Arts & Entertainment
The SNL Administration
Carolina Brust, Staff Writer
During the 2016 U.S
Election, Saturday Night Live
had a blast creating parodies
of the campaign debates, with
Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump
and Kate McKinnon as Hillary
Clinton. On Twitter, the President
complained that “Baldwin’s
impersonation cannot get any
worse (Dec 4, 2016).” Baldwin
later replied that he’d stop once
Trump released his tax returns.
These parodies have
now continued past the election
and into Trump’s presidency.
SNL started off 2017 with a
parody of the President’s first
press conference, poking fun at
the lack of A-lister performers
at his inauguration and the
recent rumours regarding his
involvement with Russian escorts.
Melissa McCarthy has now joined
the growing list of impersonators,
as White House Press Secretary
Sean Spicer. On February 4th, the
actress portrayed the excessive
gum chewing and podium
wielding Secretary alongside
Kate McKinnon, who made an
appearance as Secretary of
Education Betsy Devos. Sean
Spicer called the impersonation
“cute and funny” on Twitter, but
later called it too exaggerated.
Kate McKinnon has also
gained some feedback on her
impersonation of Kellyanne
Conway, Trump’s former
campaign manager and current
White House counselor. In
response to SNL’s “Day Off” skit,
which features McKinnon on her
day off from being campaign
manager, Conway tweeted “We
[her family and herself] got a
good laugh in our crazy house
(October 9, 2016).” However,
Conway does wish that McKinnon
portrayed her as a happier
individual. After McCarthy made
her debut as Spicer, Twitter went
crazy asking more celebrities
to play other political figures.
Rosie O’Donnell volunteered
to play Chief Strategist Steve
Bannon on Twitter. In a recent
skit, Leslie Jones joked to her
eventual portrayal of Trump. The
next four years, though dark and
unforeseeable, will be sure to
please and excite.
Meredith Students Visit International Civil Rights Center and Museum
Laura Culpepper
On Feb. 11, the Honors
and Teaching Fellows programs
visited The International Civil
Rights Center and Museum
(ICRCM) in Greensboro, NC.
Founded in 1993, the museum is
housed in the historic 1929 F.W.
Woolworth building where the
AT&T/Greensboro Four, a group
of young African-American college
students—Ezell Blair, Franklin
McCain, Joseph McNeil, and David
Richmond—began their protest
on Feb. 1, 1960 by sitting at what
was then a “whites only" lunch
counter. While not the first lunch
counter sit-in held in the U.S.,
the Greensboro sit-in was well-
covered by the media and inspired
many other sit-ins and protests
around the state and the country,
leading to the desegregation of
the Greensboro Woolworth’s lunch
counter and “the smashing of the
despicable segregation system
in the Southern United States,”
(ICRCM mission statement). The
original Woolworth’s lunch counter
and stools have never been moved
from their original spot. In fact, the
museum was built around them.
Sophomore Emily Berber is one
of multiple students taking the
Honor colloquium class. “We
Shall Overcome” about the Civil
Rights movement, and were able
to connect their experiences at the
museum to their class. “Visiting
this museum while [taking] the
class made the experience even
more meaningful because we
had talked about the Woolworth
sit-ins [in class], and on this field
trip were able to visit the location
where [they] actually occurred,”
said Berrier.
The ICRCM offered a new
perspective to the historical events
that many may have studied or
learned about over the years,
which was true for sophomore
Kirby Jones:“lt’s easy to look
at events from the movement
as abstractions, but seeing the
photos, videos, and artifacts
reminded me that they impacted
very real people with hopes,
dreams, and fears of their very
own,” said Jones.
Freshman Mimi Mays called the
visit “an incredibly immersive
experience,” and praised the
“clarity” and “depth” of the
information and the experience
that the ICRCM provided.
The tour also left senior Imani
Williams “in awe.” It was an
emotional, intriguing, and
enlightening; and I felt pain at
times and pride at other[s]. [It]
offered us a great overview of
the civil rights movement and the
actions everyday people took to
push America to live up to her own
ideals,” said Williams.
Circus's Last Run
Sydney Spadara, Contributing Writer
In the hearts of millions lies a
reminiscent memory from the
Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey
circus. After 146 years, ‘the
Greatest Show on Earth’ decided
to take its last bow in May of 2017.
The fluorescent lights, striking
costumes, energetic performers,
and anticipated animals fill
theaters across the country one
last time in the hopes of leaving
generations impacted.
The theme chosen for their
goodbye, ‘Out of this World,’
includes a circus space fleet
searching for “stars” in the galaxy
while combating an evil ringmaster
that is attempting to take over
the Ringling Bros. The story is
presented on-ice and includes
several special effects to complete
the space mission premise. From
modernized clowns and flying
trapeze artists, to intergalactic
aerialists and a big cat trainer, it is
a contemporary spin on the classic
circus seen for over a century. The
children have especially been in
awe at the fast-paced routines and
wildly illuminating colors. Meredith
College senior Elizabeth Boyd
exclaimed: “It brought back so
many memories, which is why I
wanted to go one last time. It was
just as spectacular as I remember
it being when I was little. I’m sad I
won’t be able to take my children!”
Boyd then added, “I’m graduating
this year, so in a way, this is the
real end to my childhood in more
way than one.”
As the Ringling Bros come to a
close, the extravagant memories
impressed upon audiences linger
on. The feelings evoked from
the whimsicality that the circus
provides will be missed dearly.
It is an experience that makes
the impossible possible through
death-defying acts and effortless
landings. Even for adults, the
Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey
provides the ultimate passage into
childhood for one last time.
“Shakespeare’s Strong Women”
Faculty Distinguished Lecture
Tuesday 14 March 2017
7:00 p.m. - Jones Auditorium
Garry Walton, Ph.D., Professor of English and
Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities
Featuring performances by current Meredith students and alumnae
Rebecca Daw Blum ’95
(photo by Ron Yorgason for Bare Theatre)