For many students, the cost of attending UCLA is itself a burden. What’s even more of a burden is footing the bill so that administrators can pay for a red carpet photo shoot.
The University of California charges students a mandatory $376 Student Services Fee each quarter. This money goes toward a diverse array of campus programs for students, including health care, arts, fitness and career resources. UCLA claims the fee goes directly toward student interests.
But it’s unclear this money is serving legitimate student interests, or that it’s even being used efficiently. In some cases, the fee also funds unnecessary administrative positions, with continuously rising salaries.
But UCLA seems determined to cover up its mistakes and quell discussion. Administrators have entertained the idea of closing public and press access to fee distribution discussions, indicating a marked contempt for transparency.
Instead of being accountable and upholding equitability for students, UCLA has undermined those values through its handling of the student services fee. The continually expanding bureaucracy has driven up costs while providing no real justification for its own existence. As administrators continue to hire more administrators, students are left footing a larger bill.
Not only is the services fee inequitably distributed, it’s also counterproductive, said Zak Fisher, the incoming president of Graduate Students Association and a member of the Student Fee Advisory Committee, which disseminates student fees.
“UCLA sets up a giant bureaucracy to hide the fact that most of these services just pay administrative jobs and never help students,” Fisher said.
He added he believes programs misusing student funds include the Community Programs Office, the Bruin Resource Center and UCLA’s Counseling and Psychological Services.
Several of the programs funded by the services fee have few, if any, tangible benefits for students. CPO’s van fleet, for instance, supposedly gives rides to students off campus. Fisher said that not only is the fleet extremely expensive, but its actual purpose and function is unclear, demonstrating the lack of transparency about such programs.
And administrators in these programs simply continue to hire more administrators with no established roles, pushing the cost onto students. While the number of administrators at UCLA has tripled over the past 20 years, the burden of paying for college has grown for students even as it has declined for the state. Much of this cost lies in the expansion of UCLA’s bureaucracy, Fisher said.
“Half of every UCLA student’s services fee goes towards CAPS. Are we getting $550 of services out of CAPS?” Fisher said. “No – instead students wait several weeks, even months, before receiving help.”
Unsurprisingly, UCLA’s bureaucracy continually demands more money to meet its supposed needs. SFAC’s funding allocation documents, released by Fisher, show CPO’s funding requests increased this year because of line items such as a nearly $2,000 salary increase for the Community Service advisor.
And it only gets worse.
Last year, CPO spent more than $93,000 of students funds to continue operating a fleet of two hybrid vans. Other questionable expenses include almost $11,000 to purchase an iPad Pro, a MacBook Pro and associated technology. And another nearly $13,000 of funding was allocated toward professional photography material for CPO staff.
On the other side of the spectrum, the university continues to bloat administratively.
Students bear more of the cost of education than they did 20 years ago, said Nathan Brostrom, the UC Office of the President’s chief financial officer.
This administrative ballooning is made more problematic by the fact that the chancellor’s office discourages discussion about the issue and ignores dissent in SFAC meetings, Fisher said. As a result, potentially fruitful discussions about reducing wasteful expenditure aren’t had, and the problem is compounded.
“There are administrators I’ve worked with whose entire salaries are funded by the student services fee, and whose main job is to quell student dissent,” Fisher said.
He added he encountered immense difficulty making public SFAC’s data on the fee allocation. He said administrators have even suggested exercising prior restraint – or legal censorship of publication – in regards to Daily Bruin coverage on this issue.
That’s a disturbing allegation.
Moreover, the fact that this money goes toward providing administrative salaries is downright appalling. The “Student Services Fee” is for students – it’s not an administrative paycheck or a checkbook for iPad Pros, but that’s precisely what it’s become.
Though UCLA’s ever-expanding student body needs many of the programs funded by the fee, this shouldn’t deter us from demanding greater transparency. But the idea of students discussing and criticizing the allocation of the services fee seems to bother administrators. If anything, the lack of transparency on UCLA’s part suggests there is perhaps even more wasteful expenditure unknown to the public.
Four years at UCLA is pricey enough. We don’t need a bloated bureaucracy making it more so.
UCLA has a new motto for student services: If it’s not broken, break it.
The saying derives from the latest chapter of UCLA’s student services mishap – this time about its Campus Assault Resources & Education program, which provides resources to sexual assault survivors and advocates against sexual violence.
The university announced earlier this month it wasn’t renewing Alicia Oeser’s contract as director for the 2019-2020 academic year. The administration plans to place Nicole Green, the executive director of the Counseling and Psychological Services center, as the interim director.
As if she didn’t have enough problems to deal with already.
It’s hardly good judgment to put Green in charge of another program that provides critical services to vulnerable populations on campus. CAPS is an ailing institution with no dearth of clerical problems, and having Green also manage CARE, which is shifting toward also providing clinical services to students, is foolhardy.
Anyone worth their salt would know tasking Green with CARE is dooming it and CAPS. After all, it’s ludicrous to think there is no other qualified individual on this 80,000-person campus to head UCLA’s sexual violence resource program – other than the executive director of an eroding counseling center.
We shouldn’t forget: UCLA is in a counseling crisis. Students have complained about monthlong wait times and half-hearted support from counselors once they find a way into the counseling center. Staff have highlighted the lack of personnel, low pay and difficult working conditions. And administrators have forsaken mental health at the nation’s top public university.
Moreover, terminating Oeser’s contract and appointing Green – who already has her hands full – as the interim director of CARE is itself a sign of how little administrators seems to value essential campus resources.
UCLA’s decision comes at a time when the Greek life community has closed off from the campus, despite the string of recent sexual violence incidents – some even involving the highest level of national fraternity leadership. CARE’s sexual assault awareness and prevention training for campus organizations are all the more crucial in shifting the culture of how UCLA and campus leadership perceive and respond to sexual assault and sexual harassment.
Yet the program’s leadership shake-up runs contrary to this trajectory. Per student accounts, Oeser has been instrumental in shaping the organization, with many members of the community speaking highly of her. Her contract termination has justifiably inspired student ire and only adds to the narrative that Murphy Hall knows little of the services students have come to rely on.
This is not to say the failure here is in administrators’ decision to not renew Oeser’s contract. There might be legitimate reasons even a well-liked and competent director may no longer be the right fit. But the fact that UCLA chose to appoint an already overworked administrator who can barely manage her own department to lead another critical program shows the university simply doesn’t care to provide students with quality services.
Mental health services at UCLA already are in shambles. And its leadership – Green included – has shown a lack of transparency, a misunderstanding of student needs and a lack of trust from the community. CARE, from student accounts, has transparency, community understanding and community trust.
“Game of Thrones,” Breaker of Records, Last of its Name.
Throughout its eight-year run, the HBO series has become heavily embedded in today’s culture, defining an era of epic, ubiquitous fantasy television. The show’s medieval influence and expansive online following skyrocketed its popularity and contributed to its impact on television that likely will be discussed for years to come.
(Michelle Fu/Daily Bruin)
Heroic Knights and Bloody Fights
The “Game of Thrones” reign has come to an end. But from the undying hype behind “Harry Potter” to Amazon’s upcoming “Lord of the Rings” series, the allure of medieval stories persists.
While “Game of Thrones” boasts typical elements of medievalism – towering castles, valiant knights and fire-breathing dragons – the show’s medieval influence is also notable in smaller details, said Sharon Gerstel, a Byzantine art and archaeology professor. From intricate battle strategies to house banners to food preparation, the show remains rooted in accuracy despite its more imaginative elements, she said. The story also draws from historical events such as the 15th century War of the Roses, in which the Yorks and the Lancasters fought for power, and utilizes the geography of England as a loose template for Westeros.
The show uses its medieval backdrop to comment on historical power struggles, Gerstel said, as embodied by Daenerys Targaryen, a once-naive girl who undergoes a stark personality change while fighting for the throne. “Game of Thrones” draws parallels between the power struggles of the past and power conflicts among modern political leaders, she said.
“People have drawn comparisons between the Lannisters and the Lancasters and fights over certain thrones in medieval England, but those are very loose connections,” Gerstel said. “I think that’s simply used as a lens through which to view human conflict more generally and more trans-temporally.”
It is such trans-temporality that assists medievalism in its continued media presence. Associate musicology professor and medievalist Elizabeth Upton said it creates a sense of escapism. “Game of Thrones” is underscored with fantasies of power and freedom, she said, which draw people into the fictional world. Characters like the warring queens Cersei Lannister and Daenerys, for instance, both exert control over expansive regions and thereby contribute to viewers’ innate fantasies of limitless power.
(Courtesy of HBO)
Upton said medieval rulers exercised largely unchecked control over money and resources, which is prevented by the United States’ democracy today. Kings and queens of the Middle Ages could abandon morals and social norms without consequence, which she said contributes to the intrigue surrounding medievalism.
“What would it be like if you wanted something, to just take it? What would it be like if you hated somebody, to just kill them?” Upton said. “I think that’s one of the things that makes looking at periods in the past interesting and desirable, because then you can talk about people acting on their desires … and not being constrained by modern ideas of law.”
People are also attracted to the idea of an unspoiled earth before the Industrial Revolution, Upton said. “Game of Thrones” depicts the natural beauty of the Middle Ages through imagery of the vast, snowy landscape of Winterfell and the coastal cliffs of Dragonstone – both of which are unaffected by pollution and urbanization.
The Middle Ages also presented a number of disadvantages, such as poor sanitation and lack of medicine, but Gerstel said mental time travel to the past allows people to separate themselves from today’s issues. She said people are sometimes turned off by the idea of the Middle Ages as a time of churches and religion, so shows like “Game of Thrones” – which highlight universal human struggles for power and themes of good versus evil – help bridge the gap between the present day and the past.
People’s fascination with the medieval past is largely built upon an idealized vision of adventure and heroics, Upton said. Such depictions extend beyond direct portrayals of the period, she said, with the Jedi of “Star Wars” serving as a modern interpretation of the classic medieval knight. Upton said dreams of fighting in a tournament or going on a voyage of exploration – in lieu of doing taxes or worrying about student loans – fosters a kind of group nostalgia.
“It’s not just escape from modern concerns, but also an idea where you feel that one person can have adventures and one person can make a difference in a way that just isn’t true in modern life,” Upton said. “There are people who become famous and there are people who end up having power in business … but it’s not the same as being a Jedi knight.”
Adventures in Westeros, however, are rife with cruelty, deceit and murder – a far cry from the whimsical walls of Hogwarts or the magical lands of Middle-earth. Consequently, the idea that such a bleak depiction of the Middle Ages would elicit nostalgia seems counterintuitive. Caitlin Carlos, a doctoral candidate in musicology and a nostalgia and medievalism scholar, said such nostalgia is not necessarily a longing to return to the past – it is instead a desire to make sense of modern issues using a framework from the past.
“If you focus on nostalgia as a sense of longing, it doesn’t have to be, ‘I want to live in that world, I want to escape to that world,’ it’s like, ‘I want to find something that makes sense of what I currently have,’” Carlos said.
(Courtesy of HBO)
For instance, Kersti Francis, a medievalist and doctoral candidate in English, said the wall that separates the people of Westeros from the wildlings in “Game of Thrones” can be interpreted as an allegory for immigration and Donald Trump’s wall. The fantasy lens, however, prevents the show from seeming too unabashedly political, she said. The mythical elements allow viewers to escape to a world they view as just distant enough while still encapsulating issues they can relate to, Francis said.
But most viewers still tend to perceive the Middle Ages as an unfamiliar time, Francis said, which reflects their reluctance to accept the less favorable commonalities – like physical and sexual violence – between the past and the present. The Middle Ages serve as a reflection of our modernity, Francis said, but people view it as a fun house mirror – a distorted version of modern-day society.
“We look in the mirror and we’re like, ‘Oh, that looks so weird, the Middle Ages are so weird and different.’ (But) … they’re still humans, they’re not that different from us today,” Francis said. “We’re afraid of recognizing in them what we have in ourselves.”
Francis also said people often employ their own skewed perception of the Middle Ages as overtly violent and sexual to excuse the fetishization of themes such as extreme violence in “Game of Thrones.” The show’s notorious depiction of violence includes scenes of princes having their faces smashed in and sadistic tyrants being eaten alive by hounds. The series is loosely based on the War of the Roses – meaning some of its violence is based in truth, she said.
But people like to think of the violent past as less sophisticated compared to our more civilized modern society, Francis said, even though the Middle Ages are not vastly different from today. Many viewers describe “Game of Thrones” as realistically depicting human interactions, which illustrates people’s desire – perhaps even a subconscious one – to connect the show back to modernity, Carlos said.
“We live in a world of war and violence,” Carlos said. “Seeing it in a way in which we can relate to those emotions and those instincts, but they’re fantasized in a way that’s maybe not as personal as what we experience … helps us make sense of what we have in our own world.”
The World Wide Westeros
(Alissa Evans/Daily Bruin)
Cersei would have had to send a raven to every person in Westeros if she wanted to share a hot take on Daenerys’ claim to the throne.
In a world where Twitter is the closest alternative to bird mail, opinions online spread like wildfire. The show’s season eight premiere racked up over five million tweets when it first aired, and the show has garnered a total of over 52 million tweets in the last four months.
The season’s third episode – “The Long Night” – was tweeted about 7.8 million times, making it the most tweeted-about episode of scripted television ever. Communication professor Tim Groeling said “Game of Thrones” wouldn’t be the cultural phenomenon it is today were it not for social media communities and the internet at large.
(Courtesy of HBO)
Groeling, who teaches computer-mediated communication, said social media platforms provided a space for fans to enthusiastically discuss everything about the show’s complex episodes, from the latest character death to misplaced coffee cups.
“These online communities of intensely engaged viewers being able to find each other is one of the things the internet is spectacular at,” Groeling said. “Finding somebody who is not physically near you, but who shares what you care about … can really allow a community to form around programs.”
But despite its online following, Andrew deWaard, a lecturer in the School of Theater, Film and Television, said “Game of Thrones” is not the most historically popular television show in terms of viewership. While about 17 million people watched the “Game of Thrones” season eight premiere, about 106 million people tuned into the “M*A*S*H” finale in 1983. The endings of “Seinfeld” and “Friends” also greatly surpassed that number, with about 76 million viewers and 52 million viewers, respectively.
“M*A*S*H’s” heightened viewership likely has to do with the fact that it aired prior to the streaming era, when people had to watch shows on the day and time they aired, deWaard said. But even though streaming services provide the luxury of unscheduled viewings, communication lecturer Steven Peterson said there is an element of social pressure to watch “Game of Thrones” as it airs, giving it the quality of older, prestreaming shows.
HBO’s decision to release each episode weekly – in contrast to Netflix, which releases full seasons at once – is also a callback to the older days of television that heightens anticipation and strengthens the show’s communal aspect, deWaard said. “Game of Thrones” is a prominent topic of conversation among real-world and online communities immediately following each episode’s weekly release, which encourages people to watch it the Sunday it airs, Peterson said.
“Everyone is talking about ‘Game of Thrones.’ The promotion is such that if I don’t watch it at that time then I will be outside of my social circles. I won’t be part of the in-group on Monday morning,” Peterson said. “That hearkens back to the old days … when you had one chance to watch television shows.”
Mercedes Banwart, a third-year gender studies student and fan of the show, said polarizing episodes like “The Bells” are not enough to minimize the show’s overall impact as a pop culture phenomenon. Both well-liked episodes and controversial installments spark extensive discourse online through memes and dramatic articles, which even trickle into the social media feeds of nonviewers, she said.
“After watching the episodes, there are just piles and piles of memes to search through.” Banwart said. “You cannot go anywhere online pretty much without seeing something about ‘Game of Thrones.’”
She said the spread of “Game of Thrones” content online encourages people to watch the show just so they can participate in discussions. Whether the reactions are positive or negative, communication professor Greg Bryant said online conversations draw attention to the show. Online publications are aware of the large body of readers looking to dissect the show, he said, and the continual release of “Game of Thrones”-related content increases audience engagement.
“A lot of internet content is designed to get people to click on it, with provocative titles saying you’re gonna learn something you didn’t know,” Bryant said. “(‘Game of Thrones’) is rich with things to talk about, and there are so many different possible ways the show could go, so … it kind of affords speculation.”
However, there still remains the question of why “Game of Thrones” ratings pale in comparison to older shows like “M*A*S*H.” Because HBO is not a free viewing platform, illegal streaming is an important factor to consider. The season eight premiere of “Game of Thrones” was illegally downloaded or viewed nearly 55 million times in the first 24 hours of its release, and this number should be considered jointly with the 17 million official viewers.
DeWaard said another factor that could explain the apparent decline in viewership is the sheer number of shows being produced today. He said it is increasingly difficult for a long-term scripted show like “Game of Thrones” to grow and maintain viewership in the “Peak TV” era. With nearly 500 scripted shows produced each year – many of which have fewer episodes than “Game of Thrones” and are easier to catch up on – deWaard said it is less likely for a show to garner ratings as high as “M*A*S*H” or “Seinfeld.”
While raw viewership numbers for “Game of Thrones” may be lower, deWaard said, a strong online presence and broad audience have made the show a cultural powerhouse.
“‘Game of Thrones’ exists in so many different places, in so many types of user-generated content,” deWaard said. “People who haven’t seen it still know what’s going on, whether it’s the spoofs or satires of it or just the ways in which it will show up on ‘Saturday Night Live.’”
DeWaard also said the hundreds of characters and intricate subplots prompt elaborate fan theorizing, which also contributes to the show’s omnipresence online. Such theories often are fueled by the story’s complex lore, much of which was built by George R. R. Martin’s novels, he said.
One popular fan theory that was discussed extensively on Reddit was the idea that Jaime Lannister would kill Cersei and become the “Queenslayer” by the end of the show. Unlike completed book-to-screen adaptations such as “Lord of the Rings,” deWaard said the fact that Martin’s series is unfinished encouraged fans to formulate their own endings.
With everyone speculating, Groeling said the show is not afraid to make divisive narrative decisions that spark online discourse, like killing off a main character back in season one. Previously, when the only three channels competing for viewership were ABC, NBC and CBS, Groeling said entertainment networks were reluctant to make bold choices that could potentially alienate viewers.
But today, streaming facilitates access and serialization encourages continued viewership. Consequently, modern shows like “Game of Thrones” are less concerned with narrowing their audience, Groeling said, as those who do watch likely will watch until the end.
“You have to have a different model of viewing that isn’t based on these common-denominator mass audiences, appealing to everyone, before you can really get something that’s that in your face,” Groeling said. “Today … having an intense audience that continues to tune in is more valuable than ever.”
All Shows Must Die
(Courtesy of HBO)
Imagine a mini “Star Wars” film to sit down to once a week, or a slightly truncated Marvel flick to cap off every Sunday night.
“Game of Thrones” provides weekly installments that rival Hollywood’s biggest hits in terms of sheer scale. Over the years, “Game of Thrones” has morphed into the epitome of blockbuster television through both its global fanbase and its budget of nearly 15 million dollars per episode. Outside of being a cultural phenomenon, “Game of Thrones” sets a precedent for what fantasy television can be. In the wake of the show’s success, Tom Nunan, a lecturer in the TFT School, said it’s healthy for showrunners of future fantasy shows to be aware of the inevitable comparisons that will be made to “Game of Thrones.”
“You want to be compared. You want to be held to a certain standard so that you can exceed that standard,” Nunan said. “‘Game of Thrones’ ultimately became such a spectacular success both critically and commercially, so it’s hard to imagine someone being able to outdo that.”
But Nunan said people also thought “The Sopranos” was unbeatable, until “Breaking Bad” – which many argue is better than the former – captured a similar audience. The same can be said for the latter and “Star Trek,” both of which were considered largely untouchable, until spin-offs “Better Call Saul” and “Star Trek: The Next Generation” respectively rivaled the quality of their predecessors. In the same vein, the planned “Game of Thrones” spinoffs have a chance of recapturing the existing show’s audience, said Alex Franklin, a lecturer in the TFT School.
But despite the franchise’s continuation, Franklin said it could be hard for anything to be compared favorably to the original show’s run, as exemplified by the “Fantastic Beasts” films – which audiences found underwhelming compared to “Harry Potter.”
Future shows will have to attract similar levels of audience and journalistic engagement to reach the same levels of popularity, Franklin said, and as of now, it’s too early to predict if that will happen. Complexity and depth are critical to heightened engagement, he said, which prevented popular-but-simplistic shows like “Modern Family” from having the same cultural impact as “Game of Thrones.”
“Whether a show will ever be as popular as ‘Game of Thrones’ is, I don’t know. But several networks, HBO included, are trying to figure out how to make their version of ‘Game of Thrones,’ or a television series that gains that kind of popularity,” Franklin said. “There’s an opening … and once ‘Game of Thrones’ is done, that audience is going to be searching for something.”
To understand how that empty space will be filled, deWaard said it is important to note that the industry shifts in waves and fads, leaning to specific content at different times. The superhero genre is one example, where Tim Burton’s 1989 “Batman” – featuring a campy, Gothic version of the character – preceded Christopher Nolan’s darker, grittier interpretation.
Today, deWaard said “The Avengers” and “Guardians of the Galaxy” are once again injecting levity into the genre. Following a similar trend, “Game of Thrones” could temporarily end the fad of dark, violent fantasy, deWaard said, with viewers seeking out shows that emphasize the lighter facets of the genre.
On the other hand, he said it is also possible the new “Lord of the Rings” series will utilize a darker, grittier tone to draw in “Game of Thrones” fans. But because Amazon does not have the same adult audience or prestige as HBO, deWaard said the new “Lord of the Rings” series likely will skew broader in its themes and narrative choices.
“The cost of fantasy necessitates a wide audience and sort of means you don’t get a specific focus on adult themes,” deWaard said. “(‘Game of Thrones’) might be pretty rare, in retrospect, for that reason.”
A more mature element that narrows the “Game of Thrones” audience is its uncompromising depiction of violence – exemplified by scenes in which a pregnant queen is stabbed to death in the stomach and a child is sacrificially burned at the stake. Although blood and gore often are considered hallmarks of the show, Nunan said it draws from the precedent set by “The Sopranos,” which featured violence more grotesquely than its contemporaries.
(Courtesy of HBO)
Amid the carnage are numerous references to the original book series and other fantasy series, which deWaard said is another reason for fantasy television’s success. Upcoming shows that draw from literary source material illustrate this trend, such as the new “Lord of the Rings” and HBO’s upcoming “His Dark Materials,” based on Philip Pullman’s trilogy. DeWaard said the collaborative process of analyzing shows and uncovering hidden details – like Gandalf’s sword among those that make up the Iron Throne – will encourage Hollywood to continue to produce fantasy television.
“There’s so much science fiction and fantasy that hasn’t been adapted yet, in part because past audiences were maybe not as interested in that so-called nerdy material,” deWaard said. “But now we’re 20 years into overwhelming fantasy and science fiction.”
Timing can also be impactful, Nunan said. After “Harry Potter” ended, Nunan said its audience – who had grown up alongside the series – was looking for R-rated fantasy. He said the timing of “Game of Thrones” perfectly appealed to that demographic.
Similarly, Nunan said “Game of Thrones” likely whet people’s appetite for another supernatural, immersive experience, which Amazon’s “Lord of the Rings” will take advantage of. After J. R. R. Tolkien and J. K. Rowling laid the framework for “Game of Thrones,” Nunan said showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss introduced a complex fantasy world that will set the stage for future avenues of the genre.
“Here’s a fictitious community that none of us have access to, that’s akin to the middle ages … where all kinds of taboo things happen, whether it’s worlds colliding, winter coming, incest, prostitution, incredible backstabbing in search of power, and of course, to top that all off, the introduction of dragons. I don’t think that chapter has closed or ended whatsoever,” Nunan said. “I think, if anything, (‘Game of Thrones’) has kicked the door wide open.”
Magician Helder Guimarães balances the mundane and the magical like a sleight-of-hand trick in his one-man show, “Invisible Tango.”
Directed by Frank Marshall, Guimarães’ show will continue its run at the Geffen Playhouse until June 30. Within the intimate Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater, Guimarães invites his crowd to a performance that is part stream-of-consciousness storytelling, part magic show and part philosophy lecture.Combining close-up magic with monologues about how the chaos of life can be interpreted as order, “Invisible Tango” has audience members keep track of far more than a deck of cards.
Guimarães guides the audience through a somewhat clumsy narrative, recalling his quest to discover the owner of an antique notebook while learning about himself. His reflective adventure– involving a mentor, multiple car accidents and a trip to Buenos Aires – often is fragmented. But within the lackluster story are a number of impressive magic tricks adding life to the tale. Cards seeminglyappear from nowhere, and Guimarães’ quick hands become the star of the show. When the inspiration sparks, Guimarães doesn’t miss a beat: He smoothly springs into action and involves audience members in his humorous illusions.
Rather than simply relying onsleight of hand or the story’s weak emotional beats, Guimarães wants to challenge his audience intellectually, hoping they ponder questions of destiny, knowledge andthe unknown. Laying out cards on a plain wood table while reciting poetry, Guimarães demonstrates both his magical prowessand love of mysterious riddles. In fact, “Invisible Tango” imbues most, if not all, magical momentswith a philosophical touch.
Part of Guimarães’ magic grew from a set that came to lifearound him. His backdrop consisted of wooden shelves against a soft turquoise wall, displaying photos, books and some obscure pieces that fall into the narrative later – like pieces of a puzzle.
Items pulled from hidden drawers seamlessly complemented the imagery of his auditory story. The warm tones of the furniture, soft lighting and the occasional Latin guitar music aided the room in feeling like one man’s homely parlor instead of a theater. “Invisible Tango’s” original soundtrack, scored by the musician Moby, fully immersed audiences in Guimarães’ trip to Argentina and hinted at his Portuguese origins. The environment even included an interactive turntable and vinyls, which Guimarães utilized to cue background music for his tricks.
For those interested in a straightforward magic spectacle, the show’sconceptual core and abstract musings are perhaps heavy-handed. And those interested in a deeply heartfelt performance shouldn’t expect tear-jerking moments of catharsis either. But Guimarães knows how to construct a giddy performance, unafraid to add “an element of danger” to his card tricks through a sharp dagger.
Guimarães’ energetic confidence and animatedfacial expressions kept the 80-minute show from falling intoboredom. While enigmatic at first, the performer’s casual attire – Converse shoes,gray jeans and a suit jacket – and lighthearted interaction with the audience established a personal dialogue. By speaking to the crowd directly, picking participants to help out and standing for most of the show, Guimarães never let “Invisible Tango” feel stale. His energy fed off the participation of the crowd – noting their applause, or lack thereof – with trust being a fundamental aspect of his act.
“Invisible Tango” rests on the notion that the audience should have faith in the magician to conjure moments of surprise and to generate a magic that is both relatable and astonishing. The reciprocal trust arose both from Guimarães’ demeanor and the cozy environment.Yet we are still conditioned to be dazzled, as theaudience would tense in anticipation whenever Guimarães would take a break from his story, play a record and say with twinkle in his eye, “Let’s try something.”
“Invisible Tango” may leave attendees confused by the performer’s narrative; revelatory details are often blink-and-you’ll-miss it, and the circuitous nature of his self-discovery leaves many questions. But Guimarães revels in the unknown and hopes – as with his impressive illusions – that you’ll choose the magic of mystery over tedious knowledge.
The Bruins continued their winning ways at home with a combined one-hitter.
No. 1 UCLA baseball (44-8, 21-5 Pac-12) took the series over Washington (28-21, 12-14) with a 4-0 victory Saturday night at Jackie Robinson Stadium. The Bruins have now secured series wins in every home set for the second consecutive season.
“I would like to say that we’re the same team everywhere, but there’s something about playing at home that’s just slightly more comfortable,” said junior first baseman Michael Toglia. “You know all the little crevices and cracks and how the field plays, so there’s definitely an advantage in that.”
Redshirt junior right-hander Jack Ralston improved his record to 10-0 as he threw six-plus scoreless innings of one-hit ball and notched nine strikeouts.
The right-hander struck out six of the first seven Huskies he faced one night after junior right-hander Ryan Garcia made his first 10 outs on strikeouts.
“Every time (Garcia) goes out there, it pumps me up for the next day,” Ralston said. “I always want to do just as well as him.”
Ralston and Garcia were among eight starting pitchers announced as 2019 Dick Howser Trophy Semifinalists on Wednesday. The award is given to college baseball’s top player, as voted on by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
The Bruins scored two of their four runs in the fifth, starting with an RBI triple by sophomore center fielder Garrett Mitchell – his third triple in two games. Mitchell came home to score on a sac-fly by junior shortstop Ryan Kreidler to give UCLA a 3-0 lead.
UCLA’s first run came in the second when Toglia came home on a groundout by junior left fielder Jack Stronach. In the sixth, Toglia hit his team-leading 12th home run of the season on a solo shot over the right-field wall to increase the Bruins’ lead to four.
The home run marked the only hit the Bruins recorded in their last 13 at-bats as Washington right-hander Jordan Jones pitched all eight innings for the Huskies. Coach John Savage said he was impressed with Jones’ off-speed pitches in his strong outing.
“I tip my hat to (Jones),” Savage said. “I was impressed with his ability to pitch his breaking ball and change. That’s a tough loss for him.”
Right-handers redshirt senior Nathan Hadley, junior Kyle Mora and sophomore Holden Powell each threw an inning of relief without allowing a baserunner. Powell struck out the side to pick up his 15th save of the year, ranking good for third in the nation.
The Bruins will have the chance pick up their sixth sweep of the year Sunday at 12 p.m.
The Bruins continue to outplay their opponents on both sides of the ball.
No. 2 seed UCLA softball (48-5, 20-4 Pac-12) defeated Missouri (33-24, 12-12 SEC) in five innings by a score of 9-1 to advance to the championship of the Los Angeles Regional. It was the second time the Bruins had mercy-ruled the Tigers, after defeating them 11-3 in February.
The Bruins wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, plating three runs in their first three at-bats. First it was junior centerfielder Bubba Nickles, who drove a home run to center field in the first at-bat of the inning.
Then, after sophomore shortstop Briana Perez reached on a throwing error on a bunt, redshirt sophomore utility Aaliyah Jordan brought her in on a home run of her own.
“Our energy was high from the beginning, from the get-go,” Nickles said. “It was just a great momentum builder that we carried through the game.”
The bats on both teams stayed relatively quiet after that until the bottom of the fourth, with neither team advancing a runner past first base. But it was at this point that UCLA broke the game open.
The Bruins loaded the bases on a fielding error, a blooper single to left and a walk. Another fielding error by the Tigers’ second baseman, their third of the game, brought in two of those runs on a grounder, followed by a bunt single for freshman utility Kelli Godin that reloaded the bases.
Nickles proceeded to hit her second home run of the game, a grand slam to left center to clear the bases and give the Bruins a 9-0 lead.
Nickles finished the game with two home runs for the third time in her career and five RBIs, setting a new career high.
“It was probably one of the best performances I’ve seen from (Nickles) in her time as a Bruin,” said coach Kelly Inouye-Perez. “She puts herself in a position to slow the game down, and then you get to just see her thrive under pressure because she just loves to play.”
UCLA collected six hits overall off Missouri’s pitcher, with seven of its nine total runs being unearned, including all six in the fourth inning.
After her perfect six innings in Friday’s game against Weber State, redshirt junior pitcher Rachel Garcia started again for UCLA, giving up just one hit and one walk in her 4 1/3 innings of work and striking out six.
Freshman pitcher Megan Faraimo came into the game in the fifth to try and clinch the victory for the Bruins, but gave up an unearned run to close the gap to 9-1. Garcia would return to the circle to record the last out of the inning and seal the mercy-rule victory for UCLA.
“(Sophomore pitcher Holly Azevedo) coming in yesterday and (Faraimo) coming in today took pitches off me, so that’s the most important part,” Garcia said. “It’s just about maintaining my pitch count and trying to keep it low.”
With the win UCLA advances to the regional championships Sunday at 2 p.m., where it will face the team that advances out of the loser’s bracket Saturday.
