia, Weaver integrated her passion for Latin and Romance languages in her studies.

“In high school, I always thought I would major in English, but I must admit that I flirted briefly with comparative literature during my sophomore year at Columbia, since I wanted to combine my love of English with intensive study in Latin, German, and French,” she wrote.

But an introductory Old English course changed her mind, helping her realize “that it was possible to explore such influences without leaving the English department.”

“In Old English, I had found the perfect combination of Latin learning, German linguistics, and unfamiliar poetics, melded in such a way as to make the combination irresistible. When I was forced to choose between the mandatory Intro. Comp. Lit. seminar and a course on ‘Beowulf,’ my decision was clear, and it’s a good thing, too, since I wound up writing my senior thesis on the poem. Then, Medieval Studies was an obvious addition, since I had already fulfilled the requirements.”

In the spring of 2009 she co-founded Writers House, a special interest community based in Harmony Hall that hosts biannual dinners with notable authors including Mark Strand, Orhan Pamuk, and Paul Auster. Those receptions, she joked, were met with “varying degrees of success.” Weaver explained that they “may or may not have accidentally given Paul Auster food poisoning.”

But beyond the dinners, Weaver said that she was proud of the community that grew out of the suite in Harmony.

“I feel so lucky to have spent the last three years befriending and learning from some of Columbia’s best writers, and I will definitely miss this community, where it is perfectly acceptable to put on a pot of tea at any hour of the day and complaints about sestinas are universally understood,” she said.

After “a summer of reading, writing, and traveling,” Weaver will start a Ph.D. in English at Harvard University. With the hopes of becoming a professor, she plans to focus on Old English and Anglo-Latin poetry, poetics, and manuscript culture.

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Senior profile: Pat Blute, CC

Jade Bonacolta — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 EST

This story is one of a series of profiles of 2012 graduates. See all senior profiles for this year here.

Pat Blute is a name often associated with extravagant weather videos on Bwog or with “SPEARS: The Gospel According to Britney,” a rendition of the Bible story told through Britney Spears lyrics. But Blute is better known as the type of person whose energy charges an entire room the moment he enters.

Blute has been very involved in the entertainment scene at Columbia over the past four years, from acting out a cultish COÖP leader in the Varsity Show to producing a short film for the Columbia College Senior Fund. He has created over 30 videos for different departments at Columbia, including admissions, philosophy, anthropology, and a Class Day video for CC and the School of Engineering and Applied Science.

“I dodge around all different arenas of the creative world. I’m comfortable both on stage and behind the camera—I try not to pigeonhole myself and have tried out all different capacities to be the best at what I do,” Blute said.

Blute is graduating from Columbia College with a concentration in anthropology and sustainable development.

One of his greatest achievements has been “SPEARS.” While working on “SPEARS,” Blute said he had many “moments when you realize it’s a life-changing experience for everyone involved. So many people from different corners of campus came together for this show instead of staying in their isolated groups.”

In addition to his accomplishments on campus, Blute tried to gain experience outside the gates. “I’m a freelancer for National Geographic and have worked on the Travel Channel,” Blute said. He is currently working on a documentary of the Statue of Liberty for National Geographic. The graduate grew up in Cape Cod, Mass. Since coming to New York, Blute has traveled widely. At the end of May, Blute leaves for Bangkok, his next adventure. He recalls having been to Bangkok once before: “I went in a cage with a tiger ... and lived.” For the next two years, he will be giving tours to high school students as well as managing a photograph and video archive.

Blute has made much of an effort to create a sense of community at Columbia. “Everyone here can teach you something ... I wish everyone could stop for a second and realize how incredible their achievements already are. People have written musical scores, have been featured in the New York Times, but there’s still this feeling that they haven’t made it yet. It’s a competitive environment and people don’t take enough credit for everything they have contributed to this college.”

As Blute leaves Columbia to travel the East Asian coast, he is overwhelmed with memories. “There are so many emotions running, but I’m just so thankful to have had this experience. I would tell any incoming Columbia student to be prepared to have your mind blown about what a college experience could and would and should be.”

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Senior profile: Yin Yin Lu, CC

Stefan Countryman — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 EST

This story is one of a series of profiles of 2012 graduates. See all senior profiles for this year here.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines “lexicographer” as “a writer or compiler of a dictionary.” Yin Yin Lu, in her own act of lexicography, might expand the meaning to include amateurs, or logophiles, like herself. Though she hasn’t compiled her own dictionary (yet), she is the founder and convenor of the Lexicography Society.

Note that “Columbia” appears nowhere in the group’s title—it would be redundant, since the Lexicography Society is unique to Columbia. Lu first got the idea while working as editorial director at Cavalier Literary Couture, a publisher for emerging writers. It developed further during her year abroad at Oxford, where her tutor—the Potteresquely named Lynda Mugglestone—happened to be an expert in dictionaries.

“I actually went to visit the Oxford English Dictionary offices myself,” Lu said. She got in contact with high-ranking editors from the OED. “When I came back to Columbia, I had about, I think, 20 or 30 contacts who were faculty slash professionals in the field ... The first meeting was in November, and there were like 30 people there, which was pretty awesome, given that I didn’t think the dictionary society would attract even a small handful.”

Lu explained how her interest in lexicography developed. “It kind of happened by accident ... It’s ultimately because I love words. I’m a writer,” Lu said. “The point was the words. I think a good writer needs to be able to fully understand the meanings of words ... My definition of a true writer is someone for whom every single word counts.”

She is graduating from Columbia College with a major in English and comparative literature, and unsurprisingly, a concentration in linguistics.

Her work at the Lexicography Society, however, is being recognized nationwide–Michael Adams, president-elect of the Dictionary Society of North America, contacted her recently. “He emailed me to ask if I would organize and host their 2015 biennial conference.”

Lu’s college career hasn’t been confined to lexicography, though. Among other things, she was an associate editor for books at Spectator, and editor in chief at “Inside New York” for the 2011 issue.

As editor in chief, she took the guidebook in a novel direction. “I really wanted to highlight the ethnic neighborhoods of New York,” Lu said. “I wanted to highlight more outer borough venues, and that’s unlike any other New York City guidebook.”

She faced difficulties putting it together. “There were a lot of stories in which the managers didn’t speak a word of English, and if you can’t communicate with them, you can’t write the interview.” Nonetheless, she considers the 2011 issue the best to date.

Lu’s extensive accomplishments have kept her busy. “My schedule is basically booked,” she said. She’s looking forward to a change of pace in the coming weeks, when she moves to Astoria. She got to know it and other boroughs intimately during her time with “Inside New York.” Her hard work there is being rewarded, conveniently enough, with a perfect place to relax.

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Senior profile: John Goodwin, CC

Christin Zurbach — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 EST

This story is one of a series of profiles of 2012 graduates. See all senior profiles for this year here.

Although John Goodwin, Columbia College, does not plan to work on that other, famous part of Broadway after leaving Columbia, theater has been a defining force in his time as a student. He ended his Columbia theater career as a writer of the 118th Varsity Show. “It was like all four years of college built up to that one weekend.”

Goodwin grew up in Virginia, attending prestigious state-chartered magnet Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. “So, obviously, I chose to major in political science and film studies,” Goodwin said. While at Thomas Jefferson, Goodwin also wrote a one-act comedy, akin to an Oscar Wilde parody. Upon its success, he considered continuing writing.

Despite his high school experience, Goodwin first entered Columbia’s theater scene as an actor. That first fall of 2008, he acted in the student-written holiday musical “XMAS! 3” and also decided to audition for the spring’s 115th Varsity Show. His role as an ensemble cast member would play a huge role in Goodwin’s Columbia trajectory.

The next year, as a sophomore and a Contemporary Civilization student himself, he took a principal role as a young CC professor who holds his office hours at the bar 1020. In between the two, Goodwin wrote “XMAS! 4.” “I had so much fun writing ‘XMAS,’ I realized that writing, even more than acting, is my calling,” Goodwin said. This writing experience led to Goodwin’s self-admitted capstone experience as a writer for the 118th Varsity Show his senior year.

What makes the Varsity Show different from other campus productions is its Columbia-centric content, which personalized the writing experience for Goodwin. “There were several characters in the show that are caricatures of people I know or Jeff [Stern, CC ’12, V118 co-writer] knows,” Goodwin said. He cited writing this 118th Varsity Show as his most meaningful experience at Columbia. “Finally getting to say my piece about this school was the most rewarding and cathartic moment,” Goodwin said. It was also one of his last Columbia moments, since the show closed shortly before the end of the semester.

As for utilizing that political science degree, Goodwin has other plans. He is going to law school, in hopes of becoming a public interest lawyer and working for a district attorney or attorney general.

When asked what he will miss most about Columbia, Goodwin points to the people beneath the cynical facades of students “pretending to be cold New Yorkers.”

“I think there’s still a bit of heart in everyone here and it always comes out at the end.” he said.

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Senior profile: Anna Cooperberg, CC

Alison Herman — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 EST

This story is one of a series of profiles of 2012 graduates. See all senior profiles for this year here.

When Anna Cooperberg arrived on Columbia’s campus from Durham, N.C., she knew she wanted to get involved in the journalism community on campus. “I spent about half my youth trying every single individual sport from figure skating to gymnastics ... and the other half reading and writing,” Cooperberg said in an email. By the spring semester of her first year, Cooperberg was a member of the founding editorial board of Columbia’s undergraduate fashion magazine, Hoot.

Known around campus for its photo shoots and cover stories on alumni like author Melissa de la Cruz, Hoot began in spring 2009 as the editorial board of campus fashion organization CU Couture. Cooperberg, a comparative literature and society major, said she joined the group because of its unique combination of her passions.

“I became interested in CU Couture from a background in writing and journalism in high school and later, writing style articles for Spec, and I wanted to meet people with similar interests,” she said.

This year, Cooperberg succeeded Noel Duan, CC '13 and a Spectator opinion columnist, as editor in chief of Hoot. Cooperberg stresses the magazine’s role in building her skills as both a leader and a journalist. “Leading Hoot this past year has shown me the challenges of managing a large organization, but has ultimately proved to be one of my most valuable experiences during my time at Columbia,” Cooperberg said.

Cooperberg has also built experience in fashion writing off campus through internships at prestigious publications like ELLE and Vogue, and will be interning once again for Harper’s Bazaar this summer. Cooperberg describes her internship experience as “incredible,” noting that “even though fetching coffee may be part of the job, there’s no substitute for being in the workplace.” Interning also allowed Cooperberg to receive advice from industry professionals and observe different management styles across workplaces.

Outside of fashion, Cooperberg is also involved in circus arts, a talent she has been practicing for nearly a decade. Cooperberg specializes in contortion and also has experience with aerial fabric, and she praises circus arts for cultivating her work ethic. “Practicing an art takes discipline, and I find that this transfers to anything else I do,” she said.

After she finishes her internship at Harper’s Bazaar, Cooperberg will return to Columbia to begin her Master of Science in magazine journalism at the Journalism School. Cooperberg said her experience at Hoot has made her open to roles as both a writer and an editor in the field of fashion journalism.

Reflecting on her experiences at Columbia and Hoot, Cooperberg emphasized the influence of her peers.

“I’ve met amazing people in my four years here—all of my best friends, many of them from my freshman floor, are so talented and driven. It’s impossible to not be inspired to do better and be better because of them,” she said.

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2011-12 in Review: 118th Varsity Show takes on Columbia administration, keeps traditions alive

Lesley Thulin — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 EST

This article is part of a special issue looking back at the 2011-12 academic year. Read the rest of the issue here.

Touching on hot-button issues including Occupy Wall Street and the McKinsey report, the 118th incarnation of the Varsity Show expressed the anxieties that many Columbians have about the administration, with a heavy dose of humor.

This year’s Varsity Show portrayed the struggle of classics/philosophy major Phineas (Sean Walsh, CC ’14) to defend the Core Curriculum against the corporate reform efforts of the Center for Career Education Director Niamh (pronounced “Neeeeev”) O’Brien (Rebekah Lowin, CC ’14) and her lackey, Dean James Valentini (Gray Henry, CC ’14). O’Brien, in an effort to enhance post-graduation employment rates, institutes the “Corporate Core,” which inspires Phineas to form a protest coalition under the banner of Alma’s Army, with the help of fellow students Claire (Eleanor Bray, BC ’14) and Lexi (Jenny Singer, BC ’15).

Highlights from the show included the Bwog-riffing “That’s How I Troll,” “The One Percent,” and “Another Epic Day!” Lowin’s solo, “Poor Little Lass,” also stood out, showcasing the opera singer’s classically trained voice.

Lowin, who was in the Varsity Show last year, had not planned on auditioning for V118. But when she heard who was on the creative team, she didn’t need further convincing.

Co-written by John Goodwin, CC ’12, and Jeff Stern, CC ’12, the show featured an original score by Solomon Hoffman, CC ’14, and Tareq Abuissa, CC ’14, and choreography by Adrianna Aguilar, BC ’13. V118 was co-produced by Ben Harris, CC ’14, and Hillary Kritt, BC ’12, and featured a meticulous set executed by art director Stephen Davan, CC ’12.

“When I saw the Varsity Show for the first time, I realized how incredible the experience could be and how it could take a community that is sometimes very cynical and let them laugh at themselves,” Stern said. “For me, it was the best illustration of what the school excels at, which is taking incredibly driven, passionate people and giving them a forum to take their interests and run with them.”

Founded in 1894, the Varsity Show is the oldest performing arts group on campus and has become rooted in the Columbia community. “Roar, Lion, Roar” is even based on a Varsity Show tune.

Perhaps the best-known side of the Varsity Show to the average Columbia student is the sense of mystery before it premieres. The theme, like most other details surrounding the production, isn’t even unveiled until the opening night.

“We do that for the community, so that the audience gets a surprise performance basically—so you get into the room and you don’t know what you’re getting till you get the program. You see the title and as the show goes on, you’re just sort of surprised by what’s going to happen,” Kritt said. “For that reason, and also because the show is always changing. Like literally, we’ve cut numbers like two days ago so we don’t want to tell you guys something that’s not going to be real.”

The Varsity Show team builds its own sense of community by involving its alumni in the creative process. Before opening night, the cast participates in an hours-long ordeal called “Turkey Day.” The annual event assembles V-Show alumni together to review a raw cut of the show. After the performance, the alumni meet with the show’s producers to critique the show. It’s where plot twists and entire characters are debated and occasionally thrown out.

“This year in particular was very constructive,” Harris said. “We had 60 alumni come and we talked for four hours … It’s a really impressive showcase of the Varsity Show community and people come back—one of the people there did a Varsity Show in 1958.”

From Turkey Day onward, the cast is thrown into a whirlwind of practices, often working late into the night and spending hours exclusively with their cast mates.

“Not only is the creative team a second family, but the whole Varsity Show community is, just ’cause of how much time we spend together,” Harris said.

The team’s bonding starts with a pie to the face. The Varsity Show creative team goes to the actors’ dorms to throw pies in their faces to inform them that they made the cut, rather than making them go the conventional route of waiting by a door for a cast list posting.

V118 director and V116 actor Alex Hare, CC ’13, joked that “getting pied in the face is definitely not delicious,” as the creative team just fills the empty pie tins with whipped cream, but it’s still one of the most memorable moments for any cast member—and for many Columbia students, the result was a memorable Varsity Show.

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2011-12 in Review: School of Arts, undergrad filmmakers make impact at festivals

Stefan Countryman — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 EST

This article is part of a special issue looking back at the 2011-12 academic year. Read the rest of the issue here.

As the Tribeca Film Festival came to a quiet close downtown, Columbia students got the chance to showcase their work in festivals of their own. Talented undergraduates showed off their work through the annual Spring Film Festival hosted by Columbia University Film Productions, graduate students have been screening their films at the annual Columbia University Film Festival.

The Spring Film Festival, which took place this year on April 25, is a platform for Columbia filmmakers—CUFP members and nonmembers alike—to showcase their productions. It began as a student-run club focused only on producing festivals, but in 2009, it decided to expand its functions from simply exhibiting to producing films as well.

“CUFP exists to give students the opportunity to write films, to direct films, to produce, and showcase films,” said club president Nancy Monaco, BC ’12. To do this, the club supplies its members with film equipment and helps assemble casts and crews. Throughout their spring production season, members use these resources to create films and are then encouraged to submit to the festival.

CUFP accepts submissions from outside of the club as well. “We keep it pretty open to ... encourage people to start making films and to experiment with their artistic style,” said secretary Lia Tung, BC ’13.

This year, CUFP chose over a dozen short films ranging from one-to-15 minutes in length. “It’s really diverse,” said Monaco. “We take any kind of submission, whether it’s a narrative film, a documentary film, an artsy-experimental film, or a music video.”

At the end of the screenings, CUFP awarded prizes for the first time in festival history. “We didn’t want to make anyone hesitant about submitting and create this idea that it’s a big competition, but most people seem to agree with the idea that it would just be fun,” said Monaco. As Tung said, “We want to foster a sense of community among filmmakers but also just film lovers.”

On the graduate side, this year marks the 25th anniversary of the Columbia University Film Festival. CUFF has been shining the spotlight on young, up-and-coming graduate student filmmakers since its inception. On Friday, May 4, the festival opened at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, kicking off its weeklong celebration of student works and special events at theaters from Columbia’s campus to the west coast.

In 1987, the School of the Arts faculty selected a few short films for a one-night screening. Since then, its festival has grown into a showcase that presents over 40 films and a dozen screenplays by graduate MFA film students at major cinema hubs in New York and Los Angeles. Many films “go on to screen and win awards at all the major festivals worldwide, including Sundance, Cannes, New York Film Festival, and many others,” said Lydia Cavallo, who has served as festival director for 11 years.

As a primarily student-run event, the festival included people from behind the scenes of both the festival and the camera, such as Jed Cowley, a CUFF assistant director and writer and director of “Shale” and “Dear Dog, I Love You.”

“It creates an environment to learn how to promote yourself and your film. I have learned so much about the filmmaking process because of the requirements of CUFF,” Cowley said.
“All of my thesis years have been gearing up for and preparing these screenings, so it’s very helpful to have it be very professional, but still in the safety net of your school.”

Cavallo found it easy to pinpoint her favorite aspect of seeing it come together year after year. “Sitting in the audience at the Walter Reade Theater, sharing the moment with our filmmakers who are screening their films for the first time on the big screen for an audience of family and friends,” she said. “To me, that experience is the heart and soul of what this festival is all about.”
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2011-12 in Review: Dancers wow with technique, variety

Jade Bonacolta — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 EST

This article is part of a special issue looking back at the 2011-12 academic year. Read the rest of the issue here.

Columbia’s dance troupes saw jaw-dropping highlights and middling moments this year.

Orchesis is an entirely student-choreographed group that guarantees that every dancer who auditions will be cast. The troupe of nearly 170 dancers executed numerous genres of dance in its fall 2011 production, “metamORCHESIS,” on Nov. 18 and 20.

Its spring 2012 production, “All’s Fair in Love and wOrchesis,” was performed on March 29 and 31. While the least engaging pieces were predictable and yawn inducing, the best pieces included “This Woman’s Work,” in which the dancers swelled and ebbed in unison like a pair of lungs; Beyonce’s “Countdown,” with all of its overt sass; and a rendition of Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” that required precise movement as dancers hovered over the stage. Some winners, some losers, but such is the nature of war.

Orchesis also sponsored the “MaMa Project,” which allowed Marie Janicek, BC ’12, the opportunity to conceive a work with a small cast of dancers. Her piece, “Unearthed,” was presented on Feb. 23, 24, and 25. It explored animalistic origins and utilized the unique setup of the Lerner Black Box to its full effect.

The Columbia Ballet Collaborative is a highly selective ballet group choreographed by professionals in NYC who apply to direct the group for the semester. The dancers practice about four hours a week and both the New York Times and Dance Magazine have covered CBC in past years.

Its fall production took place on Nov. 18, 19, and 20 at the Manhattan Movement and Arts Center theater. The group’s performances featured a variety of ballet styles. Its spring performance showcased works created by Anne Milewski Cary, Richard Isaac, Emery LeCrone, Kimi Nikaidoh, and Avi Scher—all professionals in the dance industry who work with companies such as the American Ballet Theatre and the Tulsa Ballet.

The third dance troupe, Collaboration of the Ludicrous and Beautiful, also known as CoLab, is an eclectic Barnard dance group of 30 to 35 dancers who rehearse at least two hours a week. CoLab’s fall production took place the same weekend as the other two groups’, but CoLab tickets are always free. The pieces are choreographed by individual undergraduate students.

CoLab co-president Taryn McGovern, BC ’13, said, “Part of our group mission statement is focusing on the process. It tends to generate more experimental and abstract work.”

CoLab’s spring production featured a collection of eight works, synthesizing ballet, modern, aerial, swing, and hip hop. It experimented and reveled in its absurdities, producing a gratifying experience that was as much for the audience as it had been for the dancers.

Nicole Cerutti’s piece, “#[re]vision],” was a definitive highlight of the evening. It explored ideas of perception and recollection through videography and dance.

Jack Crawford, BC ’14, performed “Suite,” which was suspense in suspension. Defying gravity, Crawford’s aerial dance work was exquisite, vividly illustrating that feeling of ephemeral rush in slow, poetic beauty as she weaves herself and descends through air. This production took place on April 13, and allowed choreographers to fully realize their rich visions.

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2011-12 in Review: Bacchanal heads back to steps with rap, punk, electronic combo

Charlotte Murtishaw — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 EST

This article is part of a special issue looking back at the 2011-12 academic year. Read the rest of the issue here.

Though the 2011 Bacchanal was plagued with scheduling conflicts, which pushed the concert off the steps and into unexpected debt, the organization managed to rebound this year with Baccha90s.

After booking alternative hip-hop duo Das Racist and high-profile rapper Snoop Dogg last spring, Bacchanal was forced to reach deep into its pockets to accommodate unexpected costs caused by a scheduling conflict with Commencement setup and security concerns about the large crowd Snoop Dogg would draw.

To make up for the $18,000 shortfall, Bacchanal presented funding requests to the Columbia College and Engineering Student Councils and Barnard’s Student Government Association, asking that each council fund its proportional share. The councils pledged to support Bacchanal.

The fiscal matter did force the cancelation of Bacchanal’s fall concert, but the organization ultimately ended up with its full $100,000 budget for the spring semester.

“We appreciate everything that CCSC, the councils, and ultimately the administration did for us so we could get us back to our yearly capacity to allow us to put on a show this year,” Bacchanal president Dan Weinstein, CC ’12, said. “It was probably the biggest obstacle in the planning process over the last 10 years, and we’re glad that everything worked out.”

With the financial discussions out of the way, Bacchanal’s committee was able to commit to choosing the theme and the artist. In the end, the theme selection came down to winner “Baccha90s,” with the runner-up being “Bacch to the Future.” The team eventually decided against the latter because of possible copyright infringement issues.

To choose the artist, the planning committee surveyed students through a Bwog poll about what genre they would prefer, a change from when students were asked to email Bacchanal’s organizers with their ideas and opinions. These preferences were used as the first step in narrowing down a list of potential artists.

Though the committee stuck with the most popular genres, negative buzz initially surrounded the announcement of the acts, jazz-electronica duo Big Gigantic, California surf-punk trio Wavves, and New Orleans rapper Curren$y. Columbia student DJs Spicy Special were selected to open the show.

There was an outpouring of comments on Spectrum and Bwog, reflecting mixed opinions. Some applauded the audacious choice of lesser-known artists, while others said that they opted to attend other Ivy university concerts, such as the University of Pennsylvania’s Spring Fling, out of frustration with the selections. However, the most common complaint was the relatively low-profile status of the performers, whom many students said they simply had never heard of.

Despite all the angst, Baccha90s proved to be a relative success—though it would have been hard for it to disappoint, given the already-low expectations expressed by the student body. Instead, aided by the warm, sunny weather, the acts drew a large crowd that jammed along contentedly to the tunes produced by the formerly disparaged bands (not to mention those emanating from the Red Bull truck parked on College Walk). In the end, despite financial woes and student doubts, all turned out sunny-side up, with a full budget and satisfied crowd.

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