Bhangra

Bhangra is a traditional form of Indian dancing that originated from the Punjab Region.  Bhangra is characterized by upbeat music, colorful costumes, and high-energy coordinated movement. Traditionally, males participate in the dance more than females, though it's very common for routines to include female dancers. Some teams, such as Michigan State's Bhangra team, is comprised of all female dancers, but this is uncommon. Although it's dominated by Punjabi Indians, many non-Punjabi people participate in the form of dance. "Dance and music breaks all cultural and racial barriers. There's definitely no limit to who can try out and who's on the team; if you're really good, you're really good. They tend to be mostly Punjabi, but it's getting diversified. Everyone is welcome," said MSU Bhangra captain Sharmila Kulkarni.

MSU Bhangra's Upcoming Competition

The MSU Bhangra Team will compete in the Bayside Bhangra competition this Saturday, April 2nd in Tampa, Florida. The team is leaving for sunny Florida Wednesday and will return to East Lansing on Sunday, ideally with a trophy. After winning first place in their last major competition, Raas Rave and Bhangra Blitz, the team is hoping to achieve similar success. The winning team will be awarded $3,000, with second place receiving $1,500 and first place receiving $750. This competition will be the team's last one of the year. Their season will officially end this Sunday, putting an end to their recent 6-hour-per-day practices. "It's my first competition. It's one of the biggest ones too so far, so I don't know what to expect, but I'm excited!" freshman and team member Navmeet Dhillon said.

Beauty and the Beast: Romantic or Abusive?

Beauty and the Beast is a children's animated Walt Disney film celebrated for it's beautiful love story. Belle, a woman gifted with both beauty and brains, turns down the most handsome and sought-after man in town because of his arrogance and conceit. She becomes the prisoner of a terrifying beast to save her father, and falls in love with him despite his monstrosity. Belle looks past the beast's bad qualities to see the good in him. At first glance, the story is seemingly inspiring and contains a good message for children. After watching the film more carefully, however, we can see signs of an abusive relationship, such as the beast's possession of Belle and the harsh way he speaks to her when he loses his temper. This message is potentially dangerous for the film's young viewers; as Belle forgives the Beast for his abusive behavior and focuses only on his positive qualities, she is encouraging other girls to forgive an abusive spouse for unacceptable behavior. While we're on the topic of potentially harmful messages in Disney films, doesn't the ending of Beauty and the Beast undermine the whole moral of the story? Belle falls in love with the beast for his personality, not his looks. However, he turns into a handsome prince once he wins her love. While it may shatter the moral, at least they're both human at the end. Bestiality isn't what we should be preaching to our kids.

Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast is an animated film created by Disney in 1992. The story follows the life of Belle, a beautiful young girl who loves to spend her time reading and assisting her father Maurice with his inventions. Belle is shunned by the town for being "odd," but the town stud Gaston decides to marry her because she's "the only girl as beautiful as he is." To his dismay, Belle turns him down. One day, Belle's father gets lost in the woods and ends up in an isolated castle occupied by a terrifying Beast and talking furniture. Belle discovers that her father is a prisoner, and offers to take his place in the castle. The beast agrees to her terms, and we later discover that he is under a spell; if he can find love before his 21st birthday, then he will turn back into a handsome prince. He and Belle eventually fall in love, as she slowly discovers his sweet side underneath a vicious temper. Meanwhile, Gaston hatches a plan to kill the beast and marry Belle. He almost succeeds, but the Beast prevails in the end and Gaston falls to his doom. The beast is seriously injured from his fight with Gaston, and dies just as his time limit to find love runs out. However, Belle proclaims her love for him as he lay dying, and the spell is broken. The beast returns to a handsome prince, and the two lovers live happily ever after in his castle.