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Going Solo

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How passionate students of the arts respond to class cancellations, part I 

Nalani Brown (any pronouns) is a sophomore dance student pursuing an independent study in choreography instead of taking Composition II, a course that didn’t run as planned this term due to insufficient enrollment. 

His group piece draws on an exploration of isolation he did while taking Composition I titled “A Study in Longing” as well as an innovative idea he was excited to flesh out in Composition II: a dance film about the sexualization of the Black body consisting almost exclusively of closeups on dancers’ hands with an occasional torso. He can’t execute his vision exactly as expected, but “it’s so interesting how dynamic hands can be,” he effuses. Though the dance is not restricted solely to hand gestures, the motif provides just enough of a limitation that it challenges Nalani to find new angles to familiar movement vocabulary.

To construct her work, Nalani devises phrases before getting into the studio with her cast. This enables her maximization of the 90-120 minutes per week she gets together with them. She recognizes that the most knowledgeable person about anyone’s body is the individual it belongs to, expressing that if there is a trick someone doesn’t know how to do yet, she invites them to figure it out on their own during rehearsal. She also acknowledges the gravity of pain, promising dancers that if something they attempt in practice hurts, it will not be in the final piece. While this seems like a logical approach to many, pain is often ignored in US concert dance culture. Nalani explains that this more human outlook means dancers are much more willing to try anything at least once without fear that it will be necessary for their participation.

In reflecting on the process, Nalani admits that the scholarly side of dance making demystifies the artform. Rather than being carried in any direction he may fancy, he has qualitative goals he intends to achieve. 

“Things have to continue to progress the way that I’ve planned them to a degree, and I think that’s made it easier for me to work as an artist because I also don’t have to live in that nebulous state that many artists live in where you go, ‘Maybe it’s never done.’ I know it’s done when my objective’s been reached and the piece reached the length that I said it would be. It sucks cause it’s adding capitalism into art, but it’s already there… and it may be effective.” 

He comments that while this attitude is not romantic, it creates a distance between himself and the work that is beneficial to his mental health; this independent study does not interrupt his sleep like past works have, nor will his soul be at stake when he submits the piece for grading.

Unlike Composition II students, Nalani is not guaranteed a final performance of their work—they are merely conducting research. They will submit their group piece for adjudication to hopefully be viewed in the fall concert this November, and will also contend to represent Goucher at the American College Dance Association conference series in 2024.

By Tess Seibert ’25

Image courtesy of Getty Images

Food for Thought

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An illustration representing collected quotes from the Goucher student body regarding their dining experience.

By Sam Rose ’26

Saturn

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CW: The following work contains graphic descriptions of cannibalism and body horror.

Oh father, what a

Corrupted God you are.

Picked me up like a toy,

And concealed my screams.

Oh father, such a

Hungry God you are.

You stare at my body

With your cold and dead eyes.

Oh father, what an

Ugly titan you are.

With your dry white hair 

Your exposed ribcage.

Oh father, don’t you hear 

My skull crack?

Blood drips on 

Your neck like red wine.

Oh father, you are

A God fueled with rage.

You want to have me as a snack.

All because I wanted to take your throne.

Oh father, what

A mad God you are.

Swallowed my limbless corpse,

I joined with my siblings inside your abyss.

A Lesson In Minding Your Business -Evil Dead Rise Review 

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Horror fans know that 2022 was a banner year for the genre, with successful titles like Pearl, Smile, X, Bodies Bodies Bodies, and my personal favorites: Speak No Evil and Incantation. If you’re like me, coming into 2023 the horror we’ve gotten is simply “ok”. While I believe that we still have months to improve for the genre, Evil Dead Rise is a good start.

The film is successful for a few reasons. One being that the performances are very effective, believable and just plain creepy. Part of that is definitely accredited to the writing and director Lee Cronin, but the actors provided stellar (and scary) performances without breaking the small bits of comedy and camp that the original Evil Dead movies are known for. 

Alyssa Sutherland kills (literally) in her role as the newly possessed mother Ellie. I will forever be scarred by the kitchen scene delivered by Gabrielle Echols as Bridgette. Also, I am forever appreciative of the casting team for giving us Nell Fisher as Cassie – child actors are always hit or miss in movies with this tone (looking at you, Sinister) but Fisher’s performance was realistic, tense and at times extremely heartwarming. 

The film is also successful because of its clever use of practical and VFX, the blend between the two is so seamless, that the gore looks almost too good. Some horror viewers may overlook the cinematography and score for Evil Dead Rise but both add to the eerie ambiance of the plot, the movie tells us exactly what to feel even when not much is going on. There’s a certain self awareness to Evil Dead Rise that a lot of fans will appreciate, aside from the overall “Sam Raiminess” of it all, the special nods to previous Evil Dead movies and even The Shining were a nice subtle touch. 

As far as plot, what I can appreciate about this movie is that it gives us someone flawed to root for. It also pushes the themes of daily relationships and motherhood in the relationships between Ellie and her children, and later Beth (Lily Sullivan) and Cassie when we find out that Beth is pregnant. This surprisingly doesn’t feel like a trope, and by the end we’re rooting for the final girls as a family. 

My biggest gripe is with Dani’s character, played by Morgan Davies. While I celebrate having queer coded characters do something other than exist to be queer in this movie, I wish Dani was just a more intelligent character. Dani’s discovery is the most trope-reliant part of the movie for me. This entire plot would cease to exist if Dani would have simply minded their business or practiced safe behaviors, which they are completely capable of making practical decisions later on in the film. 

Ultimately, Evil Dead Rise is a solid film. It’s short run time gives watchers the perfect afternoon scare while being thoroughly packed with action, kills, and emotion. It’s sitting at around a 3.5/5 on Letterboxd as of publishing, and an 84% on Rotten Tomatoes, although these are respectable ratings from the theater audiences, you could stand to watch it at home if it hits streaming as well. 

Goucher Students Bring Perspective to New Walters Museum Exhibit

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This April the Walters Art Museum of Baltimore debuted their new exhibit, Across Asia: Arts of Asia and the Islamic World. The exhibition features three new galleries, each focused on a different region: East Asia, South and Southeast Asia, and the Islamic World. Containing over 600 works that span over 5,000 years, Across Asia is the result of years of work from curators, museum staff, museum supporters, and more recently, the Walters’s new College Student Advisory Group (CSAG). 

Containing twelve college students from five Maryland campuses, the College Student Advisory’s Group’s main goal is to bring a fresh, youthful perspective to a field that is typically dominated by older experts and academics. Two Goucher students, Amy Kornberg ‘25 and Bronwyn Burke ‘24, served on the advisory group, which was tasked with developing Community Voice labels for specific objects and planning the College Takeover, a community event at the Walters. Both Kornberg and Burke found out about the opportunity through professors at Goucher, who encouraged them to apply. 

“Since I’m an Asian Studies minor, I thought that it would be interesting to learn about different [Asian] arts and artforms, and engage with that. And the application process was fairly easy,” Kornberg noted. 

“I’m from the city, so I grew up going to the Walters Museum. I’ve been there probably a hundred times, and I’m not being sarcastic when I say that that,” Burke said, “so I was like, ‘yes, this is what I want to do.’”

Peter Ibenana, the David Hischorn Head of Community Engagement at the Walters Museum, had the idea for CSAG. “The Walters is really working to bring in more community perspectives and community voices to its exhibitions and installations, but [college students were] not identified at the time,” Ibenana said, speaking to the original inspiration that led to the group’s formation.

The students in the group were contracted for 6 two-hour meetings, the first three of which pertained to Community Voice labels, with the second three being focused on organizing community events. The College Takeover – the event the group organized – featured different community engagement methods, including a zine created by the group, a photo booth, and a button-making activity. For the Community Voice labels, group members teamed up and picked certain objects in the exhibit to write about from a college student perspective. 

Kornberg’s group wrote about an ancient scholar’s desk from the East Asian gallery, and Burke wrote with one other student about a case of ivory statues depicting Jesus Christ from the South and Southeast Asian gallery. Kornberg said that the process of writing was “hard, but it was cool, because we got to hear each other’s stories, and how they connected to the object, and kind of meld them into one. It was hard though, because everyone has such different stories.” 

Burke agreed with Kornberg on the difficulty of the task: “the process initially was very difficult because [my group partner] and I have very different backgrounds. Trying to synthesize our voices into one… was difficult, but rewarding in the end when we came up with the final project,” she said. “We could still be in touch with our own experiences, but it worked well together.”

Burke and Kornberg both felt like the experience of being on CSAG taught them a lot, even if they do not envision themselves working in the field as a career, as is true for Kornberg. “I think that working with other people, that was a good life lesson for me personally, because I’m such an introvert, so talking to other people is hard. Being kind of forced to talk to them gave me an outlet to say ideas and opinions,” she said. 

As a history major with a minor in historic preservation and visual material culture, museum work is right up Burke’s alley. “I learned more about just how long it takes to put an exhibit together, the process, and sort of the background of a museum… I plan on going into library sciences and archival work, so this is already on the horizon [for me],” she said.

Ibenana’s takeaway from the College Student Advisory Group shows a rich vision for the next generation of museum curators. “If there’s anything I would want [CSAG] to take away, [it would be] to not just reimagine not just museums, but understand how spaces can be hubs for collaboration and engagement” Ibenana explained. 

He acknowledged that while the Walters Museum is looking to make some changes with additions like CSAG, there is only so much that can be done with a traditional museum that is nearly one-hundred years old. Nevertheless, he hopes that bringing young perspectives to a space like the Walters will not only spark change within the institution, but that it will inspire the next generation to truly think outside of the box. 

“What I would want them to do is not to come in and become carbon copies of us,” he said, “But to come in, learn some things, and do something different in your time. Do something completely different. Do something that doesn’t look the same as this, because that’s what’s going to bring in a lot more people to have conversations about these things.”

The Walters Art Museum’s Across Asia: Arts of Asia and the Islamic World is free and open to the public. The galleries span the entire fourth floor of the museum, with a small exterior section dedicated to contemporary Asian artists. The Walters Art Museum is open Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Thursday from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. 

Repertory Dance Ensemble

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On Friday, April 21, Kraushaar Auditorium and the Dorsey Center filled with families, students, and movement. The Goucher Repertory Dance Ensemble Spring Concert held that weekend featured a variety of different art that showcased the talent and technique of the Goucher Dance Department. 

The show, which consisted of six performances, featured compositions from both Goucher students and visiting artists. The show was not limited to live media and also included the dance film Flow: Cherished moments in movement by Halley Price ‘23.

Artist Rosie Herrera’s piece started off the show. It was a creative insight into the minds of the dancers as they were given the chance to shape the piece around their own expression. In the second act, choreographer Maurice Brandon Curry’s dance arrangement  A Classical Gas played with the traditional conventions of ballet and had some fun with it. Curry’s composition, backed by Vivaldi and Yo-Yo Ma, had dancers in tux inspired costumes show off their ballet skills and their theatrical senses of humor. Which included confetti, shouting, and bee stings. He dedicated it to the dancers who brought it to life. 

Leah Gabrielle ‘23 presented A Choreopoem for the Angry black women stuck in Time; being black while hiding why I am angry, which she wrote and choreographed. This stand out piece presented Gabrielle performing her poetry while dancers moved in rhythm on stage. The piece was artfully moving and with the intermission immediately following, it inspired much conversation in the audience. 

Gabrielle explained in the program,“I want to show not just the pain and progress but the joy that is found when we choose to see the world in front of us and the perceptions of those who don’t understand us and maybe never will.” The last poem which places Gabrielle alone wrapped in gold addressing the audience directly was particularly brilliant and bold. “This is for the Black women who have never felt understood; it is for the angry Black women they have made us out to be.”

Sam Koseff’s ‘25 composition The Fool features a dynamic and emotional performance  from Laura Juda ‘23, Emma McAlpine ‘23, and Willa O’Connor ‘26. The piece, set to the music standard “Send in the Clowns, is a moody and visually masterful work–and a wonderful and captivating choreographic debut for the sophomore artist. 

As an explosive finish to the showcase,  Je ne sais quoi by Mustapha Braimah beautifully and joyfully celebrated the roots and innovation of African dance. The largest piece in the show, the dancers each wore unique custom costumes by a Ghanaian seamstress making the stage an all out celebration of movement and color. Braimah wrote in the program that the piece, “reflects the conscience and legacies that we’re all a part of and the universal journey that each person takes to find – and share– their passion.” Goucher is one of a select number of schools in North America that requires proficiency in West African dance, and the dancers displayed far more than simply proficiency when they brought Braimah’s choreography to life. 

Creativity and expression is at the heart of Goucher, and the students in the dance department are cultivating a community that encourages unique and meaningful experiences. Next time you have an opportunity to watch a show, take it, it will definitely be worth your time. 

By Athena Perry ’26

Goucher Debuts 21st Annual Student Art Showcase

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The 21st-Annual Goucher College Student Art Showcase debuted this week in the Rosenberg Gallery, displaying the hard work and endless creativity of the Goucher College studentry. From silent films to stained glass, the new exhibit contains a wide range of mediums, both traditional and nontraditional. With 75 artists featured, this year’s showcase is an extensive look at the diverse and exciting culture of artistic expression at Goucher.

Upon entering the exhibit, viewers are greeted by a vibrantly-colored, three-headed humanoid creature floating next to the gallery title, a pencil on paper illustration by Shahadah Tobias. The three heads each don a different expression, a fitting introduction to the wide array of emotions that onlookers will experience while walking through the showcase. On the same wall is a television monitor that loops through six different student films, including the aforementioned silent film, as well as music videos, animations, and an overdubbed scene from the FOX comedy series Brooklyn Nine-Nine (a piece that is much better seen in person than described in writing). 

The rest of the showcase does not fail to impress, with highlights such as the photorealistic watercolor paintings of Hannah Kraenbring, the wearable cloth works by Robert Graham and Bel Rosenthal, and the handmade Scooby Doo and KAWS rugs by Mark Martin. 

Of course, this is only scratching the surface of the talent exhibited in this year’s showcase. To cover all of it in one article would not only take pages and pages, but it would also do a disservice to the artists whose work should be seen in person to truly appreciate and experience it. If you want to support Goucher students, seeing this year’s Student Art Showcase is a must. It not only gives one an opportunity to see their peers’ hard work on display, but it also promotes the artistic culture of Goucher College that made it the school it is today. Those are causes that are always worth supporting. 

The Open Reception for the 21st Annual Student Art Showcase is Thursday, April 27th from 6-8pm. Over 100 students submitted work, which was first judged by Goucher’s Studio Art faculty. Baltimore based artist and educator Christina McCleary is this year’s juror who will award the first, second, and third place prizes. You can find the showcase in the Rosenberg Gallery in the Dorsey College Center.

GBSU’s Showcase Offers Electrifying Performances, Transcending Genres 

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Dozens of students descended upon Merrick Lecture Hall on Friday evening to witness the Goucher Black Student Union’s first annual Student Showcase, filling almost all of the room’s 228 seats. Pockets of family members, faculty, and staff also populated the audience. 

With Goucher’s cooling system still kicking into gear, the evening’s warmth made for an even hotter environment inside the lecture hall, but students still crowded in to see and support the various performers. 

Hosts Jordan Abrams ‘25 and Olivia Alexander ‘24, who serve as GBSU’s Event Coordinator and Treasurer, respectively, were charismatic as they introduced each act and solicited audience participation during the show’s contests. 

Abrams characterized the showcase as an evening of Black excellence, featuring talented performers and artists across genres. The packed program was balanced out with each type of performance alternating with others. 

Left: Rapper KDCD performs his original song “Day Ones”, Middle: Shawn Pelote sings “Mango” by KAMAUU (feat. Adeline), Right: Naomi shares her original poem “Black in the Moon” / Photos by Amita Chatterjee

Goucher’s own Ann West ‘25 allured the audience in her enchanting dance to Rihanna’s Desperado, followed by designer Yovanna Bueno’s ‘24 hand-crafted crochet pieces, which were shown in a runway walk of 10 models. 

Shawn Pelote ‘25 eloquently sang “Mango” by KAMAUU (feat. Adeline), hitting exquisite high notes, and first-years Trichelle White, Michelle Hill, and Sierra Stokes later put on an upbeat, willowy dance to Drake’s “Get It Together” (feat. Black Coffee and Jorja Smith). 

Two other model walks featured original designs by Antonio Tyler and styled looks by GBSU President Shamira Morgan ‘23 and Vice President Esperanza Tyler ‘23. Each runway had a new dynamic to it, with models strutting in different formations and at times dancing or utilizing the first row of seats to make each act unique from the others.  

The showcase also featured Black artists from the surrounding area, including rappers Kijaay, Trillbino, YungTheoryy, and KDCD, and spoken-word poet Naomi, who all attend Towson University. 

The crowd lights up their flashlights during Kijaay’s performance of his song “Walk It Freestyle”

Every element of the showcase was taken into consideration. The tech crew crafted harmonious lighting to accompany each act and set the mood for the performance, and refreshments were available to attendees. A delectable playlist was paired with and in between each element of the program, exciting the audience and characterizing every dance and model walk.  

Not only did the event provide thrilling performances on a campus that is typically a ghost town on the weekend, but it offered opportunities for students to show their non-academic talents and local artists to get more exposure. Perhaps even more uniquely, it created collaboration and intercommunal interaction between Goucher and our neighbor, Towson University. 

The showcase was organized by the GBSU executive board, which consists of the members listed above as well as External Ambassador Ty’Aria Johnson ‘23, Internal Ambassador ‘25, Secretary Aeon Edwards ‘24, Social Media Manager Manny Vidal ‘25, and Marketing and Outreach coordinator Lily L’Oiseau ‘26, many of whom also participated in the show.

Feature image of Trichelle White, Michelle Hill, and Sierra Stokes’ dance by Amita Chatterjee

Hold Them Accountable: An Interview With DOCC President Leah Gabrielle 

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On December 10th, 2022, I was a dancer and choreographer in a showcase with the Dancers of Color Coalition (DOCC). During the finale of the show, the DOCC stood shoulder to shoulder. President Leah Gabrielle Carroll (23) and other members of the DOCC read a document detailing the racist behaviors and discrimination from Goucher dance faculty and staff. Subsequently, they read a list of demands to hold the Goucher dance department and administration accountable. Later, an email with the document was released to the student body and faculty. 

Just over two months after the document was released, Leah and I sat down to talk more about the college’s efforts and the student body’s overall response. This incident has prompted a series of actions and an investigation, and there will be updates forthcoming. 

Was there any big catalyst for writing the document or was it just that you had enough? 

“I think in terms of last semester the biggest catalyst was in… [a] modern class, in prior years there has always been consistent reporting involving… [the professor’s] teaching style and how… [they] ran… [their] classes so… [they] had already been on the registrars or provosts roster for getting reported by students and honestly… [they were] just talked about in general…”

Leah continued on to explain how… [the professor] had students watch a film, and opened the discussion to talk about the racist themes within the film which made students “uncomfortable.” [The professor] then turned the assignment into a paper, to which some students from the predominately white class reported the assignment, and [the professor]… to the registrar. 

“That really set people off…I think the fact that [they] turned a discussion-based assignment into a research-based assignment really just made everyone go on a fritz…professors were telling students to report [the professor]….” 

“After that happened it only took people about a month before they started to talk about professor [Mustapha] Braimah in that regard and disrespecting his name and what he’s done and even how he speaks and his accent. There were just various things that happened to professors of color that were not happening to white professors, and they [the white professors] have repeatedly done that are what I would argue are more on the racist end than what… [the other professor] did.” 

What do you think about the reactions after the email was sent? 

“I think as far as the response from professors and administrations saying that they were wholeheartedly behind us felt performative. Not hearing back from Kent [Devereaux] was the first thing that we expected. As far as the students, I definitely felt the student support from my support system and my people within the DOCC, I even had some mentors that saw the piece I put in the showcase and read the letter and he commended me for that and that felt good, that was a lot. I feel like the most unexpected thing was just hearing and getting the second win of all of the conversation behind me about the DOCC being a ‘dancer-oriented organization’.” 

Carroll went on to explain her disappointment that the general population thought the DOCC should not act “politically” although the “of color” part of the “dancers of color coalition” is supposed to be a statement in itself.

After leaving the initial performance I heard conversations between parents and faculty stating that the finale of the show was “unprofessional” and “not necessary,” backed up by comments like “why can’t they just dance?”. 

Photo from the DOCC showcase courtesy of Nia Anthony

Why do a public reading and then send the demands? Was there a strategy behind that?

“As far as sending out the demands, I wanted that to go to as many people as possible. I mean the reason it took so long is that I was trying to figure out how to attach as many students as I could. I was literally running through my friend’s lists of friends and asking them to think about people in their classes. I just wanted it to be common knowledge, we wanted to make sure people had access to this information. It’s always been customary at the end of DOCC shows to do some kind of performative piece, I found it so funny when you told me about people saying the show was political because DOCC shows have always been political, it’s always been about politics.” 

Did people reach out to you after the letter was released looking for support? 

“Literally when we came back to campus I had a lot of people want to meet, sit down and talk under the guise of study abroad or catching up but people have been coming to me, some of the issues even about tenure professors or classes.” 

What about your legacy as DOCC president, and what are your hopes for when you move on? 

“Honestly, it still kind of feels like I’m the new kid in DOCC, being the president has not really sunk in. I’ve been really committed to trying to make sure that this is generational. I love the past DOCC presidents… they did not leave me with a lot of advice or a lot of know-how, so there’s a lot that I want to do in terms of preparation to ensure the DOCC keeps running as an organization. In terms of leaving a legacy, I never expected to get this much attention with this club, it’s always a hope to join the BSU and do a protest and I wholeheartedly came here to do that…I kind of got snagged by the DOCC and I really appreciate them for treating me like family so as much as it doesn’t feel like a large legacy to me, I’ve been able to contribute to the legacy started in 2016 and it’s continued to nurture.” 

Leah has stated that following the letter’s release that she has been in communication with President Kent Devereaux to work on the demands, but said there is little progress to be seen right now.

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