Spring Break
Hair has been the cause of much angst for middle-aging men for centuries, the inspiration for a Broadway musical and the bane of women who find its unwanted presence on their legs. Tuesday, March 18, African-American hair was the topic of discussion titled "Let's Talk about Hair" at Diastole.
The audience members who came out for the Honoring Women in Jazz performance March 22 at the Gem Theater had a hard time sitting still. The 18th & Vine Big Band, led by saxophonist and UMKC Director of Jazz studies Bobby Watson, was joined by renowned jazz singers Mary Stallings and Karrin Allyson.
Many know, after 9/11 some Muslims in the United States have been subject to racial profiling. The Pakistani Student Association (PSA) showed the movie "Khuda Ke Liye" last Thursday as part of its first movie night. "Khuda Ke Liye," or "In the Name of God" in the Pakistani language Urdu, is a Lollywood movie (it was made in Lahore, Pakistan).
Another outstanding sample of modern writing and art, the latest issue of New Letters did not disappoint. From an extraordinary fiction piece that included multiple characters' points of view, to words against torture from the founder of Copenhagen's Rehabilitation Center and Council for Torture Victims, this issue was engrossing on every page.
'21' "21" is about very smart people. They are math students at MIT who are able to count cards in games of blackjack at Las Vegas casinos, and in turn win hundreds of thousands of dollars. They have an intricate system, unbreakable codes and even some clever disguises.
Designer April Greiman has done some truly striking work. Her giant orange ball nestled onto the roof of Warehouse C in Nagasake Harbor, creating an ever-rising sun visible to the entire Japanese city, is an example of an artist with, well, balls. Drawing on her travels and love of desert landscapes for inspiration, Greiman shows a particular sensibility for color palettes in natural hues throughout the body of her work.
Stereotypical orchestral music was nowhere to be found during the Schoenberg Retrospective put on by the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance. The three-day event began Wednesday, March 19 and consisted of symposia, films and concerts chronicling the life and works of composer Arnold Schoenberg.
All albums lose their luster eventually. Unfortunately, it's usually our most cherished and listened to albums that experience this diminished value. Repeated listens make us numb. We fall out of love with our favorite albums; very few prevail in our usual rotation.
C is for cookie, chocolate chip cherry oatmeal cookie! That's good enough for me. Cookies have been a favorite snack in America since the Dutch settled New York and named them. According to the "Better Homes and Gardens Heritage Cookbook" the Dutch term "koekje" eventually became cookie in colonial America.
Searching for a new graphic novel to consume can be a difficult process. As a college student with debt, buying from a local comic shop or quaint family-owned bookstore is impractical. Purchasing from Barnes and Noble or Borders raises ethical issues. And Amazon.
Tuesday, April 1 Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Classes: This is the first in a seven-week program. Program is from 5:15 to 7:15 p.m. in room 161 of the University Center. Wednesday, April 2 UMKC American Medical Association Blood Drive: Blood drive is from 9 a.
