Category: Lifestyles

‘Dance in Concert’ dances through the ages with alumni, student choreographed pieces

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Choreography and alumni hold the spotlight of Dunham Hall Theater as the Department of Theater and Dance presents the 45th anniversary of “Dance in Concert.”

Director Kristin Best-Kinscherff said “Dance in Concert” includes a variety of distinctive pieces, all personalized by the choreographers. They are using six alumni choreographers. She chose choreographers near Edwardsville, such as distinguished alumni and co-workers.

“If they were in the area, I knew they would be able to work with the students on a regular basis,” Best-Kinscherff said. “If we brought in choreographers from L.A. or somewhere further away, they would only get to work with the students for a shorter amount of time. We wanted people that were able to come in on a weekly or biweekly basis so the students were able to learn the most from them.”

Best-Kinscherff said as one of the choreographers herself, her work is titled, ‘I Spied Myself,’ a piece she choreographed in 2006 in graduate school.

“It’s a tango-based dance, with movement in the jazz genre,” Best-Kinscherff said. “It’s a very technical dance in terms of the foot work. It’s eight women and it has turned out to be a great challenge for them.”

Best-Kinscherff said restaging a piece is never an easy task; it can become somewhat of a struggle.

“A work is created on a certain group for their capabilities and for whatever the concert is,” Best-Kinscherff said. “Whenever you take that to a different group, they don’t necessarily have the same style or movement qualities. It’s not just teaching them a dance, its really teaching them how to do the movement. None of the girls in the piece had any experience with ballroom dancing and even though it’s not a ballroom dance, it has that tango flare to it; so teaching them to how to hold their hands and carry their body and the different stances has been a really great challenge for them.”

Best-Kinscherff said creating a piece and arranging choreography is a very creative process.

“It starts with a concept that can be based on the music, the movement or an idea that you had for a statement that you want to make,” Best-Kinscherff said. “All choreographers work differently. I particularly start with having some sort of statement — something that’s going on in my life or the world that inspires me to create something. Then I’ll start the movement and keep trying music until I find something that really fits with it. So then it’s working the music in with the movement and making everything fit together.”

Page design by Caitlin Grove/ Alestle

Page design by Caitlin Grove/ Alestle

There will be nine pieces in total, six choreographed by alumni, two by current faculty and one by a student dancer.

For alumna Lynn Bobzin, of Chicago, the rehearsal process was intense since she is in a different location from the dancers.

“We had a very short window of time where I could actually be present in the studio to create the work with the students; we had five rehearsals to create the piece,” Bobzin said. “You have to get a lot done in a short amount of time; what happens is you condense the creative process down to a millisecond of what the time it takes to craft a work would be. It’s high stress, but also very exhilarating.”

Bobzin said her piece is titled “corps. pouvoir. mechanisme,” which translates to “body. power. mechanism.”

“What we were examining was this idea of being invaded or invading; this broke down to issues of power mechanics and dynamics,” Bobzin said. “The whole piece has a mechanical, militant feel to the movement and the music. Things are very sharp; it’s very physically driving. It’s got a steampunk design costume-wise; it had this dark feeling to it, kind of grungy and industrial.”

Bobzin said now teaching choreography professionally, she considers it a privilege to be asked to come back and choreograph for this concert.

“It’s an honor to be now viewed as a professional in this field,” Bobzin said. “That’s sort of eye-opening for me because I feel honored to be thought of in that regard, that the caliber of my work is something they want to exhibit and share with the community.”

Best-Kinscherff said the idea for an alumni-centered theme came from a presentation she saw in the spring. The presentation gave her the idea to contact Alcine Wiltz, the founder of the dance program at SIUE. Once she contacted him, he mentioned the idea of getting in touch with alumni.

Best-Kinscherff said the dance department is comprised of many young dancers, with few upperclassmen.

“It’s been really beneficial from them to learn from the alumni,” Best-Kinscherff said. “Even [to learn] what goes into making a dance piece, as opposed to a dance recital or three minute short works. These are much longer, at least 12 minutes long.”

One of these upperclassmen, however, is student choreographer Sterling Allen. Allen, a junior dance major from Peoria, said while enrolled in a composition class, she had to choreograph a full piece, five minutes or longer. Her piece, titled “Loosely Connected,” was chosen to be featured in this year’s “Dance in Concert.”

“My piece is centered around mental disorders; my dancers are portraying they are in a mental institute,” Allen said. “Everyone has different traits and characteristics that display these disorders. Charles Manson is a big role in my piece; I took a lot of quotes from his interviews when he was talking about how people who live in these jail cells and mental institutes are very loosely connected to the world. It’s really interesting; they really get into the characters and I’m excited to see it on the main stage.”

Allen said it means a great deal to her to be chosen for the role of student choreographer.

“Once I leave college, I would love to persue a career as a professional dancer, but I would also love to expand my work as a choreographer and continue to set pieces,” Allen said.  “All of the staff and faculty have really helped me a lot. I’m excited to continue to grow as a choreographer, to premiere this work on the main stage and continue to grow from this experience.”

This is the third year Best-Kinscherff has been director of this concert, something that comes with her title as head of the dance department. Best-Kinscherff said being not only director, but a choreographer as well has been a challenging role.

“I’m not only looking at the show as a whole, but I also become selfishly involved with my own piece,” Best-Kinscherff said. “It can be a challenge to step back from all of it and look objectively.”

Best-Kinscherff said a reception will be held after Saturday night’s performance to further honor the alumni.

“The whole “Dance in Concert” celebrates the anniversary,” Best-Kinscherff said. “In relation to that, we are having the reception for alumni. Alcine will also be there, in hopes of reconnecting with some of his former students.”

Article/ Layout design by Caitlin Grove

Via alestlelive.com

‘Ain’t I a woman?’ Laverne Cox shares journey, rise to fame

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From appearing on the cover of TIME magazine, to becoming the first African-American transgender woman to have a lead role in a mainstream, scripted television series, Laverne Cox has used her fame to bring awareness to this community and make a difference in the lives of others by speaking at conventions and universities, such as Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, in order to spread her message.

Cox said it is important to her to share her journey with others because people’s strengths lie in their stories.

“I like to allude to Brene Brown’s work,” Cox said. “She said, ‘We either live in the truth of our stories or we stand outside our stories and hustle for worthiness.’ The piece of owning my story is really about self-empowerment; I think that’s how we can connect with other people and how we can feel we are not alone.”

Born Roderick Laverne Cox, she grew up in a household with her single mother and twin brother in Mobile, Ala. Her mother, being a schoolteacher, placed a high level of importance on education.

Cox began her education and journey into the transgender community years later in New York City, when she met Tina Sparkles. Cox met Sparkles at a nightclub called Webster Hall at their weekly Friday night party titled “The Make-up Room.” Sparkles asked to borrow her powder and the two became instant friends.

Cox said if it were not for the women she met at these clubs, including Sparkles, she would not have begun her 16-year medical transition.

“I watched her transform from a statuesque queen into a woman with flawless skin and thought, ‘If Tina can do this, what can I do?’” Cox said.

Cox said she had imagined her transition would go something like Sparkles’ did; within three years she would be able to live a full life as a female. However, more than eight years into her journey, Cox discovered this wasn’t the case.

“It made me feel like a failure, like people weren’t seeing me for the woman that I was,” Cox said. “It took years to realize if people could look at me and tell I was [transgender], that’s a beautiful thing. Being [transgender] is beautiful, something to be celebrated and not ashamed of.”

Cox said many people would confront her, and other transgender women, and instigate fights, pointing out loudly that they are men. Cox said it can become very dangerous and often unsafe for transgender women to leave their homes.

“Calling a transgender woman a man is an act of violence,” Cox said. “This is why I feel that transgenders are some of most courageous people in the world.”

Cox said her mother and brother support her wholeheartedly and that this is a journey that cannot be taken alone; it’s important to have support.

“Finding someone who loves and supports us as our authentic selves is key,” Cox said. “It’s been really painful for me to live my life when I wasn’t being fully true to myself; it’s not worth it to live a lie. Living authentically is the best way to be happy.”

Cox began expression of her desired gender from a young age. By the time she reached third grade, Cox had already experienced a multitude of bullying and harassment due to her gender expression.

Third grade was also the year Cox was placed into therapy to “fix” these gender expression problems. Cox said at one point, the therapist asked what the difference was between girls and boys, and Cox responded by stating there isn’t one.

“Everyone was telling me I was a boy, but I knew I was a girl, so I thought there must not be any difference,” Cox said.

After years of begging, Cox finally convinced her mother to enroll her in dance classes — a hobby that had quickly become a passion. She could watch choreography on television and mimic it perfectly; it was her dream to become a professional dancer. Cox would create characters in her head and bring them to life through dance.

Cox said getting the opportunity to study something she loved was, in a way, a saving grace.

“I believe if we can find something in this world we are passionate about, it can be truly lifesaving,” Cox said.

For college, Cox enrolled at Indiana University Bloomington as a dance major with an academic scholarship. However, soon thereafter, she transferred to Marymount Manhattan College and was finally in New York City.

Cox said, to her, New York City was a place of possibility and self-discovery, with much of her education happening in the nightclub scene. She was surprised to see how her gender expression was celebrated and she could feel fabulous — like a celebrity.

Since making her journey, Cox has collected many awards and impacted many lives with her work. She became the first transgender African-American woman to produce and star in her own television show, VH1’s “TRANSForm Me.” She also stars in the Netflix original series “Orange is the New Black.”

“If it weren’t for the success of this show, I wouldn’t be here at this school. I wouldn’t be doing this tour and I wouldn’t have been on the cover of TIME magazine,” Cox said. “The show has changed my life for the better and exposed me to an audience who wouldn’t know me otherwise. It’s pretty awesome; I’m really grateful for the show, the writers, all my directors and the public who has taken so wonderfully to it.”

Cox said being on the cover of TIME was an amazing opportunity and experience.

“I don’t know if I’ve fully processed it because it is a big deal,” Cox said. “Although it’s a personal milestone for me, I think it’s important to remember that [transgender] folks have not overcome [everything]; there are still struggles that [transgender] folks have in this country and me being on the cover of TIME magazine doesn’t erase that.”

Freshman nursing major Jennifer Kohl, of Algonquin, had seen Cox in a documentary regarding transgenders and was inspired by Cox to become a part of the movement to support transgenders.

“I thought it was strange at first how she kept saying, ‘Ain’t I a woman,’” Kohl said. “But then I realized she’s making a statement saying it in a sexy way. She is a woman and she wants to be known as that; that was a really great opening in my mind.”

Campus Activities Board graduate student James McLendon, of Springfield, said CAB wants to support students and provide open and safe areas to do so.

“It’s an effort to make sure we are covering all cultural groups,” McLendon said. “We want to make sure that on our end, as CAB, we are providing all kinds of opportunities for students to be comfortable enough to come out, enjoy something and have someone they might look up to be able to tell their story.”

Cox ended her talk by challenging students to take risks, be vulnerable and have difficult conversations with the ones they love. Cox said she hopes students are able to take a large deal away from her talks and translate it into their everyday lives.

“I like to get people thinking about their own lives existing in multiple spaces of identity,” Cox said. “I hope it encourages them to get to know people who are different from them and to create a safe space to have conversations and be inspired to accept themselves more.”

Caitlin Grove

Via alestlelive.com

St. Vincent leaves audiences less than blessed

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Bill Murray’s newest film, “St. Vincent,” sets the tone of the film with its first scene featuring a pregnant prostitute, and it didn’t get much better from there.

This movie is about a newly divorced mother Maggie (Melissa McCarthy) and her young son Oliver (Jaeden Lieberher), who become neighbors with the grumpy, disgruntled Vincent (Murray). Vincent then finds himself short on cash and makes a deal with Oliver’s mom that he will babysit her son for money in return. What follows with these two are fighting lessons, gambling, bar-hopping and gallivanting with a lady of the night.

This movie was advertised as a comedy, and while there were funny moments, that is all they were — moments. Instead of being a comical movie with touches of sadness here and there, it was more along the lines of a depressing movie with comedic touches sprinkled in. Just when you begin to think the movie was picking up and getting to the hilariously promised parts, something sad would happen and you would be left wondering why.

I spent the entirety of the movie waiting for it to take off and be full of raunchy, comedic gold; however, it never quite got there. The ending was touching, but that was the only notably worthy moment of the movie. Overall, it left much to be desired.

Minus the disappointing plot, the casting was what made this movie worth it. Murray is always entertaining when it comes to his roles and this one was no different. He did a perfect job of embodying the essence of the rude, yet secretly caring, old man. During those few funny moments, Murray was on point and did not fail to bring his A-game. I was very happy to find that even though the movie wasn’t the best, Murray was still his typically hilarious self.

Lieberher, who plays the young boy, was phenomenal as well. He kept up with Murray’s attitude and humor like it was second nature. Seeing him interact so well with such a brilliant actor was an enjoyable sight to see.

McCarthy was also superb, despite not being her usual spotlight-stealing funny lady. Her character in this movie is similar to her role in the show ‘Gilmore Girls,’ so fans of the show will be thrilled to see McCarthy portraying the role of the calm, caring friend.

With a talented cast mixed with a second-rate plot, this movie will leave you with mixed emotions — frustrated it didn’t live up to expectations. Assuming you don’t set your expectations too high, you may have a chance of enjoying this movie.

Caitlin Grove

Via alestlelive.com

‘’The Servant of Two Masters’ expects to bring laughs, excitement to Dunham Hall Theater

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A twist on a classic Italian comedy will storm the stage of Dunham Hall Theater as the Theater and Dance Department opens its 2014-2015 season with a production of one of the earliest scripted comedies, “The Servant of Two Masters.”

Director Chuck Harper said this play comes from a style of performances called comedia — a style which he has a great deal of experience working with.

“It’s based on broad, stock characters and improvised scenarios,” Harper said. “It’s a big goofy comedy that was meant to be performed outside on traveling stages; it’s silly theater for silly people. We are always looking out for our departmental majors; we want to do a wide variety of performances so part of their education is doing different styles and this is one we hadn’t done for awhile.”

Harper said this famous comedy is most known for the table scene.

“‘The Servant of Two Masters’ is about this goofy servant who decided he can make more money and get more food if he becomes a servant to two different people. But he can’t let the other two know about each other, or he’ll wind up getting fired,” Harper said. “The big scheme of this play is when they both end up at the same inn ordering dinner at the same time. It’s a very famous scene. It’s a lot of fun [and] it’s a lot of choreography.”

Senior theater performance major Josh Funneman, of Teutopolis, is playing the role of the servant and describes it as his dream role.

“There is a line in the show that says, ‘He’s either incredibly stupid or really, really smart’ and that best describes my character,” Funneman said. “The entire action of the play is driven because he’s hungry, and he’s trying to get food, and this leads to a whole lot of nonsense.  This has been my dream; I’ve been performing in plays at SIUE since I was a freshman and this is the most ‘Josh Funneman’ role that has ever existed.”

Harper said the play runs 2 hours and 15 minutes, which is long for a comedy. However, it is a fast-paced production.

“If it slows down at all, the audience gets ahead of it and it’s not as funny,” Harper said. “For the actors, they have had to get the lines to the point where they can do them fast. That’s been a real challenge; getting to the point where they feel comfortable enough with their lines so they can improvise, play and feel free to go a little bit crazy.”

Harper said the casting process for this play was easy compared to previous productions.

“A lot of times when you cast a play, you need people who are age appropriate, or certain physical types. With this one, I didn’t care what anybody looked like, I just wanted to know who was the funniest,” Harper said. “I think it’s a good opportunity for students to play certain types of characters they wouldn’t normally get to play. In this one, we’ll just put on a goofy costume and give you some makeup and a wig and you can play anybody — as long as you’re funny.”

Page Design by Caitlin Grove/Alestle

Page Design by Caitlin Grove/Alestle

Head of design and technical theater Laura Hanson said the costuming team is building the costumes from scratch for this contemporary take on a historical play.

“I looked at 18th century fashion as part of my research. I also looked at more contemporary clothes that use 18th century detail. I let my imagination run wild,” Hanson said. “It’s interesting to me as the designer that I could really put some of myself and my imagination into it; mix contemporary fabrics and shoes with a little tweak here and there that are 18th century.”

Hanson said when she thinks of the comedia style of productions, the overriding image that came to mind was a diamond pattern.

“That will be my unifying feature here; we want it to be bright and bold,” Hanson said. “Everyone is going to have diamond patterns in their costume; they will be different sizes and colors, but that is the unifying feature for the design. It was really fun to shop for because it was like, ‘Where can I find all of these bright diamond patterned fabrics?’”

Hanson said productions are not all fun and games. There is a lot of work that goes into it as well.

“In addition to doing the research and buying the fabrics, a costumer is also responsible for every pair of shoes, socks, wig and makeup design; that’s all part of the overall look of the character,” Hanson said.

Harper said the set for this play is not huge, as the production was originally written with no set.

“The set can be as big or small as you want,” Harper said. “It’s written into the script that the characters tell where they are; they will say something like, ‘Well here we are at the inn.’ We’ve created a set; it’s not a huge one but hopefully it’s created in the same spirit as the costumes. We made it as an Italian street scene that has this updated feel to it.”

Hanson said the production team wanted everyone involved in the production, including the audience, to enjoy themselves.

“The way we are presenting it is to have fun,” Hanson said. “We aren’t trying to get across any serious message here, it’s pure entertainment. It’s fun, it’s silly and it’s a laugh a minute.”

Funneman said everything about this production gives audiences a reason to enjoy it.

“Do people still like laughing? Because if people still like laughing at stupid humor, there is something in this show for everyone,” Funneman said. “People are going to walk out with a big smile. This is the show, they need to see it and they will be very disappointed if they don’t. And bring your sunglasses;­ the costumes are outrageous and bright.”

Harper said there is only one reason to see this play — to have a good laugh.

“I do all kinds of plays,” Harper said. “Sometimes they are deep and philosophical and ask really big questions. In this play there is no deeper message or call to action, you don’t have to think about anything at all. It exists for one reason only, and that is to make people laugh.”

Article/ Layout design by Caitlin Grove

Via alestlelive.com

‘A picture is worth a thousand words.’ SIUE Student brings his world of photography to campus

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From the time Keenan Adams was 7, he had already developed a passion for photography. Even at this young age, he loved capturing moments in people’s lives.

Adams, a Southern Illinois University Edwardsville senior political science major of Decatur, has been a professional photographer for five years, but has been interested in the art form since childhood.

“When I was that age, I had a little digital camera that could only hold 25 photos; I would always have that around. I would take it to school and would take pictures at lunchtime,” Adams said. “If it was a nice day, I would go to the park and just shoot. As I got older, I always had a digital camera. I’ve always been interested in just capturing photos.”

Adams has developed many projects during his time as a photographer. Recently, he has begun a project titled “Humans of SIUE,” inspired by the award-winning photoblog “Humans of New York.”

Adams said the man who photographs and curates “Humans of New York” goes around New York City photographing and interviewing people who stand out to him. While Adams’ project is similar, there are a few distinctions between the two.

“I’m intercepting people on their way to class; they don’t have three to five minutes to talk to me, so I just get their name, where they’re from and their major,” Adams said. “I wanted to show the diversity and culture of the campus; the different styles. I’ve had maybe 130 interactions up to today and only two people have rejected, and it was because they didn’t feel presentable that day. I didn’t expect it to turn into what it is now; I was going to get 15 or 20 people, but then I became more comfortable with people and I just kept shooting.”

Adams said “Humans of SIUE” illustrates not to judge a book by its cover. He captures not only students, but also professors and anyone else on campus.

“Not only are you showing a general representation of the school, but also what people from different majors look like,” Adams said. “For instance, if you hear physics major, you’re going to think nerdy; but, I have shot a couple of girls who were physics majors, and you would have never known. I’ve shot a guy who was covered in tattoos, and you would think art [major] or something like that, but he was a nursing major.”

Page Design by Caitlin Grove/Alestle

Page Design by Caitlin Grove/Alestle

English graduate student Ahlam Jaber, of Granite City, said she was standing outside of Peck Hall when Adams approached her, told her he liked her outfit and asked her to be a part of his “Humans of SIUE” project.

“I’m a pretty social human being, so these types of encounters don’t throw me off whatsoever; it was flattering,” Jaber said. “I think it’s a fantastic idea; people shouldn’t be as apprehensive when people approach them. I was thinking as I was walking away, ‘Why would I refuse this?’ We have this strange thing in our society where we want to be limited, shut off and alone to a certain degree. I like that he’s willing to break those boundaries.”

Adams has many projects outside of SIUE as well. In fact, Adams said “Humans of SIUE” is his only project focused within the campus.

Adams said one of his favorite projects is titled “Chicago Street Photography.” Adams said he would travel to Chicago and spend hours doing nothing but walking through the streets taking photographs.

“Sometimes I’d take a same-day round trip, so I would arrive at [Chicago] Union Station at 10 a.m. and get the last train leaving Chicago at 7 p.m. I would just spend that whole time walking through the streets and shooting,” Adams said.  “Sometimes I would spend a few days and stay in a hostel downtown so I could really zone in and focus, not rush.”

Adams said when he’s on the streets of Chicago, he focuses on people who stand out to him.

“I look for someone with an interesting hat, or item of clothing or accessory; just someone who looks like someone you would want to talk to, and I take their photo,” Adams said. “I’ll have certain focus days; I’ll focus on people with glasses, hats, curly hair, people who are really tall or short. That way your mind weeds out the chaos of the streets of Chicago. The reason I shoot in Chicago is it’s really busy, really diverse. I can blend in and look like a tourist; I’m comfortable.”

Adams said most of his photos for this project are candid, however sometimes he will find one person who stands out enough for a posed photo.

“Most people are flattered and I don’t get rejected that much,” Adams said. “Especially when you explain what attracted you to that person, even on campus. I don’t just shoot random people, there’s always something that stands out; maybe their smile, their hair or they way they are dressed.”

While Adams loves finding photography subjects on the busy streets of Chicago, there is another project titled “Project Glasses” that Adams said is his favorite.

“I’ve never worn glasses, so maybe that’s why I’m attracted to them,” Adams said. “I like how glasses now aren’t shameful to wear. I know back in the late ’90s all you saw on TV were commercials for contacts. But now, glasses have evolved into a style and it’s not the standard one style. I’m really attracted to glasses that are really big, non-traditional glasses. A few shots that I’ve got are the ‘Harry Potter’ circular glasses; I love those.”

Adams said his project “Friends and Strangers” aims to show the essence of life and gives him the opportunity to remember some of the people he has met.

“If we have an event that we all go to, I’ll bring my camera,” Adams said. “If we’re just hanging out at a bar, I love just capturing the happiness and the time we are having because it’s nice to have that to look back at and say, ‘Man, that was a good night.’”

Adams said for the future, his plans do not include photography, but he will always have it in his back pocket.

“Currently, I do shoot professionally, meaning that I do get paid part time; mostly just engagement photos, senior photos or family photos,” Adams said.  “I don’t plan on doing photography full time because it’s kind of a gamble—you never know when the economy is going to tank, and people won’t pay $300 for senior photos. And there could be a time where I’m just not getting work.”

Adams said one of the main reasons he has these unpaid photography projects is so he can keep his mind and photography skills sharp.

“The more you shoot, the better you get at it,” Adams said. “If I only shot whenever I got paid, I wouldn’t do it as much and I wouldn’t be learning and improving my skill. I like to shoot a lot so that I make mistakes; so I don’t make those same mistakes when I’m on a paid session. That motivates me to do a lot of self-projects.”

Adams said one of his favorite things is to see how others react to his photographs and how it impacts them.

“One guy said he got a feeling of happiness just from seeing the expressions of all the people in the photos,” Adams said. “I never say smile because when I say smile, you’re giving a forced smile. I’m normally good at opening people up; if I talk to you for a minute, it only takes another minute for me to make you laugh. That’s why you see a little giggle in all the photos. I would consider myself a good sense of humor; that makes me more comfortable getting people to open up and show their personality.”

Junior psychology major Kyle Shive, of Holiday Shores, said he was out in the Stratton Quadrangle chalking for Psychology Club when Adams approached him for “Humans of SIUE”.

“I really enjoyed it; it’s a great idea to hear from all walks of life around the campus. I like that he’s giving people the opportunity to stick out,” Shive said. “This is the Midwest, and I think there’s a tendency to fall into the bracket of thinking there isn’t a lot of culture or variation of ideas around here. It’s cool for him to be walking around and actually finding these people. The way he approached me felt very professional and artistic.”

Adams said when it comes to his photography, having memories to look back on is important to him.

“I notice a lot of things, just from my artistic point of view, and I like to show other people those kinds of things,” Adams said. “You’ve heard the saying, ‘A picture is worth a thousand words;’ I can explain something to you, but you actually seeing what I saw instead of me just telling you why I thought it was interesting—it kind of puts you in my shoes.”

Article/ Layout design by Caitlin Grove

Via alestlelive.com

eSports Association at SIUE pwnz societal stigma of gaming

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Gaming has developed many stereotypes throughout recent years, most of which shed a negative light. However, the eSports Association of SIUE is working to change this image.

The eSports Association of SIUE President Ben Henley said he enjoys being a part of this association because it helps to give gaming a better public face.

“[Gaming] has a lot of negative aspects attached to it,” Henley said. “I want to take that and say, ‘This is something everyone can do and can be used as a force for good, a force for change.’ A lot of the people in the club may not find their outlet in other places, so it becomes a great thing.”

Originally founded in April 2013 as the League of Legends Club of SIUE, the organization began with fewer than 10 people interested. Now, a year and a half later, it has gone to over 230 members on their Facebook page.

The name change came along when the national organization, the eSports Association, contacted the members and suggested it become a chapter of their organization.

Henley said the group had always considered incorporating other games besides “League of Legends,” and when the national organization suggested the organization consider that very thing, it was excited to jump on board.

“We all liked a bunch of different games; [League of Legends] just happened to be what we were into at the time,” Henley said. “After a while we thought, ‘Why don’t we branch out so we can include other things as well?’ That way we can reach an even bigger audience while still maintaining what we’re all about.”

Vice President Tyler Agnew said this organization has become important to him because he enjoys being involved in something that is making a difference.

“Being a part of this is a good way to not only bring people together, but to give people a good place to hang out, no matter what their background is,” Agnew said. “Since video games are for everyone, we are really devoted to having a diverse range of students.”

Henley said in order to get members, the organization originally took to student organization fairs. However, it never saw much success.

“We generally do bad in those because no one really comes up to us. We discovered it’s because people who would be interested tend to stay away and aren’t as socially oriented as other people,” Henley said. “So we have shifted; we’ve done word of mouth and social media and that seems to be what works [to get members]. We aren’t opposed to advertising, it just doesn’t work as well.”

Events Coordinator Jacob Baird said this organization helps bring people with a similar interest together, in a competitive manner.

“Playing friendly is fun, but when you add the competitive aspect, it adds a whole new level I enjoy,” Baird said. “We help people get competitive and better, not only at the games but at all other aspects of life. When you are on a team, you have to be able to take constructive criticism and learn how to work with a team—things that’ll help you all throughout life.”

Henley said the association is also dedicated to giving back to the community.

“Video games have a tendency to have the social idea that they are not very healthy, that you spend a lot of time in them and there’s no reward,” Henley said. “We try to make a reward at the end by participating in different charity events.”

The association partakes in various tournaments where proceeds go toward an array of charities. The association, in partner with Alpha Phi Omega, hosted a “Super Smash Bros.” tournament this past weekend in the Morris University Center to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. This event is the organization’s first full-fledged, tournament-oriented event. It also hosts stress relief events each semester to encourage students to play video games rather than get bogged down with studying.

Henley said because of the nature of its events, the organization wants to pull in both students and non-students. Therefore, it holds fundraisers and events similar to these in an effort to raise money. The organization also requires its members to pay $5 in dues, which along with contributing to this fund, provides members with a club T-shirt and access to special events.

The organization holds weekly meetings at 4 p.m. on Fridays in the Student Success Center. Henley said any business that needs attending to is taken care of at the beginning of meetings. Once this is out of the way, members are welcome to bring a TV and game system and stay as long as they want playing games.

“It’s a good way to bring community to an area where people don’t generally socialize,” Henley said. “People usually sit in their dorm room online, so now they can play in an environment where they are forced to interact with other people.”

To learn more about the eSports Association, stop by one of the organization’s meetings or visit its Facebook page at SIUe eSports.

Caitlin Grove

Via alestlelive.com

Organization unites area cyclists

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An SIUE student started a group called SIUE Cyclists through her Facebook page that has taken to the streets of Edwardsville and the Metro East area.

Senior English major Abbey Rideout, of Pittsburg, Pa., created a Facebook page in an effort to connect people with a similar interest in cycling.

“I made the page because my boyfriend at the time and I wanted other people to ride bikes with,” Rideout said. “It was really as simple as that; he and I were like, ‘We don’t know enough other people who want to ride recreationally, or want to ride fast paced and be a little more organized about it.’”

Rideout said this group is a resource for many cyclists in town.

“There are so many students who ride bikes for transportation or recreation, you have no way of getting in contact with someone else who does. That was our goal, to have a way for people to get in contact with other people who are riding,” Rideout said. “If you have a problem, you can ask people in the group instead of having to go to a bike shop.”

Group member Andrew Dolinky, of Edwardsville, said he has been riding bikes since he was a little kid and his roommate, who is friends with Rideout, encouraged him to join the group.

“I was involved in sports growing up, but unfortunately, being out of college and living the adult life, there’s not a ton of time to stay active,” Dolinky said. “Being able to get out on my bike at least once a week is a great way to release pent-up steam and stay as active as I can. It’s a great way to meet new people and go out, rather than staying on your couch and watching Netflix.”

Rideout said the page is also a good place to organize events in the area in a relaxed and informal manner.

“If there is a big cycling event going on in St. Louis, somebody will make a post about it and that sets up people knowing about the event and wanting to go,” Rideout said. “People will also post things like, ‘I’m going to go do a 20-mile ride today to this place’ and then other people who are interested can go.”

Rideout said she grew up in a cycling family and has a personal family history with the sport.

“My mom did the bike ride across Maryland while she was pregnant with me; my grandmother was buried in her jersey; it was a whole family thing,” Rideout said. “I have two bikes, one of them was my dad’s high school graduation present, which at the time he chose over a car. But I’m also a women’s study minor and Susan B. Anthony wrote essay after essay about how important bicycles are for female liberation, so I come at it from that angle, too.”

Rideout said college students get easily stressed out and cycling is an easy way to get physical activity and relieve that stress.

“I know it’s hard to get motivated; I know that it’s difficult and especially here in town,” Rideout said. “As nice as our trails are, they don’t always get you to the places you need to go and that requires sometimes riding on the roads, which is very scary if you don’t know how to do that. So I know why students see it as a need and not a want. But it would be nice to see a little bit more involvement and a little bit more relaxed attitude regarding cycling.”

Senior social work major Tracy Hutton, of Quincy, said his freshman year he received a hand-me-down bike from his cousin and his love for cycling grew from there.

“I think it’s a really great thing to promote cycling as a recreational hobby on campus,” Hutton said. “A lot of people bike to class, but to actually do it as a hobby is something you don’t see a lot of. It’s good for you; it’s healthy and it’s exercise. It’s also a lot of fun, if anyone gives it a chance and goes on rides with us they always have fun. Especially with all the trails available on campus and in town.”

Rideout said this group is a way for people to get in contact with other people who know things about cycling and are interested in bikes as well.

“One of the places we are really lacking in is mountain bike people,” Rideout said. “We have a lot of people who are joining who ride [mountain bikes] but I know nothing about it or where those trails are. I ride fixed gear and brakeless and I know a handful of people who do also, but that’s a whole other world from mountain biking. So in that department, if someone else were willing to join the group and be a resource for that, it would be a great help.”

Rideout said while the group is still very small, they are hoping to continue growing.

“I would like to, in the future, make this more of an area thing instead of precisely a student thing,” Rideout said. “We call it the SIUE cyclists group, more having to do with age group and the location and not necessarily students.”

SIUE Cyclers have a Sunday Fun-Day ride, meeting every Sunday at Sacred Grounds Cafe. For more information on the organization, visit its Facebook page at SIUE Cyclists.

Caitlin Grove

Via alestlelive.com

Wildey paints the town red; ‘Rogue Allure’ showcases best of Metro East fashion

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From jogging attire to a vintage wedding dress, audiences were far from disappointed at the Rogue Allure Fashion and Trunk Show at The Wildey Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 6.

The moment guests stepped through the doors at The Wildey, they were instantly immersed in the world of fashion. Mannequins with old-fashioned dresses lined the foyer and a red carpet-style backdrop allowed for a genuine fashion show experience.

Once through the lobby, guests were given the opportunity to venture to the third floor Chandelier Room for the trunk show portion of the night. Here, 14 shops and boutiques set up booths where people could shop their items and see all they have to offer. These shops included everything from White Birch, which offers interiors and home accent pieces, to Miss Mary’s Cupcakes.

One of the shops participating was CS Gems, a local online boutique that repurposes vintage jewelry and sells it at reasonable prices. Site owner Stacy Hayden said she was excited to take advantage of the opportunity to be a part of the trunk show.

“We have only been in business one year, and since we have no storefront, we want to get as much publicity as we can,” Hayden said. “The fashion aspect drew us to this particular event. It gives us a great chance to get in front of as many people as we can who would be interested in our product.”

Once guests were finished browsing the trunk show, they were welcomed into the theater hall of the Wildey. This location, previously an opera house and movie theater, gives visitors a quaint theater experience.

The show began by Friends of the Wildey President Rich Walker welcoming everyone to the event. He then introduced the celebrity emcee for the night, St. Louis stylist and fashion blogger Kate Allen.

As soon as Allen introduced the first shop in the show, Run Well, the lights in the theater dimmed. Music began to play when suddenly, models came jogging through the audience in head-to-toe athletic wear, complete with headgear lights to brighten the theater.

The next shop was Glik’s, which modeled trendy fashions. Following was Leopard Boutique, a shop out of Webster Groves, offering bags, accessories and clothing for women of all ages.

Next was a new shop hazel2blue, from Alton, which showcased urban, edgy and vintage styles for young modern women. The following boutique featured was What to Wear, which offered unique and contemporary clothes and accessories.

Doncaster was the next boutique featured. This shop offered many styles for women from elegant plaids to classic Amsterdam-style apparel.

Mr. Anthony’s Fashions, a women’s boutique and men’s haberdashery, was the final shop to walk the runway, featuring Kentucky Derby-themed designs. The men escorted the women to the runway, then stepped back and let the women run the show.

All of the shops stomped down the runway to a song of their choice, adding a level of excitement to the show. Each boutique had various amounts of models, either chosen by the Friends of the Wildey or by the shops.

The grand finale of the night was a segment called “My Mother’s Dress.”

Walker had been looking through his mother-in-law Donna Jean Green’s storage, and found many dresses she had worn when she was young. These dresses were restored by Holiday Cleaners in Edwardsville, and presented at the event.

Items presented included a few little black dresses, a red and white-checkered dress originally made for actress Ava Gardner, and dresses Green described best used for parties. However, the most stunning gown appeared when a model approached the runway in head-to-toe wedding attire, wearing Green’s original dress and veil.

Audience member Jen Bulmann Summers, of Edwardsville, said she attended this event as a girls’ night out with her friends and as a way to support the community.

“It exceeded my expectations with how fun it was; I was smiling the entire time,” Bulmann Summers said. “I loved the vintage dresses the most; it reminded me of my mother and grandmother’s. That era had so much class.”

Friends of the Wildey Treasurer Chris Head, who is a Rouge Allure coordinator, said the Wildey Theatre staff did a terrific job of taking a vision and making it a reality.

“I thought the fashion show went very well,” Head said. “Each boutique did an excellent job of showcasing its signature look. The vintage segment exceeded my expectations on several levels; not only were the gowns and dresses worn well by the models, but each also told a tender story about a life well-lived.”

Caitlin Grove

Via alestlelive.com

Social media challenge raises bucket loads of money

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Social media crazes constantly take the Internet by storm—from selfies to twerking, these fads tend to leave nothing but annoyance in their wake. However, the newest one may end up having a different effect.

The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is the latest fad to flood the internet. People are challenged by friends and family to dump a bucket of ice water on their head in order to raise money and awareness for Amytrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease. At first, this may seem like the most ridiculous craze to hit social media yet, but when taking a closer look, it may actually be helping quite a bit.

It all began when former Boston College baseball player Pete Frates, of Boston, Mass., promoted this challenge and helped spread it throughout social media. Frates has been suffering from ALS since 2012.

According to the ALS Association, from July 29 to Aug. 21, the association has received a total of  $41.8 million in donations. During the same period in 2013, the association only received $2.1 million. These new donations have come from existing donors, as well as more than 739,000 new donors.

Maureen Barber Hill, president and CEO of the St. Louis chapter of the ALS Association, said this movement is quite phenomenal.

“People with ALS and the ALS community nationwide are benefiting from this outpour of generosity,” Barber Hill said. “We look forward to using these donations and making more concrete plans for the future.”

Barber Hill said while the ALS Association provides many programs and services to patients at no cost, living with a diagnosis is an expensive journey and could cost a patient up to $250,000 per year. This money will help many unfunded programs, counseling, clinical and in-home care programs as well as research efforts.

“It can take up to 15 years and $1 billion to develop one new drug [for ALS],” Barber Hill said. “These donations provide an enormous lift in that area.”

However, not everyone feels this challenge is doing more good than not. Junior mass communications major Joseph Vollbracht, of Clayton, Ill., said the Ice Bucket Challenge is getting out of hand.

“It started off as a cute, innocent way to raise money for a good cause and have fun nominating friends and family,” Vollbracht said. “But once the media started picking it up, people were blogging about it and reposting videos constantly. It began to sort of take over the social media platform, and that is the point where many people, myself included, got annoyed with the challenge.”

Vollbracht said he was challenged and decided not to participate or donate to the cause.

“I felt as though this challenge had become less about the charitable organization that is mentioned in the title and more about people just hopping on the bandwagon and posting a video of them dumping water on themselves,” Vollbracht said. “The whole point of the challenge is to donate to charity, yet person after person chose to avoid donating by soaking themselves in ice water. I see no point whatsoever in doing that.”

Senior math major Kaitlin McElroy, of Bunker Hill, said the challenge is great because it has raised so much awareness.

“I participated in the challenge to continue spreading this message,” McElroy said. “There is currently no cure for this awful disease, so this is a great opportunity for people to help out in a way that’s accessible to almost everyone.”

Whether to raise awareness of this cause or to merely gain attention, this challenge is sweeping the nation and making a change in the ALS community.

Barber Hill said the association is grateful for the donations and support; however, there is still more to be done in terms of finding treatment and a cure.

“After the ice melts, we hope these new donors will continue to be engaged and that this will begin a new relationship,” Barber Hill said.

To find out more about donating to the ALS Association, visit alsa.org.

Caitlin Grove

Via alestlelive.com