Arts & Entertainment

Fine Arts Spotlight: Panda scratching
By: Nikia McMillen
Anything from reciting the alphabet from Z to A to writing with your different hand may seem a bit harder than doing things the way you’re used to. This is because you’re doing them in the opposite, reverse way. Last semester in Ms. Reed’s Art II class, students had to do just that-work in reverse. Students were given the assignment of creating an animal on a black sheet of scratchboard using sharp tools to make white marks. According to Ms. Reed, “Usually the marks you make on paper are dark, so students had to think in reverse. This is a challenging project for students because everything on the scratchboard is either pure black or pure white, so they had to use different textures to depict different areas.”
Sophomore Maggie Liskowicz, whose piece of a panda entitled “Hungry” is this issue’s Fine Arts Spotlight, admits just how challenging the project was. “At first I thought it would be easy, because with a panda, there are usually just two colors: black and white. It was harder when I found [out] there were different shades in the fur.” She further expressed that it was especially hard forcing herself to think oppositely. In order to plan and get adjusted, students were given a black sheet of paper and white colored pencils to practice the effect of making white marks. “It helped because I was able to see how much white I should put in a certain area to get the values I wanted,” Liskowicz explained. What really helped, though, was practicing on a small sheet of scratchboard. Using that approach, she developed scratching techniques suitable for her panda.	On the final scratchboard, Liskowicz used methods such as a little crosshatching and lines going in the same direction to get the different lights and darks in her panda’s fur. In whiter areas, she etched out more lines that were closer together. For the background, a special tool was used for stippling, the name of the process used to create the small dots visible on the scratchboard, and giving it its distinctive appearance. She indicated that while using such techniques was sometimes time consuming, it was well worth it. When asked if she would do anything differently, Liskowicz said she didn’t think she would change too much but “might have [chosen] a different animal to see how the techniques would apply to that animal’s texture.” Yet, overall, she was content with the final product. Ms. Reed agreed, saying that Liskowicz did an outstanding job using a variety of marks and displaying great detail in making her panda. As this piece shows, even something that is new and challenging, or even, literally, backwards, can come out exceptionally well through preparation, technique, and hard work.

Fine Arts Spotlight: Panda scratching

By: Nikia McMillen

Anything from reciting the alphabet from Z to A to writing with your different hand may seem a bit harder than doing things the way you’re used to. This is because you’re doing them in the opposite, reverse way. Last semester in Ms. Reed’s Art II class, students had to do just that-work in reverse.
Students were given the assignment of creating an animal on a black sheet of scratchboard using sharp tools to make white marks. According to Ms. Reed, “Usually the marks you make on paper are dark, so students had to think in reverse. This is a challenging project for students because everything on the scratchboard is either pure black or pure white, so they had to use different textures to depict different areas.”

Sophomore Maggie Liskowicz, whose piece of a panda entitled “Hungry” is this issue’s Fine Arts Spotlight, admits just how challenging the project was.
“At first I thought it would be easy, because with a panda, there are usually just two colors: black and white. It was harder when I found [out] there were different shades in the fur.” She further expressed that it was especially hard forcing herself to think oppositely.

In order to plan and get adjusted, students were given a black sheet of paper and white colored pencils to practice the effect of making white marks. “It helped because I was able to see how much white I should put in a certain area to get the values I wanted,” Liskowicz explained. What really helped, though, was practicing on a small sheet of scratchboard. Using that approach, she developed scratching techniques suitable for her panda.

On the final scratchboard, Liskowicz used methods such as a little crosshatching and lines going in the same direction to get the different lights and darks in her panda’s fur. In whiter areas, she etched out more lines that were closer together. For the background, a special tool was used for stippling, the name of the process used to create the small dots visible on the scratchboard, and giving it its distinctive appearance. She indicated that while using such techniques was sometimes time consuming, it was well worth it.
When asked if she would do anything differently, Liskowicz said she didn’t think she would change too much but “might have [chosen] a different animal to see how the techniques would apply to that animal’s texture.” Yet, overall, she was content with the final product. Ms. Reed agreed, saying that Liskowicz did an outstanding job using a variety of marks and displaying great detail in making her panda.
As this piece shows, even something that is new and challenging, or even, literally, backwards, can come out exceptionally well through preparation, technique, and hard work.

CD Swap
By: Ms. Subach, Art Teacher
I’m a music freak. I love rocking out at concerts and music festivals, and I love being introduced to new music. I’ve been patiently waiting for an opportunity to swap CDs with a student, and I was pleasantly surprised when I ended up really enjoying the CD I was given! I had heard of Flogging Molly and that they were an Irish punk band. I wouldn’t consider myself a very big punk fan, however, so at first I was wary. I don’t really care for the screaming and yelling that usually goes along with punk, so I never really gave Flogging Molly a chance.
When I started the album though, I thought it didn’t sound very punk at all. The lead singer spoke/yelled most of the lyrics in true punk fashion but broke into melody quite a few times too. It was also refreshing to hear Irish folk instruments like Celtic horns and violins intermixed with the quick guitar riffs and heavy drums beats that are quintessential punk. It definitely is easier on the ears than most punk bands, but after listening to the entire album, I don’t think that I would put them in the same genre as the Ramones or the Misfits. The way his voice waxed and waned reminded me of the Irish folk music that my grandmother likes so much, more like “Irish Eyes” or “Danny Boy” than “I Wanna Be Sedated…”	The album for the most part was toe-tapping and upbeat. I envision the band stomping their bowlegged feet while swaying from side to side like a cross between Michael Flattley’s Riverdance and a hillbilly whistling into an empty jug. I guess I’ll get an opportunity to see them live this summer at Lollapalooza, and in the meantime, I’ll definitely give the disc another listen as it was pretty good in my opinion.

CD Swap

By: Ms. Subach, Art Teacher

I’m a music freak. I love rocking out at concerts and music festivals, and I love being introduced to new music. I’ve been patiently waiting for an opportunity to swap CDs with a student, and I was pleasantly surprised when I ended up really enjoying the CD I was given!
I had heard of Flogging Molly and that they were an Irish punk band. I wouldn’t consider myself a very big punk fan, however, so at first I was wary. I don’t really care for the screaming and yelling that usually goes along with punk, so I never really gave Flogging Molly a chance.

When I started the album though, I thought it didn’t sound very punk at all. The lead singer spoke/yelled most of the lyrics in true punk fashion but broke into melody quite a few times too. It was also refreshing to hear Irish folk instruments like Celtic horns and violins intermixed with the quick guitar riffs and heavy drums beats that are quintessential punk. It definitely is easier on the ears than most punk bands, but after listening to the entire album, I don’t think that I would put them in the same genre as the Ramones or the Misfits. The way his voice waxed and waned reminded me of the Irish folk music that my grandmother likes so much, more like “Irish Eyes” or “Danny Boy” than “I Wanna Be Sedated…”

The album for the most part was toe-tapping and upbeat. I envision the band stomping their bowlegged feet while swaying from side to side like a cross between Michael Flattley’s Riverdance and a hillbilly whistling into an empty jug. I guess I’ll get an opportunity to see them live this summer at Lollapalooza, and in the meantime, I’ll definitely give the disc another listen as it was pretty good in my opinion.


By: Christian Dawson
The band Spoon came from Austin, Texas and was started in 1993. They have made five other albums before this new release. The group is made up of four members: Britt Daniel (vocals and guitar), Jim Eno (drums), Rob Pope (bass), and Eric Harvey (keyboard, guitar, and backing vocals).
One of their songs, “The Way We Get By,” was in the show the OC. They also appeared on Saturday Night Live. Their new CD, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, is quite a mouthful as well as an earful. Spoon is one of those bands you can’t help but tap your foot or nod your head to. They have a very upbeat sound. Despite their strange name, Spoon is not way out there in terms of their music. They are an alternative indie rock band. Almost all of their songs have a happy feel to them. Spoon would appeal to people who want something easy and light to listen to. If you just want to unwind after a long day, these guys are a good band to listen to. One problem I have with them is that their drum beats are a little too heavy on the snare in too many of their songs.	Other than that I really liked them. My favorite song off of this album is probably “Underdog.” Amidst a solid brass section and strumming guitar is a deeper message. Britt Daniels sings about how you should always respect the underdog because you never know when that person is going to be of help. We should all try to remember the little man in life. I recommend them for a light-hearted musical experience.

By: Christian Dawson

The band Spoon came from Austin, Texas and was started in 1993. They have made five other albums before this new release. The group is made up of four members: Britt Daniel (vocals and guitar), Jim Eno (drums), Rob Pope (bass), and Eric Harvey (keyboard, guitar, and backing vocals).

One of their songs, “The Way We Get By,” was in the show the OC. They also appeared on Saturday Night Live. Their new CD, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, is quite a mouthful as well as an earful. Spoon is one of those bands you can’t help but tap your foot or nod your head to. They have a very upbeat sound. Despite their strange name, Spoon is not way out there in terms of their music. They are an alternative indie rock band. Almost all of their songs have a happy feel to them. Spoon would appeal to people who want something easy and light to listen to. If you just want to unwind after a long day, these guys are a good band to listen to. One problem I have with them is that their drum beats are a little too heavy on the snare in too many of their songs.

Other than that I really liked them. My favorite song off of this album is probably “Underdog.” Amidst a solid brass section and strumming guitar is a deeper message. Britt Daniels sings about how you should always respect the underdog because you never know when that person is going to be of help. We should all try to remember the little man in life. I recommend them for a light-hearted musical experience.