The Lode at Michigan Tech » Rozsa Center

KSO Finishes Season with Jamie Bernstein

Nick Blecha — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 16:30:57 +0000

The Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra finished off the 2009-10 season on Apr. 17 with their performance of The Bernstein Beat at the Rozsa Center. Featuring guest Jamie Bernstein, the concert showcased several works from famed conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein, including music from “On the Town” and “West Side Story.”
Jamie Bernstein, daughter of Leonard Bernstein, narrated the concert. Over the course of the hour-long event, she explained to the audience about her father’s life and how it influenced his music.
She told, for example, about how his mother would take him to the synagogue, where listening to the cantor, readings from the Torah, and the shofar (a horn instrument made from a ram’s horn, which the KSO was able to borrow for the concert) kindled an interest in music at an early age.
She also explained some of his other musical influences; such as the contrast of the “cool” jazz and the “hot” Latin American rhythms in the Prologue to West Side Story.
In between Bernstein’s narrations, the KSO performed several of her father’s works, including “Meditation” from Mass, and “Mambo,” “Cool,” and “America” from West Side Story. For some of these, Bernstein worked in some audience participation. During “Mambo” she invited the audience to shout out “Mambo!” at the appropriate time, explaining, “You really have to! It’s in the score, even the orchestra has to!” Also, to demonstrate how the unusual nine-beat rhythm of “Meditation” worked, Bernstein invited nine kids from the audience onto the stage.
From there, she explained how any rhythm could be divided into two- and three-beat parts, which she referred as “hot dogs” and “hamburgers” respectively. She then gave each of the children a red foam board to hold up, and gave four of them a yellow board to clip onto the red one, which indicated the “strong” beats. With her demonstration in place, she had the kids call out “hot dog” and “hamburger” in time with the rhythm as their “beat” came up.
The KSO, for their part, performed very well given some of the most difficult music they’ve played this season. During the concert, Bernstein complemented KSO director Dr. Joel Neves and the orchestra.
Near the end of the performance, she told the audience “you are lucky to have them here.”
Following the concert, Bernstein and Neves were both available in the Rozsa lobby to talk with members of the audience.
The KSO will return in the Fall of 2010 with a concert at the Calumet Theater, where they will perform Edward Elgar’s Enigma Variations.

Kevin Locke to share authentic Native American dance and culture at the Rosza

Zachary Page — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 16:56:41 +0000

Michigan Tech has
been known for its
focus on cultural
awareness thanks in part to the
Center for Diversity and Inclusion.
Though unbeknownst to
some students and faculty, the organization
also deals extensively
with Native American customs
and rituals around our community.
Next week, the Rosza Center for
Performing Arts will host Kevin
Locke (or Tokeya Inajin, which
means in the Lakota language
as “The First to Arise”). Locke
is a traditional Native American
storyteller, educator, musician,
and Hoop Dancer among other
things.
Locke began learning about his
heritage at a very early age. His
mother, Patricia Locke; uncle,
Abraham End-of-Horn, and many
others are the key inspirations that
lead him through his life. As time
went by, his ambitions grew to experimenting
with music, teaching,
and storytelling.
Throughout his life, Locke has
led a crusade towards understanding
and acceptance of different
customs and traditions throughout
the world. His goal, as he puts
it, is to “raise awareness of the
Oneness we share as human beings.”
One of the key rituals used
to manifest those understandings
is through the traditional Hoop
Dancing. “It reflects the roles and
responsibilities that all human
beings have within the hoops, or
circles, of life,” says Locke.
Flute playing is also a major
pursuit within his life and has been
a long practiced tradition among
Native Americans. According to
scholar and flautist Edward Wapp,
flute playing is meant to evoke the
natural beauty of the environment
in which one lives. The Lakota, a
nation of which Locke belongs to,
is an excellent example of where
the flute is widely used.
The Lakota and Dakota nations
stem from the northern prairies of
what is known as Maka Wita or
“Earth Island”. The Lakota flute
is used to reflect the winds which
move through the meadowlands.
According to Lakota tradition,
there are seven notes that represent
four distinct ideas; direction,
the Earth, the heavens, and the
heart.
“It is so hard for people to relate
one to another because we
all come from different backgrounds,”
says Locke. “But no
matter where we come from, we
can all connect with music.”
Aside from the flute, Locke
also plays the drums, voice, and
the rattles. He combines all four
instruments to create a form of
music known as “Olowan”. The
Olowan is played to reflect the
characteristics of a thunderstorm.
Twelve albums have been produced
by Locke in the past 28
years. These albums accompany
the many traditions that highlight
society within the Lakota. Some of
his more notable albums include;
Dream Catcher, Open Circle, and
Keepers of the Dream.
Teaching and educating through
storytelling are also delegations
that Locke follows. He strives
to display the importance of not
only Native American rights but
of others as well. Some literature
includes the plight of the American
Indian during the early years
of American history.
Up until the early twentieth century,
Native Americans were seen
as inferior to the average “white”
American. Rampant discrimination
was discernable in many
communities populated by white
majorities. The Trail of Tears in
the 1830s serves as a prime example
of this discrimination which
led to the displacement of over
45,000 Native American tribes
from their homeland to “Indian
Territory” or Oklahoma.
In 1924, President Calvin
Coolidge signed a bill claiming
American Indians as citizens
of the United States. From this
point, many American Indian
reservations were made which allowed
for the creation of schools,
buildings, and roads. In 1968,
the American Indian Movement
(AIM) was passed to prevent ongoing
discrimination of Native
Americans and for educational
purposes.
“All of the people have the
same impulses, spirit and goals.
I want to create a positive awareness
of the Oneness of humanity,”
says Locke.
Locke has been touring the
world for more than 20 years and
has lectured and performed in
many countries around the world
including the United States, Germany,
Turkey, and Brazil. He
also works extensively with environmental
relations and resource
conservation.
The event will take place on
April 20, Tuesday, from 7:30 p.m.
to 11:30 p.m. at the Rozsa Center
for Performing Arts. Tickets
will be $25 for the general public
and $20 for students. For more
information regarding the event
contact the Native American Outreach
at (906) 487-2920 or by visiting
their website at http://www.
mutlicultural.mtu.

April showers bring… Spring Fling!

Molly Holmstrom — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 16:29:59 +0000

As the weather brightens and the semester winds down, students are in desperate need of a change of pace, even if just for a day. How does an afternoon filled with a carnival complete with a Ferris Wheel and a motorcycle show sound? There’ll be plenty of excitement for everyone on campus when Spring Fling arrives on Apr. 16.
The event has a carnival theme to compliment the MUB Board-sponsored Ferris Wheel, which will be spinning on the pavement from noon-7 PM in Lot 5, which is just east of the Rozsa Center. From there you can wander down the hill to the National Society for Leadership and Success (NSLS) cookout, which will be at Prince’s Point from noon-4PM. Even if you don’t want a delicious burger or hot dog, there will also be live acoustic music. Head on down there and enjoy the company of your classmates and the relaxing waves of the Portage Canal. Heading back up the hill and west across campus, you’ll come across the Greek Week Games hosted by IFC & Panhel on the Walker Lawn.
From there, mosey your way across campus to Lot 27 (the pay lot by the MUB) to check out the Full Throttle Motorcycle Show! The show will feature Scott Murray & Sick Air FMX. Murray is an FMX freestyle rider that landed the first double back flip in MotoX history. He’ll be tearing up the lot, captivating onlookers with his tricks and jumps, at noon, 2:30, and 4:00 p.m., and shows will be around 15-20 minutes long.
Booths from various organizations across campus will be scattered around to entertain you, talk to you about their organization, and give you a chance to play some carnival games! Among the organizations attending are HOWL (Healthy Options for a Wellness Lifestyle) and various fraternities and sororities. It’s a great opportunity to get more involved on campus, and to see what might interest you!
And, of course, we’ve saved the messiest for last. If you head over to Lot 15E (between Wadsworth Hall & West McNair) between 9a.m. & 7p.m., you’ll see some mud-slinging, but not the political kind.
Oozeball will be hitting Michigan Tech, yet again, and 40 teams will be digging for the chance to be crowned 2010 Oozeball Champs. For those who’ve never witnessed the messy ordeal first hand, Oozeball is basically just what it sounds like, mud volleyball.
What about after the sun goes down? Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham, NBC’s America’s Got Talent and the Tonight Show with Jay Leno comedian alum, Rob O’Reilly, is going to be making an appearance on campus. The 25-year-old attended Boston University for a while, but in 2005, he put aside “any notions of a ‘normal career’, according to his Myspace.
Also, it appears as if his interests are performing stand-up comedy, basketball, tennis, skiing, and strip solitaire. Keeping these in mind, I would say his performance is bound to be quite an entertaining one.
So there you have it, Apr. 16 is going to be an exciting, fun-filled Friday for all on campus, so make sure to creep out of your dorm rooms and enjoy the beautiful Keweenaw day.

Preview Day 2010 Review

Rachel Plafchan — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 17:04:08 +0000

Dozens of prospective students along with their family members attended Michigan Tech’s Preview Day last Saturday March 27, 2010. Campus organizations, faculty, and staff all made a biting contribution towards bringing out the interests and opportunities provided here at Michigan Tech.
Incoming students and parents alike were greeted with a warm welcome as they entered the Rozsa Center for Performing to gather their Preview Day handouts and brochures. “It was a fascinating experience,” says one parent. “The students and faculty made us feel very welcomed. They gave us a certain hospitality that you don’t see anymore.”
The event began at 9:00 a.m. and lasted until 4:30 p.m. A detailed schedule listed the particular events and activities that were going on within that day. A parent and student welcoming initiated the occasion with a short performance and by letting visitors speak with students and faculties about their experiences on and off campus.
Campus tours, information sessions and other various activities preceded the campus welcome. There were sessions given on student finances, scholarships, housing, internships, co-ops and more. Each session lasted approximately 45 minutes long and the event itself lasted from 9:45 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
“I think it gives students a large amount of knowledge before entering campus,” says one of the students. “Many people here don’t know what to expect and that is what they fear the most. I think that these events clear up some of that fear.”
Visitors were also given the chance to explore some of the numerous organizations and chapters provided on campus. Organizations such as Engineers Without Borders, the Society of Automotive Engineers, and the Alpha Society were only one of many who showcased their experiences and activities.
When asked about the significance of showcasing these activities, Kevin Vayko responded, “It gives students a broad prospective on what they can do here. There is truly something for everyone and I think it is important for incoming students to know that. It acts as a sort of incentive.”
Other activities included information on service organizations, fraternities and sororities, religious activities, sports and the arts. These included film board, the international club, women’s soccer, Alpha Kappa Psi, and Intervarsity Christian Fellowship as well as many others.
Department tours were given to allow students learn more about their desired field of study. Students and parents had the chance to speak with faculty within that department as well as get an overview of some of the classes and labs they may be enrolled in. Faculty members and compass leaders also discussed some of the undergraduate opportunities in their field amongst other things.
Lastly, residence hall tours were given to those who prefer living on campus and in dorm rooms. Compass leaders spoke about the benefits and advantages of living on campus. One leader commented, “I think it’s a good start for first year students because everyone is so close to each other. Students can learn and interact easier that way.” Meal plans and residence hall assistants were also a topic of discussion.
A free lunch was given to visitors which lasted from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the residence dining halls. A well-prepared arrangement of foods was given to guests as they visited during the weekend. Many parents enjoyed this opportunity to sit down and speak with their kids about their views of the campus.
Overall, visitors were very pleased with the hospitality brought out by the faculty and students. Many described the day as both exciting and knowledgeable.
For those who are unable to attend Preview Day, tours are given from Monday through Friday .To schedule a visit, contact the admissions office at (888) 688-1885 or schedule an appointment online by visiting www.admissions.mtu.edu.

Majora Carter Speaks at Rozsa

Rachel Plafchan — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 18:33:59 +0000

This Saturday, March 27, environmental advocate Majora Carter came to the Rozsa Center. Carter, who founded the non-profit organization Sustainable South Bronx and is president of the for-profit consulting company, The Majora Carter Group, LLC, spoke about environmental justice and its effects on people.
Carter began by telling about her childhood growing up in the South Bronx. At the time, her neighborhood was considered a terrible place to live, due to practices such as “redlining” (where bankers would refuse to lend money to an entire region, causing everything in that region to fall into disrepair) and the “dumping” of much of the city’s waste processing there.
Years later, when she returned after having living elsewhere for some time, she noticed the extent of the neighborhood’s poor conditions. After a walk with her dog, during which the dog “pulled” her past an illegal waste dump and to the Bronx river, she was inspired to seek a grant to renovate the area. Over five years, she and other community groups managed to develop that dump into a clean, safe waterfront park.
Carter then went on to explain many of the benefits of the work she and her groups do. Much of her work has a direct environmental benefit: for example, the “green roofs” that they promote reduce runoff and reduce heat emissions of buildings. Many of the benefits of their projects, however, are social in nature, hence the term “environmental justice.” For example, by taking in former convicts, training them, and putting them to work on environmental projects, Sustainable South Bronx keeps people out of jails and trains them to be productive members of society, Carter explained.
The projects have other benefits, too: Carter cited a study comparing people living near trees to people living in similar conditions with no green space. The study showed the people living near trees scoring significantly higher on several social instances, such as crime rates, teen pregnancy, and student test scores.
Carter finished by showing some of the other projects her company works on, such as installing green roofs and creating greenhouses for communities to grow their own food. Following the end of her lecture, Carter invited the audience to ask questions.
Majora Carter was the last part in the Rozsa Center’s lecture series for the 2009-2010 year.

KSO Performs at Rozsa Center

Jeremiah Baumann — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 23:43:21 +0000

On Saturday, February 20, The Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra performed their third concert of the season, titled “A Night at the Opera.” In addition to the KSO, the performance also featured Lara Neves as mezzo-soprano.
The performance began with the overture from Franz von Suppé’s Poet and Peasant. Although von Suppé wrote several works in the course of his career, only this and one other piece–the overture from Light Cavalry–are still commonly performed. Poet and Peasant Overture is notable for the contrast created by its sudden shifts in style and tone.
After introducing himself, KSO conductor Joel Neves then moved on the next piece, Otello, Act IV by Giuseppe Verdi, with Ms. Neves singing the aria, and supertitles in the back of the stage as well as notes in the program providing an English translation for the lyrics. Dr. Neves remarked on the irony of conducting his wife in this work: based on William Shakespeare’s Othello, Act IV concerns Othello’s wife Desdemona, who knows that her husband (incorrectly) suspects her of infidelity and plans to kill her. Otello is notable because, while most great works are written before the composer turn 53, Verdi wrote Otello at the age of 74, an age which it was considered impressive simply to live to at the time. It is now often considered Verdi’s greatest masterpiece.
After a short intermission, the KSO returned to play Georges Bizet’s Carmen Suite No. 1 and 2. The suites contain the most popular pieces from the opera of the same name, including the very well known Les Toréadors and Habañera. The suites are often considered to be a sort of “greatest hits” collection for Bizet. Since most sets of composers’ greatest works are drawn from several different greater works, that all of Bizet’s greatest masterpieces are from the same opera shows the greatness of that opera. Indeed, Carmen has long been one of the most performed operas. Ms. Neves again sang the original French arias for two of the works: Habañera and Gypsy Song, again with program notes and supertitles providing English translations.
The KSO will return for one more performance this season. The Bernstein Beat, featuring the works of Leonard Bernstein, and will feature his daughter Jamie as narrator. It will also feature some of the most technically difficult music the KSO has worked on all season, and as such it has already begun preparing for the concert. It will be performed on April 17.

Proof opens at Rozsa Center

Jeremiah Baumann — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 05:08:30 +0000

On Feb. 11, The Tech Theatre Company opened their production of David Auburn’s Proof in the McArdle Theater, directed by MTU Theater Department chair Roger Held. The play, which won the 2001 Tony award for Best Play in its original Broadway performance, was warmly received by the audience.
The Tech Theatre Company’s production starred Nicole Kangas as Catherine, a mathematical genius dealing with mental illness; Dennis Kerwin as Robert, Catherine’s recently deceased father who contributed groundbreaking theories to several branches of mathematics; Frank Sopjes as Hal, a student of Robert, and Trish Goggin as Clare, Catherine’s sister.
Proof deals with the toll of Catherine’s efforts to support her mentally ill father, Clare’s efforts to support them both, and the relationships between Hal and both Catherine and her father. In the end, the play subtlety explores the meaning of “proof” in different contexts, from mathematics to trust.
The play had been in production since the beginning of the semester, Held explained. However, he remarked that amount of time was “not long enough” and although everyone involved did a good job of getting everything together in four weeks, they would have preferred six.
The play, like most events, had been planned since last year, like most events. When asked why Proof was chosen in particular, Held explained that there were a number of reasons. One of them was that it was a small show, within the Tech Theatre Company’s ability to produce. Another thing that motivated decisions on all plays was the ability to cast the play. Held explained that they look for plays that go well with the actors they have. In this case, having an older actor to play the part of Robert was nice, because he could serve as a role model for the younger actors.
Finally, the play was chosen because it was a good piece of literature. “It’s an inherently interesting idea,” Held explained, referring to the meaning of proof in different contexts.
Proof will be shown two more times in the McArdle Theater, on February 18 and 19 at 7:30 pm. It will then travel to the Calumet Theater, where it will be shown on February 27 at 7:30 pm.

John Oliver performs for Winter Carnival

Jeremiah Baumann — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 05:10:06 +0000

As Winter Carnival 2010 came to a close, Feb. 6 brought comedian John Oliver to a full house at the Rozsa center. Oliver first gained fame in the United States in 2006 when he joined The Daily Show With Jon Stewart as the “Senior British Correspondant,” and also does occasional stand-up tours around the country.
Oliver opened his show by highlighting Houghton’s remoteness: “Where the [expletive] are we?” He joked about Houghton’s weather, claiming that the audience consisted of the “hardiest nerds in the country” and must be expressing disbelief at the large recent snowstorm in Maryland “while you’re doing a wheelie in the snow.” He also expressed amazement at some of Tech’s Winter Carnival traditions, trying to get audience members to explain to him just what “Ice bowling” and the “Human dogsled” were. He replied, “I want to know everything you are doing here… you seem like you could get away with anything, and by the looks of things, you are!”
As the show continued, Oliver moved on to other topics, including the annoyance of songs that play over and over in one’s head, the experience of firing a gun for the first time (Britain bans private gun ownership), the absurd things Americans sometimes do, and even a brief aside on obesity, specifically the implications of someone saying “least obese” instead of “most healthy.” Even the existence of a reporter at the event became part of the comedy, as Oliver asked to see the reporter’s notebook, then expressed indignation at poorly-written notes that seemed to take his jokes out of context and joked that the reporter worked for Fox News.
The audience was a large part of the show, and would often respond to Oliver whenever something relating to Tech was brought up. Oliver expressed frustration when audience members replied in vague generalities when he requested to know absolutely everything about Carnival. Later in the show, after a joke about world records, an audience member shouted out that Tech holds three: biggest snowball, biggest snowball fight, and most snow angels in a single event. When Oliver pressed the audience for details, they responded with widely varying figures. Various claims included that the size of the snowball was 24 meters, 24 feet, and six meters (the actual snowball was about 6.7 feet in diameter). In response, Oliver joked that the audience was a “bunch of liars.”
The nature of the audience was also an important factor: Oliver noted that some jokes that normally get lots of applause fell flat, while other, more “geeky” jokes got a much bigger response than usual.
In addition to his work on The Daily Show and his stand-up tours, John Oliver also does a weekly news satire called The Bugle. He also has a new show on Comedy Central, John Oliver’s New York Stand Up Show.

Dale K. performs at Rozsa

Jeremiah Baumann — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 02:00:47 +0000

On Friday, January 22, visitors to the Rozsa Center had the opportunity to see, and in some cases experience, firsthand what hypnosis really is… and what it is not.
“Hypnosis is not silver pocketwatches, black and white tuxedoes, or black and white spiral wheels,” hypnotist Dale K. explained to the Rozsa audience. To demonstrate, he produced one such wheel from his fairly large store of props and asked the audience to stare at the center as he spun the wheel, then to look at his head, which would appear to grow or shrink. He explained that while that was a fun optical illusion, it was not in any way actual hypnosis.
For his actual demonstration of hypnosis, K. asked for a number of volunteers from the audience to come up to the stage and be hypnotized, warning potential volunteers that the demonstration would only work if they were willing to go along with it; if they volunteered to “prove” that they couldn’t be affected by hypnosis, they would almost certainly turn out to be right. He also explained that “there may be times when you feel perfectly normal, so normal you may think it’s not working. This is a big mistake, as that’s usually when it’s working the most… you do not need to understand why this will work, just that it will work.”
Once K. had begun hypnotizing the volunteers, he asked them to imagine that they were holding a large helium balloon in one hand, and a heavy weight in the other. Almost all of the volunteers reacted as if this were actually the case. Later on in the show, after some of the volunteers who weren’t successfully hypnotized returned to the audience, K. encouraged the remaining volunteers to act as if they were in increasingly humorous scenarios. One person would loudly moo whenever a bell was rung, and forget that he had done so. Another person would claim that his name was “Princess” whenever he was wearing a frilly princess hat, another one of K’s props. And all of the volunteers were acted as though a stuffed “Barney the Dinosaur” doll had told them to shut up, prompting them to all shout back, “No, you shut up.”
K. also explained what really happens during hypnosis. K. contends that the general public’s perception of hypnosis, which he describes as “sleep walking zombies that are under the complete control of an evil hypnotist,” is entirely inaccurate. Real hypnosis is about “turn[ing] your imagination on,” not mind control, he explained. “Don’t think of it as hypnosis, think of it as the power of suggestion.”
Dale K. has been a hypnotist for almost twenty years. This was his fifth at Michigan Tech.

Hypontist Dale K. to perform Friday

Luke Gublo — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 20:14:02 +0000

On Friday Jan. 22, the Rozsa Center will be hosting hypontist-comedian Dale K. The show is being presented by the Wadsworth Hall Student Association, and promised to be a night of hilarious comedy.
Dale K., a native of New Lenox, Ill., performs for colleges all across the country, as well as performing at corporate events. He became aware of his hypnotic capabilities at a young age, using family and friends as his test subjects.
Since this time, his work as a hypnotist-comedian has allowed him the opportunity to perform a yearly tour of over 200 cities worldwide, according to his website.
Tickets are currently on sale at the Rozsa Center and SDC box offices. Tickets cost $10. Major funding for the event was provided by Wadsworth Hall Student Association, Douglass Houghton Hall Council, McNair Student Association, and the Inter-Residence Hall Council.