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UNIVERSITY
THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWS OF UMKC
Vol. 78, Issue 10
Oct. 25, 2010
2 Haunting history
of Halloween
12Quick and easy
costume ideas
21Four-day workout
from a certified
trainer
Photo by Kevin Bryce
2
Halloween
NEWS
Vol. 78, Issue 10
through
history
Bailey Wilson
NEWS
Oct. 25, 2010
3
You
Who is “creepin’” on you?
Staff Writer
Candy, Jack-o-lanterns, costumes and pumpkin flavors are
symbols of Halloween.
But some trick-or-treaters don’t know Halloween has an ancient
and meaningful history that doesn’t include candy or zombies.
Halloween’s roots stretch further than a modern American
holiday.
According to www.magick7.com, Halloween traditions began
roughly 2,000 years ago as a Celtic celebration called Samhain
(pronounced sow-in).
Samhain was an important Pagan holiday.
The Celts lived in ancient Ireland, Britain and parts of Northern
France. Samhain marked both the end of summer and the
beginning of the Celtic new year.
The Celts believed that on Oct. 31, the eve of the new year, the
boundary between the world of the living and the world of the
dead became blurred, allowing spirits to revisit their former world.
On this night, Celtic priests, called Druids, made prophecies
about the coming year.
Bonfires and sacrifices of crops and animals were made as
offerings to the Celtic deities, while the Celtic people danced and
sang in costume.
Samhain was about honoring ancestors, the harvest and
celebrating the new year.
Centuries later, the political world changed and the Celtic
people found themselves ruled by the Roman Empire.
Around the eighth century, the Roman Catholic Church made
Nov. 1 All Saints’ Day, to honor saints without making individual
holidays.
This was nicknamed All-Hallow’s Day, making Samhuin AllHallows Eve.
Mark Linville Much of Halloween’s history has focused on the Macabre
Historians suspect the church wanted to replace the pagan
celebration with a more “holy” holiday.
The church later made Nov. 1 All Soul’s Day, in remembrance
of the dead. It was celebrated much like Samhain, with costumes,
dancing and parties.
Over time, All-Hallows Eve became Hallowmas, which we now
know today as Halloween.
Centuries later, when Europeans immigrated to America, they
brought small bits of Halloween with them.
They meshed these traditions with Native American traditions
to create festivities focused on the harvest, much like the Samhain
of the past.
Communities came together to dance, sing and tell ghost
stories. Costumes, pranks and mischief-making were popular.
The Irish brought with them the tradition of going door-to-
On Tuesday, Residential Life staff members hosted an online social
network safety session called “Creepbook.”
Students went to the Oak Place Apartments Community Room to talk
about their Facebook experiences and learn new techniques on how to
stay safe while networking online.
Apartment Living Assistants (ALA) Colton Mabis and Brock Lamkins
along with Renee Schloss, a Social Justice Coordinator (SJC), facilitated
the event.
The SJC is similar to a residential assistant (RA) but focuses more on
LGBT, women and gender-related issues that students may face.
The SJC lives among the residence so they may have that person to talk
to on a 24-hour basis.
The event featured a couple of guests from the UMKC Women’s
Center. Director Brenda Bethman and Michelle Kronan, a victim service
adjustment manager, attended the discussion portion and gave advice
and information on campus services that assist students through all forms
of traumatic events, including online stalking, which can lead to more
physical and dangerous encounters.
The students discussed a few key concerns they experienced while on
Facebook.
One of the biggest concerns was the availability of information on
Facebook.
“Residential Life recognizes that social media is a powerful tool, but
on the flip side, can get users into a lot of trouble if they are not cautious
about what information they provide,” Schloss said.
The students asked what information should be on their profiles.
Kronan explained to students how putting information such as a full
birthday can allow easier identity theft: Someone could obtain one’s
social security number using that information.
“There is all this information that you’re sharing with folks that I think,
in retrospect, when you look at all the stuff you’re putting out there, you
realize how vulnerable you can be,” Kronan said.
Kronan also mentioned incidents that led to more serious consequences
Photo courtesy Google Image
door for food and money, which later became “trick-or-treating.”
Over the decades, Halloween spread throughout the country,
becoming a popular holiday in many cities and communities, and
beloved by children.
Today, Halloween is geared more toward young children and
their families. Family-friendly activities like trick-or-treating have
replaced superstitions and religious ceremonies of the past.
Witchcraft, ghosts and pranks were traded for games, food
and festive costumes. Though many no longer have a harvest to
celebrate, they still rejoice in the changing of seasons and the hope
of things to come.
But if you want to celebrate Samhain the old-fashioned way,
spread your Halloween festivities out over three days.
[email protected]
October-fest
Kristen McMillen Staff Writer
Halloween may consist of Jack o’ lanterns, trick-or treating or Halloween parties for students in the
United States, but around the world Halloween has different traditions.
Americans may be surprised to learn much of the world is not aware of the Halloween holiday.
UMKC student Sashi Saripalle said although Halloween is celebrated in India, most people are
unaware of what the holiday actually is.
“India is a very diverse country, and yes, Halloween is celebrated,” Saripalle said, “unlike in many
other countries, Halloween is not known to many people.”
Much more common to the people of India is a festival called Dussehra.
“Dussehra is a popular festival celebrated by Hindus all over India, albeit with
different names. It is believed that it was on this day that Lord Rama killed the
demon-king, Ravana, and rescued his abducted wife, Sita. In other words, it
signifies the triumph of good over evil,” Saripalle said.
Dussehra is also celebrated during the month of October.
Student, Olajumoke Olowu said Nigeria is a country that does not
celebrate Halloween..
“We do not celebrate Halloween in Nigeria,” Olowu said. “The
only thing celebrated of national significance in October is our
Independence Day, which is October 1. This year’s was our Jubilee
celebration, 50 years of Independence.”
Like Halloween in the United States, Nigerian students do not get
out of school for the day, except in special circumstances.
“Elementary students are selected to participate in a national parade
that is covered and syndicated nationwide,” Olowu said. “The president
would usually give an address at this parade.”
Those who are not chosen to participate in the parade can join in the
festivities in other ways.
“For adult Nigerians, both inside and outside the country, there is a tendency
to dress in the colors of the national flag (green and white) on this day,” Olowu said. “The whole
nation is celebrating with visits from house to house, a normal occurrence within a neighborhood.
There would normally be a lot of cooking [and] eating in most homes, with dancing and loud music
blaring from a lot of [houses] as well.”
While Halloween is not celebrated in Cameroon, another traditional festival takes place, student
Innocent Nsoh-Awasom said.
“In Cameroon, people don't celebrate Halloween because they don't know about it, but every
community and every society once in a while has a social gathering where they celebrate and
socialize in one way or the other,” Nsoh-Awason said. “Cameroon is not an exception. Cameroon
is very diverse in culture with approximately 200 different ethnic groups with similar but
different cultures and beliefs.”
A dance celebration even takes place in the northwestern part of Cameroon.
In Mankon, Bamenda (North West Province) specifically, there is a
celebration similar to Halloween called Abine Forghe (the Fon's Dance).
It is a dance celebration where the Fon (leader of the ethnic group), his
entourage, the people and the village masquerade. The Fon's Dance
usually takes place midsummer every year.
This dance is to honor the Fon and his royalty and to eat, dance,
socialize and meet people. This day is a public holiday in Mankon.
“Everybody dresses in particular regalia which makes the event
very colorful and beautiful,” Nsoh-Awasom said.
Although there is no trick-or-treating involved, the celebration
involves children.
“Children are also given a place in this celebration,” Nsoh-Awasom
said. “They don't get candy. However, they eat traditional food, dance
too, compete with each other and engage in so many other fun activities.
The celebration is one of a kind, which everybody in Mankon awaits every
year.”
[email protected]
News Editor
Tips to stay safe
Mark Linville
News Editor
for those who mindlessly posted information on facebook.
Facebook and Twitter sometimes aid stalking. People who post their
class schedule and current whereabouts can allow others to stalk them,
or worse.
Mabis and Lamkins explained a new mobile application for Facebook
called “Check-in,” a default application that automatically broadcasts a
users information.
By simply including a place like Starbucks, for example, in your status,
“check-in” automatically adds a link to “Starbucks” and then sends a
special update to all of your friends’ mini-feeds.
Students can face many consequences from using Facebook, Twitter
and MySpace irresponsibly.
“These consequences could be anything from [falling victim to] theft,
to stalking, to robbery,” Schloss said.“We want to ensure that our residents
use these tools safely.”
The check-in application has led to cases of stalking.
In 2009, Asia McGowan, 20, was killed at gunpoint at the Henry Ford
Community College in Detroit after a man stalked her on Facebook and
harassed her though YouTube.
More recently in August, two Wisconsin women were charged for
stalking and eventually assaulting another woman over an ex-boyfriend.
The women could face up to 12 years in prison.
“It can happen anywhere,” Kronan said. “Be very conscience of who
you are allowing to see this information and what kind of information
you are sharing.”
Avoiding online trouble was one of the main goals of “Creepbook.”
Teaching the students the safe way to network is key to preventing the
violent crimes from happening again.
Below are a couple upcoming Social Justice events similar to
“Creepbook” that are sponsored by Residential Life
Oct. 27 is the “Looking closer at Athletics” on the fifth floor lounge in
the Oak Sreet Residence Hall room 5034 at 8 p.m.
Oct. 28 is the annual Post Secret workshop, head to the Oak Sreet
Basement at 9 p.m. to make your own Post Secret.
[email protected]
Halloween safety tips
‘Tis the time of year when many people celebrate All Hallow’s Eve, and
there are plenty of attractions to see. Kansas City has dozens of events
to celebrate the popular holiday. Even though it’s all fun and games, it is
always smart to stay safe and prevent anything or anyone from spoiling the
fun. Here are a few tips for you and yours to enjoy on the evening of haunt.
Travel in groups
When going to haunted houses in the west bottoms or a Halloween
party, make sure you and your friends stay together and rely on each other
to stay safe. Hundreds of people dressed up in crazy masks and costumes
can cause a little too much excitement, which means anything can happen,
especially when some are drinking alcohol at parties or night clubs and
bars.
Safe partying
Many UMKC students attend parties or go to places like Power and
Light District and Westport during Halloween. Don’t drive drunk. We all
know it is illegal, and potentially leads to more serious consequences than
needing a way home.
Meeting people is what makes partying fun, but it is important to be
cautious of strangers, especially on Halloween. Do not leave with them
alone; make sure your friends are with you at all times.
Never leave your drink unattended
Everyone knows what a “roofie” is. Nobody wants one in their drink.
So when you’re out this Halloween, be safe with your drinks. Never leave
it unattended. When holding your drink, hold it at the rim of the cup so
your hand covers it. Accept drinks from the people you trust. Unopened
or sealed bottles are always safer.
Be cautious of strangers and masked “creepers.”
Costumes are forms of disguises. It is always hard to identify someone
in a mask. You may know him or her but always be cautious. Always be
aware of the people you meet; you may want to ask them to take off their
mask when introducing yourself.
[email protected]
NEWS
4
Vol. 78, Issue 10
NEWS
Oct. 25, 2010
Anti-military activist speaks at UMKC
Mark Linville A propaganda poster breaking down indigenous targeting
Sedillo lectures at UMKC
Courtesy Google Images
Photo by Mark Linville
News Editor
“On the 14th of January, 2009, the Union of
Organizations of the Sierra Juárez of Oaxaca
(UNOSJO) released a communiqué in which the
organization expressed concerns of BioPiracy in
the Mexico Indigena mapping project, and claims
that communities were deceived, having no idea
that a primary funder of the project was the Foreign
Military Studies Office (FMSO). UNOSJO cites a
clear lack of transparency and additional suspicions
of implications related to the US Army’s controversial
Human Terrain Mapping System. Indeed, there is
very compelling evidence that the FMSO is engaging
in what they themselves define as ‘Civil Information
Management in Support of Counterinsurgency
Operations.’”
Above is an excerpt taken from an article written
by Simon Sedillo, a frequent visitor to the UMKC
campus and young political rights activist.
He continues his research and politically based
fight against what he believes is the oppression of
indigenous people in Mexico.
Sedillo is descendant of indigenous people from
the Mexican state of Oaxaca. His family was part
of the repatriation or mass deportation of illegal
immigrants during 1960s in the United States.
Sedillo uses documentary film to present his
political protests against governments who he
believes take advantage of the indigenous peoples in
Mexico.
In his most recent film, “The Demarest Factory,”
Sedillo critically investigates the geographical
mapping of indigenous villages in Mexico.
“It’s a history that we carry that we don’t really like
to talk about,” Sedillo said.
Sedillo uses every media outlet and informational
source he can to compile research and build his
cause.
He recently began researching the controversy
surrounding the geographical mapping in Mexico
and criticizing a University of Kansas (KU)
geography professor for being involved in what
Sedillo has called a scandal.
His research has led him toward the U.S. Military
and the School of the Americas.
In his article, “The Demarest Factor: The Ethics of
U.S. Department of Defense Funding for Academic
Research in Mexico,” posted at www.indybay.org,
Sedillo addresses KU’s involvement in what he
believes is the wrongful seizure of indigenous land
in Mexico.
It was reported in 2005 the KU geography
department received $500,000 in funding from the
U.S Department of Defense. The money was used to
fund the mapping of the indigenous land of San Luis
Potosi, and Oaxaca, Mexico.
“I’ve been focusing on the role of the U.S. Military
against folks in Oaxaca, Mexico, [and] against
indigenous uprising in Mexico,” Sedillo said. “When
we talk about the role of the U.S. Military against the
indigenous people, there’s an unknown history of
their role.”
The role he brought up involves the School of the
Americas, or the “School of Assassins” as Sedillo puts
it, which has trained soldiers to specifically handle
indigenous uprisings in Mexico.
The man the film is named after, Lieut. Col.
Geoffrey B. Demarest who is part of FMSO at
Fort Leavenworth, Kan., plays a big role in the
geographical mapping of indigenous regions.
Demarest, a graduate of the School of the
Americas, served for 23 years in the U.S. Military.
Demarest is a researcher at the FMSO at Fort
Leavenworth and has completed courses training
on defense attaché, Foreign are officer’s training,
defense strategy and defense language training,
among, others at the School of the Americas.
“The Foreign Military Studies Office (FMSO)
at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is an open source research organization of the U.S. Army. Founded as the
Soviet Army Studies Office in 1986, it was an innovative program that brought together military specialists and civilian academics to focus on military and
security topics derived from unclassified, foreign media. The results were unclassified articles and papers
that provided new understandings and broad access
to information from a base of expertise in the U.S.
Army, Department of Defense and foreign and U.S.
defense communities and universities,” the FMSO
website http://fmso.leavenworth.army.mil states.
“All of [Demarest’s] stuff was posted on the
internet,” Sedillo said. “He was just blatant, and he
wasn’t trying to hide it.”
Sedillo talks about the “system” and what it’s doing
to these societies.
The “blunt end” of the system is what mainly is
affecting the indigenous people and their homelands.
“[The blunt end] is turning the entire earth, all of
her resources, all of her human beings into products,
into merchandise to be bought and sold,” Sedillo
said. “We are merchandise. We are a variable in
an equation for profit, and a lot of our people are
considered disposable variables.”
Sedillo said he believes there is a simple list of
people who are considered disposable, including
farm workers, indigenous people, people of color,
poor people, students and, above all, women.
[email protected]
APC presents: Haunted House
Kasim Hardaway Staff Writer
The Activities and Programming Council (APC) hosted a
Haunted House this Saturday in the Student Union.
“[This is] a community Halloween,” Spirit and Tradition
Coordinator Daryl Williams said. “Pretty much it is just [an]
event we throw for the kids. It is a safe place to have Halloween
fun.”
APC hosted this event for kids in local school districts.
The haunted house provided children with an opportunity to
celebrate Halloween before the actual holiday passed.
“We sent out emails to all of the elementary schools, and
we have been doing it for so long, so Principals know and are
aware of it,” Williams said. “They send newsletters to all the
teachers and out to the kids.”
The community Halloween is an annual event APC hosts.
With several Haunted Houses under their belt, APC is very
familiar with the required planning.
“The activities we have planned today are a bounce house,
we have the milk jugs set up and the kids throw balls at them,
a spin wheel, hacky sack, a caricature artist and face painting,”
Williams said.
With a variety of Halloween games and activities, kids never
had an opportunity to be bored.
A crowd favorite was face painting. Children lined up to
resemble their favorite animals and Halloween figures.
“It was kind of a free day,” Williams said. “When you get to
close to Halloween, people usually won’t come. [The Haunted
House] gives kids another chance to wear their costumes. As a
kid you would try to sleep in your costume.”
Choosing Saturday as the day to host the event took some
planning. By having the event last weekend and not Halloween
weekend, APC was able to cater to people’s schedules.
“Parents stay and watch their kids,” Williams said. “We aren’t
babysitting. They come out and sign a harmless agreement
form and sit back and watch their kids have fun.”
Parents remained with their kids as they enjoyed the
Halloween festivities, the event was enjoyed by kids and
parents.
For updates on future events from APC, go to www.
apcactivities.com.
[email protected]
5
Expert shares
tips to reduce
fire hazards
Photo courtesy Google Images
Katherine Rucker
Contributing Writer
October is Fire Safety Month.
According to the Center for Campus Fire Safety, almost 80
percent of college fire fatalities happen off-campus. Students can
crowd into older buildings without sprinklers or updated electrical
systems. Alcohol abuse is also a common factor in causing fires.
Every dormitory or off-campus housing unit needs not only a
computer, refrigerator and microwave, but also fire and carbon
monoxide safety products and prevention education.
Carbon monoxide is the leading cause of accidental poisoning
deaths in America, claiming 400 lives and sending another 20,000
to the emergency room each year, according to the Center for
Disease Control and Prevention.
The number of fires in campus housing—dormitory, fraternity
and sorority homes, has risen from 1,800 fires in 1998 to 3,300
in 2005.
These fires have caused an annual average of seven deaths and
46 injuries.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, cooking
equipment caused three of every four dormitory fires. The majority
of the fatalities occurred in bedrooms.
Fires occur during the evenings and on weekends when students
are in their residences.
Tracey Hawkins, expert and owner of Safety and Security
Source, spoke at a safety awareness fair in September at UMKC.
Hawkins said there are several common factors in fire deaths.
Careless disposal of smoking materials, which include impaired
judgment from alcohol consumption, control space heaters,
curling and flat irons and other heated devices, overloaded
electrical outlets, extension cords and power strips are common
sources of fires.
Know your building’s evacuation plan in case something does
go wrong.
Do not disable smoke alarms. Contact proper authorities to
change batteries and cook in designated areas only and never leave
cooking equipment unattended when in use.
Take special care with holiday and seasonal decorations, avoid
using combustible materials and keep them away from heat
sources.
Hawkins recommends students have a portable aerosol fire
extinguisher in their rooms.
First Alert has a product called Tundra, a fire extinguisher spray
that costs less than $20 and is recommended for every room.
These easy-to-use cans allow students to put out small fires.
Hawkins also recommends a device called Smokestopper. This
rubber strip goes under doors to prevent smoke from getting
inside a room. This is ideal for residence halls, apartments and offcampus housing.
For students who live in off-campus houses, a combination
smoke-and-carbon monoxide-detector that talks is ideal. This
device will say what the emergency is (fire or carbon monoxide)
and which room is involved.
At night this alarm will alert you and calmly get you out safely.
It is a First Alert product available at K-Mart.
If you have more questions, you can contact Hawkins at 816372-0939 or email her at traceyhawkins@safetyandsecuritysource.
com.
[email protected]
UMKC’s Truman Center hosts UN UnderSecretary-General lecture
Nathan Zoschke Copy Editor
On April 25, 1945, President Harry Truman signed the Charter
of the United Nations (U.N.) in San Francisco.
In 1969, 24 years later, he authorized the creation of the Harry
S. Truman Center for Governmental Affairs at UMKC.
“His thinking at the time was the library would be an archives,
and the Truman Center would have more of a civic-engagement
and education focus,” Truman Center Administrative Assistant
Gayla Curtis said.
But Truman’s plan did not happen for many years.
“UMKC didn’t do anything with the center for 35 years, and in
the last four years, they’ve tried to revive it,” Curtis said.
In 2007, after years of failed committees and recommendation
studies, the Truman Center finally hit the ground running.
“The emphasis is on focusing on policies and things that Truman
had some involvement with that are still relevant today,” Curtis
said. “We try to honor things that Truman did, and oftentimes
we’re doing that through public affairs programs.”
Three initiatives are listed on the Truman Center website: civic
engagement, county governance and civic education.
The Truman Center’s offerings range from political internships
to guest speakers.
One of the recent speakers was B. Lynn Pascoe, U.N. UnderSecretary-General for Political Affairs.
Pascoe spoke 4:45-6 p.m. Monday in the Administrative
Center’s Plaza Room. Afterward, he addressed the Mayor’s U.N.
Day Dinner in Pierson Auditorium.
The event, sponsored by the Truman Center and the United
Nations Association of Greater Kansas City (GKC-UNA), was
attended by students and faculty from UMKC, Park University,
William Jewell College, Johnson County Community College and
Kansas City, Kansas Community College.
Pascoe, a Missouri native with a 40-year career in the U.S. Foreign
Service, spoke primarily about the U.N.’s foreign involvement.
Topics ranged from blood diamonds in Africa to nuclear
proliferation in Pakistan to conflict in Sudan’s Darfur region.
Pascoe explained the U.N.’s work revolves largely around
negotiations and preventive diplomacy.
“There’s no magic formula to any of these [missions],” Pascoe
said.
Among myriad projects, the U.N. is currently working with
the European Union (EU) and the Economic Community of
West African States (ECOWAS) to facilitate peaceful elections in
Guinea.
Pascoe said this involves drawn-out negotiations and working
with Guinea “each step of the way.”
“One of the very wise people I work with said our problem in
this business is that we’re cheating history,” Pascoe said. “What
would normally have a transition of a two decades or three decades
we’re trying to force down into a couple of years.”
Pascoe went on to discuss the role of the United Nations
Security Council, which drew questions from students and faculty
who attended the event.
One participant questioned why no African country is a
permanent member of the Security Council and whether the lack
of an African veto power was undemocratic.
Pascoe cited African backing of the International Criminal
Court, which has opened investigations in several African
countries.
“You can’t have peace and justice as exclusive,” Pascoe said.
Other participants asked questions about nuclear sanctions on
Iran, the role of private business in shaping foreign policy and the
likelihood of nuclear disarmament in North Korea.
“The reality is that it is beginning to bite,” Pascoe said of the
Iranian sanctions. “But is it going to stop them from the nuclear
program? Probably not. Countries will do whatever they want to
do and it may not be enough.”
Pascoe said he fears nuclear proliferation in other Middle
Eastern counties and stated sanctions only work effectively in
countries that are active in the global community.
Curtis said she was pleased with student turnout.
“You’re always concerned if students are going to interact and
have questions or if they’re going to be silent,” Curtis said. “I
thought it was wonderful that Jay [Sjerven of the GKC-UNA]
basically had to cut off the question and answer time for the
cocktail hour and the dinner. I thought it was wonderful that
students were engaged.”
The Truman Center’s next event, “America’s Role in the World:
What Does National Security Mean in the 21st Century?” a
moderated public discussion on national security, will be held
6:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 28 at the Truman Forum at the Plaza
branch of the Kansas City Public Library, 4801 Main St.
To RSVP or for more information visit www.irckc.org.
[email protected]
NEWS
6
Vol. 78, Issue 10
UMKC Women’s Center
presents positive body image
NEWS
Oct. 25, 2010
History of the
Staff Writer
Monday, Oct. 18, UMKC’s Women’s Center set up a table in the
Oak Street dormitories to promote positive body image among
students. At the table were Women’s Center Office Assistant
Tayln Helman and Graduate Assistant for Programming Nikeisha
Fortenberry.
“We are here for Love Your Body Day, and we want to let people
know that they can love their bodies and that they shouldn’t really
strive for a certain number or weight,” Helman said. “It doesn’t
matter what you weigh, it’s who you are.”
The Women’s Center hosted the event to increase students
awareness of body image issues and to steer them in the direction
of positive body image.
Helman said no matter how you may look, you must embrace
who you are.
“Particularly because we are the Women’s Center, we deal with
women’s issues, [but] we are here for men as well,” Fortenberry
said. “We really just want to promote positive body image here at
UMKC and within the community around campus.”
The Women’s Center’s target was female students but this event
applied to male students as well.
Body image affects everyone no matter what gender.
The Women’s Center made it a priority to include everyone
at the event, especially through the scale set up as an interactive
activity.
“The scale is an activity that we are using,” Helman said. “If you
stand on it you don’t get a number, you get a color. These colors
match up with pieces of paper that have slogans to enforce positive
body image. It’s to help people love themselves more through
positive reinforcement.”
By removing the numbers from the scale, the Women’s Center
eliminated the stigma of weight. They replaced numbers with
colors that represented different slogans. The slogans were positive
The color scale was associated with positive paper messages
messages to students who participated in the activity.
Along with this activity, the table had multiple brochures and
pamphlets to inform students on how to promote positive body
image and do away with negativity.
“Our flyers and pamphlets will help you have better body
image,” Helman said. “We have a petition to stop ‘fat talk,’ which is
a contract that says you will stop using words such as fat. We also
have a several pamphlets that talk about body image.”
The next step is for students to take measures outside of the
event to promote positive body image.
The Women’s Center has several events planned for this school
year, if you would like to find out what is going on, Fortenberry
encourages you to stop by the Women’s Center.
If you are interested in being involved with UMKC’s Women’s
Center, you can contact either Helman or Fortenberry at thhc5@
mail.umkc.edu or [email protected].
[email protected]
The color scale at the body table
Nathan Zoschke The Nov. 2 off-year election is quickly
approaching.
Every two years, the entire U.S. House of
Representatives and one-third of the U.S.
Senate come up for re-election.
A number of local races and initiatives will
also appear on the ballot.
Voter registration deadlines have already
come and gone in both Missouri and Kansas,
and registered voters should have already
received a confirmation card in the mail listing
the address of their polling location, along with
Copy Editor
other relevant information.
U-News has compiled an extensive list of
U.S., state and local candidates and ballot
initiatives in both Missouri and Kansas.
We have researched credentials, background
information and positions on important issues
of candidates running for office in contested
races.
To view these compilations and research, go
to the online exclusive section at www.unews.
com.
[email protected]
Mark Linville
Oct. 15
News Editor
2:27 a.m.
Disturbance
4:51 p.m.
Vehicular Accident
Officers responded to a noise complaint
at 55th Street and Rockhill Road.
A driver in the School of Education
lot struck an object with his car.
Oct. 16
12:16 a.m. Disturbance
Forum Editor/ Asst. News Editor
Pumpkins are very common
around Halloween. Something that
is even more popular is the Jack
o’ lantern, but many do not know
where that name originated.
Jack o’ lanterns are pumpkins
that have been hollowed out and
carved.
Traditional Jack o’ lanterns have
a candle placed in the center to
showcase whatever was carved into
it.
Nowadays, most people recognize jack o’ lanterns to be fancy
pumpkins, but pumpkins have not
always been used.
In ancient Ireland, jack o’ lanterns were made from turnips or
potatoes.
According to the Encyclopedia
Britannica, the Irish Potato Famine
(from 1845 until 1849) brought
Irish immigrants to the United
States, who brought the concept of
Jack o’ lanterns as well.
According to the History Channel, the practice of carving turnips
and making them into Jack o’ lanterns stems from an Irish myth of a
man whose nickname was “Stingy
Jack.”
The legend is Stingy Jack asked
the devil to go out and have a few
drinks with him.
Stingy Jack did not want to
pay for the devil’s drinks, so they
made a deal. The devil would turn
himself into a coin that Stingy Jack
would use to buy the drinks.
A large party was disbanded by an
officer at 54th and Harrison Streets.
After the devil turned himself
into the coin, Stingy Jack decided
he would keep the coin for himself.
He placed the devil-coin in his
pocket which also held a silver
cross.
In doing so, the devil could not
revert to his original form.
At some point, Jack freed the
devil on one condition: He would
not pester Jack for one year and if
he died, he would not take his soul.
About a year later, Jack tricked
the devil into climbing a tree to
take some fruit.
Once in the tree, Jack carved a
cross onto it so the devil could not
get down.
Again, Jack made a deal with
him. This time the deal was that he
had to leave him alone for 10 more
years.
Not long after the second deal
was made Jack, died.
Because God did not allow
people like Jack into heaven,
the only other option was hell.
The devil kept his word about
not taking Jack’s soul even after
everything Jack did to him.
The devil decided to get even
with Jack. He sent Jack away with
only a coal to light the path in front
of him.
As the legend states, Jack placed
the coal into one of his hollowedout turnips and has been roaming
the earth ever since.
After that, Stingy Jack was
referred to as “Jack of the lantern,”
and later as “Jack o’ lantern.”
[email protected]
Oct. 17
3:40 p.m.
Injury
5:40 p.m.
Injury
A student at the Durwood Soccer
Stadium felt her knee pop and was
transported to the hospital.
A student at Durwood Soccer Stadium injured
her knee but refused medical attention.
Oct. 18
1:21 p.m.
Vehicular Accident
A vehicle pulled out from a parking
space and struck a passing vehicle in
the Administrative Center drive.
Oct. 19
11:27 a.m. Information
A university-owned laptop was reported
stolen from a staff member’s vehicle
at 52nd street and Rockhill road.
3:14 p.m. Violation of University Rules
and Regulations
Suspects were found at the University
Center parking lot in possession of
a fraudulent parking permit.
Oct. 20
5:33 p.m.
Property Damage
8:33 p.m.
Larceny
A student found several scratches and some
paint transferred on her car parked in the
Oak Street Residence Hall parking lot.
A woman at Oak Place Apartments left
several items unattended and found
her laptop, iPod, digital camera, and
cash and credit cards missing.
Oct. 21
9:12 a.m.
Fire
A student accidentally ignited a flammable
liquid with a lab burner at the Dental School.
12:30 p.m. Violation of University Rules
and Regulations
Officers responded to remove a boot from the
wheel of a vehicle in the Oak Place parking lot.
[email protected]
Photos by Kasim Hardaway
Jack o’ lantern carved by Jill Schleiden
A look at the
upcoming election
Blotter
Jack o’ lantern
Briana Ibanez
Kasim Hardaway 7
Photo by Mark Linville
Briefly mentioned
Briana Ibanez
Forum Editor/ Asst. News Editor
Priest comes to Kansas City
Society of Jesus (S.J.) Jesuit Priest and founder of
Homeboy Industries, Reverend Gregory Boyle, will be
presenting “Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless
Compassion” at 7 p.m., Monday, Nov. 1 at the Rockhurst
University Convocation Center.
Father Boyle will discuss how the gang divide in Los
Angeles was lessened by showing great care for others and
business.
He started Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles over 20
years ago as a program that would try to address the problems
beginning to arise in the gang-involved youth. Homeboy
Industries is recognized as the largest gang prevention
program in the United States.
Send a message to [email protected] to register for the
event. Admission is free.
The Convocation Center is located at 54th street and
Troost Avenue on the Rockhurst campus.
For more information, contact John Meyer at 816-5014485.
Poll discovers shocking feelings about
technology
On Oct. 7, The Jed Foundation, the Associated Press
and mtvU released the results of a poll that focused on how
college students are affected emotionally by always being
connected to technology and the close relationship they
share with technology.
According to a press release, 90 percent of college
students who participated in the poll reported visiting a
social networking site in that past week, and about four in 10
students reported having over 500 friends on those sites.
Despite those numbers, one in seven students said those
networks increase feelings of isolation.
Along with social networking sites, text messages were also
involved in the poll.
According to a press release, 48 percent of students cannot
decide whether a text messages was meant seriously or in a
joking manner by the sender.
The poll also discovered nearly 70 percent of those polled
had arguments through text message despite the fact that a
large number of students felt solving a conflict is better when
done one-on-one.
For more statistics or information on this poll, visit www.
halfofus.com/press.aspx.
[email protected]
A&E
8
Vol. 78, Issue 10
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
‘The King Stag’ is a must see!
A&E
Oct. 25, 2010
9
Ask the
cook:
Easy smoothies and frappuccinos
Diane Balagna
This week’s question: “I love
frappuccinos and smoothies, but I
don’t like paying $4 for them. How
can I enjoy them at home and save
some money, too?”
You’d be surprised how easy it
is. These basic recipes use simple
ingredients you already have on
hand or are easy to find at any
grocery.
Your most important tool is
Staff Writer
a blender. Don’t have one? No
problem: a decent model will cost
$30 to $50. Depending on how
often you go out for smoothies,
your new blender could pay for
itself within a month.
My favorite is the Magic Bullet.
It has one-and two-cup sizes for
easy measuring and makes not only
great smoothies but also dips and
salsas. I found mine at Bed Bath &
Beyond.
Smoothies are easy and require
just three ingredients: ice, yogurt
(or milk), and fruit (frozen or
fresh). A ½ cup of ice, ½ cup of fruit
and a six-ounce container of your
favorite flavor of yogurt blended
together for about 30 seconds, and
voila!
You’ve got yourself a smoothie.
Does it need to be sweeter? Keep
honey on hand and blend well.
Love the richness of whipped
cream? Keep a can handy in the
fridge. Thinking about nutrition?
Good news: frozen fruit retains the
nutritional value of fresh fruit.
There are several smoothie variations: frozen strawberries and blueberry yogurt, frozen mango with
flaked coconut and pineapple juice
or chocolate raspberry yogurt with
frozen berries and chocolate sauce.
Your frappuccino fix is just
as easy. Ice, chocolate milk and
strongly brewed coffee give you a
nice mocha frappuccino. Let the
coffee go to room temperature
or add extra ice if you’re running
short on time. Add caramel sauce,
chocolate chips and whipped cream
for an indulgent treat.
Do-it-yourself smoothies and
frappuccinos: open 24-7 in your
very own kitchen.
[email protected]
Weird News
Are you looking to impress someone with a homemade dinner?
Curious about something you found in a restaurant?
Ready to start cooking but don’t know where to begin? I’ve been there!
E-mail me your cooking questions at [email protected].
Cast members of ‘The King Stag’
Kristen McMillen
Staff Writer
“The King Stag” is the tale of King Deramo
(Greg Brostrom), searching for his honest and
true queen. The town’s prime minister, Tartaglia
(Mark Thomas), also has an agenda to pair his
own daughter, Clarissa (Kelly Rebecca Gibson),
with King Deramo.
Yet King Deramo’s choice of a queen proves to
be a surprise for Prime Minister Tartaglia, who
will do anything to change this turn of events.
Colorful in design and dialogue, this play
has something for everyone. Amy Urbina, who
played Angela, agreed.
“This play is a fairy tale for all ages, filled with
magic, betrayal, unconditional love,” Urbina said.
“There [are] some crazy characters that come in
and out. It’s funny, but yet there is some heartfelt
moments in this play that people can relate to.”
Mark Thomas, who played multiple characters,
said the play was done well.
“We think of it collectively as a ‘greatest
hits’ play,” Thomas said. “It’s got a little bit of
everything you would want to see in a play. It’s
got fighting, loving, weeping and rejoicing.
Everything is really explored to its fullest extent,
if only for a little bit at a time.”
The play is told in commedia dell ‘arte style,
in which the audience is a key component of the
play.
“There is a lot of interaction with the
audience,” Urbina said. “The characters speak
to the audience, and they become very involved
with the process and the show, and they become
a part of it.”
Urbina’s character, Angela, is an honest lover
trying to win the heart of King Deramo.
“Angela is in love with King Deramo,” Urbina
said. “She is faithful to her love. The King is
interviewing over 2,000 women. She loves him,
but she is confused about why he is having this
interview and breaking all the women’s hearts in
the kingdom. She speaks honestly even though
she knows it could ruin her chances with him.”
While Urbina said it was natural to play a
lover, there were elements of this piece that made
it challenging.
“We live in a tragedy within a comedy,“ Urbina
said. “That’s hard because we see everyone
playing and being goofy while we are dying for
our lover. That’s what makes it challenging, but
once you learn to accept that, then it actually
becomes really fun.”
Alongside Angela is the evil prime minister,
Tartaglia. Thomas had the challenge of playing
this evil character as a humble old man.
“I play two characters,” Thomas said. “I play
the villain Tartaglia, whose ambition is to take
over the kingdom. I also play an old man, who
has the misfortune of wandering through the
forest and, through magic, his body gets taken
over by the King.”
While Thomas said he enjoys playing
characters with such extremes, he also enjoys
playing the role of the angel-like character who
falls in love.
“The King Stag” is co-directed by Stephanie
Roberts and Theodore Swetz. Roberts was
awarded the Charlotte Street Foundation
Generative Performing Artist Fellowship.
Although co-directed plays can sometimes
present difficulty and differences in opinion,
Roberts said this wasn’t the case with “The King
Stag.”
“Ted and I really have the same kind of
aesthetic, comic timing, sense of rhythm and
music,” Roberts said. “We literally sometimes
would finish each other’s sentences, or say the
Cartoon by John Kline
Photo courtesy of KC Rep Theatre
same thing at the same time, or one would get
an idea. We would look at each other and know
that we were talking about the same thing. I think
that’s kind of rare.”
Roberts truly has a passion for this play.
“I first did ‘The King Stag’ when I was an
undergraduate and I was in it,” Roberts said. “It’s
always stuck in my head as one of my favorite
experiences on the stage. Doing this play is really
the reason that I do theatre. It emphasizes how
different theatre is from other art forms, because
we have to figure out how to make the impossible
possible. It really takes everyone, not just the
actors and the directors, to solve problems and
input in the collective imagination.”
The production evoked imagination from the
audience with a colorful thought process. The
students involved did an excellent job. The play
offered interesting stage design opportunities to
students.
“We try to give the richest experience for the
students that are in the program, not just for the
actors, but for the designers,” Roberts said. “This
is a designer’s dream.”
The most impressive elements of “The King
Stag” were the lighting, sound and costumes.
The lights were timed with the sound to display a
colorful setting of magical effects. The sound was
timed with the actors. The characters’ costumes
added vibrant color, to the production.
Smeraldina’s (Andrea Morales) costume was
very colorful, which fits the character’s bubbly
personality. Smeraldina’s shoes were bright
neon yellow with bright orange laces. These
unique technical elements and details made the
play much more interesting. Thomas noted the
unique special effects created an effective visual
display.
“The first time we see the stags, they are
silhouetted against this beautiful backdrop on
the set that has been lit gorgeously, and we get
to play with the size of the stag,” Thomas said.
“There are bits with explosions, swords and guns.
There are lots of cool things.”
The actors’ performance was inspiring. They
really got into character. Each of the characters
had his or her own individual personality and
vibrant wardrobe. Perhaps one of the most
interesting characters was the parrot. The parrot
(Grant Fletcher Prewitt) even had parrot-like
head movements. Prewitt did a superb job of
showing bird-like movements and talking like a
parrot.
It was hard to get bored with “The King
Stag.” Such comical elements of theatre kept the
audience laughing throughout the entire piece.
The characters switched off reciting humorous
lines. Humorous lines also led to meaningful
messages throughout the play.
“Never forget your humble birth and do not
become proud,” character Pantaloon (Noel
Collins) mentioned to his daughter, Angela.
Angela’s honesty and humbleness proved to
be helpful throughout the play.
“The King Stag” runs through Oct. 31.
Thomas said he encourages everyone to take the
opportunity and see it while they can.
“There’s a good chance you won’t see this play
again,” Thomas said. “It is a real experience that I
don’t think gets replicated in any other style. The
rarity of it is its own reason to go see it.”
“The King Stag” is a must see. The audience
agreed the humor and vibrant setting, along with
a carefully selected cast of actors, made this play
irresistible. It was easy to follow and there was
never a dull moment.
[email protected]
A
Nikki Bomgardner
Recipe:
Basic smoothie and frappuccino recipes
Diane Balagna
Staff Writer
Relive your favorite memories of lazy summer afternoons any time of the year. Get creative and discover your
favorite flavor combinations. Go crazy!
Indulgent strawberry smoothie
•
•
•
•
•
½ cup ice
½ cup frozen strawberries
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons honey (more if desired)
¾ cup whipped cream (use a can for the Starbucks effect)
Place first four ingredients together in a blender and mix on high for 30-45 seconds. Pour into a tall glass and spiral
whipped cream on top.
Caramel frappuccino
•
•
•
•
•
½ cup ice
1 cup milk
½ cup strongly brewed coffee
4 tablespoons caramel syrup (more if desired, you can also drizzle it on top)
¾ cup whipped cream
Place first four ingredients in the blender and mix on high for 30-45 seconds. Pour into a tall glass and top with
whipped cream and more caramel sauce.
Enjoy!
[email protected]
A & E Editor
Yes...no...yes...no...
A 19-year-old man left a party in northern California and decided
to hitch a ride home after police officer stopped to check on the lone
hitchhiker. The man asked the officer for a ride home, and the officer
asked the man if he had anything illegal. The man answered “yes” then
quickly changed his mind and said “no.” The man then agreed to be
searched. The officer found powder cocaine on the man and arrested
him. He was later charged with felony possession.
All
in the family
A 2-year-old little girl, her 26-year-old mother and 51-year-old
grandmother kept it “all in the family” Oct. 20 when they broke into the
home of an elderly Michigan man. The homeowner came home during
the family invasion and pulled into the driveway.
The grandmother tried to stall the homeowner outside, but didn’t do
so very well. The elderly man walked around the house, saw a window
removed and caught the younger two ladies in action. The three
generations of females fled the scene but were caught shortly after up the
street. The 2-year-old was placed in child protective custody.
King
Kong in Kansas City
A 300-pound pet chimpanzee got loose last week in Kansas City near
76th and Indiana streets. The chimp threw a trash can at a police car,
climbed onto the hood and smashed the windshield. Tranquilizer darts
failed to subdue the chimp but the owner was able to coax the chimp
back into his chained cage. The owner was cited for “having a dangerous
animal within city limits,” according to KC police captain Rich Lockhart.
[email protected]
A&E
10
Vol. 78, Issue 10
Top 5: Scary movies
Mark Linville
News Editor
Many people watch scary movies during the Halloween season,
but one question I have is whether or not they really know what
scary is?
Scary isn’t gore, blood or guts squirting from a zombie’s mouth
after gnawing off a victim’s limb.
What many people think is scary is not typically intended
when the films were made. Scary is that eerie feeling you get in
the pit of your stomach while watching a movie. It’s that scene
that makes you jump in your seat, the one part that makes you
scream and special moment that makes you cling to your friend’s
arm in the movie theater.
Movies have been made since the late 1800s and horror films
have been made since the late 1920s.
Films like the “Phantom of the Opera,” 1925, and the original
“Dracula,” 1931, shocked the audience and caused people to faint
and have heart attacks in the theater, but I am sure that wasn’t
meant to happen. Films in that era were uncharted territory.
Films are meant to affect the audience in various ways. Some
are meant to cause utter panic like “War of the Worlds,” written
by H.G. Wells and adapted into film in 1953 by Byron Haskin.
Scary movies deliver shock and mystery to the audience. They
play on the imagination of the audience, and apply it to “real” life.
And that is what scary is, the possibility of being real.
I have chosen my top five scary moves of all time, based on the
suspense and shock of the films.
1.
“Rosemary’s Baby” 1968
Image courtesy Google Images
This film, directed by the infamous Roman Polanski in 1968,
is set in New York City. A young couple moves into their dream
apartment and lives happily for a short time. In true horror movie
fashion, their bliss doesn’t last long.
One day, Rosemary, played by Mia Farrow, becomes pregnant
by the devil, or Satan, if you will. This, of course, caused a rift
between Rosemary and her husband, Guy, played by John
Cassavetes.
The movie gets creepier and creepier as the minutes go by,
until the moment comes. Rosemary doesn’t see the baby after
giving birth. Guy decided to give the baby to the evil cult of old
people next door, who appear to be devil worshipers.
Rosemary looks at the baby and flips. But in the end, she
somehow loves it. What adds to the suspense of the movie is
Polanski never shows what the baby looks like. Only the child’s
eyes can be seen.
“What have you done to him? What have you done to his eyes,
you maniacs?” Rosemary said
“He has his father’s eyes,” a man said.
“What do you mean? Guy’s eyes are normal!” Rosemary said.
2.
“Dawn of the Dead” 1978
4.
“Psycho” 1960
Image courtesy Google Images
Earlier, I said scary isn’t gore, blood or guts squirting from a
zombie’s mouth after gnawing off a limb from a victim. But when
it comes to the classic created by the king of zombies, George A.
Romero, gore is scary for many reasons.
This film, set in the Midwest, depicts the fall of society to a viral
epidemic that turns everyone into flesh eating zombies that feed
on the living.
What makes this film scary are the controversies it presents.
Many of its scenes make you question your morals and ask
yourself what you would do in that situation.
In one particular scene, a few rowdy zombie kids charge at the
protagonist of the film and try to eat him. He proceeds to take out
his gun and shoots them repeatedly. That seems wrong, but again,
what would you do?
Another scary aspect of the movie is who is becoming a
zombie. A scene in the movie depicts a women running into a
family member who clearly is a zombie. She goes to hug him
and in doing so, the zombie bites right into her arm. It truly is
a situation when losing all you have, including loved ones, is a
possibility.
3.
“The Brood” 1979
Image courtesy Google Images
From the collection of horror tales from the master of suspense,
Alfred Hitchcock, “Psycho” is a thriller that plays on the sanity of
the human mind. Psycho is about a woman, Marion Crane, played
by Janet Leigh, staying in a hotel room after stealing $40,000 from
a job client.
Crane is stabbed to death in the famous shower murder scene
by the hotel owner, Norman Bates, played by Anthony Perkins.
The realness of the stabbing and the way the chocolate syrup
hits the wall and goes down the drain makes it all scary. I might
add “Psycho” is the first movie to kill off the main character of the
story in the first half of the film.
The suspense that follows and leads us to great revelation the
end is what grants Hitchcock his title as master of suspense.
5.
“The Silence of the Lambs”
1991
Image courtesy Google Images
Image courtesy Google Images
“The Brood” is a very creepy film that gets quite violent in
some scenes. Nola Carveth, played by Samantha Eggar, goes
under psychiatric theory called psychoplasmics.
This type of therapy causes the patient’s body to mutate from
the release of negative emotions. Carveth begins to birth mutated
demon children that come out and murder people.
Using telepathy, she tells them to act based on her emotions.
Seeing these creepy red-faced babies wearing silver jumpsuits
makes me wary of having children.
This film is probably the most realistic on the list. There are
other serial killers like Dr. Hannibal Lecter, played by Anthony
Hopkins, out there. They may not all like brains for dinner
though. What makes this film scary is the uncomfortable-ness
you get while watching.
Seeing Buffalo Bill, played by Ted Levine, kidnap a girl in his
van reminds me of all the news reports of children and other
people kidnapped in the same manner. All the while Clarice
Starling, played by Jodie Foster, gets closer and closer to catching
Buffalo Bill and keeping the girl alive.
Also, the nitty gritty scenes of the insane asylum are fairly
creepy. Seeing all the insane people in their cells can really creep
you out.
[email protected]
A&E
Oct. 25, 2010
11
‘See-Saw’: Well-balanced
Greta Moore
Staff Writer
The Charlotte Street Foundation hosted
“See-Saw,” an installation-based performance
created by composer Mark Southerland and
choreographer Jane Gotch.
Both performers are UMKC alumni. There
is a final performance this Monday night at La
Esquina, at 1000 W. 25th St.
“I would say that we based it off mirror neurons
in our brains,” Gotch said. “We are hard-wired to
have empathetic responses toward other people
and animals on the planet. That’s our nature.
We feel that performers utilize mirror neurons
in performance to elicit an empathetic response
from the audience.”
“So now that we know about this consciously,”
Gotch said. “We wanted to bring this into
performance in a non-soap opera after-school
special sort of way, like as a tear-jerker, but how
we could really create through experiences
physical empathetic responses to what they are
saying.”
The show also featured co-collaborators Shay
Estes, Tuesday Faust, Shawn Hansen, Mike
Stover and Matt Tady. There was also a special
appearance by Peregrine Honig, third-place
winner from the Bravo reality show “Work of
Art.”
“The whole show deals with memories and
how our memories shape the things we do, the
art we make and the music we make,” Stover said.
“It’s a conceptual piece so you can take what you
will. I like the look on people’s faces when things
happen.”
To explore the themes of memories and
empathy, the artists employed a number of tools
that seemed to also express vulnerability.
To do this, they used mirrored dancing, music,
baby goats and an amazing double saxophone
solo by Southerland.
“I’m sort of scared of dying playing two saxes,”
Southerland said. “At least the most famous
person did. A lot of the stories tonight have been
learning to do something and then that going
awry in some kind of way. Obviously we told that
in a strange way. There are baby goats around.”
The baby goats were a delight to watch for the
audience.
“We wanted a bunch of babies to come out,
but the mom’s wouldn’t let them out this late,”
Gotch said. “So we thought, ‘Let’s get baby goats.’
I think it works really well. W.C. Fields said never
put an animal or a baby on stage because they
will steal the show, and that’s kind of what we
wanted.”
The memories expressed were personal to the
performers and showed how they developed
their talents.
“This ‘Magic Moment’ was a show I did when
I was 14,” Gotch said. “I had to dance to the song
in this big arena. Then I had to pick up the bull
head and walk around the whole arena with it.
It was one of those moments where you have
to do it. You almost have to disassociate from
your body because you hate what you have to
do so much, but how that made me a stronger
performer.”
The music was a mixture of unique and
different styles and even some famous songs.
“I do a lot of more traditional music, so it was
nice to play just songs, and some atmospheric
music as a reaction to the dancers,” Stover said.
“It was all over the map.”
The audience enjoyed the performance and
found it gave them much to think about.
“I thought it was really beautiful,” UMKC
alumna Lydia Friz said. “A little inscrutable at
times, hard-to-read, but then there were very
clear moments. I liked how there were different
things going on. It sort of played with your mind
and encouraged interaction.”
[email protected]
A&E
12
Vol. 78, Issue 10
Top 10:
U-News Staff Costumes
Compiled by Nikki Bomgardner
A & E Editor
Kristen McMillen, Staff Writer - My homemade costume
was a Rubik’s cube. My dad made it for me, and I wore it when
I was about 5 or 6 years old. It was made out of a square box he
painted black. He cut squares out of colored construction paper
and glued them to the box to make a Rubik’s cube and cut holes
for my head and arms. He then cut out the bottom of the box so I
could walk in it. My brother went as a domino (another one of my
dad’s hand-made and recycled costumes from the previous year).
We were the cutest game pieces on the block.
[email protected]
Kristen McMillen as the Rubik’s cube and brother,
UMKC student Corey McMillen, as a domino.
on Halloween, just find the weirdest stuff in your closet and put it
together. Here I chose a London Fog trench coat that I purchased
at a thrift store for $4. I wore black Old Navy jeans that cost
around $20, shoes I purchased about three years ago for around
$60. The top hat is leftover from years of Halloweens my dad had
laying around. Finally, my creativity went into the face paint. I
used white and black Acrylic paint and made a skeletal face. One
cool thing about last minute costumes: add more mystery. I, for
one, did not know what I was. At the party I went to, people were
trying to guess what I was. Some didn’t even recognize me.
[email protected]
Patty Barra, Staff Writer - You can be a piece of bacon, and
someone else can be an egg. You just get foam material from a
crafts store spray-painted brown, fold it in half and cut a head
hole on the top and then you are bacon. Then for the egg, you
get white cardboard and cut it with the shape of an egg. Then put
your head out and you are bacon and egg.
[email protected]
Ethan Parker, Online Editor – Doctor Doom - It was made
using regular fabric, gauntlets purchased from ThinkGeek and
the Doctor Doom replica mask available from Marvel Comics.
The gloves used in the gauntlets were an old pair of winter gloves
that had the lining removed and were spray painted with a metal
all-surface coat. The belt is fabric and the buckle is made out of
foam.
[email protected]
Mark Linville as “creepy guy”
Photo courtesy Mark Linville
Kevin Bryce, Sports/Photo Editor – Dress in all pink, tape
a shoe to your head, so you can be the gum stuck to the bottom
of a shoe!
[email protected]
Jill Schleiden, Copy Editor – Chicken Cordon Bleu – Paint
yourself blue, then dress in blue jeans and a blue shirt. Get a
length of string or rope and tie one end around a rubber chicken.
Drape it around your neck. And ‘lo: chicken cord on blue.
[email protected]
Nikki Bomgardner, A &E Editor – Salt and Pepper shakers –
When my oldest daughter was three, I dressed her up as a pepper
shaker. Her little girlfriend was the salt shaker. We bought white
and black sweatshirts and sweatpants from Wal-Mart, super
cheap. We bought a piece of white and black felt and cut out an
‘S’ and a ‘P.’ We took one of their winter hats and covered it with
some silver, shiny fabric, which was super cheap, too. We used
that same felt from before and cut circles out for the tops of the
shakers. It was nice and warm for them since it was a little chilly
outside, and so stinkin’ cute. The girls don’t remember it, but we
have pictures, so we always will!
[email protected]
Staff Writer
Halloween is a day full of mystery and
darkness. Given its macabre associations, it’s no
wonder countless myths have formed that scare
and confuse many.
One of the most prevalent myths is that
people go out of their way to hurt children on
Halloween. Every year worried parents take their
children’s candy to be X-rayed, looking for razor
blades, needles or anything else that might fit
into a chocolate bar.
In nearly every case, the person who brings
the candy in is the culprit and is simply looking
for media attention. Most experts agree X-raying
candy is unnecessary.
Photo courtesy Kevin King
Nicole English, Contributing Writer - Gypsy Costume Suitable for male or females, the same accessories can be worn
over pants, jeans, skirts or long dresses. This description will
focus on female costuming, but can easily be adapted for males or
gender-neutral costuming.
Start with a peasant blouse or shirt, a leotard, halter top or tank
top, and wear over a peasant skirt, leggings, jeans or pantaloons.
Footwear can be almost anything from barefoot, sandals, heels
or boots.
Accessories can add a great deal of color to a gypsy costume.
Brightly colored scarves or sashes can be tied around the waist,
hips, neck, shoulders, head or hair. Costume jewelry can be piled
around the neck or draped across the brow. Also, bangles and
bracelets can be worn around the wrists. Add long earrings or
ear-loops or attach them to the hair. Hair can be worn down and
flowing, up in a bun, in a pony-tail, in braids or covered in fancy
scarf. Brightly-colored yarn or ribbons can be braided together
into the hair or worn as a headpiece.
For a finishing touch, add a shawl, rebozo or sari as a wrap
or over-skirt. A coin belt or two would also add color, as well
as jingle. Wear heavy makeup with dark lips and lots of black
around the eyes. And remember to carry your cloth bag for your
tambourine, Tarot cards, I-Ching or Rune stones, so that you can
entertain, tell fortunes and be the hit of the party!
[email protected]
A poison candy scare from the 1970s to early
1980s spread by moral panic due to several
reports of actual poisonings.
Halloween is also sometimes referred to as
“the Devil’s holiday.”
With its dark associations of death and spirits,
Halloween’s ghosts and goblins may not be as
cheerful as the Easter bunny. Halloween was
created by the Celts.
The Celts built bonfires and sacrificed animals
and sometimes people to give the sun god moral
support for the coming battles with the cold
and dark. Oct. 31 was also the day all spirits
were released to the god of the dead, hence the
modern day ghosties and ghoulies, Jane Hatch’s
“Book of Days” said.
Ethan Parker dressed as Dr. Doom
Photo courtesy Ethan Parker
Mark Linville, News Editor – Creepy guy - If you’re a
procrastinator like me and you have no clue what the heck to wear
Now, Halloween simply means All-Hallows’
Eve, another way of saying the day before All
Saints’ Day.
While not quite so frightening, another myth
that tends to circulate around Halloween is that
indulging in dark chocolate will reap only good
benefits. The cocoa contained in dark chocolate
is full of antioxidants. However, chocolate is
made with sugar and fats. If you have a choice
between dark chocolate and Starburst, take the
dark chocolate.
Just remember that overindulging will
outweigh the benefits and leave you with nothing
but a little more junk in the trunk.
For everyone who’s more than a little
superstitious, there are plenty of Halloween
myths that will have you wanting to stay home on
Halloween night just to play it safe. Some myths
said to give bad luck on Halloween include:
Hearing three hoots of an owl, putting your shirt
on inside out, hearing a rooster crow at night and
seeing a new moon over your left shoulder.
This Halloween, don’t let irrationality keep
you from allowing your children to eat their
candy or participate in a holiday that’s really just
meant to be enjoyed. As long as you’re sure not
to chew on your glow-sticks or taunt the dead,
Halloween should be one of the best nights of
the year.
[email protected]
Coterie At Night: ‘Sorority House of the Dead’
Jillian Schleiden
Copy Editor
Upon entering the Living Room for Coterie’s
Halloween production, “Sorority House of the
Dead,” we were greeted by risers of easy chairs
and couches glowing in backlight.
The house manager led us to our seats- in the
front row, a.k.a. the “splatter zone.”
The man to our right had swaddled himself
in the plastic sheeting given to us to protect
our clothes from the sprays of fake blood, so
we carefully stuffed our things under our chairs
and waited for the show to begin.
The traditional “no cell phones, no cameras,
etc.” warnings were given by the competing
voices of a “creepy” man and a “girly” sounding
woman. A set of cables with two black panels
dropped from the ceiling to create a theatrical
widescreen for the Girl Scouts opening the play.
The play followed three girls to a lock-in
for a sorority rush, “Kappa Tāta Hedda.” As
the zombie sorority girls tried to catch a few
“midnight snacks” and the house mother (and
vampire queen), Brenda, looks for fresh virgin
blood with which to renew her youth, the last
of the girls left unbitten teams up with a fellow
rushee from Arkansas to fight to last the night.
Because of the play’s shortness (one hourlong act) and its multitude of young girls with
poofy hair and too much makeup, it was difficult
to remember any leading characters names.
The references to bad ‘80s music (Montage),
bad ‘80s fitness videos ( Jane Fonda), and bad
‘80s everything else was a nice romp through
the thin plot.
At times, it seemed the play sought to mock
too much: the ‘80s, sororities, horror flicks,
vampires, Southern women and the outcast
crowd. The art of overacting to make fun of
overacted ‘80s films was sometimes so well
done it was annoying. And, predictably, the
only speck of blood to hit us in the splash zone
landed right in my eye, just before the strobe-lit
fight scene began.
All criticism aside, the play was fun for an
evening out, and, at only $12 a ticket, not too
pricey. The moments of Jane Fonda-esque
workouts and Montage look-alikes were pretty
hilarious. And the costumes were very welldone.
Coterie at Night’s current production is
offered at the Coterie Theater at 7 p.m. and at
the Living Room at 19th and McGee streets
at 9 p.m. Despite the Coterie’s reputation as a
family theatre, this show is for those over 13
only, due to the amounts of blood and gore
suggested in the play.
[email protected]
Personals
Lonely newspaper seeking followers
Greta Moore, Staff Writer - Childhood costumes - A superman T-shirt and a reddish towel tucked in the top. A Spiderman
ski mask with a red shirt a blue jogging pants. A batman T-shirt
with man crossed out and girl written above it.
“A homicidal maniac, they look just like everyone else.”
-Wednesday Addams. Lipstick on the nose and eye liner whiskers
can be a cat. (My brother, and my childhood costume.)
[email protected]
Charlie Tidwell, Asst. Production Manager - Last year I went
as un-dead Billy Mays.
All it took was some basic pale face makeup (with a badly drawn
beard), a blue dress shirt, a homemade name tag, a Billy Mays endorsed product and pill bottles filled with Tic-Tacs.
[email protected]
13
What you thought you knew about Halloween
Katie Vahsholtz
Charlie Tidwell as un-dead Billy Mays with
a friend dressed as Elton John
Photo courtesy
Kristen McMillen
A&E
Oct. 25, 2010
Enjoys informing, entertainment, and sharing opinions likes all food all
the time, has weight issues - a little text heavy, looking for textual exploration.
Care to follow me on Twitter?
@UNewsScoop
Nicole English’s idea for a
homemade gypsy costume
Photo courtesy Nicole English
Hannah Ashcroft and Jeff Smith
Photo courtesy The Coterie Theatre
A&E
14
Vol. 78, Issue 10
Save the date
Charlie Upchurch
Staff Writer
Monday, Oct. 25
• Circle of Caring: Keep someone warm this winter by donating
your old coats to the Rose Brooks Center. Drop off warm outerwear including coats, hats and scarves to World’s Window, located
at 332 W. 63rd St., from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and receive a 20 percent discount at the store.
• Smile a Mile Exercise Class: Head to the Southeast Branch of
the Kansas City Public Library to jumpstart your workout and
beat mid-semester sluggishness. This event runs 5-7 p.m. at 6242
Swope Parkway, Kansas City.
Tuesday, Oct. 26
• Tuesday Tune-Up: Join the MindBody Connection with a
stress-free break from noon to 1 p.m. carving pumpkins and preparing for Halloween in Room 161, University Center.
• Lisbeth Slander as Feminist Heroine?: The UMKC Women’s
Center will host a discussion of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Triology, which includes the popular “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” novel and will discuss the main characters role. Refreshments
will be provided from 6-8 p.m. in the Women’s Center, Haag Hall
Room 105.
• Free Show: Watch the Conservatory’s Tube-Euphonium Ensembles starting at 7:30 p.m. tonight at White Recital Hall in the
Performing Arts Center. Tickets are not required, and the event
is free.
Wednesday, Oct. 27
• Last day for 40-percent refund for the second eight-week session.
• Movie Screening: “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” will be
screened free today from 1:30-4:30 p.m. at the Student Union
Theater. Enter to win one of a dozen gift cards donated by Kin Lin
and Sahara restaurants.
Thursday, Oct. 28
• Free STI Testing: Know your status by getting tested at the
MindBody Connection, in University Center Room 161, 11 a.m.
-1:30 p.m. today.
• Women’s Soccer: The Roos play Indiana University-Purdue
University Fort Wayne today at Durwood Soccer Stadium starting
at 4 p.m. Visit www.umkckangaroos.com for tickets.
• Domestic Violence 101: The Women’s Center presents a lecture
on the effects of dating violence on underrepresented communities from 6-8 p.m. tonight in the Multicultural Student Affairs Office University Center Room 160.
• Free Movie Screening: In honor of Halloween, wear your costume to this showing of “The Shining,” by Stanley Kubrick, starting at 7 p.m. Refreshments will be provided, just head to the Student Union Theater.
Friday, Oct. 29
• Last day for 20 percent refund, last day to change credit to audit,
and last day to drop a class and have it not appear on your transcript for the second eight-week session.
A&E
Oct. 25, 2010
Eden Alley: A taste of heaven
• Halloween Costume Contest: From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., head to the
UMKC Bookstore in the Student Union in costume to get your
picture taken. Compete to win an iPod Touch, a $50 Bookstore
gift card and a $25 Bookstore gift card. Twenty-five percent off
clothing and gifts for the day.
Saturday, Oct. 30
• Women’s Soccer: The Roos play Oakland University starting at
11:30 a.m. at Durwood Stadium. Visit www.umkckangaroos.com for
more information.
• Men’s Soccer: The Roos play Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis starting 2 p.m. today at Durwood Stadium.
Visit www.umkckangaroos.com for more information.
• Volleyball: The Roos play South Dakota State University starting 7 p.m. tonight at Swinney Recreation Center. Visit www.umkckangaroos.com for more information.
Sunday, Oct. 31
• Forum: The All Souls Unitarian Church’s forum will discuss
“Green Investing” and what that has to do with the energy crisis.
This event starts at 10 a.m. and is located at 4501 Walnut St., Kansas City.
• Edge of Hell: Get your Halloween frights at the Edge of Hell
Haunted House, the oldest haunted house in the nation. Tickets
are $23. Edge of Hell opens 6:30 p.m. 1300 W 12th St.
[email protected]
Bailey Wilson
Staff Writer
Eden Alley Vegetarian Café’s name is fitting.
Not only is it located in the lower floor of
the gorgeous Unity Temple on the Plaza, Eden
Alley’s food tastes like it’s been plucked straight
from a garden of biblical proportions.
Their motto is “divine flavor for the conscious
eater,” catering to the vegetarian, vegan, raw and
gluten free crowd of Kansas City.
But don’t let that scare you off, meat eaters.
You’ll find no yeast balls or algae on this green
scene. Eden Alley has delectable dishes for every
palate, many of which will appeal to even the
most voracious carnivore.
The ingredients aren’t the only local things
found inside this Kansas City gem. The walls
are adorned with fine art by local artists, and the
tables are hand-painted by different Kansas City
painters. The single large room is spacious and
colorful, complete with a chalkboard conveying
positive messages and a kids’ area with toys and
a playhouse.
Solo diners can smile at the assortment of
KC newspapers and magazines, or pick up some
of the ads for local yoga studios and nutrition
consultants.
The entire front page of the menu is devoted
to the daily specials. The waiter said the
featured dishes are constantly changing and
always different. Not only are there six special
entrees, there are also featured drinks, soups and
appetizers.
Overwhelmed, my mother and I nibbled on
some fresh sourdough bread with delicious,
sweet agave butter. As suggested, I chose Crazy
Carrot Apple Fresh Juice, while my mom
ordered the Peppermint Lemonade. Our table
was soon even more beautiful with my bright
orange drink that smelt and tasted like Eden
itself. The lemonade was incredibly refreshing,
even with the “drinking lemonade after brushing
your teeth” feeling. We ordered two more glasses.
The Ultimate Garlic Grilled Cheese immedi-
Tattoo of the week
The popular Mexican mandarin dessert
Crawford’s tattoo is on her back,
just below her neck
Anessa Phillips
Staff Writer
Taylor Crawford got her third tattoo on
her 18th birthday.
“This tattoo is the one I cherish the
most, because I didn’t pick it from a
book,” Taylor said. “My friend sketched it
for me, and the tattoo artist enhanced it.”
The tattoo is a staff shaped like a heart
with three music notes on the back of her
neck. The heart represents her love for
music.
“Some people get music notes ‘just
because’,” Crawford said. “But I got them
because music is a part of me.”
Crawford expresses herself through
music. She said it can change a person’s
life.
“God gave me the gift, the talent of
music,” she said.
Crawford loves to sing and play musical
instruments. Her favorite is the guitar.
“I have two other tattoos,” Crawford
said. “But I don’t feel the same about
them. I got this tattoo four years ago and
I still love it.”
She said as her love for music grows, so
15
Photo by Bailey Wilson
An inside view of Eden Alley
ately caught my eye. As a vegetarian myself, I am
a devoted grilled cheese fan, especially at mostly
meat-focused places. The waiter told me it’s one
of the most popular dishes, especially among college students.
My mom picked the Eggplant Parmesan
Bruschetta, a featured entrée that night. Both
dishes cost about $10, but were well worth the
price when they arrived at the table.
My sandwich was served open-faced on a bed
of fresh spinach with red wine vinaigrette. A thick
slice of garlic bread, spread with chili-cumin aioli
and topped with pickles, onions and tomatoes,
was followed by cheddar, bleu and Parmesan
cheese and finally a delicious creamy hummus.
My mom’s dish was served similarly: grilled
eggplant blessed with oregano and basil on thick
fresh bread, topped with marinara sauce and
Parmesan. The only words we could come up
with while not stuffing our faces were “absolutely
delicious.”
The food was rich and warm, but still tasted
fresh from a garden. We ate as much as we could
Photo by Bailey Wilson
and still had enough to take home.
The waiter brought us a sampling of desserts,
with exciting things like an apple-lavender cake
and a raw carrot lime tart. Unable to narrow down
our favorites, we chose two. The surprisingly
light Mexican mandarin cake, one of the more
popular desserts, was slightly spicy with hints of
cinnamon and orange.
The Peanut Butter Fudge vegan cake was
incredibly rich, definitely a dessert for two. Both
were amazing and definitely worthy of late-night
sweet cravings.
I enjoyed every single bit of my experience
at Eden Alley and have found a new favorite
restaurant in Kansas City. I would recommend
it to anyone I know, even my steak-enthusiast
father. It is, without exaggerating, some of the
best food I have ever had.
Eden Alley is located in Unity Temple on the
Plaza at 707 W 47th St. To contact Eden Alley,
call 816-561-5415.
[email protected]
Photo by Anessa Phillips
does her love for the musically-composed
tattoo.
“I want to enhance the tattoo on my
neck by adding more music notes,” she
said. “I want it to wrap around from my
neck to my shoulder.”
Crawford said she wants the wrap
around to be a flower composed of music
notes. As it wraps around to her right arm,
it will cover up the first tattoo she got at
age 16.
Crawford wants her tattoos to have a
theme of music.
“The tattoo I got when I was 16 has no
meaning,” Crawford said. “That’s why I
want it covered up.”
“Now that I have such a meaningful
tattoo,” she said. “I know that getting my
first tattoo was a mistake.”
She said anyone who gets a tattoo
should make sure it is something they
will look back on in the future and still be
satisfied with.
“I will always be satisfied with this
tattoo,” Crawford said. “It’s a personal
one.”
[email protected]
Phi Sigma Tau presents ‘Waking Life’
Kasim Hardaway
Staff Writer
Phi Sigma Tau, the Academic Philosophy
Fraternity of UMKC, held a movie screening
Friday, Oct. 22, in Flarsheim Hall Room 310.
The movie chosen for the event was Richard
Linklater’s “Waking Life.”
“We are hosting the screening of the film
‘Waking Life,’ and it is a bit of a philosophical
film,” Brandy King, treasurer of Phi Sigma Tau,
said. “Obviously, for a Philosophy fraternity and
for philosophy students, we would like to have
everyone see it. We are having a guest speaker
who is actually in the film. His name is Timothy
Speed Levitch.”
After the movie a Q&A was held.
“Waking Life” follows a young man who is in a
continuous dream-like state. The movie touches
on philosophical subjects such as the meaning
of life, free will and reality. With such a dense
philosophical plot, this movie was perfect for
philosophy students.
Getting Levitch to come worked out well for
Phi Sigma Tau.
“He is actually a friend of one of the officers,”
King said. “It was just the right place and right
time. We have guest speakers every year. This one
happened to be really convenient.”
“Waking Life” is not the only movie screening
planned by Phi Sigma Tau, which has frequent
screenings.
“A couple of times a semester we generally
show a movie and have a philosopher come in
who is in the movie or worked with the topic that
the movie deals with,” said Kayla Sosa, President
of Sigma Tau and U-News board member.
Membership in Phi Sigma Tau is open to those
in the philosophy department who meet the
academic requirements.
“To be in it as a member, you have to be in
the philosophy department by having a major or
minor in philosophy,” King said. “If Philosophy
is not your major or minor, we have Philosophy
Square. Philosophy Square is also for those
who cannot meet the requirements to be in Phi
Sigma Tau, which are having a 3.25 GPA and
two philosophy classes, as well as the major or
minor.”
Along with events dispersed throughout the
semester, Phi Sigma Tau hosts other activities to
include philosophy-inclined students.
“Every other Sunday we have Philosophy
Square where a bunch of the majors and minors
in the departments come together to talk in a
more social setting,” Sosa said. “This weekend
we have our guest, Dr. [ Jim] Sheppard. We have
different teachers from the department come
in and do lectures on a side project they may
be working on, or we talk about movies from a
philosophical point of view.”
All students are welcome to attend any Phi
Sigma Tau’s events. Students will be able to learn
more about Philosophy, in addition to meeting
other students.
“You don’t have to be a Philosophy major or
minor to come to any of our events,” Sosa said.
“They are open to everyone, even if you are not
a UMKC student. It is a social building project
that we do to synthesize [students] college life
and academic life so they feel more at home
when they are on campus. We host these events
to build better connections between students
and professors as well.”
If you are interested in attending one of Phi
Sigma Tau’s events, check out their Facebook
group for more details.
“If anyone is interested in coming to our
events, our events are always open to the public,”
King said.
Phi Sigma Tau’s events are open to the public
and everyone is encouraged to come and learn
more about philosophy.
[email protected]
A&E
16
Vol. 78, Issue 10
Kid Cudi at the Midland
Daniel Robinson
Contributing Writer
Kid Cudi, born Scott Ramon Mescudi, gained
recognition from his first mix tape, “A Kid named Cudi.”
His mix tape garnered attention from Kanye West, who
eventually signed Kid Cudi to his G.O.O.D. Music label.
Along with Common, Kid Cudi has been holding it down
with Kanye since 2008.
The Midland Theater is a great venue for any concert.
There were a couple hundred people waiting outside.
The energy in the place was amazing and was looking
for a place to go until the show started, when it just
bounced off the walls.
Kid Cudi brought along his fellow performer, Chip Tha
Ripper, who opened the show for the evening. Chip Tha
Ripper is a bit more hardcore and raw than Kid Cudi.
Chip performed a few minutes after 8 p.m. and kept the
energy up for his entire set.
There was a short intermission, and afterward, the lights
dimmed and Kid Cudi’s music came on in a steady stream
and glow sticks seemed to rain from the balcony above. It
was a fitting beginning for a different kind of music, not
just hip-hop, a little R&B crooning and some psychedelic
ingredients mixed in.
“It had danger, it had s***, it had puke. That’s
what this show’s all about…and sex appeal,”
Jackass veteran Chris Pontius said.
Though Pontius was referring to a stunt
that had threw Steve-O 100 feet in the air in
a chalk-full port-a-potty (though it wasn’t full
of chalk), Pontius could have been referring
to the new installment in the Jackass series,
“Jackass 3-D.” It had it all, although the “sex
appeal” is debatable.
The movie brings the whole crew for an
hour and a half of clip after clip of nearing
40-year-old guys hurting each other.
It’s like spending an afternoon on YouTube,
only every video you come across is hilarious,
and some are borderline disgusting. Nix that,
not borderline, just down right disgusting.
At one point Steve-O attempts to drink
the pushing-300-pound Preston Lacy’s body
sweat. It’s a scene that drags on a little longer
than needed. The difference between “Jackass”
and YouTube is that you can’t simply skip over
it; you must endure.
But with each struggle there is always
another payoff of three or four hilarious gags.
The laughs outweighed the dry heaves easily.
Without spoiling the movie, here are some
Steve-O is shot into the
air inside a port-o-potty
Photo courtesy Google Images
one-liners given by the cast just before doing
stunts: “I’ve never jumped a motorcycle,” “He’s
never touched a chainsaw,” “Why do I have to
be Steve-O?,” “Let’s get a balloon,” “Let’s get
the dart gun,” “What about the trumpet?” and
my personal favorite, “Aim for the leprechaun.”
While the 3-D seemed absolutely ridiculous
in principle, in practice it actually kind of
worked.
When asked why they made the movie
in 3-D, director Jeff Tremaine explained it’s
because it’s the third movie; it just fit the title.
Every third movie in a series ought to be in
3-D, according to Tremaine.
On countless occasions, we watch in slow
motion as faces contort as they are hit with
boxing gloves, footballs, exploding piano
pieces and, once, a dildo. If you’re looking for a
smart comedy, go back to Wes Anderson.
“Jackass 3-D” is for the adolescent teen in all
of us.
That said, there could have been less fullfrontal male nudity. Be warned, it’s almost all
exclusively Bam Margera and Pontius (who
claimed the bit about sex appeal), making for
an awkward date night. The only humor in
the nudity is a, “that’s really weird and gross”
humor. And if that’s your thing, perhaps you
should get a new thing…no pun intended.
Johnny Knoxville said they have no plans of
making a fourth, except that was said after the
first two as well. In a few years, when none of
them have grown, they’ll be back. Considering
the movie made $50 million its opening
weekend, they will be back.
All in all, if you’re looking for some solid
belly-crunching laughs, Jackass will deliver
with a side order of disgusting. But hey, boys
will be boys, right?
[email protected]
B+
17
Annabelle Uwaemenyi
Kid Cudi
Kevin BryceSports Editor/Photo Editor
A&E
Student of the
Week:
Nita Seward
Cudi went into some classics from his first few mix
tapes and songs from his release, “Man on the Moon: the
End of the Day” and his new album, “Man on The Moon
2: The Legend Of Mr. Rager,” which will be available in
stores Nov. 9.
He performed “Embrace the Martian,” his new song
“Erase Me” and “Pursuit Of Happiness,” which had to be
one of the highlights of his set.
He only played the “Day ‘N Nite” instrumental with
some jungle, electronica mix, but again the crowd response
was so exciting he went to an unplanned acappella version
of his recent song, “Can’t Forget That Tree,” featuring
Snoop Dogg.
Kid Cudi ended his set abruptly with his song, “Mr.
Solo Dolo,” but returned for a two-song encore after being
coerced by hundreds of screaming fans.
I found myself, along with other patrons, wanting more
songs. I think most people were happy with the show. I
even heard one say, “Chip did rip it.”
A few people I spoke with while leaving felt he didn’t
give the best show, focusing too much on his new album.
Nevertheless, it was a great experience and Kid Cudi and
Chip Tha Ripper both delivered a solid performance.
[email protected]
Boys will be boys?
Oct. 25, 2010
Photo courtesy Google Images
Staff Writer
Nita Seward is an identical twin to
Teri Seward. Both Sewards are UMKC
students.
Nita, the older twin, is a
communications studies major with
an emphasis in Public Relations and
Event Planning.
The sisters will graduate in May.
Nita is ecstatic she and her twin
will be graduating from the university
together.
A typical question Sewards get on a
regular basis is whether they can read
each other’s minds.
“The rumor of twins being
telepathic is inaccurate to an extent,”
Nita said. “My sis and I can’t read each
other’s minds, but we do feel the same
emotions.”
What attracted the Sewards to
UMKC was the student diversity
and unique and interesting variety
Nita’s communication studies classes
offered.
Nita said she is a big fan of her
media ethics class because her
professor, Peter Morello, is humerous.
She said she considers herself to be a
very people-oriented person and likes
Nita Seward
that her communication studies major
gives her the opportunity to work with
people.
Nita has big plans for the future
once she obtains her Bachelor’s
degree in communication studies. She
hopes to become a professional event
planner and hopes to work in the field
of public relations.
Her hobbies are quite simple, but
represent her well. Some of the things
she enjoys during her pastime are
hanging out with family and friends,
cooking and cleaning. She calls herself
a “cleaning freak.”
In fact, the sisters are co-founders
of their own professional cleaning
business which they have owned for
nearly six years.
Nita said she has one big goal in life:
send her children to college.
A weird habit of hers is she likes to
talk to her house plants.
Her two mottos in life are to be
honest and to do unto others as you
would yourself.
“I wouldn’t imagine being an
identical twin to be any other way,”
Nita said. “My twin sister is my best
friend.”
[email protected]
Photo courtesy Nita Seward
A&E
18
Vol. 78, Issue 10
SPORTS
Oct. 25, 2010
KC Ballet’s ‘Slaughter on 10th Avenue’ kicks off new season with a winner
19
A history in sport: 13 years strong
Elijah Ringler
Aisling Hill-Conner as the stripper performing her show in “Slaughter on Tenth Avenue” by George Balanchine. UMKC Alumnus, Erik Sobbe, is the
enthusiastic fan on the center right, who is later shot for his amorous behavior
Nicole English Contributing Writer
The Kansas City Ballet opened the 2010 season with a dynamite
program that featured several pieces by Russian composer George
Balanchine, as well as an encore performance of the popular “Lark
Ascending” piece, choreographed by Bruce Marks for the Ballet
West company in 1979.
The show opened with “Mozartiana” Balanchinechoreographed, set to music by Peter Tchaikovsky, a Russain
composer and admirer of Mozart’s music, hence the name.
The opening movement was “Preghiera,” or prayer, featuring
Angelina Sansone as the female lead, assisted by four young
students of the Kansas City Ballet School who did a remarkable
job for their age.
The next movement was the “Gigue” (related to the word “jig”),
danced by Charles Martin.
Martin has grown remarkably in the last year, exhibiting great
command of stage presence, in addition to good elevation and
ballet technique.
Although he had a couple of heavy landings, his style and
presence more than carried the performance.
In the third movement, “Theme et Variations,” Logan Pachciarz
and Angelina Sansone danced as a couple and presented the
typical Balanchine combinations challenging the ballet technique
of even the best dancers.
Although technically efficient as dancers, Pachciarz and
Sansone seemed livelier in their solos than in their duets, where
their synergy as a couple seemed to ebb and flow inconsistently.
Following the first intermission, the concert resumed with
the “Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux” performed with great style by
Kimberly Cowen and Michael Eaton to the intricate choreography
(again) of George Balanchine.
Cowen displayed her crisp, clean execution of steps, along with
an effortless stage presence, which she shared with Eaton. The
harmony and synergy in these Cowen-Eaton duets was apparent
and compensated for any minor flaws in execution.
“Lark Ascending,” set to the quiet music of Ralph Vaughn
Williams, was as lovely and ethereal in this performance by Stayce
Comparo as it was when it premiered for The Kansas City Ballet
audience in 2007.
Dancing with a male quintet, the choreography and execution
was fluid, flowing and sinewy.
After a second intermission, the headlining featured work,
“Slaughter on Tenth Avenue” was presented with great fanfare.
It opened with a humorous prelude that sets the stage for the
“story-within-a-story” plot, and featured Gabriel Davidsson as
the Premier Danseur, performing a credible caricature of Vaslav
Nijinsky, Phil Fiorini as the brusque Gangster “hit-man”, and
UMKC alumnus, Erik Sobbe as an impish eavesdropper on their
conversation.
Sobbe also plays the overly-enthusiastic fan of the Strip-Tease
Girl (played by Aisling Hill-Conner). He soon becomes the first
Photo by Mike Strong
casualty during the bar-room brawl sparked by his passionate leap
to the stripper’s stage to embrace her.
Shot by the Big Boss (suitably played by Luke Luzicka), a lover
of the Strip-Tease Girl, Erik Sobbe’s character is quickly, and
humorously, dispatched by the bartenders (played by Charles
Martin and Logan Pachciarz).
A quick romance blossoms between the Strip-Tease Girl and the
Hoofer, played by Michael Eaton, who gets to show off his tapdancing skills in this playfully romantic role.
The budding romance is cut short, however, as the love triangle
ends tragically and perhaps melodramatically.
But because this is a delightful farce, the story does not end
there. The framing “story-within-a-story” assassination attempt
is revisited and foiled in a light-hearted manner, using dance as a
distraction. The entire production culminates with a flashy finale
segment with the entire cast.
Colorful and playful, this theatrical piece was the lively highlight
of an already strong concert program and well worth the price of
admission.
Looking ahead:
The UMKC Fall Dance Concert will be held Nov. 4-6 at 7:30
p.m. and a matinee on Nov. 6 at 2:30 p.m. at White Recital Hall in
the Performing Arts Center. The concert is free with a UMKC ID
and open to the general public for $6 and $8.
[email protected]
Contributing Writer
UMKC men’s soccer head coach Rick Benben has seen a lot of
change since he started coaching at the school 13 years ago, but
one thing has remained constant: success.
The Roos have captured three regular season Summit League
titles, made the league tournament in 11 of 12 seasons and appear
to be on track to do the same this season.
Benben has won three Conference Coach of the Year awards
(1999, 2001, 2003) and boasts the only victory in a NCAA
tournament by any team in UMKC’s history, a 2-1 overtime win
over University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2001.
Benben said this success does not come easy.
“Every year is a different challenge,” Benben said. “Coaching is
not an easy gig. You have to work at it.”
Benben said coaching with his personality is a key to success.
“I tend to be a calmer coach, don’t get too excited,” Benben said.
“But if something needs attention I can get a little crazy. These kids
probably think I am nuts sometimes.”
Personality alone does not make a successful coach. Benben
said being selfless is also important.
“Through my experience I’ve learned that it’s really about the
players,” Benben said. “It really doesn’t matter what level you’re
coaching.”
Even in the professional ranks, this is important.
“Even with the Comets [a former professional indoor soccer
team from Kansas City], with the results being 99 percent of the
success, we had a pretty close family,” Benben said. “We cared
about the players.”
Benben said he enjoys coaching college players because of the
challenge of developing good people.
He talked about three players who recently graduated despite
struggles and mentioned seeing former players with their families
at the alumni weekend.
The point he made was coaching is not about the coach but the
people the coach develops.
However, results are still very important and getting good
players is paramount.
“It starts with getting good players,” Benben said. “You have to
have players you know you can count on.
Benben said the recently-built soccer stadium and Student
Union are key recruiting tools.
“The kids come in and see our new stadium and these great
facilities,” Benben said. “It definitely helps with recruiting.”
It also helps to have a stable coaching staff.
Benben mentioned the contributions of every member on his
staff, including associate head coach Fred Schlichting, who has
been at UMKC with Benben for all 13 years.
“[Fred] is just as important to this program as I am,” Benben
said. “He does the same amount of work.”
Schlichting was concise in explaining how Benben has helped
him as a coach.
“I’ve learned a lot from him,” Schlichting said. “He has been a
great mentor. He’s taught me a lot other than just soccer.”
As UMKC looks poised to challenge for another conference
title this season, Benben displays some confidence in his players.
“We have a good team,” Benben said. “I think generally we play
pretty well and can compete with any team in the country on any
Coach Rick Benben
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Email us at [email protected] and we can begin this journey, together.
Photo courtesy UMKC Athletics
PlayerHow
of the
week:
to serve with Erin Wellwood
Elijah Ringler
Personals
Sports Editor
seeks dependable
individual. If we
set a date, show
up. Death is not
an excuse.
Must love
braaaiins.
given night.”
Yet Benben remains focused on the present goals, not the future
possibilities.
“We’re just focused on our next game,” Benben said. “You know,
same old coach cliché of ‘one at a time.’”
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Erin Wellwood demonstrates her killer serve
Photo courtesy UMKC Athletics
Contributing Writer
UMKC volleyball player junior Erin Wellwood has made a
career of helping her teammates, earning her a spot in the top
10 for career assists.
But Wellwood’s most effective skill may not be her passing,
but her serving. She took some time after a recent workout to
explain how she serves.
Find the zone
Wellwood explains there are six zones on the opposition’s
side of the court the server is aiming at and each of these zones
represents an opponent. The idea is to serve to either the other
team’s weakest passer or best hitter.
“You usually want to serve to the team’s weakest passer,”
Wellwood said. “Or if they have a strong hitter, you'll want to
serve to them to get them out of their routine.”
The coach usually decides where the ball should be served.
The player simply needs to execute.
“I go back to the line, check with the coach, she'll give me a
zone to serve,” Wellwood said. “I'll just think about the zone
and try to get that player to move.”
The Importance of Routine
Routine is important in executing athletic skills consistently
and Wellwood’s serve is no different.
“I have a routine every time I serve,” Wellwood said. “I
usually hit twice, then bounce it three times, then spin it.”
Posture is key to a good serve.
“I'll put the ball in my left hand and put my right hand on
top of the ball,” she said. “I'll usually have my left foot slightly
in front of my right.
She proceeds with the moments right up until the execution
of the serve.
“I'll take another deep breath before I toss the ball up in front
of me and in front of my right hand,” Wellwood said. “Then I'll
step with my right, then left, then jump.”
Attack the ball
“At that point, I don't have a follow-through, I'll just pop it,”
Wellwood said.
Wellwood explains there are two types of serves: top-spin
and floats.
Whereas a top-spin serve may be hit harder and carry more
velocity, a float serve is unpredictable due to its lack of spin and
can force opponents to make inaccurate passes.
“Floats are usually harder to return than a top-spin serve,”
Wellwood said. “Because the ball will be coming right toward
you, and it will just drop one way or the other.”
She demonstrated how to execute the serve. Wellwood
doesn’t follow through with a long, tennis-like motion but with
a quick smack of the ball that produces her floating style.
“I'll just make sure my right hand is big and strong and I'll
just pop it,” Wellwood said. “It gives it a nice float.”
Getting the ball high on the initial toss before striking it
is imperative. Tossing it too low forces a player to bend their
elbow while striking it, losing leverage and power.
“I make sure my toss is high enough so I can hit it above me
and make sure my elbow is straight,” Wellwood said.
Get to your spot
Scoring a point directly from a serve, an ace, is not
exceedingly common. Wellwood led the Roos with just over
one a game last season, so the next step is an important one.
“After I hit it, I run to my base position on the court,”
Wellwood said. “Depending on where they set the ball, I
release back to play defense.”
After all, a serve is technically just how a play is started, so
being aware and active after the strike is important. The goal is
to keep serving by winning points, which is often done through
solid defense.
“That's usually the goal, you want to keep serving,” Wellwood
said. “I make sure that I keep my serve aggressive enough so
they have a harder time receiving it.”
And as always, the key in consistency is repetition.
“I try to just go back and serve the same each time,”
Wellwood said.
[email protected]
SPORTS
20
Vol. 78, Issue 10
Oct. 25, 2010
Roos put out Illinois flames
Contributing Writer
Monday
Activity
Luke Harman tries to keep the ball inbounds
Photo by Katie Vahsholtz
reason for the victory was rooted mainly in their ability to inhibit
UIC’s attacks. Despite being forced to change around their lineup
due to a red card, UMKC didn’t seem to miss a beat on defense.
“They had one little hiccup right at the beginning of the game
where I was almost like, ‘Oh man, I hope this is going to work’,”
Benben said. “But that was the only time that happened. I thought
they were real solid.”
Sophomore midfielder Tom Black moved into central defense
alongside senior Coady Andrews and the two were adept at
keeping senior goalkeeper Ken Cooper safe all night.
“They’ve been playing pretty good all year,” Cooper said. “[Tom
Black] played centerback tonight and he’s played extremely well.
Coady Andrews played extremely well, won everything in the air.”
Andrews believed Black filled the role well.
“Tom’s not usually put back there, but he’s a good player,”
Andrews said. “It was new but it wasn’t anything that was too
much of a problem.”
UMKC improved to 8-3-2 (2-0-1) and the win against a nonconference opponent was just a building block for Benben.
“It was a good overall performance,” Benben said. “We certainly
had chances to score a few more goals, but they had a few odd
chances too.”
However, the primary goal remains the Summit League
championship.
“We’re really looking forward to [our next game],” Benben said.
“We really want to take care of business in the conference. I think
we’ve put ourselves in a position to win it.”
[email protected]
Player of the week:
Serge Ristivojevic
Daniel Robinson Serge Ristivojevic
Photo courtesy UMKC Athletics
Contributing Writer
Senior Serge Ristivojevic is an Australian-born UMKC scholar-athlete.
He currently holds UMKC’s record for most tennis wins as an individual
in a single season:18.
He and his tennis partner, junior Gustavo Guerin, also have the second
most wins for doubles in a season: 16. In the 2009-2010 school year,
Ristivojevic was selected for the All Summit League and named to the
Summit League Winter/Spring Academic All-League Team.
His hometown is Orchard Hills, New South Wales, Australia, where he
picked up the game of tennis.
Ristivojevic’s Australian descent was obvious when he answered the
phone for our interview with, “Hello, mate.”
During our conversation, Serge gave credit to his family for being his
biggest inspiration on and off the court.
“My dad was always emphasizing being a good athlete and student,”
Ristivojevic said.
He has taken on both school and tennis with a great passion.
Ristivojevic was very enthusiastic about the tennis prospects. He is also
a budding scholar.
Initially he was a pre-medicine major, but he has since changed his
focus to business finance.
Ristivojevic combined his love for the game with a new business
venture he started last month: Tennis Everywhere LLC, where you can
take lessons online, find out more about tennis and work on improving
your game. He hopes to translate his success on the tennis court to success
in business.
One reason Serge came to UMKC, besides the offer of a full ride
scholarship, was the school’s “up and coming tennis team,” he said.
“The campus looked good,” Ristivojevic said.
Ristivojevic said he was excited about this year’s team’s potential,
mentioning a new transfer student and few new freshman coming in. He
believes these people will be huge assets to the team and the success they
are going to have in the future.
Along with the strong recruiting class they have coming, Ristivojevic is
passionate about tennis and his love for the game.
After all, he came all the way from New South Wales, Australia to
Kansas City to play the sport he loves in a foreign place.
[email protected]
Thursday Tuesday
The UMKC men’s soccer team took a 1-0 victory over the
University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC) Flames at Durwood Soccer
Stadium and Recreation Field (DSSRF) Tuesday.
“Our schedule is such that every game we play is real competitive
and hard-fought, and this game was no exception,” Head Coach
Rick Benben said.
The tone was set early on when UIC captain Robert Younger
was forced to leave the game in the fifth minute with a knee injury
after a particularly violent collision with UMKC sophomore
UMKC striker David Sarabia.
A couple of impressive saves by each team’s goalkeeper kept the
game goalless early on as neither team took control during the first
20 minutes.
The Roos pushed forward with more frequency midway through
the first half and put a number of scares into the Flames’ defense.
Sarabia maintained possession in the box despite falling and
almost gave UMKC a 1-0 advantage. Senior midfielder John
Bayron Sosa forced some work out of the keeper on successive setplays almost a half-hour into the match.
A free kick from 30 yards out curled around the wall and was
barely poked out by the keeper’s outstretched arm.
“I tried to trick him a little bit by taking a step and looking to one
side,” Sosa said. “But, he actually read the play and got a good stop.”
Sosa then used a bit of in-game scouting for the ensuing corner.
Trying to score a direct goal, Sosa curved a ball toward the goal
that just hit the post and skipped over for a goal kick.
“I tried to take advantage of the situation because he was taking
a step forward [on every corner],” Sosa said. “Unfortunately, it hit
the post.”
The first half ended with UMKC maintaining a majority of the
possession and creating more scoring opportunities, with the
score still knotted 0-0.
That would change an hour into the match when freshman
winger Zachary Balthazar scored his first goal in a Roos jersey. A
demanding pass from junior Luke Harman found junior striker
Jimmy Simon inside the box, and Balthazar was there to collect the
rebound after Simon’s shot was saved by the keeper.
“Luke and Jimmy did all the work,” Balthazar said in the locker
room afterward. “I was just there, right place, right time. Felt good.”
Head Coach Benben followed with some praise for the speedy
forward from Texas.
“He’s a great player,” Benben said. “He’s got a real bright future.
It’s always good to get your first goal.”
The Roos were successful in getting the ball forward. But the
Friday
Elijah Ringler 4
The
SPORTS
day
workout
Week 1 Week 2 Week 3
Bench Press
Cable Low Rows
Push Ups
Lat Pull Downs
DB Upr. Row/ Curl to Press
Tricep Push Downs
Cardio x 30 min
Leg Press
DB Box Step Ups
Leg Curls
Calf Raise
DB Bicep Curls
21
3 x 10
3 x 10
Burnout x 3
3 x 10
3 x 10/10
3 x 15
3 x 12
3 x 10
3 x 12
2 x 30
3 x 12
3 x 10
3 x 10
Burnout x 3
3 x 10
3 x 10/10
3 x 15
3 x 12
3 x 10
3 x 12
2 x 30
3 x 12
10,8,6
3x8
Burnout x 3
3 x 10
3 x 10/10
3 x 15
3 x 12
3 x 10
3 x 12
2 x 30
3 x 12
Compiled by Kevin Bryce Sports Editor/Photo Editor
Director of Strength and Conditioning Trumain Carroll
shared with the U-News a great workout for anyone simply
looking to get back to the gym.
Dumbbell (DB) upright Row (curl to press):
Start with weights at your sides. Curl them up to your shoulders. Then, in a
continuous, fluid motion, turn your wrists 180 degrees forward and extend your
arms to the fullest over your head.
Dumbbell (DB) box step-ups:
Place a box or stack of rubber weights in front of you just over knee height. With
weights at your sides, step up onto the box with one leg and then the other. Step back
down backwards. Switch order of legs up each rep.
Dumbbell (DB) hammer curls:
Perform the same as bicep curls, but use an overhand grip.
DB Bench Press
Pull Ups
DB Incline Press
DB 2 Way Shoulder Raise
Tricep Bench Dips
3x8
3 x 10
3x8
3 x 10
3 x 12
3x8
3 x 12
3x8
3 x 10
3 x 15
3x8
3 x 12
3x8
3 x 10
3 x 15
Dumbbell (DB) incline press:
On a bench at a 45-degree angle, press weights up vertically from chest to full arm
extension with overhand grip. Return slowly to chest.
Dumbbell (DB) two-way shoulder raise:
Cardio x 30 min
Leg Press
DB Box Split Squats
Jump Rope
Leg Curls
Calf Raise
DB Hammer Curls
3 x 10
3 x 10
3 x 100
3 x 15
2 x 30
3 x 12
3 x 10
3 x 10
3 x 100
3 x 15
2 x 30
3 x 12
3 x 10
3 x 10
3 x 100
3 x 15
2 x 30
3 x 12
With light weights at your side, raise the weights to shoulder level to make a “T”
shape with your body and weights. Return to sides slowly.
Calf-raise:
With weights at your side, stand on your toes, flexing your calf muscles, then
release to flat-footed position. For increased difficulty, balance on the pads of your
toes on the edge of a stair and do raises.
*Note: Consult a physician before beginning any workout regimen.
Events Schedule
Sport Shorts
Kevin Bryce Kevin Bryce Men’s Soccer
Sports Editor/Photo Editor
10/26 Saint Louis University
10/30 IUPUI
St. Louis
Kansas City (DSSRF)
10/28 IPFW
10/30 Oakland University
Kansas City (DSSRF)
4 p.m.
Kansas City (DSSRF) 11:30 a.m.
Women’s Soccer
Women’s Golf
7 p.m.
2 p.m.
10/25 Memphis Women's Fall Invitational
10/26 Memphis Women's Fall Invitational
Memphis, Tenn.
Memphis, Tenn.
All Day
All Day
10/28 North Dakota State
10/30 South Dakota State
Kansas City (SRC)
Kansas City (SRC)
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
10/30 Summit League Championships
Carmel, Ind.
Volleyball
Cross Country
10 a.m.
[email protected]
Men’s Soccer
Saturday night the men took a commanding
win over Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW). Midfield senior John
Bayron Sosa scored a Hat Trick in the match,
the eighth in school history.
Women’s Soccer
Saturday the women fell in a road match
against Centenary 2-1. Sophomore Meagan
Malloy netted her third goal of the season.
Volleyball
The women had a huge win on Saturday
night against Southern Utah (SU). UMKC
took the match 3-2 over the first place SU.
UMKC had moments of domination throughout the match, the biggest being a 10-2 lead
early in the third set. They went on to win the
set 25-13.
Men’s Tennis
The Roos saw two wins in the singles qualifier on Thursday at the Wilson Central Region
Sports Editor/Photo Editor
Championship. Sophomores David Heckler
and Abdul Alawadhi took the wins. But on
Friday the team had a tough finish with five
losses, three singles and two in doubles.
Women’s Tennis
UMKC had a successful second day at the
KU tournament. The women took six wins. In
the doubles, sophomores Laura Bouet and Suzan Lisenby had two wins on the day.
Men’s Golf
Tuesday, UMKC took third place of 14
teams at the Bill Ross Intercollegiate. Viktor
Mikaelsson and Korbin Kuehn led the Roos
as both sophomores finished in the top five.
Women’s Golf
The women finished 11th at the MSU/
Payne. Sophomore Taylor Fisher scored 234
at the tournament, giving her the lowest score
among her teammates for the ninth event in a
row.
[email protected]
FORUM
22
Vol. 78, Issue 10
It all started right here
Kristen McMillen
Staff Writer
Thinking back on the past few years, I recall
what being a brand-new college student was like.
Everything was exciting and the world seemed
so care-free.
With pizza parties, endless games of apples to
apples and multiple runs to the nearby QuikTrip,
the years passed by quicker than a blink of an eye.
Now it is near time for graduation. The
paperwork is done, the classes are almost over
and the feeling of senioritis sets in. Each day is
crossed off what feels like an endless calendar.
Yet at the same time, the days are still passing
by. Four years have gone by and it barely feels
like thirty minutes. Thinking back on the friends
made, the inspiring professors, the internships,
and jobs, and the fun-filled student organizations,
it’s hard not to smile. If these are the best years of
a person’s life, I cannot wait to see what life after
college is like.
I have been blessed to be a UMKC Roo
and had many unique opportunities on and
off campus. The next few weeks will involve
preparation for a new challenge.
I will be working with Associate Students of
the University of Missouri (ASUM) in Jefferson
City. But before I go, I would like to share a few
memories from these four years. These college
moments have always put a smile on my face.
One of the residence halls put on a sand castle
competition. Around three teams competed for
a pizza party. The volleyball court was used as a
venue for the competition.
Each team began sculpting its sand castle
masterpieces. Teams used tree bark and leaves to
make its sand castle unique.
Then it started to sprinkle. Wet sand was easier
to mold and the competition became fierce. The
sprinkling soon turned into pouring rain and all
but one remaining group ran for cover under a
nearby shelter.
The group hustled together to make a moat
for the castle. The team laughed together while
throwing leaves into the moat. Finally the team
finished and the rain let up.
The team won the pizza party with the
persistent creation of the sand castle called “Fort
Leaf.”
I screamed with excitement and said, “We
did it!” A member of the team turned and said,
“Welcome to college.”
College is about sticking through the rain and
the storm. It’s truly a process of finding out who
you are.
Of course there are perks, such as being able
to make a sand castle and win a pizza party in the
process, but this isn’t the only memorable event
in my college career.
A mid-autumn festival at the University
Playhouse is the place for free food and great
company. Students were there celebrating the
Chinese holiday. I sat down at a table with two
Chinese students and a plate full of food.
Quickly I introduced myself, and they did the
same. A Chinese couple had just come to the
United States to live in Kansas City and study at
UMKC.
“Welcome to college,” I said. They had only
been in the country for about two months. The
girl, Tina, introduced herself, but her husband
did most of the talking.
She was a little shy and afraid I would not
understand her. I asked them what they saw of
Kansas City and quickly discovered there was
much they had not seen or heard of. I saw in
them what I saw in myself as a young foreign
exchange student when I went to Germanycurious, ambitious and good-hearted people.
We exchanged email addresses and met up
at various events on and off campus. Tina and I
became friends, and she showed me pictures of
China. She became more comfortable with her
speaking abilities and introduced me to other
Asian students.
My new friends from China joined my
family and me in our annual Thanksgiving and
Christmas celebrations. Then Tina showed us
how to play Mahjong.
Fast forward to senior year. Tina and I are
walking on the Plaza and she tells me how lucky
she is to know me.
“Not everyone is like you, Kristen,” she said.
News Editor
It is now the midpoint of my seventh semester
at UMKC and I find myself playing the same old
game I started back in 2007.
It all seems kind of mundane and boring.
College used to be fun; living in dorms, going
to parties, staying up late, and meeting new
people. But now I just want things to change.
I am not going to use the term “senioritis”
because it is lame and I am only a junior.
I am not sure what it was that drained the fun
out of my life recently, but my “fun life” is fairly
similar to that of an empty bottle of something
really good, if you know what I mean; only a few
remaining drops left to dry up at the bottom, left
to dwell in the trash can.
I think I need a refill, or just a new bottle.
I don’t get it. I have one of the most interesting
jobs on campus, the U-News news editor. Money
is not a problem for once in my life, and I have
plenty of friends and fraternity brothers to party
with, and still something is missing.
Most nights I find myself just wanting to stay
in and watch TV and not worry about anything,
but somehow that “anything” always seems to
creep in and I do more monotonous crap.
I just want to watch the Food Network and
play some freaking Play station like I used to do!
Maybe it is my long days throughout the
week?
It could be my energy is drained, not my “fun
life.”
My days usually begin when I wake up at 7
a.m. and end at about 10 p.m.
It sucks like no other. I leave my apartment
Like Homer Simpson, I too
scare myself sometimes when I
make crazy faces in the mirror.
and literally don’t see it again until dark, and that
happens everyday.
I believe I pay $600 a month, and for what?
I find myself skipping a class here and there
just to catch a break and breathe.
Funny thing is my life isn’t that stressful, just
busy.
I am usually the one that adds the stress.
I apply stress for some inhumane reason I find
necessary.
Sometimes I feel like Homer Simpson in the
Copy Editor
It’s easy to be apathetic when you’re ignorant.
Three weeks ago, Tyler Clementi, a freshman
at Rutgers University, jumped to his death from
a bridge after he was recorded having sex with
another male in his dorm room.
The video was posted on Twitter by Clementi’s
roommate, who invited his 150 followers to
a chat session where he streamed a live feed of
Clementi’s same-sex encounter.
Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered
(LGBT) individuals, like most any minority
groups, are easy targets for discrimination.
I can’t say I haven’t made a few gay jokes and
used derogatory terms in the past, but now I
regret it.
I reasoned it was okay to make these jokes
because I was telling them to other straight
people who wouldn’t be offended.
The problem is that there’s no way to identify a
gay person or straight person unless they tell you.
After seeing shocking statistics about LGBT
suicide via other people’s facebook status upNot everyone is willing to accept other people,
because of their differences.”
I smiled.
“No, how lucky am I to find a friend like you,”
I said.
It’s these kinds of moments and lasting
friendships that have shaped me to be the person
I am. And to think it all started right here at
UMKC.
[email protected]
dates, I quickly learned how harmful a seemingly
innocent joke about someone else’s sexuality can
potentially be.
After having met a few people who were
attracted to the same sex (and learning a few
of my friends and family members were gay), I
began to realize the reason I made jokes and used
derogatory terms was out of ignorance.
It’s easy to have a faceless enemy and it’s easy
to be a playground bully when you don’t see your
victim hurting.
I believe most of the discrimination we
see against homosexuals is not as visible as
discrimination against other groups. Unlike race,
gender and ethnicity, external qualities that can’t
be easily concealed, being attracted to the same
sex is something people can, and often do, hide.
A friend recently told me he was gay and he
felt worthless because he was afraid he’d never
have a normal life. When he told his parents, they
told him he needed special therapy. He hasn’t
told most of his friends yet for fear of losing them
and being excluded from cliques.
It’s difficult for me to understand why people
in 2010 have such a hard time accepting others
who are different.
The reason I believe most people make these
jokes is because they don’t realize how offensive
and hurtful they can be.
Having gay friends led me to realize LGBT
people are often treated like victims of a
psychological disease who need a cure.
The ones who don’t express remorse for
being attracted to the same sex are called
“abominations.” They made an evil “choice.”
What I would like to know is how can people
possibly think the hundreds of LGBT teens and
young adults who kill themselves every year
made a “choice” to like members of the same sex?
People don’t choose to be persecuted. They
don’t choose to be stereotyped and mocked.
People don’t suddenly wake up one day and
say, “Hmm. I think I’m going to be gay today,”
any more than you or I wake up and decide to
like members of the opposite sex.
Let’s put an end to the gay jokes and namecalling.
[email protected]
A Halloween challenge
Ethan Parker
Online Editor
Halloween is the season of terror.
Fear is a driving force in life, no matter the
time of year, and it is no surprise there are things
out there that scare us. Snakes, for example,
petrify me.
“Tree House of Horrors: The Shinning episode”.
“No TV and no beer make Homer something,
something,” Homer said.
“Go crazy?” Marge said.
“Don’t mind if I do!” Homer said.
Like Homer Simpson, I too scare myself
sometimes when I make crazy faces in the mirror.
So this is what it has come down to?
Comparing myself to a cartoon character?
Awesome! Sad, yet funny.
This is what happens when I let my mind
wonder into a Word document.
But seriously folks, I do love my life, I am
thankful for all I have and what I recently gained.
I miss those no longer in my life and I adore
those who are here with me.
I am a very fortunate person and am glad to
be alive at this point, but something really fun
and enjoyable better happen soon or I will go all
cartoon-like up in this place.
[email protected]
23
A call to end bullying
Nathan Zoschke
‘Feelin’ fine!’
Mark Linville
FORUM
Oct. 25, 2010
What one person thinks is scary and what
another thinks is scary are often two different
things.
With it being Halloween, being scared is “en
vogue” right now.
Hollywood knows this, and to capitalize on
it, they will be releasing their newest slate of
schlocky horror movies to be digested by the
masses.
These movies aren’t scary, however. They’re
horrifying.
There’s a fundamental difference between
something being scary and something being
horrifying. You can be scared and not be
horrified, and be horrified and not be scared, for
example.
Hollywood, and the mainstream media in
general, like to churn out tired, gore-filled horror
movies, and people now think these are classics
of the genre.
I beg to differ.
You will not find a copy of “A Nightmare on
Elm Street” or “Saw” in my film collection,
because I simply think these movies are silly.
They’re not scary; they’re horrifying.
According to Oxford Dictionary, for something to be horrifying, it must “fill with horror or
shock greatly,” and for something to be scary, it
must be “frightening or cause fear.”
There’s a huge difference there.
Rivers of blood running down the screen does
not make a scary movie, and I wish Hollywood
would get that.
However, throngs of eager kids lined up to
see the newest version of “A Nightmare on Elm
Street” in April, dumping $63 million into the
coffers of producer Michael Bay’s pockets.
The “Saw” franchise has grossed over $368
million domestically, and a seventh installment
is due out on Oct. 29.
Why are these movies so successful?
Since the days of the slasher-filled 80s,
Hollywood has flooded our Halloween airwaves
and cinemas with images containing buckets
of blood, screaming, scantily-clad women and
paper-thin plots.
Hollywood did this, and now there is a huge
divide in the social consciousness on what being
scary actually means.
Just look at anything Alfred Hitchcock did.
Did he need to bathe Janet Leigh in gallons
of blood to get the point across she was being
murdered in the shower?
No. What you see as blood in this black-andwhite film was actually chocolate syrup.
The effect of this famous shower scene came
from the tension leading up to the murder, not
the murder itself, and Hitchcock was a master at
scaring you with very little effort.
If you want a real treat, track down a copy of
the 1963 film “The Haunting.” This film uses a
wide variety of tactics to elicit fear and anxiety
from the audience and does it all with no
gratuitous gore whatsoever.
On Halloween this year, I challenge you.
Instead of renting the latest D-grade horror flick
from the local Redbox, go check out something
much more fulfilling, like “Poltergeist,” “Psycho,”
“Alien” or any number of genuinely scary movies.
[email protected]
Word on campus
Kristen McMillen
Why do you read U-News?
Staff Writer
Ken McFarlin
Chi Zhang
Zong Heng Wany
Cole Sodini
Ed Shearer
Jenna Turner
Junior Pharmaceutical Sciences
Graduate Student Chemistry
Graduate Student Biology
Freshman Biology
Senior Education
Freshman Pharmacy
“I read the U-News because
I like to stay up-to-date.”
“I want to know what is
going on on campus.”
“I don’t read it. I’m a new
student and I didn’t know
about it.”
“I don’t read the U-News,
because I don’t know where
to get it.”
“I don’t read the U-News,
because I am not on
campus that often.”
“I’ve never read it, because
I don’t really have time to
read it.”
Poll Question
What are you doing for Halloween?
A. Trick-or-treating
B. Partying
C. Staying home to hand out candy
D. Nothing
Go to
unews.com
and tell
us your
answer!
Last week’s poll results
Are you going to vote in the November election?
63% Yes
23% No
14% I don’t follow politics
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Ethan Parker
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