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Show ■■■■■■■■ ■■■■■■■■ THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING RED ROCKS BY RYAN MILLER /ASST. SPORTS EDITOR PHOTOS COURTESY OF STEVE C.WILSON/UNIVERSITY OF UTAH "Whiplash" is the one movie everyone should see in 2014 BY STEVE STAFSHOLT /STAFF WRITER W hile most movies attempt to evoke an emotional reaction, not many have much success. "Whiplash" is one of the select few that not only achieves this aspiration but hijacks every ounce of empathy in your body and leaves you breathless. If you were to only see one movie this year, I insist this be the one. Damien Chazelle's film "Whiplash" is an unsettlingly intimate view into the life of one Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller), an unassuming 19-year-old whose only salient characteristic is his manic obsession with becoming one of 'the greats' In pursuit of this all-consuming dream, Andrew subjects himself to the sadistic wrath of Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons), the Shaffer Conservatory of Music's personal incarnation of terror and emotional scarring. With Fletcher at the helm, Andrew's fanaticism is inflamed until Andrew views every aspect of his life outside of drumming as an obstacle. What set this film apart in my mind is its astute examination of obsession and achievement. The focus resides not on Andrew's innate talent or his commitment to music, but instead on his shattered relationships, the emotional battery, the blood on his drum kit, his sweat-drenched clothes and the cracked look in his eyes. "Whiplash" glorifies mastery while detailing all the gritty sacrifice, ultimately leaving the audience to decide if it's worth it in the end. On the subject of mastery, Simmons' performance is testament to his acting prowess. His character is so cruel that it's impossible to believe, but despite that, Simmons' portrayal of Fletcher never crosses the line to melodrama. The sheer volume at which he screams profanities is also rather impressive (do not see this film if you are offended by indelicate language). Teller also exceeds expectations. He balances confidence with insecurity and a fierce drumming glare with a hollow post-practice stare. Also, he fakes playing the drums so well that I was dumbfounded when I discovered he isn't actually a drummer. The supporting cast also does rather well, including Paul Reiser, playing Andrew's father, and Nate Lang and Austin Stowell, playing competing drummers. "Whiplash" does a good job keeping the audience engaged during musical scenes with interesting shots of blaring trumpets, thrumming bass, sweaty musicians and rapid drumming. The tight renditions of Juan Tizol's "Caravan" and Hank Levy's "Whiplash" paired with the energetic cinematography could stand alone as a short in their own right. Three Utes earn Pac-12 accolades BY BEN JASAREVIC /STAFF WRITER PHOTO BY CHRIS SAMUELS L ed by six seniors, Utah is getting set to play in the NCAA tournament for the second straight year. All six seniors are key contributors to the team's success and they won't say that one player is more important than another, but Pac-12 coaches came out with season awards and decided that Shelby Dalton is the key player for Utah's balanced offense and defense. On Tuesday, Dalton was named to the All-Pac-12 first team, the first Ute to take home the honor since joining the conference four seasons ago. "It's interesting because I don't think Shelby is top 10 in any statistical category in the Pac-12, but I think other coaches understand her value to our team," said head coach Beth Launiere. "She is the player we depend on, that leads us on the court, that puts the team on her shoulders a lot and is a steady force." With her professional approach to every practice, point and match, Dalton is the kind of player who teammates lean on when they need a crucial point. "The rest of the team always know what they're 10 { THECHRONY I NEWS I OPINION ARTS gonna get from Shelby," Launiere said. "That's a comforting-type leader that we have." When she's not being set offensively, she's jumping to block the opposing team's best player. Launiere always puts Dalton to play her three rotations at the net directly across from the likes of Krista Vansant, Karsta Lowe, Samantha Bricio and other top players in the country. Dalton led Utah in solo blocks with 13 this season, but this is the only statistic she led her team in. The humble leader knows that in volleyball, you can't win awards without the help of your teammates. "It's more of a team award because without my passers and my setters there is no way I can play well if they're not playing well," Dalton said. But if you go back three years when Dalton joined the program, Utah coaches saw the potential she had to become a top player, but still were a little unsure. "She was so, so raw," Launiere said. Dalton never played club volleyball, so she never had proper training or proper exposure. Utah was the only school to offer her a scholarship and the SPORTS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2014 In addition to his excellent directing, Damien Chazelle wrote great dialogue and an unpredictable plot. "Whiplash" is full of colorful insults, none of which I feel comfortable repeating. Andrew's lines are spot on, especially when addressing his short-lived love interest. Initially I was worried that the storyline's trajectory would be obvious, but the directions it went continually surprised me. The ending's plot twist is the greatest of all, and it literally left me sweating. See "Whiplash" for the superb acting. See "Whiplash" for the excellent music. See "Whiplash" for the fresh dialogue and the engaging plot. See "Whiplash" for the emotional thrill ride and exceptional ending. No matter the reason, do yourself a favor and catch "Whiplash" at Broadway Centre Cinema while you still can. s.stafsholt@chronicle.utah.edu @ChronyArts W hen freshman Red Rock Kari Lee was younger, her mother made her make a choice. While it didn't matter which one, Lee's mother made each of her children participate in some sort of sport, and each of Lee's four siblings opted for gymnastics. "Because I had older siblings in gymnastics, she thought it would be convenient if she just put me in gymnastics': Lee said. Lee followed her family into the gym, and the family atmosphere was something she grew used to. It was that same atmosphere that led her to the U. "With gymnastics, you're getting recruited at a really young age, so at age 15, I had committed to another school, but I didn't really know what I wanted': Lee said. As Lee grew older, she started to figure things out, realizing that she needed to find a better fit for her. She found what she was searching for during a visit to Salt Lake. "I just loved the school, loved everything, and everyone just made me feel like home': Lee said. "It really clicked with me — the family orientation and the coaches really clicked with me and just the whole campus:" The family orientation is manifest in how the program treats its freshmen. Utah uses a big sister-little sister system to help the incoming class adjust to college life. Each freshman is paired with an upperclassman who they can ask questions to and get advice from. Freshman Maddy Stover's big sister is Tory Wilson, and Stover said she has received advice about everything from training to starting college life. "She has been a great help with just everything, from when I was first moving into the dorms to when I am on balance beam, giving me little confidence boosters here and there': Stover said. The Red Rocks' family environment also resonates with Stover. The freshman from Fullerton, Calif. has gymnastics "running in [her] blood:' Stover's mother, Nancy, was a college gymnast at CalState, Fullerton and didn't waste much time getting her children involved. "I would say my mom, once we were walking, had us bouncing on a trampoline': Stover said. Nancy Stover was a program director at a gym that her daughter attended, so the two have spent many hours in the gym together. Besides being in attendance during training, Nancy Stover also helped point her daughter towards Utah. While in college, the elder Stover competed at the Huntsman Center and was well aware of the success the program has had, so she helped in her daughter's decision to investigate the school further. While Lee, Stover and the other incoming Ute freshmen have competed at high-level meets, the team-centered collegiate events will be a new thing for the newcomers. "The pressure is a little different; Stover said. "If you fall off the beam, you are hurting your team, not just yourself as an individual. It adds a lot of excitement and brings a whole new level to our sport. It's a fun camaraderie that we get to have with each other to support each other": That camaraderie is what Stover is looking forward to the most as the 2014 campaign is set to begin. After mostly competing as an individual, she is excited to create gymnastic memories with a team. "I'm most excited to just experience college only reason recruiting coordinator/assistant coach Brian Doyon chose her was because Dalton came to volleyball camp at the U. Doyon recalls a story from when he was scouting Dalton, where she was walking out of the gym and she jumped up and hung on the basketball rim with one hand. "Wow, she can really jump," Doyon said he thought at the time. Despite all the natural talent Dalton possessed, she still didn't know the nuances of volleyball. She admits that when she came to the program, she didn't even know what rotations were, but she was too afraid to ask questions. "I remember Shelby's first week in the gym, and her head was spinning," Doyon said. "She came in the most inexperienced, but she's just a natural athlete. She's always been a workhorse, and she never backed down from a challenge." Doyon says Dalton's story should be a lesson for athletes who might not get a chance to play club sports. "Just because you can't play club doesn't mean becoming a top athlete at the highest level is unattainable;" Doyon said. "You gotta work hard and be patient." Dalton wasn't the only Ute to receive all-conference honors. Bailey Bateman received a first-team gymnastics and travel with the team': Stover said. "Creating those memories and be able to grow with the team. Especially as a freshman, coming into this whole new environment being able to have them as a support group and being able to get close with them has been really fun:" That camaraderie proves the big sister-little sister system that the Red Rocks have in place is not just in its name alone. "They haven't really made us feel out of place at all' Lee said "They really are like big sisters:' rmiller@chronicle.utah.edu @millerjryan honorable mention, and Adora Anae was named to the All-Pac-12 freshman team. "I thought she really became a dominant middle in the conference;' Launiere said about Bateman. "I thought she was a very big key to our success, and I'm glad that the coaches recognized that:' As for Anae's award, Launiere said it was "huge" for one of their players to be named to the all-freshman team because of how all of the top recruits go to the Pac-12. This makes for a very deep and talented freshmen pool in the conference. "It was very well-deserved — she established herself as a go-to player for us," Launiere said about Anae. "As we were getting all these wins late in the season, her role kept increasing:' With the accolades in hand, Utah will play Kansas State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday. The Wildcats will provide a challenge for the Utes that they haven't seen all season long, having the top freshman in the Big 12 on their side in Kylee Zumach, who stands at 6 feet 4 inches and is the biggest Wildcat offensive threat. The match is slated to start at 3:30 p.m. b.jasarevic@chronicle.utah.edu @Benlasarevic 10 |