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Aracelis Girmay reads her poems with bite, power

by Wes Martin

 

Aracelis Girmay began in a shaky voice, steadying line by line first with conviction, then with outright indignation, “The radio will go on, shouting/ the names &, I promise you,/ they will not call your name, Hassna/ Ali Sabah, age 30, killed by a missile in Al-Bassra, or you,/ Ibrahim Al-Yussuf, or the sons of Sa’id Shahish/ on a farm outside of Baghdad, or Ibrahim, age 12,/ as if your blood were any less red, as if the skins/ that melted were any less skin, & the bones/ that broke were any less bone.” 

This excerpt from the poem “Arroz Poetica” begins Girmay’s newly published book “Teeth.” The author read Monday night from her new work to roughly 30 students, faculty and Richmondites who crammed into fold out chairs in Lilly Library’s Ronald Gallery. Nearby, copies of “Teeth,” were being sold for $13.

The hushed crowd listened as Professor of Creative Writing David Ebenbach introduced Girmay.

“This is a book that denounces oppression,” Ebenbach said of “Teeth.” “It hits with power.”

After being welcomed to the podium and thanking the college, Ebenbach and Hole House for dinner, Girmay began her reading with a poem not featured in the collection, Roque Dalton’s “Como Tu/ Like You.” The crowd remained attentive.

Throughout the evening, Girmay offered anecdotes about her poems and their creation, like that given for “Astigmatism.”

“I was walking my dog in the park and I saw this boxer who looked like he was trying to fly … when I got closer I could see that he was jump roping,” Girmay said, “but I like that idea of perceptions.”

Girmay read 10 poems before opening the floor to questions and comments. When asked about her writing process, Girmay answered, “I don’t know except to say that I spend a lot of time speaking [poems] out loud and walking and thinking and playing with syntax. I love pushing against the words.”

Girmay was touring and promoting her book, which has been awarded by Poetry Picks “Best Books of 2007,” across institutions affiliated with the Great Lakes College Association.

No need to be impatient for ‘Waiting for Godot’

by Word Staff

 

Tomorrow at 7:30 p.m., Goddard auditorium will change from the familiar stage that hosts convocations and panels into a platform for a play that has been adapted from a classic to reflect modern times. “Waiting for Godot,” by Samuel Beckett, will be performed by the Classical Theater of Harlem.

“Waiting for Godot” is considered a modern classic, written during the late 1940s. The play is literally about two men “Waiting for Godot,” though it’s the aformentioned “existential comedy” of it that makes the play noticeable.

The performance is by the Classical Theater of Harlem (CTH). Called  “a company to follow and relish,” by the New York Times, the CTH has been an official entity since 1999. 

Based out of Harlem, N.Y., the company’s website claims the aim of the CTH is to “maintain a professional theater company dedicated to presenting the ‘classics’ in Harlem,” amongst other things.

For a classic, this play has changed a fair amount in the hands of the CTH. They have set the performance in post-Katrina New Orleans, instead of the original set of “…country road. A tree.”

Why is the play coming to Earlham? As McElroen puts it “Our goal in remounting Waiting for Godot in 2009 is to simply continue to tell the story, through Mr. Beckett’s play,  of those in the Gulf Coast who are still waiting.”

The play’s director, Christopher McElroen, considers this a positive change to the play. He said that “the production gave a powerful immediacy to a classic that has often been perceived as remote.” Even further, he feels the performance “fully [realized] the agony of waiting as well as the irrepressibility of humanity, imagination and humor that is inherently faithful to Mr. Beckett’s play.”

According to McElroen, the project was a success upon its first performance. The CTH performed in post-Katrina New Orleans, and drew “thousands of local residents.” The performance also garnered “positive responses from local residents and critics alike.”

CTH not only put on shows in New Orleans, but also became involved in the community, hosting meals, workshops and humanities events. These activities raised funds to aid the rebuilding of New Orleans, and created “a true community-development-through-the-arts-project,” according to McElroen.

Tickets for the show on Saturday night, in Goddard, are $5 for adults and $3 for students and seniors.

“The Incident” feels like a lame accident

by Michael Skib

“I just want to be loved” is the message of progressive rock band Porcupine Tree’s new album. That unfortunate lyric is sung, over and over, in the album’s title track. Steven Wilson and his associates tried to please everyone in their fan base while concurrently expanding it, and the result was, unsurprisingly, this bland, passionless, thoroughly disappointing album.

Part of the disappointment stems from the fact that this album sounded so good on paper: a two disc, 75-minute affair, the first disc containing a 14 track song cycle in the vein of Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon,” the second, four extra songs that were allegedly too good to not include. What a letdown it was to discover that the song cycle is simply not a mode in which Steven Wilson is capable of expressing himself; all of the album’s highlights are on the second disc. At four tracks, it disappears all too quickly, and feels much more like a bonus disc than an actual part of a cohesive album.

“The Incident” explores many different feels, textures and genres, but not in a way that is remotely interesting. They are poorly integrated parts of a whole; each feels more like an attempt to win somebody over, like that smarmy guy at the party who tries too hard to impress everyone.

Part of the problem is that the album lacks any sense of unity. The point of a song cycle is to create a group of songs that are meant to be played in order, one after another. For the most part these songs hardly acknowledge each other’s existence; you could completely rearrange the order of the songs, and there would be little change in the album’s overall effect.

When there are connections between songs, it is usually just a restatement of the same riff, which would be fine if the riffs themselves weren’t so boring. Instead of adding to thematic unity, it just feels like lazy songwriting.

It is worth noting that the order of songs presented on the album is the same order in which Steven Wilson wrote them, which makes me wonder if this is supposed to have a sort of stream of consciousness feel. If that is the case, it is still a failure; the whole song cycle is littered with ideas that never develop, immediately discarded as soon as the next one appears. There are too many confusing non-sequitors. Take Circle of Manias, for instance: an uncalled-for shout out to the band Meshuggah that begins after little transition, stops on a dime and immediately tosses the listener into the acoustic guitar driven melodrama of “I Drive the Hearse.” It only succeeds in being a baffling juxtaposition.

The anthemic pop tune “Drawing the Line,” with its lighthearted, dancy chorus, collides with the album’s title track, a mishmash of Nine Inch Nails elevator industrial and metal that was meant to be unsettling, but is no more than yawn-inducing. Eventually it gets bored with itself and the song reverts to pop mode, at which point Steven Wilson confesses from the deepest pit of his soul: “I just want to be loved.”

There is just as little thematic unity in the album’s lyrics. The theme is supposed to be based on the usage of the word “incident” in news coverage, and how impersonal it is to, for example, call an earthquake that kills 10,000 people in India an “incident.” As it turns out, however, Steven Wilson takes “incident” to mean “thing that happened to me.” The only song that isn’t about himself in some way is “The Blind House,” which instead boldly takes a stance against organized religion.

Steven Wilson has always been his own favorite lyrical subject, but this time his narcissism has gotten entirely out of control. He is trying to convince everybody that he is important; he wants everybody to remember him, because he believes that his story is worth hearing over and over. 

The one bright spot on this album is the drumming, which is handled by Gavin Harrison. He has won “Best Progressive Drummer” in Modern Drummer magazine’s reader’s poll for three years straight. It may not be the most prestigious honor ever, but it is certainly deserved. His contributions almost make this album worth listening to; he has an excellent instinct for rhythm, keeping things interesting without being flashy or overbearing. Too bad everything else is so ineffective. 

To be sure, part of the criticism is because Porcupine Tree has produced albums vastly superior to this one, and one can’t help but feel that Steven Wilson is phoning it in this time. He is capable of so much more than this soulless, schlocky mess. 

‘SAB Live’ presents rock, rap and electronic set

by Micah Sommer

“Weird” is the word to describe tonight’s Student Activities Board (SAB) event, according to Earlham junior and SAB Music Committee head John Jacobson.  The First Lady Part I concert features four up-and-coming acts: rock bands Tyvek and Box Elders, rap duo Das Racist and the headlining act, solo electronic artist Tobacco. 

Tobacco is the front man of “big, psychedelic rock electronic band” Black Moth Super Rainbow.  Jacobson described his solo work as heavy synth loops over electronic beats, played over footage of 1970s children’s programming, soft-core pornography and cooking shows.  Tobacco’s portion of the concert will thus be an audio-visual event. 

Jacobson encountered the rap act Das Racist when he was the sound man for a show of theirs in Brooklyn.  “I didn’t really think much of them except I thought they were hilarious,” Jacobson recalled. The two-piece group gave him an iPod and instructed him to press “play.” They then impressed Jacobson and the crowd by rapping over the “Family Matters” theme and performing their best-known track, “Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell.” 

The song, which online music magazine Pitchfork (pitchfork.com) described as “Harold and Kumar existentialism,” consists of repetitive lyrics that seem to imply a critique of mainstream American consumerism. Or maybe it’s all just for laughs.  Regardless, the track became a hit after electronic musician Dan Deacon, who has also performed at Earlham, espoused his love for it.  Whether Earlham students are similarly taken in remains to be seen. 

The two other acts performing tonight, Box Elders and Tyvek, are of a mold perhaps more familiar to the typical Earlham student.  Both are three-piece rock bands booked by junior Micah Wood, also a member of SAB’s Music Committee.  Wood described the bands’ sound as garage rock. 

Wood explained that Tyvek is an unsigned band from Michigan.  Their debut album, the eponymous “Tyvek,” received a favorable 7.6 rating from Pitchfork.  In the Pitchfork review David Bevan said that Tyvek’s music “feels like it’s about to overheat and come apart at its hinges. But it never does.” 

Wood expects Tyvek to put on a good show.  “Their live shows are really insane,” he said, although he acknowledged that he himself has not seen them live. 

Box Elders, the other three-piece performing tonight, hail from Omaha, Neb., according to Wood.  Pitchfork gave their album “Alice and Friends” a middling 5.4 rating; however, this band boasts a secret weapon: a drummer-keyboardist.  In YouTube footage of Box Elders’ live shows, band member Dave Goldberg can be seen banging on the skins with one hand while the other plays piercing organ licks, a second drumstick gripped in his teeth for later use. 

Wood hopes the bands he is bringing will appeal to an Earlham audience.  “If you like rock and roll, then you’ll like this,” he asserted.  “I’d say it’s pretty accessible if you like good times and friendly folks.” 

Although Jacobson’s acts, Das Racist and Tobacco, are perhaps less musically conventional, he hopes they too will appeal to Earlham students’ discerning ears.  “Mostly what we’re going for is weird,” he said of the choice of acts.  “Weird is an awesome demographic … at Earlham.” 

Jacobson also mentioned plans for an after-party in “a new art space.”  Although he was sketchy on details, he indicated more would be revealed at the concert. 

Students who enjoy tonight’s show can come back for more on Oct. 10, when First Lady Part II takes place.  Jacobson described next month’s event as a “straight-up rock show.”  The concert will see the return of previous Earlham performers Future Islands, as well as performances by I’m turning into [sic], Antimagic and Screaming Females. 

Jacobson is particularly excited about Screaming Females, saying that since he booked them last spring they have opened for alternative supergroup the Dead Weather and have been featured in a full-page article in Rolling Stone. 

Jacobson expects Screaming Females to draw a crowd at Earlham, saying, “If MTV likes them and Rolling Stone likes them, it’s not just going to be the kids in the back.” 

Tuvan musical group brings throat singing to Earlham

by Michael Skib

Earlham has the remarkably rare opportunity to see cultural ambassadors from the remote region of Tuva, located at the center of Asia.  Huun-Huur-Tu, Tuva’s world-famous throat singing ensemble, will be performing with two time Grammy-nominated mixer, producer and electronic music artist Carmen Rizzo and our very own Earlham String Quartet on Saturday, Sept. 26 in Goddard Auditorium. 

The quartet consists of sophomore violinists Charlotte-Ann Malischewski and Anna McCormally, sophomore violist David Goldenberg and sophomore cellist Kevin Schmidt.  

Understandably excited and nervous, the string quartet is preparing six pieces in which they will participate.  Huun-Huur-Tu has been traveling around the world performing with Carmen Rizzo and live strings everywhere they go.  “We have a lot to live up to,” noted Schmidt.

Previously, Huun-Huur-Tu has played with such elite musicians as the Kronos Quartet, among many others.  Instead of bringing in outside musicians to accompany them, the Earlham music department chose to draw upon the talent we have here. 

“It’s really cool that they’re having students perform with them, because it gives them a connection to the campus that outside performers wouldn’t have,” said Goldenberg.  

Despite the quartet’s ample musical ability, this show will present them with new challenges. “We have never performed as a quartet before,” said Malischewski. “This is our debut performance.”

This is also music that, though arranged for strings by Mark Governor, is entirely unlike their standard repetoire, said Malischewski. “Rhythmically, and in terms of tonality, it is very challenging,” she said. 

“We’re the underdog,” added Schmidt with a chuckle. 

The quartet has been coached by John Lardinois, Earlham’s violin and viola instructor. 

Only Malischewski had heard of the group before receiving an e-mail from Forrest Tobey, Earlham music professor, in late August. “We proceeded to completely freak out and get excited,” said Malischewski.  On Friday, this musical coalition will be playing in Bloomington at the Lotus World Music and Arts Festival, among about 30 other acts.  

Though the task is daunting, they are all excited about this opportunity.  “Maybe [Carmen Rizzo] will be like, ‘you guys, drop out of college, and I will make your career,’” joked Goldenberg, “That’s the best case scenario right now.” 

Tuva is famed for its throat singing, used to imitate sounds heard in nature. The style is also used in the religious practices of shamanism, in order to invoke spirits and call upon ancestors.  

Throat singing, more accurately called “overtone singing,” is a style of vocal music that occurs in many cultures around the world.  What characterizes overtone singing is the production of multiple distinct pitches simultaneously.  

The Tuvan variety is referred to as “Xöömei.”  Xöömei is based on the reproduction and representation of the sounds of the surrounding landscape.  Imagine being in a land isolated from much of the world by vast mountains, a land where the average temperature in January is minus 26 degrees Fahrenheit, and can reach as low as 60 below zero.  These attributes have shaped the character of Tuva’s music: it is often quite desolate and expansive, just like the Mongolian steppe.

Huun-Huur-Tu is perhaps Tuva’s most famous music ensemble. The group is known around the world for preserving such a valuable music tradition.  They have been keeping their native sound alive since 1992 ,and their current album “Eternal” exhibits new artistic growth and a sound unlike any of Hunn-Huur-Tu’s previous albums. 

Carmen Rizzo’s contribution is being described by All Music Guide as “The perfect sympathetic foil for Huun-Huur-Tu, taking what they do and heightening and shading it … Although never overbearing, he uses instruments, synths, beats (and some strings and brass) to make the group even more shamanic and emotional, as on the utterly breathtaking ‘Orphaned Child,’ where the voices seem to be calling from the wilderness into the void.” 

Tickets for students to see this event are free, but limited, so the sooner you obtain them, the better.  This is an opportunity to see Earlham on the world’s stage.  

 

Local punk music scene looks to Earlham

by Christopher Matlack

The often angsty, angry and anarchical archetypes of Richmond’s punk/metal music scene have become singled out and displaced. Yet many members of the local music community remain hopeful and are attracted by the opportunities a college campus atmosphere offers, especially since the town’s primary locales for live performances have disappeared.

The second floor art gallery space of Charlie’s Coffee Bar had a peaceful vibe when vacant, but turned to a vociferous venue for slam-dancing youth several nights a week. However, the replacement of Charlie’s with the restaurant Ghyslain in the Louis Dow building of the Depot District has greatly handicapped hardcore night life. The once thriving bands and their followings have lost their main mosh pit place and stomping ground.

Many of the bands from the Charlie’s days are now disbanded, though the essential core of group members and groupies remains mostly the same. Old faces have given up old favorites such as the hardcore group Coraline in favor of collaborations like the newer hardcore/punk Carrion Vael. Both groups sound alike and have similar lineups, including Richmond’s music scene veteran Charles Angel. 

Other popular groups in this vein include Spunk Ugly and Brooklyn Vampire, which also have similar sounds and often share musicians, some of whom attend Earlham.

Spunk Ugly, formed in early 2007, has cycled through a handful of members over the years. Sophomore Chaney Howe had a stint with this group that ended last year, during which time many of the group’s most successful shows were played at Peace House and Comstock. 

Craig Isaacs, 25, Richmond resident and current guitarist for Spunk Ugly feels the Richmond music scene has changed for the worse and wishes it could be redirected. 

“It is shrinking intellectually, as the new wave of terrible music is expanding at the Outlet … I’d say the scene is devolving.” 

In fact, these bands have begun to leave their Richmond roots and are playing in larger cities like Dayton and Indianapolis, looking for a deeper-minded fan base as well as larger-scale success. Essentially, the only venues in Richmond are residencies (like basement shows) or the aforementioned “Outlet,” which is actually The First Assembly of God church near campus that is known to lend itself for band performances.

Many local punk rockers are clambering for more contact with potential fans from the Earlham community. The thinking seems to be that perhaps an older, more intellectually inclined audience would satisfy the craving for a more evolved crowd. 

“Other than Brooklyn Vampire’s Nate Young, I have little contact with the Earlham community, which is something I’d like to change,” Isaacs said. “Most of our fans [in Richmond] are teenage boys. It’s all 16-year-olds that are trendy sheep. It’s not like it used to be. I think there should be a new Richmond scene based out of Earlham.” 

Indeed, band members who have played on Earlham’s campus report that these shows often have larger and more appreciative crowds. Nate Young, junior at Earlham and guitarist for Brooklyn Vampire, utilizes his position as dual member of the Richmond and Earlham communities in order to unite them.

“Being a member of the Earlham community has actually been a big help so far as playing in the band is concerned,” Young said. “We played a couple of shows at Peace House last year and got really great draws; one time we packed the house. We also played Battle of the Bands last year and were received pretty positively. We actually ended up winning, much to our surprise. We have been fortunate enough, though, that some students come to our out-of-town shows. We had about five come to a show we played in Indianapolis once, and we’re hoping to draw a few more this year.” 

Howe sees positive outcomes for both Earlham and Richmond if the musical gap is bridged in future. 

“There’s plenty of ‘audiophiles’ on campus who are always looking for new bands and sounds, and who can spread the word about local bands, either with the Internet, or by playing their music on WECI, or simply by word of mouth.” 

Howe also added, “I think all Earlham students can really benefit from taking part in something that gets them off campus and interacting with the town and the people who live here.” 

Metal band unveils new complexities in “Deflorate”

by Michael Skib

Imbued with fresh blood by the arrival of ex-Arsis guitarist Ryan Knight, The Black Dahlia Murder have outdone themselves. Their new album, “Deflorate,” is more technically accomplished, more varied and more consistently engaging than any of their previous offerings. Their bass player, Ryan “Bart” Williams, has helped with the songwriting for the first time, and Knight’s contributions ensure that nobody is going to miss his predecessor, Jon Kempainen. 

Kempainen’s solos ranged from barely competent to utterly asinine, and were always the low point of any song. His songwriting contributions are difficult to quantify, but there is a notable decrease of harmony between guitars, which suggests that he may have been responsible for some of TBDM’s more hooky “metalcore” moments, which are notably less present on “Deflorate.” Some will certainly miss the decreased emphasis on harmony and hook, but they will be in the minority.

Like so many other American metal bands that were born out of the metalcore boom of the early 2000s, TBDM is deeply indebted to the Swedish pantheon of melodic death metal, including “At The Gates,” “Dissection” and “Carcass.” 

From their birth, TBDM was one of the darkest, lyrically and musically, of the metalcore fad. They sounded almost like they belonged among their European counterparts, and they have fortunately managed to escape the metalcore label because of this. The metalcore fad has long since worn out its welcome, and will hopefully soon disappear from memory.

TBDM is not about subtlety. Listening to them is like watching a horror film: not in the sense that you are genuinely scared, but because of the entertaining absurdity of what they are presenting to the listener.

They suffer from the inability to play slowly, (what I like to refer to as the “Skwisgaar dilemma”), and that lack of variation sometimes becomes tiresome. They often give the feel of a black metal band due to their their ample use of tremolo picking. The drummer, Shannon Lucas, executes blastbeats flawlessly. The most frequent subjects of their lyrics include zombies, the zombie apocalypse, necrophilia, and, of course, Satan.

If you are seeking anything deeply meaningful and moving, turn elsewhere. The vocals alternate between that of a man shrieking in a torture chamber, and the victim of a demonic possession projectile vomiting on priests. The whole affair is cartoonish, albeit incredibly entertaining.

TBDM’s chief shortcoming in the past has been a very limited musical vocabulary. Their first three albums saw only a limited amount of variation in material (in fact, all of their full length albums are between 33 and 37 minutes in length, each possessing 10 tracks). The majority of the best songs from those albums tended to follow a specific formula that made them sound interchangeable after enough listens. This makes the minor deviations found on “Deflorate” sound much more significant than they actually are. 

Still, I must give them credit for pushing themselves. There are songs on this album that continue to surprise and reveal new complexities in a way that none of their previous releases have.  

The first two tracks of this album are wholly uninspired, containing no ideas that haven’t already been explored on earlier albums. The next song, “A Selection Unnatural” shakes the foundations of what I thought this band is capable of. Foregoing an introduction, it immediately opens into a scathing, odd metered riff that is more technical than any they’ve produced in the past.

Those expecting the inevitable melodic hook will be let down: this song shows that TBDM has begun to lose interest in pandering to those expecting immediate accessibility. This album takes longer to digest than any of their previous ones, and is more enduring because of it. 

The next surprise comes with “Christ Deformed,” which shows TBDM taking an entirely new approach to harmonizing, along with rhythmic complexity that approaches progressive metal territory. Despite lacking a significant hook, this is one of the most memorable songs they’ve ever produced. “Death Panorama” is a concise, effective two-minute offering that displays how potent their melodic style can be, though they continue to show a willingness to deviate from that style as the album progresses, especially on “Throne Of Lunacy.” 

The deviations from the band’s typical sound on “Deflorate” are generally very successful. Surprisingly, it is when The Black Dahlia Murder sticks to its guns that it falls short. It would have been nice to see the band push themselves more than they did, though it is refreshing to know that they still have plenty of room for improvement.  

 Rating: 7/10

The Black Dahlia Murder’s new album, “Deflorate,” was released on Sept. 15 through Metal Blade records. 

SAB luau creates relaxed atmosphere

by Micah Sommer

Although Comstock field was not packed with people, it was clear a party was going on Saturday night. Student Activities Board (SAB) hosted a luau, which included free food, drinks and music by PanUSA, a band that featured steel drums and a calypso-jazz fusion sound.  The event culminated with lei-wearing students participating in a high-energy limbo dance.

The atmosphere of the luau was laid-back throughout most of its duration.  The band’s playing was energetic but fairly low-key; they performed without amplification after the sound system Earlham provided began malfunctioning.  Senior Alex Arnold, a music major, said that it was the music that drew him to the event.

“It was the steel drums that got me,” he admitted.  He also described the atmosphere as “very relaxing,” just what he needed before tackling schoolwork the next day.

Sophomore Collin Schulze concurred that the music was the highlight of the event.  He described the band as “groovy,” and commented on the “beautiful balance the steel drum provides” for the sound of the band.  However, he did express disappointment over the quality of the food provided; it consisted of hamburgers along with chips, popcorn and non-alcoholic mixed drinks.

Junior Alli Hunnicutt also enjoyed the evening.  “This reminds me of my Bahamas May term,” she said.  “It makes me happy.”

The four-man PanUSA played what band member Tom Berich described as “a mix of Caribbean and jazz,” with a repertoire that also includes some pop songs.

Berich explained that the group is based in Bloomington, Ind. but travels all over the country, playing for corporate events, fairs and jazz clubs, among other venues.  Saturday night was their first time performing at Earlham.

Along with dancing and listening to the music, groups of students stood socializing over food and drinks. There were also opportunities to play cornhole and toss around some Frisbees.  A few adventurous students even saw the opportunity for a quick shower, taking advantage of the sprinklers watering the neighboring soccer field.

Although the event officially began at 9 p.m., that time saw the band still warming up and SAB members still preparing the food and drink tables.  However, a sizeable crowd soon formed, composed mostly of Earlham College students but also including several seminary students.

At 10:30 p.m. the limbo dance began, and the previously laid-back atmosphere gained intensity.  Limber students showed off their flexibility as an energetic crowd gathered to cheer them on.  The band provided the soundtrack for the contest, which finally came down to a battle between seniors Emily Doering and Seth Herr, with Doering ultimately emerging triumphant, to spectators’ hearty cheers.

Soon after the limbo competition was concluded, the crowd began to disperse.  Attendees moved on to other activities, many no doubt heading towards rowdier and less official gatherings.  A few students stayed to dance romantically by torchlight, but for all intents and purposes the party had ended.

PanUSA, seeing that their audience had for the most part dissipated, ended their set and packed up at 11 p.m., an hour earlier than the event’s official ending time of midnight.  A few students arrived shortly after, expecting to encounter music and revelry, only to be disappointed.

Senior Samantha Bossman, the SAB convener, called the event a success.  She said that SAB’s goal was to create a “chill, relaxed” atmosphere.  The event was planned after the success of last year’s similar event, which featured Polynesian fire-dancers.

“Earlham students like to be outside,” she said, explaining that SAB’s next event will also take place on Comstock field, this time featuring Southern rock trio Tin Horse.

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