Tag: Catherine Goldberg ’20
Writer vs. Writer: Best Valentine’s Day Movie
by The Cowl Editor on February 14, 2019
Film and Television
THE NOTEBOOK
by Catherine Goldberg ’20 A&E Staff
What is the most romantic movie ever made? Perhaps one of the most popular opinions among females at Providence College would be The Notebook. The 2004 film based on the Nicholas Sparks novel features a young Ryan Gosling playing Noah Calhoun, and Rachel McAdams playing Allie Hamilton.
The epic love story cuts between the couple at two stages in their lives. The film takes place in 1940s South Carolina, where mill worker Noah Calhoun resides, and debutante Allie spends her summers with her family. The two meet at a county fair and eventually fall desperately in love, but Allie’s parents do not approve.
When the two separate as Allie goes off to college and Noah fights in World War II, they carry their love with them for seven years, but eventually, Allie gets engaged to another man. However, fate brings them back together.
When Allie sees a photo Noah in the newspaper with a house he built, based on the one they had dreamed of having together when they were young and in love, she rushes to see him. They come to realize that the spark and their love is still very much there. Allie ends up leaving her fiancé to marry Noah.
We see the couple in another phase of life in a series of flashbacks throughout the movie. The elderly couple live together in a nursing home, and Allie suffers from a severe case of Alzheimer’s disease. The Notebook focuses on the roots of a marriage for life, not the heartbreaking effects of such an awful disease. Noah tries to remind Allie of their epic love story by reading Allie’s old notebook out loud to her in the nursing home.
A definite tear-jerker, yet perfect display of true love, The Notebook is definitely in the running for best Valentine’s Day movie.
SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE
by Brigid Walshe ’19 A&E Staff
In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, it is time to start thinking about what quintessential, classic love stories you will want to watch with a box of chocolates, curled up on the couch. One of those has to be Sleepless in Seattle.
The plot follows Sam, who is still mourning the loss of his wife, Maggie. His son Jonah calls into a radio show and gets Sam to talk about how he is still hurt and missing Maggie. He becomes an overnight sensation, gaining the nickname “Sleepless in Seattle” from the radio show. Annie Reed, a Baltimore journalist, happens to hear his story on the radio, and it touches her so much that she starts to question her own life, including her engagement to her fiancé, Walter. Conflicted, she goes out on a mission to find Sam in person.
Sleepless in Seattle features two of the biggest film stars of the 1990s: Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. Both portray their characters in a normal and loveable way, exuding a convincing chemistry. What makes this movie so great is that it shows how fate and destiny were on their side in the end. The movie is filled with coincidences, grief, miracles, and love, demonstrating how in a world bigger than ever, we still end up where we need to be. It also shows that we can find love again, even when we are not expecting it.
It has been more than 25 years since the film was released, but it is a film that is both romantic and real, even in 2019.
Humanities Forum Explores Women’s Role in Ancient Church Liturgy
by The Cowl Editor on February 7, 2019
On-Campus
Voices of the Liturgy
by Catherine Goldberg ’20 A&E Staff
This past Friday, February 1, the Humanities Forum hosted Dr. Susan Ashbrook Harvey, Royce Family professor of teaching excellence and the Willard Prescott and Annie McClelland Smith professor of history and religion of Brown University. Dr. Harvey presented a lecture entitled “Voices of the Liturgy: Models from Ancient Syriac Christianity.”
Harvey specializes in late antique and Byzantine Christianity, with Syriac studies as her core focus. She has published on a wide variety of topics such as asceticism, hagiography, women and gender, hymnography, homiletics, and piety in late antique Christianity.
For the Humanities Forum, Harvey looked specifically at the role of Syriac women in the early Church, particularly regarding their singing in the liturgy. Although seemingly mundane, the ability of women to participate in the liturgy was revolutionary in such a long-established patriarchal institution. Although the ordained order of deaconesses vanished in the early Byzantine Church, some women continued to play a role as matrons who helped to keep order within the Church. Harvey spoke about how women generally were not allowed to be involved in organizing the liturgy; but on the other hand, consecrated virgins were allowed to take part in the choir.
Upon further inspection and historical evidence, Harvey discovered that women both sang in church choirs and made up the main Syriac choir. She explained how men’s choirs were the western tradition, while women’s choirs were part of the Syriac tradition.
Harvey pointed out that women were initially supposed to be involved in the Church since its beginning; however, heresy and the male-dominated environment disrupted this intention.
The Church teaches that authority has been bestowed upon women by God in many instances, specifically, and most powerfully, revealed through the Virgin Mary. Harvey emphasized, “Because a virgin conceived Christ, virgins may sing.”
The virgin women’s choir of the Ancient Syriac tradition attests to a broader, more richly textured body of people, which we see in churches today. Harvey described the Church as a “mosaic” where both men and women play an equal role. The nature of the Church is meant to be complementary, not hierarchical. Each person, both man and woman, is needed, and every voice in a song is to be valued.
Netflix’s Insatiable Garners Success and Debate
by The Cowl Editor on January 31, 2019
Arts & Entertainment
Making Light of Sensitive Issues in Modern Television
by Catherine Goldberg ’20 A&E Staff
A popular Netflix original among teens and college students, Insatiable, aired this past summer on Netflix. Lauren Gussis created the comedy-drama series which stars former Disney Channel actress Debby Ryan. It is based on a 2014 article from the New York Times called “The Pageant King of Alabama” by Jeff Chu.
Ryan plays Patty Bladell, a teenage girl who was bullied at her high school for being overweight. However, the summer vacation before going back to school, she has a strange accident, resulting in her having her mouth wired shut. This causes Patty to go on a liquid diet for three months.
After she recovers and is able to go off of the liquid diet, she loses a ton of weight and comes back to her high school looking thin and glamorous. As a result, she seeks revenge on those who bullied her for being overweight throughout high school. Somewhere in between Patty’s dilemma, a civil lawyer and beauty pageant coach, Bob Armstrong (Dallas Roberts), notices Patty’s potential. After helping her pro bono in a court case regarding her accident, Armstrong sets out to turn her into a pageant queen.
The series has caused a lot of controversy among viewers with its “revenge body” storyline. The show has also posed problems regarding sexual assault and bullying. In one scene, these controversies are made evident. While being mentored by her beauty pageant coach, Patty gets upset and takes part in an eating competition. He states to Patty, “You eat a box of doughnuts to make yourself feel better… Emotional eating is a slippery slope.” This implies that Patty has some sort of binge-eating disorder, which incorrectly implies that obesity and binge-eating are the same.
In a BuzzFeed article, Jenna Guillaume writes about the problem of Patty wearing “fat suits” in flashbacks. She states, “The fat suits themselves are employed as a visual joke—because the idea that the thin actors inhabiting them could look so fat is just so ridiculous. ‘Fat suits’ dehumanize fat people, reducing them to nothing more than bodies to be reviled and mocked.”
Throughout the show, there is a common notion in the narration that “skinny is magic.” Some think that this concept is giving the wrong idea to the millions of young girls who watch it, especially with the prevalence of eating disorders in our generation.
Students at Providence College have attested to this. Sarah Kerrigan ’20 says, “The show sends the wrong message about beauty to young women.”
Overall, the show seems to have done well with ratings, and a new season is set to air in 2019. Although the show is controversial, people continue to watch, and fans are looking forward to the second season.
Chelsea Cutler Takes Providence College
by The Cowl Editor on January 24, 2019
Arts & Entertainment
Collegiate Soccer Player to Hit Pop Artist
The emerging, young singer-songwriter Chelsea Cutler took the Peterson Recreation Center stage on Friday, January 18, performing her new hit songs to eager Providence College students. The event was sponsored by the Board of Programmers (BOP), who had been preparing for the concert since the end of the fall semester.
Twenty-one-year-old Cutler has nearly five million monthly listeners on Spotify. Her career began four years ago via SoundCloud. Cutler uploaded different covers onto SoundCloud, which eventually led to her gaining a lot of support and recognition for her music.
Many students at PC can relate to Cutler, as not too long ago, she was a student at Amherst College, which is only two hours away from PC. Not only was Cutler a student at Amherst, but also a soccer player. However, her musical fame began to rise, so she decided to leave college and athletics behind in order to pursue music full time.
Before the concert began, president of BOP, Michael Splann ’19, opened up for Cutler as DJ Mikey Nice. He was able to set the stage by playing classic pop music, getting PC students ready for the main event.
Cutler took the stage at 9 p.m., and she played for about an hour. Her performance consisted of few visuals, as Cutler stood at center stage throughout the entire performance, and the crowd focused on the music she was playing. She came skipping onto the stage wearing a Providence basketball jersey, allowing her to fit in as another PC student.
Cutler performed some of her top singles including, “The Reason” and “Your Shirt,” which seemed to be crowd favorites. Many of the other songs she performed were more under-the-radar, including “AF1s” and “You Make Me.” Many of Cutler’s lyrics expose the hardships she has gone through after getting over a tough break-up from a two-year-long relationship.
A few students were disappointed that Cutler did not play one of her more popular hits, “Flare Guns,” where she is featured with pop sensation Quinn XCII. Elizabeth Connor ’20 stated that this was her “favorite song of Cutler’s” and that she had been “waiting all night for her to play it.” Nonetheless, Connor enjoyed Cutler’s “music and the overall vibes of the night.”
Throughout the set, Cutler stayed at center stage, either playing her guitar or her electronic keyboard. At one point, she brought out her electric guitar, showing off her versatility as an artist.
Cutler’s talent did not go unnoticed, as students raved about her short performance. Although she was only on stage for an hour, Cutler successfully created dancing and excitement in the PC crowd. Cutler will embark on a music tour throughout Europe, starting in Stockholm, on Jan. 26. Her other stops include venues in Copenhagen, Berlin, Amsterdam, Paris, and London. Cutler’s extensive world tour leaves little doubt that her career will continue to skyrocket.
At Home Overseas: The Dominican Order and DWC Abroad
by The Cowl Editor on January 17, 2019
Art
Renaissance Art and Architecture in Florence, Italy
by: Catherine Goldberg ’20 A&E Staff
Providence College is proud of its Dominican identity. Much of the Dominican Order’s history roots itself in 13th century Italy, where St. Dominic traveled, preached, and led his order. In Florence, there is a Dominican basilica, the Santa Maria Novella, which is situated just across from the main railway station which is named after the basilica. Chronologically, the Santa Maria Novella was the first great basilica in Florence. It was built a few decades after St. Dominic’s death, and has become a beacon of Renaissance art since its completion in 1360.
The church was designed by two Dominican Friars, Fr. Sisto Fiorentino and Fr. Ristoro da Campi. Famous Renaissance artist, Leon Battista Alberti, also contributed to the basilica’s art and construction. The most famous aspect of the basilica is its front exterior, the façade, which was designed by Alberti. Alberti wanted to bring the ideals of humanist architecture and classically inspired detailing, while also creating harmony with the existing medieval part of the façade. The façade that Alberti added is a perfect example of the harmony found in the art of the early Italian Renaissance.
The vast interior of the basilica contains some of the most famous Renaissance art pieces. Stained glass windows span the basilica. The most famous stained glass window in the Santa Maria Novella is Madonna and Child. Below this is another 15th century glass window of Doctor of the Catholic Church, St. Thomas Aquinas.
The pulpit of the basilica, a small spiral staircase leading to a podium for preaching, was designed by Filippo Brunelleschi and completed by his adopted son, Andrea Calvalcanti. This pulpit is famously known as the place where Galileo Galilei was first verbally attacked by the Catholic church for his theories of heliocentrism, which would eventually lead to his indictment. The Holy Trinity by Masaccio is another famous work inside the basilica. The painting exposes Masaccio’s new ideas on perspective and mathematical proportions.
Visiting Florence, and especially the Santa Maria Novella basilica, brings to life the education we receive through DWC as freshmen and sophomores here at PC. When wandering through renaissance-esque basilicas, it truly makes one grateful for the education offered by the College.
Post Malone’s Latest Album Reaches Number One
by Kerry Torpey on May 3, 2018
Arts & Entertainment
by Catherine Goldberg ’20
A&E Staff
Over the weekend, Post Malone released his latest album, Beerbongs & Bentleys. Austin Richard Post (Post Malone), first gained major recognition in August 2015 with the release of his debut single, “White Iverson.” Immediately following, he landed a record deal with Republic Records. Ever since, he has been on the rise as one of America’s most popular rappers and singer-songwriters.
In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Post Malone stated that he is not into labels. He told the interviewer, “I don’t want to be a rapper… I just want to be a person that makes music.”
In February of last year, Post’s album, Stoney, peaked at number one for six weeks. The album remained on the Billboard charts for 72 weeks. It is no shock that Billboard music predicts Beerbongs & Bentleys to be a number one debut album on the Top 200 Chart very soon. Billboard says, the album is “on course to break the record for the biggest streaming week ever for an album and score the biggest week of the year for an album overall equivalent to album units.”
Post is trying to push the genre of hip-hop with the new record. He claims that he is working within a field he actively disdains, and wants to make a change. “Rockstar,” originally released last year, is featured in the album as a hit single. Many of the other songs on the album, such as “Rich & Sad,” expose the struggles Post has had with new-money narcissism. “Stay” is a ballad Post sings to one of his love interests with whom he has obviously had problems: “Every time we make up the truth is faded / Everybody’s blind when the view’s amazing.” Some other popular songs on his album include, “Psycho,” “Paranoid,” and “Better Now.” The album is now available on iTunes, Spotify, and in stores.
The Music World Mourns the Loss of Avicii
by Kerry Torpey on April 26, 2018
Arts & Entertainment
by Catherine Goldberg ’20
A&E Staff
It was April 30, 2012, six years before Galantis’ spring concert performance when EDM DJ, Avicii also performed at Providence College. Both Swedish performers and both DJs, it was a remarkable coincidence that both artists came to Providence for the same April occasion. However, 2018 resulted in a tragedy for Avicii.
Avicii, otherwise known as Tim Bergling, passed away this past Friday at 28 years old, leaving behind a legacy of chart-topping music. Avicii made a name for himself in the world of EDM music, having collaborated with artists such as Coldplay, Madonna, and Green Day.
Avicii began making music mixes in his bedroom at only eight years old. From an imaginative young teen all the way through his adult years, many who heard Avicii’s mixes felt he truly had a gift. He officially launched his music career in 2009 as a producer, and went on to achieve international fame.
His success skyrocketed, landing him spots on Billboard’s Hot 100 and Billboard’s Dance/Electronic Chart. He was nominated in 2012 for a Grammy for his hit songs “Sunshine” and “Levels.”
For the large majority of PC students who are familiar with Avicii’s music, or are big fans themselves, his passing calls for a time to listen and reminisce on some of his greatest hits.
“Levels,” was Avicii’s biggest hit record, catapulting him into the limelight. The dance track was released in 2011. “Levels” made it onto the Top 10 charts in over 15 countries. Featuring Etta James vocals and samples of her hit song “Something’s Got a Hold on Me,” the song mashed up with the oldies hit, bringing Avicii to center stage and labelling him a worldwide DJ.
“Wake Me Up” became an anthem for high school and college students everywhere with its release in June 2013. The song peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and went viral via the radio for the majority of that year, and is still widely played today.
“Hey Brother,” was one of Avicii’s most Americanized songs. Featuring vocals from bluegrass artist, Dan Tyminski, the dance track was saturated with the country genre. The popular music video features clips from the Vietnam War, and has amassed over one million likes on the site.
“Without You,” another one of Avicii’s top hits, was released in August 2017. The song features vocals from another Swedish artist, Sandro Cavazza. The slow beginning and beats that pick up at the chorus ring true to other Avicii hits; this hit reached the top of the charts. “Without You” was Avicii’s seventh Swedish No. 1 single.
Avicii had numerous other hits which surely many PC students will play after of his passing, such as, “The Nights,” “Lonely Together,” “I Could Be the One,” “Waiting for Love,” and more. Instead of mourning the amazing Swedish DJ’s loss, the music industry seeks to carry his legacy by continuing to listen to his beat-dropping mixes.
The Dating Project Aims to Redefine “Hookup Culture”
by Kerry Torpey on April 19, 2018
Arts & Entertainment
by Catherine Goldberg ’20
A&E Staff
The “hookup culture” on college campuses today is the social norm, but no one seems to talk about it. At Boston College, Professor Kerry Cronin teaches a philosophy course in which she gives students extra credit to go on “traditional dates” to recover the “lost art” of dating. Her philosophy class stoked a nationwide movement, and writer and producer Megan Harrington teamed up with Cronin and a group of five single people in Boston, New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago to release a new documentary The Dating Project.
The film was shown for one night on April 17 at various theaters across the nation and many theology, philosophy, and DWC professors at Providence College encouraged a number of students to go. Ultimately, the film is about discovering what it is like to be a young person amidst our current culture, and discovering our own self-worth when pursuing relationships. The film shows snippets of her philosophy course, in which she teaches on the different levels of dating.
She requires her students to ask the person they are pursuing out on a date face-to-face. She lays down rules for them, such as “if you ask, you pay!” By engaging with her students in a humorous and non-judgmental way, she is able to truly understand the problems of the culture.
When she notices that her students are surprised that they need to talk to a person face-to-face, she questions, “So, to talk one-on-one with someone in person is more difficult than having sex with someone you don’t know in the dark?” When the majority of students nod in agreement with red faces and embarrassed smiles, the contradiction of the “hookup culture” truly shines through. As her students attentively take notes and get excited to take on the project, it is obvious that many young people are lost when it comes to developing authentic relationships in this generation.
The documentary is especially appealing to the PC community, as college students are susceptible to the hookup culture that is so similar to that of Cronin’s workplace, Boston College. The way people seek and find love in this day and age has changed radically. The “hookup culture” has started trends of just hanging out, texting, engaging on social media, and having one night stand.
Because of this, dating has become practically outdated. Ultimately, what the film and Cronin are trying to do is start a movement to encourage students, and all people, to overcome the hookup culture and make beautifully fulfilling relationships.
In fact, a number of her students have gotten married after taking her course, just by the simple advice of going on a “traditional date.” Perhaps it is a project that seems simple on paper, but in reality it is daunting for college students. Pauline Media Reviews says the film “has the potential to create a cultural avalanche!” So get out there and #DateDifferently!
Review: Midnight Sun Fulfills Teen Drama Dreams
by The Cowl Editor on April 12, 2018
Arts & Entertainment
Catherine Goldberg ’20
A&E Staff
The box office has been in dire need of romantic teen dramas this spring, and March’s release of Midnight Sun has proven to be a success. One may see the latest romance as a cross between Tangled and The Fault in Our Stars, which nails the target market of girls from ages 12 to 20.
Midnight Sun is a remake of a popular Japanese film from 2006, Song to the Sun, that features a rare skin disease called xeroderma pigmentosum (XP).
The main character of the film, 17-year-old Katie Price, played by Bella Thorne, is diagnosed the one in a million disease. Katie has been cooped up in her home for the majority of her childhood and all of her teen years. The skin disease she has makes her body extremely sensitive to sunlight. When exposed to the sun for too long, her life is at risk.
Katie lives with her extremely protective father Jack, played by Rob Riggle, in a well-to-do Seattle suburb. Jack has taken every precaution in order to protect her from the sunlight, from heavy duty tinted windows to a minivan with top notch protection from dangerous UV rays. The audience learns in a conversation between Jack and Katie’s doctor that it is a miracle that she has survived for so long.
All her life, Katie imagines finding love with the man of her dreams. She has watched her neighbor, Charlie, played by Patrick Schwarzenegger, from her tinted bedroom window for years, and has always had a crush on him. To keep her safely inside, however, Katie’s father always encourages her to find solace in music by playing the guitar. He suggests she play her guitar at night, when the sun is down, at the small suburban train station stop.
One night, Katie is spotted by her crush when he is on the way home from a party. Charlie notices her musical talent and beauty, and in turn, asks her out. And so begins the infamous summer fling, which ultimately leads to them falling in love.
Their nightly summer adventures lead to Katie being introduced to a world larger than she has ever known as she meets new people and experiences new places. She keeps her disease a secret from Charlie, and it eventually puts her life at risk. She is left with a heartbreaking dilemma: whether she should continue dating her soulmate, Charlie, or stay within the comforts of her home to remain safe from the sun.
Rotten Tomatoes has deemed the film “a romantic tearjerker.” A Metacritic reviewer wrote, “Such a great film, I laughed, I cried, and I also enjoyed the music. Both Thorne and Schwarzenegger’s performances were outstanding.”According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film does “an effective job of tugging at vulnerable teenage hearts, while managing to provide a few laughs along the way. None of the film rings remotely true, but the two young leads are so darn attractive and appealing that one can’t help being caught up in their characters’ poignant romance.”
The film is surely not worth of an Academy Award nomination, but is a cheesy love story teens are destined to love. Grab a box of tissues and venture off to Providence Place Mall to find out what happens to the star crossed-lovers.
The Dropkick Murphy’s Continue to Dominate St. Patrick’s Day
by Kerry Torpey on March 15, 2018
Arts & Entertainment
by Catherine Goldberg ’20
A&E Staff
New England is known for its many citizens of Irish heritage and the celebration surrounding. Saint Patrick’s Day is the one day each year Irish people get to flaunt their love for their beloved culture. Many Providence College students are a part of this Gaelic group, and they leave the campus decked out in green every March 17.
One of the main ways these Irish lads and lassies celebrate the day is by listening to Irish and Gaelic music. Traditional Irish music is a full body experience as the upbeat tempos of the fiddles, flutes, and banjos compel you to jig and clap your hands. A favorite amid these Irish bands is The Dropkick Murphys.
The Dropkick Murphys are an American Celtic punk band straight out of Quincy, Massachusetts. The band officially signed with in 1996 and is known for locally touring throughout Boston, especially during their annual Saint Patrick’s Day week shows. The band is most famously known for their song “I’m Shipping Up to Boston.”
“I’m Shipping Up to Boston” is The Dropkick Murphys’ take on a folk song written by Woody Guthrie. The song is about a sailor who lost his leg in a crazy rigging accident. Now, the sailor is “shipping up to Boston” in order to find his wooden leg. Songfacts interviewed drummer Matt Kelly of The Dropkick Murphys, who told them how they were able to obtain the unpublished lyrics of the song from Guthrie.
They were honored to go through his lyrical archives and pick out the song, but say that they “had no business even being able to look at those lyrics,” which is why they went through with their own version of the song. Kelly claims that “there have been some big names that have been after those lyrics for decades. I know Springsteen’s been after ’em.”
Since The Dropkick Murphys are from Boston, the music is often associated with Boston sports teams. This song and “Tessie,” are favorites at Fenway Park, where they are often played at Boston Red Sox games.
“I’m Shipping Up to Boston” is also often played at the New England Patriots’ games at Gillette Stadium. The song was heard during the 2015 Super Bowl telecast when the Patriots took on the Seattle Seahawks and won on a late interception.
The song seems to take on a life of its own. As the banjo slowly starts off the song, more and more instruments stream in, compelling one to jig in a Celtic frenzy. The Dropkick Murphys’ hit song will definitely be making appearances on the PC campus this Saturday. Now when all you Friars hear “I’m Shipping Up to Boston” come on the speakers, you can dance with passion for that crazy sailor shipping off for his lost wooden leg.