Month: March 2014

The 86th Annual Academy Awards

Posted By under Entertainment

The Hollywood stars were out on the red carpet March 3 for the 86th Annual Academy Awards hosted by Ellen DeGeneres.

Big name stars like Matthew McConaughy, Julia Roberts, Jennifer Lawrence, Brad Pitt,  Bradley Cooper, Meryl Streep and Cate Blanchett, just to name a few, enjoyed the prestigious night.

The beginning of the show started off with Pharrell Williams.  He had the house rockin’ as he performed his new hit single “Happy,” which was featured in the new film “Despicable Me.”

As the night went on “12 Years a Slave” had the last word so to speak, but the epic drama shared the night’s rewards with the film “Gravity.”  The top-grossing profitable space tragedy won a leading seven Oscars, including best Director, whereas Steve McQueens’ “12 Years A Slave while Years A Slave” won three – best supporting actress for Lupita Nyong’o, best adapted screenplay and the night’s top honor – Best Picture.

“Dallas Buyers Club” also prevailed, winning three Oscars, including best actor and best supporting actor, Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto.

The popular film, starring Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, “American Hustle,” was nominated in 10 categories, but came up short in all of them.

Also going home empty handed was “The Wolf of Wall Street” crew, which had five nominations, “Philomena” which had four, and “Nebraska” and “Captain Phillips,” which both had six nominations.

“Frozen” scored the best animated feature award and best original song. “Her” won best original screenplay.  Meanwhile, “The Great Gatsby” which wasn’t nominated for best film, won two Oscars.

As to no surprise, Cate Blanchett added a best actress Oscar to her collection of several trophies for her fascinating and riveting performance in “Blue Jasmine.”

Host Ellen DeGeneres entertained the audience with skits, including one with references to nominated films. She made the audience laugh as usual as she repeatedly poked fun at stars.

DeGeneres who first acted as an MC several years ago, proved popular inside the auditorium as well as on social media, engaging the crowd by snapping selfies and even ordering pizza (delivered by a bonafide delivery man).

At the end of the show, Ellen’s “selfie” featuring Bradley Cooper, Brad Pitt, Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts and more was proclaimed the most retweeted picture of all time.  Her effortless photo fame was achieved around an hour after it was tweeted.

Victoria Marotta

Lion’s Eye Staff Editor

Media Restaurant Week

Posted By under Entertainment

It’s an opportunity to wine and dine in Media!

More than 20 restaurants participated in Media Restaurant Week from Sunday, March 9th until Thursday, March 13th. Participating restaurants offered three to five course meals for just $30.00.

The one restaurant I’ve always wanted to try was Picasso, located on State Street. My coworkers and I have ventured in there after work for drinks but I’ve never known anyone who has tried the food.

The layout is very open and modern. In the summertime, they have a glass wall in the front of the restaurant that they open and there is outside seating.  The bar is very well lit, showcasing the beers and liquor.  The restaurant has 13 beer taps, which are always interchanging, along with wines, cocktails and bottled beers.

During Media Restaurant Week, Picasso put together a separate menu. It offered a choice of soup or salad, an appetizer, a choice of one of two entrées and a choice of dessert.

I picked the salad, which had mixed greens, plum tomatoes and balsamic vinaigrette. The next course I chose a flatbread that was on the special menu. The flatbread consisted of arugula, gorgonzola, prosciutto and fig with a balsamic reduction. It was very sweet and I love how well gorgonzola pairs with sweet things, like honey.  My brother chose the grilled calamari for this course and I tasted it and the olive oil, lemon and chili peppers made it very flavorful.

For the entrée course, diners could either pick the fish of the day or the free range chicken breast. Since I am a huge fish fan, I went which the fish of the day, which happened to be grilled swordfish topped with a dragon fruit and mango salsa. The swordfish was also served with asparagus and potatoes. The plate was so full of flavor and the salsa worked really well with the fish. My brother chose the chicken, which was stuffed with sundried tomatoes, manchego cheese, wrapped in prosciutto and served with mashed potatoes and sautéed spinach. He must have enjoyed it because by the time I looked at his plate, it was clean.

While enjoying the meal, there was live acoustic music playing in the front, which made the meal relaxing. The artist played popular music as well as music he has written.

Other patrons agreed with me.  This meal was great.

“Well four courses for $30.00 was a great way for me to try new things off the menu I probably wouldn’t have tried otherwise,” Brittany Maloney said.

Picasso is open Tuesday through Sunday with live acoustic sessions on Tuesdays and live music on Fridays and Saturdays.

Chelsea Ebling

Lion’s Eye Staff Writer, cme5177@psu.edu

New President Seeks to Move Forward

Posted By under Campus News

Current Florida State University President, Eric Barron feels that he has a huge task at hand when he becomes the 21 President of the Pennsylvania State University on May 12. Shifting the spotlight from a university that has had the likes of a nationwide child sexual abuse scandal, and students making bombs on campus is certainly an uphill climb.

Penn State’s image has suffered greatly from these instances amongst others, but Barron is here to restore it, and move on.

One of his main goals is to improve student engagement outside of the classroom. Barron feels that there is evidence that students perform better, are happier and get better jobs if they participate in worthwhile activities outside the classroom. He also aims to improve their career success and capitalize on the intellectual property that the university produces.

Cost of attendance is also something Barron wishes to address. During a phone interview conducted by the Associated Press, Barron addressed this issue.

“You’re serving the state of Pennsylvania, and the university is expensive,” Barron said. “Are we doing all the things that we can and want to do to make sure that no one decides against Penn State because they can’t afford it?”

Even when it comes to student athletes, Barron’s goals are in the right place. While he acknowledged that the Nittany Lions football program plays a huge positive part financially for this university and is also the reason so many alumni come back to campus, Barron stresses that education “is and will come first.”

Barron himself is a former Nittany Lion himself. While he did not receive his education here, he was an employee of the university for 20 years.

He joined the university’s faculty in 1986 as director of the Earth System Science Center and associate professor of geosciences. In 2002, he was elevated from director of the university’s Earth and Mineral Sciences (EMS) Environment Institute to dean of the school’s College of Earth and Mineral Sciences.

During his tenure here, he recognized the fast paced growth of the university, and expects it to be the same when he rejoins PSU.

Within his first few months at the university, Barron plans on visiting each and every Penn State campus throughout the entire state in hopes of establishing a real time connection with the students and faculty that he will be the head of.

Barron has accepted the job knowing the challenges he faces, but it almost seems like the perfect fit. A former Penn State Alumnus, with the right mindset and proven success at a higher level, simply trying to make a difference. Then again, as faculty and students, aren’t we all?

Ryan Tuttle

Lion’s Eye Staff Writer, rjt5281@psu.edu