The Podium

Brien McMahons online arm of the Podium.

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Fiasco Shocks with LASERS

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Eric Eaton ‘11

When an artist brings his or her A game, nothing can stop them. Lupe Fiasco brought that on "Words I Never Said". It is hip-hop activism, but Fiasco is skilled at making heady subjects be absorbed with ease. Lupe is fast and slick, offering shots at the political left and right with equal conviction. Lasers, Fiasco’s third album, shows a lot of rage but seems to be preaching at times.
            Tracks such as "Break the Chain" and "I Don't Wanna Care Right Now" feel like filler, contributing little of the Chicago artist's humor and topical satire.
            Fiasco hasn't been afraid to talk about the label drama behind the making of Lasers, both to the press and on the album. "Have you ever had the feeling that you was being had?" Fiasco asks on "The Show Goes On", one of a select few songs not featuring any guest artists. The song may sound a little sad but it’s a celebration. Lupe is breaking free from the “chains” that were placed on his soul.
            Thankfully, the shackle-less Fiasco manages to appear multiple times on Lasers, the rock-infused attack on radio stations playing the same song in "State Run Radio", the heartbreak of "Beautiful Lasers" and the alternate-reality “All Black Everything”. These are among the moments that illustrate Fiasco has a bigger agenda than a No. 1 hit.
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Revolution Grounds McMahon Students

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JC Moritz ‘11

In Egypt there were cries and cheers as the military took control from the ousted president Hosni Mubarak. However, students at McMahon were less than  optimistic about the news that cancelled their long planned trip to Egypt this spring.           
            The Arabic program, the newest of the three programs offered in the Center for Global Studies, was planning a return trip to Egypt this spring for students    hoping to hone their speaking skills and learn first hand about a culture that is increasingly prevalent in the news.
            The trip was to include an excursion to many of Egypt's main tourists attractions such as the  Pyramids, as well as a week long    home-stay experience.
            Mrs. McCarthy, who directs CGS, stated that teachers involved with the trip had been watching activities closely for several weeks before cancelling the trip when it seemed clear the unrest would not have a quick end. Other concerns were over the military government formed in place of the fallen Mubarak regime.
            CGS Student Tatyana  Hopkins (‘12), who participated in the trip last year said, “A lot of kids are disappointed, but we are hopeful we will be able to go somewhere else.”  
            Mrs. McCarthy said that they looked at several locations including Morocco and Dubai, but as unrest spread across the Middle East those plans were dropped.
            Veterans of the trip who have kept in touch with their   home-stays say that the community they stayed with was part of Egypt's    upper-class that tended to support the widely unpopular Mubarak.
            Students report politically charged status updates coming from their friends across the globe. In one update an Egyptian likened the riots to a computer virus uploading across the nation. Social Networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter were used widely by protesters to gain support for their movement.
            While the possibility of another trip will come around next year, seniors are departing and will miss their opportunity to go. However, many in the CGS community see the revolution for what it brought to a nation, struggling under decades of autocratic rule.
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Captivating! Enthralling! Amazing!

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Kateri Duffey ‘11
As a fan of theater, I was entirely engrossed in Brien McMahon’s mash up of Broadway shows in “Way Off Broadway”.
            I attended the Friday night show which drew a crowd, all of whom walked out with smiles.
            The night was comprised of four popular Broadway shows, which appealed to a variety of tastes. With narrations in between songs, the audience was able to understand the premises of all four shows.
            The astonishing voices on stage as well as the enchanting music of the orchestra was amplified by a lack of scenery. The special effects, lighting, and fog added all the visual stimulation needed. Julia Gallagher (‘11), starring as Elphaba in “Wicked,” displayed the most enchanting and high tech visual effect when she rose above the crowd and flew.
            It was hard not to sing along to “Seasons of Love” the show’s opener from “Rent”. The audience was entirely captured by the performance of the drug addict Mimi Marquez, played by Allie Meikle (’11), and her love interest Roger Davis, played by Chris Holomakoff  (’12).
            “Les Miserables” was the second Broadway show. This show engaged the attention of the audience with every moving performance by Kathry Junqueira (‘11), Coulter Davis (‘11), Olivia Rotante (‘11), Stefan Bruski (‘11), Anthony DiTaranto (‘11), Pavlina Shriel (‘12), and McMahon’s very own Frank Arcari.
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Undocumented Students Fight for Higher Education

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Financial aid is generally not available for undocumented students and illegal aliens. The majority of all student aid, including Federal Student Aid, requires the recipient to be a U.S. citizen, a permanent resident (green card holder) or an eligible non-citizen.
 McMahon’s Center for Youth Leadership students were once again all ears and voices in Hartford for issues that will affect the lives of millions here in Connecticut.
As Brien McMahon’s students shuffled through the majestic marble floors of the state capital, heads turned, drawing attention, and at times garnering a clap here and there all the while addressing serious social issues. As one representative pointed out at the ending of Gina Caputo’s (‘11) testimony, “and you’re a high school student!” drawing sheer astonishment from the crowd.
            Several states including Texas, California, New York, Utah, Illinois, Washington, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Kansas have passed state laws that provide undocumented citizens with these benefits. Laws similar to this have been passed in our state, but later vetoed by our governor.
Washington, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Kansas have passed state laws that provide undocumented citizens with these benefits. Laws similar to this have been passed in our state, but later vetoed by our governor.
            The state laws attempt to go around this process by not even asking whether the student is a documented United States citizen or by the attendance of a school graduation from a high school that is in their state. The actual controversy lies between the law, and the thought that if someone has proven they are ready for college by being an outstanding person in their state why should they be denied the benefits that other United States citizens are granted?
Standing in front of representatives and a mixed crowd is even more discouraging, but that is what Diego Aguilar did. Diego Aguilar is a freshman at Norwalk Community College and was presenting his testimony to the representatives. With a bit of nervousness and tons of courage the words moved the crowd which even managed to change the attitude of one republican representative who is against HB 6390.
The higher education committee is responsible for the handling of HB (House Bill) 6390, which would level tuition rates for all Connecticut students attending a Connecticut public college regardless of citizenship. The current law states that undocumented students who wish to pursue a higher education at one of the many state colleges in Connecticut must pay out of state tuition, even if the students’ family have lived here for many years and in some cases contribute taxes to the state.
“The people that went up to testify were answering the concerns of those who opposed the bill, which was amazing to witness first hand.”

Taylor Celentano (‘11).
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