The Wake

Walking into the Fitzgerald is like walking into the 1920’s: Vaudeville, radio plays, top hats and flapper dresses, champagne and dry martinis. It is surprising that this place which your grandparents would probably feel right at home in is hosting the ongoing Minnesota’s Public Radio The Current’s Fakebook Series – which covers topics of music and popular culture. The Current’s Fakebook series is in the business of bringing rockers and writers together for interviews, music and all around good times while exploring the word through writing and song. Having played hosts to such bands as psych-pop …

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In a world of endless technological advancement and media convergence, it is refreshing to find an organization producing something of genuine beauty. One such organization is the Twin Cities Metropolitan Ballet Company. On February 10th I was fortunate enough to witness the Metropolitan Ballet’s rendition of classic Romeo and Juliet, which left audience members with a renewed sense of life.The ballet was performed at the State Theater. Built for “Cinema,” “Opera” and “Pantomime,” as the ornamental plaques suggest, the State Theater was opened in the 1920s, during the era of silent films. Reminiscent of that time when going out was …

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Ian Anderson is a passionate man. He loves music and his palpable obsession has led him to early and remarkable success; starting his record label, Afternoon Records, just out of high school. Now, as a senior majoring in English at St. Olaf College, his label is garnering more interest and continuing to expand. In addition to his label, Anderson also founded “Sliver” magazine, a music website. He hopes to begin a career in journalism upon graduation in addition to promoting his label. He’s a shining example of how adolescent exuberance fused with a love of the universal language can …

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Paws riddle the bark
claws scratch on the back of this leaf
these are not marks meant for you,
tree.
Birds, wings skid along the sky
fly,
cease molting,
longevity.Cat’s eye felt the rush of the tree
its teeth the leaves
its whiskers the wind
bird the fur flushed back again
evergreen screens hide the screamsof the teeth behind the window pane
eyes waiting for the glass to …

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The beggar
is starving
but always
clothed.

I sweep the stars, encircling the sky
In trailing fingertips that move the sun
That paper made along with ink and I
While time I slowed to confiscate his run.
Inside this land the winter has prevailed;
My palms press frost into the morning’s rise
And choke the yellow sun until she’s paled,
Dressing the riverbanks in crimson guise.
But still the graying beard of time can tell
That all the painted pages I have made
Are bound and bonded purely to the well
Of ink in your eyes and the love you’ve laid.
So know that summer’s bliss lies …

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Physicists and theologists, academics and armchair astronomers have long wondered what it was that sparked the beginning of the universe. Now, mathematical physicist Roger Penrose is investigating what happened before the universe began. Two years ago, Stephen Hawking gave the conventional answer to the question—What happened before the big bang?, Hawking says the big bang was the event to begin all events so it makes no sense to ask what came before it.Lecturing to a small audience at the University of Minnesota on February 2, Penrose admitted that his own investigation of pre-big bang events breaks with convention.The Big Bang …

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On February 1, Abdi Samatar, professor of geography and global studies at the University of Minnesota, spoke to the public about the causes and effects of the war in Somalia. Samatar was born in Somalia and has spent years discussing the situation in the country. He also addressed what it will take to help the country become more safe and stable. He spoke about the history of Somalia and how he believes the civil unrest started.The speech, part of the Headliners forum, was sponsored by the College of Continuing Education. Minnesota has the largest population of Somalian citizens in the …

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When I heard that Coffman would be hosting a workshop, “Defense Against Dogma” on February 1, I had a good idea of what I was getting myself into. From what I’d heard, I knew that the workshop would teach intelligent arguments to use against Bible-hugging, dogmatic friends when they try to pick a fight. I assumed that the event was being put on by a public speaker, maybe a professor, or you know, someone distinguished. Boy, was I in for a surprise. When I walked into the room on the third floor of Coffman, the first thing I saw …

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From a front corner of the balcony, I watched three men in black tube-top dresses and red stilettos walk across the stage. The women on stage were dressed in the same attire, but naturally, the men in women’s clothing caught my eye. A dancer since the age of 5, I have learned that modern dance choreographers always have a feeling to express, a narrative to tell or a point to make when creating a dance piece. Unfortunately, the purpose isn’t always easily understood by the audience. After 15 minutes of the University Dance Theater’s (UDT) Dance Revolutions (post guys-in-heels), I …

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More couples break up on Valentine’s Day than any other day of year. Surprised? Given that everyone takes the frivolous festival way too seriously, this shouldn’t register as a shock. Just when you think you’re clear of another heavily commercialized holiday season, businesses and the media give you another excuse to splurge on worthless clutter. Never mind that your checkbook has yet to recover—now you’re obligated to buy flowers, cards, candies, jewelry, stuffed bears, little pink hearts and cupids for your sweetheart. What’s worse, the unattached are left out and made to look a fool. Valentine’s Day marks that special …

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The general belief among the American population today is that sexism is a thing of the past. When someone points out a sexist behavior or remark, the people around often write it off as hypersensitivity about being “politically correct.”The truth is that sexism is still extensive in our society, and the very fact that people believe sexism is nonexistent is symptomatic of the problem. One of the largest areas in which sexism is problematic is our language. Specifically, the word “girl” is often used to refer to an adult woman, whereas the word “boy” is almost never used in reference …

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Every August Minnesota is swept up in the whirlwind of off-color jokes, unexpected tender moments, and an eclectic variety that is the Fringe Festival. In the summer of 2006, The 13th annual Fringe Festival sold nearly 45,000 tickets, maintaining its official status as the largest non-juried performance festival in the nation, and its unofficial status as completely insane. From hip-hop to calculus, to the University’s own annual “Deviled Eggs,” what makes the Fringe unique is its method of selection. Shows are selected not by jury but by lottery to insure its three basic principles of “Fringeness: Unjuried, Uncensored, and Transparent.”In …

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Tucked away in a discrete corner of northeast Minneapolis is the Minnesota Center for Photography. On the outside, the center looks plain and drab, similar to the other shops around it. One step inside, however, transports you to art galleries, a bookstore and 8,000 square feet of an artistic atmosphere comparable to the Weisman. The entire place is a photographic paradise which is now focusing on its newest exhibition, ICY: Clear Views 01.ICY 01 is a new exhibit which will feature a handful of contemporary artists. This year the exhibit contains works of art by Caroline Burghardt, Kelli Connelland Jean …

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Duplicating the success of a heralded first album is a task unrivaled in difficulty. Bloc Party, a foursome out of England, set the bar high with their 2005 release, Silent Alarm, an album that led to frequent comparisons to dance rock predecessors like Gang of Four and Joy Division. They are now stepping up to the plate with their second album, A Weekend in the City.The opener, “Song for Clay (Disappear Here),” starts quietly. Singer Kele Okereke relays the thoughts of his troubled mind over strummed guitar and mounting strings. Unfortunately, the guitar riff is second rate, and fails to …

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