University News // April 15 // Issue twenty seven

UNIVERSITY NEWS

UMKC’s Independent Student Newspaper Tuesday April 15, 2014

Volume 81, Issue 27

Red ribbon of approval: $7 million grant helps pave the way for HIV prevention Jonathan Goforth Staff Writer

The School of Nursing and Health Studies (SoHNS) recently received the largest grant in the school’s history awarded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to create a national HIV-prevention resource center.

This $7 million grant will establish the SoHNS as the national coordinating center for a network of organizations that provide high-quality HIV-prevention and education services to healthcare providers across the nation.

The grant, which will be dispersed in $1.4 million increments over the next five years, will ally UMKC with 20 other grant recipients to create the National Capacity Building Assistance Provider Network. This network will ensure that health departments, community-based organizations and healthcare organizations across the country receive the best resources to promote HIV education and prevention strategies.

“The grant is charged with assisting Capacity Building Assistance Providers in the area of high-impact HIV prevention to better give physical assistance, training and information to actual

service providers serving patients,” and respected brand to ensure “One of the issues we have in said Jacki Witt, co-director of that the CPN is the go-to source healthcare delivery is depending the grant and clinical associate for the latest and most accurate on where you live in the country professor at the School of Nursing HIV information. you may get a different quality and Health Studies. “We’re a The CPN will need new of care, because providers don’t national coordinating center that products to use at HIV-prevention always know or practice what deals with these 20 other grantees. and resource centers. These the standard of care is,” said Dr. Those are the Capacity Building products will be both educational Ann Cary, dean of the School Assistance (CBA) Providers. They and technological.

UMKC of Nursing and Health Studies. work with the “So what we agencies that aim to do in actually serve this grant is to patients.” make sure that U M K C we disseminate coordinates the what the CBA Provider standard of care Network to is so that all ensure that providers can m e m b e r s deliver highhave access quality services to the most and educational up-to-date materials to HIV information patients and to and strategies the community.” to better serve The center HIV patients in will evaluate their respective how effectively Photo Courtesy // UMKC the communities. UMKC School of Nursing network UMKC’s role in this network has will not directly develop these is performing as a whole. The four distinct purposes. products, but instead will oversee evaluative function of the center The CPN (CBA Provider and facilitate their development. will collect data from the 20 other Network) needs to effectively UMKC must coordinate the members of the CPN and assess market itself to HIV service CPN’s activities. While this how well they’re performing their providers as a leader in accurate includes providing effective duties. information and new prevention information and strategies Witt wrote the grant along with strategies. UMKC will create a to the CPN, it also includes Laurie Krom, program director new website and promotional standardizing the quality of care of the Addiction Technology materials to establish a recognized HIV patients receive.

Transfer Center (ATTC.) Both

women have had experience in directing similar national coordinating centers and were responsible for writing the grant that the school ultimately secured.

They acknowledge, however, that UMKC owes this opportunity not only to its own team and expertise in writing the grant, but also to the full support of the university administration. After the school made it through the first round of review last December, the CDC sent ambassadors to UMKC for a site visit. They interacted with Chancellor Leo E. Morton as well as other members of the administrative team, including Dr. Lawrence Dreyfus, vice chancellor for Research and Economic Development. The CDC determined that UMKC possessed the capacity to facilitate a national coordinating center and awarded the grant.

This unprecedented grant is poised to establish UMKC and the CPN by extension as a primary resource center for the most complete, accurate and cuttingedge information and strategies for HIV prevention and research. jgoforth@unews.com

Breakfast with Jake: Dr. Susan B. Wilson commits to expanding UMKC’s diversity studied at the University of Jake Newstrom Pittsburgh, earning a bachelor’s A&E Editor degree in psychology, a master’s Dr. Susan B. Wilson spoke last degree in clinical psychology and week at the UMKC Diversity a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. She Strategic Plan rollout. Wilson was later obtained her MBA from the recently appointed vice chancellor Bloch School of Management at for Diversity and Inclusion. UMKC. Currently serving as associate With her new position, dean at the School of Medicine, Wilson will be influential in the she is transitioning into her new implementation of the Diversity role, which officially begins April Strategic Plan. The culmination 17. of a two-year effort by the “I’m pretty excited,” Wilson chancellor’s Diversity Council, said. “I do not take the role of the plan outlines how UMKC as vice chancellor for Diversity and a whole can embrace diversity.

Inclusion lightly.”

The key concept of the plan Wilson’s work at the School is “you can’t have excellence of Medicine included heading without diversity.” It outlines its diversity efforts, where she the five dimensions of diversity worked on such aspects of as: representation, access and policy, recruitment, retention success; climate and campus and cultural competency. She has environment; responsive teaching, worked in diversity consulting research and experiential learning; and training for more than 20 UMKC and the urban community years, having held positions in the in partnership; and institutional field at Spofford, Swope Health infrastructure and resources.

Services and Saint Luke’s Health “It took a lot of energy, time and System. effort to put together a plan that Originally from Pittsburgh, we think is a blueprint for our Penn., Wilson grew up in public future in diversity,” Wilson said. housing in the inner city. In a “This is not a one-person job or diverse neighborhood and an era one-department job. This is really of discontent over civil rights, she going to involve all of us bringing developed a passion for different this vision to life as we want to cultures at a young age. Wilson

make UMKC even better than it is already.”

Wilson said this includes students, with whom she plans to work closely with in her new role.

“In rolling out the strategic diversity plan, the voice of students is really critical,” Wilson said. “We need to know what students’ vision of diversity is as well as how we can improve the climate so that this is a welcoming place no matter what diversity group students belong to.”

Wilson has strategized how to engage students in working toward a more diverse campus.

“My plan is to work with the student organizations,” Wilson said. “At my first opportunity I want to have a meeting with all the student organizations to really define how we’re going to go about doing that and what will work best for the students to get input and engagement. It has to be continuous engagement, not just I come to talk to you in February then you don’t see me again but really defining ways that the students can continue to be engaged in the diversity process.”

jnewstrom@unews.com

Susan Wilson, new vice chancellor for the Division of Diversity and Inclusion.

Photo Courtesy // UMKC

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Gunman in Jewish facilities shootings reveals KKK involvement

Two individuals were killed on Sunday at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City in Overland Park and a third was killed at the Village Shalom in Leawood. A suspect was taken into custody and later identified as Frazier Glenn Cross, better known as F. Glenn Miller.

Miller has been publicized as having a heavy anti-Semitic history. His personal notes from a lecture he gave at Missouri State University reveal white supremacist ideologies, and derogatory language referring to Police on the scene at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City in Overland Park, Kan. Sunday, April minority students in the class. 13.

Photo // cnn.com Miller is said to have founded the White Patriot Party in the 1980s, formerly known as the Carolina Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. The group recruited more than 5000 members from 1980 to 1986 before going defunct. Miller A Disabled Students Secondary released a book called “A White Man Speaks Out: The former Council was approved by a 24-3leader of the largest active White 2 vote at the March 10 Student Association Rights Group in the United Government meeting.

As per the SGA States Speaks out for White constitution, the decision is A preferred name option is now Sirona, a global dental Americans.”

Authorities said the incident now in the hands of the student available to all UMKC students company, donated chair-side is being investigated as a hate body. A 2/3 vote in favor of the through the Pathway system. digital imaging units to the crime. However, they added that council by all voters is required Starting Monday April 21, those School of Dentistry. This in-kind there was not a clear motive at in order to be fully accepted. wishing to submit a preferred donation adds up to $500,000. the time of the press conference Upon becoming a secondary name for use in rosters and roll This equipment will allow council, disabled students would call will be able to make such students to take 3D images of on Sunday. have a seat on both the SGA changes. Questions about the chipped teeth and create crowns and the Student Activities Fee policy can be directed to Douglas on-site while the patient waits.

Committee. Voting is currently Swink, University Registrar.

This replaces the traditional active via Roo Groups and will method of creating a mold or end at 5 p.m. on April 18. impression.

Equipment donation brings high-tech edge to School of Dentistry

from SGA, moves Preferred name to student vote policy now available on Pathway

New council receives approval

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Interdisciplinary Symposium topics range from scholarly to creative

The Undergraduate English Council passed out free UMKC English tote bags to Symposium attendees.

Photos // Kynslie Otte

The Undergraduate English Council’s student panel at the ‘Lit for Life’ Interdisciplinary Symposium.

Photo // Hiral Patel

on interpolated texts. Polo Hiral Patel discussed effective commenting Staff Writer and conferencing strategies The Undergraduate English for graders and peer readers.

Council and the English Graduate Polo spoke of how she sees Student Association held the comments made by teachers not Third Annual Interdisciplinary as them doing their jobs, but as Symposium at the Student Union helping students become better on Saturday, April 12. writers. She compared generic This year’s Interdisciplinary comments to rubber stamps: Symposium featured graduate graders tend to make the same students, undergraduate comments on different papers, students, professors and but fail to explain the comments. community members. For example, many graders say, Participants attended sessions ‘What exactly is the main idea in on different topics every hour this paragraph?’ It’s a bit unclear, and 15 minutes during the 9 a.m.- Polo said.

5 p.m. event.

Students presented original A group of women presented works of fiction and non- fiction. thoughts on interpolated texts, Hannah Chow presented a work which are entries or passages of fiction which was inspired in a text that were not written by events of her childhood. Her by the original author. Cheri story was about a family that Hampton discussed the merit grew up in poor conditions, and of PowerPoint and Prezi the mother was not particularly presentations. She noted the nurturing. The title of her story importance of knowing 19th was “Get her an Orange.” This century language, literary terms title was inspired by the main and how to identify them in character’s mother’s belief that reading situations. Hampton the cure for any sickness was an used the novella “Billy Bud, orange. At the end of the story, Sailor” by Herman Melville as an one of the main character’s example for literary terms. siblings died and in disbelief, the Sarah Polo also presented

main character went to get her an orange.

In the same session, Luke Harness presented a work of nonfiction. Harness spoke about the struggle of transitioning from female to male. He walked the audience through the process of having to deal with people not accepting or respecting his identity. In the end of the story, Harness showed his acceptance towards himself.

“I stood staring at my reflection for quite a while but I didn’t feel any phenomenon of true identity… I just felt normal,” Harness said.

Breakfast and lunch were provided. Professor Ben Moats played music during the lunch hour. There were breaks between sessions.

The day ended with a reception in which Dr. Jennifer Frangos and Dr. Crystal Gorham Doss presented awards to English students receiving departmental honors and those who had provided outstanding service to the department. hpatel@unews.com

Author’s adolescent struggles influence writing To add to Gonzalez’ struggles, Hiral Patel he lost his mother when he was Staff Writer 12, and was distant with his Sigma Tau Delta presented father. He faced the hardships author Rigoberto Gonzalez of adolescence on his own. at the Student Union April 8 Through his poetry, Gonzalez as part of Literature for Life let the audience feel the humor, Week. Gonzalez, American Book happiness and pain of his life.

“A lot of these stories are Award recipient and member of the creative writing faculty at difficult for me to read,” Rutgers University, read pieces Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez is often questioned from his published books and about why he stayed in school answered questions.

Gonzalez led the evening with when it was such a struggle for emotion and humor to keep the him and his family.

“One of the ways in which I audience interested. He read poems from his books, “Butterfly continue to hold the respect of Boy,” “Crossing Vines” and “Men my family’s journey is to think of my own journey as a continuation without Bliss.”

Gonzalez shared his struggles of theirs,” Gonzalez said. “I call it growing up as a minority. Not the string theory. You get a piece only is Gonzalez from Mexico, of string, and you get a map. You but he also identifies as gay. put one side of the string where Gonzalez compared himself to you are from. You put the other a “mariposa,” the Spanish word end on where you ended up. for butterfly. He talked about Then you map where the string what it was like being Hispanic. is from your current location to Later, through his poetry, he where you get your education.”

This theory meant that if one’s discussed the emotions behind family can travel such a great his sexuality.

length for a better future, then the children of that family can continue what was started by earning an education, which doesn’t take so much distance.

Gonzalez said it is important for immigrants to have decent jobs in the United States. His family was full of hard-working farm laborers.

“Most people say that we [immigrants] should be happy that we have jobs, but we’d like to have better jobs than picking lettuce and grapes,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez stressed the importance of reading. He said that every profession requires at least a little reading, and in this day and age it is very important to continue just that.

“I have yet to meet a writer that is not a reader,” Gonzalez said. hpatel@unews.com

Rigoberto Gonzalez

Photo // Hiral Patel

Tuesday April 15, 2014 | Issue 27

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NASA appoints UMKC senior student ambassador takes,” Johnson said. “You need to Zakiya Williams not only prove yourself, but show Staff Writer them that you’re capable of this.”

Her NASA internship, which Senior Ayanna Johnson was recently named one of NASA’s selected only 400 out of 6,000 (National Aeronautics and students in the country, was last Space Administration’s) student summer at the Goddard Space ambassadors.

Johnson plans Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. to develop better learning She was the only African American strategies and to encourage urban in her office and she was about 20 communities to enter STEM- years younger than everyone. They related (science, technology, always watched her and waited for engineering and mathematics) her to make a mistake, she said.

Johnson’s race and age influenced careers. NASA managers and mentors nominated Johnson along people’s judgments and caused with 105 other interns for the them to question whether she would succeed or not. position.

“I automatically went into the “I always try to tell people to take the opportunity given to mindset: I have to prove myself. them and don’t take it for granted And I did,” Johnson said.

By efficiently accomplishing her because if someone gives you this opportunity you need to go above tasks and completing more than and beyond no matter what it what was expected of her, Johnson

gained her colleagues’ trust and respect.

She was offered a second internship and a full-time position at NASA. The Student Government Association senator was not always so ambitious. Johnson had low self-esteem and was soft-spoken, and she was bullied in elementary school.

“It’s so hard to believe the person that I used to be and what I’ve become because I am confident now,” Johnson said. “I stand up straight and speak out.”.

In middle school, her self-esteem and motivation to get good grades increased when her mother threw her a party for getting straight A’s.

For the first time Johnson felt on top of the world.

Johnson will be graduating

this semester with a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts and a minor in communication studies and psychology. She will be attending Howard University for the psychology doctoral program.

The student ambassador works with assistant professor of psychology Dr. Jannette BerkleyPatton at UMKC’S community health researching lab. She wanted to focus on mental health primarily in the African American community because they have minimal access to mental health services.

African Americans’ spiritual and religious beliefs are factors that contribute to this lack of access.

Johnson said she wants to use those renowned spiritual beliefs in a way that will allow African Americans to seek mental health services.

“As a student ambassador the main focus is to encourage students to enter STEM-related careers,” Johnson said. “I want to take this position mainly into the urban community because that’s where my heart lies.”

Johnson said she believes urban community students need motivation, encouragement and support to enter STEM-related fields and careers. They need to know that jobs in STEM fields are accessible.

She will also be promoting NASA and networking to meet with other scientists and researchers to progress NASA. “Follow your dreams, believe, and trust in God,” Johnson said. “It will all work out in the end.” zwilliams@unews.com

UEC presents: Open Mic Night

The Undergraduate English Council hosts Open Mic Night in the Student Union.

Photo // Hiral Patel Hiral Patel Gunnarson, a student who shared Staff Writer many short stories.

Although Gunnarson did not The Undergraduate English share any personal stories, his Council and the English Graduate stories were full of sentiment. He Student Association co-hosted was able to effectively move the their bi-annual open mic night on Monday at Jazzman’s Café in the audience.

“I am an education major, so a lot Student Union. of the things I write about come Many students read original and from the fact that there are such established pieces of works. This annual forum for students to share big inequalities in our education pieces is a tradition for UEC as part system,” said Dayna Harris, a student who shared many poems of Literature for Life Week.

One student recited a few lyrics about education. “I grew up very to a song she wrote. Her friend poor, so a lot of my poetry reflects who passed away had created the the things I’ve seen and the things I’ve done, and a lot of what I hope melody to the song.

“For me, it’s not necessarily for.”

Harris said she hopes to shed light about a specific event, but I get on the situations of inequalities in these moments where I get gripped education. with this need to write,” said Eric hpatel@unews.com

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Queer Queens of Qomedy: Where they go, hilarity follows

From left to right: ‘Queer Queens of Qomedy’ Jennie McNuly, Sandra Valls and Poppy Champlin. humorous anecdotes about living Roze Brooks in Los Angeles. She talked about Editor-in-Chief airline prices, joking that next The Student Union Theatre they’ll be charging to use the was filled with laughter on emergency oxygen masks.

April 12 as The Queer Queens She also mused about the of Qomedy delivered explicit, trend of plastic surgery and how side-splitting jokes about strap- she’s going to be one of the only ons, sapphic encounters and safe women to hold out and carry words. around a Sharpei singing “I’m This all-lesbian comedy revue bringing wrinkles back.” is currently touring the country, McNulty mentioned the time hosted by comedian Poppy she saw a woman breastfeeding Champlin. She was joined by in the ocean, and this caused her Jennie McNulty and Sandra Valls some concern about the child’s for the Kansas City and Chicago future. dates of the tour.

“Woman should be able

straight into her comedic material. Her witty punch lines, overall stage presence and spoton execution was the perfect comedy package.

The beginning of her material included her persona as a butch woman, but that her actions don’t always match the stigma.

“This dyke don’t hike,” she said, revealing a fear of spiders.

She added that the Mexican version of camping involves a lot of tequila.

Keeping with the theme of her Latina roots, Valls brought up language barriers and how

Photos Courtesy // Queer Queens of Qomedy Champlin, a Rhode Island native, joked that every day there seems to be a new letter added to the acronym LGBTQIA. Though her remarks were intended for the sake of comedy, she commented about the intersex community “is that a new species?” and asked “how many people are we letting into the club?”

Champlin incorporated several musical breaks into her bit, including using Thelma Huston’s “Don’t Leave Me This Way” to talk about the first girl she made out with.

All three comedians were inspired by the American Sign Language interpreters at the performance. The performers formulated new jokes about the way some words are signed.

McNulty followed up with

to breastfeed wherever they please,” McNulty said. “But that child is going to grow up liking margaritas. ‘I’ve always liked that salty taste around the rim of my drink.’”

She started some playing competition between the ASL interpreters, noting when one of the signers exited the stage and switched spots with the other.

“Well, Samantha [the interpreter] just quit…” McNulty said.

After a brief fumble with introducing the next comedian, McNulty made up for it with a seamless jab at herself.

“Some people pay attention, some people smoke a lot of pot,” she said.

Valls took the stage singing a song in Spanish and barreling

Hispanic individuals speak.

She said Latin Americans tend to create their own Spanglish hybrid, pronouncing American words so quickly that they sound like something completely different.

For example, Valls repeated a word that initially sounded like “gua- ma,” but after slowing down the phonemes, it turned out she was actually saying “Wal-Mart.”

She said this had even confused her once when she was at a fast food restaurant. She thought the server had said something to her in Spanish, but after a few aggressive exchanges of the word Valls realized that the server was actually saying “hot or mild.”

This also impacted Valls’ childhood experiences

with Halloween.

Growing up, the holiday was called “trickortreat”—one word, as Valls demonstrated.

For costumes, Valls said her mother would always say “go get your father’s clothes, and some pillows. You’re a fat man.”

Valls would reply that she had dressed as a fat man the year before. Her mother would then say “grab your father’s clothes, some pillows and some patches.

You’re a fat homeless man.”

One year, Valls said she wanted to be a ghost. She then asked the audience what the one issue was with that costume choice.

“Mexicans don’t have white sheets,” she said, listing off the array of intricate patterns and shades of sheets they have instead.

Also, functioning shears seemed to have also been in short supply. Valls said her mother would rip a hole in the sheet and she would run around the neighborhood with limited vision.

She also expressed her dissatisfaction with the fast food chain Pollo Loco, which claims “Crazy You Can Taste.”

Valls said she didn’t understand why everything associated with Spanish culture in America has to be called “crazy.”

“Wouldn’t it be great if you could actually taste crazy?” she said. “That would have saved me years of bad relationships.”

Valls reflected on a time she went on a cruise with her then partner, in which a sex toy became the catalyst for her funniest story of the night.

“I’m not a dick-hating lesbian,” she said. “I have lots of them…”

This particular voyage found Valls and her love interest in their room, enjoying each other’s company, until they were interrupted by a knock on the door. It was a housekeeper, insisting on tidying up the room.

Valls and her partner ordered room service and relocated to their balcony—which Valls pantomimed as being a whopping two steps away from their bedroom.

The women re-entered the suite once housekeeping was finished. It took a matter of minutes for Valls to realize

something was missing.

“Where….is….the toy?” she said.

Her partner immediately retorted, “Well you had it last.”

“Of course I had it last. You never have it!” Valls said.

A quick scouring of the room ensued until Valls realized the newest addition to their bed.

The housekeeper had created an easily identifiable animal, using the sex toy as a primary focal point for the linen sculpture.

“They made a unicorn,” Valls said, using her microphone to demonstrate.

Valls segued into a conversation about S&M, commenting on the peculiarity of “safe words,” a key phrase used between two people engaging in sexual behavior that involves any combination of dominance and submission, roleplaying, sadism and masochism or bondage and discipline. A safe word indicates that the person wants his or her partner to immediately stop what he or she is doing.

Valls listed off things in her immediate line of sight to exaggerate how safe words can be just about anything.

Words like “curtain” and “microphone stand” were among the exclamations, and this was followed by the most glorious moment of irony for the UMKC community crowd.

“Do you know how hard it is to say ‘kangaroo’ with a ball in your mouth?” Valls said. This was followed by several exaggerated bellows of this proposed safe word.

The comedian was unaware that the kangaroo is UMKC’s mascot.

Champlin returned to the stage, performing several more musical parodies including a rendition of “Tipsy,” “Favorite Things” and “Born This Way” to wrap up the show. rbrooks@unews.com

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Voices of Love:

UMKC’s Conservatory bears all on Union Station’s city stage

Conservatory students perform selections from ‘La Perichole.’ only to find himself imprisoned Joey Hill with his ex-servant, Figaro.

Senior Staff Writer Almaviva asks Figaro to help Last week the UMKC him escape and win Rosina’s Conservatory brought a heart. showcase of Spanish operatic The performance captured romance to the City Stage. the youthful exuberance of the As with most of its Ensemble characters, most notably Royce Series, this was a high-quality Strider’s portrayal of Figaro performance presenting a the Barber. Strider’s Figaro is collection of various works by cunning but understanding and about Spanish composers while entertaining the plots and Spain itself. “Opera Scenes: of Almaviva. This is especially Nights in the Gardens of Spain” evident in the number “Non was another triumph by the dubitar, o Figaro” where the Conservatory. count attempts to woo Rosina Starting off the night was a as his cohorts distract her heartfelt aria by student Jessica prospective suitor, Giovinetto, Crowler. With the backdrop and Figaro simply leans on a of a midnight graveyard scene building coyly watching from behind her, Crowler took on the the shadows. role of Rosario, the tragic femme Not all of the scenarios fatale of Enrique Granados’ 1915 presented were exclusively three-act opera, “Goyescas.” The from older operas. One scene opera was designed to coincide in particular was from John with Granados’ “Goyescas” Corgliano’s 1991 “The Ghosts seven piece piano suite he of Versailles.” Corgliano, an composed in 1911. The song accomplished and worldthat Crowler sang, “La maja y renowned composer, has been el ruisenor,” translates as “The working with the Conservatory Girl and the Nightingale.” The since fall 2012 as the Barr piece is performed in the third Institute Laureate. and last act of the opera when The opera, only conceived in Rosario is waiting in a graveyard two parts, takes place within the to meet her new found love gilded halls of Versailles in the interest, Fernando, just before afterlife with ghosts of various he is tragically murdered by famous French historical figures local thug Paquiro. comprising the main cast.

Next were four uplifting The scene performed by the selections from “Il Barbriere di Conservatory was “Come Now, Siviglia,” “The Barber of Seville,” My Darling” from act one when a popular classic amongst the the ghost of Pierre Beaumarchais opera world. The Conservatory attempts to court the specter performed the version by of Marie Antoinette, scornful Giovanni Paisiello who adapted with the memory of having been his comedic opera from the beheaded. Beaumarchais, played original version by Pierre by Joshua Stark, presents Marie Beaumarchais. In a twisted tale Antoinette with a scene from of love, a prosperous Count Mozart’s “Le nozze di Figaro,” Almaviva falls in love with a or “The Marriage of Figaro.” beautiful woman named Rosina “The Marriage of Figaro”

Vince Woods, Matt Marx and Michael Pugh perform the ‘Bolero.’

centers on the story of “The Barber of Seville,” taking place several years later and demonstrating the eventual degradation of the characters in the preceding years. Count Almaviva has won the heart of Rosina and they are married.

Having spent so much time together, however, has created a rift between the two and now they have lost the love they once

is split between the two duets, which are first performed by turn but then meld together.

Beaumarchais leads Antoinette (Laura Powell) into the space and directs her toward the other two performers, Krystal Nemetz and Ashton Thompson, as they begin to sing to each other of their love. The lovers are clearly represented as simply an entity apart from Marie Antoinette and Beaumarchais who completely drown Cherubino out with their own singing.

The height of the show came after intermission with the inclusion of scenes from Mozart’s “Don Giovanni.”

Noted for his perversions, Don Giovanni is represented as an avid playboy and Chris Carbin’s impeccable performance personifies him perfectly. While Carbin’s looks aid him very much in this role, it’s his capture of intense egotism to the point of hilarity that makes this one of his greatest performances since “Street Scene.”

The first three scenes presented were from act one on the wedding day of Zerlina (Shannon Lowe,) and Masetto (Joshua Stark.) All is well as neighbors and family rejoice for the newlyweds, until the arrival of Don Giovanni with his right-

the trio of Bethany Unruh, Olivia Lynn and Aaron Redburn, who performed “I’m Only Thinking of Him” from “Man of La Mancha,” the sudden shift to contemporary musical numbers was jarring.

The final performance of the night was from Jaques Offenbach’s “La Perichole.”

Cousins Estrella, Guadelena and Virginella organize drink and food for their guests at a lavish wedding party as the theme of the celebration draws more towards the trials and tribulations of love. This is most evidently displayed in the performance of “The Soldier and the Indian Maid” performed by the traveling musical duo La Perichole (Melissa Edwards) and Paquillo (Vince Woods.)

The youthful exuberance Woods injected into his portrayal of Paquillo brought to mind his performance in “Street Scene,” as he demonstrated a keen talent not only in singing but also his energetic and jubilant moves.

Telling the story of a Spanish conquistador who romances an Indian maid, the duet illustrates the view of love by both genders as the conquistador appears to regret the relationship when presented with their child.

Trouble brews between the

Chris Carbin steals away the bride as ‘Don Giovanni.’ shared. Beaumarchais uses this to soften sorrowful Antoinette’s heart by presenting her with the duet scene of a young Rosina with her lover Cherubino who will die soon after the meeting.

The interesting aspect of the composition is how the stage

Photos // Joey Hill

hand thug Leporello (Michael Pugh) in tow. Pugh could have presented the role as a stupid ragamuffin but he adds a great deal to the character through physical movement, as it lacks much in the way of direct vocal lines.

Don Giovanni manages to clear the wedding by inviting the entire group to a feast at his manor, only so he can get the bride alone and successfully woo her. The next scene is from act two when Don Giovanni and Leporello visit Donna Elvira (Crowler,) a past conquest of Giovanni’s, only so he can see how much she misses him. He has Leporello don a large hat to disguise himself. Pugh’s physicality in the role comes through in this performance as at times Carbin appears behind him and manipulates his arms to comically emphasize his pillow talk to Elvira.

Next followed a collection of modern scenes from operas and plays such as Mitch Leigh’s “Man of La Mancha” from 1965 and Frederick Loewe’s classic 1956 “My Fair Lady.” While the performances in these two scenes are excellent, especially

duo when they realize they will never be able to support each other through their singing, and they decide to get extremely intoxicated and break up. The Count of Panatellas decides to offer them a solution: if they agree to marry a mystery person, they each will live the rest of their lives in complete comfort. They both agree but in their drunkenness they do not realize that they in fact end up marrying each other much to the delight of the guests.

The show ends with a fantastic and jubilant presentation from the entire cast as each singer provides a small lyric in reference to their character, and concluded yet another fantastic performance by the UMKC Conservatory. jhill@unews.com

Tuesday April 15, 2014 | Issue 27

Section B

The Unionization of College Sports— Is UMKC Next? better medical insurance.

Marie Whelan Though the movement has Staff Writer started, it has a long way to go.

Northwestern University “It’s going to be years and years, football players, including Kain probably four years before anything Colter, have started the fight to is passed,” McCutcheon said. earn employee status for playing The former student athlete football through the unionization explained that UMKC’s athletes of collegiate sports. Is UMKC would have to be the driving force considering something similar for behind the movement. all its athletes?

“For any school to consider it, it No, according to Rob would have to be done by student McCutcheon, sports information athletes,” McCutcheon said. director.

“UMKC can’t make that decision.”

“The odds of it happening here The Northwest players are are very, very, slim,” McCutcheon fighting for more rights as revenuesaid. generating athletes.

UMKC, Northwestern University however, is on a different playing football players have started to form field. a union— All Players United— in “I think most of UMKC’s student order to receive wages for playing athletes understand they’re not in a football for the university. They are revenue sport,” McCutcheon said. fighting for more scholarships and McCutcheon, a Missouri

Southern University graduate, posed an important question.

“Where’s the money gonna come from?” he asked.

McCutcheon explained that most college athletic programs, including UMKC’s, operate in a deficit. Very few universities make money off their athletics programs, and UMKC isn’t one of them.

McCutcheon addressed the issue of equality: what about women’s sports, and sports that aren’t as popular such as track and field?

“You can’t pay one and not the other,” McCutcheon said.

McCutcheon said UMKC athletes are treated fairly.

One of the arguments that Northwest football players made for the pay-to-play situation was the lack of good medical insurance in the event of injuries on the

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playing field.

“Every student athlete that comes here gets supplemental insurance,” McCutcheon said.

McCutcheon said UMKC athletes receive significant scholarship money. A fullscholarship UMKC athlete receives $30,304 if he or she is out-of-state, and an in-state athlete receives $20,108.

Though most UMKC athletes don’t receive these full scholarships, they do receive other scholarships and funds to cover clothes, gear, tutoring and incidental expenses.

Student athletes, according to McCutcheon, aren’t focused on the business side of college athletics.

They’re in college to earn a degree and go on to be professionals in other fields.

“They [student athletes] don’t

know what is going to happen to the entire industry,” McCutcheon said.

McCutcheon said even the staff isn’t as informed as they would like to be.

“There are maybe five department employees with enough knowledge to answer questions,” McCutcheon said.

McCutcheon, who has spent 14 years as a sports information director, explained that the future of UMKC athletics if a union were to be formed is unclear.

“There are a million different scenarios,” McCutcheon said. “It would change the way we would have to do things.” mwhelan@unews.com

Tuesday April 15, 2014 | Issue 27

2B

Sporting Kansas City defeats UMKC in exhibition game

This week in UMKC sports

Dan Moreno Senior Staff Writer SOFTBALL The UMKC softball team was unable to win the series at Seattle this weekend after falling 3-0 on Friday’s first game, pulling out a 3-1 victory in the second game and losing 6-4 on Saturday against the Redhawks.

UMKC fought hard and was close to winning the series in game three but Seattle’s run in the bottom of the sixth inning brought the Kangaroos a tough loss.

Caitlin Christopher hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning, but her effort was not enough to win the game.

Next up, the softball team will host South Dakota at the Missouri 3&2 Complex Monday at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. before hosting Utah Valley this weekend in conference play.

MEN’S TENNIS The men’s tennis team dominated Cowley College with a 6-1 victory in front of a full house at the Plaza Tennis Center on Friday. The Roos are in a four-game winning streak.

The Kangaroos started off strong earning the doubles point with victories at No. 2 and No. 3 respectively before coming out with a tiebreaker win at No. 1.

The team did the same in singles play as freshmen Mike Psarros, Uldis Gaismins, Vinh Pham and junior Jai Grewal defeated their opponents with straight set wins.

Senior Tomas Patino struggled with injuries in his match against Harry Busby, which cost him the only singles loss against the Tigers.

The men’s tennis squad will end its regular season this Wednesday against Northwest Missouri at the Plaza Tennis Center at 3 p.m.

Photo // Dan Moreno with teams across the region this Dan Moreno month.

Senior Staff Writer Several players from the The UMKC men’s soccer team current roster were no strangers played a friendly preseason to Sporting KC, as many played match against the MLS for the Sporting Junior program Champions Sporting Kansas as youth.

City on Saturday. The ’Roos lost Senior defender Guerrero Pino 6-0. left Swope Park with a smile on Sporting Kansas City began his face despite the loss. its bye week with the exhibition “It is always great to play match after last week’s tie with against a professional team, in Real Salt Lake. SKC will be back this case the MLS Champions” in action this Saturday against Pino said. “It’s games like these Montreal Impact. everyone dreams about and, The Kangaroos are currently in despite the loss, it feels great to their spring off season, and have share the field with world class several exhibition games set up players.”

Head Coach Rick Benben will be entering his 17th season in charge of the Kangaroos along with Associate Head Coach Fred Schlichting.

After last season’s disappointing loss against Bakersfield University in the quarterfinals of the WAC Championship, the Kangaroos will look to improve last year’s 4-11-4 record in its second season in the Western Athletic Conference. dmoreno@unews.com

Photo // Dan Moreno

FC Kansas City and Sky Blue FC settle for 1-1 draw

FCKC celebrates with Amy Rodriguez after her first goal of the season.

Photo Courtesy // FCKC

a couple goal attempts before Dan Moreno Katy Freels’ unassisted goal in Senior Staff Writer the 48nd minute that came after FC Kansas City opened its a missed clearance from FCKC’s 2014 National Women’s Soccer defense.

League season with a 1-1 draw Sky Blue FC held back the against Sky Blue FC in front of home team’s offense for the 3,107 fans at Durwood Stadium remainder of the game earning a on Saturday. very important road tie. Kansas FC Kansas City’s striker Amy City outshot Sky Blue FC 14-5.

Rodriguez scored the first goal of Head Coach Vlatko the season putting the Blues up Andonovski and his team will by one in the 42nd minute after travel to Maryland in hopes of blasting an assist from rookie their first victory against the draft pick Kasey Kallman.

Washington Spirit this Saturday Throughout the first half, at 5:30 p.m. before facing FC Kansas City created several Portland Thorns FC on April 26 goal opportunities and almost at 9 p.m. increased the lead in the 44nd FC Kansas City’s next home minute when goalkeeper Jillian game is April 30 when the Loyden saved an attempt from Chicago Red Stars visit Durwood Rodriguez just seconds before Stadium at 7 p.m. halftime.

In the second half, Sky Blue FC dmoreno@unews.com was in control of the ball, making

WOMEN’S TENNIS The women’s tennis squad defeated the Cowley College Tigers 6-1 last Friday evening at the Plaza Tennis Center after two straight losses against Cal State Northridge and Saint Louis University.

The Roos earned the doubles points after defeating No. 1 and No. 3 and lost at No. 2 after the point had been clinched.

In singles play, Kansas City dominated the Tigers with victories from Dimitra Stavrianakou, Mariam Kurasbediani, Raquel Argenal, Amelie Amsallem and Gaby Pintos.

Pintos earned the Kangaroos the victory after winning a thrilling match on her senior day in front of her parents who were in attendance from Mexico. Pintos won the first set and lost the second before playing a long set tiebreaker pulling out a tremendous 15-13 victory over Lauryn Sullins.

The Kangaroos now stand 6-13 and will end their regular season on Monday when they face Northwest Missouri State in Maryville, Mo. at 3 p.m.

TRACK AND FIELD The UMKC track and field team went to Columbia, Mo., this weekend for the Missouri Relays with the throwers leading the Kangaroos at the Audrey J. Walton Track Stadium.

Junior Dahlia Dyson finished fifth in the shot put with a mark of 44-10, the second best in UMKC’s history. Dyson also placed eighth in the hammer throw at 48.30 meters, three spots behind sophomore Kelsey Benoit who ended fifth with a personal best of 165-5.

On the men’s side, sophomore Blake Hocking finished third in the shot put reaching the 16.07-meter mark while finishing fourth in the discus toss on 157-2.

Senior Shanelle Williams finished fourth in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 13.92 and eighth in the 100-meter dash with a personal best of 12.08. For the men, sophomore Zak Snow placed fourth in the 400-meter hurdles recording a personal best time of 54.42.

Next up, the Roos will head to Walnut, Calif., for the Mt. SAC Relays this weekend. dmoreno@unews.com

Tuesday April 15, 2014 | Issue 27

3B

Health Journal:

Drinking on a DietCounting more than just drinks

run wild with it. Too much Lindsay Nelson alcohol is not good for you and Staff Writer will have negative effects, such Few of us think to count the as dehydration, nausea and calories in alcoholic beverages, hangovers. The point is to clarify but that is the sneakiest way to the possibility to go out for a exceed the daily limit. Instead drink and avoid the belt busters. of ordering a frozen margarita Most studies show that which can clock in at 500 neither beer nor wine nor liquor calories, opt for more health- is better or worse than the other conscious cocktails. when consumed in moderation.

Before we get started, please A healthy alcohol choice requires do not take this concept and the same guidelines as making a

healthy food selection. Start by reading the label.

Half a cup (4 ounces) of wine contains nearly 100 calories.

An easy step is to lean more toward beverages that are not loaded with sugar. An average shot of liquor also comes with approximately 100 calories. So when ordering mixed drinks, opt for the diet soda.

Nutrition communications expert Marie Spano strongly

Vegetable Pita Pizza: A New Spin on a College Classic Lindsay Nelson, Staff Writer We all crave pizza, but the calories and fat in a traditional slice may deter us from indulging so frequently. With this vegetable pita pizza, satisfy your taste buds without the guilt.

Total time: 20 minutes Servings: approximately 4, approximately four servings Calories: 120 Carbohydratess: 20g Fat: 2g Fiber: 3g

Protein: 5g

Ingredients:

2 large pita rounds, 100% whole-wheat 1/2 cup assorted fresh vegetables (broccoli or cauliflower florets, red sweet pepper strips, sliced mushrooms, chopped carrots) 1/4 cup pizza sauce (marinara) 1/4 cup shredded cheese, mozzarella cooking spray

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place pita rounds on a baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes.

Coat a small skillet with cooking spray, and set it over medium heat. Add chosen vegetables; cook and stir until tender crisp.

Spread sauce on pita rounds, top with cooked vegetables and cheese. Bake for an additional 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown.

Nutrition information per serving: 120 calories, 20g carbohydrates, 2g fat, 3g fiber, 5g protein.

Find more recipes like these at everydayhealth.com.

Find lotsa ton more recipes like this theseone at everydayhealth.com .

It’s Bean Swell Lindsay Nelson, Staff Writer Beans, rice and salsa are not isolated to the traditional Chipotle order. These three ingredients are quite versatile and easy to incorporate into homemade meals. Try this salsa, black bean and rice salad, inspired by everydayhealth.com, for starters.

Total time: 30 -minutes Servings: approximately 6, makes approximately six servings Calories: 200 Carbohydrates: 42g Fat: 1g Fiber: 5g Protein: 9g Ingredients: 2 cups rice (white or brown), cooked and chilled 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained 2 cups chopped tomatoes 1 cup chopped peppers of your choice 1 cup corn, whole kernel 2 tablespoons cilantro 1 cup salsa of your choice 4 ounces Monterey pepper jack shredded cheese 4 ounces jalapeño chile peppers, diced into 1/4-inch cubes Romaine lettuce 1/2 cup sour cream (light or fat-free)

Prep it up:

In a large bowl, mix chilled rice, black beans, tomatoes, peppers, corn and cilantro; add salsa. Toss to coat. If desired, stir in shredded cheese.

To serve, line salad bowl or plate with lettuce leaves. Top with rice mixture. Serve with sour cream.

Nutrition information per serving: 200 Calories, 42g carbohydrates, 1g fat, 5 g fiber, 9 g protein.

advises against “drinks with umbrellas.” Ordering a piña colada or a strawberry daiquiri is practically the same calorically as having a full desert.

On the beer spectrum, the best choices are light and ultra. Bud Select has a grand total of 55 calories in a 12-ounce bottle. That is three times the serving size of wine, but half the calories. Ales, lagers and ciders may be tastier, but a standard Boulevard Wheat

has 200 calories per bottle.

Awareness is the first step.

Once you know what to look for, the choices become easier and you will start to find your own variety. Alcohol doesn’t have to ruin your diet. Simply go for healthier options. Plus, wouldn’t you much rather eat your calories? lnelson@unews.com

Tuesday April 15, 2014 | Issue 27

4B

Spring Dance Concert Showcases Talents

Photos // Eppie O’Neal

UMKC’s Conservatory of Dance and Music’s annual spring concert.

Eppie O’Neal Staff Writer The Conservatory of Dance and Music presented its annual spring dance concert last Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights in the James C. Olson Performing Arts Center to showcase the choreography of the dancers and faculty.

The Ensemble Series performed on the White Recital Hall stage represented some of the Conservatory’s 70 dance majors from every class. The series featured the choreography of Gary Abbott, DeeAnna Hiett, Sabrina MadisonCannon, Ronald Tice, Paula Weber and Kameron N. Saunders.

The casting auditions were held in January and rehearsals took full swing in February.

“It’s a privilege to get cast,” said Sarah Herbert, a senior dance major who performed in Abbott’s segment.

“I like having a chance to perform on stage and to showcase what I’ve been working on all semester. It’s a good energy and we get really hyped and excited when it’s time to perform.”

The opening piece, “Off Center”

by Weber, featured tutu-garbed

dancers, hair elegantly tucked in buns. The dance featured graceful twirls, effortless leaps and dramatic neck snapping.

Madison-Cannon choreographed the next performance, “Maelstrom,” which deviated from the other performances with its all-male cast.

The first section featured a composition by Phillip Glass. The second section was set with dramatic lighting and the sounds of drum beats from the song “Come Together”

by The Beatles.

“I liked the energy and idea of all male dancers but it has had its challenges,” Madison-Cannon said.

“I choreographed the first version of this piece probably back in 2005, it was very different though.”

“Allegretto,” which means “at a fairly brisk tempo” in Italian, was choreographed by Tice. It featured dancers in black costumes and dramatic violin music. The dancers prominently showcased their technical skills in this piece.

“I like being able to dance with my friends,” said Herbert about dancing in Abbott’s piece “Tricheur, Menteur, Voleur,” a French phrase which translates to “Lying, Cheating,

and Stealing.” The modern piece featured dancers in completely black attire. The electric performance involved dancers leaping and standing on chairs.

“It’s about criminal activity and being caught lying, cheating and stealing,” Herbert said. “It’s a cool piece, I love dancing in it.

We performed it in March at the American College Dance Association in Chicago, and now we’re going to Washington D.C. because we won at the gala.”

“It’s a huge honor for UMKC to get chosen,” Madison-Cannon said.

There were 29 schools and 48 pieces presented in Chicago. They sent three pieces to the national festival.”

“Dovrebbe Andare in entrambi i modi” by DeeAnna Hiett utilized a table and chairs along with visual images and a live performance by the UMKC Percussion Ensemble and Joseph Genualdi on the violin. The smooth and energetic piece featured elevated lifts, spins and splits. Other climactic moments involved a female dancer lying on the table as it was lifted by male dancers and shaken violently.

“It fills me with great emotion

performing something that I connect with on stage,” said freshman Harry Parker, who performed in Abbott’s and Saunder’s pieces, as well as being an understudy in MadisonCannon’s and Hiett’s pieces.

“Blue,” a modern ballet choreographed by Weber, featured six dancers. The male and female dance partners wore dark blue bottoms and white tank suits with blue stripes as they performed the tightly structured dance. The lighting and staging was compelling.

The student-choreographed piece “Lines Untouched” by Saunders, an undergraduate senior dance major, closed the concert.

“He choreographed a smaller piece for the welcome event we did for incoming students,” MadisonCannon said. “We liked it so much that we asked him to do a larger version including as many dancers as he could put on the stage.”

This performance featured the most dancers of all. They wore different variations of black outfits and rushed on and off the stage.

Several soloists were featured as well.

The dancers and faculty dedicated

a lot of effort to the dance concert, as it is only held in the spring and fall.

“It’s exhausting, especially as an understudy,” Parker said. “If I’m performing in all my four pieces, that’s an exhausting time period.

Keeping it together and staying in the moment is challenging.”

Herbert has performed in the Conservatory’s concerts since she was a sophomore, and this was her last before graduation in May. “It would be great if we had a higher attendance,” Herbert said.

“We put a lot of time and effort into the dances, so it would be nice to have more of the student body come and support.”

The Conservatory of Dance and Music will be hosting “Dance Fest for Funds” at 7:30 p.m., April 21 in the Student Union to raise funds for their trip to the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C in June.

For more information about the UMKC Conservatory visit www. conservatory.umkc.edu. eoneal@unews.com

Tuesday April 15, 2014 | Issue 27

5B

Foster the People: Supermodel h a r m o n i o u s melodies.

The band The sophomore album also goes “Supermodel” by Foster the People into grittier takes the band to new musical tones with depths.

“A Beginner’s Three years after the release of its Guide to first full-length album “Torches,” the Destroying the band released an album filled with Moon.” This existential lyricism, neo-psychedelic track is all composition and a multitude of over the place global cultural influences. with grunge The album’s first track “Are You e l e m e n t s What You Want to Be?” carries c o n t r a s t e d African Tribal hints as vocalist Mark against Foster’s Foster sings of Djembe music on crisp falsetto Champs-Élysées, a famous avenue in vocals. In other Paris. As the album progresses, even sections of the more influences are collected into a song, Foster musical melting pot. shouts with As expected, the trio features the backing of plenty of synthesizer tunes and lead rock guitar falsetto melodies, though there are riffs then drops many new musical elements at play into lower range vocals backed by in this album. progressive grand piano chords.

Bluesy guitar riffs layered over The overall sound of the band’s overdriven bass grooves can be heard second full-length album is very in the first single “Coming of Age,” different, though reminiscent, of accompanied by Foster’s pop vocal their debut album. melodies.

Foster’s vocals are undoubtedly the The bass driven “Ask Yourself” most forward reminder of the band’s is, at times, filled with little more previous sound, though Foster’s than bass and acoustic guitar, vocal melodies have not gone stale. while symphonic tones and vocal Rather, Foster shares more range harmonies fill out the choruses. and diverse vocal harmonies then in “Best Friend” brings the funk the previous record. as bass licks and aggressive, yet “Supermodel” is a must hear for psychedelic, rhythms will have Foster the People fans or anyone listeners singing the song’s hook, interested in the indie-pop genre. “when your best friends are strung This album is much more diverse out.” than their debut and offers fans a Opening with acoustic guitar fresher collection of songs to listen strumming, sets the tone to a more to. stripped down “Fire Escape,” a song The vinyl recording of the album is which provides a more intimate worth the investment for those who listening experience for Foster’s enjoy the aesthetics of an A side and

FanAddict

Sam Littlefield Staff Writer

Joe Lieberman is the founder and CEO of FanAddict, a new mobile app that allows music lovers to easily find, track and share their favorite live events locally or nationwide. The free app is available through the AppStore and Google Play.

Photo // idolator.com B side.

The A side of the record has an overall more progressive set of grooves, while the B side is heavily contrasted between grungier tones and crisp acoustic vibes.

All eleven tracks have something unique to offer to listeners, as there are no lingering riffs or melodies that carry over from track to track.

Rather, all the songs on this album carry their own elements in a creative, yet easy-to-listen fashion.

Overall, this album is delightful to listen to. While it may not be best suited for contemporary background music in the home, it provides a wonderful listening experience for those just wanting to enjoy some tunes in between homework assignments. slittlefield@unews.com

‘Firefly’ more than just a bug in the grass Lindsay Nelson Staff Writer Joss Whedon’s series “Firefly” ended before it ever had the chance to truly begin. The series aired in 2002 and ended in 2003 after just one season. The episodes of this lonely season, however, have superiorly wittier characters, adventures and dialogue than most shows that have produced more than half a dozen seasons.

The year is 2517.

After a catastrophic civil war, the only reigning superpowers are the United States and China. The two countries join forces to form a new central government called the Alliance, which results in the fusion of two cultures. One half of the new culture lives in elegance, and the other half lives like pioneers on the fringes of the galaxy.

Led by the illustrious Captain Malcolm “Mal” Reynolds (Nathan Fillion), a crew of renegades—each in his or her own right—travel the “verse” doing as they please.

Wash (Alan Tudyk) is the pilot.

Zoё (Gina Torres) is second-incommand. Jayne (Adam Baldwin) is the hired gun, or as Mal says, he handles “public relations.” Kaylee (Jewel Staite) is the mechanic. Inara (Morena Baccarin) is a Companion, or the 26th century version of a courtesan. Dr. Simon Tam (Sean Maher) and his sister River (Summer Glau) are aboard primarily to avoid being captured by the Alliance.

Shepherd Book (Ron Glass) is the pastor on board. They are the nine, and their home is Serenity, a Fireflyclass spaceship. Yes, the ship is built to look like a firefly, and, yes, hence the title of the show.

Throughout the 14 episodes, this eclectic crew of “space pirates” pillages, barters, brawls, laughs, cries and nearly dies one too many times.

On every adventure, on every planet, plot twists continue to surprise

Hannah Copeland Staff Writer Q: Why is it important for fans to follow bands they love?

A: It’s a natural inclination of people who really love music to want to see their favorite bands live. That was one of my biggest passions as a kid. I remember reading the album covers from back to back...studying up on the band members... keeping track of my ticket stubs. I built a scrapbook of all my memorabilia. I felt that the tracking and the scrapbooking could be combined. That’s the genesis of FanAddict.

win a FanAddict traveling bandvan.

A: We wanted to see if we could get bands to market FanAddict in a way that we couldn’t get exposure otherwise. It worked.

It was a month-long contest. In a few weeks we got over 4000 Facebook likes.

Q: How has living in KC affected FanAddict?

A: There’s a very strong entrepreneurial spirit in KC and a community eco-system that revolves around small business development. It’s very nurturing. It was easy to find other professionals who had skill sets that I could use collaboratively.

want to promote us, the bands themselves and PR agencies.

Within the store, we use search optimization to find people who are searching words about our product.

Q: Who are your favorite bands?

A: Currently Arcade Fire, Of Monsters and Men, and The Doves. My favorite older bands are The Smiths, Morrissey, and Death Cab for Cutie. One of my favorite locals is Cowboy Indian Q: What’s your sales pitch for Bear. They have these really FanAddict? nice, lush harmonies.

A: Track your favorite bands Q: How do users find you in the and relive your memories. You AppStore? can only say one message at a A: We use a multi-faceted time. If you say too much you’re marketing program including saying nothing. lots of organizations who

Q: You’re involved with two other Kansas City companies, correct?

A: Yes. Mangodo is a fun shell for some creative things I do. At Capitus Group, I do business consulting to help small business owners through growth transitions.

Q: How do you divide your time between projects?

A: Everything ebbs and flows.

Currently FanAddict is working on version-two development.

I’ve got a bunch of people who are busy with that, so I have more time to focus on business consulting, but over the last year I did ramp up my involvement in FanAddict as needed.

Q: Bands can’t make money anymore by just selling music.

A: It’s the truth. It’s a sad state of affairs for the people developing the content that gets marketed by others. I think the bands that make it are quickly learning it takes a whole environment of cultivating fans.

FanAddict helps with that.

Q: What’s the next big trend for bands to make money?

A: It will continue to be fan access, like how big artists sell backstage passes. I think smaller bands are going to get more and more creative marketing different ways to connect with their fans.

Q: Do you play music?

A: I don’t anymore, but I learned to as an adult. I took guitar lessons and started a band with a friend. We created our own music, played live and cut a CD. Q: How do bands sign up?

But I couldn’t fit it all in, so I put A: Right now we are working that to bed. I then learned how on phase two, which allows to edit music and now I have bands to directly use FanAddict FanAddict. to manage their tour, events Q: It’s a mystery to many users listings and social media feeds. how apps actually make money.

viewers. The characters’ back stories are strategically revealed to throw viewers through just the right loops.

One of the nine even has a town named after him.

Whedon keeps everything firmly planted in reality. The characters are ceaselessly relatable despite the centuries that separate them from the fan base. The dialogue is so natural it barely seems scripted. In the pilot, Wash is introduced as he is playing with dinosaur figurines on the command console. Nonchalance like that cannot be beat.

The final episode of the season, “Objects in Space,” left fans with hope and optimism for the next season, but it never came. No fan can quite figure out why a show with the potential to be one of the best sci-fi shows on television did

Photo // imdb.com not get renewed. There is a movie continuation, “Serenity,” that more or less wraps up the story behind Simon and River, but that is simply not enough. “Serenity” is a great film, but it is hardly a substitute for the number of seasons fans are being deprived of.

Whedon pitched the show as “nine people looking into the blackness of space and seeing nine different things,” and it is exactly that. “Firefly” gives nine different perspectives of a life half a millennium away. The series may have ended too soon, but its episodes are still as brilliant as the day they aired.

Grab some friends, a box of wine and catch the first season of “Firefly” on Netflix. lnelson@unews.com

Q: How do you think FanAddict will change the live music industry as a whole?

A: We hope to change the way that artists engage directly with their fans. Even using Spotify or Pandora, you’re really just listening to the music. It’s distant. We’re trying to create an environment where you feel connected using your own notes, photographs and band twitter feeds.

A: It’s a mystery to me, too. (laughs). Very little apps make money by selling themselves directly. We have affiliate revenues which make money off of song downloads, ticket commissions and advertising.

Q: Do you have any new products on the horizon?

A: No, but I’ve had lots of ideas come and go over time. This is the biggest one I have jumped at. The experience has been Q: What lessons have you incredible. I’ve been exposed learned about launching a to all sorts of great people I venture? wouldn’t have met otherwise.

A: Foremost, you have to build Q: How do you think FanAddict an awesome product no matter would have changed your what you do. It has to meet the experience as a young music needs of a key group of people. listener?

If you don’t do that, give up. A: It was what I was looking for.

You have to be careful about the I needed it. I would have been robustness of your first product clued in and probably obsessed set. with it (laughs).

Q: You had a contest for bands to submit videos for a chance to

hcopeland@unews.com

Tuesday April 15, 2014 | Issue 27

6B

For the love of vinyl:

Visit your local record store

Photo // facebook.com Sam Littlefield Staff Writer

This year’s list is the largest in the history of Record Store Day releases at participating record In the age of smartphones and stores in the United States. downloadable music, it may seem Mills Record Company, strange that some people would located at 314 Westport Road, , line up outside of a record store, will be one of six record stores hours for before opening, to get in the greater Kansas City area their hands on a new record. to participate and plans to make On April 19, people will be Record Store Day an even more lining up at their favorite record unique event. stores in honor of “Record Store “There will be three food Day.” This day is when an official trucks in the parking lot behind list of exclusive or first run the shop, and we’ll have tickets releases will only be available to give away for 12 shows,” said at record stores participating in owner Judy Mills.

Record Store Day. Mills has tickets for Slayer, “We’ve placed orders for about Tori Amos, Skrillex and more 95 percent of the list,” said Chris ready to give away.

LaBeau, who is responsible It will also be hosting 12 local for ordering at Mills Record bands for an all-day concert. The Company. lineup is set to include Red Kate,

Burial Teens and Metatone.

The company is well prepared for the big day and plans to keep everything organized to provide customers with the best experience possible.

Though this is the first year that Mills Record Company will be participating in Record Store Day, the staff is seasoned after hosting a Black Friday event, which ran with a similar exclusive product concept.

“We got a lot of compliments,” Mills said. Customers enjoyed the calm and organized atmosphere that many were not used to after dealing with hectic events at other record stores.

In order to keep a steady flow, Mills will only allow a few customers in at a time.

Local comic book store owner stands up for artists’ rights Megan Fritts Staff Writer

B-Bop Comics, a two-store operation with locations in the Northland and in Prairie Village, Kan., is one of Kansas City’s largest distributors of comics.

Between the two stores, they have more than 200,000 books on hand. B-Bop Comics’ owner Frank Mangiaracina played an important role in comic book history.

In 1986, Michael Correa was working at Friendly Frank’s, a small comic shop in the sleepy town of Lansing, Ill., when police entered the store and arrested him on charges of possessing and selling obscenity. Several books were also confiscated from the shop, most of which featured illustrations of scantily clad or nude female figures.

Correa immediately called his boss, Mangiaracina, to bail him out. The resulting trial would prove to be formative for future recognition of the First Amendment rights of comic books artists.

Obscenity charges often incite strong feelings of injustice due to the vague wording of the laws.

If Correa claimed not to know the books were in his store, it would have made no difference.

Merely possessing the material is enough to constitute a breach of the law, and working at a store selling obscene material is

considered selling it. Of course, many stores sell pornographic material without breaking the law. Mangiaracina said the difference lies in the legal definition. Obscenity is typically described as material depicting offensive sexual conduct, which lacks any artistic, literary or social value. Of course, value of these sorts is difficult to define, thereby leaving it to the courts to decide the outcomes of most obscenity charges.

Mangiaracina and Correa realized they were in for a long, expensive court battle, and soon went to comic book writers and artists to request donations for their fight. The proceeds allowed Correa to hire Burton Joseph, civil rights attorney for Playboy, to take their case. Joseph won the case. With the remaining donations, Dennis Kitchen of Kitchen Sink Press, which publishes many of the prominent artists and writers who donated to Correa’s case, created a fund to be used for future legal defense needs. In 1990, this fund became an officially recognized nonprofit charitable organization known as the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. In 1996, Joseph became the official defense attorney for the CBLDF, staying with them until his death in 2010.

Of course, defending clients charged with obscenity can be tricky. In 1994, the CBLDF was

called in to assist Mike Dianna, a Florida resident and independent comic book artist charged with drawing and distributing obscene material. The material under scrutiny was a zine titled “Boiled Angel.” The magazine featured graphic images of child rape, torture porn, bestiality and other deviant sexual acts.

Only about 50 copies of it were distributed, mostly among friends. Still, it was enough to get him convicted of the crime, punished with a $3,000 fine, 1,300 hours of community service and psychological counseling at his own expense. He was also not allowed to have contact, physical or verbal, with anyone under the age of 18 for two years.

This was the first case the CBLDF lost.

“Sometimes it’s easy, sometimes it’s tough,” Mangiaracina said.

“Some of this stuff, it is disgusting to me, and I would never want to read it. But to say that something has no value, social, artistic or otherwise? That’s a tough call.

Who can decide that?”

Now a few states away from the small shop that started it all, Mangiaracina seems content to be running B-Bop Comics in Kansas City. While he may not agree with the content of every book he sells, he is happy to support the artists’ right to create them. mfritts@unews.com

“People often try to buy copies of records just to flip them on ebay,” LaBeau said, however Mills is working to prevent this by limiting customers to five records per purchase. Customers will be welcome to go to the end of the line and come back in for a second checkout if they wish.

Some records will be released as Record Store Day exclusives, only available on Record Store Day at participating stores, and will not be reproduced on other mediums.

There will also be Record Store Day limited runs and regional focus releases. These records will be exclusively at participating stores on Record Store Day, and will be extremely rare. Some will only be released in 1,000 copies

and others with even fewer copies.

However, not every record released on Record Store Day will be so rare. Some Record Store Day first releases will be available at other retailers and in other medias a few weeks after Record Store Day. To see the full list of exclusive releases visit recordstoreday. com, then like Mills Record Company on Facebook to see a release of all the Record Store Day exclusives they will have in stock. slittlefield@unews.com

Tuesday April 15, 2014 | Issue 27

7B

Student filmmaker exhibits work at local Middle of the Map Fest

The Alamo Drafthouse

Photo // amazon.com

about a teenage boy who has trouble Bailey Wilson keeping friends, as they all meet Staff Writer untimely and gory ends. This is her Student filmmakers in UMKC’s first short film, and she hopes it will film and media arts programs have lead to more opportunities. the opportunity to exhibit their “I’ve made so many connections short films in a local arts festival at and met a lot of great people,” Powell Ink’s fourth annual Middle of the said.

Map Fest.

Powell has a degree in photography Alamo Drafthouse will host the and graphic design from the film portion of the festival, including University of Central Missouri and the UMKC Student short film owns Elements Studio Photography, screening. This is the second year specializing in portrait, wedding and UMKC students have been a part of boudoir. the festival.

She plans to create a portrait series Graduate student and filmmaker of the film’s characters to be featured Kelly Powell won a spot in the along with the film in her graduate program with her untitled short film. show later this year.

“It’s about public places and how “It’ll be really nice to have student when we’re in a space we don’t often work played alongside filmmakers think about the people that were who are screening at Sundance,” said there before us and what they were Caitlin Horsmon, associate professor doing,” Powell said. of film studies and undergraduate The film follows the road trip of advisor. a couple who stay in a hotel where Middle of the Map Film runs from photos of past inhabitants follow April 16-20 at the Alamo Drafthouse. them. The UMKC shorts program Guest speakers and parties also was curated by digital video and take place during the event. The motion design professor Barry UMKC student screening is at 1 Anderson with the theme of “places.” p.m. on Saturday, April 19. For more “He asked me if I’d be interested information, visit http://www. in making a short film because I’ve middleofthemapfest.com/ done some fake trailers,” Powell said.

“I thought it seemed fun, and now here I am, frantically trying to get it bwilson@unews.com perfect.”

One of the faux trailers Powell created, “Dead Friends Forever,” is

Lady doesn’t just sing the blues: Middle of the Map Fest FILM SCHEDULE APRIL 16-20 The untold story of Etta Moten Barnett WEDNESDAY

Paige Olson Staff Writer UMKC student Babajide Ajisafe will be presenting his documentary “Etta Moten Sings” at the 2014 SEARCH Undergraduate Research Symposium at Pierson Auditorium April 18.

“The SEARCH symposium is the final conference for the undergraduate research that was funded for students,” Ajisafe said. “I will be giving an oral presentation talking about the documentary, showing the trailer, touching on my research process and highlighting things that are not featured in the documentary.”

Ajisafe began his two-year research during his independent study with his mentor, Dr. Harris

aren’t told.”

Ajisafe discovered Goldsby’s method of revealing untold stories was through rigorous archival research. Goldsby’s work introduced him to the Carter G. Woodson Regional Library in Chicago.

“I found the Cater G. Woodson Library due to her work with reviving archives,” Ajisafe said.

“Then, it was a course of events that led me to actually finding Etta Moten Barnett.”

Ajisafe spent days and nights sorting through boxes of unpublished archives on Moten.

Barnett as exemplification of the New Negro of the 20th century’s Harlem Renaissance opened Ajisafe’s eyes through her diverse artifacts.

“I started looking critically at

Photo Courtesy // Babajide Ajisafe Mirkin.

“I studied under him the semester before he passed,” Ajisafe said. “Dr. Harris Mirkin was a model for how straight men could engage in feminism.”

Mirkin’s inspiration led Ajisafe to draw on his own social identification as a straight, black male and his role in black feminism. After Mirkin’s death in May 2013, Ajisafe began thinking about the lessons Mirkin left behind and the theories of Jacqueline Goldsby.

“I started questioning how could I queer ideas of masculinity, then I found a book called ‘A Spectacular Secret’ by [Jacqueline] Goldsby dealing with nuances of lynching,” Ajisafe said. “Her theory was understanding the spectacular event of lynching and the stories that

Etta Moten’s work,” Ajisafe said.

“What I initially thought was here is this dynamic African-American female that’s doing all these things in the performing arts. Let’s see how we can read politics through her performance.”

However, the main relevance was that black female performers do not just sing and dance, but also study.

“Black women in the performing arts serve as bodies that challenge the Cartesian dualism, the idea that mind and body are separate,” Ajisafe said. “That was fascinating to me, especially from Etta Moten Barnett because here we have a black female who made her living off using her body that served as enjoyment and using her body in theatre and public life.”

Despite what the silver screen

projected, Ajisafe discovered Moten’s archives told a different story.

“In her archives, she talks about her body isn’t the soul mechanism of her life,” Ajisafe said.

In the documentary, Ajisafe builds a theoretical frame of queer black feminism revival. He questions how one redefines one’s understandings of politics and scholars, and in doing so, Ajisafe reveals the hidden stories of prominent black females.

“Most things black women produce is criminalized,” Ajisafe said. “How do we take those seemingly criminalized artifacts and tell the story differently to give them value?”

Ajisafe prescribes to the revival mode of production through revisiting, re-hyphening and researching through facts that already exist.

“A lot of my inspiration for my work is through the black studies movement, which gets subverted a lot of the time,” Ajisafe said. “This projects remains heavily on that train of thought.”

Black studies and scholarship as valuable and contributing to a larger academic dialogue is a significant ideology for Ajisafe’s work. The documentary strives to break away from the normative comparison to research of placing African Americans in their own group, own environment and own terms, comparing black women to other black women.

“My goal is that the art that I am able to produce, the words and songs of Etta Moten will continue to live and take on a life of their own,” Ajisafe said.

Ajisafe encourages audiences to be open to reading and listening to the work Moten left behind.

“The beauty of Etta Moten Barnett is that she’s an artist and that means her work is open to interpretation and her life is open to interpretation,” Ajisafe said. “There are very little limits to what her life can teach us.”

Hard copies of “Etta Moten Sings” will be available at the SEARCH Symposium.

To view the “Etta Moten Sings” trailer, visit http://vimeo. com/91004286. polson@unews.com

7:00 Mood Indigo 9:45 Adventureland w/ The Dead Girls performing songs from the soundtrack

THURSDAY

5:00 Zero Charisma 7:00 For No Eyes Only 7:15 Breadcrumb Trail 7:30 The Only Real Game 9:30 The Broken Circle Breakdown 9:30 Why Don’t You Play In Hell?

9:45 Love & Air Set

FRIDAY

3:00 Breadcrumb Trail 5:00 For No Eyes Only 5:15 Broken Circle Breakdown 5:30 The Congress 7:30 Mount Joy (Q&A with Actor Jay Della Valle) 8:00 Kid’s Police 8:15 Arlo & Julie (Q&A with Director Steve Mims) 10:00 Every Everything: the music, life, and times of Grant Hart 10:15 Breakin with Movie Interruption with Chris Cubas 10:30 Mistaken For Strangers

SATURDAY

1:00 Love & Air Sex 1:00 UMKC Student Showcase 1:15 The Only Real Game 2:45 Color Me Obsessed: A Film About The Replacements 3:15 Farmed and Dangerous - FREE SCREENING Sponsored by Chipotle, FOLLOWING THE FILM - FREE TACOS AND MARGARITAS AT CHIPOTLE BY THE ALAMO THEATER) 3:30 Manhattan (Q&A with Director Bret Palmer) 5:30 Our Vinyl Weighs A Ton 5:45 Brothers Hypnotic 6:15 What Did You Expect? Archers of Loaf live at The Cat’s Cradle 7:45 Mount Joy (with performance by actor Jay Della Valle) 8:00 Before I Disappear 8:45 Arlo & Julie (Q&A with Director Steve Mims) 10:15 Mistaken For Strangers (with The National cover set led by Chase Horseman) 10:15 Why Don’t You Play In Hell?

10:45 Kid’s Police

SUNDAY

1:00 Every Everything: the music, life, and times of Grant Hart 1:00 KCAI Student Showcase 2:15 Our Vinyl Weighs A Ton 2:45 Mood Indigo 3:30 Before I Disappear 4:30 72 Musicians 5:30 Zero Charisma 6:00 Dazed & Confused w/Spirit is the Spirit performing songs from the soundtrack 6:30 McConkey 9:00 Enemy

ALL FILM VIEWINGS AT:

ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE KANSAS CITY 1400 MAIN STREET, KANSAS CITY, MO 64105

Tuesday April 15, 2014 | Issue 27

8B

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