#inconsistent gerard art

[gkdeamon]

[duruto]

Rard compilaton

[vampantidote]

Forgive my inconsistent art style but more Gerard.

I’m going to start drawing the other members as well once I get my new sketchbook

[xx-blood-lemons-xx]

oh my god opinions so fandom-centric and uninteresting that i must take to tumblr again i can’t believe the umbrella academy ended like that. i simply cannot believe it. it was so clearly influenced by stranger things in a way that makes me frankly straight up sad and i hate to say it but the inevitable remake in 50 or so years because of it being a weirdly cult classic is going to be LOADS better than the original show because they’ll have had time to let all the perspectives on the plotlines soak in and become a classic work of literature and living legend to a select group of fans.

all that to say is it’s clear the pieces are not written together, they’re aging as we progress through time and time has aged at such a rapid rate that literature and media and art and picture just aren’t what they used to be. gerard way if you had written this story in 1960 and it was adapted for modern media in the year 2006 it would’ve been the most PERFECT piece of media literally on the market. unfortunately season 4 was written in a post 2020 world. i feel like it has iphone face.

in a way i feel like this will become similar to fans as how i view a wrinkle in time and its fanbase. there are 5 or so books and only 2-3 of them have any relevant plot. there’s a modern adaptation that leaves many details out and theres a 2000s adaptation that leaves much to be desired for different reasons, but less plot pieces were cut. when the remake of umbrella academy happens and or even if a re-written book comes out about the series there will be so many inconsistencies throughout the strings that we’ll never all be satisfied. it will leave me dreaming of my perfect version of the perfect plot, with nothing left to be desired and everything fulfilled.

i wish the best for the future of this franchise but i seriously hope to god and all that is noble that i live to 50 years old and that nobody touches it until then. when you do don’t cheap out. pour some real love into it, don’t make it too modern.

[themosleyreview]

The Mosley Review: Den of Theives 2: Pantera

The art of the heist film has been perfected by great filmmakers of the past and at times, there have been some stylistic reinvention. What makes these films so entertaining is not the heist itself, but the characters on either side of the law. We love following the outlaws as they try to succeed against the police, but we also love seeing the police race against time to stop the thieves from getting away. Its the game of cat and mouse that is always so thrilling, but you have to care for both parties involved to keep invested. Films like Oceans Eleven, Tower Heist and the greatest of them all, Heat, are the blueprints of how to make a fun, sometimes hilarious, stylistic and thrilling heist story. The first Den of Thieves was a surprise as the narrative may have been derivative of Heat, but it did its homework and presented the same amount of grounded storytelling and an amazing amount of heart. Now comes a sequel that unfortunately doesn't carry the same amount of lets say, craftsmanship as the first film. We get a more plotting and drawn out caper that really felt empty and sometimes over indulgent as we are taken to a new location, but without any clear direction or sense of urgency. It was a shame because not only do we get some great visuals and some good character moments, but its dragged down by its length and inconsistent tone.

Gerard Butler returns as Nicholas "Big Nick" O'Brien and somehow the character has lost a bit of the same charm he had in the first film. His life is truly going down the drain and I felt more sorry for him instead of rooting for him. I liked that he had a moral challenge this time around as he gets involved with crime this time. O'Shea Jackson Jr. returns once again as the smart and slippery thief, Donnie Wilson. He was having more fun this time around and I loved that we got to see his mind work as he sets up the big score this time around. The rivalry between him and Nicholas was the heart of this film and the most entertaining aspect. I loved the tension in the beginning when they reconnected and how their chemistry truly developed into a sort of twisted friendship. Evin Ahmad was fun as one of the main organizers of the heist, Jovanna. The partnership and many deals she put together were fun to watch navigate and revealed the many parties connected to the Diamond heist. Her working chemistry with Donnie was good, but it was the strongest with Nicholas as their could've been a slight romance brewing between them.

The score by Kevin Matley was good and pulse pounding as the heist took place and during the finale. Visually the film is very crisp and especially during the many night shots of Nice, France. The opening heist and the car chase / shootout in the finale were truly the best action sequences of the film. The heist itself was pulse pounding in its timing and escape route. Like I said before, the film truly suffers from its lack of urgency. I get that we got a chance to explore the depth of the relationship between Nicholas and Donnie, but everything else was truly filler and noise. You could've trimmed at least 20 minutes of this film out and achieved a tighter and more concise storyline. Also, I wonder if it was a stylistic choice, but their are multiple scenes where characters are speaking French and their are no subtitles. I could make out what was being said by the body language and the overall tone of the scenes, but it would've been nice to have that option. Overall, this was a sluggish sequel that didn't deserve to be so drawn out. It had the chance to be a more fast paced heist film that kept the same grounded prowess of the first film, but it failed to capture that same lightning in the bottle. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in comments below. Thanks for reading!

[laytonnpcbracket]

Welcome to the Layton NPC Showdown!

This is a bracket to determine which of the many memorable NPCs from across the Professor Layton games are the greatest.

GAMES INCLUDED: Every game except LBMR. Eternal Diva characters are also not included here.

WHAT COUNTS AS AN NPC?: Anyone who doesn't have a puzzle animation. Characters excluded are Layton, Luke, Flora, Clive, Emmy, Randall, Aurora, Des, Espella, Phoenix, Maya, Katrielle, Ernest, Sherl, Hastings, and Emiliana.

WILL THERE BE NOMINATIONS?: Nope! Every NPC will be included.

WHAT ABOUT THE LAYTONMOBILE/MOLENTARY EXPRESS?: No vehicles. Not characters.

WHAT ABOUT THE PUZZLE LADS/LASSES?: I only plan on including characters that we can speak to in-game, so no Puzzle Lads or Lasses. Sorry to the people who like them 😔

WHICH CHARACTERS ARE INCLUDED, THEN?: Anyone who isn't an exception listed above that is in the profiles of the game! A full list is enclosed below.

WHEN WILL THE TOURNAMENT START?: More information forthcoming on that! I have to seed the bracket first :)

WHY IS NAIYA YOUR ICON?: In my opinion, she's one of the more underrated NPCs of the series. I'll probably cycle through some of the ones I have available to me right now.

WHAT CRITERIA SHOULD I VOTE ON?: Whatever makes you happy :)

ARE ALTER EGOS SEPERATE CHARACTERS?: No. For instance, Ratman is not included because his secret identity is in the tournament.

US OR UK NAMES?: I will try to make available as many names for the NPCs as possible! Which includes their Japanese names and as many names in the localizations as I am able to obtain from the wiki and my own sources. I'll probably reliably have the English (both versions where applicable), Japanese, and French names for every character when I do the bracket rounds. The list below however is entirely in English.

And now for a list of the entries! I didn't check all of these for inconsistencies, but I attempted to ascertain that I used the US versions. Some of them might be UK versions though because that's the version of the game I have (specifically Diabolical Box NPCs and Last Specter NPCs -- I know some of their US names but not all).

Franco

Stachenscarfen

Ingrid

Percy

Marco

Ramon

Matthew

Lady Dahlia Reinhold

Gordon Reinhold

Simon Reinhold

Claudia

Beatrice

Deke

Agnes

Pauly

Crouton

Flick

Rodney

Chelmey

Lucy

Zappone

Gerard

Jarvis

Adrea

Pavel

Crumm

Prosciutto

Archibald

Sylvain

Martha

Giuseppe

Augustus Reinhold

Granny Riddleton

Don Paolo

Bruno

Andrew Schrader

Anton Herzen

Katia Anderson

Sophia

Mr. Anderson

Beluga

Sammy Thunder

Macaroon

Chester

Babette

Tom

Ilyana

Geoff

Garland

Nigel

Jacques

Barton

Grousley

Steve

Capone

Mitzi

Lili

Sally

Marjorie

Conrad

Karla

Romie

Dorothea

Clabber

Oscar

Nick

Gabe

Balsa

Wurtzer

Lopez

Laurel

Parcelle

Lulu

Albert

Madeline

Remy

Angus

Kostya

Dylan

Joseph

Rory

Lila

Damon

Felix

Niles

Duke

Hopper

Olson

Derby

Dawson

Joanie

Krantz

Grinko

Marina

Opal

Ray

Gregorio

Narice

Gertie

Hamster

Precious

Winston

Claire

Dimitri Allen

Bill Hawks

Spring

Cogg

Dean Delmona

Shipley

Puzzlette

Beasley

Parrot

Subject 3

Bostro

Family Goon

Lockjaw

Splinters

Marzano

Layman

Fisheye

Silky

Shmelmey

Shmarton

Ward

Smith

Florence

Vito

Art

Niklaus

Anita

Alfie

Hazel (UF)

Adeline

Max

Becky

Margaret

Pallard

Dupree

Natalia

Harold

Horace

Hardy

Cuthbert

Segal

Catanova

Rosetta

Colby

Rudolph

Misha

Dylan

Viv

Pepper

Checker

Avogadro

Maya (UF)

Myrtle

Belle

Graham

Slate

Ernest (UF)

Berta

Minnie

Paige

Raleigh

Beacon

Mark

Rosa

Grosky

Keats

Clark Triton

Brenda Triton

Arianna Barde

Tony Barde

Doland Noble

Levin Jakes

Loosha

Toppy

Crow

Marilyn

Roddy

Scraps

Tweeds

Wren

Socket

Louis

Badger

Aldus

Charlie

Jasmine

Bucky

Fische

Beth

Mido

Clarence

Joe

Molly

Marion

Browne

Hugo

Dominica

Paddy

Brock

Aunt Taffy

Shackwell

Greppe

Goosey

Mimi

Hans Jakes

Maggie

Yamada

Sean

Olga

Finch

Sebastian

Cornelius

Chappy

Hannah

Mick

Colby

Monica

Thomas

Nate

Ewan

Chief Engineer

Naiya

Chippe

Bram

Ghent

Nordic

Gilbert

Roland Layton

Lucille Layton

Henry Ledore

Angela Ledore

Alphonse Dalston

Leonard Bloom

Sheffield

Billson

Mrs Ascot

Pascal

Guy

Lapushka

Gustav

Gonzales

Drake

Tyrone

Sterling

Mordy

Collette

Maurice

Juggles

Puck

Yukkles

Murphy

Cookie

Tanya

Firth

Madelaine

Stumble

Artie

Michelle

Nils

Frankie

Conner

Humbert

Policeman (MM)

Yuming

Esther

Lionel

Doug

Mr. Collins

Leon Bronev

Raymond

Prima

Harald

Donna

Mascha

Georg

Mackintosh

Solveig

Erik

Hazel (AL)

Igor

Sonya

Moos

Larisa

Karpin

Boris

Dariya

Pavlova

Carmichael

Amelie Chelmey

Policeman (AL)

Tommy

Morel

Chestnut

Amanita

Blewitt

Chanterelle

Button

Lepidella

Bud

Javier

Benny

Miranda

Martine

Barbara

Ruby

Scarlett

Flint

Old Red

Jesse

Derringer

Julien

Romilda

Sheppard

Piet

Felicia

Rik

Beatrix

Umid

Banu

Dana

Temir

Mehri

Nassir

Adler

Robin

Macaw

Plover

Grouse

Gannet

Swift

Carmine Accidenti

Olivia Aldente

Allan

Bardly

Zacharias Barnham

Newton Belduke

Birdly

Boistrum

Cecil

Cinderellia

Constantine

Cracker

Cutter

Darklaw

Dewey

Dzibilchaltunchunchucmil

Patty Eclaire

Eve (cat)

Flynch

Foxy

Jean Greyerl

Hoot

Judge

Kira

Knight Captain

Knightle

Lottalance

Lyewood

Lettie Mailer

Balmung

Mary

Muffet

Muggs

Ridelle Mystere

Nozey

Petal

Petter

Ms Primstone

Emeer Punchenbaug

Robbs

Old Rootie

Rouge

Servius

Shakey

Johnny Smiles

Snowy

Storyteller

Tuggit

Price

Wordsmith

Pipper Lowonida

Phineas Barnone

Madame Doublée

Liza Wight

Grant Sloans

Cesar Chance

Mustafa Fulhold

Hans Lipski

Aleks Lipski

Maverick D. Rector

Seymore Fraymes

The Major

Eddie Torre

Hayes

Maid

Wooooster

Bianca Teller

Security Guard

Shadee

Taboras Lloyd

Douglas Dert

Ratboy

Mo Heecan

Mrs Slow the Tailor

Midas Pullman

Declan Swabber

Abel Seamon

Felicity Hastings

Gene Ohm

Billy Kidd

Royall Britannias

Clover Pryce

PC Beate

DC Booker

Waiter

Séan Butchin

Bo Bells

Hessie Tate

Benjy

Bess

Keane Fisher

Bob Bracket

Stripey

Patch

Cat

Yapper

Gudrun Weldon

[keigarii]

gerry sketches compilation :D

[tokengayfriend]

congrats to dimension20's neverafter campaign for being the first thing to inspire creativity in me for god knows how long!!! here's pinnochio pib gerard and ylfa i'll add more character drawings as i make them

[punkeduppirate]

what am i doing pt.2

based on this and pt.1

i rly dunno what is this

[underwhelming-artistry]

GATHER ROUND YALL, NEW GERRYMICHAEL AU JUST DROPPED

Martin: works on one of Peter Lukas’s ships. Is the one to first catch Distortion Michael (aka: the merm) and takes the issue to Jon, thinking they’d know what to do.

Peter: is a boat captain that mainly catches and sells highly prized but endangered animals such as whales, seals and dolphins.

Jon: an Oracle. He was taught by gertrude how to read into the mind’s eye, and lost quite a bit of his humanity when elias murdered her. When Martin came to him with the issue, he was able to direct him to Gerry.

Gertrude: was the original Oracle. She also had an affinity toward witchcraft and dark magic of any kind.

Mary: with gertrude gone, Mary was the most feared witch in London for those who knew what she could truly do. She had a bookshop that sold magical books, spell books, and regular witchy items.

Gerry: once Mary died from self mutilation during an immortality spell gone wrong, Gerry was forced to take over the store. He doesn’t really like the store much, and is neutral toward witchcraft, though he does practice it at times. Knowledgeable on the supernatural.

The Distortion: a parasitic being capable of deception and horror beyond what the human mind can comprehend. It’s true form can only be witnessed under the lens of water- which is where its energy is from. It’s known to drive people mad if they look at it

Michael Shelley: used to be a village boy who worked at the library. He helped gertrude out by bringing her food and trying to keep her company because he thought that she may be lonely. During this time, gertrude was trying to find a way to pacify the Distortion. She decided to sacrifice Michael to its hold- which bound his body to the sea. The curse could only be broken if the body of Michael dried out completely. Because of the way the distortion could lie and fight, that was a near impossible task. Even when dry the Distortion remains bound to Michael so the curse would activate yet again if he ever got wet- adding another layer of impossibility

Nikola: is the ringmaster in a traveling circus known to exploit occult wonders.

[inkedmyths]

Dumb sketch ft. The Jon Palette

[teal-gerard]

honestly I’m so confused on how tags work now and how to tag stuff, because I tagged stuff but when I later try to look them up, all the tags are gone/like they never existed? I’ve also noticed this on other peoples’ blogs, I have no clue on how this website works anymore.

yes the tagging system on this site is very confusing, it took me a long time to figure it out and as I have changed phone brands I have also noticed the way tags work across different platforms (ie apple store, Google play store etc.) which makes it even harder because it isn't universal.

as someone who used the google play store to download tumblr, tagging works best when its consistent, so no spaces or capital letters unless you do it in every tag (a good example is how I accidentally started tagging gerards art as "Gerard's sketchbook" and so every time I tag that I have to make sure I add the capital G and the apostrophe, or else the tag won't show up)

another tip is instead of using the search function to look up a specific tag, click on the tag underneath the post, when you are on the person who posted its blog; so if u were on my blog and wanted to see pictures of revenge gerard you would find a pic of of gerard with that tag under it and click it and it would lead you to every post I have made with that tag, whereas if you were on the dashboard and saw that same picture and clicked the tag it would lead you to Every post on tumblr with that tag.

the big problem with this whole IOS blocking certain tags is, again it leaves an inconsistent and incomplete tagging system that will work for every phone brand but apple (in this case) and leave others to have to figure out how to work around this ban to help those who were affected, which is frustrating but seems to be the way tumblr goes in general in between phone brands.

if you have any more questions about tagging,feel free to ask, I don't claim to know everything about it, but I definitely have messed around enough to figure out some tips and tricks

[lynzuglyliar]

A Masterpost of Masterposts (aka Documenting Why Lindsey Way is Trash)

Reminder of some of the shady and sloppy things Lindsey Way has done:

- created the nowaymikeywayblog

- bullied and doxed teenage fans online

- used Jessicka Addams to make connections in the art world and then dumped her when she was no longer required

- slept with her MARRIED guitarist and bandmate Steve ‘Righ?’ Montano and taunted his wife about it (confirmed by Lucinda Montano)

- treats her mom and sister like shit and laughs about them with her famous** friends (x) (x) (x) (x)

- publicly supported her ex-friend’s rapist

- Dropped her friend of over 20 years for no reason

- Blocked a fan who asked her to support BLM

- Has been accused of plagiarising artwork

 **famous by association, much like Lindsey is only ‘‘‘famous’‘‘ (lol) because of her husband, Frances Bean is only famous because of her parents.

Miscellaneous crap that we have or might make posts about someday:

- gets and dumps numerous ‘pedigree’ (aka, bred to have ongoing health conditions) pets – where’s Susan the French Bulldog? Where’s Grandpa the Sphynx cat?

- apparently cheated on Gerard with a Russian fan (well, we know that marriage vows don’t mean shit to her *cough* Steve Righ? *cough*)

- She has left a long line of ex-friends including Chantal Claret, Jessicka Addams, Jennifer Emil, Lucinda Montano and many others.

- lies (a lot) about random things that make her seem woke, edgy, interesting or whatever including claiming that she is adopted/bi/Indian/black (we have some evidence for her inconsistent lies but not enough to make a post yet).

- bathing isn’t her strong point and she’s proud of it :/. (Ok, this one is funny but seriously, who boasts about that?)

- uses satire as an excuse for the racist, sexist and misogynistic things her band have said/done.

- Claimed her shirt said “girlfriend” instead of ‘boyfriend’ (maybe to seem interesting or queerbait idk?)

-  Lied about being adopted

- more random stuff in some of the screenshots on this post

- Lied about being Indian

We recommend that you read each post through in full. Reading them back, there’s so much shitty stuff that we had forgotten about and this is by no means the only stuff she’s done - there’s a lot more evidence out there, including on this blog.

[ana-of-devildom]

A Devildom Halloween

I LOVE HALLOWEEN and playing this event cranked it up to 11. 

Ok, this event was everything I love about this game. The premise is that the brothers are planning a surprise birthday party for Diavolo with a twist. Instead of the usual fancy-nancy party, it will be a Halloween-theme party. So, right off the bat, I’m recollecting that his highness’s birthday is Halloween day and in the main story, there was no given date. I’m thinking “Wait, its always been formal for thousands of years and he [Diavolo] straight-up never said anything about wanting a different theme for his own party. He’s supposed to have a say in this!” It’s established that the celebration lasts 3 days, which reminds me of dia de los muertos; the 31st is dia de los innocentes, a night of remembering children who have passed and we celebrate by having our version of trick-or-treat. Nov. 1st is dedicated to the adults long passed and on the second is dedicated to a graveyard party. It’s a happy occasion.   

 Anyways, the reasons why its never changed up until the exchange program is because high-ranking demons show up to this cotillion. Lucifer is orchestrating the whole thing and MC is the second-in-command. Nice! I like Lucifer so I was happy to go along with this. 

Moving on, Lucifer doesn’t know Diavolo well to the point where he knows his interest, so we head to Demon Lord’s castle. Upon arriving, we find out that Diavolo is out and about, leaving a great opportunity for Barbatos to tell us everything and no need to be highly suspicious. While we’re waiting in Barbatos’s room, Lucifer states that Diavolo means a lot to him. *coughs* gay *clears throat* But also mention MC, real subtle, that they are also important to him. Awww. Cue the harps and lyres. 

Lucifer: “Sit still...or I won’t be able to kiss you.”

Sir, come here. Guten take me. Be still my beating spark. 

Lucifer: “We’ll have to continue this when we get home”

Umm.. yes please, daddy. 

Every brother is assigned a different aspect of the party. Mammon’s in charge of gifts, Levi’s in charge of music (this is a bad choice imho), Satan with costumes, Asmo with the cuisine, Beel’s emcee, and Belphie’s in charge of decorating.

I wanna mention Levi’s choice of music: chiptunes and anisong from the anime Clannad (I know, its Devinnad, leave me alone). First off, *sigh* its a Halloween party and secondly, we have to keep Diavolo in mind. I chose to ask if he likes music besides anisongs, this boy straight up said the “song you recommended the other day. I like that song, it reminded me of you.” Dude, you’ll despise my music taste, I know it for a fact. My music taste is inconsistent from 2000′s classics to indie surf punk rock, I don’t necesarily have a favorite song. But at the time of the original release of this event, I was listening to Breathe Carolina’s Bury Me, Gerard Way’s Baby You’re a Haunted House, Marilyn Manson’s This is Halloween, Ho-lloween by Emily’s Army, and Get Scared’s Dance with the Dead. Idk what you mean by these songs reminding you of me but go off, I guess. But that one song that does remind me of myself (gods, this sounds narcissistic) would be Art School by Remo Drive. That’s a far cry from the one’s I’ve mentioned. 

I want to appreciate Belphie for not being salty towards Dia during the entire time he’s decorating and the theme for party being a horror flick. Genius!!  

[backstage-bucknell]

Celebrating Student Scholarship

Take a look at the research, scholarship, performance work, and more that students in the Theatre department have been up to this year! 

Julia Tokish

Historically, South Asian playwrights have been vastly underrepresented in American theatre. My Presidential Fellowship, conducted under the mentorship of Dr. Meenakshi Ponnuswami, seeks to address and correct this injustice. Through my Presidential Fellowship, I conduct research on first- and second-generation immigrant playwrights of South Asian descent. I search for and collect information not only on the playwrights themselves, but also their plays and production histories. This project is still ongoing, but we ultimately hope to create a publicly accessible database featuring these playwrights and their work as well as a published anthology of certain selected plays from my research. If you are interested in learning more about my research process and future plans, please visit the following link:

https://mediaspace.bucknell.edu/media/Uncovering+South+Asian+American+Playwrights+-+Kalman+Research+Symposium/1_ojkr2ijn

Bethany Fitch

On Earth Day, April 22nd my research team and I produced a virtual Zoom performance that told the stories of flooding caused by Tropical Storm Agnes in this area in 1972. It showcases a deeply momentous time for the River Valley. The stories and memories are very important to this community and many people take much joy (as well as pain) in sharing their experiences. This project has been in the making since the beginning of my freshman year when I chose this project as my Presidential Fellowship and I was so thrilled to see it come to fruition. With over 200 zoom attendees, we put together a performance based on real people’s stories from interviews conducted by me and my team. Gerard Stropnicky, our storyteller in residence was the mastermind who helped us put monologues, puppet theatre, music, pictures, and dance together into a piece that struck the hearts of the viewers. It was so special to be a part of the cast composed of creators like myself, Lewisburg residents, and flood survivors to create such a special night of community bonding. As we all know very well, the best way to make change is through art! Stay tuned for future performances (hopefully live) next year!

The zoom link is below if you’d like to watch any piece of the performance! The show starts around the 10 minute mark:

https://mediaspace.bucknell.edu/media/1_4qyg6mw8

Millo Lazarczyk

I presented research surrounding finding strategic solutions to food waste in both the Kalman and Sustainability Symposium. Our problem statement was: The US wastes nearly 40% of our food, creating 125-160 billion pounds of waste annually, leading to high emission rates, resource depletion, and food insecurity. Our research question was: What are the most effective waste mitigation and management strategies in the restaurant industry that could be utilized to produce a more sustainable environment? My partner Simon and I administered a survey on campus to classmates to investigate habits, behaviors, knowledge, and potential solutions around food waste. The survey yielded significant differences in how much of a meal was thrown out between fast food restaurants, full service restaurants, and buffets. While 25% of respondents throw out 11% or more of their meal at fast food restaurants, the amount of respondents throwing out 11% or more of their meal swells to 37% at full service restaurants. Asked why they throw this food out the most common responses included: Too large portions, ordering too much, inconsistent appetite, and leftovers brought home being thrown out. We deduce the differences are due to one size fits all plates, which are typically over the recommended calorie count. While a variation of small, medium and large sizes are often offered at fast food restaurants, no such options exist at full service restaurants. Males said the portion size of their meal correlated to their appetite 69% of the time but females said the correlation only occurred 57% of the time. Presented with various food waste mitigation strategies respondents were most in favor of the idea of customized menus with multiple portion options. 92% of respondents said they were at least somewhat likely to purchase a smaller portion for less cost. Meanwhile, 55% of respondents are somewhat likely to order smaller food portions for the identical price of the larger meal. Therefore in order to reduce food waste we proposed implementing multiple portion options at restaurants. I you’d like to see the presentation look under Saturday, Session 2, 12-1 at this link: https://sustainabilitysymposium.scholar.bucknell.edu/saturday-schedule/ 

Brooke Echnat and Catherine MacKay

The Theatre and Dance Department periodically awards the honor of an Individual Production Project (319) to seniors who have demonstrated advanced work and a deep commitment to an area of theatre production. This project allows students to assume a leadership role for a mainstage production under the supervision of a faculty advisor. Brooke Echnat and Catherine MacKay were awarded Individual Production Projects to serve as the Director and Dramaturg for  Bliss (or Emily Post is Dead) by Jami Brandli.

Bliss follows the Ancient Greek characters Medea, Clytemnestra, Antigone, and Cassandra, now pill-popping housewives, in 1960s NJ. Cassandra, a black woman, is gifted with the art of prophecy but cursed by Apollo that no one will believe her visions. She seeks to prove these women can have control over their lives in this modern era. Can we reclaim our “fates” or are our fates predetermined by societal structures set in place?

As Director, Brooke engaged in various mediums and methodologies as she navigated directing in a pandemic. She utilized both virtual and in-person rehearsal processes. Along with the efforts of her cast, crew, and collaborators, she was able to create a piece of theatre at a time when many theaters in our country are still shut down.

As the Dramaturg, Catherine researched many topics related to the play such as Greek Mythology and Emily Post’s Etiquette to help the production team and actors better understand the world of the play. Catherine’s research provided foundational material that informed the creative decisions of the play.

Mackenzie Gross

This picture is Mackenzie immediately after passing her Honors Thesis Defense, which over 100 individuals attended. (That’s a lot for a defense). “I’m beyond grateful for the support of the Theatre community, not only for showing up and making me feel so deeply valued and loved, but for being my home the last four years.” 

Twelve Angry Men: A Twenty-First Century Reflection of Race, Art and Incarceration is a Comparative Humanities Honors Thesis concentrating on Africana Studies, Theatre, Sociology and Legal Studies, demonstrating the importance of investing in incarcerated communities through education and theatre. The case study used for my research was the production of Twelve Angry Men I directed at SCI Coal Township Prison. The play connected inmates and Bucknell students through the Sociology Inside/Out class, which I taught alongside the production in the Fall of 2019. 

https://bucknell.zoom.us/rec/share/Vr0GdArwP2MeeXvOOhhmxhFfRueYX5w-zWKpm4U1Qc9IKkytZjZM-Q4O1mXjRV34.tCWkcLwb4dZAQYNm

[kacydeneen]

Can Philly DA's Radical Approach Protect the City?

Constance Wilson is angry. She’s angry that her grandson is no longer with her. She’s angry that his accused killers still haven’t been convicted. And she’s angry at Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner for the role that she believes he played in delaying justice for her family.

“I don’t trust him,” she said. “He put the same people back on the street.”

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Her grandson, Philadelphia Police Sgt. Robert Wilson III, visited a North Philadelphia GameStop on March 5, 2015 to buy a video game for his son. Two gunmen entered the store and announced a holdup. Wilson tried to thwart the robbery and died after a shootout with the suspects.

More than three years after Wilson’s death, Constance Wilson is still waiting for the men accused of killing him to go to trial. Both Carlton Hipps and Ramone Williams are charged with murder, conspiracy, robbery and a long list of related charges.

Last month, the accused men's defense team asked a Philadelphia judge for additional time to prepare their case. Prosecutors did not oppose the request and a new pretrial hearing was set for June with a two-week jury trial expected to start in November.

The delay outraged Wilson’s family.

"They need to take [Krasner] by the seat of his pants and take him out of the city," Constance Wilson said.

"What good is he doing?"

That question triggers dramatically different answers depending on who you ask. And it’s a question that Krasner answered himself during an interview with NBC10 as he reflected on his first 100 days in office.

During his campaign for district attorney, Krasner promised to change the system by reducing mass incarceration, to fight corruption by bringing transparency to his office and to battle injustice by ending cash bail for low-level offenders.

But several families of victims question whether Krasner's crusade interferes with his duties as the city's chief prosecutor, the top official in charge of punishing crime.

Krasner argues that his continued commitment to social reform is, in fact, the most effective way to fight crime.

"We have to be willing to be smart, not just political, when it comes to crime,” he said.   Being smart, according to the district attorney, includes investing money into education and drug and mental health treatment rather than placing people in jail for non-violent offenses.     “The 16-year-old who is still in school is not the one who is most likely to go pick up a gun and go kill somebody,” he said.

Upholding the law while working toward social reform has been a central theme throughout Krasner's career. The walls of his office, on the 18th floor of The Widener Building in Center City, mostly remain undecorated except for large black and white photographs of Martin Luther King Jr.

When asked if the artwork was recently displayed for the commemoration of King's death, Krasner's spokesman, Ben Waxman, answered simply: "They're always there."

Born in 1961 in St. Louis, Missouri, to a World War II veteran father and a Christian minister mother, Krasner attended public school in Philadelphia. He received his Bachelor of the Arts from the University of Chicago and then attended Stanford Law School, where he focused on indigenous rights, homelessness and poverty. After graduating in 1987, he returned to Philadelphia and became a public defender.

In 1993, Krasner opened his own law practice in Center City that specialized in criminal defense and civil rights. He sued the Philadelphia Police Department more than 75 times on corruption and physical abuse charges. His reputation as a social justice activist was one reason for Krasner's 75 percent margin of victory in last year’s closely watched district attorney race.

Krasner vowed to bring sweeping reforms and transparency to an office plagued by the scandal surrounding former District Attorney Seth Williams, who was convicted on corruption charges and sentenced to prison time.

He wasted no time reshaping the 600-person strong office. More than 30 staff members were either fired or resigned within three days of Krasner's tenure.

He also implemented new policies, including ending cash bail for low-level offenders, requiring prosecutors to reveal the cost of incarceration before sentencing and dropping criminal charges on 50 marijuana possession cases. Those policies, he said, were part of a larger goal to end mass incarceration.

In March, a leaked memo showed Krasner instructing prosecutors to stop charging for "any amount" of marijuana possession and some cases of prostitution.

Krasner's policies drew national headlines and praise from left-leaning progressives — as well as criticism from hard-liners who labeled him an enabler of criminals.

But speaking to NBC10, Krasner emphatically rejected the notion that he was soft on crime.

“Come on now — the criticism you’re repeating is coming from people whose administration had a higher rate of violent crime last year than we have right now,” he said.

Despite his reputation as an impassioned reformer, Krasner is calm and composed in person, already comfortable in the media spotlight having drawn the attention of prominent leaders throughout the country.

At the mention of Gerard Grandzol, however, he choked back tears.

The 38-year-old community activist was shot and killed in front of his 2-year-old daughter in September. Krasner described Grandzol’s "horrifying" murder as an "absolutely crushing tragedy."

The accused shooter was 16 years old at the time of Grandzol’s death. In March, the suspect’s defense attorney requested that he be tried in juvenile court.

Grandzol’s widow and family supporters pleaded for Krasner to prevent that from happening. 

“I understand how she feels,” Krasner said. “But, no decision has been made in that case.”

Two days after his interview with NBC10, Krasner filed a motion calling for the teen murder suspect to be tried as an adult. He will not face the death penalty, however.

"The United States Supreme Court has said that the death penalty is not an option for juveniles," Krasner said. "Neither is a life sentence."

During his campaign, Krasner pledged he would never seek capital punishment, calling the death penalty "expensive, ineffective and racially biased." It's this kind of rhetoric that angers Sgt. Wilson’s family.   

Yet despite his personal opposition to the death penalty, Krasner reassured the Wilsons that the case would remain a capital one. It is currently under review by a committee that will determine the most appropriate sentence to seek. That committee will send Krasner their recommendation and he will make a decision, though it won’t be a political one, Krasner said.

"I have a duty here that I will complete," he said. "But there’s nothing inconsistent about pursuing your duty and having a personal opinion that the death penalty is a bad thing."

Krasner is part of a current wave of elected officials nationwide who are rethinking the ways their offices pursue justice. At the beginning of 2017, New Jersey essentially ended cash bail, a move that Krasner implemented here in February. He argued that requiring people to post bail for minor crimes — like driving under the influence and retail theft — unfairly targets those who can’t afford to pay to keep themselves out of jail.

John Hollway, the executive director of Penn Law's Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice, said Krasner is embracing a “21st-century role of prosecutors as crime reducers.”

In the 1980s and 1990s, the prevailing trend for law enforcement was based on the so-called "broken windows theory" developed by two criminologists. The theory is that stemming the rise of minor crimes, from subway turnstile jumping to burglary, could lead to suppression of more violent crime.

The approach evolved following decades of police departments, including Philadelphia’s under police commissioner and Mayor Frank Rizzo, aggressively hunting criminals and pursuing tough prison sentences.  

Now, however, the theory has been criticized, and lawmakers such as Krasner are taking a more holistic approach by focusing on the big picture before sending offenders to jail.

Some people, the thinking goes, could be better served through social services than prison time.

"If you’re going to send somebody away for two years, it should be worth it," Krasner said. "If you’re going to send them away for 50 years ... it should be worth it."

This can seem counterintuitive to victims of crime who want to see harsher forms of justice.

“It’s a very natural, emotional reaction to want to punish people for committing crimes,” Hollway said. “Sometimes an eye for an eye seems just. The question is whether incarcerating somebody will reduce crime.”

Krasner doesn’t necessarily believe so, which is why he is now requiring prosecutors to reveal the cost of sending an offender to prison during sentencing. The policy, Krasner argued, actually supports victims because it reveals "the social cost" of a crime and helps focus resources on violent offenses.

It's too soon to tell whether his reforms will change Philadelphia's criminal justice system.

From July 2015 to December 2017, Philadelphia’s jail population decreased 25 percent, according to the city’s Office of Criminal Justice. Officials attribute that success to policies rolled out after Philadelphia received a $3.5 million grant from the MacArthur Foundation in 2016. The money went towards decreasing reliance on cash bail, implementing police diversion programs and providing early bail review for pretrial defendants, among other initiatives.  

Since Krasner took office, the jail population fell 9 percent. It is currently hovering around 5,500, according to the city's Office of Criminal Justice.

"This could be attributable to a number of factors, including new policies and initiatives across the city’s criminal justice system," Julie Wertheimer, from the Office of Criminal Justice, said.

Like the prison population, Philadelphia’s homicide rate is down from this time last year. Philadelphia Police Capt. Sekou Kinebrew, the department's spokesman, credits many things “working in tandem,” such as building a better relationship between communities and law enforcement. That relationship extends to the district attorney’s office. Kinebrew told NBC10 he speaks with Krasner’s staff at least once a week. 

Yet one of Krasner’s harshest critics is Fraternal Order of Police President John McNesby, who labeled the district attorney as "anti-police."

After Krasner spoke to cadets about the use of unnecessary force, McNesby accused him of endangering the lives of officers through his “ridiculous and dangerous presentation.” The statement was refuted by Krasner’s spokesman in a series of tweets.

McNesby did not respond to multiple interview requests for this story.

During his interview with NBC10, Krasner denied being at odds with law enforcement, saying he has an "excellent relationship" with Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross. He also cited his efforts to keep more officers on the street.

Kinebrew confirmed that Ross and Krasner have met, and that the two offices continue to work closely together.

Yet the anti-police accusations leveled against Krasner have been bolstered by the recent criticisms from Sgt. Wilson’s family. Not only did they accuse him of slowing down the murder case, they also questioned his previous relationship with Michael Coard, a defense attorney for one of the suspects and a member of Krasner’s transition team.

The district attorney’s spokesperson said that Coard and Krasner have not spoken about the case since he took office.

“Let’s understand, [the case is] three years old,” Krasner said. “The prior administration had all those other years and they did not succeed at getting it to trial despite all the chest-beating.”

Krasner added that his office will be careful to not go to trial unprepared, which could lead to a case being overturned. He also insisted that he met with Wilson’s family members personally to speak with them.

Ultimately, Krasner believes the impact of his social reform will lead to justice for Wilson, Grandzol and other victims of violent crime.

“We have to do things that actually work," the district attorney said, "not just talk tough.”

Krasner’s activist approach to crime reduction is ambitious. It’s long-term effectiveness remains to be seen, however, and will not only define his legacy, but also Philadelphia’s future.

“What he’s trying to do is really exciting and really difficult,” John Hollway from the Quattrone Center said. “He’s trying to improve and modify the culture. Not just the district attorney’s office but the entire criminal justice system. To the law enforcement side, he has to show that he can protect.”

Photo Credit: AP Photo/Matt Rourke This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser. Can Philly DA's Radical Approach Protect the City? published first on Miami News