Secrets and Lies. Dalton Debrick (2014): Died of alcohol poisoning while pledging tothe Alpha Sigma Phi colony. What would you have changed about the film?I would have made it less about the parties and girls, more about brotherhood, academia, and leadership. The original title of the film Burning Sands is Burning Sands. Mike Deng (2013): Died following multiple body slams by 20-30 members of a fraternity. If creating a call to action about hazing was the motive, then why was the rest of the film pretty negative as well? I admit that simply pledging (or being hazed) doesnt ensure greatness. After filming this, I talked to my team and I was like, Guys, we do need something a little light., I cant cry everyday, he added. Alpha Kappa Alpha, the first black sorority, would be founded two years later in 1908 (Michelle Obama and tennis great Zina Garrison are members). Stage Information Misc. My grades were the best theyd ever been because I was disciplined throughout the whole process. As a member of a Black Greek Letter Organization, were you personally offended at any point during the film? Anything else?As people of color, we are all unique and multifaceted in so many ways. Legend of the Burning Sands. It just means you went through a tough process. 7 min read. For prospective initiates, it's okay to stand up for what is wrong. The Netflix film, Burning Sands (2017), is described online as: "Zurich Condoll (Trevor Jackson) is a student at Frederick Douglass University and is proud to be a pledge at a famous African-American fraternity. [Burning Sands] depicts the honor, distinction and dignity promised to the brothers of [the fictional] Lambda Phi just as clearly as it shows the danger in their baptism by fire, according to Netflix. And this movie really promotes brotherhood. Frank M. Sands Sr. (MBA '63), a visionary investment manager who left an indelible mark on the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, passed away at his home on 18 March.. Although badly burned and wounded, both 35-year-old master carpenter Billy Weston, who had built Taliesin, and landscape gardener David Lindblom managed to escape with Fritz. It was fairly accurate, but with films like this and othersStomp the Yard,Drumline,etc.they won't ever give the completely perfect picture to the experience because each HBCU and the chapters of those organizations are unique and different. Burning Sandsis available to watch on Netflix. The way the pledges were treated, as well as the hazing, was somewhat dramatized. That narrative is super played. The brotherhood and the family I acquired made me who I am but thats what separates pledging from hazing.. For alumni, you have to take oversight over your undergrad chapter and make sure the young adults are not making uninformed decisions that could compromise their futures. In the film, there is a moment when a girl who is in a sorority asks, Who is your girlfriend is she in a sorority? and the guy replies, Shes not the sorority type. The girl says, I wouldnt know her then. This suggests that black Greeks interact only with each other. Burning Sands takes place at a fictitious HBCU, Frederick Douglass University, during the Lambda Phi fraternity's Hell Week. Starring: Trevor Jackson, Alfre Woodard, Trevante Rhodes. Sundance Film Review: 'Burning Sands' Reviewed at Sundance Film Festival (competing), Jan. 24, 2017. How do we break these cycles? They feature NPC towers, Alliance buildings, and outside of The Great Empire, Resource Villages. Embarrassed? Related topic Torn (Ednaswap song) Related topic. Directed by Gerard McMurray Writing Credits (in alphabetical order) Cast (in credits order) Produced by Music by Kevin Lax Cinematography by Isiah Dont Lee . Such ambiguity is also felt in a finale that finds Zurich and company coping with tragedy, and in the process, figuring out to whom theyre truly loyal. See production, box office & company info, It's alright, I guess, but I just couldn't connect to it. Based on feedback from people who arent Greek-affiliated, the positive characteristics of these organizations arent portrayed prominently enough in the film to indicate that the negative experiences that it depicts are exceptions to the norm. There are some colleges that dont have those groups but they still have hazing in their athletics groups. Given that Burning Sands takes place at Frederick Douglass University, its apt that Douglasss prose is a constant presence, be it in dialogue between Zurich and Hughes, or in Zurichs own narration. Zurich takes out his cell phone and calls his dad, realizing why his father never joined the fraternity, and the movie ends. Judges in the US have been in fraternities, most of our presidents have been in a fraternity and theres leniency, theres a feeling that these are good kids., I helped conduct a survey for Alfred University and the National Collegiate Athletics Association. While the movie is named after the term "crossing the sands," it doesn't have much to do with the phrase's meaning. These organizations bring people together, make change in the world, and give you a bond that you cant find anywhere. Five young men pledge Lambda Lambda Phi Fraternity at the historically Black institution, Frederick Douglass University. Copyright Fandango. When you create a movie like thatwith a black cast, which depicts mostly black peopleyou have to assume we, people of color, are your main audience. I learned to push my mind, body and soul to limits that I didnt think were possible. My favorite actors Denzel Washington and Michael Shannon are people who go there. Among black fraternities and sororities, there is the saying, Its harder once you make it across the burning sands. What was your initial reaction after watching Burning Sands? Be sure to include what name you would like to be credited with! My biggest worry was that the film would include special and sacred elements of a pledging process that aren't to be shared with the public. The setting is a counterpart to the period when Dune's Freemen burst free from Arrakis and waged war to reshape the universe at the end . Burning sands; Other Title Fox trot Summary . Yes, I did lose 15 pounds off my 130-pound frame while I pledged. He said that the film was inspired by the death of a student and that he wants to use it to start a conversation about a call to action to stop hazing. Al Ashwa! NYLON 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Theres no permanent solution hazing has always been with us and it will continue to be with us in 100 years.. There was only one scene in a classroom, while there were several scenes at a fast food restaurant. BGLO is one of them, and we all join for various reasons. In the spring of 1981, a hunger strike involving an IRA prisoner became a story that caught the world's attention. Frank's Death. Looking at the film, I am not even sure why anyone would have wanted to join Lambda Phi, based off of how they conducted themselves on campus. It gives people an idea of what they could be getting themselves into. Its still overwhelming just thinking about it.. Its similar to someone who makes it through college with a 4.0 but gets into the professional world and lacks the drive, hustle and professionalism to be successful. The movie leaves you feeling empty, like there's no real meaning behind it all, and that's the whole point; it's just like the hazing death that it portrays. I leaned a lot not just through our communication but also just watching her and Steve (Harris) do what they do, he said. Please explain. The film did not depict how BGLOs run their organizations or the principles of public service or scholarship. Some 1,600 homes and buildings have been destroyed. Philip Lewis, Michigan State University '13, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. What was your initial reaction after watching Burning Sands?That there is a distinction between pledging and hazing. Shadow of the Tyrant. Champion, 26, died in November 2011 aboard a school bus after a football game and a band initiation rite. Burning Sands is a movie about this group of young college freshmen who want to get into this fraternity and have to go through one week of humiliation by its members. It's based on true events and sheds light on the dangers of hazing. Fix typos. After seconds of waiting the doctor tells them that Frank died of a ruptured aorta artery. To me, it was very one-dimensional and flat in depicting what it is like to actually be pledging at an HBCU. Like records, traditions are meant to be broken, especially when it involves violence that can lead to serious injury and death. Burning Sands | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix Watch on Burning Sands is the debut feature from Gerard McMurray, whose most notable producing credit is on Ryan Coogler's devastating. Lastly, I believe the film did a good job highlighting some of the challenges you face while pledging, i.e., discretion, maintaining relationships, financial strain, and time management. However, Burning Sandsdid expand the representation of BGLO in film to a certain extent, by incorporating older fraternity members into the story line in order to demonstrate the organizations emphasis on lifelong, active membership, rather than simply focusing on pledging as other films have. Only ten per cent believed they had taken part in the practice, but the number who went through drinking, sexual simulation, beatings, forced shoplifting, was over 50 per cent. Apollo then goes on, in mourning and shock, and by the end of the book, Riordan closes with Apollo remembering the words of Jason; promising himself to . Since 1988 The Burning Sands by Alicia has served Divine 9 greek organizations with. I had never seen a group of young black men who stood atop the social ladder and balanced that with excellence in academics and service to their community. 77 were here. Six of the nine would be founded at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and all of them are collectively referred to as the Divine Nine. However, the question is at what cost? While I do not agree with the entire approach, I would be a fool to say that the topic wasnt relevant. The film is based on the personal experiences of the writer-director Gerard McMurray, and was inspired by Robert Champion, the FAMU drum major killed in a hazing ritual in Orlando, Florida. The film set out to address hazing in BGLOs, and it didbut with exaggerations and inconsistencies. This was frustrating, because the film was shot very well, and could have been even better had the plot been more realistic. Zurich is joined in his fraternity quest by four mates, only two of whomangrier Frank (Tosin Cole) and nerdy Square (DeRon Horton)are really defined by McMurray and Christine Bergs screenplay. All rights reserved. Yes. Just like one of them $80 shirts from Dick's or the PGA Store. I actually received a 4.0 GPA while I was pledging. [4], Burning Sands received positive reviews from film critics. Considering that this film was not just for BGLO audiences, those who aren't members of an org may still be confused about certain aspects of the experience. Getting the definition across is really important.. Generations have benefited from the Divine Nines leadership, scholarship and charity. Burning Sands is a 2017 American drama film, directed by Gerard McMurray, from a screenplay by McMurray and Christine Berg. Lakin Starling, Spelman College '13, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. It sent the message that HBCUs are only about Greek Organizations, sex, and parties, which is not true at all. In order to be a part of BGLO, there are academic requirements that must be met, meaning while there is a possibility your grades could slip during the pledging phase, there is still a large portion of your focus that must remain dedicated to your education. It showed the large professional network and the dynamic of those relationships but I still wish some of that was reflected in some of the guys on campus. The initiation required pledges to run down the center of the bus while being punched and kicked by senior members. It is also equally irresponsible for members of BGLOs to dismiss this movie as pure fiction when it is not. All rights reserved. Critics often say the Divine Nine creates elitism among African-Americans on college campuses. Hazing is any action taken or any situation created intentionally that causes embarrassment, harassment or ridicule and risks emotional and/or physical harm to members of a group or team, whether new or not, regardless of the persons willingness to participate. (hazingprevention.org). Words . From the time I played little league sports to the time I entered corporate America, Ive experienced some form of hazing. Kingdoms are the main locations of the game that the player can build and manage a castle in. Following 1908, there would be four more black fraternities and three more black sororities created, all boasting their own illustrious history, members and contributions to American and world history. Still, you ache as Zurich undergoes emotional U-turns in the hours before Hell Night, debating whether to expose Lambda Lambda Phi's tactics or summon his leadership potential to "cross the . The lessons gleaned from Douglasss words, though, are complicated. The 19-year-old had been forcedto take part in an 18-mile hike through the mountainous terrain North-East of Los Angeles, without footwear or an adequate water supply. But unlikeBurning Sands, the musically driven movie portrays hazing as a rite of passage instead of a life-threatening crossroad. This may be the only peek into Greek life for some people, and you don't want it to be blanketed by stereotypes. Hazing deaths in recent years Michael Walker (2016): Died of alcohol poisoning. Actor Trevor Jackson arrives at the Screening Of Netflix's "Burning Sands" at Rave Cinemas on February 16, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. Each chapter will introduce a new character, story line, and/or location. Armando Villa (2014): Died after being forced to hike barefooted through the Angeles Mountains [1] In January 2017, Common boarded the film as an executive producer and will contribute an original song to the film. Burning Sands: Jihad is the first setting supplement for Burning Wheel Revised, and is based on Frank Herbert's Dune, with a nod to modern politics.Salt is melange, the Mahdi-Emperor is Paul, the Sisterhood is the Bene Gesserit, and the Syndicate is the Guild. It stars Trevor Jackson, Alfre Woodard, Steve Harris, Tosin Cole, DeRon Horton and Trevante Rhodes. As I always like to say, Its deeper than rap lyrics, which refers to when theres a beef between two hip-hop artists and the beef goes beyond the actual song as in Remy Ma vs. Nicki Minaj. It currently holds an 87% approval rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, based on 23 reviews, with an average rating of 7.1/10. I would be very hesitant about showing something like that in front of white audiences; it feeds into the narrative that black men are savages. Thedirector, in making of the film, wanted to start a conversation about a call to action to stop hazing. It's tough to watch because I was in the shoes of those pledges, but it's something I vowed to never partake in once I was a member. Gerard McMurray, a producer on acclaimed filmFruitvale Station, directed and co-wrote Burning Sands, which also stars Oscar-nominated actress Alfre Woodard (Luke Cage), Steve Harris (The Practice), and Trevante Rhodes (Moonlight). Villa had been attempting to gain entry into the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity at California State University when he was coerced into taking part in the hazing practice. P.R. I analyzed how they performed. . Furthermore, I enjoyed the one professor's concern with Zurich; educators at HBCUs are definitely more connected with their students. I wanted to tell a story to create a dialogue, said McMurray, a Howard University graduate and a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity. During the movie, two Frederick Douglass quotes are repeated: Its easier to build strong children than to repair broken men, and, If there is no struggle, there is no progress. These quotes are on opposite ends of the spectrum, yet still meet at a crossroads, showing the dichotomy of black Greek life. The Burning Sands, also known in the Rokugani tongue as the Yakeru yoni Atsui, was the name given to the great arid area to the north and west of the Empire of Rokugan. These young pledges, reaching out to members, who were once in their shoes and are now excelling in their particular field, was a point of the film I enjoyed. Burning Sands is the new Netflix movie that focuses on the story of 5 young black men trying to become members of Lamba Phi, one of the top fraternities at their HBCU. Could burning sands frank death getting themselves into at an HBCU replies, Shes not sorority., from a screenplay by McMurray and Christine Berg Ednaswap song ) related topic buildings and! 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