A Comic About Homecoming
by Annie Mae
Fall2015
In Our Ears & On Our Minds
Music Reviews & Analysis
by Micah Joel
My take on Lady Gaga's "Till It Happens To You," and the message behind it...
In recent years, Lady Gaga has been an artist known for stirring up controversy, but with her recent move to television’s popular horror series American Horror Story, and her new song Till It Happens To You, Gaga is being taken more seriously as an artist, now working with professionals such as Ryan Murphy (Glee, Scream Queens) and Dianne Warren (co-writer of Till It Happens To You, Grammy award winning songwriter). The general public is used to seeing her work on straightforward dance music written for a quick buck as a radio single, but the message behind her new song is important for this generation.
Taken from the upcoming film The Hunting Ground, the track deals with campus rape in the United States, and the accompanying music video shows this message being played out. A study for campus rape published in the Journal of Adolescent Health shows that “19% of women, nearly one in five, said they had been a victim of attempted or completed rape, either by force or while they were incapacitated due to alcohol or drugs, during their freshman year” (Kelly). Although it is a topic that no one wants to hear about, it is still a major issue in America today.
Even though this song was simply made for a movie dealing with this topic, Gaga has had personal experiences with sexual assault as she revealed on The Howard Stern Show back in 2014. She had talked about the experience a bit as she noted, "It didn't affect me as much right after as it did about four or five years later," she said. "It hit me so hard. I was so traumatized by it that I was like, 'Just keep going,' because I just had to get out of there" (Breeanna).
It is difficult for anyone to deal with such traumatic experiences, but as an artist in the public eye, and especially within an environment as harsh as that of the entertainment industry, it is mandatory for them to “get over” incidents like these, and get back to work. Gaga has made it through hell and back, and this song means so much to her, and was written from such a personal place, that she can finally share it with people; this is especially true for young women around the world who can relate to Gaga’s experience through song. It can also give the general public a chance to understand that this demeaning and disturbing topic is a reality, even - and especially - in environments such as college campuses.
Watching the music video gives a whole new meaning to the song, and shows sexual assault along with the women coping after the experience. It is also a different take on Gaga’s music videos since we are used to seeing her in outlandish, eye catching, and mostly memorable outfits and elegant wigs. She is nowhere to be found in this video, and instead gives the spotlight to the women portraying the victims. It is a stellar video and a beautiful song, with the piano-playing provided by Gaga herself and actual instruments (which aren’t typically part of the modern production process for music, as producers are usually dependent on computers). With this being said, I am looking forward to this more mature direction Gaga is going towards as she shows the world a more raw side of herself - a true depiction of who she is really is.
Kelly Wallace, CNN. 'Study: Nearly 20% Of College Freshmen Victims Of Rape -
CNN.Com'.CNN. N. p., 2015. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.
Breeanna Hare, CNN. 'Lady Gaga's Howard Stern Interview - CNN.Com'. CNN. N. p.,
2015.Web. 22 Sept. 2015.
Lana Del Rey's Honeymoon Review
In the rapidly changing music industry - where an artist can rarely sustain themselves on their album sales, but are still being judged by the music they release - Lana Del Rey’s latest effort, Honeymoon, is indulgent and hypnotizing; something that is definitely familiar to fans, and welcoming to new listeners. For Lana Del Rey fans out there, you may want another Born To Die sound from the album, but, instead, she gives us Honeymoon. But a new sound for each album is what everyone wants to see in an artist. There are songs like the title track, “Honeymoon,” which are a return to the orchestral nature of Del Rey’s first album Born To Die released in 2012, while others, like “Freak” and “Art Deco,” break new ground with elements of trap, which is a genre of music that is used heavily, especially in rap music today.
This said, Del Rey does not just follow trends, and instead sticks to the same formula she used in her previous album by including “slower” songs, with somewhat of a twist. These tracks include “Terrence Loves You,” “24,” and “God Knows I Tried.” In other words, it’s typical Del Rey, but not a carbon copy of her previous projects.
I’ve discussed the album with several students here at El Cap, and they note that the whole album is sort of a “stress reliever,” a nice “soundtrack for studying,” and I wholeheartedly agree. You cannot judge the album based on the instrumental aspect of it alone, but instead by the meaningful lyrics as well. Del Rey provides us with lyrics such as, “I lost myself when I lost you, but I still got jazz when I’ve got the blues,” and “I’ve got nothing left to live for ever since I found my fame,” which obviously all come from a more personal place which is apparent throughout this latest project.
From my perspective, Honeymoon is chock-full of jazzy ballads and cinematic tracks that are well suited for a James Bond movie, but for many who are afraid to expand their musical horizon, this may be difficult to get into for a while. These aren’t the type of mainstream songs that you can listen to while you’re at the gym, but, instead, while laying in your nice warm bed with a cup of tea.
Gauchos! Have you ever wondered how your teacher’s experienced their homecoming dances, or how they were in high school? Well, continue reading for some insight on them. We asked interesting questions that everyone is just dying to know!
Questions asked by Flash Versete & HL:
How was your homecoming when you went? Did you have a date? What was your theme?
What would you recommend for date wise? Go as a group of friends or have a date?
If you could choose a theme what would you choose?
Do you have any advice for students about homecoming?
Mr. Davenport:
“Everyone was very excited for Homecoming. I went Senior year, I think the theme was "under the sea." I did dance, I am a great dancer. Netflix is this homecoming dance theme? That’s interesting, it might hinder people’s creativity. If I could choose the theme, let me think about that...Okay for the theme, the phases of Mitosis, like metaphase and all that. I recommend students go in a small group to Homecoming That way, you could go to dinner before and hang out. My advice for students when they go to their Homecoming dance is just to be smart, safe, have fun, but be safe. Don’t do drugs.”
Mr. Waterman:
“When I was in high school, I was extremely involved with sports and getting involved with school dances. I went every year to Homecoming, but always went with a group of friends instead of actually going with a date! For the kids going this year, I’d advise for you to go with a group of friends, and also get involved with the games and anything that you can! If I got to choose the theme for this year's dance, I would probably choose balloons. I really like balloons, so just like a lot of balloons. The fact that Homecoming theme is Netflix, is definitely...interesting. But ,nonetheless, I think if I were a high school student, I would go anyways though. For those of you who are going to the Homecoming dance for the first time, just have fun and enjoy it. If you don’t like the theme or something, just go and have fun!”
Mr. Fernandez
“I did not go to my Homecoming dance. I came when I was a Junior so I was still learning English. So ,I didn’t even know what homecoming was. I was just lost. Netflix as the theme is interesting. Students could be creative and show how you say originality with all the shows and movies. If I could choose the theme, I would go with, a latino night! I would suggest students go with a group of friends and have fun.”
Sherrie here! I write this article as I fantasize about being chest-deep in a vat of my mom’s homemade gravy. I can’t believe that Thanksgiving was almost a month ago. Do you remember from last year’s holiday article where I said that I HATED pumpkin pie. I must begrudgingly announce that I have had a change of heart: I love pumpkin pie. Topped with pecans and brown sugar. Smothered in whipped cream. Unf.
Today’s topic is about, you guessed it, pie. Hot pies, cold pies, all kinds of pie. Hopefully, I’ll be able to teach you a thing or two about making a proper pie. As you may have guessed, I am 100% Team Pie. Pie is way more versatile than cake.
Fruit pie?
Check.
Vegetable pie?
Check.
Chocolate pie?
Check.
Custard pie?
Check.
Meat pie?
Check-a-roonie!
Have you ever seen a meat cake for sale?
...Didn’t think so.
Pie is all about filling, right? WRONG. The filling needs support. The filling must know that it is loved. Who will supply the shoulder to cry on? The crust! Ah, crust, the sole companion to any good fruit/vegetable/chocolate/custard/meat. It can be flaky, it can be crunchy, it can be velvety. It can and WILL be anything you desire. But crusts can be temperamental. If you’re making out of graham crackers or cookies, you won’t have much to worry about. But traditional pie crusts are much more touchy. They must be kept cold in order to make them flaky when they are finished baking. I mix the dry ingredients before and put them in the fridge for an hour. Next, I cut cold butter into small chunks and refrigerate that for a little while. When time is up, I carefully mix the butter and dry ingredients together with a fork until the mixture is coarse. Here’s where most crusts fail: you only need to add enough water to make a cohesive dough. It should still be relatively dry. If your dough is slimy, it’s too late. At that point, you can’t really save it. Send that off Viking-style, with full honors, the whole enchilada. If you did make it successfully, wrap it in plastic and refrigerate it for four hours or overnight. Usually, an all-butter crust will last about a week in the fridge, or 2 months in the freezer. When you are all ready to bake, carefully roll out the dough and bake it as soon as you can. DO NOT KNEAD; this will make it tough. Remember, you want flaky. If you are using a top crust, cut a few vents in the center. Otherwise, trapped steam will try to escape through the sides and force the filling out. Bake the pie over a cookie sheet, just to be safe! Secondly, brush 1 egg yolk mixed with 2 tsp of water over the top of the crust to give it a shiny, brown exterior. Presentation is important!
Now for everyone’s favorite part: filling. For right now, let’s focus on an old classic: apple pie. You can just mix the apple slices with the spices and bake it just like that, but the apples won’t have that satisfyingly gooey texture you’ll see in professionally baked pies. To do that, a little more equipment is involved, but it’s simple to do and the results are overwhelmingly worth it. To make 1 pie’s worth of apple pie filling, peel and slice 5 to 6 apples. Toss them with lemon juice to keep them fresh, and set them aside. In a saucepan, combine your spices with ¼ cup of cornstarch and 2 cups of water. Boil this mixture for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the apples, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes, or until the apples are as soft as you want them. Pour into an uncooked pie crust, cover with another crust, and bake it for 45 minutes at 425°F or until golden brown. Easy as pie!
And don’t forget your fixings! Whipped cream and french vanilla ice cream. Can’t go wrong with either of those. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some baking to do. Love you, and see ya next time!
Basic Apple Pie
All-Butter Double Pie Crust:
2 ½ cups all purpose flour
3 tbsp sugar
¾ tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2-6 tbsp ice water
Filling:
5 to 6 apples (fuji and red delicious are my favorites)
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
2 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp salt
2 cups of water
Crust:
Mix dry ingredients and pop into the fridge. While that chills, cut butter into ½ inch cubes. If the butter begins to melt, refrigerate it until it firms back up. Once everything is cold, mix together in a food processor or with a fork until it is coarse and yellow. Add just enough water to bring it all together, and form a disk. Wrap the disk in plastic and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. After refrigeration, unwrap the dough and divide in half. Roll both halves out into flat circles. Place one into the bottom of a 9 inch pie pan. Set the other aside.
Filling:
Peel, core, and slice the apples. Toss them with lemon juice and set them aside. In a saucepan, combine the spices with the cornstarch and water. Boil this mixture for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the apples, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes, or until the apples are as soft as desired.
Forming the pie:
Fill the unbaked crust with the cooked apples. Top with the second crust by carefully rolling it out over the filling. Cut vents into the center with a knife or with cookie cutters. Seal the edges and put it into the oven on a center rack, placing a baking sheet beneath it to catch any drippings. Bake at 425°F for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
Check.
Nut pie?
