On two hands, you can count the number of racial minorities on Gordon’s faculty. With no hands, you can count the number among Gordon’s top leaders. The reality is that, in spite of growing diversity among the student body, for the 2012-2013 school year, there were only seven people of color on faculty, and none in the administration.
Students, staff, and administra- tion say the lack of racially di- verse leadership denies students of color mentors and role models, limits the diversity of perspectives in education, and undermines the school’s Christian mission.
“Diversities bring perspectives we need because it’s the world and it’s the body of Christ. (Lack of diversity) makes us a weaker institution because we don’t have different voices,” said Provost Ja- nel Curry.
When Gordon began on Clar- endon Street in Boston in 1889, some of its first students were women and African-Americans, radical for that day and age. How- ever, when the campus moved out to the North Shore in 1955, the demographics of the college be-
gan to change. Sam Stockwell ’14, a commu-
nication arts major and future Presidential Fellow, attributes the school’s present day racial com- position to its history and current surroundings.
“We were founded by white evangelicals and we’re situated on the North Shore in a predomi- nantly white, suburban area,” he said. “The type of people we at- tract tend to fit that mold.”
Although Gordon’s leadership is overwhelmingly white, its stu- dent body is increasingly less so. Diversity among students has quadrupled from 5 percent to 20 percent in the past 10 years, and the percentage of minor- ity students in leadership posi- tions mirrors those numbers. This growth is in large part due to Gordon’s hallmark Clarendon Scholars program, founded 10 years ago, which brings students from diverse urban backgrounds to campus with the support of a full scholarship.
While diversity among the stu- dent body has grown in recent years, the number of people of color among faculty, according to Human Resources, has fluctuated between 7-10 percent. Among the administration, the number has
Photo by Mark Spooner ’14
shrunk to 0. Ten years ago, Gordon won the
AwardforAdvancingRacialHar- mony, an annual accolade given by the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. At the time, Gordon had a specific advi- sor to President Jud Carlberg on matters of diversity, an African- American associate Provost and Dean of Chapel, and an Asian member of the Presidential Cabi- net, in addition to ten minority faculty members. Out of those numbers, only three faculty mem- bers still remain at Gordon.
“Gordon has not done a good job of retaining faculty and staff of color,” said Director of the Claren- don Program Scott Hwang, who observed the shift as a student and now a staff member. “They don’t realize how difficult it is for some- one from an urban background or who is not white to come here and not be supported.”
Val Buchanan, director of the Office of Community Engage- ment, said some minority candi- dates don’t want to be trailblazers as the first minority member in a department.
Others said the high cost of liv- ing and cultural differences in the surrounding area are top reasons minority faculty who do come here don’t stay. Vice President for Student Life Barry Loy, who has been at Gordon 28 years, remem- bers an African-American faculty member who had to subsidize his income by working a second job in order to live in the area.
“He got offered a job nearer to his home in the South,” Loy said. “It was more sustainable finan- cially, and secondly, there were going to be a lot more folks of color. That’s why I think he left.”
The effects of Gordon’s lack of diverse leadership are felt most acutely by the minority student population.
“When you see someone who looks like you, they might under- stand where you’re coming from,” said Josh Lopez ’14, Clarendon Scholar and President of ALANA. “Minority students need a sup- port system to help transition with the diversity, academics, and social structure of Gordon.”
Because of the disparity in numbers, Buchanan said that the few faculty and staff of color are stretched thin mentoring minor- ity students, leaving some without adequate support. “If a student of color comes to campus and has no mentor, that’s really a disservice,” she said.
Hwang added that faculty, staff, and administrators of color not only serve as mentors to minor- ity students, but also as role mod- els. “A huge thing for minority students is to look at faculty of color and say I can achieve these things,” he said.
A lack of minority role models can have the opposite effect, said Jorge Rodriguez ’14, a Claren- don Scholar and the only minor- ity among the future Presidential Fellows.
“If you don’t see administrators or faculty of color, your percep- tion is ‘I can’t do that, or I have to struggle to do that,’” Rodriguez said.
All those interviewed empha- sized that diversity in leadership is not only important for minority students, but for the institution as a whole.
“If we want to prepare students for global citizenship leadership roles and to be people of faith engaging in the public square, we should be a microcosm modeling that on campus,” Buchanan said.
“We should desire to have leaders in students, faculty, and adminis- tration who reflect diversity in the Kingdom.”
Loy said that increased diversity improves Gordon as an educa- tional institution.
“Being a more diverse place makes us a richer place in diver- sity of worship styles, perspectives on Scripture, understanding of God, and non-Western insights in the classroom,” he said.
One main solution in response to this issue proposed by students, staff, and administration alike was expanding our current hiring net- work, which is primarily white.
“There are PhDs of color out there, but we have to find them, and when we find them, we have to incentivize them to come here,” said Rodriguez, adding that mi- nority doctoral graduates are in such high demand that Gordon often loses out to bigger name schools.
“We need to find grants for pro- moting recruitment of minority faculty,” Rodriguez said. He also suggested paying for the PhDs of people of color in exchange for a teaching stint at the college or of- fering grad students of color an adjunct position to interest them in a fulltime professorship.
Hwang said the school is trying to change, but it needs specific policies to make that happen. For instance, he said, “if there’s a po- sition open, bring in one female and one minority candidate. And once they get here, listen to them, support them, make them feel welcome, in order to retain fac- ulty.”
The Administration is taking noteoftheissueandistakingac- tion towards change, the efforts of which are being spearheaded by Provost Curry.
“It’s a priority for me next year to develop an overarching plan,” she said. She’s currently organiz- ing a write-up of Gordon’s history in diverse leadership and plans to annually attend a conference about recruiting minority faculty beginning next year.
“This is so central to the mis- sion of college because this is the world all of you will live in,” said Curry. “We have to succeed and be persistent because it’s central to our mission and to the Chris- tian faith.”

As Gordon anticipates another large incoming class, campus housing is undergoing a miniature revolution, one that sees more students squeezing into smaller spaces.
Last fall saw an increase in forced triples, a double occupant room with three people which the admin- istration calls “modified triples.” Next, Tavilla and Bromley will see a similar innovation in August, called “plus-one groups.”
A “plus-one group” is a group of students apply- ing to live in an apartment, and volunteering to take one extra occupant, according to Meredith Benson, Director of Housing. One room in the apartment will be modified from a double into a triple over the summer. Each apartment resident will receive a 15 percent reduction in housing costs, similar to the 15 percent reduction that those living in modified triples already receive.
As of May 1, the college predicts a total student population of 1,540 for Fall 2013. Terry Charek, Dean of Student Life, estimates that several dozen more students will be admitted through the rolling admissions process as the summer progresses. The administration estimates that 40 to 50 on-campus rooms will need to house an extra occupant for Fall 2013. Any overflow not covered by plus-ones will be addressed by modified triples which, unlike last year, current students will be able to specifically re- quest ahead of time.
“It seemed fair to offer them to current students
first,” Benson said. “[But] it’s pretty likely that new students will also be living in modified triples.”
Gordon currently has 10 such rooms, seven in Chase and three in Fulton. But she said the school is considering installing one forced triple per floor in the HUD buildings.
In the long run, Benson said, Gordon wants to replace Lewis with a Chase-style hall, a building that could hold 160 to 180 beds and increase over- all housing capacity there by 70 to 90. But Charek, estimates that this will cost about $12 million and says that Gordon is unlikely to be able to afford it in the immediate future.
He said one shorter-term way to decrease the number of overflow students is to encourage com- muting.
“There were times when we had over 220 com- muters,” Charek said. “Now we only have 150.”
But Benson said it’s not easy to increase com- muter numbers because Gordon doesn’t require anyone to live off-campus if they don’t want to. Also, off-campus housing signups already occurred in March. But she says if there are too many apart- ment applications, then, for the first time ever, the college will give those who are turned down anoth- er chance to apply to live off campus.
Students see pros and cons to forced triples. Nora Kirkham ‘16, who lived in one this past fall, said they can be fun “because you can bounce things off each other, you always have someone to hang out with.”
But she added it can be harder to find privacy. “Sometimes you just want that time to be alonewithout having to entertain some- one,” she said. “That can be hard, because it forces students to go other places on campus to get sol- itude. Their room should be their refuge; they should be able to go back to their room and feel safe and comfortable.”
Robert Lambert ’13, who ex- perienced a similar situation in an apartment this spring, is also of two minds about forced triples. “It was nice to have another person around, but [if] it wasn’t someone that we’d all lived with before and knew how to get along with… it could be really hard. [And] be- cause of smaller living quarters your personal space and personal time is much more limited.”
Phil Valdes ‘14 said he has gen- eral concerns about the increased enrollment because it means the school may be admitting more students who will struggle to meet its academic standards.
“Even as you get more and more students into this school, you need more and more resources,
faculty and staff to help these stu- dents as well to help bring them up to Gordon standards,” he said.
Members of the administration say they recognize these difficul- ties, but financial pressures are forcing them to accept such a high number of students that it strains the college’s ability to house them. They say they are doing all that they can to ensure as smooth a ride as possible.
Executive Vice President Dan Tymann said that the school is built around an enrollment of 1,600 to 1,800 students.
“Reaching this enrollment is key to our financial health as a college,” he said.
Tymann added that he knows housing is tight, “but by maximiz- ing the use of rooms in residence halls and being judicious in both off-campus housing and students in global education each semester, we can manage through the next couple of years until we build the next residence hall.”

Nine student members of Gor- don’s American Chemical Soci- ety Chapter returned from the 245th biannual ACS National Meeting and Exposition with two prestigious awards, placing them in the top 24 chapters in the country.
The conference was held April 7-11 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The ACS has over 163,000 mem- bers and has published over 50 academic journals, making it the largest science organization in the world. This spring’s confer- ence had over 15,000 attendees.
The students were accompa- nied by Chemistry faculty mem- bers Irv Levy, Dwight Tshudy, and Joel Boyd. Though the Gor- don ACS chapter was formed only three years ago, it has al- ready received the highest honor possible, winning both the Out- standing Student Chapter Award and the Green Chemistry Award.
“We feel that this is a huge ac- complishment that speaks to the quality of the sciences at Gor- don, the professors that teach them and the students that study them,” said Justin Andrews ’14, president of the chapter.
Awards are based on a chap- ter’s programs and activities, community service and commit- ment to the chemical sciences and education. Gordon’s chapter fit the criterion in every way.
Gordon’s ACS chapter has about 30 members and is en- tirely student driven, under the mentorship of Boyd. The chap- ter welcomes not only chemis- try majors, but students of any major who are interested in the chemical sciences. In addition to participating in the ACS confer- ence every spring, the students are active all year round with a number of programs and events.
On Friday nights, they work with an afterschool program in Lynn, tutoring students in math, physics, chemistry, and biology. They have also started the first student-formed scholarship at Gordon, and currently the only science-oriented scholarship. Each year, chapter members sell cookies to raise money to obtain the minimum amount that the development office needs for an endowed scholarship.
Other activities include partic-
ipating in the Emerging Scientist Lectures in Boston, the Museum of Science Children’s and Earth Day events, New Hope Home School Labs, and partnering with the Environmental Pro- tection Agency in an ongoing project with green chemistry. At Gordon, the members hold an annual “chemistry on the quad” day to expose their fellow stu- dents to the fun side of science.
But the ACS conference was more than just an awards cer- emony. Attending students had the opportunity to share their undergraduate research with other scientists—an invaluable networking experience, particu- larly for students who plan on going to graduate school. The group shared seven posters sum- marizing their research at the conference.
“As scientists it’s very impor- tant for us to get out and become part of a broader community,” said Joel Boyd.
Chapter member CJ Daly ’13 got an internship at Georgia In- stitute of Technology as the re- sult of a contact he made at last spring’s conference.
Ben Stewart ’13, who was pres- ident for the chapter’s previous two years, has been accepted to the University of New Hamp- shire’s graduate school and was able to connect with his future professors.
The students took advantage of the week full of networking seminars, technical talks, and sessions with some of the biggest names in chemistry. Though the group split up to attend different events throughout the day, they made it a point to come together for meal times and share their experiences with one another.
Andrews considers the con- ference essential to his and his peers’ future in the field.
“As a chemist, being a member of the ACS after graduation is al- most a must,” he said. “Whether I decide to go straight into in- dustry or to graduate school, the ACS is crucial to networking, job searches and bolstering re- sumes.”
The American Chemical So- ciety’s work, and research from other disciplines at Gordon, will be on display in the Ken Olson Science Center during the Under- graduate Research Symposium on May 8.

Photo Courtesy of Rachel Albury '13

Internet memes and photos par- ody Canadian peace and lack of rebellion. A photo of one person with a sign saying, “I am a little upset” is labeled “the biggest pro- test in Canadian history.”
To Native Canadians, however, peace and conflict is no laughing matter. A cultural genocide that started over 100 years ago is only just now seeing reconciliation.
Four Gordon students, let by social work professor Dr. Judith Oleson, traveled to Montreal to attend the Quebec National Event April 24-27. One event is being held in each Canadian province with the goal of reconciling the cultural affliction.
“It was a real honor to attend and participate,” Oleson said. “That kind of healing at so many different levels of country is amazing. It’s personal, collective, family, church, and country.”
In the early 1900s, First Nation, Métis and Inuit children were forced to attend government sponsored and church-run boarding schools, known as residential schools, throughout Can- ada. There, they were cut off from family and tradition. Along the way, many children were physically and sexually abused, and taken ill by influenza and tuberculosis due to unsanitary condi- tions. Death among them was not uncommon. It was only in 1996 that the last federally-operated residential school was shut down, and in 2008 that Prime Minister Stephen Harper offered a public apology. Now, in pursuit of peacemaking, The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada aims to renew relationships that are based on mutual understanding and respect, their official website says.
“There is an emerging and compelling desire to put the events of the past behind us so that we can work towards a stronger and healthier future,” the site says. “The truth telling and reconciliation process as part of an overall holistic and comprehensive response to the Indian Residential School legacy is a sincere indication and acknowledgement of the injustices and harms experienced by Aboriginal people and the need for continued healing.”
The students who attended are in Oleson’s Conflict Transformation and Reconciliation class, which is part of the Peace and Conflict Minor. Although the class mem- bers have become familiarized with the history, Anna Soukenik ’16 notes that many in the Gordon community have no idea about it.
“I don’t think that many people know about it at all,” Soukenik said. “People ask why I’m going and I have to explain the whole history and it’s kind of shock- ing. Just learning about it, we’ve learned about the atrocities and how tragic this history is, and how important the role of reconciliation is as Christians.” Now that they have met with
survivors and heard firsthand stories of the cultural genocide, the students have a chance to inform others. Both Ronesha Williams and Soukenik took advantage of a GCSA grant, which offered money for the trip in exchange for a presentation upon their ar- rival. This will take place May 14 at 2:30 p.m., though the location is not yet determined.
“A lot of times people can get caught up in just ‘knowing’ things and not really being able to apply them, so [the conference] is a re- ally good opportunity to see what we’ve been learning in action and try to apply those skills,” Williams said. “Things we’ve learned come into effect when we’re dialoguing with and interviewing people and that’s a really valuable skill.”
Beyond the Gordon community, the students hope to see similar attitudes built up in the United States after segregation and cul- tural genocide throughout his- tory.
“[The event] brought to our minds the necessity for some sort of process like this regarding what happened in U.S.,” Alex Clark ’13 said. “There is a certain sense of sadness for our own country in that we can’t take on that challenge, or that won’t at all. We want ownership of our history, taking responsibility for actions that have created the country we have today.”

When students return for the Fall semester, Jenks will not just be for classes and studying. In- stead, they will be able to grab a snack or sit for conversation.
Although not every detail has been finalized, and Bistro 255 is well underway in planning. Who:
The project is headed by Physi- cal Plant Director Mark Stowell, Auxiliary Services Director Ron Hilton, Dining Services Director Jack Lawrence, Vice President of Finance Michael Ahearn and Li- brary Director Dr. Myron Schir- er-Suter.
Student leaders are Student Body President Ben Wright ’13, Student Body Vice President Kate Tortland ’13, Student Ven- ues Council (SVC) Director Branden Figueroa ’14, next year’s SVC Director Brooke Fryer ’15 and GCSA Vice President of Fi- nance Sarah Goss ’15. What:
After votes from the student body and approval by the Board of Trustees, the most popular name choice is Bistro 255 For short, it can go by The Bistro.
As voted on in a student sur- vey, the bistro will have a costal theme.
The grab & go-styled bistro will serve salads, sandwiches, soups, and pastries.
Customers will be able to pour themselves coffee from a pot or order specialty coffee drinks
from behind the counter. If customers aren’t hurrying to
class, they can utilize two seating areas. Bistro 255 will seat 35-40 people. “It’ll be convenient and fun,” Wright said.
When:
The completed project is set to open in Fall ’13. Jenks will undergo construction over the summer.
Where:
The Bistro will be accessible from the lobby and through the Refer- ence Room.
With one seating area in Bistro 255 itself, another will spill out into the Reference Room with couches and lamps, still leaving space for quiet studying. Why:
“The number one student re- quest is more dining options, and we worked very hard to make that happen,” Wright said. “This project ended up being a team fa-
vorite, and administration really liked it.” Odds & Ends
The Bistro has been designed with flexible options — depending on what works and doesn’t work, food options and features can be added or taken away.
Project leaders aim to purchase a high-quality espresso machine to provide drinks like lattes and cappuccinos.
Another goal is to implement a self-serve smoothie bar.
A possible feature is a refriger- ated display case.
Instead of knocking down a wall in the Reference Room, two doors will be added. This will assist in maintaining a quiet workspace so that the library atmosphere does not change.
“We are trying to make it well- designed for students,” Figueroa said. “It will be different from Chester’s. We’re going modern, classy and clean.”

When Cay Anderson Hanley ’88 began searching for colleges as a high school student, she was intrigued by Gordon’s wilderness program.
“I felt a strong pull, that Gor- don could be a match for me,” she said. “I had been touched by God through creation early on in my faith and I felt respect for a place that honored such an avenue of connection.”
Now, 29 years after her first ex- perience with the organization, Hanley still believes in the impact of La Vida, and her doctoral dis- sertation on the benefits of out- door education prompted the La Vida office to pilot its own study on the subject.
“I was delighted to meet with Scott and Rich this past fall when I traveled to Gordon as part of an annual pilgrimage to partici- pate in the La Vida board meet- ings,” she said. “The research to be conducted this year was to build upon and extend prior re- search, and address shortcomings in other research, to get a clearer picture of what specific impacts La Vida and Discovery might be having on students’ experiences at college.”
Scott Barnett, Director of Ad- venture Camp and Assistant Di- rector of Discovery, took over the research in November when the study began.
“I was curious about the types of change, sometimes profound, many experience when partici- pating in La Vida or Discovery,” Hanley said. “My doctoral program focused on psychological constructs, so we assessed aspects of identity development as well as spiritual growth.”
The goal of the research is to break down what factors are use- ful in helping students adjust to college life.
“We want to back up what we anecdotally know,” Barnett said. “But to see that this is actually shown in the students’ objective interviews.”
“There have been some provoca- tive findings reported in the lit- erature some years ago, regarding increased retention of students in college after participating in a wilderness orientation program,” said Hanley.
According to Barnett, most Ivy League schools offer an outdoor orientation program, but Gordon is “fairly unique” by making it a required course.
Barnett interviewed 30 students, 10 who took La Vida, 10 who took Discovery in their first quad, and 10 who haven’t taken either, from this year’s freshman class. Par- ticipants were chosen at random from a list of first-year students he obtained from the Registrar and he interviewed students un- der the premise of investigating what experiences were influential in transitioning to college life.
For the most part, Barnett was not surprised by the results.
“We found that students who did La Vida, overall, seemed to have more community. They came in knowing a core group of people although this wasn’t unan- imous…Several of them went on to talk about those people being their roommates, or those people they hung out with for the rest of freshman year,” said Barnett. “You heard the similar kind of thing, to a lesser extent, with Dis- covery. People felt like they had some meaningful relationships but maybe not quite as intense in the same level as La Vida trips. That backs up a lot of what we were thinking.”
While a few students mentioned transferring due to academic or financial reasons, most of the 20 students who had taken an out- door education class enjoyed their experience.
“Quite a few of them talked about gaining confidence in themselves,” Barnett said. “One talked about feeling confident in stepping out and taking leader- ship positions because she had seen that she had leadership gifts through her experience.”
While the La Vida office is not done processing the results of the study, Barnett hopes that this in- formation will be useful in making internal adjustments to the La Vida department and to the admissions department and how they view students in transition.
“In our culture…that transition from high school into college is in many ways a rite of passage…but we don’t often recognize that or give it that significance,” Barnett said. “We hope that LaVida and Discovery can help people to do that as they transition.”
“To this day, I remain fascinated by the power of the La Vida and Discovery, and the way God works through them to af- fect lives, sometimes for decades to come,” Hanley said. “Mine in-
cluded!”

GLOBAL
France Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage
tend to be the most secular and godless ones, be- cause there are no compelling secular arguments for keeping marriage a heterosexual institution and so even more liberal Christians tend to be the last ones on the bandwagon,” Hanke said.
“I do not believe permitting gays and lesbians to marry will be detrimental to French society. As long as the church and religious institutions have satisfactory exemptions, the state has an interest in allowing same-sex couples to receive the nu- merous rights and economic benefits of marriage, adopt and raise children, and contribute to the common good. There is no substantial evidence to suggest that same-sex couples are not capable of these tasks,” Isaac said.
Lobby groups plan more protests in May and the UMP party, which is center-right, intends to chal- lenge the constitutionality of the bill. They claim that a constitutional amendment is needed to jus- tify changing the definition of marriage. However, as long as it is approved by Parliament, the Consti- tutional Council said the change is legitimate.
“I support gay marriage, but I still feel that same- sex marriage legalization is correlated with a loss of religion. But I don’t think this law will cause any further erosion of faith,” Hanke said.
Isaac said that the only “gay agenda” same-sex couples have is to be “left alone.”
Justice Minister Christiane Taubira said that same-sex couples could begin to legally marry in June.
Sources: WSJ, USA Today
As the issue of same-sex marriage continues to hotly debated in the U.S., the nation of France de- cided to join the tide of fourteen other countries by legalizing same-sex marriage. After six months of contentious debate, the decision came to frui- tion in a vote by France’s Parliament, and a 331- 225 vote by the National Assembly, both of which voted in favor of the bill. The bill not only lets same-sex couples marry, but includes provisions to let them adopt as well.
“I’m mostly just surprised that it’s taken this long for France to legalize same-sex marriage. It’s such a liberal, secular country that I wouldn’t have thought many of the French would object to it,” said political science student Jack Hanke ’15.
Political science student, Ian Isaac ’14 said, “De- spite the deeply divided opinion of the French people and regardless of the “normativity” of these relationships, I think the decision to engraft same- sex couples into the institution of marriage is an act of doing justice,” Isaac.
Numerous protests outside the assembly and vio- lent attacks towards gays materialized in the weeks leading up to the vote. Similar to in the U.S., op- ponents were largely made up of religious groups and conservatives, who believe the bill threatens the value of traditional family. Individuals on the other end of the spectrum were angry that the bill did not include provisions to legalize medically as- sisted procreation for same-sex couples.
“It’s unfortunate, but I feel as though states and countries that have legalized gay marriage early on

The warm pavement and the yellow heat—the sun catches the laughing faces of girls with flowers in their hair. People sit cross-legged on patterned blankets in the grass, swaying to rhythms, nodding to beats. We’re in the middle of festival season, readers, and although we missed James Blake and Daft Punk, and didn’t witness the reunion of the Wu Tang Clan, we are still compen- sated for our studies sans musical reverie with pictures of all the outfits we were unable to photograph in person (and before you say, do we still do that? The answer is: sometimes). The amount of legs ending in fall boots and swimsuits worn as shirts with denim cutoffs and geo- metric sunglasses was to be expected; however, we also pulled some outfits from the sidewalk style of Coachella that we, in fact, adored, so that they can be mimicked by you in the coming months of summer (which is crazy soon, like, really soon, like, we’re dying).
Ombre hair with faint pink ends. Pink-rimmed John Lennon glasses. A solid black bra-top and a long white, crepe-material maxi, beautiful gold bangles and a simple small black shoulder bag with matching gold hardware. This outfit was great. The simple juxtaposition of the black and white was clean and so beautiful, also, gold jewelry. People—get on that for this summer.
Dark brown shock of hair, a pair of wayfarers. A crisp, cuffed white tee shirt over light wash denim cutoffs that hit just above the knee, and a pair of old black converse high-tops that have definitely seen better days (they look so comfy). The simplicity here is what gets me I think; it’s not a hard outfit to recreate, but it just looks so good, and is so reminiscent of hot summer days, sitting on the curb
in the fading daylight. Like mother like daughter, this fashion duo is one part
stunning longhaired brunette and one part adorable mini-me. Both are dressed in cream-colored lace with sheer panels. Mom wearing a high-necked blouse with bold lace patterns down the front and across the sleeves, paired with light denim cut-offs. Accessories include a long pearl and silver necklace, classic cat-eye sunnies, a brown suede shoulder bag, an armful of bracelets, and white studded almost-cowboy boots. Her daughter is wearing a light lace and cotton dress, leather sandals, and a tiny straw cowboy hat. We love these two.
Sleek brunette hair and black cat-eye sunglasses; this festival-goer has simple and chic down. With a basic blue and black striped crop top, and a sleek leather trimmed, high-waisted black mini, she looks cool, casual, and to- tally fashion forward. She finishes the outfit with a black leather backpack and a camera around her neck. Way to not let the heat make you fashion crazy. We approve your lack of Native American headdress. (Ahem, Van- essa Hudgens)
Blonde with a James Dean haircut and tortoise shell sunglasses, this guy knows how to dress with class. He pairs black jean cutoffs with caramel boots, a loose white tank, and a light denim jacket. You look so devil-may- care that we do care, a lot.
Thank you all for your support of our column this year. We encourage you all in your fashion endeavors and into finals and beyond. Have a happy summer! Play baseball barefoot on a green lawn for maximum happiness! Love, Erra and Harrey.

It’s the year 2077. The earth is nearly uninhab- itable after humans fought off an alien invasion by nuclear means. The humans may have won, but they destroyed the earth in the process. The planet is full of radioactive zones and suffers from a complete terrain shift due to the destruction of the moon. In order to survive, the human race has moved to Titan, one of Saturn’s moons, leav- ing only fallen landmarks, droids and one man on earth.
This is the dramatically-delivered introduction that the viewer of “Oblivion” is given by the lead character, Jack Harper (Tom Cruise), as pictures of destroyed cities and famous monuments are shown during the voiceover. Jack remains on earth as a droid mechanic, fixing the out-of-date robots that are responsible for the security of the planet. The departing humans left the droids to destroy the remaining packs of aliens, called “scavengers.”
Jack’s partner and lover, Victoria (Andrea Rise- borough), monitors his actions from the computer room in their house above the clouds, as well as communicating with the humans across the gal- axy.
Jack is a bit of a rebel, a thrill seeker, pushing the buttons of Victoria and her supervisor, (Melissa Leo) whom we only ever see on a tiny screen. He is also haunted by brief flashbacks retained through his memory wipe – a mandatory step taken by both Jack and his partner five years before his earth as- signment began. He is haunted by memories of, of course, a woman (Olga Kurylenko) who he knew before the alien attack.
The story keeps you on the edge of your seat as Jack encounters the aliens on several occasions
while on his frequent repair missions. But the plot thickens when it becomes apparent that the aliens are trying to trap Jack while he is searching for wrecked droids. And then the real spin comes when a spaceship crash lands. When Jack goes to check out the wreckage (against Victoria’s wishes), all chaos breaks loose.
The plot has twists and turns throughout, some predictable and some unexpected. Where most movies would have a flashback or explanation, this movie holds off, leaving the viewer with some con- fusion until the very end. The movie is a puzzle; it requires some patience because the movie very slowly answers questions, but stick with it to the end.
Directed by Joseph Kosinski, who made his directing debut with “Tron: Legacy” in 2010, re- deems himself with this film. The special effects that create the post-nuclear war scenery on earth are clear and graphically pleasing, as well as Jack’s ship, home and gadgets which are also well done. Everyone’s favorite narrator, Morgan Freeman, is in a small part of the film, but does not play as big of a role as the trailers would suggest he does. Cruise’s performance is not over the top, and he gives a slight depth to his character, although not too deep. He deserves credit for defying his age and still being more believable in an action role than many of his peers.
“Oblivion” is an interesting movie; it will pique your interest and is a fun movie to watch. While Hollywood has seemingly overdone the post- apocalyptic last man standing routine, this film will bring a few new items to the table, providing a uniqueness that will separate it from other movies of its genre. For the sci-fi junkies and those that enjoy futuristic action movies, or even those that enjoy mysteries, this is a good movie to see.

On May 10, Gordon College Film Society will host its 4th An- nual Spring Student Showcase at CinemaSalem. Professor of Com- munication Arts Toddy Burton, who began the tradition when she started working at Gordon in 2009, is running the bi-annu- al event for its fourth year, with help from Production Facilities Manager Jean-Paul Disciscio. The Showcase celebrates the collabo- ration that creating these films takes, and provides student film- makers a chance to screen to the public.
“The real completion of a project is when it’s met with an audience,” Burton said.
Though the first Showcase was held in Barrington’s cinema room, it’s been hosted by CinemaSalem ever since. When the Communi- cations Department approached the theater about holding the Showcase there, the owners were happy to host the event. Gordon College has no formal relationship with CinemaSalem, but maintains many informal connections.
“There is nothing not to like about these showcases,” said Co- Owner Paul Van Ness, a Gordon alum. “The Gordon Showcase of- fers us a chance to screen fresh student work, so that’s very con-
sistent with our vision.” Van Ness said that holding the
Showcase at CinemaSalem ben- efits both Gordon and the the- ater by providing students a for- mal public screening venue, and brings a lot of students to the in- dependent theater.
“I like to support and encourage independent theaters in the area, places that students might not have known of,” Burton said.
Films from Introduction and Intermediate Production classes will be shown, as well as Senior Seminar projects. Sara North ’13 has been directly involved in the showcase since her sophomore year and has worked on two of the films being shown at the event.
“Screening your work is always nerve-wracking,” North said. “But in a way, being nervous to show your work just shows how much you care about it, and I care a lot about both of the films I’ve
worked on this semester.” She is the producer of Jenny, an
intermediate production film, as well as the writer, director, editor, and producer of her senior semi- nar project, “énouement.”
“I’ve grown a lot since sopho- more year, when I was too scared to show any of my films from the Intro to Production class,” North said. “As a senior, I feel like I’m fi- nally ready and proud to exhibit the skills I’ve learned from being a Comm Major.”
Gordon Globes may be the most high-profile screening oppor- tunity for Gordon students, but the audience is mostly fellow stu- dents. Van Ness strongly believes in the importance of the public nature of the Showcase.
“I think there is real value in film students seeing their work on a big screen, and in an audience of their friends, but also with other ‘regular’ people in attendance,” Van Ness said. “For any artist, it’s great to create work on your own and show it to your friends, but the deeper value comes from pre- senting it to a wider audience.”
“Our regular CinemaSalem customers come to the Gordon showcase to catch a glimpse of the future of filmmaking,” Van Ness said.
The 4th Annual Spring Student Showcase will be hosted at Cin- emaSalem (1 East India Square, Salem) on May 10 at 8 pm.