05/08/09 Intermission [pdf]

inside

Meet B.J. Novak of “The Office” fame and relax at a boba cafe this weekend...page 3 “Star Trek” blazes a new trail in the genre of space movies...pages 4-5 A look back at last weekend’s Charity Fashion Show...page 8 A recap of the New Orleans Jazz Festival...page 9 Cantor presents its new exhibit, “Pop to Present”...page 10 Advice on which airline to choose for this summer’s travels...page 12

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FRIDAY

5.08.09 stanford’s weekly guide to campus culture

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a publication of the stanford daily

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Happy Mothers’ Day! ALSO INSIDE

Beam me up, “Star Trek!” Intermission raves about the franchise reinvention

INTERMISSION REVIEWS “B E N T,” A STAMP P R O D U C E D P L AY O N Q U E E R RIGHTS AND HOLOCAUST PERSECUTION

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Photo courtesy Paramount Pictures

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Michael Rooney

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HOW TO BE A

RECESSIONISTA

Like most people, you probably don’t have a ton of extra pocket money to go out and spend on new clothes. That’s all right — frugal fashion does exist, and Intermission is about to introduce some ways to make the old clothes that you’d long ago discounted new and fresh again!

BLEACH YOUR JEANS We all own those jeans that we wore to death three years ago but now sit untouched in the back of the closet, or those cheap Target jeans we regret buying. Now’s the time to put them back into use! All you need is some bleach, water and a spoon/towel/toothbrush. Photo courtesy jakandjil.com • Mix 2/3 water, 1/3 bleach. • Take everything outside. Use a toothbrush to scrub the bleach onto the denim for a detailed effect, or use a towel to rub it down if you want to cover bigger areas. Or just use a spoon to splash it on. Put a newspaper in between the front and the back if you only want to bleach one side. • Alternatively you can also do this in the bathtub if you want your jeans to really change shades. Fill your bathtub with the bleach mix, and soak those pants for 30 minutes to an hour. • Then throw the jeans into the washer!

...THEN GO AT THEM WITH SCISSORS Instead of shelling money on some new shorts, why not just hack at jeans that you already own? There are actually a lot of ways you can transform a pair of jeans into shorts (for girls anyway), and here are some of them!

The Sydney Cut Pretty simple: instead of cutting your jeans evenly, cut in a diagonal so that the shorts will be shorter at the outer sides — kind of like bootyshorts but not quite. If you want a frayed effect, use a pocket knife or just your hands to pick at the loose threads as much as possible.

Add some decoration! Here are some ideas • Add studs to the belt-loops. 1/4 Standard Pyramid Studs from www.crustpunks.com would be perfect. • Use a hole-puncher to punch holes into the denim, and loop chains or old necklaces through the holes. • Sharpie away! If you’re good at illustrations, why not doodle on your jeans? — joanna Xu contact joanna: [email protected]

FRIDAY

5.08.09

MANAGING EDITOR Joanna Xu

LAYOUT EDITOR Jin Yu

BONE TO PICK?

COPY EDITOR Samantha Lasarow

DESK EDITORS Annika Heinle

photos by joanna xu

Kyle Evaldez

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well then, email us! [email protected]

PHOTO EDITOR Amanda Zhang

THAT’S WHAT B.J. NOVAK SAID! rowded into a small auditorium, an audience waited in ravenous anticipation for the comedic talents of B.J. Novak, a writer, producer and actor of NBC’s hit show “The Office.” The line outside for students sans tickets stretched 50 bodies long, while students lucky enough to score tickets during the week filed into Annenberg Auditorium. The air was humming with expectation when the ASSU Speakers Bureau finally opened the show and introduced the two warm-up acts, both of whom are close friends of Novak from college. Steve Jabson served as the MC and started a round of bawdy humor. Dan Mintz, a writer for Comedy Central’s “Important Things With Demetri Martin,” had an amusingly deadpan manner. His jokes, however, sounded like rejects from Collegehumor.com. Fortunately, the opening acts were brief, and when Novak walked out on stage the crowd erupted with applause. His first joke, a “That’s what she said,” won laughs from the audience as a Pavlovian response. Later jokes about Ben Franklin also recalled the TV show and the memorable episode when Jim hires a Franklin impersonator. Novak sur-

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prised the audience by pulling an adorable frog hand puppet out of his briefcase for a sketch called “shy puppet.” The awkward humor in the puppet too hesitant to deliver a joke was part entertaining and part uncomfortable, not unlike the atmosphere in “The Office.” Novak pulled off countless one-liners with gusto. Two memorable ones were: “I bet a crack house starts out as a really good party,” and “My girlfriend’s body is like poetry — it bores me.” Among clever witticisms about sleeping, flying, pandas and Wikipedia, Novak’s Spring Cleaning — a clearing-out of jokes from years past that were written on note cards — stole the show. If the audience didn’t respond to a joke, Novak would literally toss it into a garbage can on the stage. Yet he wasn’t tossing many, as nearly all his quips elicited roars of laughter from the crowd. With jokes about topics like Trident, Novak’s comedy stings like a bee and then sticks with you. Mr. Novak’s positive interactions with the crowd were showcased when he handed his cards out to fans, notably when an audience member was the only one in the room to giggle at a particular joke. “Mr. Novak was really funny, a true professional, in command of every second on stage,” says Michael Brandt ‘11, president of Spiked PunchLine, Stanford’s stand-up troupe. Brandt was especially keen on Mr. Novak’s on-stage jokes about “The Office” as calling it “the elephant in the room.” Similarly, Bjorn Roach ‘11, who is a big fan of the show, thought Novak’s performance was “funny, and he was a lot different from his character in ‘The Office.’” Keeping with the animal theme, bears were the real winner of the

night, according to Jeremy Keeshin ‘12, one of the founders of the Stanford Flipside, whose favorite jokes were those that revolved around polar bears and pandas. After the show, Novak took time to meet people from various on-campus groups. Signing autographs and taking pictures before he left to go hang out at Blue Chalk in Palo Alto, Novak commented that he was quick to dye his hair back from the bleach-blonde featured on “The Office.” — Meghan BERMAN contact meghan: [email protected]

photos by michael rooney

THE ubble Tea. Pearls. Tapioca. Boba. Terms like these get Stanford students primed for a delightful study break to one of the area’s several pearl milk tea establish-

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ments. For the initiated, pearl milk tea is a sweet tea of sorts usually made with milk and various flavorings ranging from fruit to root. The pearls, referred to as boba, are the most recognizable part of the drink. These thick, chewy balls are commonly made of sweet potatoes, tapioca (cassava root) and brown sugar. About 15 minutes from campus, on downtown Mountain View’s happening Castro Street, students are presented with a delicious dilemma regarding boba tea — there are two cafes serving the stuff photos courtesy www.pho78florida.com

BEST BALLS IN TOWN! on opposite sides of the street. Where should you go? Intermission is here to help you out. At the junction of Villa & Castro, turning left will take you to Tapioca Express (TapEx), a franchise of an international string of boba cafes. The menu is abundant with several snacks as well as light meals, including chicken, pork ribs and chicken steak. But don’t come here for the food. After trying the pasta primavera at another boba café and sampling some snacks from others in the area, my recommendation is to get your eats on somewhere else, especially since downtown Mountain View has a lot of edible options to explore. While the food isn’t a good draw, TapEx has a great feel to it — there’s abundant seating, full tables and pumping Asian music. The drink menu is huge, with options including flavored milks, juices, tea, the snow bubble, yogurt, shaved ice and coffee. TapEx definitely has the edge over Verde in terms of creative boba flavors, with offerings including the familiar Thai, strawberry and taro, but also Okinawa, Green Lei and chocolate milk teas. For the boba beginner, a good introduction to the drink is taro or hot hazelnut. While TapEx delivers strong drinks, I tend to go for two other reasons: (1) to study or talk with friends, as TapEx is more spacious than Verde; or (2) if Verde happens to be closed.

Needing no introduction to the Stanford student population, Verde Tea & Espresso Bar is the gold standard for Stanford area boba. While sometimes crowded and often loud, the quality of the drinks here more than compensate for the ambient noise of the cramped café. Having tried most of the menu here, I’ve learned to stay away from their snack menu, where items are always drenched in grease. With that said, the Taiwan Thick Toast is really delicious, whether it is served plain, with peanut butter or with my favorite — coconut cream. As for the drinks, stay away from some of the more exotic sounding milk teas, such as rose and dark brick. Instead, experiment with other options, such as adding fruit, jelly or pudding instead of boba pearls to your favorite tea. When I go with friends, I recommend the peach or hot taro, both with pearls. In downtown Mountain View, parking is plentiful and Castro Street is an excellent place to take an afternoon stroll. I encourage you to at least try the milk tea at both establishments, especially as these boba cafes are open nearly all day — both cafes open until 11:30 p.m. on weekdays and approximately 1 a.m. on weekends. Also, it’s important to note that TapEx is usually cash only, while Verde accepts cards but has a $5 minimum purchase limit. — tommy TOBIN contact tommy: [email protected]

friday may 08 2009

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A CONVERSATION WITH J.J. ABRAMS

michael rooney

KNOWN FOR TELEVISION SHOWS LIKE “ALIAS” AND “LOST,” J.J. ABRAMS IS NO STRANGER TO SHOWS COMBINING MYSTERY AND INTRIGUE.

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hen thinking about the most visionary directors in Hollywood today, J.J. Abrams is sure to come to mind. Known for television shows like “Alias” and “Lost,” J.J. Abrams is no stranger to shows combining mystery and intrigue. His last major motion picture, “Cloverfield,” was an exploration into experimental film making and science fiction. Today, Abram’s new film, “Star Trek,” opens with a lot of anticipation from die-hard fans the world over. Recently, Intermission got to listen in on a phone call with J.J. Abrams, where he was asked about his ambitious and enormously awaited new film. University of Chicago: You are known for visionary television shows like “Alias” and “Lost.” As for Star Trek, I just wanted to ask if you had difficulties reconciling your own creative ideas with an already established kind of canon. J.J. Abrams (JJ): You know, the fun of doing something like this is sort of in embracing the limits. Whenever anyone has said, you know, you can do anything you want, I’ve tended to, you know, I tend to find it much more difficult to respond because there are no walls to sort of bounce off of. It’s sort of, you know, limitless. And when someone calls me as, you know, Lloyd Braun did at ABC five years ago or so and said, you know, I want to do a story, a TV show about people who survive a plane crash, you know, immediately I’m like ‘oh my God, this is awesome’ because I have this sort of plan, you know, a certain sort of set of expectations or limits or rules. And once you have rules, you know, you can kind of go anywhere or do anything. So I know it sounds silly, but the rules of Star Trek, which I was not really familiar with because I wasn’t really a huge fan to begin with, were actually sort of a wonderful thing because it gave us the sort of playground. And then once we were in the playground, we could do whatever we wanted and we could just, you know, go nuts. And I think part of the fun also is taking the established characters and playing with expectations. For example, when you meet Chris Pine, who is this, you

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know, kind of hunky sort of punk and you go what, his name is Kirk, Captain Kirk? You know, you know he’s going to be Captain Kirk, but when you meet him he’s hardly a captain, he’s sort of an aimless, lost guy. So the interesting thing for me was playing with the baggage that we inherited and that to me is — was really part of the fun.

Maryland: Hi, so which character aside from Kirk and Spock did you most look forward to bringing to life in Star Trek? JJ: I think that the, you know, they were all interesting to me by the time we were shooting. At the beginning, I was sort of hardpressed to kind of connect with any of them, and now I feel like I love them all. I would say that selfishly, I was most looking forward to Scotty because I love Simon Pegg so much, and we had worked together on “Mission Impossible 3,” and I was excited to work with him again. I knew he’d be funny and great. Obviously working with Leonard Nimoy was sort of, you know, a thrill even though I wasn’t a fan going in. I appreciated that he was this legend and thought that would be cool. But as I worked on the movie, honestly every character from, you know, Chekov to Sulu and Uhura and, you know, Bones, they — each of them has such a distinct voice and each actor who played them, I thought they just did an extraordinary job. So the truth is it was a total thrill working with each and every one of them. University of Florida: With your resume spanning anywhere from “Felicity” to “Armageddon” to “Joy Ride,”“Mission Impossible,”“Cloverfield,” and so on, and now with “Star Trek,” what else do you kind of hope to accomplish in your already eclectic career? JJ: I love working on any kind of thing. I mean, I don’t care if it’s, you know, a drama or comedy or science fiction or horror film. You know, I love movies and the idea of doing a movie or TV show about almost any subject I find, like there’s — I can imagine a version that would be, you know, a thrill to be a part of. I don’t think I’m, you know, the downside is I don’t feel like I’ve got necessarily any one thing I’m particularly, you know, good at, meaning I just sort of dabble in everything and master of nothing. And so the one thing I would say is that doing a project that is not a sequel based on a TV show that Leonard Nimoy starred in because

having done “Star Trek” and also “Mission Impossible,” which Nimoy was also in, I feel like I’m living on this bizarre track of recreating series that he did in the ‘60s. So I’d love to do an original film next. University of San Diego: For “Star Trek,” what aspects of the chemistry of the cast of the original series did you seek to recreate in this film? JJ:That’s a good question, and I think that, to me, it was important for the whole movie was to take the spirit of “Star Trek,” which, again, I never really got into at the beginning when I was a kid, it never really worked for me, but I’ve come to understand it and appreciate it and see what the fuss is about. And I think that some of the elements — the key element is the characters. There are these, you know, terrific characters at the core. And not for the actors to do impersonations of the original actors but to, you know, bring their own stuff to it. But that was the beginning. Secondly, I love the optimism of the world that Gene Rodenberry created. You know, for people who don’t know about Star Trek, you know, or for fans, I’ll say that the idea that it’s a vision of our future in which, you know, we’re alive, we’re collaborating across racial lines, political lines, religious lines, that there is this inherent optimism for this world that I think is — some would say — naïve, and I would say well that’s sad; I think it’s actually incredibly refreshing. And I think that, you know, as someone who has loved many films of recent years that have been very heavy and, you know, shown a future that’s been dark and cynical, I still like a lot of those movies. It’s just nice to see a version of the future that is not post-Apocalyptic and dire. And finally, I think that the, you know, sense of humor and adventure that the original promised — I think that they were always limited in resources, so they were never able to deliver the kind of adventure that the show often discussed. And because discussion was cheap, there was a lot of discussion in the early shows. And I think that the script that we have, and I think that this movie, this version of “Star Trek,” is a very different animal. It’s a much faster paced, sexier, I think even funnier and more kind of, you know, adventure-delivering than what they were allowed to do in the past. “Star Trek” opens in theatres everywhere today. — annika HEINLE contact annika: anheinle@ s t a n f o rd . e d u

LIVE LONG AND PROSPER, “STAR TREK!”

season was a huge hit because of its theme of space exploration and the great chemistry and dynamics among all of the characters. Since that first ust to get it out in the open: “Star Trek” ground-breaking season, is BACK and it is AWESOME. there have been four other After being scrutinized by live-action seasons, one the watchful eyes of animated season and Trekkies (definition: avid eleven feature-length “Star-Trek” fans) and A SCALE O ts . a ON st F l a it v films — “Star Trek” non-fans alike, both had th e (2009) being the latest legitimate concerns about S t a r Tre k addition. this sci-fi franchise remake. Getting back to You can’t blame them; “Star P G -1 3 n o ti ac i the 2009 release, “Star -f Trek” is a multi-million dol- S ci of ys da y rl Trek” weaves the story lar franchise that is over 40 of th e ea U .S .S . A ch ro n ic le d hi s fe ll ow an k ir behind how Kirk and K . years old. Combine that T Ja m es rs . cr ew m em be Spock became friends E n te rp ri se with the fact that most aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise. We also meet remakes are very often hitevery one of the rest of the ship’s crew — or-miss, and you have a whole lot of skeptical Uhura, Dr. McCoy and (my personal favorite) people to please. Thankfully, “Star Trek” succeeds at updating a classic space concept while Sulu. The film’s story begins as a Federation ship is attacked by an unknown alien ship — appeasing both loyal fans and new viewers. later to be revealed of Romulan origin (anothBefore diving into the actual film, let’s er alien race within the Star Trek universe). first go over the basics. “Star Trek” began, first But the fact that those baddies were Romulans and foremost, as a television series in 1966. isn’t the surprise — as we quickly discover, The original series was set in the not-too-disthey actually hail from the future and have the tant future, where space is explored and kept only goal of changing Star Trek history as we safe by the intergalactic force known as The know it. Federation. The show’s story revolved around Herein lies one of the film’s biggest a diverse and quirky space crew whose mission was “to boldly go where no man has gone strengths. The very presence of these timetraveling Romulans within the story means before,” or explore space in their super that the storyline is new, not a rehash of what advanced space ship, the U.S.S. Enterprise. fans originally knew about the Star Trek uniThe original cast included William Shatner as verse. Uhura, played by the sexy Zoe Saldana, Captain James T. Kirk, Leonard Nimoy as says it best when she notes that they are now Spock, DeForest Kelley as Dr. Leonard in an “alternate reality.” This little plot device “Bones” McCoy, James Doohan as then accomplishes two important things. First, Montgomery Scott, Nichelle Nichols as it tells all the Trekkies out there that everyUhura, George Takei as Hikaru Sulu and thing they know about Star Trek is going to Walter Koenig as Pavel Chekov. The original

*Warning, the following film review may contain spoilers*

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change. Secondly, it then tells the general masses that prior knowledge of Star Trek is completely unnecessary since the plot is entirely new. This, in my opinion, is a truly brilliant set-up. Not only does this formula relieve a lot of the adaptation pressures on the film and make it more appealing to the masses, but it also sets this movie up to be a much-needed reboot to the Star Trek film franchise — sort of what “Batman Begins” did for the Batman series. But that’s not the only thing that makes this film great. The movie’s director, J.J. Abrams (whose only other film credit is “Mission Impossible III”), does an excellent

truly outstanding. Big kudos to John Cho (aka Sulu aka Harold from “Harold and Kumar”) and Simon Pegg (Sean in “Sean of the Dead”), who are able to put their own spins on their characters. Finally, I was personally surprised to discover that Aussie actor Eric Bana was in this film — let alone playing the lead villain! It was enjoyable to see him in a different context. Touching back on the story, as previously mentioned, “Star Trek” chronicles the lives of the U.S.S. Enterprise team before they became the way we know them today. Not to oversimplify the plot — because it is not simple by any means — but it basically revolves around The Federation fighting Romulan threat, try-

job. Action movies are definitely his forte and he knows exactly how to make the cameras work for him. As someone who is constantly observing camera angles and movement, I can tell you that Abrams’ subtle attention to details only further adds to the movie’s mindblowing action sequences. Playing off of this element, even when the CG effects aren’t blasting off of the screen at warp speed, Abrams is able to emphasize the depth and development of the characters, whether they are in an intense arguments or humorous interactions with one another. Character interaction is another standout quality of the film. The Star Trek franchise has always prided itself on its mix of characters and personalities, and I am happy to say that the movie succeeds again in creating character depth and relatability on every level. New actor Chris Pine really digs into the shoes of the attractive yet brash Captain Kirk, while Zachary Quinto fits the role of a young and emotionless Spock almost too perfectly. Most of the actors within the film are of minimal acclaim, but regardless their performances are

ing to determine what they are after and how to stop them. The film’s story is wildly entertaining and unpredictable, but even so, I have to say that this film isn’t perfect. The pacing — although very suited to great action sequences — can come off manic at times. Also, even though the time-traveling aspect of the Romulans helped to frame the overall film, the concept of time travel, even after being explained by the characters, comes off as downright confusing. Minor flaws aside, “Star Trek” is no longer just your father’s TV series. This film is able to stand on its own, prior knowledge be damned, and the franchise is all the better for it. I would even go so far as to say that this film has the potential to be the “Star Wars” of the modern generation. The summer blockbusters are truly here, so beam us up “Star Trek!” — k y l e E VA L D E Z c o n t a c t k y l e : k e d e m o n @ s t a n f o rd . e d u

Photos courtesy Paramount Pictures friday may 08 2009

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HAPPY MOTHERS’ DAY! ...Now meet the mothers who gave birth

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to yours truly, the Daily staff!

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IN HO LEE STUART BAIMEL RYAN MAC JANE LE PHAM CHRISTIAN TOM NIKHIL JOSHI EMMA TROTTER AMANDA ZHANG CRIS BAUTISTA JAMES HOHMANN JOANNA XU JIN YU SAMANTHA LASAROW ANNIKA HEINLE CHRISTIAN TORRES WYNDAM MAKOWSKY

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CFS tanford students strutted their stuff on May 2 in the largest fashion show on the West Coast: Charity Fashion Show (CFS). With fashion ranging from exotic couture to lingerie to men’s underwear and casual wear, the show was spectacular and professional — and the models themselves were very skilled, trained and classy.

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Numerous designers had exciting lines. Among the more well-known designers featured on the runway were Betsey Johnson, Claiborne, Oscar de la Renta and Ralph Lauren. Some of the more exciting clothes, however, came from Tu Tu Blu, Nanette Lepore, Jai’re International Couture, Tadashi and Kittinhawk. Personally, Nanette Lepore was my favorite designer. Lepore’s couture was gorgeous and every outfit looked perfect. The dresses were colorful, flowing and irresistibly beautiful. I also enjoyed the presentation of Kittinhawk by Allysum Dutra. This line had lovely clothes and only uses vintage and recycled materials, aiming to be classy, but also eco-friendly and sustainable. I also really enjoyed Jai’re International Couture; the line was different, chic and European. Tu Tu Blu had cute and trendy dresses, and Tadashi’s collection featured one-of-a-kind pieces created with luxurious fabrics and hand-embroidered beading. As for more unconventional eye-candy, I, along with many girls in the audience, enjoyed the men’s underwear expo . . . CFS also hosted a competition around Palo Alto high schools for prospective designers. Molly Murphy won the competition and her designs (MBGXM) were exhibited in the show. Her designs

were beautiful and unique, and I could barely believe she was just a high school student. The entire show had vibrant ambience, and the excitement carried by the models and contributors was contagious. The runway music was energizing, and though CFS took place in a white tent on Roble Field, it had the feel of a high-end fashion show, with countless photographers and columnists present. The lighting and stage setup were cool, yet simple, which helped draw attention to the fashion and the models. The CFS production is planned by a group of enthusiasts of the fashion industry who are dedicated to developing the arts, diversity and entertainment on the West Coast and beyond. The CFS association of individuals is highly selective and diverse, including public relations specialists, models, designers, artists, financial managers, agents, photographers, business specialists and Web designers. “Everyone was really fun and friendly, and I developed some amazing friendships,” said Raymond Braun ‘12, one of the models. The CFS team works throughout the year to produce CFS, along with various other events and photo shoots. Their mission is to promote an increased fashion presence here in the Bay Area and on the West Coast in general. All proceeds are donated to charity — this year, Doctors Without Borders was selected. Charity Fashion Show actually originated from a different event, the AASA Fashion Show. That program ran for more than 10 years as an outlet for Asian American designers to promote awareness for various causes within their community. As the event grew, the focus shifted to national and global creative causes, linking not only Asian Americans, but also other minority groups. Thus, CFS promotes not only an increased arts presence on the West Coast, but also cultural diversity and multicultural kinship. “Besides it being a fun way to meet new

Photos Courtesy Charity Fashion Show & Justin Hou

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STOMPS DOWN THE RUNWAY people and loving fashion myself, I believe CFS is very unique at Stanford,” said model Raquel Goya ‘12. “Fashion doesn’t have a major presence on campus, so this was a way to participate in raising awareness about fashion, but more importantly helping Doctors Without Borders and promoting cultural diversity at Stanford and around the Bay Area.” — nicole RODRIGUEZ contact nicole: nicole13 @ s t a n f o rd . e d u

NEW ORLEANS JAZZ FESTIVAL BEATS ON nly in New Orleans would a church sell beer to festival-goers to raise money for a new handicap ramp. This is just one of the many unique touches that distinguishes the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Celebrating its 40th anniversary, the festival stands as a testament to the resiliency of New Orleans and its locals. For seven days over two weekends, over 400,000 attendants celebrated Louisiana cooking, crafts and, of course, music. This festival stands apart due to the obvious age gap in the attendants, ranging from the typical party-hard frat boys to the grey-haired men and women who come every year. The acts included everyone from locals such as Washboard Chaz to national bills like Dave Matthews Band. Despite the local protest against Bon Jovi performing at the Jazz festival, many of the 90,000 attendants on this past Saturday nonetheless went to the main stage to hear Bon Jovi’s new songs and ‘80s classics like “Shot Through the Heart.” The other chunk of the crowd waited for Kings of Leon, an “indie” band that has now become synonymous with festivals across the country, on the opposite side of the park. The Neville Brothers are a Jazz Fest staple but their best acts occurred when they performed individually. Aaron Neville brought in a crowd that was twice the capacity of the Gospel tent, causing the NOPD and Fire Department to delay the show until the crowd numbers were manageable. Some of the most upbeat performances were from relatively unknown names that patrons stumbled upon on their way to the port-a-ports: Jazz trumpeter Sharmarr Allen woke the crowd up with his rendition of Nirvana’s “Smells like Teen Spirit.”

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Though jazz and blues are festival essentials, every genre is represented from country to rap to indie rock. Across the 11 venues, there was always someone to discover, even if only to hear a song or two. Though the music may draw in the crowds, the food keeps them coming back. For the weekend, it was essential to put any Sprouts or Fraiche California diets on hold and dive into the distinctive Louisiana cuisine. There was no shortage of fried food or butter, but that does not take away from the distinctive dishes that have made a name for themselves. Crawfish Monica and Cochon de Lait are the most popular dishes — festival-goers formed lines so long that people often stopped at another booth just to get a snack while waiting. Though it is difficult to know what is in the dishes other than the main staple of “alligator” or “duck,” most people choose their food simply based on recommendations from people. The boiled crawfish shell trails left by experienced eaters led back to the music. While the performances at the Fairgrounds ended by 7 p.m., the music carried on through the night throughout the French Quarter. Some of the best were not the national names at the House of Blues, but rather the local street performers like Grandpa Eliot, who sits at the corner of Royal and Toulouse with the same red shirt and overalls every day. Overall, the New Orleans Jazz Festival is a must-do experience, sprinkled with spontaneous parasol dancing trains and festive parades that can only be found in New Orleans. — chloe BADE contact chloe: [email protected]

STAMP SHOWS SUPPORT FOR GAY RIGHTS WITH “BENT” uring a time when queer rights issues remain controversial, the Stanford Theater Activist Mobilization Project (STAMP) addressed their acceptance of queer rights by putting on a production of Martin Sherman’s “Bent.” With superb performances by the cast members, STAMP was highly successful in conveying their acceptance of love and queer identity. Based on Nazi persecution during the Holocaust, “Bent” was first performed in 1979 on West-End and Broadway productions before the play was adapted into a movie in 1997. With its depiction of Nazi persecution of homosexuals, the play fueled historical research of queer people who died in concentration camps. The story focuses on Max (Doc Tor ‘11) and his complex relationship with Rudy (Patrick Ardinger ‘09) as they are eventually captured by Nazis and sent to Dauchau, one of many concentration camps during the Holocaust. Max then becomes acquainted with Horst, played by Patrick Kelly ‘12. While the play deals with a grim matter, the storyline does have some bits of humorous dialogue that helps the audience to develop a personal connection with the characters. From my previous knowledge of the Holocaust, I knew that yellow stars were given to captured Jews. Pink triangles were given to homosexuals. While I was aware that social groups were persecuted during the Holocaust, the emphasis in the play on the pink triangle as a poignant symbol had me realizing that I truly did not know enough about the persecution of homosexuals during this time. The outstanding performances by the cast really capitalize on the great quality of the play. The character of Max has a cynical attitude towards his gay relationships due to his previous experiences. In a number of emotional scenes, Tor really delivers a powerful portrayal of the character. The supporting cast of Ardinger and Kelly also should be commended for their excellent performances. Ardiner effectively utilizes some over-the-top antics with his portrayal of the gay dancer Rudy. Meanwhile, Kelly gives an emotional performance as Horst. There are quite a few intense scenes between Max and Horst, and based on those merits I would highly praise Tor and Kelly for their acting. The clever dialogue and writing by Martin Sherman is one of many reasons for the

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Photos courtesy Chloe Bade friday may 08 2009

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he Cantor Arts Center held a student reception yesterday evening to feature its newest exhibition “Pop to Present,” which highlights art from the 1960s to today. During the event, students milled around the museum, enjoying features of the event like a caricaturist, pipe-cleaner sculpture and free refreshments. “Pop to Present” does what any good modern art exhibit should do: it challenges your definition of art. One painting, entitled “Study for Fall (Brown)” was simply a brown square. To be fair, it looked like it took quite a few coats of brown paint. However, I struggled to see it as a work of art. Upstairs, I encountered a similar work. This was a black square, with . . . wait for it . . . a white semicircle attached to its side. Hmm. I am afraid it was all far too pretentious for my taste. Walking back to Cantor’s stately marble entryway later in the evening, the sound of a trumpet caught my ear. As a classical cellist, I had found what was, for me, the evening’s most interesting and controversial display. Stanford Prof. Mark Applebaum created a series of 12 pen-and-ink drawings, inspired from music notation, entitled “Metaphysics of Notation.” I would not recommend trying to make sense of these drawings. Parts of them look like Applebaum went wild with the font Wingdings. Parts look like my doodles from IHUM lecture — little airplanes, hearts, flowers and apples. These

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intricate designs, at first glance, look completely unrelated to traditional music notation. However, upon closer inspection and with a pinch of imagination, I found a few ways I could interpret them. For example, one panel features a series of circles, which grow bigger and more defined as they arc. This could potentially be a visual representation of a crescendo on an ascending scale. Student reactions to this exhibit ranged from bafflement to intrigue. “Traditional notation cannot capture all the sounds that instruments can make,” observed Will Basset ‘12, as he and his friends discussed what they thought the work meant and what Applebaum’s motives were in creating it. I overheard one student jokingly wondering aloud, “Is this guy on

invited to perform this work by interpreting it however they like. Tonight’s musicians were Stanford students Michael Berger, Laura Chau, Blair Foley and Devin Mooers. They are all members of the Stanford Improvisation Collective. Trumpet player Michael Berger said that he wanted to emphasize that they were not “improvising blindly” but rather truly trying to interpret Applebaum’s creation. The musicians also explained how they wanted to create a “spatial experience” by each starting at a different point in the work and then converging together in the middle, all while playing off of each other the whole time. Personally, I still cannot decide what to think about Applebaum’s vision. He definitely breaks free of the constraints in music theory and the like, but I believe he finds himself rather awkwardly caught between composition and visual art. Music, in my humble opinion, should communicate something to its listener — whether a feeling, a mood or a whole story. “Metaphysics of Notation” is cool, but it reminded me of a famous quote by Oscar Wilde: “All art is quite useless.” — meghan BERMAN contact meghan: [email protected]

Photos courtesy Cantor Arts Center

drugs?” and a few minutes after staring at the drawings, he declared, “Whatever, I like it.” An enthusiastic girl whispered, “I want to try to play something based on this!” In fact, that evening — and indeed every Friday at noon — musicians are

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5.08.0 F 5:30pm Citizens of Wine - Wine Tasting CoHo learn the art of wine tasting 6:15pm SIMPS CoHo because improv is funny 8pm Relay for Life Benefit Concert CoHo good music for a great cause

Sa 8pm Spoken Word Poetry Slam CoHo come and feel the power of words

ROXY

GETS ONE IN THE HOLE!

oxy loves games. Doctor and Patient, Five Card Stud — these are but a part of Roxy’s repertoire. But she likes to bring more unconventional activities into the bedroom, and sports provide her with plenty of ideas. With so many balls to choose from, it doesn’t take Soulja Boy to Superman me — just get Roxy some Dwight Howard! Speaking of basketball, Wilt Chamberlain once claimed that he slept with 20,000 women. Unfortunately, Roxy can’t claim to be one of them, but she’s up for setting records of her own. Roxy’s always up to go behind the back, or cross over, and nothing gets her going like a carnal scream after you dunk through her hoop. Want to power forward? Feel free. If we’re talking erotic — and that’s a given with Roxy — then wrestling deserves its due. With spandex, constant groping and a reset position that reminds Roxy of a certain canine-influenced sex position, she may not even need to leave the mat! And then there’s football. Roxy doesn’t even have to result to innuendo. In all of the tackling and ass-slapping, it’s just like a Wednesday night at Roxy’s. Even the stance — bent over and wide — is tailor-made for some naughty fun. Drop the pads and you can blitz Roxy’s tight end for as long as you like. Baseball also makes it far too easy. Form-fitting pants? Check. Attempts to release shots into holes in a well-kept turf, or muddy dirt? Check. “Rounding the bases” is a time-honored tradition, so take me home with some nicely swung bats and well placed balls.

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And hun, when it comes to fencing, don’t be scared by the epee or the sabre — Roxy can take on hard swords of any kind, and she’ll never have to parry. Relax, and let Roxy be your foil. Touché, indeed. Roxy likes a rhythm, and who keeps it better than a rowing crew? Stroke her surface, and bring along your cock-swain, and take her from port to starboard. Even the non-contact sports have plenty to offer. Golf ’s 18 holes are a bit too much — Roxy only has three. But you and your clubs are welcome to drive into any one of them. Let’s not start swimming (or shall we?). It goes without saying: scantilyclad athletes doing the breaststroke are enough to get Roxy wet. And with track and field, you can position your pole and vault me to new heights — I promise, my climax will clear any bar. And oh, equestrians, I haven’t forgotten about you. Roxy isn’t into bestiality, but she does like a good whipping. Slap away and ride her to the finish. Just promise you won’t close too fast. Volleyball, soccer...Roxy could go on and on, but some sports should be left to the imagination. Besides, she already made a date for doubles. Anyone up for a post-coitus rubdown? XOXO Roxy

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S 8pm Call and Response @ FlicKs! MemAud a powerful movie about the slave trade

M 8pm Jazz Jams CoHo just chill out and relax

T 7pm Tango Night CoHo learn it for the ladies

Th 8pm Felipe Gomez CoHo another fabulous coho concert

cast’s plausible and effective depiction of their characters. The interwoven colloquialisms with the historical contexts add greater understanding and sentimentality to the play. Because of that, I really enjoyed watching the characters interact. In a brief discussion with STAMP after the play, they all were very passionate about queer rights and theater as a convincing medium for activism. They cited the recent events of Prop. 8 and the theatrical release of “Milk” as reasons for choosing “Bent” as their next production. After asking if the actors had prior acting experience, I was surprised that this was quite a few cast members’ first acting experience. To me, this simply shows the openness and outspoken attitudes of STAMP to foster queer rights. STAMP produces its plays as a means of political activism, and with “Bent,” the group is particularly effective. The message resonates through the cast’s exceptional performances. The play will be performed at the Nitery tonight at 8 p.m., as well as on Saturday at both 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. — d.j. ABUY contact d.j.: [email protected]

friday may 08 2009

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G ETTING THERE BY AIR n the past, Intermission has taken you around the Bay Area to find everything from cheap eats to high end feasts. But sometimes San Francisco and environs can’t cut it. Whether you need some deep dish pizza in Chicago, or you simply find it difficult to enjoy a meal within 500 miles of the Axe and Palm, sometimes getting the right food requires getting on a plane. So this week, Intermission looks at how to get there with your sanity and wallet (relatively) intact. Perhaps the most used airline by Stanford students is Southwest, which might best be described as the Greyhound bus of the air. Fares are cheap and the pricing structure is simple. Their fleet, which consists universally of Boeing 737s, is sparse with respect to amenities — but at least but they get you there in one piece, which is noteworthy considering Southwest’s record in keeping up with FAA mandated safety inspections. Some may find the open (unassigned) seating annoying, but at least Southwest doesn’t bother with many of the bogus fees that other airlines have instituted. But customer service is first rate, and if you’re traveling within their relatively small, mostly short-haul, network, it’s an economical way to get the job done.

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The low-fare airline was reinvented and the bar was raised across the industry when JetBlue rolled out its fleet of A320s, in which every seat is leather-covered and equipped with DirecTV. Consistently adding more destinations, JetBlue’s hub-and-spoke network has grown to almost resemble a legacy carrier. Though their main hub is an impressive new terminal at JFK, they now offer numerous west coast services, flying out of three major Bay Area airports. And while it’s hard to argue with the JetBlue experience, it is worth noting that their fares frequently are not the cheapest.

Richard Branson shook things up again with recent introduction of Virgin America. Each A320 is equipped with leather seats, mood lighting and an entertainment system called Red that provides live TV, on-demand music and on-demand movies (for a fee) to every seat. Also with a few taps of the screen and (if necessary) a swipe of your credit card, your food and drink selection will arrive at your seat momentarily. The addition of standard power outlets at every seat and the fleetwide rollout of Wi-Fi, which is currently in progress, make Virgin America a runaway for the best domestic coach there is. And their fares are unbeatable. Destinations are still limited, but the airline is SFO-based and offers flights mainly to SoCal and the East Coast.

If you’re traveling internationally or to a more obscure destination, you may still have to brave a legacy carrier. With a major hub at SFO, United might be the best bet for traveling in and out of Stanford. If you’re traveling to JFK, they offer a premium service with a few extra inches of seat pitch and AC power throughout coach, but otherwise their domestic has no redeeming value. And if you ever have to call customer service, your call will be routed off-shore, to agents who are impossible to understand. You might even think they are intentionally misunderstanding you because there is no other way people could be so clueless.

American, in most ways, can be lumped in with United, though they deserve recognition for being the only major airline to offer in-seat power in coach on virtually all of their planes, though only in select rows and requiring a cigarette-lighter adapter. If you’ve got miles to burn on an upgrade, their 767 fleet has a great domestic business class, though this aging segment of the fleet (which hopefully will be replaced by 787s soon) breaks down about as often as the printer in your dorm’s cluster.

Rounding out the lineup is Delta, which is a relatively small player in the Bay Area. But with its recent acquisition of Northwest (known to frequent-fliers as Northworst) is now the world’s largest airline. They still have a lot of work ahead to upgrade their massive fleet, but it seems they are working to mix the best aspects of both legacy and low-fare carriers. Of course, they already have a massive global network and are nonetheless slowly rolling out leather seats and live TV and on-demand entertainment on more and more planes. This is complemented by style and professionalism throughout the Delta experience from their Web site to the crew to the safety video. It’s still hard for them to compete with some of the new startups, but for an old airline, Delta has made a solid effort to separate itself from the competition. — theo POLAN contact theo: [email protected]

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