Category: Stories In Focus

Her, Questioning Relationships

Post author By Thomas Eckert
Post date February 15, 2014

In his latest film, Her, Spike Jonze invites his viewer into a pastel-colored future that will daze them in reflection for weeks following. Set in the near future, the film opens on Theodore Twombly (Joaquín Phoenix) working at BeautifulHandwrittenLetters.com, a ghostwriting service for the romantic and lazy. As he leaves work, he speaks a voice command to his phone, “Play melancholy song.”

He walks out onto the streets of a bustling Los Angeles, making his way back to his apartment. He is in a slump – lost in daydreamed memories of his estranged wife who is seeking a divorce from him. The world Theodore travels through is not unlike our own. Those around him tinker with gadgets on the train, exploring their own unique and pixelated realities.

The world painted by Jonze is believable because it reflects the world of today. It does not indulge in science fiction tropes of latex jumpsuits and flying cars. It seems a very accurate prediction of the world we will soon inhabit. The devices that make our lives wonderfully convenient today have become staples in Theodore’s time.

The film ignores the limits of its genre. It does not show the viewer a future for the sake of its own self-indulgence. Rather, it uses the vantage point to weave a human love story. At the same time, it examines issues of human connection without seeming preachy or superior.

After seeing an advertisement for an artificial intelligence, OS1, in a subway terminal, Theodore picks up a copy for himself. Alone in his apartment that night, he activates his purchase. After a few basic questions and a loading screen, it springs to life with a cheerful, “Hello? I’m here.”

“Hi?”, Theodore responds.

Awkward at first, their stilted introduction eases into laughter. The OS identifies itself as female. Theodore asks for her name. She comes up with one on the spot, “Samantha”.

The role of Samantha is played by an unseen Scarlett Johansson. Imbued with programmed personality, she helps Theodore through his trepidations about the world. Together, they grow. As they become fonder and fonder of each other they begin to form a relationship that will change the both of them by the end of the film.

This relationship is beautifully scored by a collaboration between Arcade Fire and Karen O, orchestrated by Owen Pallett. The soundtrack mixes melancholy acoustic instruments with humming electronic sounds. It fits unobtrusively into the story, adding to it in subtle ways. When Samantha composes music to express her deeper feelings, her compositions grow more varied and detailed as she grows in intelligence and complexity.

As a viewer, Jonze’s future will challenge your view of what a relationship truly is. Thematically, the film is a love story. Soft music and bloom seep smoothly into the narrative. These are balanced by a story that shows a deep relationship with flaws and imperfections. It poses a question to the viewer. Why do we indulge ourselves in connecting to others?

Is it so we can lay our burdens on another and take theirs in return?
Is it so we can experience the edges of our human limits in both serenity and frustration?
Is it so that we can learn something new about ourselves?

Tags arcade fire, her, joaquin phoenix, jonze, karen o, los angeles, osi, owen pallett, samantha, scarlett johansson, spike jonze, theodore twombly

Stories In Focus

Coming Up: Bluegrass and Folk CAB Coffeehouse

Post author By Rachel Wright
Post date February 15, 2014

This upcoming Tuesday in Java 101 the CAB Coffeehouse will feature a bluegrass-focused performance by students Abby Talone, Zach Kitchen, Colleen Winton, and Annie Hassen. These four have been playing music together for some time, including a performance last semester at the alumni coffeehouse that took place during Homecoming weekend. Aside from Coffeehouses, several of the group’s members have also played for Koinonia on Sunday nights.

The two hours will feature a variety of instruments. Annie Hassen will be playing the violin, a key element of traditional American folk music. Junior Zach Kitchen will be playing the mandolin, while fellow junior Colleen Winton will be performing on both the acoustic guitar, and also egg shaker. In addition to more traditional folk instruments, Winton will be contributing her whistling skills to the performance. Senior Abby Talone, who is a Koinonia leader, will add her strumming talents, playing on her Martin & Co. acoustic guitar. The four are intending to incorporate a variety of harmonies and vocal styles into their performance to emphasize their “folky feel”, as Talone put it.

The group chose songs that would best showcase their intended sound and create the desired casual and rustic ambiance. The selection of songs they will be covering include songs and artists such as “Flowers in Your Hair” by The Lumineers, “Your Love is Strong” by Jon Foreman, and “Like the Dawn” by the Oh Hellos. Additionally they will cover other artists such as the popular English folk rock band, Mumford and Sons, the Christian acoustic folk band, All Sons and Daughters, and similar folk-based musicians.

This American traditional style of music, or folk music, dates back to the early 1930s, from which it developed into our current genre of “hipster” or “indie” music. However, folk music is an intrinsic part of our history as Americans, as it incorporates elements from both the blues, country, bluegrass, gospel, and old-timey – a picture of how the integration of the American people as a nation began with the integration of music.

Tags all sons and daughters, bluegrass, christian, coffeehouse, folk, mumford and sons, music, traditional

Stories In Focus

Creation Care House: Engaging in Environmental Stewardship

Post author By Ben Layman
Post date February 15, 2014

Designed as an effort to create more options for students to get involved in the act of environmental stewardship, the Creation Care Townhouse is continuing to have an impact. Houghton’s Sustainability Coordinator, Brian Webb, sent out an e-mail last summer to all townhouse residents, seeking anyone who was interested in the opportunity to pursue creation care. Webb said that his purpose in creating the Creation Care House was to designate a place that could engage students on the topic of creation care in a more intentional and ongoing way. “I was familiar with the model of a living learning community…I really liked the idea of taking that model and applying the topic of creation care to it, particularly since creation care, stewardship, sustainability, whatever you want to call it, is very appropriate to the residential context.” Webb also said that these types of communities are particularly impactful because when students go on to live on their own, they are able to take the principles they’ve implemented and continue them into an awareness of how their habits impact the world.

After conferring among their housemates, future residents of Perkins 49 took Webb up on his offer. House member Lauren Bull stated that their admittance into the house was anything but grueling. “There wasn’t really a formal selection, we just kind of volunteered,” she said. Her housemates include Winona Wixson, Brittany Libby, Lydia Wilson, Jory Kauffman, and Amy Eckendorf. After the group had been selected, a number of different options were afforded to them in terms of which area of creation care they wanted to explore. The group chose food and water.

CreationCare2

Bull said this meant they would be composting, low-flow faucets and toilets would be installedin the house, as well as having monthly meetings and brainstorming sessions with Brian Webb to learn more about sustainable food practices and the difficulty of eating organically in college, among other things. It was all part of this initiative that moved two large composting bins to the townhouse area, available for all residents’ usage.Webb said his goal for designating the Creation Care House was to create something that was both internally and externally focused in educating and encouraging good stewardship practices within the townhouse, as well as enabling the students to take their knowledge to the community, particularly in the other townhouses. Last semester, the group sponsored a visit to a local farm where all the vegetables were naturally grown. Bull said the visit along with listening to the farmer and his wife talk about his farming practices was part of the learning process of coming to awareness in being more intentional. “It’s really cool to see how achievable it is. They made it look very attainable.” The venture was posted with only 24 slots, all of which were filled. The first of this month marked a showing of the documentary Fresh, examining America’s food system, all organized and promoted by the Creation Care House. They are currently planning gardening workshops to be held later this semester.

As for the future of the program, Webb said he is leaving room for expansion. “Ideally,” he said, “I would like to get two houses next year. If I had two quality applications from groups of students who are committed to it, then I would accept two houses.” He also mentioned that the following year’s application process would be a little more difficult, hoping for more of a competitive bidding process, not made possible this year because of the rapidness with which this was developed. He is also hoping that next year the Creation Care House will be able to bring in some sort of creation care expert each month about their area of expertise, adding weight to the program’s intentionality and credibility. In its educational and communal benefits as well as its perceptible success, the Creation Care House has measured out to be something sustainable in itself.

Tags composting, creation care, environment

Stories In Focus

SPOT Preview: “There’s going to be a lot more laughing.”

Post author By Jory Kauffman
Post date February 8, 2014

As first years, Luke Ogden and John Carpenter dreamed of one day hosting SPOT together. As seniors, the pair will live out that dream this Saturday. Sitting together on a townhouse couch, Ogden and Carpenter discussed the upcoming show, their role as hosts, and inevitably reminisced about their past as students, friends, and roommates.

With a half-empty gallon of green tea in his lap and his co-host’s inspiring presence nearby,

Ogden explained some anticipated differences in the upcoming SPOT, in contrast to previous shows. “There’s going to be a lot more laughing, ‘cause John and I are awesome,” he said. “There’s going to be even more jokes, more fun-ness, more ooo’s, more ahh’s, more music.”

Ogden also said that he and Carpenter eagerly await aspects of the show that he describes as “elements of surprise and fun.” They look to CAB for one such element, a series of Vines, to go with this SPOT’s theme of social networking, dubbed #hastagspot by the hosts.

Along with the promised humor, Ogden and Carpenter vowed to stay true to SPOT’s function as a variety show. They assure the appearance of some singing acts, group dancing, and plenty of videos. In addition, Carpenter anticipates “some stuff we’ve never really seen before; people are getting pretty creative with their ideas.”

Ogden himself, a music enthusiast, said, “I will probably make a singing appearance… definitely can’t keep my vocal chords from moving.”

Aside from Ogden’s own voice, both he and Carpenter expressed specific excitement regarding their choice of musical interludes between acts. Performing live, pianist Malcolm Bell and drummer Jerbrel Bowens will assume the stage frequently during the night, working together to both entertain and enthrall the audience during set changes and act transitions.

As Carpenter said of the two musicians’ talents, “They’re both good enough that we can tell them what to play an hour before the show and they’ll be able to do it.” Ogden added to his co-host’s statement, describing the pair’s awaited musical appearances as “beautiful.”

Aside from the various acts and the musical performances of Bell and Bowens, yet another aspect of SPOT lies in Ogden and Carpenter’s own performance as hosts. As friends since freshman year, the hosts claim four years worth of ideas related to the enactment of this spring’s SPOT.

As roommates, Ogden and Carpenter indulge in planning the event while the majority of Houghton indulges in sleep. “We do a lot of brainstorming in bed at night,” said Carpenter. “Once we’re talking it doesn’t really stop.”

Ogden said, in explaining his relationship with Carpenter, “We feed one another – literally and figuratively. There’ll be times I’ll be like, ‘John, you want some eggs?’ He’ll be like, ‘Yea’… But we feed off of each other as well – not so much literally in that way – more figuratively.” Such “feeding” often results in a cascade of witty comments, the essence of their pending SPOT appearance.

The hosts display chemistry off the stage that can only be anticipated to make an appearance in the spotlight as well. They profess a successful friendship due in part to making up for each other’s faults. For Carpenter, Ogden is better with words; for Ogden, if a joke goes too far, “John always knows when to stop.” Due to such chemistry, or possibly just the fact that they both have blond hair, they once were even mistaken as brothers.

Overall, Ogden and Carpenter anticipate a satisfying SPOT for this spring. They possess confidence in the acts and in themselves as hosts. As opposed to the lengthy, mediocre SPOT of the fall, Ogden plans for a SPOT filled with entertaining acts. He said, “We would rather have an hour-long SPOT of awesomeness and good acts than a two-hour-long with good acts and bad acts.”

Tags acting, acts, dancing, laugh, singing, spot, student body, talent show

Stories In Focus

Athlete Profile: Stephany Ellison

Post author By Amanda Irwin
Post date February 5, 2014

Recent addition to the women’s basketball team, Stephany Ellison, brings both athletic skill and a competitive attitude to the court.

Ellison began her college career at Eastern Kentucky University where she had been recruited by their Division I women’s soccer team. In hopes of “coming closer to home and in need of a change,” Ellison transferred to Houghton last year as a sophomore.

Ellison has continued in playing soccer but also competed on Houghton’s field and track team, running the 100 and 200. She had first joined track to become faster for soccer season and was struck by the rigor of the program. Ellison attributed track for “improving her running technique,” which has translated to all the sports she participates in.

Although her first love is soccer, Ellison has found motivation through basketball as well. She acknowledges that something particularly enjoyable about basketball is the proximity of the fans. Ellison “feeds off the crowd and the close atmosphere,” she says. Coming into the season Ellison was unsure what to expect but has found the “chemistry to be so much better than anticipated and has come to know the team so well.”

Captain Kristen Moose, senior, likewise identified an intimate dynamic on the team. Moose and Ellison played basketball at rival high schools and now as teammates look to each other for intensity on the court. Moose said that, “Stephany makes people better and it is an advantage to have her around.”

Ellison plays the position of point guard but is also a “key defender . . . hustles and works hard,” says Women’s basketball coach, Alicia Mucher.

One need only to look at Ellison’s statistics to see that she has “made the transition to basketball really well,” commented Mucher. Ellison is number one on assists and number two in the categories of points, 3-point FGs, free throws, and steals.

Mucher says that Ellison has not only showed initiative on the team but also “effort towards managing academics while contributing athletically.”

Ellison similarly comments that her “competitive edge” even follows her into the classroom and into her major, Inclusive Childhood Education.

In looking towards the future, Ellison has tried out for the Charlotte Eagles, a professional women’s soccer team in North Carolina and will be receiving a decision shortly. Yet in the meantime, Ellison is “really glad” to have been able to have the experience of playing on the women’s basketball team while being at Houghton.

Contemplating the past season in coaching Ellison, Mucher said that the “fact that we have her in our program is an asset, Stephany shows no fear and provides a fire to those around her.”

Tags Athlete, basketball, charlotte eagles, eastern kentucky university, inclusive childhood education, ncaa, nccaa

Stories In Focus

Houghton in Context: Women in Academia

Post author By Ben Murphy
Post date February 1, 2014

In 2008, for the first time ever, women earned more than 50 percent of awarded PhDs. Despite this shift in the majority, women are still nationally underrepresented as tenured faculty in higher education. According to a 2006 American Association of University Professors (AAUP) report, 31.2 percent of all tenured faculty members are women. This figure is actually slightly higher than the situation at Houghton, where 26 percent of all tenured professors are women.

Though there are surely manifold causes feeding into this discrepancy between qualified female PhDs and tenured women faculty with respect to both the nation and Houghton specifically, many point to the complications of family formation as a key-contributing factor. For example, in 2011, a writer for the Chronicle of Higher Education stated that, “Most women [professors], it seems, cannot have it all—tenure and a family—while most men can.” Similarly, Slate magazine ran an article describing the “baby penalty” levied against women in academia that reads, “family formation negatively affects women’s, but not men’s, academic careers. For men, having children is a career advantage; for women, it is a career killer.”

Though these and similar statements undoubtedly highlight issues for women academics across the United States, both seem to miss the mark when it comes to addressing the experience of mothers teaching at Houghton.

Dr. Sarah Derck of the Bible and Religion Department interviewed for her position at Houghton while pregnant. Though fully aware of relevant, federal anti-discriminatory laws, she says that she did feel nervous that her first child would somehow complicate getting a job. However, from day one at Houghton, she said, “every single conversation has been celebrating with me and [my husband,] Josh, [saying] let’s see what we can do to make this work.” Currently in the early stages of a tenure-track position, Derck said that this level of support has endured, bearing “evidence of a real valuing of family on Houghton’s campus”

Also pursuing a tenure track position, Dr. Rebekah Yates of Math and Computer Science is equally

quick to recognize the ways in which Houghton—and specifically her department—has proved supportive in being “aware of what happens when you have a child.” As Yates commented, the hyper-awareness on the second-floor of Paine may have something to do with the five children born to Math/Computer Science faculty within the last two years. Identifying with women who may feel derided for deciding to have children mid-career, Yates did recognize what she called an “implicit double standard” that treats male and female parenting in academics differently. However, she was also quick to comment that she believes this trend stretches beyond academia to “pervade much of our culture.”

Dr. Kristin Camenga, also of Math and Computer Science, echoed her two colleagues quoted above in expressing that she has felt “affirmed in [her] role as a mother here.” When asked to identify specific ways that Houghton has supported her as a teaching mother, Camenga highlighted the college’s unusual policy of allowing tenure-track professors to modulate between two-thirds time and full time from semester-to-semester. This systematic “flexibility,” as Camenga described it, made a “significant difference” in allowing her to devote time and energy to young children when necessary.

The feelings of Derck, Yates, and Camenga with respect to feeling confident to pursue both tenure and raise a family are corroborated by the details of recent rank and tenure appointments. Last year the college granted tenure to seven individuals. Five of these faculty members were women, and of these five, four have two or more children. These numbers stand in stark contrast to National Science Foundation (NSF) data that says, “across all disciplines, women with children [are] 38 percent less likely than men with children to achieve tenure.”

Like the rest of the nation, our faculty exhibits a wide gender-gap in tenured faculty. And while it is true that family formation is simply one of many complex factors within this issue, the experience of several women at Houghton suggests that our campus is out-performing others in this specific area. So much so, in fact, that Yates speculated whether or not teaching and parenting at Houghton might actually be harder for young male professors. Perhaps excellent fodder for a later article, this question is surely a good indicator that, though nowhere near perfect, our community is doing something very right.

Tags aaup, association of university of professors, bible, Houghton, motherhood, nation, national science foundation, phds, tenure, women in higher education, women with children

Stories In Focus

Sherlock Series Three Disappoints

Post author By Stephen Hill
Post date February 1, 2014
2 Comments on Sherlock Series Three Disappoints

After a two-year hiatus, Sherlock returned to television at the beginning of this year to the jubilant delight of thousands of fans around the world. For those unaware, Sherlock is a retelling of the classic stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in a contemporary setting. It provided the stage on which Benedict Cumberbatch, playing the titular character, burst into international acclaim, and it has not done poorly for the reputation of Martin Freeman in the role of deuteragonist John Watson, either. Written by Stephen Moffat (of Doctor Who) and Mark Gatiss, the show has thus far displayed a great ability to adapt Doyle’s original stories to a modern setting.

The third season had a tall order to meet. The dazzling success of the first two ended in the heights of mystery, as fans everywhere were left wondering how Sherlock had survived his apparent death while deceiving even Watson. We all loved that ending, and looked forward to learning the explanation, as well as witnessing Sherlock’s return to his beloved London.

Any writers would have been challenged to deliver on fans’ expectations, and unfortunately, Moffat and Gatiss didn’t quite manage it. Compared to the prior two seasons, the third one has thus far been a relatively unremarkable example of television. Catering to the curiosity of the fans, Gatiss spent the majority of the first episode, The Empty Hearse, focusing on Watson’s reaction to Sherlock’s return. As one of those curious fans, I was absolutely delighted by the emotion and concurrent humour involved with said reaction, but given the brevity of the episode, it was surely a mismanagement of time. It would have been business-as-usual in a show which featured seasons of normal length, but Sherlock only has three episodes per season, and I felt as though this writing decision cost them. Because the episode focused so much on Sherlock’s return, the drama of the actual case—in which Sherlock is to prevent a terrorist bombing of parliament à la Guy Fawkes—is hurried and unfinished. We never learned enough about the antagonist to actual fear that he might succeed, and by the end of the episode he still felt like an empty threat. Consequently, the resolution rang hollow as well.

The second episode,The Sign of Three, was slightly reminiscent of The Reichenbach Fall (the 2nd series finale) in its coverage of multiple cases which Sherlock hadn’t been able to solve. While it only seemed right that the writers should deliver handsomely on the wedding of John Watson, this episode again felt unfulfilling. The majority of it was retrospective, delivered in the form of history’s most awkward wedding speech, and it felt quite taxing by the time Sherlock wound to a close. Despite the fact that they tied all of the cases together at the ending and Sherlock was able to prevent a death during the reception itself, the entire episode still seemed as though Moffat and Gatiss had drawn inspiration from Michael Scott of The Office. While entertaining, it seemed out of place in Sherlock. Overall, the second episode was very disappointing. Most of the episode meandered without a clear antagonist to anchor it, and when he did show up it was without much hubbub or recognition. He was less engaging than a monster from Scooby-Doo, and the episode suffered for it. In most shows, I would call this a “filler” episode, making it a real shame that they wasted both the Wedding of John Watson and Sherlock’s first Best-Man speech on it.

Between the meandering and unfocused script of the second episode, and a first episode which, with its spectacled man and ominous music at the end, might well have been written to fulfill a checklist of “How to Introduce a Scary Villain,” the season has been much less enjoyable than the preceding two, and has felt much less engaging. That is not to say that it is a selection of terrible episodes, because it really still is far superior to most other contemporary television shows. Rather, in the third season, Gatiss and Moffat failed to meet the high bar which they themselves raised impossibly high in their first two seasons. They put in a very good effort, though, and so I recommend that everyone who has not yet seen the season put the popcorn on and watch it ASAP—so long as you don’t hold it to the same standards as you might the first two seasons.

Tags bbc, benedict cumberbatch, doyle, emotion, empty hearse, guy fawkes, how to introduce a scary villain, london, martin freeman, moffatt, mustache, office, sherlock holmes

Stories In Focus

Secret of Mim

Post author By Thomas Eckert
Post date February 1, 2014

Mim Case is the reason that the Paine Center for Science has not yet imploded. By her title, she is the Academic Coordinator for Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

In her day-to-day life, she makes sure that everything in the building is running smoothly so that the professors are able to focus on their teaching. She may find herself orchestrating building maintenance or researching new programs. Sometimes, she proctors exams for students when they fall behind on work.

Mim moved to Houghton with her husband, Jon Case, in 2005. Prior to their residence in Fillmore, they lived in Melbourne, Australia. Jon had met several Houghton professors through the school’s Down Under program while teaching at Kingsley College. During a furloughed trip to the United States, they got a call – “If you’re stateside, come see us at Houghton.”

The move was a huge change for the family. Melbourne is a city of 4 million people. Fillmore is a town of about 600. Mim is used to changing scenery. Although she self-identifies as a Texan from birth, she has held drivers licenses in seven different states.

Even still, Fillmore is a new experience for her. “I’m not really a country kind of person, so this has been a really different experience, but I’m learning all kinds of things,” she said in our interview. Being an avid baker, she is happy that she can get fresh ingredients from local farms through community supported agriculture.

Case_Mim

At home, she has quit cooking, “My husband does all that,” she says, “He’s a great Punjabi chef. This year he’s beginning to try Chinese and Thai.”

One thing that might catch your eye as you walk by Mim’s office is Mim herself, standing upright in front of her computer. When she first came to Houghton, she found that she was in a lot of pain at the end of her workday. Doing some research, she discovered that her desk was too high for good posture. Her solution, however, was to get an even higher one.

Mim began using a standing desk, supplementary to her sitting one. If you ask her, she’ll laud its use,”It’s great! I use it so much that one day, I came in the morning and set my things on my chair and by four o’clock I realized they were still there. I had gone the entire day standing and didn’t even notice it!”

Even if it weren’t for her desk, Mim would spend much of her day on her feet running around just keeping the department working properly. Despite her busy schedule, she still finds time to make Paine a brighter place. She very proudly tells me about an idea she executed alongside Dr. Brubaker – a mosaic of Houghton science majors which together form a single image of the Paine building. Mim collected the photos and found a company to design it. It is hanging by the second floor entrance to Schaller Hall.

Outside of school, Mim is very involved with her church, Houghton Wesleyan. She leads the missions convention work team. The church is looking to work more with Buffalo refugees in the next year. The focus of such missions work, aside from ministry, is to enable refugees with tools or skills that help them become more self-sufficient. She says,”It’s great to see a different side of the city and to see how you can help.”

When I asked Mim what she looks forward to in the upcoming year, her face lights up. Meic Pearse, professor of history, has asked her to be a part of the East Meets West travel team. This May, she’ll get to go to the Balkans with the honors program in order to provide logistical support. When she goes, she will bring her husband and daughter, Carolyn, too.

Mim’s hard work is invaluable to keeping Paine together. If you have ever enjoyed a math or science class, stop by her office this week and thank Mim for making it possible.

Tags administration, mim case, paine science building, secret, secretary

Stories In Focus

Brothers Collaborate on New Gallery

Post author By Ben Layman
Post date January 25, 2014

This past Friday marked the opening of the Word / Image art show at the Ortlip Gallery, a creative collaboration between brothers John and Ronald Leax. Ron Leax is currently a Professor of Art at Washington University in St. Louis, and the affectionately named Jack returns to Houghton after a long career of teaching in the English and Writing department. The display features pyramidal formations of several of Ron’s experimental pieces alongside vinyl cuttings of a selection of John’s poems.

Ron was quick to point out that most of his work has been as a sculptor, but a decade-old back injury forced him into other artistic pursuits. Nothing has been lost in the transition; Ron’s scientific precision testifies to that. “Making art is how I figure out the world,” he said, a sentiment shared by his like-minded brother. “We’re still trying to figure it out ourselves,” Jack admitted, saying that he and his brother share a lot of the same concerns and explore many of the same themes, just with differing contexts. He described the collaboration process as being very casual. “We knew over the years that we’d been working on the same kind of themes so we decided that it would be interesting to see them together.”

Initially, Ron created a model of the gallery with an arrangement of all of his pieces, but Jack was unaware of the actual pieces being shown, only the titles. After seeing this model, Jack was able to implement his own arrangement of his selection of poems based on what he knew that his brother was doing. The whole thing is a process of investigation into uncharted territory, taking cues from Ron’s advice in that “you have to use your work to figure something out, not using what you already know.” Although he described his work as “drawings,” Ron is not averse to employing a large variety of materials, among them being coffee, insects, wine, and most unusually, urinal cakes. “Anything that will make a mark is free game,” he said.

Art faculty member Ted Murphy described the images as being largely diary entries that harbor a combination of personal story and record-keeping. “They feel like maps, like they’re trying to quantify an emotional world,” he commented. “I think if you think about that and you think about poetry it’s exactly the same.” Jack said that Ron was instrumental in the poetry selection process, saying that he encouraged Jack to utilize poetry that he had never intended to show publicly. He remarked that the original poems were exercises in disciplinarily pulling back and the minimalistic results were markedly different from his other work. According to Murphy, this is advantageous in complementing the visual pieces, and said that this makes Leax’s poetry more concentrated and image-based. Jack was able to define the creative partnership as juxtaposing the work of two people who have common background and have been working on common themes independently for many years and seeing how close they come. Word / Image will be on display in the gallery through March 13th.