Being Thom Yorke

By ryan | October 19, 2000

With their latest album, Radiohead continues their journey away from conventional guitar-based rock, towards more abstract experimental music. Gone are the beautiful hooks and riffs of “Fade Out (Street Spirit),” and the visceral energy of “Anyone Can Play Guitar.” Kid A is, instead, a surreal and sedated album, laden with synthesizers, drum machines, and distorted samples. It is a 50-minute opus that delves into the tortured, angst-ridden psyche of the group’s frontman Thom Yorke.

Referring to the first human clone, Kid A depicts a cold, technology-based world of impersonality, seething with Kafka-esque paranoia. The once frustrated Yorke, who screamed in rebellion against the homogenous and superficial world in songs like “Creep,” now seems to have surrendered to his anxiety and alienation.

The album finds Radiohead meandering along the line separating the familiar from the bizarre and abstract. The album opens with “Everything In Its Right Place,” a subdued song composed of a single, looped organ melody layered with unintelligible, distorted samples of Yorke’s voice.

The album further diverges from the conventional with the title track and “The National Anthem.” Accompanied by a drum machine and synthesized bell effects, “Kid A” is an incoherent four minutes of vocoder-distorted lyrics. “The National Anthem” begins with a grinding bass line and intelligible lyrics, but it later collapses into a dissonant sea of atonal jazz trumpets.

Symptomatic of many of the tracks on the album, “Kid A” and “The National Anthem” lack any clear direction. Without a climax or a sense of closure, these tracks often lapse into a depressing monotony of whining and unimpressing electronic effects. This is, perhaps, why Radiohead and Capitol records announced that they would not release any singles or push any specific tracks for airplay.

There is, of course, some semblance of their earlier guitar-based style on the album. After the taxing and somewhat intangible tracks at the beginning of the work, Radiohead stumbles back to their signature style of space rock. “How To Disappear Completely” is the most outstanding track on the album, exemplifying the somber, surreal mood with brilliantly arranged acoustic guitars and a sweeping orchestral background.

Describing an out-of-body dream where he’s floating down the the River Liffey in Dublin, Yorke sings, “that there/ that’s not me /I’m not here/ this isn’t happening.” On “In Limbo,” Yorke goes on to depict his own musical wanderings to guitarist Johnny Greenwood’s syncopated, staccato riffs. “I’m lost at sea/ don’t bother me/ I’ve lost my way,” he explains.

Radiohead also heavily draws from musicians at the forefront of the experimental electronica scene. With its ambient atmospherics, “Treefingers” clearly emulates the musical style of Brian Eno. On “Idioteque,” the band layers Aphex Twin’s characteristic blunt, crashing beats over Yorke’s whining voice. Kid A aptly concludes with the karmic love song, “Motion Picture Soundtrack.” A shimmering harp accompaniment permeates the paranoia and hopelessness set by the previous songs. “I will see you in the next life,” Yorke promises his lover in the end. Complete with a reprise, “Motion Picture Soundtrack” is a beautiful piece that allows the listener to awaken from a coma of disillusionment.

Somewhere between innovative genius and creative arrogance, Kid A is a complex and strange journey into the dark recesses of Thom Yorke’s soul. The album is extremely esoteric and will probably leave a lot of Radiohead fans thinking, “what the hell?”

Although the band displays a great deal of bravery for producing an LP of experimental music, many fans will feel betrayed that Radiohead abandoned the style of rock that made them famous.

But one thing is definite: Kid A has sold over 209,000 copies in the US since it’s release last week, beating out Nelly, Green Day, and Madonna for Number One. For a millionaire on top of the pop world, with legions of fans, I can’t figure out what exactly Thom Yorke is so disillusioned about. Take some Paxil and listen to some Beach Boys CDs man!

Archived article by Kouki Harasaki

Hinchey, Moppert Square Off Again in Congressional Race

By ryan October 20, 2000

As Election Day looms large on the horizon, voters’ attention in New York State has mostly been focused on the high-profile Senate race between Democratic First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and U.S. Rep. Rick Lazio (R-N.Y.). Falling slightly lower on the radar screen is the race for the House of Representatives in New York’s 26th District, which includes Ithaca and much of Tompkins County’s westernmost end. The race, between incumbent Democrat Maurice Hinchey and Republican state development official Bob Moppert, is round three in their hard-fought political bout. In 1992, Hinchey captured his first term in Congress by defeating Moppert with only 50 percent of the vote. Just two years later, Hinchey nearly fell victim to the Republican tidal wave that swept the GOP to majorities in Congress. He beat Moppert by just 1,200 votes, and the outcome was uncertain for nearly two weeks after the election. Hinchey has improved his electoral performance considerably in the more favorable political climate of the last two elections. In 1998, he garnered his highest vote share when he took more than 60 percent of the vote against Republican apple farmer William “Bud” Walker and prominent Right-to-Life candidate Randall Terry. But despite Hinchey’s apparent solidification of support in the district, members of both camps say they are taking another Hinchey-Moppert contest very seriously. Bryan Erwin grad, a spokesperson for Hinchey, said that at this point, “every vote counts.” Moppert supporters expressed the same sentiment. Amy Gershkoff ’02, head of Leaders for Lazio, a group of Cornell students, said that “the election is going to be sufficiently close.” Hinchey, a career public servant, “remains firmly entrenched in the Democratic Party’s liberal wing,” according to Congressional Quarterly’s Politics in America publication on the 106th Congress. He has recorded a solid Democratic voting record during his eight years in the House. The Hinchey campaign is hoping this record will bolster his re-election chances. Dan Ahouse, campaign manager for the Democrat, said, “[Hinchey] has been very in tune to local communities over the last eight years.” Moppert supporters, on the other hand, rest much of their hopes on what they see as the deficiencies in Hinchey’s record. Members of the Moppert camp denounced Hinchey’s stand on key issues, including taxes, health care, and job creation. “Hinchey has a record,” Gershkoff said, “and it’s terrible.” Mike Mara, a spokesperson for Moppert’s campaign, pointed out Hinchey’s “refusal to fix the marriage penalty tax, while voting himself a pay raise.” Ahouse countered that in the Republican proposal to repeal the marriage penalty tax, “50 percent of the tax cuts would have gone to the wealthiest three percent of the district’s population.” He further argued that “the vast majority” of the 26th District would receive little from the cuts, that they were “geared towards the wealthy.” The dispute over the marriage penalty indicates the importance of taxes in this race. Hinchey supports “more even-handed” tax breaks that will treat the current surplus with “responsibility,” according to Ahouse. But Moppert supporters disagree with Hinchey’s proposals for spending the large federal surplus. “Bob Moppert epitomizes the mentality that this money belongs to the American people,” Gershkoff said. She added that Hinchey doesn’t understand the struggles of small businesses, contrasting him sharply with Moppert and his lifetime business experience as a moving company owner. “Bob Moppert understands that we are a county of small businesses, and has worked with businesses all his life,” Gershkoff said. Yet Ahouse touted Hinchey’s role in bringing federal funds to his district. According to Ahouse, more than $1.2 billion in federal aid has been sent to the 26th District during the past five years of Hinchey’s service. But Mara said the challenger also has a record of helping out residents of the district. He lauded Moppert’s experience as Gov. George E. Pataki’s regional economic director for New York’s Southern Tier, saying “Bob has created thousands of jobs in this region.” The Southern Tier does form the heart of the 26th District, which spans from as far east as the Hudson River to the cities of Ithaca and Binghamton in the central part of the state. Two population centers divide the district, with roughly half of the votes in the western Binghamton-Ithaca region, and one-third of the votes in the Hudson Valley. According to Congressional Quarterly, the 26th District’s heritage is Republican, but areas such as Binghamton and Ithaca’s sizeable academic community provide a solid Democratic base. Both candidates recognize Cornell as an important community within the district. According to Ahouse, Hinchey’s efforts to bring federal funds for research and development to places like Cornell have improved the district as a whole. “As Cornell benefits, so does Ithaca and the rest of the district,” he said. Since Cornell is the largest employer in the district, it not only is a major factor in the local economy, but the University also plays a major role in local elections. Erwin, who is working for Hinchey, classified the Cornell community as a “well-informed” population.” But he acknowledged that during a Presidential election year, the national election “takes precedence” over local politics. In addition, New York is home to the nation’s most closely-watched, and one of its most expensive, Senate races, which might further limit the amount of attention that students pay to down-ballot races such as this one. In numerous conversations with The Sun, students not directly affiliated with a campus political organization expressed little knowledge of the two Congressional candidates. “I registered to vote in Ithaca so that I could vote for Hillary,” said Beth Knackmuhs ’01. “I don’t know enough about the Congressional race at this point to make a decision.” Both Hinchey and Moppert are scheduled to face-off in a forum Monday night at 5 p.m. in the Boynton Middle School Theater, which is located at 1601 N. Cayuga St. Prof. Margaret Washington, history, will moderate the debate. Roll Call, a Washington, D.C., newspaper that covers Capitol Hill, currently ranks the 26th District race as “Likely Democrat,” meaning Hinchey is favored to win a fifth term.Archived article by Maison Rippeteau
S.A. Discusses Student/Faculty Relations

By ryan October 20, 2000

At last night’s meeting the Student Assembly (S.A.) considered ways to strengthen student/professor relationships and passed a resolution to give students a stronger voice in decisions concerning the University’s endowment funds. In a resolution specifically aimed to foster “student/professor nutriment,” the S.A. discussed enabling professors and students to eat together for free in any campus dining facility, with the University footing the bill. “Our goal is to help students in larger classes to get to know their professors,” said Human Ecology Representative Frankie Lind ’01, who drafted the proposal before the S.A. The educational benefits that this program, if enacted, would bring to the University greatly outweigh the increased expenditure, according to Lind. By breaking down the “large University mentality,” this resolution aims to bring students and faculty together both in and out of the classroom, Lind added. At a large university like Cornell, it is easy for students to get lost and to feel neglected by professors, especially professors of large classes, he said. Freshmen, often victims of this neglect-mentality, are typically on meal plan and thus would incur no extra costs in this program, thereby placing much of the emphasis on encouraging professors to get to know their students better, Lind added. A similar professor/student dining program is already in effect at many small colleges, such as Haverford College in Pennsylvania. Dean of Students John Ford attended the meeting and voiced his concerns about how this new resolution would impact the existing faculty fellow programs. “For the administration to act effectively, the issue of how this fits in with faculty-in-residence must be addressed,” he said. The current faculty-in-residence program, which has a similar goal of fostering student/professor relationships, consists of a series of discussion lunches and dinners that take place over the course of the semester. Faculty fellows present dining cards which allow students to enter campus dining halls for free. The S.A. responded to Dean Ford with the argument that the current program is subject to limited outreach efforts and accommodates only those students who can make it to fixed-time meals. Furthermore, participation is limited to on-campus students. While many S.A. members acknowledged the “professor student nutriment” program’s great potential, the source of the University funding remains under question. Debates on this issue will continue in upcoming meetings. “The funding issue cannot be glossed over. This program has the potential to be very costly. There must be some way to regulate spending,” said Amy Gershkoff ’02, minority representative. Dan Orcutt ’03, arts and sciences representative, summed up the general consensus among S.A. members that the potential long-term gains from the program would be well worth the time spent now in further investigations. “One of the reasons why Cornell is so great is because we have such fantastic faculty at our disposal. The possible benefits of this program go well beyond just students,” Orcutt said. “Faculty accessibility, which is a key factor in U.S. News & World Report rankings, will likely increase with the program. These news rankings are significant to Cornell in attracting students,” he added. In the second half of the meeting, the S.A. passed a resolution creating a student-based standing proxy committee to oversee University endowment investments. Currently, an ad hoc organization to the S.A. researches stockholder resolutions of companies in which Cornell holds stock and provides recommendations to the Investments Committee of the Board of Trustees. Beginning next fall with the implementation of the standing committee, the organization will be expanded and elected committee members will consist of two S.A. representatives, six undergraduate students, one graduate or professional student, one staff member and one faculty member. The administration and the S.A. will work directly with committee members to prepare presentations to the trustees. If the trustees are convinced that the students should act on behalf of the University, then they will have the avenue to do so. “Passing this resolution is a significant step in giving students the power to tell the administration when they want something done,” said Michael Bronstein ’02, undesignated at-large representative and vice president of public relations. Some S.A. members, however, were reluctant to support the resolution. “The S.A. has no business meddling with administrative funding issues. For example, it is ridiculous for students to decide who has faculty tenure and who does not,” said Gershkoff. Michael Wacht ’02, architecture, art and planning representative, agreed with Gershkoff. “This is not a matter of political perspective. What we are talking about is hundreds of millions of dollars. Managing the endowment is the responsibility of the administrators who are paid to do the job,” he said. Kira Moriah ’03, arts and sciences representative and vice president of finance, reminded S.A. members that the resolution was not designed to give students direct control of financial matters. She argued for the importance of allowing students to bring their complaints before the University. “What we are confusing here is the difference between decision and recommendation,” Moriah said. “A student proxy group provides an extra check. If the University can make decisions on its own, then this defeats the purpose of student government.” Bronstein added, “The administrators should be held accountable for what they do. This resolution represents a strong step into a new territory for the S.A.”Archived article by Jennifer Roberts