iPad Apps I Use Most Often

By Gee Ekachai

When people asked me what iPad apps I’d recommend, it’s hard to come up with a short list. I have more than 100 apps on my iPad, many are free, but here are 20 apps I use most often (but not in a particular order). Some of them were included in Mashable’s 10 must-have iPad apps for new users.

Dropbox is a must for transporting files from my laptop to iPad. Cannot function without it!

Flipboard is a great way to read your tweet feeds and Facebook updates. You can also subscribe to a few websites and my favorites are Smitten Kitchen, Wired, and Bon Appetit. Gorgeous pictures. Read Engadget’s review here.

Talking about pictures, NY Post Pix shows what great photojournalism is all about. Captivating photos that tell stories (although its captions are quite non-traditional). You can “favorite” and/or save the photos you like on your iPad.

Social Media and the Egyptian Revolution

By Scott D’Urso

The events of the past several weeks in Egypt have been nothing short of remarkable for many reasons. One of them has been the debate over the role that the Internet and Social Media played in the eventual outcome. There has been a steady stream of stories, opinions, and tweets about this subject both during, and in particular after the fact. Regardless of where one stands on the issue, the fact that there is a debate, to me, says something in and of itself.

While there are the utopian-inspired Internet supporters out there who are making the claim that this the first “Social Media Revolution,” this revolution would not have been possible without the face-to-face gatherings of the hundreds of thousands of Egyptians, not only in Cairo, but around Egypt, that were the “face” of the revolution. On the other hand, many Internet dystopians out there refuse to acknowledge the role of the Internet and Social Media — a short-sighted opinion to say the least.

Behind the Scenes of ‘The Laramie Project’ at Marquette University

By Chester Loeffler-Bell

Lighting design for the Laramie Project production at Marquette University

Getting the lighting design ready for the Marquette University Department of Performing Arts production of The Laramie Project by Moises Kauffman and the Tectonic Project is a challenge. As a designer, I try to find an emotional arc or journey within a play. I attempt to connect important or emotional dots and try and tell a story with the lighting design.

The challenge with Laramie is EVERY character and the story they tell is important. Each time I read it, and now after seeing a run through, I take away something different.

Fortunately, the director of the play is Deb Krajec. She is an excellent collaborator, and by working together, I am confident the look of the play will evolve into a work of dramatic beauty.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not worried about the play coming together. Under Deb’s hand, and with an excellent design team, and more importantly with a committed student cast and staff, this play will be a highlight of our season.

But we have an added logistical challenge. While the play is scheduled to open February 24, we are ramping up the process so we can have a polished dress rehearsal for scholarship weekend students to see Friday night, February 18.

This is a project that will change, grow and perhaps head in many directions, some good, some bad. I’ve decided to heed the advice of Broadway lighting designer Jules Fisher, who said at the  Broadway Lighting Master Class, (even though Laramie isn’t a musical), “you don’t finish lighting a musical, you just stop.”

Chester Loeffler Bell is an artistic assistant professor in the Performing Arts Department at Marquette University. He is currently involved in the campus production of “The Laramie Project.”