VST Comedy “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)” opens Thursday

**UPDATE: Sunday’s show will be at 1 pm.**

By Abigail Demke

William Shakespeare wrote approximately 38 plays, and whether you believe it or not, every single one is included (in some way) in Villanova Student Theater’s one and a half hour performance of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged). If 38 plays condensed to under two hours isn’t impressive enough for you, you should know that the sonnets, of which there are 156, are included as well. Sort of. And if that still fails to impress, you should know that there are 1122 roles in all of Shakespeare’s plays, and although those have been cut down to only the most crucial, there are still a substantial number remaining that are played by a total of three cast members.

“Three actors are the whole show; luckily I have three really great people playing those roles and they’re always game… in general this has been a really fun, smooth process,” says Elizabeth Marafino, director of the show. The talent of Ricky Chan, Monique Cummings and Okichie Davis shines through the beautiful poetry and prose written by the famous bard, even in the bro-ified interpretations sometimes used. A line such as “all the admired bitties of Verona” is probably something you never expected to hear, even from a modernized performance of Shakespeare.

With so few actors, and so many roles, tons of props are needed to help signify the changes in character. “It’s all props: we have a rubber chicken, a blowup doll, foam swords, light sabers… it’s pretty intense,” says Marafino. Just how many props are included in the show? According to the prop designer, Anellia Maduro, “a lot.” Marafino was able to clarify that: “too many.”

If you’ve missed a few more of your literature lectures than you care to admit, you have nothing to worry about. VST has your back. “It’s going to be really fun.  You actually learn quite a bit in the midst of all the hilarity,” says Davis, who plays a preeminent Shakespearean scholar, among many other roles. She also would like to remind the potential audience that “it’s an ACS event, so you can have fun while you’re doing your homework.”

Overall, the performance is a whirlwind of tragedy, comedy, irreverent reinterpretation, and inappropriate jokes. The show includes shortened versions of Shakespeare’s tragedies, one large mashup of all the comedies performed at once, as well as some explanation of the background story of the three actors putting on the show.

This play will leave you confused, muddled, maybe even slightly violated. Despite this, the show is engaging and very well performed. You are guaranteed to laugh, whether you are a scholar who understands the true Shakespeare that remains, or if you are young at heart (“young at heart” meaning childish enough to laugh at bathroom humor).

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) will be performed in St. Mary’s Auditorium on February 9, 10, and 11 at 8pm with additional matinee shows at 2pm on the 11 and 12. Student tickets cost $7 and adult tickets cost $10.

Other things to look forward to from VST are A Streetcar Named Desire, playing March 27-31. Also there will be a night of One Acts with VST and VSMT (proceeds will go to charity), as well as improv events and a playwriting competition this spring, so there is plenty to look forward to. VST is completely student run and the shows are always very impressive, so definitely look out for more information about the spring season.

Unseen Work of New York Artist Debuts in Posthumous Retrospective at Villanova Art Gallery

By Peter Brakman

Villanova University’s celebration of the art of Ray Sternbergh more than 10 years after his death gives the New York painter, illustrator, sculptor and wood carver an exhibit that the reticent artist never sought in his lifetime. The posthumous show, arranged by his widow and daughter, comprises never before publicly seen landscapes, seascapes, portraits, still lifes, and sculptures.

“Ray Sternbergh – a Retrospective” opens Friday, February 24 with a free public reception from 5 to 7 pm in the Art Gallery in the Connelly Center.

His 1950s classmates at Pratt Institute saw the Korean War-era Air Force veteran as destined for a place of note as an American painter. Sternbergh, then studying on the GI Bill, is recalled as a quiet man whose presence went without much notice – until he engaged a canvas. “There were some very good artists in that class, but he was the best,” remembers classmate Tom Doyle, a retired illustrator.

That Sternbergh didn’t become an acclaimed artist is no mystery to his daughter Jennifer Huth. “Dad wasn’t interested in changing the world with his art. The hustling, dealing with agents, it just wasn’t who he was. He painted for himself. It was pure selfish love and joy,” says Huth, who lives in Bryn Mawr with her husband James and their two children.

After graduating from Pratt, Sternbergh went on to make his living as a comic book and book cover jacket illustrator, an industrial designer, and art director in the marketing and point-of-purchase industries. He saved painting for his private life and never sold or tried to sell one.

With the picturesque harbor of Northport, Long Island, NY, at the end of his lawn, and a small airport nearby, Sternbergh indulged his passions for painting, sailing, piloting small aircraft, sculpting, writing poetry, making toys and furniture, and riding motorcycles, among other pursuits.

As a painter, realism was his forte, notes his widow Nancy. “He painted what was there and he did it incredibly well. He had golden hands. I once asked him to let me represent him as an artist. He wouldn’t; nor would he let anyone else, either. My, he was an incredible artist.”

Retirement in the early 1990s became one of the most prolific creative periods of Sternbergh’s life. With skills honed by classes at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, he produced a large body of paintings, many of which have been selected by his widow and daughter for the exhibit.

Even as he battled pancreatic cancer, Sternbergh was not idle. Jennifer recalls him taking down a large canvas done years before of three clam boats buoyed in the Northport harbor. He noticed that the light reflected off the water appeared brighter than that of the sun, which cannot be. So he fixed it. “He was obsessed with capturing light,” says Huth. He died in 2001.

The exhibit came about when Huth, a graduate student in Villanova’s Theatre Program, met Art Gallery Director Fr. Richard G. Cannuli, OSA, who then also headed the Theatre Department. Invited to the Huth’s Bryn Mawr home to examine Sternbergh’s considerable artwork, Fr. Cannuli, himself a Pratt graduate, liked what he saw: “It was time that someone who had produced such a large body of varied works without ever having had an exhibit, should have one.”

‘Ray Sternbergh – a Retrospective’ continues to April 11, 2012. All exhibits at the Villanova University Art Gallery are free and open to the public. The Art Gallery is open weekdays from 9 am well into most evenings. For extended and weekend hours, and other information, telephone the Art Gallery at (610) 519-4612. Selected works from the Ray Sternbergh exhibit may be previewed at www.artgallery.villanova.edu

Let’s Dare the President

By Patrick Ryan

Nobody is surprised to notice that Congress failed, once again, to do their duty to eliminate the $1 trillion budget deficit.

The budget Supercommittee of Congress, a joint committee of 12 Republican and Democratic House and Senate members, could not form a plan by November 23^rd to confront the nation’s $15 trillion debt. President Obama has also threatened to veto any provisions to eliminate the automatic “sequester,” which will automatically cut $1.2 trillion from defense and domestic discretionary spending over 10 years starting in 2013.

So, what does this mean? It should mean that the Republican House, the only chamber that actually passed a budget for 2012, will introduce provisions of the Simpson-Bowles Plan to the floor and dare the Senate and the President to veto it.

Is this really the end of the military as we know it and the impoverishment of millions as education and housing budgets are forcibly cut?

The House has an opportunity here: 20 days after the sequestration order, the majority leader in either Congressional house can propose a joint resolution to modify the triggered cuts.

Indeed, the Budget Control Act of 2011 implemented this segment of the Gramm-Rudman provision, written in the Balanced Budget Act of 1985 (S. 1702 of the 99^th Congress). As Senator Phil Gramm himself wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, the resolution can be changed only with relevant amendments and debated over a period of 10 hours without filibuster.

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) posted on his Facebook page on November 21st that, “[w]hile I’m disappointed the supercommittee could not reach an agreement, the House will forge ahead with the commitments we have made to reducing gov’t spending and creating a better environment for private-sector jobs.”

Luckily for him, the Gramm-Rudman provision allows for a simple majority vote on any alternative to sequestration, which lasts only one year; hence, if Republicans take either the White House or the Senate in 2012, they could eliminate provisions of Obamacare or even reform entitlements in the first couple months after inauguration.

I say bring back Simpson-Bowles, named after chairmen Senator Alan Simpson and former chief of staff Erskine Bowles. You may not know what that is, since President Obama called for his National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform in 2010, then promptly ignored it.

Yet, the Commission recommended responsible and healthy proposals including cutting tax rates “across the board, and reduc[ing] the top rate to between 23 and 29 percent.” While cutting tax rates, Congress must also “simplify” tax deductions, meaning either eliminating all tax credits, or retaining certain key ones such as the Earned Income or the Child Tax Credit.

More importantly, however, the Commission called for a cap on discretionary spending through 2020, “holding spending equal to or lower than spending in 2011, and return spending to precrisis 2008 levels in real terms in 2013.” That also means ‘’limiting future spending growth to half the projected inflation rate through 2020.”

That is the most important provision of Simpson-Bowles: limiting the future growth of spending. If Canada can cut their spending growth to an annual 1% for five consecutive years, the United States can CERTAINLY do better. Canada balanced its budget within three years.

In fact, the Republicans in the House should dare President Obama to veto his own Commission, to verify that he prioritizes politics above solving fundamental national issues, and to prove his mettle as the Campaign President.

Villanova Quidditch Takes Off to the World Cup

By Shauna Segadelli

Players whiz around the field on broomsticks, shooting balls through hoops to score. Team rivalry at the World Cup is intense. Villanova’s team whoops and rallies around their captain, the team’s seeker. The play quidditch exactly the same way that J.K. Rowling paints for Harry Potter- except, well, muggles can’t fly.

Villanova’s Quidditch team has a two-year history, born alongside the school’s Harry Potter Club in 2009. Now a separate entity – though it shares Potter fanatics with the general club – Villanova Quidditch was denied status as a club sport in 2010. Now they are an official club, just like the school’s Skateboard Club and the Table Tennis club. (There’s even a Villanova Electronic Enthusiasts Club, whose mission statement reads: “We get together once a week to play video games in a safe and fun environment.”)

But Quidditch isn’t only for squares. “Players get hurt. It’s rough, and there are no pads,” says the team’s captain, Billy Greco. “You see a lot of broken collarbones. The chasers and seekers are basically playing rugby, but with dodgeballs being thrown at them.”

After practice, the team gathers the dodgeballs and volleyballs used as weapons and goal-scorers. They stack the broomsticks and dismantle the hula hoops attached to white plastic poles, the volleyballs’ aim for the last two hours. They practice a few times a week all year, with less frequency when it snows (“We want to play, but the field gets all muddy”) and more in anticipation of upcoming tournaments.

Villanova Quidditch enters four or five tournaments per year. This weekend, they headed to the Quidditch World Cup at Randall Island in New York, along with more than 100 collegiate teams. Billy tells me that there are even more teams than that nationwide- impressive, for a sport that was invented only five years ago.

Middlebury College in Vermont was “the first college in the country to develop a grounded, muggle-friendly game,” according to its website. Middlebury won the first 5 annual Quidditch World Cups, and remained undefeated in this time span. In fact, they remained undefeated until World Cup 2011 this weekend, where they were beat by the University of Michigan. And then in the first elimination round game, where they were ranked fifth in a final bracket somewhat resembling that of NCAA Basketball, the University of Michigan lost to the #32 team. Who was the #32 team? Villanova Quidditch.

According to Blaise Sceski, who played in that game, “Everyone on our team gave their all and left everything on the field.  It was an epic moment and showcased just how talented Villanova’s team really is.”

But Villanova’s team has always been strong. In their first World Cup appearance two years ago, Villanova made 8th in a field of 21 teams. The next year, among 46 teams, Villanova placed fifth when they lost to the reigning champions, Middlebury, in a nasty game that tore one player’s ACL.

Unfortunately, this year, just fifteen minutes after the bloodied battle with the University of Michigan, Villanova Quidditch was stuck playing “a well-rested University of Pittsburgh team that was very well trained, very big, and very fast,” as Sceski describes them. They lost in a “fierce and physical game,” bringing their record in this tournament to 4-2, since they also lost in the first round to Michigan State in an “absolutely crazy game” plagued by “inconsistent refereeing” and injuries.

In March, Villanova Quidditch hopes to host its own tournament for the first time. Teams can only bring 21 players to a tournament, so they hold try-outs before each tournament appearance to make the final cuts. Throughout the season, 40 or so players show up at Villanova’s practices, according to Greco.

Teams field seven players at a time: three chasers, one keeper, two beaters, and a seeker. The chasers toss around a volleyball as the “quaffle”; putting it through one of the hula hoops earns 10 points. The hula hoops are guarded by the keeper. The beaters function as a sort of defensive line, aiming dodgeballs (“bludgers”) at the opposing team’s chasers. It is against the rulers for beaters to attack the opposing keeper or the snitch, but the seeker is fair game. The seeker is usually a cross-country runner or a wrestler, and he runs after the snitch. The snitch has a small ball inside of a sock, which is tucked into the back of his waistline. When a seeker grabs the ball from the snitch, his team earns 30 points and the game is over; if one team is more than 30 points behind, then, it is inadvisable for the seeker to go after the snitch. The snitch’s mobility has no limits- he can bike, hop on trucks, even run through buildings. “The snitches are crowd pleasers,” says Greco. “I’ve seen one pull out a red bull fighting capes for taunting.”

If Villanova hosts its March tournament, the team will need to buy a full set of “official brooms” to provide for visiting teams. They have a few of these sturdier, more expensive brooms now, but most often they play with ordinary household brooms. Equipment casualties are common in the dirty, fast, and dangerous sport.

Some players speculate that the roughness of quidditch scares off potential female recruits. Quidditch is a co-ed sport, but many teams resemble a boys’ club. Villanova has some brave exceptions. The status of these female players may soon be in jeopardy. “We are only a few steps away from being able to apply for NCAA status,” says Villanova beater Matt Goosherst. “If we start playing in stadiums and selling tickets, then get a season going, we can do it! The IQA (International Quidditch Association) already has enough schools.”

But if the sport became NCAA, would it lose its co-ed nature, a feature of the sport in the Harry Potter series? The current rulebook dictates that there must be at least two players of each gender on the field for each time. Since the sport was designed to be “grounded and muggle-friendly,” a little NCAA recognition is something for teams to look forward to. With institutional backing and the resources that come with it, maybe someday – someday – Villanova Quidditch can really take off in athletic flight.

Stories of a Movement: Best of Occupy Wall Street

By Shauna Segadelli

25% of protesters at NYC’s Zuccotti Park do not plan to vote in the 2012 election.

984 NYC arrest records from 9/18-10/15 show that protesters live in more expensive homes than nationwide averages. The single-family homes listed on police forms have a median value of $305,000; the median value of owner-occupied housing units in the US is $185,000.

Milk Street Cafe was forced to lay off 21 employees due to a 30% sales drop since the protests started six weeks ago. This amounts to a 25% reduction of the Cafe’s staff, which is located at 40 Wall Street and has been thriving in the normally lively Financial District since it opened in June. The owner blames police barracades and checkpoints, closed subway entrances, and frequent marches for the lack of business, and says that he will be out of business in three weeks if the barricades are not removed.

Today, the New York Post demanded that Mayor Bloomberg reclaim Zuccotti Park from the Occupy Wall Streeters. The op-ed piece argues that the once credible protests are now nothing but a public nuisance that needs to be quelled in a show of mayoral leadership.

MTV is scouting people aged 20-24 in Zuccotti Park for a new season of the “Real World” with an Occupy Wall Street theme.

There is a website called Hot Chicks of Occupy Wall Street.

The protesters in Zuccotti Park have raised over $300,000 in cash to house up to 300 people for the winter months.

31% of protesters would support violence to advance their agenda.

Only 15% of protesters are unemployed. The national unemployment rate is 9.1%.

77% of protesters are in favor of raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans; only 36% are in favor of raising taxes on all Americans. 65% say the government has a moral responsibility to guarantee all citizens access to affordable health care, a college education, and a secure retirement, no matter the cost.

Protesters have made a list of demands public on The99PercentDeclaration website, including: “an immediate ban on all private contributions of money and gifts, to all politicians in federal office, from individuals, corporations, ‘political action committees,’ ‘super political action committees,’ lobbyists, unions and all other private sources of money or thing of value;” “immediate abrogation [of] the ‘Citizens United Case’ [that] equates the payment of money by corporations, wealthy individuals and unions to politicians with the exercise of protected free speech;” Congressional limits of four two-year terms for the House and two six-year terms for the Senate; reduction of “the national debt to a sustainable percentage of GDP by 2020″; a “student loan debt relief forgiveness program” funded by “a Wall Street corporate tax surcharge as reparations for their conduct leading to the economic collapse of 2007-2008 and current worldwide recession”; “the immediate formation of a non-partisan commission, overseen by Congress, to audit and investigate the economic risks and possibility of eliminating the privately-owned Federal Reserve Bank and transferring its functions to the United States Treasury Department”; “new FCC regulations granting free air time to all candidates”; “abolishing the Electoral College in favor of the Popular Vote in presidential elections”; “an immediate withdrawal of all troops from Afghanistan”; and “repeal of the ‘Defense of Marriage Act.’”

Moratorium Placed on Philanthropic Eating Contests by Patrick Ryan

As of October, Student Development has placed a moratorium on all on-campus philanthropic eating contests, which most directly affects Villanova Greek Life.

Phil O’Neill, the Assistant Student Development Director for Greek Life, is currently in discussion with Director of Student Development Thomas Mogan, Campus Ministry, several fraternities, and the Office of Risk Management about the development of stringent guidelines for eating contests.

“If there was a policy, it would limit the amount of food consumed, it would have a service component, an educational component, and would have to go through a stringent approval process,” Phil O’Neill said about the evolving guidelines. Mr. O’Neill went on to say that various offices have had some issues with eating contests for the past few years, and that it was time to have a conversation about bridging these competitions with the University’s tenets of Veritas, Caritas and Unitas. “We want to bring together all stakeholders,” he exclaimed.

Currently, the policy is still facing liability issues, as the Office of Risk Management wants to make sure that Villanova will not have to face lawsuits if a contestant chokes on a piece of food. The moratorium was a response to a proposal by one of the fraternities of a “Watermelon Bust,” a contest which involves watermelon tossing and seed spitting. Phil O’Neill decided to organize a forum in October earlier this year, involving several fraternities, Campus Ministry and Student Development.

Craig Durrant, former Philanthropy Chair of Lambda Chi Alpha, responded that “there was a meeting with me, a few other philanthropy chairs, Phil O’Neill, Tom Mogan, and some people from Campus Ministry.” Some stakeholders raised two complaints: safety hazards and the conflict with the mission of Villanova University. As Durrant wrote in an electronic interview, “for instance, someone may choke while trying to eat chicken wings[W6] [W7] too fast.”

The Office of Risk Management did not comment.

As for the second complaint, “on the one hand, a fraternity holds a fundraiser in which hundreds of Oreos are consumed, but at the same time, another group on campus is trying to raise money for children who are starving,” said the former philanthropy chair.

The eating contests aim to collect money for charitable organizations, such as Philabundance and Habitat for Humanity. Mr. Durrant explained that the fraternities argued that these “food-based events help people who are in need, so in a sense, their ends justify their means.”

Campus Ministry would like to see a development of the University’s tenets in relation to Greek events and on-campus competitions. Jenna Cucco, the Campus Ministry Associate Director of Weekly Service, said that she is “really excited about the conversation.” “For me, it’s the question of what is the identity and the mission and the ministry of the university, and how do we live that out in different practices of our lives?” explained Ms. Cucco. “It’s not about how we limit what people do, but it’s really a creative opportunity to say, ‘Who do we see ourselves as?’”

Campus Ministry would like to see a greater service and awareness component added to the conversation, in addition to the philanthropy aspect.

As Mr. O’Neill continues to develop the guidelines within Student Development, philanthropic eating contests will remain on hold. We will report on the final guidelines, which Phil O’Neill hopes to complete by the spring.

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Anticlimactic and Disappointing: Harry Potter Part 1 by Jennifer Bradley

The farewell to the most acclaimed movie series of the century began on November nineteenth with the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One.  Millions have already flocked to theaters to see the beginning of the end for Harry Potter and friends.  The movie is clearly the darkest and most ominous of the bunch, and was thus received with mixed feelings among Harry Potter fans.

Much of the discrepancy is attributed to the decision to divide the final Harry Potter book into two movies.  This division leaves viewers wondering if the decision to split the movie was purely financial or if the decision also had artistic merit.  Part One captured the beginning half of the novel, and had fans anxiously predicting the cut-off point of the two movies.  Part One captured the slowest parts of the novel since it left most of the confrontation between Harry and Voldemort and the epic battle for Hogwarts for the final movie.  It was characterized by searching and destroying the first few Horcruxes and discovering the significance of the Deathly Hallows.

Life at Hogwarts is completely abandoned by the movie because it can no longer serve as a safe haven for Harry, Hermione, and Ron.  Therefore, most of the movie is shot on the run or waiting around in a tent. This lack of action left several viewers unfulfilled and unsatisfied.

The movie is also focused mainly on the ruminations of Harry, Hermione, and Ron and is thus far less character-enriched than any of the other films.  The trio spends a good deal of time arguing and sulking which catapults the movie into a somewhat boring lull.  The young actors really had to step up their game in order to effectively hold the audience’s attention due to the dearth of the large and varied cast present in the other movies.

The decision to split the last book, however, has its perks.  This separation allowed the movie to remain the most faithful to the book, which many Harry Potter fans hope for.  The movie was faithful for the most part, but some obvious differences surfaced.  Whether these differences added or subtracted from the overall appeal of the film is left up to the viewer.

Overall, Part One of the Deathly Hallows appears to be less inventive and actionpacked than the other Potter films.  Granted, much of the seventh novel was also characterized by a lack of action, so the film did not have as much to work with as it had with other books.  The innocence and joyful imagination that characterized previous Harry Potter films is transformed into teenage angst and darker happenings in the seventh film.  Many characters and action sequences are lost in the movie which leaves viewers wondering if the final book should have been split in the first place.  On the whole, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One may seem fantastic at the moment, but when the anticipation and excitement of its release dies down, Harry Potter fans will look back on the movie as an anticlimactic and disappointing transition to the action of Part Two of the film, arriving in July.

The Beginning of the End: A Harry Potter Review by Emily Janosik

Since March of 2008, when Warner Brothers announced that the final installment of the series that has defined a generation would be split into two films, Potter fans have had much about which to speculate. Was the decision to make two films merely an attempt to make more money or an effort to remain true to the book? Will the first film be condensed to the trio’s prolonged hide-out in the woods? Where will the split occur? Now, with the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, these worries can finally be set aside. Director David Yates, producer David Heyman, and screenwriter Steve Kloves have produced a beautiful film that has, in my opinion, succeeded in doing right by the fans.

The film immediately proves that it is tremendously different from the previous six installments. Without the trio returning to Hogwarts, which has been nearly the only setting to date, the heart of Part 1 is not the magic of Harry’s world. Instead, the film is more grim and realistic, honing in on the somewhat forced transition into adulthood of the three main characters. As a result, it is less hectic and focused on external action than seen thus far in the Potter series. Plenty of time is taken to pay attention to detail (although, as always, certain aspects of the story have been slightly altered for time), and many movie plot holes that fans have bemoaned in the past have been resolved. While it may be considered a more slowly-paced transition film, there is a delicate balance of action, humor, horror, and drama that works well both in telling this intricate story and keeping the attention of audiences.

Among the trio, Emma Watson’s acting abilities shine. Hermione’s separate allegiances to her best friend and her romantic interest seem to oppose one another, and Watson does a wonderful job of demonstrating her character’s inner turmoil without lapsing into melodramatic angst. One of the highlights of the film is her face-to-face confrontation with Bellatrix Lestrange that is tremendously haunting. Rupert Grint, as Ron Weasley, recovers from an almost ridiculously saccharine monologue with his powerful attempt to destroy one of Voldemort’s Horcruxes and his determination to protect Hermione in the most dangerous of times. Daniel Radcliffe, as the title character, has certainly improved, but his chance to really step forward as an actor will no doubt come with the release of Part 2. While the casting of the myriad of supporting characters in the Potter universe has been dominated by arguably the best British actors and actresses of our time, they are given precious little screen time here. The opening scene between Lord Voldemort and his most trusted Death Eaters is chilling, but aside from a few shortened glimpses of Jason Isaacs, as now-humiliated Lucius Malfoy, and Helena Bonham Carter, as deliciously deranged Bellatrix Lestrange, the brilliance of these actors is somewhat wasted. Alan Rickman’s portrayal of the maddeningly ambiguous Professor Snape has yet again been given very little of its necessary development, despite his character’s name routinely and sneakily popping up in dialogue. Regardless, their performances certainly add wonderful depth to this film.
No matter one’s opinion on the editing choices of the production staff, one cannot deny that Deathly Hallows Part 1 is a beautiful cinematic work, arguably the most beautifully-made film in the series. Most of the action is set in some of the most breathtaking landscapes to be found in British scenery, and the stark winter scenes serve as parallels to the darkening of Wizarding Britain rather than mere testaments to their own beauty. Most impressive, however, is the innovated animation sequence that tells the legend of the Deathly Hallows. Shot in a classic but reinvented shadow-puppet style, it serves to bring some of the missing, awe-inspiring magic back into the film.
All in all, Deathly Hallows Part 1 is difficult to view as a stand-alone film. Its powerful and emotional ending certainly does a fabulous job of setting up the story’s continuation. Still, for fans of the books, this film is everything for which they could have hoped, but movie-only fans may be left wanting more, slightly confused by the new and quickly-introduced characters and concepts. However, there is little doubt that, when viewed alongside Part 2, the Deathly Hallows experience will be the epic finale the Potter series deserves.

Confronting an Attitude of Complacency: by Josh Marcinik

Take a look sometime at the “selected crime reports” from around campus. There will doubtless be some false alarms, mild disturbances, and, sadly, the occasional serious crime. Chances are, however, that most of them are related to alcohol. In a recent interview with The Villanovan, Dean Pugh mentioned that most of the offenders against the University’s alcohol policy didn’t repeat the violation- and most of them were freshmen. These are precisely the people that are required to take the AlcoholEdu course, which suggests that for some students something is not quite clicking. Bear in mind that the AlcoholEdu program is required for all Villanova freshmen and the vast majority of us took it. How effective is it? Results vary. It is a question best directed to VEMS. Statistically, the university points out that 98% of all freshmen have completed the “required” course; it’s hard to believe that the remaining 2% are responsible for all those violations of policy.

What’s wrong with this picture? There’s no doubt that the program makes an attempt to reach out to all students. It tries—and you have to give them credit for it—to be hip, upbeat, and relevant. Unless it can constantly be updated with the latest cell phone models and whatever’s new in fashion, however, it can quickly come across as cheesy. And once students stop taking the message seriously, it’s all too easy for them to tune it out completely. Technical problems can be a pain, too. Those turned me away from logging in for months.

Perhaps the design of the program is wrong. What, then, are the options for creating a more effective program?  There are two extreme paths that such a program could follow: on the one hand, a devil-may-care approach that hides problems under the carpet, and on the other a virtual police state that raids randomly selected dorm rooms at unearthly hours of the morning. The vast majority of community members would likely oppose both of these extremes, yet when it comes to the middle of the road people seem to blank. Yes, they are told, if you drink it will be detrimental to your health and studies. Yes, if you are underage, it will also be illegal. They are reminded that alcohol abuse causes thousands of DUI fatalities and is a major factor in many cases of sexual assault.

Yet attitudes remain mysteriously lax.  Kids talk about it in hallways, teachers joke about it, and parents get worried. Truth be told, nobody is served by leaving things this way. However, the question might be far more general than it seems, and the answer might not be as narrow as some would hope. Why? In my opinion, this attitude of seeming complacency is the major problem in creating an effective program to educate students about the issue of alcohol abuse.

Right now, it seems that we are not doing the best we can. Can I claim to offer a new solution? I cannot. Do I think there isn’t one? I do not. However, instead of shrugging our shoulders again and brushing it off for the umpteenth time, it’s important that the community can talk about it. This is not to suggest that we merely bury the matter under layers of dialogue, but if people have had a bad experience with alcohol and want to warn others about it, they should speak up. If there are questions, they need a forum in which to be heard. And if people can explain their views on their opposition to university policy, they should be able to rationally explain them.

If the AlcoholEdu program isn’t doing its job, complacency becomes a part of the larger problem. “Community” and “dialogue” are two values often stressed at this university. It seems to this writer that the community should put them into practice to solve a problem that few seem to be currently addressing.

A Warning to Get Your Flu Shot

By Justin Tippens (jtippe01@villanova.edu)

Connelly Center, Villanova, PA-Are you a germaphobe?  Does the thought of bacteria and dirt haunt you into washing your hands 25 times a day?  Then microbiologist Dr. Robert G. Webster’s ominous warning of a “threat to us all” will chill you to the core.

Dr. Webster spoke on Friday, September 24th at the annual Mendel Medal Lecture in the Connolly Center.  Webster questioned our daily safety in his lecture titled, “The role of waterbirds in the genesis of pandemic influenza viruses.”  Mentioning that the World Health Organization has declared the 2009 H1N1 influenza outbreak to be over, Webster insists on our luck at stopping the disease that took us completely by surprise.

Recounting the 1918 Spanish Flu epidemic, Webster discussed the effects of the global terror.  Webster asserts that the US unknowingly used biological warfare based on the origins of the “Spanish flu” being traced to Kansas and the devastation on the USS Leviathan on the way to France.  Webster attributes the WWI cease-fire to the influenza threat over military prowess.  The massive quantities of fatalities due to this epidemic have not been repeated.

Although Webster informs us that the “secrets” of the 1918 H1N1 virus have been discovered, he warns of the precarious situation for the planet.  Migratory birds carry most of the influenza on the planet.  While some birds, like chickens, show symptoms of infection, others, like ducks, do not.  Vaccines have been given to birds in Egypt, yet an interfering maternal antibody renders the vaccine obsolete.

Webster particularly stressed the ability of the virus to adapt.  The H1N1 has some relationship to the pig, which scientists don’t know yet.  The unforeseen swine flu which recently ravaged the globe developed from an amalgamation of different influenza strands from different animals.  Another variation, the H5N1 bird flu, kills two-thirds of whom it infects.

After rocking our fragile perception of our own safety, Webster highlighted areas of danger.  Noting the amount of flu outbreaks from Asia, Webster finds that markets in Asian countries like Hong Kong and China hazardously arrange animals in the same holding stocks.  In Egypt, people have started keeping their chickens in their homes increasing the probability for disease transfer.  Webster even felt irksome about backyard poultry in the US.

Webster advocates more vaccinations and more funding for new technologies to improve the vaccination process.  As a man of science, he wants to improve his resources to unlock the keys of the unknown.  Webster is calling for research on healthy pigs as the key to understanding the new adapted virus, complaining that all the testing is being done strictly on sick pigs.  He hopes for local efforts made on a global scale.

However, Dr. Websteralso wants to eliminate the live poultry market everywhere.  Although such solutions may make sense to a microbiologist, implementation appears unrealistic.  Disturbing foreign markets will generally be ill-received by governments and citizens.  Also, there are safety issues related to vaccinations, like the risk of acquiring mental disorders, such as autism.

Webster may have used the government’s stockpile of vaccines to frighten the audience ofthe seriousness of his cause; the existence of a stockpile shows some preparation for an outbreak.  Also, non-medicated solutions can be found in strengthening your immune system with a healthy diet and exercise.  Harm done by the flu specifically to the obese population offers an extra incentive to boost your body’s resistance to contagion.

Webster’s lecture was no insignificant oration, however.  As an acclaimed microbiologist, the virus “gives him the creeps”, which disseminates the grim reality of our safety.  The 2009 H1N1 virus was circulating for 7-17 years before it spread.  Warnings of a big hurricane in New Orleans fell on deaf ears for decades before hurricane Katrina struck in 2005.  Hopefully Webster’s prophetic death knell won’t ring until after our lifetimes.