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Articles by McKenna Johnson
Dhaka international symposium gathers at the intersection of art & climate crisis
Climate change is affecting the work of performing artists as well as creative artists in South Asia. A July conference in Dhaka brought scholars and performers together to discuss the nascent studies of the intersection of climate change and culture. Artists are using their art to address the climate crisis. Some art forms are being lost because of climate impacts. The work of young art students shows how nature is infused in art from an early age.
Class of COVID
We all feel the same churns in our stomachs when we’re reminded of spring 2020. Most of us shuck the feeling away, do what we can to avoid reliving the loss, isolation and uprooting of our lives that affected us all in different ways. With the class of 2024’s graduation next week, the University of Montana is almost entirely made up of undergraduate students who will never know what a pre-COVID-19 college looks like.
Westside Theater pairs life experience with dance in the sold-out '40 Over 40'
On a recent evening at Missoula’s Westside Theater, choreographer Amy Ragsdale knelt at the edge of the stage, watching with a soft smile as her nine dancers laughed and swayed on the Marley floor, waiting for the music to start. The audience, made up of cast and crew for Westside’s newest dance show, 40 Over 40, seemed antsy, some chatting, some trying on costumes and wrangling kids, others reading books or knitting.
Dance collective ELa FaLa takes up teaching residency, performs with students
“Therrrrrrrrrrrrrre’s hydrogen and helium….” The melody of “The Periodic Table Song” rang through the Open Space studio in the basement of the PARTV building. But it wasn’t a science class Liana Dillon and Isabela Sant’Anna-Skites were rehearsing for, it was a dance performance. As they belted out the names of scientific elements, two other dancers whipped out fouettés behind them. From a piano bench, visiting guest artist Barbara Lima sat watching as the scene descended into chaos.
Water-bottle-o-scope
Sip happens, and staying hydrated is in style these days — I mean, have you seen all the hype over the Stanley Cups lately, followed by the slew of research articles and opinion pieces attempting to analyze our obsession with them?
Revisiting ‘Barbie’ ahead of its 2024 Oscars snubbing
It’s 2023, and Barbie is cool again. The sun rises over the horizon. The hair-raising sounds of a symphony sweep over a desert landscape as she takes center stage in her original black and white striped bathing dress, blonde hair curled up in plastic perfection, arms bendable past a 90-degree angle and tiny sunglasses perched on her head. Helen Mirren’s lovely voice rains down from heaven like a gift to our ears.
The Alabama IVF ruling should worry us all, even in Montana
I remember where I was when I first heard about Alabama’s Supreme Court decision regarding in vitro fertilization and the personhood-status of frozen embryos. It’s the same way I remember exactly where I was when I heard about the 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade. I imagine it’s similar to the way my mom remembered getting the call about the twin towers while driving home from the fertility clinic seven months before my brother and I were born as successful IVF babies.
The Big Sky Documentary Film Festival Issue
Now entering its 21st season, The Big Sky Documentary Film Festival is an opportunity for film artists from across Montana and the world to share their work on the big and little screens. The annual 10-day event draws roughly 20,000 audience members who can watch films in popular places throughout Missoula and from the comfort of their own homes.
The real holiday is Feb. 15
Dear loyal readers, It’s not a secret that Valentine’s Day is a corporate-sponsored holiday built up by the greeting card industry. That single-person, relationship-fearing, anti-love catchphrase makes its way through social media every year, almost as annoying as the holiday itself (at least for the people who are miserably alone). But we’re not here to discuss the wiles of the day of love. Because anyone who waits with bated breath for Feb.
Spinsters unite: It’s OK not to find love in college
My first college dating experience began — as I imagine many first dates at the University of Montana do — with an invitation to go down to the Clark Fork River after freshman orientation week. A few months later, that relationship ended with a religious lecture on how my widowed mother needed to remarry so I could have a proper father figure and if she didn’t, my brothers would likely end up in prison. Things didn’t get much better from there.
The NFL is scripted and that’s a good thing
Dear loyal readers, The NFL isn’t for everyone, but we believe the recent rumors about a supposed scandal makes it for everyone. Who doesn’t love a good scandal every now and then? Rumors sparked about three years ago claiming the NFL was scripted, and the conspiracy theory has picked up traction this year. The NFL even made a commercial “joking” it was scripted to advertise this year’s season (way to be subtle about it.) The biggest conspiracy, however, is the Super Bowl logo.
Give us a break: We should get the whole week off before Thanksgiving
Dear loyal readers, We’re back, along with most of the student body, after a brief respite from campus and our computer screens. And although we’re ready to move full speed ahead toward finals week, we have a bone to pick. Those two days before Thanksgiving break, where half of campus disappears and professors suddenly cancel class with hours to spare, are stupid. We should just have the whole week off, and we in the design corner are prepared to offer many reasons why.
Dear UM: I shouldn’t be afraid to do laundry anymore
For two years, I’ve praised the Lewis and Clark Villages as an underrated living option. It has cheaper rent than other student living apartments, prime access to the UDASH buses and clean facilities that feel like home after hanging up some string lights. But two weeks ago, I received the campus-wide Clery Act email about a reported assault at Cinnabar Court in the University Villages, practically kitty-corner to my apartment and only separated by the golf course.
Morgan and Zach aren’t country, and neither are you
Dear loyal readers, Morgan Wallen and Zach Bryan are NOT country. Now, before you get yourself in a hissy fit, calm your country-posing ass down. First off, we need to be more sparing with the phrase “I love country music.” You cannot say you love country music if you only listen to Morgan Wallen and Zach Bryan. And we think this goes for any music genre. We aren't going to say we love rap music because we like Kendrick Lamar and DaBaby. What kind of pop bullshit is most of Wallen’s music anyway?
Santa Claus isn't coming to town yet, chill
Dear loyal readers, We are begging you, please have some self-control. Christmas is still 54 days away. Yeah, you can say, Christmas is ONLY 54 days away and it ONLY comes once a year and we’re just being Scrooges. Well give us a sleeping cap and summon the ghost of Christmas past, because we’re proud of that title when it’s literally November 1. We are sick of hearing the same 20-ish songs redone over and over again and played on the radio for two months straight.
Can you feel the ... anticipation?
When Michael Beverley walked into the audition, he was already tense. It was like walking through the cafeteria on the first day of school. There was a lot to take in. Lots of fishnets, lots of heels, lots of personality, lots of competition. The audition, held at a local dance studio on a September morning, was for “The Rocky Horror Show Live!” at The Wilma.
Horror franchises shouldn’t be a thing
Dear loyal readers, As the spookiest of seasons approaches, we must prepare by watching some of the most frightful of movies to get us in the right spirits. Now, there is a plentiful selection of horrors and thrillers out there for us, but we would like to challenge movie producers and writers to be more creative. In recent years, it has become a trend to “remake” classics, with Disney in the forefront of it all.
Starry is a crappy replacement for Sierra Mist
Dear loyal readers, There’s a new lemon-lime soda on the market, and it looks like a PG-13 Mountain Dew wannabe. And while Starry is technically replacing Sierra Mist rather than adding a completely new lemon-lime soda into the mix, we just don’t get the need for another Sprite competitor. The market is already saturated, yet it’s pretty clear Sprite remains on top. I mean, for lovers of lemon-lime sodas, ordering at the drive-through is a pretty universal experience.
Swifties need to calm down
Dear loyal readers, At this point, all of you must know who Taylor Swift is, or have at least heard of her. For those of you who don’t know her, she started as a country singer, her Eras tour broke TicketMaster, her crowd caused a minor earthquake in Seattle and recently she has taken the football scene by storm with her supposed romance with Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs. All of that is great, but Miss Swift is not the reason you are reading our rant today.
X is still weird, but we’re here for the meme accounts, and you should join us
Dear loyal readers, The Flat Earth Society is still providing “data” to support their claim that we are living on a flat Earth instead of a round one. And I say if they can air out their millennium-old laundry, we can air out our months-old laundry. And back off, we just got this publishing space, too. Anyway… Some of us use Twitter, now called X, out of genuine intrigue and habit — perhaps for news updates, sports play-by-plays, and the latest celebrity gossip.
Dockporters Keep the Island Moving
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Autumn is coming, and we’re not ready
Welcome, new readers, to our humble couch. Before we get into this Ed Sheeran business, allow us to introduce you to the Kaimin’s newest column, the Kenny Kolumn.
Don’t cry over spilled milk
Spoiler alert; It’s milk time, motherfuckers. Between the showoffs, healthy gurus, cow-nterfeit fakes and protein powder bros, it’s time you’re put in your place. We know these hard-hitting revelations may not go down smooth, so don’t have a milk-down, we don’t care if you lach the nerve. Grab a cup and cheers that jolly hoe, ‘cause it’s udderly time to read the stars. LIBRA (SEP. 23-OCT. 22): Aight, it’s finally time you make a damn decision about ANYTHING.
Mustache Merle: The Most Famous Horse Around Town
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Mackinac Island Is Considering Adding More Historic Protections
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Mackinac Island’s Resident Police Dog Is ‘Tiny Rock Star’
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‘Somewhere in Crime’ Is Second Novel By Writing Duo and Former Mackinac Island Dockporters
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Optima Wins Second Yacht Club Race in a Row
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Cows, Deer, and Musical Wells: Bike Ride Explores Mackinac’s Forgotten Features
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Soo Theatre Brings “Gianni Schicchi” To Mission Point Theatre, “Tosca” Is August 13
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Archeologists Find Gaming Die, Netherlands Pipe at Colonial Michilimackinac Excavation
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State Park Brings History To Life During Bicycle Tours
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Celebrating 125 Years of Banning Horseless Carriages
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Mackinac Island Celebrates 125 Years of Auto Ban
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Classical Music Series Begins With Opera Performance at Mission Point
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‘Many Hands Make Light Work’ SCOUTS CONTINUE LIGHTHOUSE PRESERVATION
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State Park Plans War of 1812 Bicycle Tour July 15
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Mackinac Island Community Resale Planned
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All Are Welcomed at Straits Pride Picnic
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School Board Approves 2023-24 Budget, Two Superintendent Candidates for Second Interview
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Optima Wins Dave Rowe Memorial Fourth of July Race Sponsored by the Pink Pony, One of Three Finishers
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Swing Dance Classes Are Taking Over Mackinac Island; Salsa Lessons Coming in August
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Composer Andrew Perkins to Host Public Workshop
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Verde’s Taquería Features Flights, Live Music, Trendy Vibes
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Isabella Nitzschke Is Crowned 2023 Lilac Festival Queen
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Children’s Book by Nicole Doud Introduces Young Readers to ‘ABC’s of Mackinac Island’
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75th Mackinac Island Lilac Festival Off To Blooming Start This Friday; Parade Is June 18
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March to Post Cemetery Honors 140-Year-Old Tradition
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Community Theatre Finds Success, Lasting Memories During Spring Musical “Little Shop of Horrors”
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Zoo-de-Mackinac Riders to Descend on Island This Saturday, May 20
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