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(09/14/05 12:00pm)
In the aftermath of one of the worst natural disasters to take place in United States history, celebrities are speaking out and joining forces to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Oscar-winning actor Jamie Foxx, who is working with the NAACP on Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, got together with evacuees and said, "Celebrities should get giving when the going gets tough." He is living up to his word.
Actor Morgan Freeman is leading a celebrity effort to help victims of the hurricane. "You have to do something," he said. "You can't just look at that kind of devastation and pain and not reach out."
Freeman has teamed up with the American Red Cross and Charity Folks, an online auction venue, for one of the largest relief auctions in history. Freeman, who lives in the Mississippi Delta, announced that the auction will run through Sept. 16. Winnings include the opportunity to attend a screening of Freeman's upcoming film, "An Unfinished Life," a stay in a resort, and memorabilia packages from various movies. Proceeds will go to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.
On the first show of her third season, Ellen DeGeneres, a New Orleans native, devoted her entire show to the disaster. DeGeneres' 82-year-old aunt, cousins and friends had their homes destroyed in the hurricane and she has made plans to start a hurricane relief fund.
"Whether you have family there or not, it's a devastating situation," she said.
Fellow talk show host Jay Leno is currently collecting celebrity signatures on a Harley Davidson bike that he plans to auction on e-Bay. Leno previously raised $810,000 for tsunami victims in Asia by doing the same thing.
America's favorite talk show host Oprah Winfrey devoted the first two shows of her new season to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. "I was sitting at home, feeling frustrated and useless like so many other people, so I came down to personally assess how I could best be of service," she said in an interview with The New York Times.
The show featured stories from all over the Gulf Coast and highlighted the relief efforts by Chris Rock, Julia Roberts, Lisa Marie Presley and others.
Pop singer Hilary Duff has pledged $200,000 to the Red Cross and $50,000 to USA Harvest, an organization that is supplying food to shelters. The 17-year-old actress is also encouraging fans to bring canned food donations to her concerts.
Heartthrob Colin Farrell donated more than just his time when he auctioned himself for $20,000, while fellow human auction item Paris Hilton was brought to tears when one fan bid $200,000 to help in relief efforts. Rosie O'Donnell donated $3 million to be spread over the next three years to provide emergency child care services, while Sean "Diddy" Combs and Jay-Z each pledged $1 million.
Celebrities are not just donating their money and time, they are also using their names and status to get the word out about the importance of helping the victims of the hurricane.
E! Network will produce a public service announcement to support the American Red Cross, featuring Eva Longoria, Pamela Anderson, Destiny's Child, Steve Carell, Nicole Richie, John Larroquette, Mariah Carey, Carlos Santana and Paula Abdul.
According to the network, "The PSAs are designed to help educate the public on disaster and emergency preparedness as well as to help raise awareness of the need for monetary donations to aid the relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina."
As celebrities are doing what they can to help by donating money, food and participating in telethons, they are also speaking out about the role the government played in helping the victims.
On "Larry King Live," Celine Dion burst into tears when she spoke about the disaster. Dion charged President Bush with being more interested in the Middle East than his own backyard.
"How come it's so easy to send planes in another country to kill everyone in a second, to destroy lives, at a time when Americans need to serve their own country?" she asked.
Rapper-producer Kanye West took part in an NBC live telethon for the victims spoke out about the treatment of blacks in the disaster.
"I hate the way they treat us in the media, when you see a black family it says they're looting, when you see a white family it says they're looking for food," West said. "George Bush doesn't care about black people." During an appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," West told the talk show host that he wanted to highlight certain points that people were not addressing.
In a collective effort, the six broadcast networks presented a one-hour commercial-free simulcast that featured several celebrities including Mary J. Blige, Garth Brooks, Mariah Carey, Sheryl Crow, Dixie Chicks, Foo Fighters, Alicia Keys and Jennifer Aniston. The event was a concert called, "Shelter From the Storm," that saluted the citizens of the devastated Gulf Coast areas and paid tribute to the rescue personnel guiding relief efforts in the region.
Perhaps the words of New Orleans native, Harry Connick Jr., in an interview he did on "The Today Show" sum up what we can only hope will take place in New Orleans. "New Orleans is my essence, my soul, my muse and I can only dream that one day she will recapture her glory," he said.
(04/20/05 12:00pm)
All College Theatre (ACT) showcased its talent last week in the Don Evans Black Box Theatre, when members performed the classical farce "Noises Off" by Tony Award winner, Michael Frayn.
ACT kept the audience in hysterics on opening night with its rendition of "Noises Off," a comedy that is, as director Kay Potucek put it, "a play within a play."
"Noises Off" shows what happens behind the scenes of provincial British theatre as a cast of actors struggle to put on a production called "Nothing On," during which backstage and onstage drama merge disastrously.
The first act saw the characters rehearsing "Nothing On," much to the consternation of their director Lloyd Dallas, played by James Introcaso, freshman communications studies major. As the characters rehearsed, the director interjected with corrections, shouts and statements of dismay about their performing abilities.
In the second act, the play was performed, this time for real, but the audience was treated to the drama happening backstage. From love triangles and alcohol to violence and laughter, the actors perfected their way of silently conveying their emotions while trying not to disturb the "play" being performed.
And throughout the entire play, sardines were flung and handles came off doors, as ACT put on their chaotic play within a play.
"The play kept getting funnier and funnier," Laura Walker, freshman communications studies major, said.
Alumna Nicole Cocuzza felt the same way. "I thought the show was fabulous and it was the funniest show ACT has done," she said.
ACT members voted to have "Noises Off" be the show they would perform last spring. They began rehearsing at the end of February and met five times a week for three hours a day to put together this classic production.
One of the crowd's favorites was Selsdon Mowbray, played by Dennis Chin, junior biology major, the old burglar who could not remember his lines and who the cast had to constantly look for and hide liquor from.
Honor Friberg, junior women's and gender studies major, played Dotty Otley and Mrs. Clackett in the "play within the play," As Mrs. Clackett, she was the maid in charge of the mansion and the one who endlessly kept misplacing plates of sardines. Senior history major Ryan Zeek transitioned smoothly from being Dotty's backstage boy toy, Gary Lejeune, to Roger Tramplemain in "Nothing On."
Claire O'Brien, junior communications studies major, played Poppy Norton-Taylor who worked backstage and was also one of the director's lovers.
"I thought the show went well, especially the second and third acts," Melissa Silver, senior communications studies major, said. Silver kept the audience laughing with her role as Brooke Ashton and Vicki in "Nothing On."
Jonathon Bulava, senior computer science major, played Tim Allgood, the backstage helper who just tries to do good for the entire cast. Ben Daniels, sophomore physics major, and Alyssa Phillips, freshman history major, played the likeable Frederick Fellowes and Belinda Blair in "Noises Off," respectively, and the Brents in "Nothing On."
Director Kay Potucek jokingly said, "There were only two things that were not supposed to happen in the play but I am really happy with the performance."
It turned out to be a great opening night for ACT and their production of "Noises Off" and the laughter continued through the performances every night for the rest of the week.
"We could not have asked for a better opening night," Phillips said. "The audience was great and it was great punctuation on all our hard work."
(02/09/05 12:00pm)
Can the actor who gave us Johnny Boy, Travis Bickle, Jake La Motta and the young Vito Corleone deliver the same punch in his new psychological thriller "Hide and Seek?" No, not really. However, Robert De Niro does try his best in what seems to be one of his more challenging recent roles.
In "Hide and Seek," De Niro plays a successful psychologist, David Callaway, and is the father of a troubled little girl, Emily (Dakota Fanning), who is traumatized by the violent death of her mother, Alison (Amy Irving). In order to help his daughter recover from her trauma, Callaway decides to move her to a secluded village in upstate New York for a change of scenery, against the wishes of his friend and child psychologist Katherine (Famke Janssen), who advises him that Emily still needs extensive treatment.
While in their new home in upstate New York, they are surrounded by many suspicious characters that are sure to give the audience the creeps. The most suspicious character of all though seems to be Emily's new imaginary friend, Charlie. Emily is really fond of Charlie and begins to play hide-and seek, a game she used to enjoy playing with her mother. Only with Charlie, the game has more creepy connotations.
So who is Charlie? Is he really an imaginary character? These are questions that you will be asking yourself and others around you during the entire movie until the big twist comes in the end that will leave you saying, "Oh, that's Charlie."
The actors in the movie do an exceptional job, especially the two main characters, De Niro and Fanning, who complement each other well. Ten-year old Fanning is not a new kid on the block in Hollywood; in fact, she has starred in several movies, including, "Man on Fire," "The Cat in the Hat," "Sweet Home Alabama" and "I Am Sam." De Niro, perhaps one of the greatest actors of our time, has starred in such hit movies as "Mean Streets," "Taxi Driver," "The Godfather Part II," "Goodfellas," "The Untouchables" and "Meet the Parents," just to name a few.
"Hide and Seek," had a strong debut in its opening weekend, taking in $22 million on a weekend that is more notable for box-office gains made by the movies nominated for Academy Awards.
Definitely see "Hide and Seek" in the movie theatre, as it is this year's newest horror flick. I saw the movie on opening night in a sold-out theater and there were people screaming and gasping throughout the entire movie. Emily is sure to scare you with her pale skin, drunken eyes and mysterious actions. As for Charlie, I can't give that part away, but trust me, your time won't be wasted going to see this film.
(02/02/05 12:00pm)
Students at the College got a chance to show off their acting, writing and directing abilities in front of a packed Cromwell Lounge during the second annual Wired!, the College's 24-hour play competition sponsored by the Inter-Greek Council, (IGC), ink and All-College Theatre (ACT). The performances brought the house down with entertaining skits that kept the audience laughing last Saturday night.
The audience was treated to six plays that were all written and produced in only 24 hours.
During the "whole crazy process," as Christine Scarfuto, senior English major and ACT member, put it, the arbiters gave the writers and directors three twists that had to be incorporated into the plays. Dziengowski brought several props from his fraternity house that he said were literally thrown out into the middle of the Wolfe 2 elevator lobby for the cast and crew to pick out and use in their play.
The first twist, and perhaps the most hilarious aspect of the show, was that each play had to begin in a public restroom.
The second twist for the writers was to include a fictional character from Massachusetts' past. The final twist was that the writers drew numbers from a hat. Groups with the same numbers had to make their plays connect in some way.
Wired!'s three arbiters, Dave Dziengowski, senior history major and IGC president, Sarah Maloney, junior math major representing ink, and Scarfuto met with the writers at the beginning of the 24-hour process in the Wolfe 2 lounge. At about 4:30 a.m., the arbiters collected the scripts and from 5:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. they cast the actors for each script. Finally, at 7 a.m. on Saturday, the arbiters met with the writers again and the actors rehearsed until 4 p.m.
The writers, directors and actors performed their plays for a full audience at 8 p.m. and were then judged by Catie Rosemurgy, professor of English, alumnus John Elliot and three random audience members. The judges determined who would receive the awards for best overall play, best actor and best script.
"The whole concept was great," Dave Schrader, an alumnus, said.
The plays of the night included, "Never Turn Down a Kennedy," written by Daniel Klein and Bethany Allinder, "John Henry's Hammer," written by David Byrne and Sean MacPhee, "Billy's Family Reunion," written by Donna Green and Nicole Grieco, "Soap Scum," written by Anthony DeFreitas and David Weinfeld, "The Eternal Conundrum of Human Relationships," written by John Fialk, and "A Night in Sandusky," written by Will Dean and Matt Erdely.
At the end of the night, the arbiters announced the contest winners. For best overall play, the award went to "Billy's Family Reunion."
"It was very cute, very creative and original," sophomore English major Melanie Kaufer said.
Senior English major Donna Green, who was one of the writers for "Billy's Family Reunion," said, "I was so nervous but everyone did a great job."
The award for best actor was a tie between Gina Ciani of "Billy's Family Reunion" and Uzo Odegunbio of "A Night in Sandusky." For Ciani, this was the first time she had a speaking part in a play.
Lastly, the award for best script went to Will Dean and Matt Erdely for their play, "A Night in Sandusky," which focused on the life of an editor who would do anything for his client, John Grisham.
Maloney summed up the evening, saying, "It was a fantastic night and I am pleased with how everything went."
(03/31/04 12:00pm)
Love is in the air during springtime. However, if you are still feeling lonely or you're just tired of going to clubs and bars in search of a mate and coming up empty-handed, then online dating may be the solution for you.
The thought of going online to meet someone can seem scary and even appear desperate. Nonetheless, more and more Americans are trying their luck with the "virtual matchmaking" phenomenon.
According to the research firm Jupiter/Media Matrix, over 34 million people visited online personals and the average user spends 13 hours a month on the site.
These online dating Web sites are not free either; in fact some Americans believe that paying $20 a month is cheap compared to buying drinks at a singles bar.
Donna Hernandez, sophomore English education major, said she wouldn't try online dating. "You don't know what kind of crazy people are out there; anyone can make up stories about who they are."
However, Deshonnda Rudolph, sophomore nursing major, said online dating is the same as meeting someone in person. "When you go to a bar or club and meet someone he or she could be making up stories about who he or she is too, so if you choose to date online go for it. It's kind of the same thing."
Online dating gives you the opportunity to come in contact with people who you never would have met otherwise and offers more choices than in everyday life.
Online dating agencies help to make sure you won't end up with a bad date. Some of the top online dating agencies are Match.com, Udate.com and Yahoo Personals. In addition to those there is also Webwoo.com which is the "friends of friends" dating network. It allows friends to hook their friends or family members up with dates.
As with anything in life, there is no guarantee that you will be successful in finding that ideal mate online. Some agencies have reported that they receive a limited number of stalker stories, and advise their customers to take time and get to know the person, using caution when meeting the person. Yet, there are also success stories when it comes to online dating.
Online dating may or may not be the choice for you, but if you're willing to spend a little money in search of that ideal guy or girl, then give it shot.
(02/11/04 12:00pm)
"Framed Character," a book about Chinese writing authored by Arnold Au and illustrated by Fanky Chak, is an attempt to develop a deeper understanding of the words and writings of the Chinese language.
The book connects the meaning of words from the Chinese culture to the symbolic representations of the English culture. What is of significant interest to the College of community is that Fanky Chak, who created the symbolic illustrations, is a professor of graphic design at the College.
"Framed Character" uses his illustrations and photographs to embed within us an understanding of the broader conceptions of Chinese writing.
Chak designed his book in an effort to go back and examine Chinese writing and how it has shaped his thought processes. "Going back and looking at my own writing, I saw that there are a lot of stereotypical hidden messages behind the words," he said.
Chak further elaborates that this book gives him the opportunity to interpret what he thinks the hidden messages behind the words are. In "Framed Character," Chak uses photography as a way to express his own personal analysis of the hidden messages.
Chak said that he makes sarcastic statements about Chinese culture. He believes that the status between societies has changed and that Chinese society and thinking is outdated.
Chak wants the readers of "Framed Character" to be able to start thinking about the topic. "I want my audience to begin thinking about the message of the book and to understand my experiences."
Chak and collaborator Au, with the help of the Hong Kong Development Council, finished the book in a year and half. "Framed Character" has won two design awards from the Art Directors Club of N.J.
The categories were Best Book and Best Book Cover Design. In addition to these honors they have won two awards from the University and Design Association for Best Research Publication and Best Use of Photography.
Chak believes that this book is like any other piece of art expression. His ultimate hope is that the reader will develop a better understanding of the Chinese language. Like most artists he wants his viewpoint to be understood. "I hope they will agree and take something from it," he said.
(04/01/03 12:00pm)
Ishle Park and Taylor Mali from Broadway's Def Poetry Jam spoke the word last Wednesday in Kendall Hall. Park and Mali recited some of their famous poetry in addition to letting the College's own students showcase their talent.
"An Evening of Spoken Word" opened with Mali's poetry. Mali performed six poems. The crowd responded especially to "Voice of America Voiceover," which Mali dedicated to a man who said that more people would hear his voice on radio commercials and movie trailers than hear him recite a single word of his own poetry.
In "Voice of America Voiceover" Mali said:
I'm not a poet, but I play one on Def Poetry Jam.
I'm not a dead white male, but two out of three ain't bad.
So on those days when you're not feeling fresh, come to Jamaica.
Because on the road of life there are passengers
and there are poets like me.
Can you hear me now?
Don't the words confuse you?
Don't let the lies fill you.
Cause sticks and stones can break your bones,
but words can fucking kill you.
Since it related to College life, students appreciated Mali's poem "What Teachers Make."
I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.
I can make a C+ feel like a Congressional medal of honor
and an A- feel like a slap in the face.
How dare you waste my time with anything less than your very best.
Poet Ishle Park performed six of her well-known works including "Cheju do Dreams," which is about her childhood on an island off the coast of South Korea.
This smell was my shame growing up, my secret;
the reason I took three showers a day and got dropped off
a block away from school, so the Whitestone kids would never know
that my father drove the puke green van that smelled like fish,
so they would never wrinkle their nose at me
and say that I smelled like fish, which in 2nd grade
meant you smelled like pussy. stank pussy.
Park also performed a poem called "Pussy," which she will soon be performing on HBO. In this poem, Park talks about how she was on a train feeling excited.
Why is my pussy feeling like this?
Why is it pounding and pulsing so strong
I have to sit squeezing my thighs together silently on this F train,
legs crossed, calmly writing, sublime Asian girl with chaos
thundering
between her legs, like some drum, some strange heartbeat,
some pounding echo through dark caverns that is.
"The evening of spoken word was a good change from the normal concerts and comedians that normally take the stage of Kendall Hall," Meredith Free, freshman secondary education history major, said. "The show was a good opportunity for people who have never experienced something like this before."
Mali and Park can be seen on HBO starting April 4, in "Russell Simmons presents Def Poetry Jam." The two may also be seen live in New York in Russell Simmons' presents Def Poetry Jam" on Broadway.
During intermission three students recited some of their own poetry. Sara Jewell, senior biology major, performed a poem called "He Asked." The poem was inspired by three interesting pick-up lines she received. Ed Chamberlain, senior English major, performed his poems "Till Death Do You Part" and "Dogwood Peddles." Eric Menda, freshman journalism major, recited his poems "First Sip" and "Acoustic Companion."