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9 | THE MAROON TIGER
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2003
A rtsEtc.
UTOPIA
by Sam Beresford
sam_bereslbnd@manx)ntiger.net
SWING EDITOR
“Well, what had happened was, my
step-nephew’s cousin, you see, his uncle
passed last week, and I just found out
about the funeral like, 3 hours ago..
“No really, I thought you said that
the test was three weeks from now. You
know - ‘tomorrow,’ ‘three weeks from
now,’ they sound just the same, right?
Kind of? Maybe just a little bit?’
“If you really want to know, I was
at the dentist, where I was getting this...
uhhh... this experimental procedure...
uhhh... andit’sreallyhardtoexplain
soldon’treallywant togetinotit, but I
should be fully recovered by next week.”
“Well, technically, since I’m still
not on the class roster, I can’t really be
absent, right?”
Gentleman, get your best excuses
ready, because this year’s Homecoming,
UTOPIA 2003, scheduled for the week
of Sunday, October 26, promises to be
one of the livest in recent history. As is
usually the case, Homecoming Week
spawns what seems to be a campus-wide
rash of increased (I say increased only
because I think we all know that it goes
on year-round anyway) lobbying for
extended deadlines, negotiating for test
day push-backs, and that unavoidable
occurrence that seems to take its toll
disproportionately during said week, the
dreaded, unexcused absence.
Some of the highlights of the week
include “Panorama,” the Kickoff Jam
and Fireworks Show on the night of
Saturday, October 25; “Valhalla,” a Def
Poetry Jam on Monday, October 27;
“Shangri-La,” a fashion show
extravaganza on Tuesday, October 28;
“Hipnotic,” a conceit featuring Da Band,
David Banner, T.I., and State Property
on Wednesday, October 29; “Quixotic,”
the coronation ball on Friday, October
31; and of course the Homecoming
football game against AUC rivals, Clark
Atlanta, followed by “Clash of the
Titans,” the Greek step show at Forbes
Arena on November 1.
As you may well know, this year
marks the reuniting of Morehouse and
Spelman as partners and collaborators
for all Homecoming festivities. Alter
last year’s attempt to produce and
execute two completely independent
Homecomings (which was brought
upon by administrative differences of
opinion, and which also admittedly
begat less than stellar results), the
decision was made by administrators
from both sides of the street that it would
prove infinitely more beneficial to
students of both colleges to once again
plan, develop, execute, and enjoy
Homecoming as one.
could possibly be someone’s motives for
making a film in such a way that it is able
to penetrate the thoughts of millions? To
document the day-to-day struggles of
countless brothers and sisters as a means
of shedding light on the issues they
encounter? To allow those who apparently
bear a sepia mark of anonymity to continue
to identify with a light- that urges them to
keep on being seen? To explore the psyche
of the young African American man as he
matures in an environment that constantly
forces him to adapt? Such thoughts affect
almost everyone. And it has been left to
the eclectic vision of director/producer
John Singleton to forge them into an
impressive collection of cinematic
masterpieces, some of which now enjoy
an indispensable place in thousands of
video libraries across the nation. Recently,
1 took advantage of an opportunity to talk
to Singleton (director of Rosewood, Boyz
in the Hood Higher Learning, and the
newly released 2 Fast 2 Furious, among
others) about his thoughts regarding 2 Fast
2 Furious and his other movies.
I started off with a question about the
use of symbolism in Baby Boy - its
significance, and how it relates to his social
responsibility as a Black director in the
motion picture industry. His response set
the rhythm for the discussion throughout
the rest of his interview.
John Singleton: All of the symbolism is
deliberate. Social commentary is very
important-something to rise above, talk
about, and want to see again. Symbolism
is something that life is nurtured by.
Samuel Wyche: What made you decide
to do 2 Fasti
JS: I wanted to do a movie that wasn’t
controversial. I also wanted to hang out in
Miami. There are films that have a point,
and there are films that are fun. I like to do
both. I thinkit’s more difficult to be aperson
with ideals than a person without ideals. It
can be a daunting task and I’ve already
done a lot of films that no one else is doing
Interviewer: In making 2 Fast 2 Furious,
was it easier to do things that were already
put together?
JS: The setting was different. There were
new cars. Some things were radically
different.
I: What’s it like to be on the Hollywood
walk of fame?
JS: Phenomenal. One of the best days of
my career. A lot of people were there to
see it. Lawrence Fishboume was there.
John Voigt (one of my favorites), was there
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: ASHTON DUNN/MAROON TIGER
What’s on
your
mind,
Singleton?
An interview
by
Sam Wyche
ARTS EDITOR
also.
I: How do you feel when you see more
and more MCs breaking into Holly wood?
JS: A lot of people who aren’t actors
shouldn’t be. It’s hard for me to say that
though, since I’ve fostered a lot of rappers’
careers. I make them take acting very
seriously. They study the scenes. You
know, you see Snoop in Baby Boy, it’s
different than seeing him in a music video.
It’s like I put them through acting boot
camp.
I: Do you have any advice for filmmakers
in college?
JS: If nothing else, learn how to write your
own screenplays. There’s no force in the
entertainment industry keeping anyone
from making any kind of movies. Look at
Baby Boy. It has its funny moments, but it
also hits an emotional core. I loved looking
at it with an audience, and listening to their
reactions as they left the theater.
I: How have your accomplishments
opened up the path for other (Black)
filmmakers?
JS: Success begets success. I couldn’t have
done it without individuals like Spike Lee.
Black filmmakers are moving toward
doing more mainstream flicks. Other types
of films are more difficult to do. I appreciate
people who do them.
I: I know that you’re probably familiar with
the activity that has (relatively) recently
caught public attention with regard to
HBCUs and whether or not they continue
to serve a significant role in the
development of the Black community.
What’s your take on this?
JS: Black colleges serve a tremendous role
in our community. A lot of great people
have come out of HBCUs. Ihaveacousin
who was getting into a lot of trouble. It
took a lot of convincing to get him to go to
school. I can’t remember the name of the
school, but I think it was in South Carolina.
Anyway, I heard stories about their dress
code. They were required to wear suits and
there was a dorm curfew. I know this is
common to HBCUs. My point is, HBCUs
have traditionally been known to provide
a more structured environment than other
schools. That’s important, since many of
us, coming from the places that we do,
often don’t have that structure, which is
necessary for success. For others, HBCUs
provide a last chance because they
understand the [adversity] that we’ve dealt
with before getting there.
There’s something to be gained from
every experience. Understanding that may
very well be the key to getting through life’s
adversities. To paraphrase Mr. Singleton,
it may well be worth taking a first, or a
second look, at how various symbols
influence our own lives.