Movie Review: Dead Poet's Society

by Keira Ballard

  “O’ Captain! My Captain!” - Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass

Whether or not you have seen Peter Weir’s 1989 classic, Dead Poet’s Society, for many, the line brings to mind the great Robin William’s iconic performance as John Keating. Though this movie is now over 30 years old, the memorable lines about “finding your own voice” and “seizing the day”, as well as the themes of learning to break the mold and taking life by the horns hold true.

Starring Robin Williams as John Keating, Robert Sean Leonard as Neil Perry, Ethan Hawke as Todd Anderson, Josh Charles as Knox Overstreet, and Gale Hansen as Charlie Dalton, Dead Poet’s Society is a coming-of-age drama about an unconventional English teacher and the students whose lives he flips around. Through unorthodox methods, John Keating (Williams), who recognizes the importance of individuality and expression, teaches his students to unshackle themselves from the restrictive boarding school and inspires them to become free thinkers.

I do not want to lead you the wrong way, though. This movie is not about John Keating; he is only a catalyst. It is not even really about Neil Perry (Leonard), despite what it might seem. The true protagonist of the movie is Todd Anderson (Hawke). Throughout the movie, we see many of the boys start to chase what they want. Knox (Charles) pursues cheerleader, Chris Noel, from the local public school who is dating a football player. Charlie (Hansen) publishes an article in the school newsletter insisting to allow girls into the school. Neil reveals his love for acting and gets cast in a local play as one of the main characters. Finally, Todd, with the help of Keating, breaks out of his shell and spontaneously constructs a poem in class. 

Near the end of the film, after a tragedy has befallen one of the boys and Keating is leaving the class, the last person we expect takes a stand. Todd embodies "carpe diem" and stands on his desk defiantly, exclaiming proudly as Keating leaves the class, “O’ Captain! My Captain!” Unfortunately, only half of the class stands with Todd. The rest stare blankly ahead in their seats, abandoning the teacher they had once loved. It raises the question: “Did they regret this later on? What if they had seized the day and stood with the rest of the class?”

 

Carpe diem is not the only lesson to be learned from the movie. The film is also about creativity, feeling, and passion. Neil’s domineering father, though only wanting his son to succeed where he has not, puts pressure on Neil and highly disapproves of his son’s yearning to act, despite Neil’s clear natural talent for it. What his father did not understand, was that the humanities are just as important as math and science. They are part of the foundation of our society, then and now. While math and science are constantly improving and used to further our advancements, humanities, at its core, is about the outpouring of emotion.

Dead Poet’s Society is a fantastic movie for finding inspiration and encouraging us to move. If you have not seen this classic, I urge you not to continue skimming over it; sometimes the most unlikely suspects end up being incredibly impactful in our lives.  As John Keating teaches, we should resolve to lead lives of following our passions and seizing the day. The end might already be written, but we can write the script. So go out, give a barbaric yawp, and write your verse. As Henry David Thoreau states: “I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life. To put to rout all that was not life; and not, when I had come to die, discover that I had not lived.” 

How to Burn with Pyrography

­­­by Annamarie Hudson

 Have you ever wanted to play with fire? When we were children, many of us were scolded or warned about the hot stove, only allowed near flames with s'mores supplies in hand and an adult looking over our shoulders. However, now that we are adults and know how to handle fire ourselves, we can wield that heat for art. Pyrography is the ancient art of taking a heated metal tool and using it to burn images, designs, and writing into wood of all varieties. Pyrography is also an easy hobby to pick up, as it does not have a large learning curve and materials are affordable. Pyrography is a fun, easy, and creative hobby that anyone can learn even without prior experience in art.

Before we walk through the process of pyrography, it would be beneficial to learn more about the history of the practice. Pyrography is an art form that has existed since ancient times, and the remains of pyrography can be found in the history of Egypt, China, Rome, Peru, and a multitude of European countries (“A Brief History”). In ancient times and the Middle Ages, pyrography artists would use portable wood stoves to heat metal pokers that would then be used to burn wood objects including cups, bowls, chests, and other furniture (“A Brief History”). Nowadays, we use electric multitools with different attachments that allow for easier use and variation in burning techniques, an essential tool for the process. 

 Acquiring this multitool, as well as preparing a proper area to work in, is the first step of the process. Many craft stores boast sections dedicated to pyrography, including different versions of the multitool and various wooden canvases to choose from. When selecting a multitool, choose one that has multiple attachments, and grab some scrap pieces of untreated wood to practice on, as well as another piece of wood for your first project. It’s very important to ensure this wood is untreated, as many sealants used on wood will produce toxic fumes if burned. You will also need sandpaper for the process, so purchase fine sandpaper at the craft store or a department store. Once these items are acquired, you need to choose a burning area. Pyrography will smoke you out of a poorly ventilated space, so choose an outdoor area or a well vented indoor area for your workstation. Ensure there is an outlet nearby, and remove anything flammable from the area.

You can also acquire the wood through natural means, such as when I gathered cut saplings from my family’s farm. I stripped the bark off the saplings and allowed them to dry in the attic for around 4 months before I was able to sand them down and burn them as walking staffs. When gathering natural wood, it will take months to prepare as the natural moisture in the wood dries, but there’s something special about collecting your own materials. Collecting your own wood for your projects will also save the cost of buying them in store; however, the wood needed for a standard project would cost anywhere from $3.00-$20.00, so the cost is not so great that I would wait months to finish most of my projects. 

 

Once you have your equipment and have selected a workspace, it’s time to prepare your wood and plan your design for your first project. Sand your wood and scrap pieces down with the sandpaper, then lightly mist them with water so that they are damp but not wet (Wilkie). Allow the wood to dry, and then repeat the process another two or three times to completely smooth out the wood in preparation for burning (Wilkie). Now that your wood is fully prepped and drying, you can move on to the design of the project. Decide what you want the end goal of the project to be, search for reference images, and grab a piece of paper and pencil. Sketch a simple version of what you want to create, and if you are pleased with the design, you can sketch it very lightly on the wood itself. However, ensure that any areas you sketch will be burned later, as you cannot erase these marks without burning over them. With a design in mind, you can now select a multitool attachment for the project.

 

Multitool attachments come in many forms, so it’s a good idea for you to become more familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of each attachment. When you begin the burning process, test different attachments in different ways, such as testing how well they create lines, circles, dots, lettering, and shading. However, a good place to start is the universal point, as it is the standard attachment and very versatile. Once you have decided on your first attachment, connect it to the multitool and plug it into an outlet to begin heating. At this point, be very careful to remove anything flammable in the area, and do not a touch the metal end with your hands. The tool will heat up to 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, so it is powerful enough to start a fire if you are not careful. Hold the tool by the safe end, similarly to a pencil, and take this time to test the multitool attachments on your scrap pieces of wood until you have a physical familiarity with them, allowing the tool to completely cool between changing each attachment to prevent burns. 

With both mental and physical experience with the burning process, we can now move on to your first project. Select the attachment you plan to begin the process with, and heat your multitool. Before you begin, remember that the process of burning lays down the shadows of an image or design, so leave places unburned to act as highlights as needed. The pressure with which you press the tool into the wood will also determine how dark the burns become, so a good idea is to go over your entire design lightly at first, laying down soft shadows to get an impression of the design before you go over it again with deeper shadows. You can also use sharp attachments to create lines that cut into the wood for depth, which can be useful for adding an outline to the image if desired.

 

Once your design is complete, it’s time to add the finishing touches, clean your station, and store the multitool. Look over your design for any imperfections and polish it by adding optional textures such as crosshatching or dots. You can also burn a border to the image if desired, and burn your signature into either the front or back of the wood. Set your piece aside, and turn off your multitool. While it cools, clean your station by sweeping up any chips of wood or sawdust from the process. Grab a pouch or small box to store your attachments so they don’t get lost, and once your multitool is cool, store them together for convenience. Once the tool is taken care of and the station clear, the process is complete, and you now have a beautiful brand-new piece of art of your own design.

Pyrography is a fun activity that yields beautiful pieces of art that can be used for almost anything, and these pieces are both handmade and exactly to your taste. You can create pieces akin to paintings, create designs using patterns and shapes, or even treat it as a different form of calligraphy. The possibilities are endless for the pieces you want to create, and it’s a form of art without a sharp learning curve or expensive materials. Depending on your selection of wood, you can have a piece to hang on your wall, a customized box for jewelry, or even a walking staff with a magical feel. With so much variety under the art form, there’s something for everyone, and I would encourage anyone to give pyrography a try.

 

 

Works Cited

“A Brief History of Pyrography & Wood Burning Art [Updated].” Working the Flame, 14 June 2020. workingtheflame.com/history-of-pyrography/.

Wilkie, Brenda. “Pyrography for Beginners – Jaguar wood burning tutorial (part 1).” Pyrography Made Easy, 16 Mar 2021. www.pyrographymadeeasy.com/2021/03/16/pyrography-for-beginners-jaguar-wood-burning-tutorial-part-1/#:~:text=Pyrography%20for%20Beginners%20–%20Jaguar%20wood%20burning%20tutorial,6%20FACIAL%20FEATURES.%20...%207%20THE%20LOG.%20.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Making Your Own Wire-Wrapped Jewelry

by Ashlyn Averbeck

 

            Making your own jewelry is a fun and inexpensive hobby. The wire wrapping technique of jewelry making is an ancient practice that has recently made a comeback and grown very popular. The earliest findings of wire wrapping date back between 3,000 and 5,000 years ago in Egypt and South Iraq. (Dunn) Wire wrapping can be very easy and simple to learn and do in only a few steps. Or it can be complicated and intricate, taking a long time to understand and complete. I still do simple wraps and haven’t even begun to learn more complicated ones. Wire wrapping jewelry is an easy to learn but hard to master process including collecting supplies, creating a base, wrapping the item, and securing the pendant.

            Specific supplies are needed for making wire-wrapped jewelry. The first thing you need is wire. Any color or gauge can work, but the thicker the wire, the harder it is to cut and bend. For this simple style, 22-gauge or above is great. Also, if the packaging says bendable craft wire, it’s the best-still check the gauge though. Next, you’ll need something to cut the wire with. Wire cutters, pliers, and scissors all work depending on the gauge. I can cut my 22-gauge wire with a sharp pair of scissors, so it’s all up to preference. Lastly, you will need craft pliers. I like to use round nose and flat nose, but you can buy them in kits with a bunch of different kinds. Some kits even come with wire cutters, again it is all up to preference.

Supplies for making a wire-wrapped pendant.

 

            Picking the right object to wrap is the most important step of the wire-wrapping process. If you choose to learn how to do more complicated, expert-level wire wrapping, you can wrap virtually anything. This technique though can be a little iffy on what the wire will stay secure on. Raw crystals or stones, raw meaning not smooth, are easier to wrap than tumbled stones. The wire has edges to hold on to when they are not perfectly smooth. Most tumbled pieces are usually so smooth that the wire will slip off. If you can find a tumbled with a weird shape, it would probably work fine. Another good type of tumbled piece to wrap is ones that didn’t get a gloss coat, they have a rougher feeling to them kind of like how sea glass feels. Sea glass is probably the easiest thing to wrap. It is smooth but it’s also typically thin making it easier to wrap around. I’m not sure why but something about the texture of sea glass is good too, it’s not slippery like a cold tumbled stone; it feels coarse almost.

From left to right: raw amethyst, tumbled and polished rutilated quartz, tumbled (no polish) green aventurine, and white beach glass.

 

 Another easy piece to wrap is something that comes in the form of a “blade” like kyanite. It’s thin and long making it simple to wrap. If possible, try to have a few options when you are trying to wrap something because your first choice might not work very well, especially on your first try. You can always go back to something when you get more experience and try again.

            Now that you have your supplies ready, you need to make the base of your pendant. The base is basically just the loop at the top of your pendant so you can put your jewelry on chains, cords, bookmarks, or whatever you want it to be on. There are two different styles I like to use when making a base. Before you start making your base, you will need to cut off some wire to use. Cut about a foot, give, or take, depending on the size of your object- it’s better to have too much rather than too little.

Cutting 22-gauge jewelry wire.

The first way will use round nose jewelry pliers. You’ll take your wire and wrap it around one of the tips of your pliers. The farther down your wire is, the bigger your loop will be.

Placing wire in the pliers to start making the base. (Using flat nose pliers)

Wrapping wire around pliers to make the base.

Two to three times is usually good. Once you finish wrapping it around, make sure the rest of your wire is sticking straight down from the loop you just made. The second option will use flat nose pliers, and it is a better option for fitting the pendant on any necklace no matter the size of the chain or clasps. You will basically do the same thing with this one, take the wire and wrap it around one of the plier’s tips. Again, the farther down the tip you go, the larger your loop will be. Two or three times will be good and make sure the wire is sticking straight down from the loop you made.

Finished pendant base.

            Wrapping your object is the most complicated part of the process. You can use your hands or your pliers for this step. This is the step where you’ll find out if your object can be wrapped or not. Take your object (for the sake of this instruction we’ll say rose quartz), place it on the wire leaving about a quarter of an inch of space between the loop and the sea glass, and make the wire flat against the back of the glass.

Placing rose quartz for wrapping with enough space for securing.

Then, fold the wire up to the front of the quartz. Take the wire around a lower corner of the stone, bringing it to the backside. Next, take it and wrap it around the object; this can be in an overlapping or stacked style. Keep wrapping it around, gradually going higher until you’re near the top of the object. Once you think you have wrapped it in the middle enough, take the wire and wrap it either around a corner, or upwards at an angle around the object. Then, instead of wrapping around the rose quartz again, take the wire and wrap it one time around the lowest part of the space you left between the object and the base.

            Securing your pendant is important to making sure your object stays in place and the wire doesn’t scratch you. Now that you have successfully wrapped your object, you can complete the last step: securing the pendant. You will now keep wrapping the wire around the wire between the base and the object. You can do this in a messy sort of overlapping way, or you can keep it clean and tight gradually going up.

Securing pendant in a stacking style.

Once you have done that enough that you can barely see the wire underneath, you can cut off any excess wire if need be.

Cutting excess wire.

Then, take your pliers and get the last little bit of the wire wrapped around securely, and you are done!

Securing the last bit of wire so it doesn’t scratch at anything. 

            Wire wrapping is a simple yet complicated art form. Once you’ve got the hang of it, it’s easy as pie. Jewelry making was introduced to me by my mom and my Aunt Colleen. They would make beach glass jewelry by wire wrapping all the time. Once I got into crystals, I started wire wrapping on my own and it’s one of my favorite hobbies.

 

Works Cited

 

Dunn, Tristan. “Wire-Wrapped Jewelry: Historical and Personal Perspectives.” Rio Grande, 21 Oct. 2019, www.riogrande.com/article?name=TristanDunn.