I’ll admit it, when it comes to my alcoholic beverages I’m a full-on, stereotypical girly woman.

I like my booze like I like my men: sweet and flavorful. Boone’s Farm, anyone?

No, but really, I’ve never liked beer. And believe me, its been a rough four years with an aversion like that.  I’ve never experienced all the things real college kids are supposed to experience: never had that magical beer pong moment of friendship and camaraderie, never downed a 12 pack from a beer bong like all the hardcore kids, never did a keg stand (well, for more than .2 seconds and least) and never strolled up to a local bar and demanded a cold Miller like one of the boys.

Yep, it’s been Boone’s Farm (Melon ball flavor, obviously) Mike’s Hard Lemonade and Amaretto sours for me, that is until I was captivated by hard cider.

Straight-up hard cider. From the U.K, no less.

That’s right, I may not have met my soul mate at Marquette but I have found my intoxicating significant other in Strongbow, the “authentic English cider with a dry and refreshing finish.”

It’s a good thing I finally found Strongbow. Not only do I feel cooler ordering at the bar, but this drink’s apple infused overtones mixed with a hard edge is immensely satisfying. In fact as I sit here writing this, drinking my Strongbow, I’m feeling pretty darn satisfied, dare I say even delighted. Hard cider has that affect on people.

Strongbow is an import cider first mulled into existence by the late H.P. Bulmer in 1887. Largely considered the “household name in cider,” Strongbow is named after the knight Richard de Clare, later Earl of Pembroke, nicknamed “Strongbow” for relying heavily on Welsh archers during campaigns in Ireland, where the native Irish had few bows.

Strongbow has 5.0% alcohol volume in a 12oz bottle, but it’s barely noticeable with its golden radiance and sweet essence that permeates the mouth upon sippage. This hard cider accounts for over half of the cider sold in England and is pretty top-shelf because it is produced with a Royal Warrant; aka: even the Queen is obsessed.

Strongbow has slight similarities to beer, but the overall taste, presentation and awesomeness-factor is much better. Trust me on this one. With its crisp and authentic current of taste-bud bliss with every swig, you couldn’t choose a better beverage for your night out (or in, for that matter).

I overheard one audience member say, “This play is so depressing! It is so hard to watch. It isn’t the performers’ fault, just the time of the year.”

Anton Chekov’s play is about a family waiting to discover if they will lose their house and orchard after failing to keep up interest payments on their mortgage. The family returns home after a prolonged stay in Paris. They quickly realize that any and all money they had is gone, and the house is being put up for auction.

One of the most recognizable themes of play is that problems arise through clinging to the past instead of preparing for the future. This is of historical importance because Chekov wrote this play for a Russian audience on the verge of revolution.

The character Peter Trofimov acts as Chekov’s personal mouthpiece for idealism and change. At one point in the play, he places himself above human emotion, noting that he and Ana, who he is affectionate towards, are “above love.”

Trofimov spouts line upon line of philosophical progression but is mocked by some of the characters for not having graduated university even though he has been there several years.
The emotional demand of the script on the actors proved to be the biggest challenge of the play. Unfortunately, these emotional instances were often overacted and failed to produce a reaction from the audience. One of the biggest demands came from the character Lyuba Ranevsky who ran the gamut of emotions. She did, at one point, produce real tears in a touching display at the climax of the plot. However, even she faltered into overdone productions in place of subdued and weighty displays of emotion. The Cherry Orchard required much more of the latter.

The character that the audience clearly responded to best was the elderly servant, Firs. A well-acted and comedic break from the depressing play he was written into, Firs allowed the audience to laugh and reconnect to the action taking place onstage. His interjections and senile ravings generated hearty chuckles and reminded the audience of the past this family so desperately clung onto.

One of the best experiences of the night was the set design by Rachel Finn, a senior in the College of Communication. It is great to see that the university utilizes its student talent and encourages large solo projects to those who prove capable of the challenge.

The stage was sparsely set and largely representative – allowing the audience to create their own version of the estate. Coupled with the lighting design, the mood was well-set, and there was a clear sense of nostalgia associated with the large property the family is on the verge of losing.

The greatest scenic feat came in the last seconds of the play when the cherry orchard was artfully and symbolically chopped down. Overall, this play was not the most entertaining of the season and sometimes lagged in action and acting, but it was a challenge for all involved. The theatre department deserves praise for at least attempting this feat, even though it faltered a bit.

1. Buy clothes for the body you have now
2. Think of your body in terms of thirds, and not two halves, and dress accordingly
3. Use accessories to update looks you already have
4. When buying clothes remember these three concepts: silhouette, proportion and fit

To see more photos, check out my blog, Make It Work Milwaukee.

I arrived at the MAM at about 8 p.m. to a large mass of people in Windhover Hall. The large ceiling was adorned with soft purple lighting with Run Up to the Runway shown over it. There was a large white catwalk that measured about 30 feet with about 100 white chairs surrounding it. The fashion show was not to start until 9 p.m., so my friend Anna and I went to check out the new exhibit, Art/React, which I highly recommend to anyone who visits the museum. As the name implies, the exhibit consisted of pieces of art that reacted to the individual. These ranged from a white canvas, which would record your movements that would then play on a video loop with twelve other black silhouettes that had been recorded earlier from others who stepped in front of the canvas, to a wooden table in a very soft lit room, that when you touched the table, different sentences would ring out of the speakers that surrounded the room.

By the time my friend and I were finished exploring the new exhibit, it was almost time for the runway show. Before the show began, students from Mt. Mary’s College were displaying their designs on the catwalk. The designs of the students varied greatly. From a ballerina-inspired dress in a light pink, purple and red, to a brown leather dress with a leaf adorned corset, with long black strips of fabric lying over a torn brown skirt. The winning look was a high-waisted gold pencil skirt with a large gold rosette, paired with a sleek black sleeveless turtleneck.

After the announcement of the winner, the show began. The first designers to display their work in the runway were Amanda Ergen and Mink. My favorite of their five dresses was an off-white dress that was gathered at the shoulder with a purpose flower. The fabric was nicely draped, creating a flow to the dress as the model walked down the runway. Next was the collection from Delanie Seamom. Her collection showed a great deal of range, offering different looks, and some of her clothes were my favorites of the night. I really enjoyed her last outfit, which consisted of a ruffled mini-skirt in eggplant with a fitted corset top in steel grey. It was topped with a wool swing jacket in yellow. What I liked most about this outfit was how the yellow jacket really brought to life the eggplant and steel colors. Sometimes when there is a bright color, it can distract from the other aspects of the outfit; however, the jacket complimented those colors and made for a well-put together look.

Next up was Shop. What really caught my attention during their show was an outfit which consisted of a simple purple scarf, a Mink Pink soldier jacket in black, and a brown to black whirlpool print dress. It seems that this season many designers are embracing the structure of the military jacket. I like this coat because it plays with the idea of masculinity and femininity. Its use of design and structure gives it that masculine feel, while the cut and shape of the jacket maintains its femininity with the cinched waist, smaller armholes and soft, slender shoulders.

Next on the runway was Aala Reed Men’s. To be honest, I was not crazy about the looks Aala Reed Men’s put together. The first outfit was a sequined Superman logo t-shirt with a pair of jeans that had a great deal of embroidery on them that I thought it could do without. The high point in their collection was a Ted Baker jacket with a Hugo Boss turtleneck and dark skinny jeans. The jacket embodies a militaristic feel with its double-breasted closure, stiff structure and use of epaulets.

Following Aala Reed Men’s was Aala Reed Women’s. I must say that Aala Reed Women’s put on a much better show than their male counterpart. I really liked two pieces in their collection. First was a deep v-neck halter dress in a midnight navy by Ingwa-Malero. The second was a Ted Baker “Lola” dress. What I liked about this dress was its uses of geometric shapes to create an intriguing and beautiful silhouette. Sometimes geometric patterns on a dress can make the dress seem busy or confusing and the dress gets lost in a mess of shapes, but this dress was not like that. The last to show was Molloy’s, who provided the audience with a variety of beautiful dresses. My favorites were a black and gold brocade cocktail dress and red charmeuse one-shoulder gown, which swayed back and forth on the runway as the model walked.

Overall, I thought the event was a great success. I saw many things I liked, and some things I did not. It is nice to see a growing community of people who are interested in fashion and that Milwaukee is trying to create a name for itself with some of the young designers who reside here; however, there is a still a lot of work to do before Milwaukee can claim that it is a fashion hub.

Casual—Polo, jeans and sneakers: This look is probably the most commonly used and easiest outfit in the male college student’s repertoire, but it can also be done wrong. To start with, make sure the polo fits well. I see lots of guys whose polos are too big and could probably go down a size. The polo’s sleeve should end at the mid-part of your bicep, and not all the way down to your elbow. The fit should touch your body from your shoulders to waist without binding. The jeans should be fully intact, no holes or paint marks or whatever else Abercrombie throws on them, and preferably straight leg. Your sneakers should be clean, not beat up, and if were to suggest a pair, they would be a pair of white Chuck Taylor’s. That shoe goes with just about anything.

Nice Dinner—White button down dress shirt, dark jeans and dress shoes: Every gentleman at this age should own a white dress shirt, and you can get a lot more mileage out of it then just wearing it to church/wedding/job interview. For the fit of the shirt, the tail of the shirt should be long enough to lay under your rear end, but not too long if you choose to wear it untucked. The cuff of your shirt should fall in the crook between the base of your thumb and wrist. The buttons should lie flat when buttoned and the fabric should not bunch. If you have a slimmer frame, go for shirts that are usually labeled modern or slim flit, or if you are on the larger side, look for shirts that have box pleats on the back of the shirt. This allows you more room but without the excess fabric. If the weather is getting cooler as it is now, wear a v-neck sweater if you have one, preferably in grey. As for the jeans, again straight leg is the way to go, with no holes and other markings, and keep the denim dark, which is a little dressier. Lastly, as for the dress shoes, black or brown is up to you, just be sure to match your belt with it, and please no white athletic socks.

Swanky Dinner/Bar or Special Evening—Sport coat, dress shirt and dark denim: This look is if you are going some place fancy but a suit is not required, or this look could be substituted for a suit. For those men who have a suit and normally only wear the jacket with the pants, this is a way to get more use of out your jacket. By wearing the jacket with a dark denim jean you still can achieve that formal effect, but without the uncomfortable feeling that some gentlemen have when it comes to wearing a suit. To finish the look, pair it with a pair of dress shoes or even a pair of sneakers, but like I said before, make sure they are in great condition. Add a pocket square if you wish to add a little more flavor to the ensemble. There is a great video online at men.style.com that will show you step by step how to do this, or just check out my blog, where I will post the video.

So there are three fail-safe looks when going out on a date. These are just some guidelines; so don’t feel obligated to do exactly what I wrote about. The great thing about fashion is that you can make it your own, so experiment a little and come up with a look that feels good for you. As Tim Gunn from Project Runway says, “Make it work!”

Please visit my newly created blog Make it Work Milwaukee. On my blog, I will post pictures of people who I think display an individual and creative sense of style which visitors can comment on, as well as my articles from The Warrior and any additional topics that I feel like writing about.

Cyrano de Bergerac is a play written in the late 1890s by Edmond Rostand. Cyrano is a poet and swordsman, but his ugliness does not stop him from falling in love with Roxanne, the most beautiful woman he knows. As it is a tragedy, she does not return his love, but fosters love for a beautiful man, Christian. Roxanne loves poetry and beauty, and since neither man has both, they work together to woo the woman of their dreams.

They go through a series of meetings with Roxanne where Cyrano feeds Christian poetry to speak to Roxanne, and all the while she thinks that Christian is the perfect man. There is an entire scene in which Roxanne is standing on her balcony and Cyrano begins feeding Christian his poetry. It becomes too difficult so Cyrano takes over speaking to Roxanne, and because it is so dark, she thinks it is Christian and decides to kiss him.

Not only are Christian and Cyrano vying for Roxanne’s love, she has also caught the eye of the rich Comte de Guiche. After Christian’s speech to Roxanne, she breaks Cyrano’s heart and asks him to distract de Guiche while she and Christian get married. De Guiche finds out and sends Christian and

Cyrano to the front lines of France’s war with Spain. Roxanne asks that Christian write his words of love to her every day and Cyrano agrees. The ending is a bizarre twist of fate that only those who see it will know about.

“I hope and believe that they [the students] really like the action and fall in love with the great hero, Cyrano,” said Tallon. The students felt differently. Their heads were filled with both high and low expectations.

Ashley Tomaier, a sophomore in the college of Health Sciences, said, “I didn’t expect it to be good at all.” Pete Lindley, a sophomore in the college of Business, said, “I had pretty high expectations after seeing the Cyrano episode of Wishbone.”

However, to the surprise of most, Cyrano was a hit. Everyone was eating it up, but for many different reasons. The humor of the play came as a surprise to Maggie Homer, a sophomore in the college of Health Sciences, who said that it was nothing like what she had expected from a tragedy.

Emma Cotter, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, thought its message was particularly relevant to college life.

“I liked how the topics were relatable to us,” said Cotter. “Using topics like jealousy, self-consciousness and romance is a great way to cater to college students.”

The actors made it easy for the audience to fall in love with the characters. Kara Foster, a sophomore in the college of Arts and Sciences, said, “The actors brought a lot of dimensions to the characters.”

“I was pretty impressed,” said Sulaiman Al-Saeed, a sophomore in the college of Business. Al-Saeed said the actors used the space very well for such a small stage.

But one of its highest selling points was simply the fact that it was a French play. Kelsey McCusker, a sophomore in the college of Communication, said, “It’s a very ‘French Pride’ sort of play and I love that.”

The play ended with a death, a discovery, a hero and a standing ovation. All and all, for most, this play turned out to be a good use of two hours and 56 minutes on a Tuesday night.

The Monologues were hosted off-campus last year, but last weekend was the first time it was ever performed on Marquette’s campus. Before the reading began, the theatre was abuzz with curiosity, yet even the minimal set of the stage itself was a stark contrast to the controversy that circulated in regard to this performance.

There were two major reasons for the controversy surrounding this play’s performance on Marquette’s campus. The first has to do with the Cardinal Newman Society. The Newman Society’s focus is making sure Catholic ideals are upheld in Catholic universities across the country. This year they released a statement on their Web site condemning the play for its content, claiming the play disagrees with Catholic views on sex and sexuality.

Other Christian voices disagreed with the performance as well, including five prominent members of Maruqette’s religious student organizations: John Tadelski, Aaron Morey, Heather Rumple, Benjamin DuMontier and Margaret Smith together wrote a letter to the administration explaining their concern with this performance.

They wrote, “[t]he identification of the woman with her vagina is emphasized so greatly that the play does little more than reduce women’s sexuality to mere physicalism, without respecting the mind or spirit…We believe that the essence of woman cannot be reduced to merely the body or sexuality. We must also note that such an ignorance of the whole person directly opposes the mission of Marquette University, Cura Personalis.” The letter continued on to request that the administration support other forms of sexual education that respects the whole person in regards to Christian values.

The second major reason for the controversy comes from the mixed message that the administration is sending by hosting this play, which is also encompassed in the concluding line of the previous quote. Furthermore, last year, a student group, JUSTICE, tried to host a performance of The Vagina Monologues on campus. But they were denied permission to do so by the administration.

After the annoucement of the performance, Director of University Communicaions defended the decision to allow the Honors Program to host the Monologues, claiming, “academic units are free to host lectures, discussions and symposia that are appropriate to their subject areas.”

Even amidst all of this contradiction, The Vagina Monologues were performed in Helfaer Theatre with the title of “An Academic Conversation on Catholicism, Sexuality, and Human Rights.” The performance began with a foreword, which acknowledged both the positive and negative elements of this play and why in essence it attracts so much attention and controversy.

The night continued with the reading, dinner and finally concluding with a discussion with a panel including professor of political science Richard Friman, professor of Philosophy Theresa Tobin, professor of English Amelia Zurcher, and Rosalind Hinton of DePaul University’s Religious Studies Department.

For the fifth year running, Marquette’s own Haggerty Museum of Art has organized an evening for MIAD and MU artists to display what they deem as “art.” For students this form of expression ranged from paintings and sculptures to performing arts.

“It’s such a hidden community,” said junior Andrew Keating.

The Haggerty Museum of Art and MU’s Art Club worked closely together to achieve the success of the event.

“It was definitely a consistent effort by everyone,” said Victoria Taylor, president of the Art Club. “The atmosphere for this evening is really welcoming and opening,” Taylor said of the environment for aspiring artists. Taylor submitted a piece entitled “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter,” which was an acrylic painting of Fabio crying. Because the event generated such a high level of interest, a large number of students submitted their pieces of art.

In total, there were over 50 entries submitted by over 30 artists, said Lynn Shumow, curator of Education at the Haggerty.

Francesca Cozzone, a sophomore art major, submitted an untitled oil painting of the sun. Cozzone painted the piece for a friend’s birthday present, focusing on the colors of red, orange and white.

For most of the contributors of the evening, art is an outlet of expression, but not a career.

Photography was a one of the more popular features found at the student night. Junior Jack Bartlet submitted two untitled pieces he described as “urban shooting.”

Self-portraits were also scattered throughout the works. Student Jamie Bolker, who has taken classes at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, submitted two pieces for the event, including a self-portrait created in charcoal and ink.

“I really got excited when I found out that Marquette does something like this,” Bolker said.

In comparison to last year, there was a quite an increase in the levels of student participation and awareness of the event, noted Shumow. “This year, we really focused on getting the word out and publicizing the event more. It definitely worked.”

Throughout the event, a number of performances took place in the lower gallery. Junior Peter Woods stood out with a unique approach to performing art, creating a distorted and experimental sound with a violin, guitar pedals, amps and recordings from Waiting for Godot, a speech from Hitler’s last day.

“It’s really about nightmares,” Woods said. “I’m kind of obsessed with them right now.”

Woods’ avant-guard performance is a result of larger group in which he participates, the Milwaukee Noise Fest.

Other performers of the evening included senior Kyle Shamorian, as well as senior Mike Luede, who both played songs on guitar.

“I’m really eclectic,” Luedke said, who showed his love of art with an electric guitar.

In the future, the Haggerty Art Museum hopes to continue its gallery openings for students and others who appreciate art of all kinds from the MU college perspective.

“I think it’s nice that students have a place here,” Shumow said.

The exhibit runs until April 1 at the Haggerty Museum of Art. Contributors to the exhibit include the Department of Special Collections, University Archives, the Instructional Media Center and the Haggerty Museum of Art.

The display features historic pictures that have been digitally reprinted alongside recent pictures that capture the same component of campus. With an emphasis on the “then and now” aspect, photographers retook the pictures from the same angles.

“Originally, the idea was take an archive picture and try and recreate it,” said Dan Johnson, official university photographer. Instead, Johnson decided to first find themes that are relevant on campus today, and then match them with older pictures.

One such example of this striking similarity is a picture of a Peace Corps student in the 1960s, which was then matched with a current picture of a student’s service trip to Honduras.

“This pair reflects especially the Cura Personalis that Marquette wishes to be known,” said Annemarie Sawkins, associate curator at the Haggerty Museum of Art.

Johnson, who has photographed Marquette for the past 30 years, collaborated on the project with Matt Blessing, director of Marquette’s Special Archives and member of the 125th committee. Blessing approached Johnson with the idea for the exhibit a year ago.

For the past year, Johnson and other photographers took pictures of the aspects of Marquette that still capture its early beginnings. The photos document many different features of Marquette’s campus, including its evolution throughout the years.

The physical makeup of Marquette’s university grounds was captured with pictures of Schroeder Hall, first as a busy street and now a part of Marquette’s greening campus.

Pictures of women’s sports at Marquette also displayed the changes prior to Title IX of the Education Amendment, which allowed women’s sports teams. The most prominent change reflected in the photo display is the advancement of technology on campus. In one example, an archive photo shows a crowded Memorial Library filled with students studying. In a current photo, however, a student studies on the bridge of Raynor Librarywhile listening to her iPod, using her BlackBerry and working on her laptop.

“The photographs reflect the various acts of Marquette students have and continue to participate in throughout the years,” said Sawkins.

The Haggerty Museum of Art is privileged to display this historic exhibit.

“Haggerty is one of many collaborating on Marquette’s campus and using it as an opportunity to celebrate,” said Sawkins.

Others see the exhibit as an opportunity not only for the museum, but also for students and faculty as well.

“I think it’ll be interesting for anyone not affiliated with Marquette,” said Lynne Shumow, Curator of Education at the Haggerty. “It’s a great opportunity for faculty and students to learn about Marquette what they didn’t know before.”

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the “stans” of Europe were created, which include Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan. Using the contemporary work of 13 artists, the exhibit is able to capture the violence and conflict that still exist between these neighboring countries.

The central themes of the art are expressed through video, photography and video stills. In the case of the sculpture “Monument to a Hero,” a pair of cut off horse hooves is used to represent the epidemic of state monuments being destroyed in response to the independence of Kazakhstan. In another piece entitled, “My Brother the Enemy,” two men are depicted facing each other with pistols in their mouths. These graphic and uniquely modern works emphasize the continuing violence and aggression in this area. The exhibit also focuses on the roles of women, war and dervishes, or Sufi Muslim ascetic religious fraternities.

“This exhibit shows interesting art that works well with many classes at Marquette,” said Lynne Shumow, Haggarty’s Curator of Education.

So far, broadcasting classes at Marquette have taken advantage of this opportunity, filming interviews with Mascelloni and creating a Web Site with the footage. With a grant from Institute of Museum and Library Services, Haggarty is also working with the Marquette School of Education to teach future teachers how to integrate art into classes.

In addition to Marquette students, Haggarty is working with the Milwaukee Public School System and the Milwaukee Art Board.

“[This exhibit] definitely works well with what we’re trying to do here,” said Shumow. Aside from students, other organizations have come to learn and reflect about this exhibit. On Nov. 6, the Jewish Community Center began a three-part program about Asia culture. On Nov. 14, Dr. Uli Schamiloglu will be giving a talk about the exhibit concerning popular religion and Islam in Central Asia. Schamiloglu, a faculty member at University of Wisconsin-Madison, is an author and professor of languages.

Overall, “Art and Conflicts of Central Asia” is a rare window of opportunity to see the world around us with the ease of walking behind Johnston Hall.

“Art and Conflicts in Central Asia” is showing at the Haggarty Museum of Art through Jan. 21.