Cracking the Crucible
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Volume 84 - Issue 7 October 28, 2011 Cracking the crucible Fighting depression’s darkness BY LINDEN FIGGIE from school as a junior and being a good psychologist EDITOR-IN-CHIEF thinking, “I might as well just and caring for my patients Depression is a serious end it now.” was out of reach.” problem, but its victims “I didn’t care about my On top of the stress of work, don’t always recognize welfare,” Chi said. Chi had begun to feel helpless their symptoms. Although the depression and hopeless—the same F o r p s y c h o l o g y lessened for the remainder of symptoms he was diagnosing professor Terry Chi, two high school and early college, for the mental disease which suicide attempts were it soon redeveloped while in he was studying to treat. enough to convince him the clinical psychology Ph.D. The worst of his depression that he had a problem. program at Berkeley. came in 1997. Chi had been struggling Ironically, Chi recalled “I was struggling to with depression since high that the onset of renewed connect with my clients, PHOTO BY BOB LATCHAW school after his family symptoms began after he and I was single as well,” Despite only one real leg, freshman Benjamin Backstrom doesn’t see his loss of a leg as a hindrance moved from California to started seeing patients. Chi said. “I couldn’t have a but more as motivation. It has shown him the importance of living life to the fullest each and every day. Texas. It was his third high “In the morning I relationship with people.” school in four years, and his was treating people with One of the few connections normal A-student mentality depression. I was in the best Chi had was his roommate Putting his best foot forward had fallen to nearly failing. shape of my life, trying to but even this was weak. BY JORDAN VERMEER Chi felt that life had become get my depression out of “We were just pathetic Freshman Benjamin Backstrom played football in high school with a prosthetic leg. overwhelming. the way,” Chi said. “[But] Despite his tremendous handicap, Backstrom has never let it slow him down and he’s He recalls returning home no matter how hard I tried, See “Faculty” on Page 5 never let it keep him from enjoying life. You might have seen Backstrom, a computer science and math double major from Maddock, N. D., around campus, sitting in piles of leaves or riding a bike with his feet on the handlebars. When Backstrom was 10 years old, he was mowing the lawn on a large rider mower, when he was thrown off. The mower continued to operate and Backstrom was unable to move out of its way. It took off his right leg from below the knee, and seriously damaged the muscles on his left leg. Surprisingly, when asked about the accident, Backstrom said “it wasn’t painful at all … It’s hard to explain the experience to someone with two legs.” His mother, who was in the garden, came rushing to help and called for an ambulance. Backstrom was rushed to a Medevac helicopter, and after an overnight stay in the local hospital, took a plane to Minneapolis where they performed several surgeries. The first surgeries cleansed the wound, mostly to get the grass out. Doctors then moved onto repairing the calf that had been nearly destroyed. Backstrom always tried to look on the bright side of the experience. “I thought the surgeries were really fun,” Backstrom said. Backstrom further recalled that the high dosage of morphine he was on caused him to exhibit some irregular behavior. He would sometimes give his parents a weather forecast as See “Leg” on Page 6 PHOTO BY BOB LATCHAW Northwestern students admire pieces from Tim Lowly’s featured art exhibit, Without Moving, Tondos PHOTO BY BOB LATCHAW which highlights Lowly’s daughter through several different mediums. Read more on page 4. Clinical depression affects many college students and shouldn’t be suffered through alone. 2 Countdown to Coldplay is over BY TYLER ZEUTENHORST last June, shows off some amount of pop-tinged, Coldplay’s fifth full- stunning electric riffs. beat-heavy tunes, which length studio album “Mylo Rihanna even adds a bit of has caused some fans to Xyloto” was released flavor to the album—her turn away. The mainstream Sunday night after much voice meets with Martin’s in attention is not always anticipation. Fans finally “Princess of China.” handled well by original saw the countdown meter on “Mylo Xyloto” was followers. the iTunes Store homepage written based on a love Moods have changed, show all zeros, and almost story. Lyrically, it is simple, and there’s no guarantee they instantly after, sales soared. It but in a positive way, full of won’t shift again. Coldplay was number one on the album innocence and genuineness. is continually coming up charts after only hours. Overall, the album is light- with new ideas and writing Band members Chris hearted and high-energy, down every detail. That is Martin, Jonny Buckland, which is a bit different from one characteristic that makes Guy Berryman and Will Coldplay’s style in many of them who they are. Champion pack a colorful their previous songs. E ve n i f t h e y h a ve punch with their new project. Coldplay has displayed alienated some of their They used the imagery of a timeline of changing first fans, who’s to say PHOTO COURTESY OF GARRETT MACLEAN retro American graffiti as an energies. They developed that mixing it up was a inspiration for the lyrics, tour, an image early in their career mistake?After all, they have Singing with a voice like diamonds videos and artwork. Even the with albums like “Parachutes” won seven Grammys. They BY KATI HENG impressed by the classical style. She hasn’t sounds have a feel of color and “A Rush of Blood to the know how to win over the A&C EDITOR forgotten how she was trained to use those to them. Head,” which shaped their hearts of listeners and critics Beautiful even in its darkest moments, powerful lungs, but uses that power to show Rich, synthetic melodies calm style. The piano and new and old. My Brightest Diamond’s newest album, emotion, pain and humanity through her fill the song “Hurts Like guitar parts brought tears One thing that remains “All Things Will Unwind,” is stunning. voice. It’s beautiful and lovely. Heaven.” Catchy trap beats to listeners. Coldplay began the same about the boys from With a powerful and operatic voice that Much of “All Things Will Unwind” seems pulsate through “Paradise,” to receive respect for their London: their visible passion soars, whispers and shouts, My Brightest inspired by Worden’s new role as a mother. which, by the way, has a intricate music, rather than for making music. Diamond’s Shara Worden is not far off in While songs such as “I Have Never Loved killer video directed by Mat interest put into just a few “Mylo Xyloto” has comparing her music to a sparkling gem.The Someone” and “Reaching Through to the Whitecross. And “Every hot tracks. rekindled the Coldplay fire, sound is classy, sophisticated and gorgeous. Other Side” speak almost directly about Teardrop is a Waterfall,” More recently, Coldplay and they show no signs of Although she may not be recognized by her son, with lines like “I have never loved the famous single released has produced a greater slowing down. her band’s name, Worden’s voice may sound someone the way I love you/ I have never familiar. Fans of The Decemberists may seen a smile like yours,” even more songs on recognize her as the voice of “The Queen” the album carries a sweetness that brings to King writes a not-so-scary story from the album “The Hazards of Love.” mind a lullaby. BY CORINNE VANDEN BOSCH painfully realistic. Worden is even more closely connected However, that is not to say the album In his newest novel, King’s writing style with indie artist Sufjan Stevens. After touring lacks sophistication in its lyrics. Another “Lisey’s Story,” King creates quite expertly captures the with Stevens as one of his “illinoisemakers” theme of the album is the economic trouble the beautiful character wanderings of the mind, (her role on the tour was the official our society has been in lately. The songs are of Lisey for whom it is though it is sometimes hard cheerleading captain), Worden provided intelligent, yet composed to be catchy enough impossible not to sympathize to keep track of where that background vocals for several of his songs, that you can almost see the crowds protesting with as she visits her past as mind is going. At one point, most notably on his latest album “Age of Adz” Wall Street singing along to the album. Take well as her late husband’s. there are four different scenes in which she takes the lead for a part of the her song “High Low Middle,” in which she In the beginning of the going at the same time, all song “Impossible Soul,” singing “Don’t be sings about the “Saving, wasting, dying for novel, famous writer Scott focusing on a story of Scott’s distracted/ don’t be distracted, no.” a tasting” social castes into which our nation Landon dies. Two years brother. King also writes In addition to recording under the same have been divided. later, his widow Lisey finally great accents, mimicking the label (Asthmatic Kitty Records) as Stevens, There are politics as well.