Tag: Julia Vaccarella ’20
Winter in the City: Which Deserves a Visit During the Holidays?
by The Cowl Editor on November 30, 2017
Arts & Entertainment
by Julia Vaccarella ’20
A&E Staff
The temperature outside is beginning to get colder, and whether you are away from campus for the weekend or visiting during winter break, there are many events going on in New York City in the coming weeks and months.
Bank of America sponsors the Winter Village at Bryant Park each year. Visitors can ice skate outdoors in the park, which is the only rink with free admission in all of New York City. The park periodically runs themed skate nights, like Decades Night, for college students. They also offer discounts on skate rentals for anyone who brings a student ID.
With over 100 kiosks, the Winter Village is also a great place to buy one-of-a-kind items or get a head start on holiday shopping. Vendors sell artisanal and unique clothing items, as well as home decorations. The Winter Village also runs a variety of concession stands with coffee, sandwiches, and other snacks. A casual pop-up restaurant called Public Fare is conveniently located next to the ice skating rink.
Department stores throughout NYC have decorated the windows with light displays that remain through the end of December. Saks Fifth Avenue has adopted a Disney theme this year, displaying a castle and 14 animated scenes from Snow White. The Lord & Taylor storefront has five animated panels with one featuring the skyline of Manhattan. Other stores that participate in these displays include Macy’s, Tiffany & Co., and Barneys, spanning from 38th Street to 58th Street.
For anyone looking to escape the cold and do something inside, New York City is also home to many unique art museums. Located on the Upper East Side, the Metropolitan Museum of Art has two exhibits featuring Edvard Munch and Michelangelo.
“Michelangelo: Divine Draftsman and Designer” features a varied selection, from drawings to marble sculptures, while the Munch exhibition focuses on self-portraits and other works never before seen in the United States. Both exhibits are open until February 2018 and are included in the price of admission to the museum.
The New York Botanical Garden is sponsoring an attraction that uses plant parts like seeds, leaves, and twigs to create replicas of major landmarks, such as the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge.
Model trains will move through the recreated city, and this season’s show will also highlight several of Midtown Manhattan’s famous skyscrapers. An installation project called “Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors” will be displayed in the Upper East Side and at the David Zwirner Gallery in Chelsea through the middle of December. At 88 years old, Kusama’s work spans across many decades. Admission is free, but long lines are expected after the success of a similar project in Los Angeles.
Kusama’s main attraction, “Let’s Survive Forever,” includes mirrors that reflect around the room. The interactive exhibit also has two other rooms with color-changing lightbulbs, flowers, and more.
From ice skating to art museums, the Big Apple has something for everyone this winter.
by Alexis Jais ’18
A&E Staff
Sweet New England summers are the perfect opportunity to hit some of Cape Cod’s many beautiful beaches, hike in northern Rhode Island’s peaceful nature reservations, and spend an afternoon with a cold drink at a bayside restaurant. Autumn’s fleeting presence paints a breathtaking picture of the New England everyone knows and loves to admire. But come winter, we have to shelve some of our favorite summer and autumn pastimes as the snow begins to fall.
Those who have experienced more than a few winters in Providence are all too familiar with the charming and traditional wintertime activities Providence has to offer. Many enjoy ice-skating at the Alex and Ani center, taking a brisk walk by the river in January, and grabbing hot coffee at Blue State on Thayer Street. Even so, an hour’s bus or train ride and $25 will have any Providence College student ready to adventure to nearby winter hotspots in Boston.
Boston is one of the most historic destinations in New England and has so much more to offer than just summer fun. Even in the chilliest months, the Greater Boston area is home to a few rather extensive natural reservations including Blue Hills in Canton. On weeknights, you can ski the Hills for just $30 between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Sledding is free at the Boston Common and you can skate the Common’s Frog Pond for only $6. You can also take part in one of Boston’s many tree-lighting ceremonies for free. The one in Boston Common includes activities and games with prizes as well as refreshments. Others take place in Copley Square and the Commonwealth Mall.
Newbury and Boylston Street shops and restaurants have some of the most festive decor and lights, which make for a lovely winter stroll and the perfect place to get some holiday shopping done. If Boston’s winter weather is something you would rather avoid, the city has even more to offer indoors.
Irish pubs and historic taverns like the Union Oyster House seem to be around every corner throughout Boston, and offer a cozy and welcoming atmosphere to grab a drink or cup of New England clam chowder.
The Black Rose has a menu that combines New England favorites as well as classic Irish dishes. Bull McCabe’s has theme nights like $2 taco Tuesdays, and ‘pay-the-time’ for a burger and fries Monday through Friday.
Other indoor activities in the city like visiting the Museum of Fine Arts (free admission after 3 p.m. for ages 7-17) or strolling through Faneuil Hall to grab a bite and catch a glimpse of the famous 85-foot tree. All this will keep you warm while also allowing you to experience Boston at its fullest, even in the frosty winter months.
Whether you are up for braving the freezing wind this winter or would prefer to sit by the fire and watch the snowfall, Boston has something fun and inexpensive to offer for everyone’s wintertime fantasies.
New Music, New Members, and a New Sound for Maroon 5
by The Cowl Editor on November 16, 2017
Arts & Entertainment
by Julia Vaccarella ’20
A&E Staff
Maroon 5 fans worldwide are buzzing about the release of the band’s sixth studio album, Red Pill Blues, that was released Nov. 3. The 15 tracks on the deluxe version of the album reveal a different sound than the band has traditionally stuck to; Maroon 5 has come a long way since their rise to fame in the early 2000s, but Red Pill Blues certainly contains more pop does rock music.
Formerly a group of five, the band now has seven members, which the band makes public on the album cover. The title, Red Pill Blues, is an allusion to a scene during the popular film, The Matrix, in which the main character must choose between either a blue or red pill.
The album’s lead single, “What Lovers Do,” was released in August, and features a collaboration with the up-and-coming R&B singer SZA. Although it is partially offset by the vocals, this song indicated to fans early on that this album would be heavily influenced by the electronic genre.
Features account for six out of the 15 songs on the extended album, another new approach for the group. The album contains collaborations with rap artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Future, and A$AP Rocky.
Fans and critics have offered mixed responses to this drastic change in style. While some embrace this as a push towards more lively and upbeat tracks, others have condemned it as a mere strategy aimed at getting songs onto the charts.
Adam Levine the band’s lead singer, who is also a judge on The Voice, said, “I think that pop music has a level of sophistication that sometimes goes undetected. Releasing the right kind of songs at the right times is an extremely important and underappreciated art form—in my humble opinion.”
Metacritic, which rates songs on a scale up to 100, gives Red Pill Blues a 58, as compared to a score of 66 for the 2007 album It Won’t Be Soon Before Long. The album does have a few songs to offer anyone nostalgic for the Maroon 5 that produced “She Will Be Loved” and “Sunday Morning.”
“Denim Jacket,” for example, contains a much slower pace that echoes the ballads Maroon 5 was once known for. “Closure” is a fitting name for the last track on the album. The voices of Julia Michaels and Levine also work well together on “Help Me Out.”
As time passes, artists experiment by taking risks and adopting new sounds; Red Pill Blues is certainly a testament to this. “We would get bored if we tried to make Songs About Jane six times,” said guitarist James Valentine. The album is a departure from what listeners would expect and explicitly boasts of pop and electronic beats, which are still likely to hit top charts.
From here, fans can only hope that Maroon 5 maintains the unique sound that they go crazy for and that the group does not completely succumb to the mainstream trend.
Never Be Ashamed: Hit TV Series Shameless is Back and Better Than Ever
by The Cowl Editor on November 10, 2017
Arts & Entertainment
by Julia Vaccarella ’20
A&E Staff
After the rather somber conclusion that closed out season seven, Showtime’s award-winning series, Shameless, is now back once again for a highly-anticipated eighth installment. It was announced that the show would be renewed for an eighth season with 12 episodes just days after the season seven finale in 2016. Shameless, which is based on a series by Paul Abbott, resumes exactly where it left off with a major character’s untimely death and the aftermath of how the family will deal with this loss.
Previous seasons of Shameless have focused on the members of the dysfunctional Gallagher family: Frank, Fiona, Lip, Ian, Debbie, Carl, and Liam. Frank’s consistent absence forced his children to learn how to subsist on their own. The Gallaghers’ personal, family, and financial struggles while living in the South Side of Chicago have often driven them to engage in illegal and criminal activity to make ends meet.
With a lack of parental guidance from Frank (William H. Macy), the family’s oldest, Fiona (Emmy Rossum), takes on the responsibility of caring for her five siblings, despite having to consistently grapple with personal problems of her own.
It seems that season eight will encompass the theme of responsibility, a value that until now has been of unfamiliar importance for the Gallagher family. Fiona claims to have taken a break from dating and has instead assumed a role as the tenant of an apartment building.
Meanwhile, Frank is making yet another attempt to get his act together, but this time tries seeking out forgiveness for his past behaviors. Lip deals with the heavy issue of struggling with his addiction and Ian attempts to save a relationship that he now realizes he may have ruined in season seven.
Executive Producer John Wells indirectly confirmed that the idea pervades the new season. He says, “We’re not trying to do it with exactly a theme, but it’s true: as you grow older and you move from childhood into adulthood, you realize that you have responsibilities to more than yourself if you’re going to be successful.” Bringing up the complex maturation of such dysfunctional characters has sparked some conversation about how the show will conclude, and if this is, in fact, the final season.
With a steady increase in the show’s popularity, there is a chance that new episodes of Shameless will remain on Showtime for several more years. The first seven seasons of the show are available to Netflix subscribers, making Shameless more accessible to those who may not have Showtime. Despite this, each live episode continues to draw in over one million viewers.
Whether the overall plot that underlies season eight will result in these dramatic moral changes for the Gallagher family or cause certain characters to simply revert to their old ways is unknown. One thing for sure is that people will be watching to find out. Episodes of Shameless air weekly on Showtime, Sundays at 9 p.m.
Demi Lovato Opens Up About Mental Health in New Documentary
by The Cowl Editor on November 2, 2017
Arts & Entertainment
by Julia Vaccarella ’20
A&E Staff
Fall has very quickly taken New England captive with its awkwardly cold temperatures, vibrant leaves, and flannel stereotypes. Even in the intangible world of music, artists have been putting out records suited for casual hangout sessions rather than mass parties in the open air. However, with the return of punk-grunge band Weezer comes the return of summer.
In contrast with the hip-hop scene, Weezer sticks with its rock roots, targeting the ostracized high school geek in the band’s new album Pacific Daydream, released on Oct. 27.
As The New York Times mentions, the band is part of the “…rear-guard of the era when rock dominated pop, looking back fondly and analytically to dense psychedelic studiocraft and ignoring an era of blunt spoken-word catchphrases and programmed, stripped-down, earbud-ready MP3 tracks.” Thus, the album is filled with nostalgia, alluding to boy bands of old in “Beach Boys” and utilizing catchy, melodic choruses in “Feels Like Summer.”
However, the album is influenced by many more artists of the 1960s and 1970s, such as The Zombies, George Harrison, and Ted Rundgren.
Nevertheless, Weezer has undoubtedly surrendered to the trends of the modern musical era, using sped-up samples like Kanye West and working with producer Butch Walker, known for producing for big names like Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, and P!nk. His experience helps bring Weezer into the virtual pop scene with loops, arrangements, and programmed beats.
Rolling Stone gave the album 3 out of 5 stars, and noted their lead singer Rivers Cuomo intended for the band’s 11th studio album to be named The Black Album as a dark contrast to last summer’s LP The White Album. However, the writing process resulted in a theme of positivity.
On top of writing lyrics, Cuomo is the unchallenged genius behind the technical elements of the album, combining various riffs, chord progressions, and beats all in a Google Sheets program.
This combination of evoking loneliness and reflection through lyrics and musical discipline brings songs like “Get Right” and “Sweet Mary” to life. However, Rolling Stone calls the album “a little too overworked,” commenting, “Pacific Daydream’s edges are a little too smooth, its imperfections non-existent.” After all, the trademark of punk-grunge bands is a gritty rawness easily transferrable to live performances.
On the other hand, Newsday claims, “The band’s skills and ambitions lead to an impressive set of California-dreaming songs,” praising the atypical hip-hop grooves and ’80s R&B vibes present in Weezer’s newest album.
According to The Los Angeles Times, even Cuomo agrees, “To me this is the most different-sounding Weezer record ever. I’m so excited because we finally broke away from the downstroke eighth-note power-chord thing.”
Throughout the next couple of months, Weezer will be touring Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and the west coast of the United States. Without a doubt, Cuomo will pass over the Northeast on the Pacific Daydream tour since he is a born and raised New Englander.
Diwali Celebration Lights Up PC
by The Cowl Editor on October 26, 2017
Arts & Entertainment
by Julia Vaccarella ’20
A&E Staff
The annual holiday Diwali, the Festival of Lights, came alive at Providence College with a celebration on campus. Diwali is a widely celebrated holiday for Sikhs, Hindus, and Jains who observe it each year in various nations and cultures all over the world. The Festival of Lights serves to commemorate the triumph of good over evil, knowledge over ignorance, and hope over despair.
On the evening of Wednesday, October 20, lanterns were lit along Slavin Lawn as a celebration. The Office of Student Activities and Cultural Programming sponsored the event, which was open to PC students and the surrounding community. Its ultimate purpose was to showcase some of the rich array of traditions associated with Diwali and the many people who celebrate the holiday each year.
With tables set up outdoors for students, everyone enjoyed a variety of Indian foods. The food was catered by Kabob and Curry, a restaurant located on Thayer Street. The menu included traditional Indian cuisine such as samosas, basmati rice, pakora, and lentils.
Alongside henna tattoos, students also had the opportunity to decorate traditional Indian oil lamps known as Diya, which they were encouraged to take home at the end of the event. Other students painted colorful Rangoli patterns on the ground outside of Slavin Lawn using stencil templates.
Student Activities also offered music and dancing. Everyone enjoyed a forty-five minute Bollywood-style dance workshop by dancer Neha Sood. After her performance, students learned and practiced dance moves on their own. The celebration eventually came to a conclusion with sparklers.
It was the first Diwali event to be held at PC, and many participants had positive comments about its outcome. The event was another opportunity to incorporate cultural programming in events for PC students to enjoy.
Given that Diwali is a holiday that is so widely celebrated, Elizett Pires, the assistant director for the Office of Student Activities and Cultural Programming, attended the event and said that the main purpose of this particular celebration was to expose the students of PC to different cultures and traditions. The Diwali event brought members of the PC community together while providing an opportunity to learn more about Indian culture and tradition.
Not Your Average Doctor: The Good Doctor Puts a New Twist on Drama Series
by The Cowl Editor on October 19, 2017
Arts & Entertainment
by Julia Vaccarella ’20
A&E Staff
With the arrival of fall each year comes a stream of new television shows. Although it is still somewhat early in the season, audiences this year have been extremely receptive to the new ABC show The Good Doctor, which premiered on Sept. 25. Created by David Shore, who also worked on the hit series House, The Good Doctor seems to be the new best hospital drama on TV.
The Good Doctor stars 25-year-old Freddie Highmore, who has taken on the character of Dr. Shaun Murphy, a hopeful doctor recently hired as a surgical resident at St. Bonaventure Hospital in San Jose. Highmore has worked in both film and television over the years and is extremely well-known for his role as the main character Norman on Bates Motel, an A&E series which concluded in April of this year.
However, Shaun Murphy is not your average doctor, as he happens to have autism disorder and savant syndrome, a condition in which a person demonstrates extordinary campabilities that do not amount to the average human being. Therefore, this enables him to perform medical miracles because he sees things in an entirely different manner than other doctors.
The Good Doctor is one of several recent shows that focus on young people who have autism. In addition to The Good Doctor there is Atypical, a Netflix series released earlier this year. Both shows aim to illustrate the idea that people with autism can lead normal lives just like everyone else.
In the episodes released thus far, Highmore’s character must navigate through difficulties in communication and social norms, which are important qualities for doctors. He must also face the stigma associated with autism, which is represented most directly by the other doctors on the show.
Another cast member of the The Good Doctor is Richard Schiff, who plays Dr. Aaron Glassman, president of St. Bonaventure Hospital. Glassman has known Murphy since he was a child and shows confidence in his abilities. He serves as Shaun’s biggest advocate and is essentially the person responsible for getting the rest of the hospital board to hire him and give him a chance at becoming a great surgeon.
A big part of the success surrounding The Good Doctor comes from the fact that neurotypicals (those who do not have autism) are interested in watching media that portrays people with autism and learning more about the complexities of it.
Lisa Goring, the mother of an autistic boy and director of the Family Services program at Autism Speaks, tells TV Guide, “We‘re excited people with autism [are] being portrayed.“
On the night the first episode aired, The Good Doctor ranked as ABC’s most watched Monday drama debut in 21 years, replacing Dangerous Minds, which aired September 1996.
The show also had the highest rating in the 18-49 age category in over eight years. With these remarkable ratings, it is evident that The Good Doctor is a must watch.
Wonderful Wonderful: The Killers’ New Album Slays the Charts
by The Cowl Editor on October 5, 2017
Arts & Entertainment
by Julia Vaccarella ’20
A&E Staff
Despite widespread rumors that the group had agreed to part ways altogether, The Killers are back again. With the recent debut of their fifth studio album Wonderful Wonderful on Sept. 22, the Las Vegas natives are once again topping the charts.
The Killers are notably recognized for their explosion into the alternative music scene in the early 2000s. Some of their most popular songs include “Mr. Brightside” and “Somebody Told Me,” both of which come off an earlier album entitled Hot Fuss (2004).
The lead-up to the release of Wonderful Wonderful was initiated by frontman Brandon Flowers and guitarist Dave Keuning. In 2015, the band started planning the album and spent time recording from September 2016 to May 2017. Wonderful Wonderful boasts 10 songs, all of which are absent of features. In total, the record has a 43 minute duration.
Prior to the Sept. 22 release of the entire album, The Killers released and performed two singles on this album, “The Man” and “Run for Cover,” both of which were available on iTunes and other music streaming platforms.
Metacritic, a music review site which bases its ratings on a variety of sources, has assigned Wonderful Wonderful a rating of 71 on a scale of 1 to 100.
Critical rating aside, Flowers has commented on his own personal attachment to the album. He stated to a source at Entertainment Weekly, “In your head it’s about being tough and bringing home the bacon, but what I’ve come to find is it’s really more about empathy and compassion.” In a Rolling Stone article from August, Flowers said that he “put [in] more of an effort to be more personal on this record.”
On the album, Flowers explores the struggles that he and his wife have faced in coping with her depression and post traumatic stress disorder, which is heard particularly on the track “Rut.”
“Tyson vs. Douglas” also adopts the emotionality that is present in all of the songs of Wonderful Wonderful. Here, Flowers sings about the 1990 fight between Buster Douglas and Mike Tyson, which he watched as a young boy. The song explores the vulnerability of childhood and what it is like to see the demise of someone who was one time revered as an undefeatable hero.
The Killers’ tour officially kicks off on Oct. 8 at Austin City Limits in Austin, Texas, and will conclude internationally in Melbourne, Australia, on May 5, 2018.
With the positive reception of Wonderful Wonderful, fans are hopeful that The Killers will continue to create and perform new music.
This Year’s IT Movie: The New and Improved IT Movie That Has Everyone Talking
by The Cowl Editor on September 28, 2017
Arts & Entertainment
by Julia Vaccarella ’20
A&E Staff
Since its Sept. 8 release, the cinematic remake of Stephen King’s 1986 novel, IT, has caused a profound explosion in the box office.
IT has even surpassed The Exorcist (1973) as the highest-grossing horror film in the United States.
Starring Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise the Dancing Clown, IT centers on Bill Denbrough (Jaeden Lieberher) and his friends and takes place in Derry, Maine, a suburban town with a history of disasters involving children.
The film follows their battle to defeat Pennywise, who depends upon the fears of the children within Derry as a means of power. Bill and his friends discover a pattern between the incidents themselves and a consistent period in between them.
IT has been greatly revered in comparison to the original television production of the same name, which aired in 1990. The film released this year is presented as a reference to the return of Pennywise himself. As in the plot of King’s original text, Pennywise is speculated to reemerge in Derry every 27 years.
Much of the appeal for the 2017 version comes specifically from Director Andy Muschietti’s vision to create a more chilling adaptation of IT than the miniseries. Muschietti has made a name for himself within the horror genre through prior involvement directing Mama (2013), based on his own 2008 short film.
Marketing advantages like the Internet and social media, which were not accessible in 1990, have also played an integral role in the popularity of IT.
Trailers for IT had millions of views even before the movie was released and various memes of Pennywise have circulated through communication platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Although the debate between book versus film continues, one thing is for sure regarding this film: a lot of people want to see it.