AMBUSH! Arts & Culture
“If you ask me what I came to do in this world, I, an artist, will answer you: I am here to live out loud.”
― Émile Zola
― Émile Zola
August Movie Reviewsby Associate Editor: Derek Curley 19' Crazy Rich Asians and The Meg are two big movies for the month of August. The two movies overall were exceptional and got even better with snacks and a couple of friends. The rest of the article will have many SPOILERS regarding both movies.
Crazy Rich Asians is a drama, romance, and comedy movie. The movie was released this month, August 15. Since the release, the movie has made over 50 million dollars at the box office . The movie is about a couple, Rachel Chu and Nick Young, who went to Singapore for a wedding. Rachel then, finds out about Nick comes from an extremely wealthy family. After finding out, Rachel does not let the money change anything regarding her feelings or intentions with Nick. A conflict then arrives when Nick's family is not as accepting as the couple hoped. Crazy Rich Asians will have you feeling either angry, sympathetic or just laughing throughout the movie. Crazy Rich Asians would be a great movie for those who like romances but also love a good laugh. The Meg is a thriller fantasy film. This movie was released on August 10th of this year. The title is shortened from the original word, Megalodon. Megalodon was believed to be extinct as it was the largest prehistoric ocean predator. Warner Bros. Entertainment brings the enormous shark to life. In the movie, a group of scientist go into the depths of the ocean to make observations and do more research. While on their journey, something had attacked them, which caused them to evacuate and resurface. Years later, another expedition was done and the same events took place again. Instead of resurfacing, the group was stuck at the bottom of the ocean; they were injured and losing oxygen. The team was rescued but the prehistoric shark was exposed to the world, leading to numerous deaths and injuries. The Meg is a captivating movie for those who love jumpscares because there is quite a few throughout the movie.
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Sage Addington Is Amazing: Op-EdSage Addington is one talented person that deserves recognition for her many artistic and academic achievements. From her amazing art, to her beautiful poems here are just a few reasons that Sage Addington is one talented person. My sister is pretty cool yet a total nerd. She’s always doing school. Always. She graduated on the 11th and is still coming to school for art projects. It’s like, get out of here already. Sage was in drama club for three years and acted in/painted/designed 4 sets. For two years my sister was the Arts & Culture Editor and Webmaster for Ambush! News. For the paper she designed two different Ambush! Shirts and printed them. Sage also came out with two editions of her art and literature magazine Ambush! Art; she made them herself. Sage designed one logo for her AP Language & Composition class in 2017 and two versions of the shirt were made. Sage was the Junior Class President and did stuff like organizing prom and the street painting during spirit week. My sister got into the ART 123 Gallery downtown in October for three tiny paintings (2.5 in x 2.5 in). This year Sage had an independent study with Ms. Sweetwyne where she completed two series..es. She made a bunch of sculptures, drawings, and prints. In March my sister got accepted into Cooper Union where Thomas Edison and Eva Hesse went. Although Sage will be going out of state for school gallup will remember Sage as one of Gallup’s greatest and brightest. Rocco 2020 Interpreting “This is America”You may have seen or heard of a song or watched the video going around on social media platforms like Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. The song “This is America” sends a strong message to anyone watching it. The song is by Childish Gambino, an American rapper. Many people have interpreted the video in their own sense to what it means to them. The video has many details and clues that express problems about gun violence, African American culture, and violent events in the United States.
There are many points that this video is trying to be put out. Gun violence in the United States has been a major problem and is being shown in the video. In today's world, there have been many school shootings, church shootings, public event shootings and many more. This video from Childish Gambino shows many different things wrong in America today. He expresses many things, and includes many details in his video. He also shows juxtaposition between African American people and culture A first detail is shown in the opening of the video when he, Childish Gambino, is playing Jim Crow. Jim Crow, or Jim Crow Laws, was a name that typically represented repressive laws and customs that restricted African American rights in the United States. A second detail that is noticed is stating that America may love guns more than its African American people. In the video, guns are used twice and in both times the guns are treated carefully while no respect is given or shown to the victims that were shot at. There is a scene that shows people dancing while in the background, there is an uproar of tumult and crime. In the scene, Gambino is represented as America, dancing and distracting people from the violence and real life issues. Another detail that is expressed is a contiguous problem between African American people and their culture that is shown with the dancing and violence. Kathleen Newman-Bremang, a writer and producer says, “To me, this is a commentary on the way White America consumes black art while turning a blind eye to the injustices upheld by the white supremacy”. In the middle of the video, there is also a hooded person riding a white horse which symbolizes the apocalypse. A choir group in the video is shown as being shot with a machine gun which could symbolize the different church shootings. Also, in the video from 2:44 to 3:01, the music and camera motion stop. The silence of the 17 seconds represents the shooting at Marjory Stoneman High School where 17 people were killed. In a line from Gambinos’ song, he says “this is a celly, that’s a tool”. In a scene from the video, there are kids on their cell phones alluding to the use of phones to live stream, record and photograph police shootings and brutality which reveals and documents the truth. The line quote could also remark to a jail cell, which is a tool used to unjustly keep people incarcerated. In the video, Gambino also starts to smoke which could represent the drugs in America. There is also a group of empty and old aged vehicles which alludes to the lack of improvement America. During the last few seconds of the video, Gambino and others are either running away or getting chased. Is he running away from police brutality? Is he running away from shooters? Is he running away from the violence and chaos that is America? What is your interpretation of the video? http://smarturl.it/TcIgA -Derek Curley ‘18 References https://mobile.nytimes.com/2018/05/08/arts/music/childish-gambino-this-is-america-roundup.html http//www.thisisinsider.com/this-is-america-music-video-meaning-references-childish-gambino-donald-glover-2018-5 An Announcement Following The Next School YearHey Ambush! Readers,
My name is Derek Curley and I am an incoming senior at Gallup High. I have been a part of the Ambush team for about a year. I started working as a reporter and got the position of Associate Editor for the social media section. I am changing sections and becoming Associate Editor for the Arts and Culture section. I will be contributing and doing many things in my new section. You can look forward to things such as weekly interviews and stories on unfamiliar works of art throughout the world. I hope you'll follow along with me and the Ambush! Team into the next school year. -Derek Curley ‘18 Arts and Culture Associate Editor Movie Review: Avengers Infinity Warby Rocco Addington '20
Avengers Infinity War is arguably the best installment in the Marvel’s Avengers franchise. This movie takes place right after the ending of Marvel's movie Thor Ragnarok. Through the movie you will witness the harrowing journey of the now split up Avengers and other superheroes like those in Guardians of the Galaxy and Dr. Strange. Watch as they team up to fight the mad Titan Thanos and prevent him from completing his powerful weapon: the Infinity Gauntlet. Avengers Infinity War was not a let down by any means necessary. The movie delivers a fun yet serious movie that is sure to keep long time fans and newcomers jumping in their seats and wanting more after the credits roll. This movie was definitely a well deserved breath of fresh air for the somewhat repetitive superhero movie genre. If you haven’t watched any of Marvels previous movies I'm sorry to say that you'll be somewhat lost; there is a ton of characters ranging across all of Marvels 19 movies. That is not to say that you won't enjoy yourself, and as long as you're not totally oblivious to context clues you should have no problem finding out just what is going on If you're like me, you would have been worried that the movie would be too funny and differ from the serious source material. Unlike Thor Ragnarok the humor was well integrated into the story; no joke feels out of place or fell flat. The movie knows the perfect time to be serious and the perfect time when not to. Throughout the movie I went from hysterical laughing, to being shocked, to straight sad. Avengers Infinity war is packed with comic book references and easter eggs. Being a comic fan, I really appreciate all the nods to comics from Bruce Banner crashing into Dr. Strange's sanctum sanctorum, to Iron Man's new Armor. I'm sure every comic fan will be searching to find every little clue they can get for the next Avengers movie. Avengers Infinity War overall was a rollercoaster of emotion. The movie will have you laughing hysterically, then crying uncontrollably. This movie was so shocking it took me a week after I saw the movie to get ready to write this review. Avengers will have comic book fans jumping out of their seats when they see an iconic moment adapted to the big screen. Infinity War was a new light in an otherwise stale genre of movies. Personally after watching this movie I'm so excited for the future of the MCU and I definitely cannot wait for the next Avengers movie to come out. Op-Ed: A Reflection of Set Design in Drama Clubby Sage Addington '18
Breaking News! (2017)I did not design the sets for Breaking News! (2017), however, much like Steel Magnolias, Bengal Drama had little to no budget. On less than $100 the set designers---being former club director Ms. Edelson and the cast of the play---had to get very creative. The stage crew really pulled the show together using cardboard and acrylic paint as removable sets. The production Breaking News! was a sort of a fundraiser for the club. The set included a black background wall with metal rectangles as televisions where the news team would speak, and a white wall with a red Channel 8 logo. Despite the odds, Drama Club sincerely tried with the few supplies and managed to make a not-so-shabby set.
Many new faces have just joined the drama club and unfortunately I don’t have the last names or remember every backstage member that has helped through the years, but I would like to thank members of my class that have held consistent stage crew positions. Edin Lewis (‘18) and Nicole Pablo (‘18) have worked lights and sound for every show. Every show Brandon Stubbs (‘18) puts up the stage wall, customizes the lights, strikes sets, and works lights and sound. The stage wall can be painted, but without the rest of the backstage crew, the wall couldn’t be raised or seen in the dark. Gallup Gay Straight Allianceby Sage Addington '18 On April 11, 2018, the Gallup Gay Straight Alliance had their first unofficial meeting in the library. A group of nine met including math teacher Ms. Merrill. Ms. Merrill explained she has always wanted to start a GSA at Gallup High because schools such as Miyamura High and John F. Kennedy Middle School have some sort of Gay Straight Alliance. The math teacher was excited to see so many kids interested in joining the club, however the students face a problem… Ms. Merrill is not allowed to sponsor the club. Legally, Ms. Merrill sponsors too many activities. For example, Ms. Merrill is in charge of both Mesa, Tennis, and the junior class. Because of this predicament, the Gallup Gay Straight Alliance cannot become official until there is an official club sponsor. Despite that being an issue, the group of kids still meet in the school’s library and have designed a couple of logos to make club shirts. WEEKLY POLLLast Week's Poll Results!Last week we asked Ambush! Readers if they believe AIs are on Instagram and 25% responded with yes, 25% said they were scared, and 50% said no.
Artificial Intelligence Beefing on Instagram?by Sage Addington '18
On Miquela’s account Bermuda proudly announced herself as a creation of Cain intelligence. I looked into the company and found that the only information on the internet about Cain Intelligence is information provided on cainintelligence.com and social media accounts they created. Cain Intelligence has Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Their Facebook leads to a content not available page, their Instagram has no posts, and their Twitter has two tweets that seem unprofessional for a serious company. The first tweet says, “Just setting up my Twitter. #myfirstTweet” and the second is a link to a forum talking about artificial intelligence. The forum leads to a link giving advice on creating intelligent technology. According to the Cain Intelligence website, they have been “at the forefront of Artificial Intelligence” for nearly two decades (Since 2002). Their work has supposedly revolutionized the workplace and battlefield, their technology suppressing “social rebellions” and increasing economic output for world leaders “from Saudi Arabia to Sudan.” Supposedly they make it easy for humans to connect with technology in a “natural and intelligent way” without the need for “specialist linguistic skills.” Cain Intelligence supposedly works with multiple Fortune 500 companies. http://cainintelligence.com/ Bermuda is said to be an AI and reflects the values of Cain Intelligence; the company proudly supports Donald Trump. Compared to Miquela, Bermuda’s physical appearance looks much more digital. Their is also no information about Daniel Cain, the company’s founder, anywhere on the internet except for the Cain Intelligence website. Who ever this Cain fellow is, his website claims he is from Bakersfield, CA, and has dedicated his life to exploring “alternative forms of consciousness, seeking to advance society via intelligent computers capable of superhuman compassion and reason.” There is more information about Brud than there is Cain Intelligence in that more things pop up when you research them. Brud has a LinkedIn page where eleven employees are listed as well as a PitchBook page. Despite having more links, just about the same amount of information is known as Cain Intelligence. Brud released a statement on their Instagram @brud.fyi A note from the team at Brud: On April 26th Miquela made an Instagram post saying she’s “no longer working with” her managers at Brud. The lack of information suggests this could be a hoax. If this is a prank, it is an elaborate one. If not, this is both shady and interesting to watch unfold. http://brud.fyi/public-statement.html www.instagram.com/brud.fyi www.instagram.com/bermudaisbae www.instagram.com/lilmiquela www.cainintelligence.com http://brud.fyi/ http://web.mit.edu/tslvr/www/lessons_two_years.html https://www.linkedin.com/search/results/people/?facetCurrentCompany=%5B%2218075424%22%5D https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/180867-79 Kendrick Lamar and the Pulitzer Prizeby Sage Addington '18 Kendrick Lamar made history earlier this month on the 16th when he won the Pulitzer Prize for music. His album DAMN was the first non-jazz and non-classical Pulitzer selection. The Pulitzer board called his music, “a virtuosic song collection unified by its vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism that offers affecting vignettes capturing the complexity of modern African American life.” That is basically a fancy way of saying Lamar skillfully put together slang, dialect spoken by the common man, to paint a picture of a particular account. In an interview with Rolling Stone in August, Lamar told the interviewer, in regards to DAMN, “It’s all pieces of me. My musicality has been driving me since I was four years old. It’s just pieces of me, man, and how I execute it is the ultimate challenge.” My mom may look like a soccer mom with her bob haircut, glasses, and sweaters, but she is always bumping Kendrick Lamar. I asked her what her opinion was on Lamar winning the Pulitzer Prize and she told me she, “100% agreed” with what the Pulitzer board had to say. She added, “It’s just life and he captures that beautifully. They call it ‘vignette’ or something and it means to paint a picture. He does that! I love how he describes things, it’s just so… You can feel like you’re there. And when you’re not paying attention there’s, like, these noises you typically wouldn’t hear. Like it feels like you’re walking down the street, listening to your headphones, and just living life.” https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/kendrick-lamar-wins-pulitzer-prize-for-music-w519219 WEEKLY POLLLast Week's Poll Results!Last week we asked Ambush! Poll takers if they were interested in joining the Gallup GSA and 100% of poll takers said yes.
Ambush! ART 2018Documentary: Behind Closet Doorsby Sage Addington '18 WEEKLY POLLInterview with Ernie Tsosieby Sage Addington '18 Wednesday students were on assembly schedule and there was chit chat of a drug seminar. Ernie Tsosie, a Navajo comedian famous for James & Ernie, gave a presentation in the Kenneth Holloway Performing Arts Auditorium on April 4th. The presentation opened with jokes and was ultimately about substance abuse from alcohol and cigarettes to energy drinks. As a student I realized students quieted down a lot faster than we normally do for assemblies, and we tried our best to quietly hang on to the end when the final bell was about to ring. I was able to speak with Ernie Tsosie an hour after school, after he had finished taking selfies and writing autographs for nearly 50 kids.
When I was finally able to speak to Tsosie, we sat in the orchestra pit of the auditorium. In his presentation he said he is a Gallup High alumni so my first question was asking what year he graduated from Gallup High. I was told Ernie is from the class of 1985. I inquired on whether or not he chose to come to GHS to present, but the question was misunderstood; it was understood as whether or not he chose to attend as a student. “I was sent by my mom,” Tsosie said. He called himself “troubled teen” living in Window Rock and said his mom wanted to get him out of a bad environment, so she sent him to Gallup. As far as whether or not Ernie chose to present at Gallup high, the answer is sorta. I was told he chose Gallup High because he is from the area, but ultimately Gallup High was part of a school tour scheduled by the Oso Vista Ranch Project. According to the Osa Vista Ranch Project website, the goal of the non-profit organization is to provide commercial tobacco prevention, youth leadership, and entrepreneurship programs for New Mexican Native American communities. Five other schools including Gallup High were booked along with 20 other dates. Tsosie also presented at Rehoboth Christian School in early April. When asked if he thought comedy was an efficient tool for discussing serious topics and educating youth, Tsosie commented, “Yes. It’s not… It’s not the best way, but it’s a good way. It’s a good ice breaker, it gets people comfortable.” Tsosie referenced making students laugh at the beginning of his presentation before getting a little more serious later on. My final question asked Tsosie if he believed it’s important to talk to children about issues such as substance abuse and he said, “Yes, I’m a big believer.” He told me he has a 12 year old and a 6 year old, and all you can do is start young and make them aware so that, “Hopefully they’ll have a better chance of avoiding it” on their own. https://osovistaranchproject.org/ Zeisty Blood Orange Coco-Cola??by Rocco Addington '20
WEEKLY POLLLast Week's Poll Results!Last week we asked Ambush! Poll takers if they are familiar with Salvador Dali and 100% said yes.
Salvador Dali Put to Rest Againby Sage Addington '18
On March 15, 2018, the Gala-Salvador Dali Foundation said in a short statement, “Last night, the mortal remains of Salvador Dali have been reburied and lie beneath the dome of the Figueres Theatre-Museum. The procedure was the same as it was last July and was once again designed to preserve the master’s privacy and memory.” https://news.artnet.com/art-world/salvador-dali-reburied-1246712-1246712 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/06/woman-salvador-dali-exhumation-not-his-daughter-dna-paternity-test WEEKLY POLLLast Week's Poll Results!Last week we asked Ambush! Readers if they are emo and 50% said "Yesh! x3" and 50% said they used to be.
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Associate EditorDerek Curley '19
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August 2018
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