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Rangila Preview 2015

RangilaPreview2015

For the past two decades, the South Asian Society has hosted Rangila, a massively popular event showcasing a variety of South Asian dances, performed and choreographed exclusively by students.

This year, Georgetown’s 21st Rangila show will take place on Nov. 21 and Nov. 22 in Gaston Hall. Tickets are now sold out for both shows!

The event’s main mission, in addition to allowing students to dance their hearts out, is fundraising for the Pritnam Spiritual Foundation, which provides medical care to people injured in the India-Pakistan conflict.

4E’s staff interviewed choreographers from this year’s Rangila dances to get their thoughts about Rangila “Are You Game?”. Read them below!

Bollywood

1. Can you explain your group’s style of dance and what you enjoy most about it?
Our group’s style of dance focuses on contemporary music, both Indian and non-Indian, and tries to blend athleticism, precision and energy into a cohesive piece that is both entertaining and exciting.

 

2. What’s your group’s spirit animal?
I would say that our spirit animal is the fox because we strive to be intricate and precise on one hand while also being powerful and commanding the stage. Also, foxes are my favorite animal.

 

3. What costumes will your group be wearing for the performance?
Our costumes are probably one of coolest parts of our dance. There are four sets (2 for the girls, 2 for the guys) and they each look very different. Our dance will be an exciting mix of colors, representing the fusion that we are of Indian and American styles and cultures

 

4.  What kind of fundraiser is your group doing to benefit the Pritnam Spiritual Foundation?
We are raising money for the Pritnam Spiritual Foundation in two ways; first, we are all reaching out to friends and family and encouraging them to donate money to the organization’s worthy cause and, second, we are also buying each other flowers during the week leading up to the performance to not only bring a smile to our dancers’ faces, but also to raise money.

 

-Vikram Shah (SFS ’16)

Old School

1. Can you explain your group’s style of dance and what you enjoy most about it?
The style adheres mainly to what you would see in a Bollywood movie’s dance sequences, sprinkled with a special air of nostalgia, because these are older songs. It’s music that we grew up listening to, so it’s nice to relive those years when we were able to pick our noses without reprimand. The whole environment created by these factors helps us enjoy the dance.

 

2. What’s your group’s spirit animal?
The woolly mammoth.

 

3. What’s your favorite song to dance to?
Tera Rang Balle Balle (everyone is in that section, so we enjoy a sense of solidarity with our troops).
4. What costumes will your group be wearing for the performance?
Guys: red vest, black t-shirts and black pants. Girls: skirts, blouses and scarves.

 

-Parth Shah (COL ’16)

Salsa Masala

1. Can you explain your group’s style of dance and what you enjoy most about it?
Rythmic, yet passionate. The Latin fire and Bollywood romance drive us.

 

2. What’s your group’s spirit animal?
Charizard.

 

3. What costumes will your group be wearing for the performance?
Let’s just say velcro is involved.

 

4. What kind of fundraiser is your group doing to benefit the Pritnam Spiritual Foundation?
To this point, more Salsa dancers have bought flowers (the proceeds of which go to PSF) than every other dance combined.

 

-Joe Puthumana (COL ’16)

Folk

1. Can you explain your group’s style of dance and what you enjoy most about it?
Folk is a really unique dance because it’s so open-ended. Our routine is inspired by traditional dances from regions around the South Asian continent and we choose songs that reflected “folksy” sounds from both South Asia and the U.S. One of the most enjoyable aspects of Folk for us as choreographers is that we get to pull on so many different styles of dance to really create this eclectic routine that mixes all our favorite parts of different dance forms together.

 

2. What’s your group’s spirit animal?
Hmm, a spirit animal that captures how diverse both our dance and our dancers are is kinda hard! We’d have to go with a chameleon though, since we get to change our style as much as a chameleon can change its color.

 

3. What costumes will your group be wearing for the performance?
The girls are wearing lehengas, which are long skirts and short blouses. They will also have a scarf that goes across the front and over their heads. The boys are wearing very loose-fitting pants, short tunics and scarves around their necks.

 

4. What kind of fundraiser is your group doing to benefit the Pritnam Spiritual Foundation?
We are all participating in the Rangila-wide fundraisers of flower sales, tshirts, tickets and asking family and friends to donate to Pritam Spiritual Foundation. I know we are all incredibly dedicated to Rangila as dancers and choreographers, but what makes this event so special for us is that we know that in the long-run, our hard work doesn’t just pay off on Gaston’s stage; it pays off when innocent people who are caught in the Kashmir & Jammu conflict get a second chance.

 

-Piyusha Mittal (SFS ’18), Monika Bapna (COL ’17) and Mackenzie Trumbull (COL ’16)

Desi Beat

1. Can you explain your group’s style of dance and what you enjoy most about it?
Desi Beat is a hip-hop Bollywood fusion dance that combines popular hip-hop moves with Bollywood-inspired Indian moves. It’s got a little bit of everything, from slow sexy songs to fast-paced Bollywood.

 

2. What’s your group’s spirit animal?
Our group’s spirit animal is a tiger, because we’re fierce and flawless.

 

3. What’s your favorite song to dance to?
Our favorite song to dance to… that’s a hard one. My personal favorites are Imaginary by Imran Khan and our finale!

 

4. What kind of fundraiser is your group doing to benefit the Pritnam Spiritual Foundation?
We’ve been sending flowers to one another and participating in the #ShakeYourSAS challenge. Nesh, Lucy and I also got cupcakes smashed into our faces by our dancers to help raise some more money.

 

-Sama Rao (COL ’18)

Senior Independent

1. Can you explain your group’s style of dance and what you enjoy most about it?

Senior Indep is a very unique dance as it’s a collaboration among Seniors who have either choreographed a Rangila section in the past or been a member of the South Asian Society board. The goal of the section is to incorporate all the different styles of dances that are displayed in the other sections of the show. This includes Hip Hop, Garba, Raas, Classical and, of course, Bhangra.

Since this dance is made up of choreographers who have substantial dancing and teaching experience, we are really able to incorporate some pretty unique and high level moves. Furthermore, it acts as a great way to bond with our fellow Seniors for what is our last time performing in Rangila!

 

2. What’s your group’s spirit animal?
An owl since our practices start extremely late.

 

3. What’s your favorite song to dance to?
We will be featuring Hotline Bling in our dance sung by the infamous Canadian Superstar, Aubrey Graham.

 

-Aakash Bhatia (MSB ’16)

Invocation

1. Can you explain your group’s style of dance and what you enjoy most about it?
We’re dancing in the classical South Indian style called Bharatanatyam. It’s a really beautiful art form that allows you to tell cultural stories through dancing.

 

2. What’s your group’s spirit animal?
Nataraj.

 

3. What’s your favorite song to dance to?
Mundian To Bach Ke – Punjabi MC.

 

4. What costumes will your group be wearing for the performance?
Traditional Bharatanatyam outfits with bells on our feet.

 

-Saumya Bollam (COL ’16)

Senior Bhangra

1. Can you explain your group’s style of dance and what you enjoy most about it?
Bhangra, a high-energy dance form that hails from the northern state of Punjab in India, can best be described as “an explosion of happiness.” The moves are simultaneously structured, powerful, full of confidence, graceful and smooth. When all of us dance Bhangra together, we are united in this charismatic way that causes our heart rate to increase and our hearts themselves to swell with joy. It is a special experience to perform this type of dance with over a hundred of your fellow Hoyas on the prestigous Gaston Hall stage and we are excited to showcase the beauty and strength of Bhangra to our family and friends.

 

2. What’s your group’s spirit animal?
A baby golden retriever — fun and full of energy!

 

3. What costumes will your group be wearing for the performance?
We will be wearing traditional Punjabi costumes – they’re all really colorful and each person wears a shirt, vest and either pants or a chaadar.

 

-Madhav Paul (COL ’16), Pallavi Tatapudy (NHS ’16), Sharanya Venkataraman (SFS ’16) and Jaysel Shah (SFS ’16)

Garba

1. Can you explain your group’s style of dance and what you enjoy most about it?
Garba is traditionally danced during the festival of Navarati and originates from the state of Gujarat. It’s an all girls dance during Rangila that is fast-paced, sassy and distinguishable by its concentric circles. We love dancing together more than anything! We all met during Garba last year and had such a great time that we decided to become choreographers too. The friendships are definitely the best part of Rangila.

 

2. What’s your group’s spirit animal?
Elephant.

 

3. What’s your favorite song to dance to?
Single ladies!

 

4. What costumes will your group be wearing for the performance?
Incredible lengths that are intricately embroidered and very colorful. They’re definitely going to pop on Gaston stage!

 

-Sitaara Ali (COL ’17)

Classical Fusion

1. Can you explain your group’s style of dance and what you enjoy most about it?
Classical Fusion this year is a combination of Bharatanatyam, a traditional dance from South India and inspiration from modern dance and Bollywood. We’ve showcased the grace and the beauty of Bharatanatyam fused with powerful, bold and sassy moves. Our dance is a lot of fun, because it’s really high energy but still involves elegant movements.

 

2. What’s your group’s spirit animal?
An octopus! CF involves a lot of complex arm movements.

 

3. What’s your favorite song to dance to?
We think all the songs on our mix are fantastic, but we especially love Bad Blood! We love to get down with our girl Taylor.

 

4. What costumes will your group be wearing for the performance?
Our dancers will be wearing traditional Bharatanatyam costumes and some variations on traditional dance costumes. Our dancers are also going to have really awesome ghungroos or ankle bells to show off their amazing footwork!

 

-Roopa Mulpuri (SFS ’18)

Arab Fusion

1. Can you explain your group’s style of dance and what you enjoy most about it?
Arab Fusion combines Middle Eastern dance styles including traditional Arab dabke, Turkish folk and belly dancing with Bollywood steps and American lyrical and hip hop moves. Think Princess Jasmine meets Deepika Padukone meets Beyonce.

 

2. What’s your group’s spirit animal?
Our spirit animal is most definitely a White Tiger.

 

3. What costumes will your group be wearing for the performance?
We will be wearing bright and colorful harem pants and blouses with coin skirts and matching scarfs!

 

4. What kind of fundraiser is your group doing to benefit the Pritnam Spiritual Foundation?
We are participating in the #shakethatSAS initiative and have challenged President John DeGoia and our very own Jack the Bulldog to either shake their SAS or buy flowers for all 36 of us. All proceeds from flower sales go to the Pritam Spiritual Foundation so we really want to see President DeGoia shake his SAS but would love flowers anyways!

 

-Shreya Barthwal (COL ’17)

Raas

1. Can you explain Raas’s style of dance and what you enjoy most about it?
Raas is a traditional folk dance style that originates from Gujarat, India performed with daandiya, or sticks. It is often done during festivals, and in large groups. We enjoy the high-energy, inclusive aspect of Raas. The dance is usually performed in concentric circles, with many partners so there’s plenty of opportunity to get to know everyone in the room through this form of dance.

 

2.What’s your group’s spirit animal?
Raas is a group dance, and is performed by rotating to the music in circles. Raas’s sprit animal would be a manatee (slow, steady and social).

 

3. What’s your favorite song to dance to?
We have so many!! But our favorite group activity is to….. SHUT UP AND DANCE!!!!

 

4. What costumes will Raas be wearing for the performance?
Girls will wear traditional lenghas, which consist of a skirt, a blouse and a scarf embroidered with mirrors and jewelry. Boys will wear kurtas, or embroidered tunics.

 

-Alexa DeAngelis (COL ’16), Neharika Khandavalli (COL ’16) and Nivedita Jejurikar (SFS ’18)

Bulldog Bhangra

1. Can you explain your group’s style of dance and what you enjoy most about it?
Bhangra is a high energy and fast paced dance from the northern region of Punjab in India. It is so much fun because all the moves are high power and require so much energy to dance to them. It is difficult to learn at first because the moves can be hard, but once you learn, you can Bhangra anywhere to any song. It’s one of those styles of dance that you can apply to any high energy song, and you get a work out dancing as well. Bhangra is always a crowd pleaser because it is a form of dance that everyone enjoys to watch because it looks so amazing and unique on stage.

 

2. What’s your group’s spirit animal?
Our groups spirit animal would have to be a monkey. Monkeys are full of energy, jump around, and are just crazy. Bulldog this year is such a fun-loving group and we have had such a great time this semester with each other just dancing and having fun. Also, who doesn’t love monkeys in India, we are just a lovable group.

 

3. What’s your favorite song to dance to?
Our favorite song to dance to would be Headband. It’s been amazing to dance Bhangra to such a popular party song, and it shows that Bhangra can get down as well. Our favorite part is applying Bhangra moves to non-Punjabi songs and surprising our audience.

 

4. What costumes will your group be wearing for the performance?
We will be wearing traditional Bhangra costumes for Rangila. The boys wear a Chaddar, a type of cloth that you wrap around your legs, and a Kurta for a top which is a long shirt. The girls wear Salwars as pants, and they are flowy and loose and the shirts for girls are callled Kameez that are long as well and are knee length. The girls also wear scarves called chunnis, which is traditional to every Punjabi outfit.

 

-Harneet Kaur (SFS ’17)

 

Thanks to everyone who helped out with the preview. Special thanks to Aakash Bhatia, President of the Georgetown South Asian Society, for helping us with this post.

 

Photos/Gifs: facebook.com

 

Contributing Bloggers: Courtney Klein (SFS ’16), Catherine McNally (NHS ’17), Karl Pielmeier (SFS ’16), Keaton O’Neil (COL ’16), Griffin Greco (COL ’16), Sydney Bolling (COL ’16), Mike Radice (SFS ’18), Marina Smith (COL ’18)
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The 5 Stages of Writing an Essay at the Last Minute

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It’s 9 p.m., you have a 10-page paper due tomorrow and you’re feeling good: you have the whole night (and morning) ahead of you. What could possibly get between you and completing this paper? Sure, you should’ve started it earlier, but you were waaaaaay too busy to even think about it and, besides, there’s no looking back now. All you can do is forge bravely ahead into the vortex of procrastination and self-pity that you are inevitably doomed to enter, with its various stages listed below. See you on the other side.

Stage 1:  Blissful Oblivion

“If I start writing now and don’t stop, I can probably be done by 11:00pm and get, like, 10 hours of sleep,” you tell yourself wishfully with a wholehearted, adorable belief in your own lies. You imagine yourself typing the final sentence of your groundbreaking essay and glancing confidently at the time, impressed with your agility. You’re honestly the best. Now, all you have to do is actually start writing. *Open Microsoft Word document*

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Stage 2: Unavoidable Distraction

Hey, remember that TV show you used to watch in 9th grade and were completely obsessed with? You don’t, until the moment you have to start writing this paper. But, how can you start writing when you don’t even know what those actors are doing with their lives these days? This is critical information. While mindlessly IMDB stalking these strangers and searching for old episodes on YouTube, you might as well check your newsfeed, text a killer one-liner into the group chat and play around with Snapchat filters. While you’re at it, you might as well Facebook stalk that kid who used to sit in front of you in AP Biology. All of a sudden, this information seems totally relevant and interesting. Besides, what’s the difference between starting at 9 p.m. versus starting at 10 p.m.?

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Stage 3: Shameless Self-Indulgence

It’s currently 12:30 a.m. even though you could’ve sworn in was 10 p.m. five minutes ago. How did this happen? It’s seriously time to get to work. But, wait, how can you work when you’re starving? You absolutely need to get food immediately, and then you can definitely churn out an amazing essay in no time. “If I write three paragraphs now, I’ll reward myself with something highly caloric and temporarily fulfilling,” you tell yourself in a blatant act of bribery. You force yourself to write three paragraphs and then treat yourself to the most convenient food item you can find. Normally, you’d be able to finish out this paper now, but you can’t ignore the fact that you’re exhausted. Eventually, you’re able to get your hands on some caffeine, and continue forging ahead.

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Stage 4:  Frantic Desperation

Congrats! You’re five pages in. That’s great except for the fact that you’re only halfway done (sorry). It’s also 2:30 a.m. and suddenly you’re feeling weirdly reflective and philosophical. “What even is an essay?” you ask yourself after rereading your most recent paragraph so many times that half the words don’t look English anymore. At this point, you’re growing increasingly hopeless and start analyzing your life choices. In a brief moment of desperation and lunacy, you wonder what would have to happen to you in order to not be required to turn in this essay tomorrow. You promise to never put yourself in this situation again. You’re great at keeping promises to yourself so this shouldn’t be a problem.

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Stage 5:  Relieved Acceptance 

Realistically, if you just keep writing, you should be finished by 4 a.m. and be able to call it a night morning. This single thread of hope is enough to sustain you, and allows you to complete your sixth, seventh, eighth and, eventually, ninth page. A rush of relief washes over you as you begin the tenth page. You’ve made it to the finish line. Life is beautiful.

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Moral of the story: You should 100% procrastinate as much as possible. See ya at Midnight.

Photos/Gifs: tumblr.com, giphy.com

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How 4E Lost It

how4elostit

You may have seen a video circulating the Internet recently featuring Georgetown students talking about how they lost “it.” Well, 4E was  insulted that we were not invited to collaborate on this video (#rude), so we made our own. Naturally, ours is a little unorthodox. We are the BLOG for godsake, we aren’t ~mainstream~.

What do you think?

Bonus Footage (because it was too amazing to be included in the original):

Photos/Gifs/Video: Youtube.com

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How to Rock an Awkward Moment

200_sWe can all admit we’ve done something awkward on campus. Maybe we’ve pushed on a pull door, tripped on uneven sidewalk on Prospect and did the awkward “recovery stumble” or another embarrassing scenario. At 4E we’re here to help you out in these potentially cringeworthy moments, so have no fear because here’s how to play it off and be cool.

1. Late to Class

Scenario: You arrive at 5:03 p.m. for your 5 p.m. in ICC, and there aren’t any desks left to sit in. You stand awkwardly in the doorway of the room and the whole class stares at you.

4 Steps to “play it off cool”:

  1. Laugh it off. Address the class and say “Sorry everyone, haha.”
  2. Ask the professor if there is another desk (he or she will find you one).
  3. Sit in your seat, take out your notebook/ pen and take notes.
  4. Say at least one comment out loud. It shows you’re engaged — trust us.

2. Music in Lau

Scenario: You are on Lau 3 (quiet room) and your phone plays music aloud. One person coughs disapprovingly, and another gives you the side eye.

3 Steps to handle it:

  1. Turn off Fetty Wap as soon as possible.
  2. Look around the room as if it wasn’t you responsible for that noise.
  3. Continue studying and maybe let out a disapproving cough to be like “Yeah whoever is listening to Fetty right now is just a bad person, jeez.”

3. Trippin’ in Leo’s

Scenario: You trip in Leo’s. Not on shrooms, but on your own feet and a hot person happens to sees it.

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3 Steps to coolness:

  1. Laugh it off for 2 seconds. Not too long or you will look like an insane person.
  2. If you spilled something, pick it up. If it’s a big thing that you can’t pick up yourself then tell a person at Leo’s and use “please,” “sorry” and “thank you” because it really is nice of them to pick it up for you.
  3. Walk back to your table confidently and eat your food like the rockstar you are.

4. Being “too wild” on a Friday night 

Scenario: You had too much Burnett’s fun and made a fool of yourself. You texted your crush “OMG why did I text my crush 15 times in a row just in emojis? What’s up with me?!” 

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4 ways to handle it:

  1. Thank your friends for getting you home with a quick text.
  2. If you think about texting your crush, don’t. The emojis did enough and if he or she likes you then they will text you back (which will probably be the case because usually people have a sense of humor about these things). If they don’t text you then no worries because you’ll find someone just as great or even better.
  3. Realize that the regret you’re feeling is probably from the hangover. Chug water and watch Netflix… and Facebook stalk a random person’s album from 2010 because, for reasons that scientists cannot understand, it is a really fun hangover activity.
  4. Enjoy your Saturday and next time, pace yourself.

Photo: giphy.com; popsugar.com; tumblr.com

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5 Ways to Avoid the Freshman 15

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*Disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist or in any shape besides potato*

We all know the conventional ways of staying in shape. No one needs another article telling them to run, eat salad and deprive their life of all things delicious and good. It can definitely be difficult to work out after a long day or not order onion rings from Epi after a great night. However, these are quick and easy ways to keep in you fit without Yates or lettuce because let’s be honest, is it really worth it?

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  1. Wake up 5 minutes before class: No one likes running. Waking up right before class means that not only will you get to sleep more, but you will also be forced to run or sprint to class. Bonus points if your class is in Carbarn.anigif_enhanced-1884-1407190045-7-1432065006

2. Only go to dinner at Leo’s from 6 p.m.—7 p.m.: During this time you will face all sorts of obstacles including a shortage in chairs, silverware and, if you are really lucky, plates/bowl/cups. Scavenging for basic eating utensils will not only give you another great work out of walking around, but also make it difficult to just eat a simple meal. We all know that keeping weight off is 80% diet and 20% exercise!

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3. Never wake up in time for breakfast: Despite what all the other health articles or what not you have read on always eating breakfast to boost your metabolism, I am urging you to skip breakfast at Leo’s. Leo’s best meal is breakfast, and it will be really hard to resist bacon and pancakes, especially after trying to eat pizza the night before. This is also another great way to get more sleep.

giphy 4. Take a class in ICC: This works kinda in a similar method to tip #1 where if pretty much forces you to stay active. Challenge yourself and never look at a map.

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5. Go to Brown House: Once you walk through the door, I promise you will get sweaty within two minutes or less. Not only will the dancing be a good work out, but the heat and humidity of the house acts like sauna. It’s very cleansing and helps your body release toxins, which you really do need after that Natty and Burnetts.

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But remember, it’s not just a diet, it’s a lifestyle!

Photos/Gifs: giphy.com, tumblr.com, weheartit.com, https://sororityfitnessathens.com/

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Friday Fixat10ns: Middle School Dance Edition

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[8tracks url=”https://8tracks.com/hoya_sounds/friday-fixat10ns-middle-school-dance-edition” ]

Whip out the ugg boots, blue eye shadow and flip phones because this playlist will serve as the ultimate “throwback” to those fantastically awkward middle school days.

  1. “Stronger” – Kanye West. We all wanted those shutter shades featured in the music video, and even the kids who didn’t normally dance were likely to participate in this one.  
  2. “TiK ToK” – Ke$ha. Alas, the rise of Ke$ha, with her money symbol name and her amazingly bizarre lyrics. It’s still a mystery how middle schools allowed a song with words like “before I leave, brush my teeth with a bottle of jack.”
  3. “I Know You Want Me” – Pitbull (Feat. Calle Ocho). While we mock Mr. 305, we can agree that this song was our jam in those middle school days. Deep down we all had a special someone that we wanted to serenade with this tune if that sort of thing were “socially acceptable.”
  4. “Lollipop” – Lil Wayne. This song came on when the “grinding” (or whatever the kids call it these days) was in full force. The chaperones heard the start of this and were probably in alert mode to break up that kind of dancing.
  5. “Poker Face” – Lady Gaga. Everyone knows the tune, the words and the meaning. It was played not just at middle school dances, but at every other event where music was played aloud.
  6. “Live Your Life” – T.I. (Feat. Rihanna). As a middle schooler we all loved this song and all sang along to the chorus and focused on dancing during the TI verses since it was hard to memorize those portions. Good times.
  7. “With You” – Chris Brown. Awww. When Chris Brown wasn’t scary, this song was a perfect for slow dancing or just swaying along to.
  8. “Low” – Flo-Rida. Yes, we all googled “apple bottom jeans” and we all had that “a-ha!” moment after realizing that Flo-Rida is Florida “like the state.”
  9. “Umbrella” – Rihanna (feat. Jay-Z). It went beyond a song but was like a universally known and enjoyed middle school bonding piece that is still enjoyable to listen to.
  10. “When I Grow Up” – The Pussycat Dolls. This was a “belt it out and have no shame” sort of song, and it was a universal misconception (that we all bonded over) that she says “boobies” not “groupies.

Photos/Gifs: hirevue.com

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For Immediate Release: We Were Robbed and We Understand Why

LEAVEY 421— It was with great shock we discovered the abduction of our beloved vacuum, Eureka, today, at the hands of The Georgetown Heckler.

The identity of the culpable group saddens us; this shift in relations between us and our previously earnest admirers is regrettable. Nevertheless, we should have assumed that a souring of our friendship would be inevitable. We have not published a piece on The Heckler in ages; this is obviously symptomatic of a cry for attention.

While we acknowledge the petulance behind this act, we refuse to coddle its perpetrators. Thus, we have taken action. We are holding Heckler staffer and former managing editor Connor Rohan (COL ’16) in a secure, undisclosed location until further notice. As you can see, he is still in good condition, though his mouth is not presumably operational (thank God).

IMG_2738*no Georgetown University Student Association vice presidents were actually harmed.

 

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4E Finals Advice

Finals Advice

This is it, everyone. The last day of study days. Tomorrow begins finals, in which a significant portion of your grade is devoted to what you could cram in anywhere from one to more than one days of furious memorizing and practicing.

For those of you who are struggling, we at 4E decided to compile some brief words of advice for you. Embrace them or don’t – not everyone studies the same way. Good luck!

For the super-night owls:
“If you’re still on Lau 5 when the cleaning crew comes to vacuum at 3 a.m., go home.” -Michaela Murphy

For the people who like to sleep in:
“GET TO LAU EARLY. Seats will fill up and you will have nowhere to wallow in your pain. Claim your territory.” -Courtney Klein

For the people who can’t spend a day in Lau without going crazy:
“Break up your time studying with some fun activities. For example, study all morning, then go ice skating or go on a run to the White House, then study the rest of the night. Everything will morph into nothingness if you live in Lau all day.” -Meg Lizza

“While you do have to get studying done, don’t just lock yourself away in Lau for 2 weeks. Some of my best friends and closest friendships were made (or made better) while struggling through (and studying for) finals.” -Max Wheeler

For the people who are already over finals:
“Grab a coffee, head to Lau 2, and be sure to spend most of the night complaining about finals. Surefire path to success.” -Griffin Greco

For people who get distracted easily:
“Don’t try to study with your friends – only share tables with people in the outer circle of friends who you still feel shy about procrastinating in front of; if you get too close to someone you become shameless and get nothing done.” -Sara Carioscia

“AVOID LAU 2! It is a bottomless pit of desperation and sadness that will bring you (and your final grades) down. Stick to Lau 1 or Lau 4 and send your braver friends to 2 for Midnight Mug runs.” -DJ Angelini

For the, shall we say, “unconventional”:
“If you convince yourself that you already know it, then you don’t have to study.” -Kyle Murphy

“Finals advice? Don’t take them.” -Julia Kieserman

And remember:

“It’ll all be over soon… If you survive.” -Catherine McNally

“Just breathe. And when all your finals are over, TREAT YOURSELF.” -Emily Min

“This will all be over in the near future. Finals do end.” -Emma Holland

Photo: wordpress.com

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Class Taps Across Campus for Final Exam

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The short-lived mystery about the origins of a band of tap dancers roving campus this afternoon has been solved.

The performances across campus were the final exam for students in “Theater and the Catholic Imagination,” a class taught by Fr. RIck Curry, S.J.

“With all the readings and the work they have to do in class, I wanted them to have the opportunity to do a theatrical performance.” Curry said. “[We] certainly don’t have time enough to do a play, so I came up with the idea to have a flash mob. And I’ve always wanted to teach them how to tap dance — this year it finally worked out that way.”

In the past, Curry said, the flash mob has been “modern interpretive” dance.

From 12:30 to 1:45 p.m., the group performed their routine twice in Leo’s (once on each floor), in front of Healy, twice in ICC, in Hoya Court and in the Leavey Center.

“It was fantastic,” Curry said. “People were cheering and yelling; they loved it.”

Participation in the flash mob was mandatory as was performing a monologue in class on the topic “What I Believe In,” which together will comprise the students’ final grades.

“The important thing is that you can find God in all things. That’s a Jesuit principle. What you try to do is show how thing can reflect the goodness of God,” Curry said. “Performance and tap-dancing can do that, too. It brought an amazing amount of joy to the students and to the audience.”

The students spent the beginning part of every class learning the routine, choreographed and taught by Kelly Kimball, head of the on-campus tap dancing group, Tappin’ Jacks.

Curry has been teaching the class, which is listed under Catholic Studies and counts for the theology requirement, for five years.

Kendall Ciesemier (COL ’15) was looking for a “fun and interesting” elective and said an older friend recommended the class to her. But the course’s relatively light workload and non-traditional final exams are undoubtedly appealing to students.

“It’s very much a performance-based class. So a lot of what we did was preparing for different performances. Like reciting a poem or [performing] group soap opera skits,” Ciesemier said.

Ciesemier says that though the class didn’t count towards her theology minor, it was simply “one of those Georgetown classes you had to take.”

Also, enrolled in the class are several high-profile Georgetown athletes, who impressed as they tap-danced their way around campus.

The six-foot-nine senior forward Mikael Hopkins, known for blocking shots and grabbing rebounds on the basketball court, was surprisingly fleet-of-foot as he shuffled and tapped in front of Healy Hall. So, too, were three of the men’s soccer team’s brightest stars: senior midfielder Tyler Rudy, senior goalkeeper Tomas Gomez and junior striker Brandon Allen.

“The athletes were terrific. The soccer team was particularly good. Not their skills so much but their enthusiasm. [Learning to dance] can be a little daunting, but their enthusiasm made it ok for everyone,” Curry said, adding, “Athletes love applause.”

Georgetown offers many classes that take a unique perspective of traditional topics, but “Theater and the Catholic Imagination” is probably the only one that requires a pair of tap shoes.

But for Curry, it’s not the actual tap-dance routine that matters; it’s what it stands for.

“It’s important that people start to express themselves more fully and more genuinely, and you can do that through teaching them how to dance. What they were doing was creating joy for themselves and others.”

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Rangila 2014: A Preview

Rangila Preview

For the past two decades, the South Asian Society has hosted Rangila, a massively popular event showcasing a variety of South Asian dances, performed and choreographed exclusively by students. This year, for Georgetown’s 20th Rangila show, the event is taking place for one night only in the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Naturally, tickets sold out quickly in Red Square last week. The event’s central mission, in addition to allowing students to dance their hearts out, is fundraising for the Pritnam Spiritual Foundation, which provides medical care to people injured in the India-Pakistan conflict.

4E’s staff interviewed choreographers from this year’s Rangila dances to get their thoughts about Rangila XX Rewind. Read them below! (Special thanks to Aakash Bhatia, VP of the Georgetown South Asian Society, for helping us with this post.)

Afrofusion 

Can you explain your group’s style of dance and what you enjoy most about it?

It’s a mix of Caribbean/African dance and Indian dance. It’s high energy and our dancers are really dedicated.

What’s your group’s spirit animal?

TIGER. RAAAAWWWR.

What’s your favorite song to dance to? 

Dhoom!!

-Bhavya Jha (COL ’17)

Bollywood Remix

Can you explain your group’s style of dance and what you enjoy most about it?

Bollywood Remix is a dance that embodies the fun and colorful flavor of Indian cinema! My favorite part of the dance usually ranges from the colors and the costumes to the moves (I’ve been a Bollywood dancer myself for 17 years), but this year is special because my favorite part is definitely my dancers.

What’s your group’s spirit animal?

According to some extensive spirit animal research, I think our dance would be best identified with the bear. Bears are compassionate and loving towards their companions, and Bollywood couples are always sure to find their own Rangilove story through our dance!

What’s your favorite song to dance to?

Throughout the dance overall, there’s been a lot of love (from both sections) for the song “Iski Uski.” It wasn’t originally a song I loved as much as my co-choreographer did, but over time it grew on me and now I can’t imagine our dancers showing off their true filmy skills without it!

-Noreen Sajwani (NHS ’15)

Bulldog Bhangra

Can you explain your group’s style of dance and what you enjoy most about it?

Bhangra is a traditional dance from the Punjab region of India. It’s very high energy and fast-paced which makes it a lot of fun to practice and perform.

What’s your group’s spirit animal?

A bulldog!

What costumes will your group be wearing for the performance?

We’ll be wearing traditional costumes which include chaattar for men and chunnis for women.

-Priya Bhaidaswala (MSB ’17)

Classical Fusion

Can you explain your group’s style of dance and what you enjoy most about it?

Classical Fusion is exactly what the name suggests. It’s a can’t fail combo – traditional and graceful Indian dance which has existed for centuries and has very spiritual origins, mixed with powerful and sassy modern moves. Being able to enjoy the best of both worlds has been really fun for me!

What’s your group’s spirit animal?

Leopard: Ferocious and beautiful and graceful

What kind of fundraiser is your group doing to benefit the Pritnam Spiritual Foundation?

Many of our girls are on this year’s Rangila committee and have been responsible for organizing flower sales, candygrams and a Shophouse fundraiser for the entire Rangila community.

-Mariam Matin (COL ’15)

Desi Beat

Can you explain your group’s style of dance and what you enjoy most about it?

Desi Beat is a hip-hop Indian fusion piece that combines popular hip-hop moves with Bollywood-inspired Indian moves. My favorite part about this dance is that it truly is the best of both worlds. Desi Beat merges popular Eastern and Western culture into one fantastic dance that encapsulates the whole point of this wonderful show: cultural diversity. My favorite styles of dance are hip-hop and Bollywood and I love being able to share these worlds with my fellow Georgetown peers, who are brave and curious enough to be a part of such an experience.

What costumes will your group be wearing for the performance?

Our dancers this year will be sporting stylish harem pants with fresh kicks. The boys will be showing some swag with cool hats and our ladies will be channeling their inner Beyoncé with a Flawless-inspired costume.

What’s your favorite song to dance to?

Personally, my favorite song to dance to anything that requires shaking my booty, but if I had to choose, it’s a tie between “Don’t Tell Em” by Jeremih, “Red Nose” by Sage the Gemini, and “Bole Chudiyan” from the Bollywood movie Khabi Khushi Khabi Gham.

-Sana Imam (COL ’15)

Folk

Can you explain your group’s style of dance and what you enjoy most about it?

This year’s Folk performance will showcase the lively traditions of Rajasthan from the villages of Northern India. Our Folk Stars will bring the vibrant colors, traditional music and unique props of this region to life.
What costumes will your group be wearing for the performance?
To stay within the tradition of past Rangila Folk dances, the boys will be wearing green pants with a blue vest for the top. These same costumes have been used the past few years. Girls will be wearing traditional Indian clothing with headscarves. The big differentiator in Folk is our props as we use a variety of them including staffs, pots and finger scarves. Out of all the dances in the show, Folk uses the most props making it a very unique dance in the show.
What kind of fundraiser is your group doing to benefit the Pritnam Spiritual Foundation?
Our dance was a big participant in the candygram fundraiser the South Asian Society hosted. Several of our members even bought candygrams for all 30 of our dancers. Colin Mack in particular deserves credit for leading this initiative for our dance.
-Aakash Bhatia (MSB ’16)

Garba Pulse

Can you explain your group’s style of dance and what you enjoy most about it?

Garba is a form of dance that originated in the state of Gujurat. It is traditionally performed during the nine-day Hindu festival of Navaratri and is performed in a circle as a symbol of the Hindu view on time. Garba Pulse, our Rangila dance, is a fusion of this traditional dance with modern Bollywood.

What what is your group’s spirit animal?

White tigers because we’re graceful and sassy.

What’s your favorite song to dance to?

Garba loves to get Fancy, just like our girl Iggy.

-Revathi Maturi (COL ’15)

Old School

Can you explain your group’s style of dance and what you enjoy most about it?

Old School is the best combination of flare, romance, nostalgia and fun that any Rangila dance style offers. The songs are all from our childhood, dating back to any time before 2003. That’s what really makes it exciting – we all have some connection to the music but have the liberty to use modern choreography to use old music in a contemporary way. Who wouldn’t love to do cheesy Bollywood dips and funky old-school Beyoncé hip-hop all in one dance?

What’s your group’s spirit animal?

There really isn’t one spirit animal to describe our bunch – we’re somewhere in between a tiger cub on the brink of adulthood and an unenthused male stripper. Wait until you see “Hot in Here” and you’ll understand.

What’s your favorite song to dance to?

That’s an unfair question – we put this mix together with all our favorite songs so it’s going to be tough to decide. I think our personal favorites are both our couples’ sections and the finale too. When our different sections are on stage together, you can really see the chemistry and oldskoollove.

-Kritasha Gupta (COL ’15)

Raas

Can you explain your group’s style of dance and what you enjoy most about it?

Raas takes a lot of skill and is all high energy. Dancing with the dandiyas (sticks) can be a challenge, but it’s so much fun in the end being able to do cool tricks with them. What makes the past couple of months so great has been working with my friends in making the most explosive and fun dance there can be.

What’s your group’s spirit animal?

An anaconda.

What costumes will your group be wearing for the performance?

We’ve got some sick Gujarati costumes. I won’t spoil too much about the colors, but it will be a nice throwback to one of the best Raas performances I have ever seen.

-Matt Chan (COL ’15)

Salsa Masala

Can you explain your group’s style of dance and what you enjoy most about it?

We do Salsa Masala—a South Asian-Latin fusion. It is a big dance with everything from Garba to Salsa. We as choreographers love the beats that we get to use and living up to our name as the “spiciest” dance gives us that moon to shoot for.

What costumes will your group be wearing for the performance?

Girls have a mix of skirts, tops and dresses. Boys have harem pants, a vest … and no shirts.

What’s your favorite song to dance to?

Right now? “Bailando” by Enrique Iglesias for sure.

-Shantel Jairam (MSB ’15)

Senior Bhangra

Can you explain your group’s style of dance and what you enjoy most about it?

Bhangra is a high-energy dance style that originated in the state of Punjab in North India.  Since Bhangra is a traditional dance form, it has technique that the 6 choreographers have learned (all of us have been on Jawani during our Georgetown careers as well) and have taught to our dancers, but also has room for some creativity, in terms of adapting moves within the general technical framework.  My favorite part is that it’s a fantastic workout.  You spend two hours having fun teaching a dance form that you enjoy performing — and you get an automatic workout! (Note: Senior Bhangra is comprised of 150 seniors, all of whom have participated in Rangila previously.)

What costumes will your group be wearing for the performance?

One section’s spirit animal is the coyote – they put their middle & ring fingers together over their thumb (with the pointer & pinky fingers sticking up) and it looks like a coyote (really, more like a llama). They make this symbol and put their hand up every time they need to be quiet during practice.

What’s your favorite song to dance to?

One of my sections is ending with a remixed version of “Bang Bang” that we love, while my other section (with captains from NSO, and apparently this was basically their anthem this year) is dancing to the very catchy “Shower“.

-Chinmayee Venkatraman (NHS ’15)

Thanks so much to all of the choreographers! Good luck to everyone involved!

Check out the Facebook event to find out any last-minute information for the event. And if you’re a ticket-holder, we’ll see you at the Kennedy Center on Saturday, Nov. 22 at 7:30 p.m. for what is sure to be the greatest Rangila yet!

Bloggers: DJ Angelini, Sara Carioscia, Griffin Greco, Elizabeth Harvey, Meg Lizza, Catherine McNally, Emily Min, Kyle Murphy, Michaela Murphy, Alexis Oni-Eseleh, Cristina Serra, Max Wheeler

Photos: Facebook