A&E

Murals in Philadelphia

May 18, 2014 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

Staff Writer Claudia Bonitatibus

The Mural Arts Program began in 1984 as part of the Anti-Graffiti Network. Jane Golden, who beforehand worked co-founder and director of the Los Angeles Public Art Foundation, was hired to fight against the Graffiti throughout the city. To do so she convinced the Graffiti artists and writers to put their talent to painting murals instead.

The approach that was taken by Mural Arts Program helped to limit graffiti and vandalism all while creating murals and beautifying the city. They did not only solve the issue but the city as a whole benefited from it immensely and used art to unite communities. Jane Golden is responsible for creating 2,000 murals with the program. It was 1996 when Ed Rendell, who was the mayor at the time, officially stated that the Anti-Graffiti Network was to be converted into the Mural Arts Program.

Since 1984 the Mural Arts Program has developed and is now not just a fight against graffiti but also a way to help people find a voice and tell their story through what they paint. They are responsible for over 3,600 murals in Philadelphia and for the overall transformation of Philadelphia’s walls to the blossoming of culture. They have created the largest collection of public art and now use the murals to attract tourists on the Mural Arts Tours.

philadelphia-muses

Broad Street Run 2014

May 5, 2014 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

By Staff Writer Bella Mezzaroba

Over 43,000 people ran the Broad Street Run, on May 4th 2014. The race began at Broad and Fisher Avenue and ended approximately 1/4 of a mile into the Navy Yard. In total, a 10 mile run taking the competitors through North Philly neighborhoods and down to South Philly row homes.

The starting line was packed. People from all walks of life came to run. From Student’s Run teams to woman like 84 year-old Lorraine Cephus who has ran all 35 Broad Street Runs. There were “corrals” where people gathered de

The first few miles were congested with runners passing and stopping to use the porta potty’s. It really was a mess. By mile 4, however, the crowd began to disperse and the hardest part was over.

I would say that the first 4 miles took the most out of me. Seeing City Hall so far in the distance made me dread the rest of the miles I had to run. After I passed City Hall though, everything was fantastic. There were people with signs cheering on the runners and school marching bands playing, “Eye of the Tiger.” I seen family and friends from my South Philly neighborhood standing on street corners with cowbells and pom poms. It felt amazing.

Even though I didn’t finish with the best time, It was my first Broad Street run and the longest I’ve ever gone. It’s a fantastic feeling and I can’t wait for next year.

84 year-old Lorraine Cephus who has ran every broad street race yet

Frozen Craze on Youtube

April 21, 2014 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

Everyone’s been crazy about Frozen since it hit the big screen on November 27, 2013. It’s been Youtube’s biggest parody craze since Twilight or Harry Potter. People from all walks of life have been making videos singing “Let it Go” and “Do You Want to Build a Snowman.”

From Doctor Who fan’s, to the on running joke of the unreliable google translate converting songs into barely recognizable lyrics, the soundtrack of Frozen has had it’s fair share of internet stardom. Here are a few of my favorite and not so favorite Frozen parodies.

Will You Help me Hide a Body

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4jPQw5nSIY

I have to say that this short video is my favorite parody so far. I lean more to the sardonic side of humor so I literally laughed out loud during this one. It’s clever, unique, and definitely hilarious.

Most Dramatic Do You Want to Build a Snowman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2hJYS6XNiw

A friend showed me this one and she thought it was hilarious, as do most people. However, I find it mildly disturbing. There’s just something about a child screaming bloody murder that doesn’t exactly make me feel like laughing. Then again, that’s just me. If you’re like most people, who enjoy the sound of distressed children, then I’d definitely recommend it.

Mitch Grassi- Let It Go from Frozen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRMCn_paypM

A friend showed me this one as well. At first, I didn’t believe that this was actually Mitch Grassi singing but apparently it is. The man has a ridiculous vocal range. I also appreciated the paper snow at the end.

“Do You Wanna Build a Snowman” from Frozen according to Google Translate

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mqG5l-9wIE

A perfect example of how unreliable google translate is. Yeah, It’s funny, but I’m sick of the google translate videos. We get it, it’s unreliable. It’s a website created to translate one or two words for a high school spanish project, not an entire song into 24 different languages and back again. What could you honestly have expected?

“Let it go” Multi-Language

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OC83NA5tAGE

I really liked this one. I stumbled upon it on the interwebs one evening and it was just so sweet it gave me goosebumps. Listening to all those women sing Let it Go in their own language really gave the song a sense of being. It’s crazy to think that people all over the world are singing the same song that’s been stuck in your head for months.

Here’s a few more noteworthy parodies, spoofs, and heartwarming Frozen videos to check out.

Do You Wanna Steal a Tardis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SJxoCYJ9Zg

Steve Carrel Do You Wanna Build a Snowman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uL0psyzspyM

Real Life Do You Wanna Build A Snowman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PGrtdcvlVE

Disney Pixar Let It Go

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjbPszSt5Pc

A Beautiful Goodbye

March 27, 2014 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

by Staff Writer Claudia Bonitatibus

The famed Japanese director and animator, Hayao Miyazaki, released what he claims will be the final film of his long and distinguished career on February 21st. Mostly known in this country for exquisite animated films like My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away that have a fantastical quality to appeal to children, this latest film, The Wind Rise, relies on more conventional storytelling techniques while revisiting themes that have appeared in many of his movies.

The Wind Rise is a biographical story set in Japan in the early 1920’s and tells the real life story of Jiro Horikoshi whose dream was to become a pilot, but since he is blind in one eye, he is not able to fly a plane. After reading about Giovanni Caproni, an Italian engineer who designed bomber planes and a transatlantic plane to carry passengers, Jiro discovers his true calling is to be an aeronautical engineer. It was inspired by the story of the Japanese aeronautical engineer of the same name, who designed the Japanese fighter bombers that were so effective in World War II. Miyazaki’s family supplied parts for these fighters, so this interest in flying and explains why every Miyazaki film features flying in some way, but the artist is also using Jiro’s story to explain the his own passion for beauty and human creation.

Since the story takes place between the two great wars, The Wind Rises deals with many tough issues such as the Depression, the Kanto Earthquake, tuberculosis, and war, making the themes of this final movie a lot heavier than Miyazaki’s previous movies. But these are events that Miyazaki must have known about intimately and it feels that way. While The Wind Rises may have a darker quality and is directed towards an older audience than his other films, it has a strong message. As his last movie Miyazaki is summing up his life’s work.

A theme in the movie is that an artist only has a limited time to create his best works. His hero Caproni tells Jiro in one of his dreams that he has ten years and that he should use them well. Jiro certainly does and creates beautiful planes. Miyazaki’s life followed a similar trajectory and it is now time for him to stop. He, too, has given us things of even greater beauty.

PYPM Returns!

March 13, 2014 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

By Melissa Alvarez

Staff Writer

It’s that time of year again! The Philadelphia Youth Poetry Movement slam league season has begun. The kickoff slam took place at the Franklin Institute on February 21st.

From March 7th until the season’s end in June, the slams will be at the Freedom Theater every friday.

So far SLA Center City has won a round after performing a group poem composed of sophomores Soledad Alfaro, Mali Fenning, and Jasmin Gilliam. The 3 girls wrote a poem together about being sensitive.

https://vimeo.com/89013288

Soledad told SLAMedia “It’s a poem about dealing with your emotions and trying to get people to understand who you are. I am super excited for slam league this year, we’re at the freedom theatre and everyone is so talented. It’s gonna be really rad!”

Rad indeed. Students are often known leave slams with a whole new outlook on their surroundings. The poems that students share with the audience can jump from the topic of hair to gang violence.

An inviting part about the poetry movement is the all around positivity. Being an attendee of multiple slams, it’s not uncommon to see students forget their lines because they’re nervous, or some cry from the overwhelming emotion brought up from what they’re sharing, but they are always immediately lifted back up from the snaps of the crowd,

Sophomore Mali Fenning is enjoying her first year in PYPM. She told SLAMedia “The slams are very lively, fun, and not only will you have fun but you’ll learn a lot about culture.”

More and more of Philadelphia’s youth are finding their voices through poetry.

For more information on the Philadelphia Youth Poetry Movement, go to http://pypm215.org/