Since 1929, The Academy Awards have been primarily white. The first African-American actor to win in a competitive category was Hattie McDaniel in 1940 but only for a supporting role. An African-American director has yet to win an Oscar for Best Director. The first nomination of an African-American director was in 1991 – 62 years after the first Academy Awards. 

This lack of diversity has not gone unnoticed by movie-goers of the 21st century. Starting in 2015, the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag has trended during awards season. This hashtag does not only apply to the lack of nominations for people of color but also the lack of women and members of the LGBTQ+ community. 

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recently or has now established new standards of diversity and inclusion for the Best Picture category. While this does not change for movies nominated for the next three years, they will make the standards mandatory for all films nominated for best picture in 2024.

The new standards lay out four categories of diversity, of which two must be fulfilled to be considered for the Best Picture nomination. The four categories: On-Screen Representation, Themes and Narratives; Creative Leadership and Project Team; Industry Access and Opportunities; and Audience Development. 

The first category addresses the lack of non-white members of the cast and a lack of focus on marginalized narratives. There are three stipulations for this category, only one of them must be completed for the fulfillment of this category. The three stipulations are:

– There must be at least one lead actor from a marginalized or under-represented ethnic group.

– A minimum of 30 percent of minor roles are filled by women, members of the LGBTQ+ community, marginalized ethnicities or persons with cognitive or physical disabilities.

– The main theme of the movie must center around one of the aforementioned under-represented groups.

The second category tackles the lack of diversity in technical positions in the film industry. The three stipulations for this category are:

– A minimum of two of the following positions must be filled by a member of an under-represented group: Casting Director, Cinematographer, Composer, Costume Designer, Director, Editor, Hairstylist, Makeup Artist, Producer, Production Designer, Set Decorator, Sound, VFX Supervisor, Writer

– At least one of six members of the technical team, excluding Production Assistants, must be from an under-represented group of people.

– At least 30 percent of the film’s crew must be members of an under-represented group of people.

The third category focuses on the lack of opportunity for those in under-represented minorities in Hollywood. The two stipulations are: 

– The distribution or financing group of a film must have paid apprenticeships or internships for members of under-represented minorities.

– The film or financing company must offer training for under-skilled workers that belong to an under-represented group of people.

The final category tries to fight the lack of diversity in marketing and distribution. This category only has one stipulation: 

– The studio or film company must have multiple in-house executives on their marketing and distribution teams from under-represented minorities. 

These new rules for consideration were released by the Academy Sept. 8 and divided much of the film-loving community. While many people see these new standards as a step toward equality in the representation of minorities on and behind the camera others saw this as a publicity stunt. By making it so that the films must only complete two stipulations from different categories out of the nine that were put forward many believe that it will be too easy for films to create temporary programs or positions to fill their quota of diversity before the release the film to the public. 

I see these prerequisites for nomination as a partial step in the right direction for the future of cinema. If a film fulfills the bare minimum of these requirements for consideration when making the film nothing will have changed for a majority of the movies we see today. The stories will still be from the perspectives of the majority while the marginalized voices are relegated to the same indie films that they have been for decades. 

The film industry has to finally step out of the time that it has chosen to stay in since Hattie McDaniel won her Oscar in 1940. But that step can’t just be made by those who give out the awards, it has to be made by the film studios, the directors, the casting companies, the screenwriters – but most importantly – it has to be made by us. We have to support the movies that are about and are told by marginalized people. It is only then that the films will change to truly represent the diversity in America that we see every day.

With the pandemic raging across the world the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art closed its doors March 14 to protect both its workers and the people of Kansas City. The closure was temporary at first – only a week to stop the initial spread – but as the virus rampaged through the metro, it was extended. Now that the city-wide restrictions are being lessened the Nelson has slowly started reopening to the public.

The time during which the museum was closed was not wasted by the employees. A team of dedicated staff took up the challenge of starting to virtualize a visit to the museum to allow those who cannot visit in person to still experience the wonderful art. The Nelson also started to repave the area in front of the museum while there were no guests for optimal working conditions and so there was little to no inconvenience for anyone.

Starting Sept. 12, the museum opened up again to the public with some major changes to its operations. While it is still free, all patrons must visit the museum’s website and sign up for a timed visit. These tickets allow for adequate contract tracing in the event of a visitor contracting COVID-19. 

Kathleen Leighton, Manager of Media Relations for the museum, said that the reason for doing these timed intervals is “to avoid a crush of people at any one time.” 

To keep up with rigorous cleaning the museum has also changed its hours and is now closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Additionally, the museum and its staff are taking as many precautions as possible to protect patrons.

“Each employee and volunteer must take their temperature upon arriving at work, wear a mask at all times, and maintain [a] social distance of at least six feet. Our visitors must wear masks, maintain social distance, and procure timed tickets before coming. We have plenty of hand sanitizer available for our guests and our visitor service officers are watching to be sure no gallery gets too crowded,” Leighton said. 

I visited the museum this past Sunday to see the changes for myself. The timed tickets limit the number of people admitted in at any time allowing for what feels like a private visit. The normally crowded gallery featuring Monet’s “Water Lilies” was populated by only myself and an employee. The exhibit featuring the “Mummy of Ka-i-nefer,” which is usually filled with noisy children, was once again lying in silence. As I wandered the large and mostly empty exhibits, the echoes of my steps filled the space accompanied by the quiet music played over the speakers. 

The reactions of the employees and the visitors about the reopening of the museum have all been positive, according to Leighton. 

“Employees are very excited that our doors are open once again and have told us they feel very safe in the environment provided by the museum. Visitors have been elated. One couple came into the museum and began to dance! Several others broke out into song. I think that tells you how much our guests missed the museum while we were closed,” said Leighton. 

For those who wish to visit the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art now that it has reopened, head to their website to schedule your visit. If you want to experience the art while mitigating any risk, the sculpture park is open and the festivals – like the one celebrating Day of The Dead – have gone virtual until the pandemic is over.

For many students on William Jewell College’s campus, activities outside of their academic studies are a time to decompress and share an experience with friends. These activities range from theatre to intramurals and football to choir. All of these activities have been affected and changed by the rise of COVID-19 in the United States since late January. For 48 students on the Hill, the chance to sing with their friends and de-stress at the end of the day has been flipped on its head.

The William Jewell choir program, typically consisting of Choral Ensemble, Concert Choir and Choral Scholars, has been rearranged to mitigate the spread of the virus on campus. The 48 members of Jewell’s choir program have been separated into six small ensembles – with two ensembles meeting with Dr. Maglione in the afternoon outside, weather-permitting, near the concession stand in Greene Stadium. 

Each singer is assigned to a spot, marked with a white X, that is distanced from the singers around them. The students have all been given a special singer’s mask. The mask, while still protecting the wearer and those around them, sticks out farther from the face of the wearer, allowing for better sound and air circulation. 

The soprano-alto choir was separated into two groups with one singing “The March of the Women” by Ethel Smyth and the other group singing “Ave Maria” by B.E. Boykin. The tenor-bass choir will be singing “Requiescat” by Andrea Ramsey. 

During the rehearsal process, each of the three groups will be split into the aforementioned six small ensembles and will use the Acapella app to showcase the progress that they have made on the pieces. Dr. Maglione hopes to use a new app, with a scheduled release date in October, for the final performance as it should allow for up to 50 participants in collaboration with a similar end product to the Acapella app. The creation of this new app would allow the choir to have performances with the entirety of the choir. Performing with the whole of the choir restores some semblance of normalcy, but the choir experience that these singers have come to know and love will not be what it was until the threat of COVID-19 is gone. 

Georgia Hatfield, first-year music education major, spoke about her experiences in the choir program so far. 

“I assumed that I would be in one huge choir … and every single day we would work on learning the music together,” Hatfield said. 

Instead of the large choir that she had been expecting, Hatfield has been placed into one of the small ensembles as well as the Choral Scholars ensemble. However, these changes to the typical structure of the choir have not gotten her down.

“I knew that a smaller school and a smaller music program would mean more attention to detail, but this makes me feel like they really care about us and are trying their best to think things through for the safety of not only the professors but the students [as well],” said Hatfield.

In regards to the precautions taken by the music department, Hatfield said she never feels unsafe. Overall, her time in the choir so far has been positive, with some expected setbacks.

“It is much harder to make connections and get to know the other singers in the group,” said Hatfield.

Social distancing and the masks make it difficult for those new on campus, not just those in the choir program, to create the deep connections that are so widely touted by students of Jewell, but that does not mean we must disregard either of those things. We must temporarily forego these “normal” connections on campus to fight and stop the pandemic in this country. Once we have done that we will be able to finally remove our masks, hug our friends and forge those deep connections that we all heard about on our tours of the college.

In 1983, Jerry Harrington opened the Tivoli Cinemas on Westport Road. Harrington and the Tivoli played an active role in Kansas City’s film scene. The Tivoli held the LGBTQ+ film festival, Out Here Now, every summer. In 1992, the theater expanded and moved across the road to a three-screen building. It screened thousands of movies and brought joy to many patrons. If you spent enough time at the Tivoli you would get to know John personally. He loved the joy that he saw on people’s faces as they left the theater. 

The theater was famous for showing small independent art films that would not regularly be shown at larger theaters. It was the theater that I first watched, and fell in love with, the film “Ladybird.” The small theater was able to survive the changing film industry and in 2013 raised $130,000 to switch the film projectors to digital projectors. But with the advent of streaming services, and larger theaters expanding into niche films, the Tivoli lost customers. 

“The combination of the age of the facility, my advancing age and health issues, along with the radical shifts happening in the movie business have made it impossible for me to continue,” Harrington wrote in  his letter announcing the closing of the Tivoli in April of this year. 

The closing of the Tivoli was met with sadness from many of the patrons of the theater, as it was the place that they were introduced to art-house movies and the joy that can be made from small, independent films. 

“Kansas City has lost a cultural icon that will never be replaced,” said Ben and Brian Mossman, owners of the Glenwood Arts Theatre, in a statement about the closing. 

This isn’t the end for the Tivoli Cinemas though. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art announced Sept. 20 that they are helping to reopen the Tivoli. They are donating their Atkins Auditorium for screenings four times a week. They are updating their digital projectors and putting in a loop to assist the hearing impaired patrons. 

“We have been very interested in strengthening our film programming at the Nelson-Atkins, and housing the beloved Tivoli while benefiting from Jerry’s deep knowledge of independent films has a wonderful symmetry,” said Julián Zugazagoitia, CEO & Director of the Nelson-Atkins.  “This exciting partnership will fill a vacancy that has been left in Kansas City since the Tivoli’s closing.” 

Jerry Harrington has been named the film curator at the new Tivoli at the Nelson-Atkins. 

“My heart was broken when the Tivoli closed,” Harrington said in an interview with Fox4. “I could never have imagined re-opening the doors in such a magnificent setting.”

 The partnership will allow Harrington to choose the movies that will be shown. He has made it clear that he will not only be showing new movies, but those movies that he thinks are vital to film history. The films will not only be domestic American films but important foreign films, harking back to the first few years of the Tivoli Cinema and its notorious choice of independent, foreign films.

Coinciding with the opening of the Tivoli at the Nelson-Atkins, the Rozzelle Court is being revamped. It will now be open after the matinees at the Tivoli for film discussions that, when possible, will be led by guest speakers. The new food court will also focus on smaller, shareable plates for light eating during the discussion.

There will be a special Donor’s Premiere held Oct. 21 at 7:30 p.m. for their first film. They will be showing the silent film “The General” starring Buster Keaton with the music being provided live by the Alloy Orchestra.

The public premiere will be Wednesday, Oct. 23. Films will be shown four times a week at the Atkins Auditorium: Monday at 11:15 a.m., Wednesday at 1 p.m., Friday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. Tickets will be $10 at the box office or online at nelson-atkins.org and $7 for members of the museum.