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Show It i THE FORUM - MARCH 21, 2012 A Sign of the Times Review of Grand Theatre's The Crucible' Emilio Casillas Contributing Writer In 1692 Salem, MA, a group of young girls cried witchcraft; in 1952, a young Senator by the name of Joseph McCarthy cried communist; in 2001, an administration cried terrorism. Again and again throughout history fear, misunderstanding, and hate have driven societies into suspicious hysteria that, in hindsight, seems a preposterous way of thinking. This is the message playwright Arthur Miller sends with his classic masterpiece The Crucible. Set in 1692 Salem, MA at the start of a pandemic that would become a shameful mark on American history, director Mark Fossen takes a classic approach to this play, creating powerful staging for an American My experience with ASWC Briana Buendia Staff Reporter e( stage. Before an audience is where Toni Byrds allegorical Tituba will be given wings to fly back to her Barbados, away from the accusation and hate of Salem; where Cait-li- n Lanzels Susanna Proctor finds the strength to see her husband to the gallows with pride; where Sahara Hayes Abigail finds a black selfishness to condemn her neighbors in pursuit of a sinful fantasy; where Jonathan McBrides Reverend Paris sees corruption everywhere but within. A special nod of the head and tip of the hat must go to the brilliant performance of Max Robinson as Judge Danforth. His portrayal was the benchmark of the character: an entitled man convinced of a personal compassion that he fuels with judgment and condemnation. The Crucible is playing for one more weekend at SLCCs Grand Theatre, so dont miss out on this powerful rum made me aware of the changes that were happening within the ASWC body. But I had to question if I would have known about these issues if I werent involved with the news- understanding. Even Senators that came seemed surprised there was a low turnout. The Senators present couldnt even vote and decide awards beon cause there were so few people. Freshman Senator Pratik Raghu said, It would be a little unfair of us to vote on awards with so few people here. The lack of Senators was a result of the Garrison v. Elections Committee meeting. This meeting took place due to a conflict between Joshua Garrison, who was running for ASWC president, and Elections Chair Katrina Maurer. Pierce said, I was serving as counsel to Katrina Maurer during the judicial council paper. E-C- ab 2 o U- - 0) X c O' 3 CD B C F classic. For me, the hallmark of a successful performance of The Crucible, much like Romeo and Juliet, is the fostering of an intense frustration with the characters and their situation. Where in Romeo, you want to scream dont drink the poison! The Crucible should drive the audience to take a swing at Judge Danforth, throttle Abigail, and kneel before the saintly Rebecca Nurse. In this, the Grand Theatre found its mark. With a talented cast, a strongly relevant set, and a brilliant light design, this production of The Crucible is definitely worth seeing. While frequently read in classrooms across the country, this American classic is best experienced as it was intended: on Pierce had some texting issues Exand canceled the ecutive Cabinet meeting beforehand. The last meeting seemed to be a mass of confusion and mis- end-of-the-y- ear Ifff. ifcH.lWlr.fr .THi- Briana Buendia At the ASWC Senate meeting on Monday, March 12, Social Sciences Senator Nick ended it with, Thank you for this lovely year. Weve been through hell and back. The last Senate Meeting had Kuz-ma- ck . a very empty audience. There were maybe 15 senators present, and thats a high estimate. As an observer, the meeting seemed pointless. Kuzmack, who is also the Parliamentarian of the ASWC Senate, ran the meeting because President Jonathon Pierce wasnt present. Ive only been to one meeting before, so I dont have a lot of experience in these matters, but it was obvious that key members were missing. The meeting and series of events afterward seemed to reflect the chaos that the ASWC has endured during the 2011-201- 2 academic year. Before the Garrison v. Elections Committee meeting unfolded to the public (see page 6), Megan Mann said the lack of senators at the meeting could be because of the light agenda sent out. At this point in the year it seems like senators are tired of sitting through long meetings and Ive heard more complaints concerning meetings. They didnt feel that anything was accomplished. Mann said, "It could also be due to communication failures; meeting. This was also why the advisor of the meeting, Dean of Students Mark Feme, excused himself early. From my student perspective, chaos and misunderstanding seemed to be a consistent theme during the year. This year ASWC has overcome obstacles from overspending for the Jason Deriilo concert to losing three members of the original Executive Cabinet. these setbacks, Despite ASWC has passed a new constitution that will be passed on to future senators. The constitution has been in effect since it was voted on. This means that the ICC, and SAC are all separate branches and will manage their own accounts. Kuzmack said, Weve done a lot, changed the whole system. Being involved in The Fo E-C- ab, For example, would I have known about the changes in the constitution? And if I had, would I have known what the changes would be about? As a student I question how I would have known about these issues without being in the meeting and talking to the Senators, which is something the majority of students dont do. ASWC needs to make an effort to get students involved and make us interested through communication. Their meetings and involvement needs to be relatable and recognized to the students on campus. Nursing Senator Amy Fork-e- r thinks differently about student involvement in ASWC. I think this year the students have really stepped up and taken ownership of ASWC, said Forker. They have told their representatives what does and does not work and some have come to Senate Meetings and spoken directly to their representatives. Senators have high hopes for the future of ASWC. Newly elected President Nick Raoux said, I anticipate the new student board to seek creative ways to improve the campus community. The new SAC President Brandon Lloyd also has faith in the revised constitution. He believes that with every branch being separated, the bureaucracy cant hinder new change and growth. This year was quite the learn- ing experience. Through the good and the bad, all I have to say is hopefully next year wont be as much of a roller coaster. |