May Day brings the return of the Occupy-ers

The Occupy movement made its return for May Day, the international labor holiday yesterday, May 1st. Protestors throughout the world used this holiday as an opportunity to rally for workers’ rights. WBUR.org quotes Emerson student Suzi Pietroluongo on why she was protesting in Boston.

“Today I’m hoping just to get people aware of what May Day is, get people aware that there is an issue in this country and that they can do something about it.”

Marches, protests and rallies occurred throughout the world in places like NYC, London, Greece, Turkey and Madrid to name a few. The Occupy-ers have found a way to re-emerge in the public eye through the media by choosing to rally on this international holiday.

Occupy May Day in Minneapolis, MN, USA
Photo: Fibonacci Blue Flickr/CC

According to WCVB Boston

“The Occupy movement had organized protests in 125 U.S. cities, according to Occupywallst.org. The theme was a general work strike to create “a day without the 99%” — no work, no shopping, no banking.”

Occupy-ers seem willing to take on any opportunity there is to rally for their causes of worker’s rights and fighting against capitalism. These international protests caused a ruckus, but who knows what sort of impact it will actually have on our society.

Spring now in full swing, events and flowers popping up everywhere

By Sara Berthiaume

Spring Day on the quad with CASE & Tie Dye with Chem Club
Credit: Sara Berthiaume

With spring in full season, not only flowers are popping up but all sorts of outdoor events… at least at Emmanuel college. This beautiful weather seems to have brought everyone out and about around the city of Boston. This past weekend there were a few events on the quad to celebrate the weather, as well as some other events throughout the city, including our neighbor Fenway’s big 100th anniversary celebration on Friday, April 20th. The Boston Herald confirms how it wasn’t simply all pre-game festivities.

Shortly after, the Red Sox  and Yankees, wearing 1912 replica uniforms kicked off the second century of baseball here with a baseball game.

A couple blocks away, back at EC on the quad  H.U.E.L.L.A.S. celebrated international day of love with their annual block party that afternoon complete with DJ and sno-cones. A lot of the Emmanuel community came out for the spring action, especially Saturday morning with the annual Spring Day of Service, where volunteers from various clubs and organizations helped out with service visits to various locations like Mission Grammar school.

Topping off Day of Service, CASE sponsored their annual Spring Day on the quad Saturday afternoon with free squirt guns, sno-cones, tie-dying t-shirts with the Chemistry club, some climbable palm trees and a live band. To really keep the fun going, EC Radio sponsored an outdoor concert that evening to benefit tornado victims with several different bands coming in and performing out on the quad.

Scott Wesley Band @ Spring Day
Credit: Sara Berthiaume

Of course you can’t forget about Earth Day on Sunday – as CASE sponsored ‘Love the Earth Day’ despite the rainy weather inside the JYC atrium with crafts and giveaways based around the eco-friendly holiday.

The season is sure to breed more fun outdoor events. Next Sunday CASE has their annual Clam Bake with this year’s play-on-words theme of  “400 Leagues under the E-Sea”. Get outside and enjoy the weather while you can!

You can take the girl off-stage, but you can’t take the stage out of the girl

By Marianne Salza

I may have been an audience member during the Colleges of the Fenway (COF) Dance Project: Dance with Somebody, but I still had performance jitters.

Photo: Banjamin Thompson

I felt like I was turning, falling and leaping along with the dancers. It had me wondering if what I was experiencing was the Ideokinesis concept of the “mind’s eye,” which is visualizing a movement without engaging in the action.  It stimulates neurological pathways without unnecessary and unwanted muscle tension.

From Somatic Studies and Dance by the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science:

Visualizing is a powerful tool in linking mind and body in programming “right” (intended) action without excessive wear-and-tear on the body from physical practice.

The “Puppet Master” routine was my favorite and most chilling. It had all the ingredients of a horror film: dim, scarlet lights that created sharp shadows, eerie music, and dolls coming to life only to retaliate against and tear the limbs off of their creator. The dancers captured the essence of rampant puppets with their consistent, blank faces and precise, robotic movements.