We Will Not Be Silent: The Reality of LBGT
Posted on 21. Apr, 2010 by Tim Widmer in Campus
It was an early February morning when Lawrence Forbes “Larry” King walked into E.O. Green Junior High. It was a school morning not unlike any other school morning. Larry went to his first period computer class. This would be the last class he would ever attend. Fellow student, fourteen year old Brandon McInerny sat down in his seat, opened his backpack and pulled out a .22 revolver. He raised it and fired twice, killing fifteen-year-old Larry King. King was taken to the hospital where he was declared brain dead shortly.
The murder of Larry King was a hate crime, but maybe not the kind you would first expect. Larry King was not murdered because of his race. He was killed because of his sexuality and gender expression. King came out as openly gay at the age of ten. A naturally effeminate young man, King was tormented and bullied by the other students at his school for the next five years. This tormenting culminated in his murder on February 12, 2008. Brandon McInerny killed King because he was gay.
Regardless of whether you voted for proposition eight or not. This kind of violence is unacceptable. Each year LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) individuals are bullied, teased, and taunted because of their sexuality. Some are murdered, many are beaten, and some commit suicide. As you can well imagine this harassment has forced many students to stay in the so-called “closet” for fear of their own well-being. Hundreds of thousands of students are forced into silence because they are afraid to be who they are. Anti-LGBT action is a big problem in America today.
In 1996, students at the University of Virginia established a day of action in an attempt to create safer school campuses for all. Each year, for the past fourteen years, thousands of students nationwide have expressed solidarity for those who have been silenced by anti-LGBT behavior. Many participants identify as LGBT themselves, but many are straight individuals who consider themselves allies of their LGBT friends.
You may not have noticed, but at least for some students, Friday at PUC was a just a little quieter than any other normal Friday. Several PUC students participated in this year’s “National Day of Silence” organized by the GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network). They expressed their solidarity with LGBT students everywhere but particularly with LGBT students within our Adventist system, and even more importantly with students here on our own campus.
I participated in this year’s DOS event for the first time. I, being young and idealistic was hoping that maybe the youth of our church were past bigotry. However, the Day of Silence showed me different. It seemed that as I was silent I became even more aware of what people were saying around me. I heard many scoffers saying things like, “When you change the world…Let me know” or asking critically in response to the event “What the h**l is a pansexual? Does that mean the like animals?” A quick look through the Facebook walls posts of some of my friends and I saw more of the same. One of my friends announced through a status that he was participating in this year’s event, and somebody wrote, “DISLIKE! You of all people really???” It was responses like this that left me disheartened. The fact of the matter is that bigotry still exists within our little haven on the hill.
Identifying as LGBT is not easy and it does not present an easy road in the future. Many LGBT individuals loose friends and family because they reveal their sexuality. In Adventism, the response is also this harsh. Adventism, like many fundamental Christian churches does not have the best track record in providing support for those who identify as LGBT. Those who are “out” have had to rely on close friends for support, without very few other people to turn to. However times are changing and organizations are beginning to be formed. One of the biggest resources for Adventists is a group called Kinship. Their websites boasts, “Supporting and advocating for gay Adventists since 1976. “
One of the best and closest resources for those who want to find out more about LGBT on our campus and within a spiritual community is GASP (Gay and Straight People). This underground and student led discussion group provides support for LGBT students on campus. It’s open to both LGBT individuals and allies. You can find them on Facebook and join the group. GASP is a great way to find like-minded peers to talk to about LGBT issues. It’s a great way to take the first steps to begin to build a supportive LGBT community on campus.
There is also a “Safe Place” program here at PUC. About 20 faculty have opened their door at any time for you if you need a place to talk. Their doors will bear the Safe Place logo. Just stop by any of their offices and say, “I need a safe place to talk.” They are more than willing to spend a little time talking to you. There is a list of faculty who participate in the “Safe Place” program on their website. Some supportive faculty on campus include Aubyn Fulton, Alex Carpenter, Shana Ruggenberg, and Leticia Russell.
For those of you who are struggling and questioning right now. I have four words for you: You are not alone. There are a lot of places from which you can receive support.
Resources:
SDA Kinship – www.sdakinship.org
GASP – Search GASP on Facebook.
Safe Place – http://pucsafeplace.wordpress.com
We Continue to Support the Ordination of Women Into the Gospel Ministry
Posted on 20. Apr, 2010 by Staff in Campus, Editorial
Jean Sheldon can teach future pastors…
Heather Knight can lead a college…
Ellen White can found a religion…
But none could be an ordained minister in the Adventist Church.
The C2 continues to resist social injustice, everywhere.
The use of these images do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Jean Sheldon, Heather Knight, and Ellen White.
Bookish Brother of Chuck Norris a PUC Faculty Member
Posted on 20. Apr, 2010 by Online Editor in Cartoon
It has been brought to the attention of the C2 that through a miracle of genetics our very own Biology Professor, Floyd Hayes, may be the bookish brother of Chuck Norris and therefore, has inherited certain skills. Though Hayes does not freely exhibit his unique abilities our research has concluded these “facts”. In an effort to show Dr. Hayes as the true Biology master that he is we have published the following:
- When a tree falls in the forest Hayes hears it. (fact complements of Michael Cruz)
- The planet Pandora in Avatar is based on a biology project Hayes made in third grade.
- Hayes is the reason birds fly south for the winter.
- Hayes and the Jolly Green Giant once had a fight over species class names, the Green Giant got canned.
- Hayes doesn’t have to eat vegetables, they simply surrender their nutrients.
- Hayes makes Polly want a cracker.
- Hayes gives poison oak a rash. It dies shortly after.
- Hayes chest is an alternative nesting ground for birds in case of global warming.
- Birds don’t poop on Hayes’s windshield, instead they leave gifts out of gratitude.
- Mr. Bluebird is on Hayes shoulder… always!
W.T.F.W.H.Y.
Posted on 20. Apr, 2010 by Erika Kim in Arts, Column
Has anyone else noticed this?
M.I.A., H.A.T.E.U., D.A.N.C.E., G.L.O.V.E.S., N.A.S.A., R.O.O.T.S.
That list is only the tip of the iceberg.
In the past, other bands and artists have done this, but lately this trend has become so blaringly obvious that the only way you could miss it is if you were blind, deaf, dumb, in a cave, and probably dead.
There have been a ridiculous number of song and album titles, band names, and artists that have been using t.h.i.s. technique as a cheap marketing gimmick. It was a trend that happened to be present in a lot of music, but it wasn’t the reason why we listened to it. Good bands and artists happened to make good music under those names or those song titles. Inserting random punctuation marks between each letter of a title does not make for good music. If record labels really wanted to cover their gimmick bases they should move away from that trend and make a new band called The! Crystal wolf WH/\LE mAnBeArPiG triangle moustache and hit every key demographic in the hipster sector.
Of course, credit needs to be given where credit is due. The period has been used in practical and/or effective ways before. There were lots of people who did it first who were revolutionary in their use of the period by being original, others used it responsibly to represent acronyms (“D.O.A.” by Jay-Z stands for death of autotune), or to separate individual letters (D.A.N.C.E. by Justice).
When you have bands called R.I.V.E.R. who make songs with titles like L.O.A.D. (I was about to end with an ellipses to make my point, but now even you must be sick of seeing unnecessary periods, so from here on out they will be replaced with *)*** It’s time to move on* The period thing is dead!
Here’s an initial list of random ones I’ve come across:
b.o.b.
c.l.a.w.s.
c.y.o.a.
d.a.n.c.e.
d.i.m.
d.o.a.
d.r.u.g.s.
e.v.a.r.
e.v.i.l.
F.C.P.S.I.T.S.G.E.P.G.E.P.G.E.P.
g.l.o.v.e.s.
g.o.a.
h.a.l.
h.a.t.e.u.
k.i.a.
l.e.s. artists
l.o.a.d.
l.o.v.e.
m.a.f.i.a.
m.a.g.i.c.
m.a.n.d.y.
m.a.t.h.e.s.
m.a.u.
m.i.a.
n.a.s.a.
n.i.c.e.
n.o.r.e.
o.l.d.
o.n.e.
p.e.s.t.
p.g.d.m.
p.o.s.
p.y.t.
p.y.x.
r.i.v.e.r.
t.e.e.d.
t.o.n.y.
u.n.k.l.e.
I can’t tell you where they all came from, but trust me, they’re real* Is that not ridiculous??
Email me love: You guys know more than this, I know it* Please add to the list to further prove how ridiculous this trend is* Send me the title of the band/artist – song name in the subject heading of your email:
Generation Why: Reasons to Stay Adventist
Posted on 20. Apr, 2010 by Jillian Spencer in Column
Why Stay Adventist?
Have you ever considered leaving the Adventist church? You certainly wouldn’t be alone. Many college students leave the Adventist church after graduation for a variety of reasons. We hear about their reasons, but what about reasons for staying Adventist? Here are a few.
- God is still speaking. Rumors of His death by modern philosophy and science are highly exaggerated. Adventism at its core believes that God did not stop talking 2000 years ago, and will not stop making Himself known in some way or another. That means that God is still speaking and listening to you.
- People who love you. Your church may seem broken at times, but it is made of people, and many of these people love you. The love of Christ is supposed to shine through the church. Anyone who has been unwelcoming to you is not a real Christian. Human beings fail at times, but the real point of a church is to bring believers together as the body of Christ. If your church environment is hostile, you can change it by giving back the love of Christ. There is a rule of reciprocity there. If you show Christ’s love to others, they will eventually reflect it back.
- Sex. Before you laugh, keep in mind that Adventism, despite being known as a prudish, Victorian religion, is very supportive of marital sex. Unlike many other Christian denominations who divide the body and soul, Adventists adopt the Jewish notion that the body and soul are one. That means that sex is seen as a union not just of two bodies, but two souls. Therefore, sex within marriage is a very good thing because unity is essential to a successful, happy marriage. If Adventism seems restrictive in advocating monogamy, check out the statistics on all the physically bad things that happen to the body in sexual relations outside marriage—it’s frightening. A view of a unified mind and body offers a healthy way of dealing with sexuality that many other traditions leave out.
- Hope. With the belief of the unity of body and soul comes our belief in the state of the dead. You may have been raised with the warning, “Jesus is coming! He could come any time! BE READY!” and thought to yourself privately, “It’s taken Him this long, and the world’s probably still not ready. It probably won’t be ready in my lifetime, so why should I care?” Anyone can die at any time, no matter how old or young. A refrigerator could fall out of the sky on you, for all you know. If this happened to you, it could be a thousand years to the outside world but as though mere seconds passed for you—and the first thing you would see is Jesus. And what about the body the refrigerator crushed? You would get it back, but it wouldn’t be smashed; God promises to restore the bodies of the dead and make them better than they were before.
- Answers. Ever get confused? You’re not alone. One of the most confusing doctrines known to the Adventist faith is the millennium. Ironically, the millennium offers a solution to confusion. It’s a thousand years for you to ask God whatever you want to know. If you got hit by a refrigerator falling out of the sky and suddenly found yourself face to face with Jesus, wouldn’t you be confused? After getting your bearings (because you were, after all, just trying to get to class before this mysterious refrigerator appeared), you’ll start to notice a few things. “Where’s my friend?” you might ask, looking for people you know. “Why aren’t some of my family members here?” The millennium is a thousand years for you to ask God all the questions you want, whether they’re about things that confuse you then or things that confuse you now.
- Logic. Let’s say that you’re Spock and you want your religious beliefs to be logical and fit together neatly like the pieces of a puzzle. By logic, the Bible is an amazing book because of its consistency despite its centuries of development. If this consistency appeals to your logic, you probably want a consistent, logical framework for interpreting it. Adventists have been doggedly determined to interpret the Bible as logically as possible ever since its beginnings. William Miller, a stubborn Advent pioneer, got it into his head to sit down with a Cruden’s Concordance and hash out the entire Bible’s supposed inconsistencies to the best of his satisfaction. Even though he was wrong in the end (Jesus didn’t come in 1844), he left behind a legacy of people who are passionately obsessed with consistent, rational theology that fits together in a way that would make Spock proud.
- Prophet. Ellen White never really wanted to be a prophet in the first place; her visions cost her a good deal personally. The foreboding images we often receive of her frowning in a severe black dress have little to do with the Ellen that actually lived. Have you ever been forced to read Messages to Young People? That book was not the spirit of her actual writings. Although the compilations of Ellen White’s writings put out by the White Estate have their uses, they have been abused by adults trying to keep children in check. Many of the quotes you may have been hammered with as a kid were in private letters to people she knew where she also lovingly asked after their health and how they were doing. Ellen White loved young people. There are some great stories about her giving kids buggy rides and shopping in Paris. The issue of what to do with her writings is complex, but under all those controversies we still get a picture of a woman who loved Jesus and wanted to make sure that everyone got a chance to know a God that she had witnessed personally. That’s a prophet worth learning from!
- Encouraging history. While on the subject of Ellen White, look up some of the Advent pioneers. They were teenagers, many of them quite fond of loud music and charismatic preaching. Believe it or not, Ellen Harmon (the teenager who became Ellen White) probably would have been very much at home at the Gathering at PUC or a youth rally. The founders of the Adventist church were a bunch of young people with a vision and a lot of enthusiasm. When they were hit with stumbling blocks to their faith—especially the Great Disappointment– they wrestled through it and came out of it richly blessed. There were some interesting characters who founded the church, including a sea captain, and their perspectives brought great variety to our church.
- Sabbath. You may have a love-hate relationship with this word. A lot of Adventists treat it as a series of “can’t”s. However, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” God is giving you an excuse to rest! He’s giving you an excuse to spend time with people you love and recharge spiritually for the week to come! The Sabbath is a gift, not a curse. Legalistic, rigid teachings on Sabbath observance are not God’s intention. There’s so little time for recreation in this fast-paced society that every chance to relax a little should be a relief.
- Equality. True Adventist belief recognizes the equality of all races, peoples, and genders. The first mission field of the Adventist church was the American south. Many of the Advent pioneers were abolitionists. In fact, the Advent pioneers had a very idealized vision of spreading the message to everyone at once. Sadly, after a few too many of the early missionaries got attacked by racists in the South who couldn’t handle desegregated meetings, they were forced to carry on the work in separate institutions. The actual spirit of the Adventist movement was very much committed to Paul’s words, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28). That includes gender. Women have always been very important to the Adventist church, and continue to play an active role in it. Everywhere doors are opening up for women in ministry that have not been open in a hundred years, since Ellen White was in leadership. There’s still a good long ways to go on this issue, but times are changing and the church is maturing quickly. It would be a shame to leave the church on this issue just to find it making a positive step forward only five years later.
Got questions? Come and discuss them with us on Friday, April 23 in Dauphinee Chapel at 6:30 PM. There will be a panel discussion presented by the Heritage Room, and everyone is invited!
Administration Open Forum Report
Posted on 20. Apr, 2010 by Craig Hickerson in Campus
Early this quarter the PUC administration held a public forum in the cafeteria to address growing concerns of students regarding issues of privacy and school policy. Though only a small number of students attended the meeting the administration freely answered their questions. Among the administration present were President Knight, Dr. Bissell Paulson, and Nancy Lecourt in addition others including Dean Wood and Dean Kurtz.
What seemed to be the major reason for the meeting, as well as the most prominent topic, was the issue concerning Madison Johnson, the student Facebook profile thought by some to be an alias for deans looking for photos of students breaking school policy. When asked if the administration, or any resident dean, was responsible for the mysterious profile the faculty attending publicly denied any allegations. One representative even mentioned that the first they heard of the Facebook profile was when the C2 released their article begging the question of Madison’s legitimacy. This was followed by another faculty stating that they were introduced to Madison via friend request and were confused by the ambiguous nature of her profile.
After the faculty denied any connection to Madison the students began to state the reason for their concerns brought on by the non-existent student. Several students asked questions regarding how the administration identifies students who break school policy. In response President Knight stated that in the case of a breach of policy the “appropriate” people need to be notified and an understanding must be gained on the nature of the situation. Knight commented further saying, “If someone is sending me a picture of a student drinking then they want me to do something, they want me to respond in some way, and if I don’t then I am not being accountable to my constituency.”
Later, Dr. Bissell Paulson stressed her support for students struggling with addiction and plainly spoke of a “safe zone” referring to when students voluntarily seek help from either the Counseling Center or Health Services. Dr. Bissell Paulson then encouraged students to point their friends to these resources if they have a problem to which she added, “If they continue to get help that is not something we are going to intervene and take disciplinary action on.”
However, Dr. Bissell Paulson also outlined her obligation to her position as VP of Student Services, which includes holding students to school policy. Though Paulson asserted that she does not actively seek out students who break policy while off campus she is committed to her job, which demands her to take action if such a scenario does occur. “If I am off campus, at Safeway and I see one of my students with alcohol” says Paulson, “I am obligated to do something.”
In closing, one vocal student said that he thought it was good that the administration was holding the meeting and addressing the anger, fear, and concerns of the students. He thought it said a lot about the administration and their desire to communicate.
The administration ended the meeting by discussing when to hold another open forum where more students could attend. A date was not confirmed but the administration’s desire to hold another meeting, possibly during Colloquy, was evident.
Start a REVOlution: Interview with Tyler Cantrell
Posted on 20. Apr, 2010 by Erika Kim in Campus, Interview
What is REVO?
REVO PUC is putting into action being the hands and feet. It is intricately connected to the faith that we have in being compassionate. The idea that predominantly drives REVO is the giving of ourselves so that others can be brought to completion/healed/treated. We really want to take Isaiah 61 and 2 Samuel 24:24.
This is about connecting the students to something that matters through the event that is REVO. It raises awareness, inspires empathy, illicit compassion, and calls you to be concerned with a higher standard of living for yourself and others.
What is the philosophy behind REVO?
In 2 Samuel 24:24, David has to build an alter to God and he is offered the land for free as well as the sacrifices, but David refuses to accept by saying something that I think sums up REVO well. The gist of it is, “I will not give to God that which costs me nothing.”
REVO is about getting people involved by making people really give. It is easy to contribute, but to make a sacrifice and really have to give something up is a completely different experience.
It’s easy to be able to contribute by donating $20 to a cause or donating things you no longer want or need, or even spending a couple hours to volunteer. Not that those contributions are not valuable, but these types of contributions may be impersonal and may not be particularly valuable to you. I don’t want to cheapen the gift that REVO has to give. Your gift should cost you something because it makes the people you are giving it to matter in a very personal way to you. Giving something that is valuable to your connection closer to the people you donate to for the cause, and they will appreciate it more knowing that the donation came from a genuine place. It connects you to them into something that’s more than just superficial. It’s an investment in your humanity.
How did PUC get involved with REVO in the first place?
Actually, PUC was the first college to host a REVO event, and SDA colleges remain the only college campuses that have hosted REVO events so far.
REVO started at a bible study in 2008. One particular PUC student, Rachel Thompson, was really moved by the Not for Sale campaign after the president of the campaign, David Batstone, gave a talk about it. It came clearly to her that to get involved in these campaigns, you should support it by selling your stuff. Her friend, Nina Brav, had hosted an event called REVO in Hawaii to raise money and awareness for the Grace of God Orphanage in Malawi, Africa. So, Rachel decided to bring it to PUC by combining the Not for Sale campaign with REVO. Through a lot of hard work and God’s blessing, they had an amazing event that raised money and awareness for fighting child slavery.
Grace Jung continued REVO last year. After a lot of prayer, she picked the Napa Valley food bank. REVO raised over $8000 to help keep the Napa Valley food bank open in a really tough stop. So many people are eager to help support people abroad, when so often there are people and organizations right next to us who need help. At the time, the Napa Valley food bank was in need of support, and the locals of Napa depended on the food bank. REVO was able to help keep the food bank open in order to feed people who were in need, right here in Napa Valley.
This year we hope to continue that legacy.
What causes is REVO supporting/raising money for this year?
We’re supporting two different charities: one local, one global.
The local charity is KidzReach, which is a program that takes kids who are in foster care or come from families with one or both parents in jail and brings them all together with PUC students and other volunteers who take care of the kids. KidzReach gives these kids a chance to go on field trips to the zoo or the beach, and do other activities like hiking or mud caving. We take them out for a day of fun and make sure they’re well fed. Basically, the mission is just to let them be kids. REVO would be raising money to fund a camping trip for them to go into the forest and let them experience nature. A lot of these kids live out in Lake County or Vallejo, so most of them don’t get the opportunity to spend time out in nature.
The global charity we’re supporting is the Tropical Health Alliance Foundation (THAF). It is a multifunctional charity that supports a variety of programs, but the program we’re going to be supporting is one that does treatment and research for Podoconiosis. Pondoconiosis is a form of Elephantiasis of the feet which causes the feet to swell and in some cases can be debilitating. REVO is the first one to be actively supporting five specific clinics and one hospital that combined treats thousands of patients with Podo. Podo is completely preventable and in many cases easily curable by wearing shoes. TOMS shoes is doing a matching gift where for every person we treat, TOMS will provide shoes for them and their family, effectively eradicating the disease in future generations, and hopefully taking care of/treating/curing 2 million people in Ethiopia and 4 million people worldwide.
This will be one of the first pushes by any organization outside of TOMS to actively treat and prevent this disease.
How can we get involved?
Sit down in your room, and look around at what you value. Take time to look at each thing that you value and ask yourself, “Why is it important?” Then look at the cause that you want to be involved in, and ask, “Would I give that up in order to (fill in the blank)?” In this case the question is, “Would I give that up in order to support KidzReach or THAF?” That’s what REVO is about. It teaches you how it is possible that the stuff that you value can be turned into real action, and that compassion and self sacrifice can be given to a cause to make a real difference.
Give us stuff that means something to you, give us donations, and prayers. REVO is about giving of yourself to see something that you care about succeed.
What inspired you to get involved?
REVO is about serving the community in a real way, and allowing that kind of service to be expressed through this event is really what made me want to get involved. God has done such amazing things through REVO and the blessings that you see when you are involved blow you away. I think that the idea of REVO is infectious to this generation, especially in the way it makes you give of yourself to the cause that then shows you the real results that come from working together.
What can we expect to see?
You can expect to see God moving in great ways. There will be a huge stuff sale, amazing music from student bands as well as a special guest band from SoCal. We’ll be serving great food from Armadillos and Helmer’s Corn-Dogs, and there will be information from THAF, KidzReach, TOMS shoes, and Amnesty. To round out the evening, we will have a Fashion show brought to you by six of your peers who have worked really hard to create some amazing designs for their models.
Dr. Larry will be on hand to explain and show first-hand accounts of his time in Ethiopia and the devastating effects that Podo has on the lives of these people. Lauren Waychoff who is in charge of KidzReach will be there showing off pictures and amazing testimonies of what kind of an impact the program and PUC kids have had on their lives.
This will be an event for the whole family. There will be amazing food, fellowship, and fun because of the hard work of dedicated students who gave generously in hope of nothing in return. It will be an event to remember because of the step of faith that students took in rocking their world forever.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Keep us in your prayers and clean out your closet for the sale cause the way that REVO is a success is letting God work through us to make a difference. Hope to see you guys there, it’s going to be amazing!
If you guys want to get involved, we can always use the help. Shoot an email to PUCREVO@gmail.com.
Check out www.startarevo.org if you want more information on what REVO has accomplished and want to see other causes that REVO is involved in.
Student Art on Display at the RAG
Posted on 20. Apr, 2010 by Staff in Arts, Campus
Entering the Rasmussen Art Gallery right now is like being punched in the face with a marigold. It may be beautiful, and may make one feel warm and fuzzy inside, but at the same time, it leaves one a little dazed and disoriented. There are simply so many artworks that it is difficult to know where to start.
For what it is worth, looking at the winners of the sundry awards is a good point of departure. The graphic design winners are particularly worthwhile; Sianna Stewart’s Fast Forward is not only aesthetically sound, but also visually and philosophically complex, as with Enoch Tengler’s first-place Song of the Century, which looks better than ninety percent of movie posters one might see at a theater. Jasmine Kelley’s color photo Two Bikes practically defines color and texture juxtaposition, and Neil Soiland’s Starving Dog #1 is reminiscent of that National Geographic picture of the Afghani girl (you know which one, trust me), only with a dog. Generally, I am not much for realism, but Issac Lopez’s first-place watercolor Bay looks better than a good bit of the color photography, and his third-place drawing Paint Supplies has so much visual depth, I was afraid I might fall into it. In fact, one should definitely take a good look at all of Lopez’s works, particularly the amusingly disturbing La Muerte de Pollo.
But enough about the winners, as fantastic as they are. There are several other noteworthy pieces or artists that one should definitely not miss in the milieu of potential. Amador Jaojoco has a trio of paintings that dance smartly between cutesy and shocking, making for a mind-slapping experience all the more accented because of their pseudo-kitschy exterior. There is something incredibly right in the wrongness of Commode-o Dragon, and something incredibly wrong in the rightness of Dependent that continue to draw one’s eye.
As far as photography goes, Grant Ordelheide’s trio of scenic panoramas strike one as Aaron Copland set to photography. They are a celebration of that rugged natural beauty that makes up so much of the Western hemisphere, and particularly the stark Bonsai Rock deserves a long pause of admiration.
Mixed media collages have a tendency to go one of two ways: they either look like a bunch of random media mixed together, or they provide layers upon layers of meaning with an overtone of brilliance. Richard Hawkins’s Obama definitely falls into the latter category. Overt in its subtlety, profound without being too political, this piece is not only visually enticing, but worth a bit of reflection and closer reading.
If fantasy were a card hand, then Elizabeth Stottlemeyer and Nicole Hubbard have it in spades. From scratchboard to drawing to sculpture to painting, these two blend genre and medium like potions. One probably could not throw a stone in the gallery right now without hitting one of Stottlemeyer’s pieces, most of which should catch one’s attention for more than a glance-over.
One cannot speak of art at PUC be without mentioning Cabel Bumanglang, who not only has the best last name in the show, but also a wide variety of exceptional works. I do not have a great deal to say about Preying Mantis except that there is no way one can miss it, and that it is brilliant. It seems trite to say that his acrylic Anger captures the tension of, well, anger, but it truly does; not just the sort of rage-against-the-machine anger, but the sort of rage-against-the-dying-of-the-light anger, the kind that seethes and digs under the skin (be sure to check out Carrie Lam’s Somehwere Over the Rainbow and City or Nature? While you’re over there, though the juxtaposition might make your head look like Marc Cruz’s Skull of Many Colors—which is also worth a look). Bumanglang’s abstract sculptures are also mind-bending explorations of shape and texture that are worth getting closer to understand (but don’t touch!).
I would apologize for the relative disjointedness of this review, but frankly, content dictates form; there is so much potential energy inside RAG right now, merely setting foot inside might initiate some sort of art-pocalypse. After checking out some of the heavy-hitters, I recommend sitting down in the middle of the gallery and just taking it all in as some sort of harmonically dissonant orchestra of color. If you have a moment, even just a moment, dash into the Rasmussen Art Gallery, not just to support friends and peers, but to enjoy some truly worthwhile art.
The show runs until 4 May, and is open from 1-5pm on Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday.
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