User talk:Squalrii

Squalrus
Squalrus can best be defined as a social and artistic movement of the early twenty first century in the Northwest of the United States. It can generally be characterized by an acute realism, often utilized to express doubt toward religious conviction and/or existentialistic nausea.

Humble beginnings: reactionary
The movement arose in opposition to the rigid social structure of evangelical Christianity which dominates the campus of Whitworth University in Spokane, WA, USA (www.whitworth.edu), a social system revolving around Christian fellowship and Bible Study, which early members (Squalrii) found stifling.

Whitworth University 2007: The social climate at Whitworth University is not what anyone would expect to find at an American College. Though there are certainly more extreme examples of Christian conservatism, a typical social outlet for a student at Whitworth ranges from organized board game nights to Bible Studies. Many young adults thrive under these conditions, innocent fun and consistent profession of faith, but for those who don’t this can be extremely tiresome. There is little room for questions and/or doubts in such a setting.

Dry Campus: Whitworth, true to its conservative convictions, is also a “dry campus”, meaning that there are strict consequences for the possession of alcohol on campus, even if the student or faculty member is of legal drinking age, and are also firm penalties for the possession of marijuana and other mild narcotics.

Squalor
party atmosphere/narcotics/alcohol/cigarettes/: Squalrus was the necessary reaction to a stifling social context for some students. The conservative evangelicalism struck some as judgmental. Students who had difficulty blindly accepting the claims of the conservative protestant church in America felt ostracized. Those who yearned for a freedom in social interaction banded together.

Squalrus began as a small social niche, providing an alternative to the strict social context which surrounded it. Many of its defining elements stemmed in direct opposition to Christian Conservatism. Squalrus became a haven for alcohol consumption, small drug deals, and open conversation. Its participants ranged from hardened atheists to the brand of active Christians who are willing to ask questions, share their doubts.

Embracing its identity as a party haven, Squalrus went even so far as to elevate the sinful amount of trash produced as a defining characteristic: Squalor, from which it derives its name.

This reputation as a “party-house” attracted many students, but Squalrus is more than that. From its internal struggle for identity, its wrestling with metaphysical truth, and its questioning of church doctrine came artistic expression: literary, musical, and visual. This side of the movement flourished.

Predecessors:
Motherland, Mugnug: Of course, in history each movement is born from the previous, and the lines are often fuzzy, but the earliest whisperings of the Squalrus which came to be can be traced to Westover St. Spokane, WA in the autumn of 2007. As any movement in the arts, Squalrus cannot claim complete originality and was deeply influenced in its early years by other counter-cultural movements budding at the time. The first of these at Whitworth University was known as “The Motherland” (circa 2005) a name taken from a controversial maternal association with soviet communism, which caught public attention in the surrounding  conservative community. Members of Whitworth University's administration famously regarded "The Motherland" as some kind of party conspiracy. The second, and more directly influential contemporary of Squalrus is “The Mugnug”, which flourished alongside Squalrus. Individuals to each of the three movements are often indistinguishable without significant background knowledge regarding the personal involvement of each individual. The reactionary spirit against the enveloping Whitworth culture is the same. It must be noted that these movements developed independently, though with an expansive grey area. Rather than developing a rivalry they shaped and molded each other, to each parties' benefit.

Etymology
Personification of squalor: Squalrus derives its name originally as a personification of the filth produced in a party atmosphere. Squalor + Walrus = Squalrus. Other interpretations have been put forward and have generally been entertained as valid. Squall, meaning a violent wind, could refer to the internal violence of existential doubt. The Walrus could refer to a clumsy Church institution, wallowing in its own refuse, not unlike the Elephant in TS Eliot’s poem: “Elephant”

Timeline
Squalrus I: 2007-2009 The original Westover haven and location of the defining end-of-year event: "Squalrus" in 2009 which first gave recognition to the movement's title.

Squalrus II: The 2009-present (location undisclosed) Spokane/Whitworth branch, arts center/party haven.

Squalrus III: Squalrus gains a footing in Seattle, WA: White Center, though this outpost is short-lived and plagued by a series of robberies and general abuse. The present Seattle post survives in disbanded hibernation, though the seed remains firmly planted in the city, slowly gaining strength and support.

2010 challenges and opportunities:
As Squalrus breaks it's ties with Whitworth it necessarily loses part of it's definition as a reactionary movement. The effort to make a name for itself as a bona fide arts movement in Seattle, WA is an intimidating task. In a city thriving with arts and culture, Squalrus is looking to gain recognition from a near-saturated public eye.

Squalrus Art Collective: A Symposium of artists, musicians, poets, and lovers. Music, poetry, visual arts, ceramics, culinary arts, photography, printmaking

Squalrus Records: In 2009 members of Squalrus launched an independent record label: Squalrus Records. The first endeavor towards a major production was a Christmas Album, recorded with low tech equipment and distributed solely via the internet, streaming free on Facebook and downloadable at http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=2952d8bcfe46b1dcb94117dade8fc295428fe437ce417cb7f85d402b9fc3640c.

In April 2010 Squalrus Records endorsed a regional tour for several of the bands under its label. Squalrus Tour 2010 played shows in Spokane, WA, Seattle, WA, Billings, MT and Fort Collins, CO

Dane Ueland

The Pall

Terrible Buttons

Reed Lakes: http://www.reedlakes.com/

Rebecca Snape

sources:

http://squalr.us

Squalrus Life: That Chorus of Smoke: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqxZr6SK9h8

Squalrus Art Collective: http://www.myspace.com/squalrus http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=192705183867&ref=ts

Squalrus Records: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Squalrus-Records/243799110409 Tour Poster: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sweetmephotography/4405202129/ http://www.seattlepoetic.com/?p=57 http://www.whitworthian.com/scene/terrible-buttons-tackles-issues-of-religion-with-music-1.2192344 http://truthlenders.com/#T-2

Kristen Black Photography: http://www.kristenblackphotography.com/

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/Dane+Ueland

Olive Green: http://olivegreenanna.blogspot.com/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/olivegreenanna/ http://www.myspace.com/annaandme

http://www.inlander.com/spokane/index.php

Mugnug: http://mugnug.wordpress.com/