Imagine a life when the California water shortage is so severe that you have to pay to pee.
This is the problem facing the poor folks in the musical "Urinetown." When the water shortage became too severe, Caldwell B. Cladwell, owner of the Urine Good Company, handled the situation. Cladwell closes down all private restroom facilities in the city and opens up public urinals that citizens must pay to use.
The urinals run by Urine Good Company's agents are dirty, expensive and constantly the host of long lines. The poor people of the town are being bled dry of the little money they have but do not dare use other facilities for fear of being sent to the dreaded Urinetown. None of the citizens actually know where Urinetown is or why they fear it, but each person has his or her suspicions and the authorities do their best not to confirm or deny anything.
Rae Robison and Elisabeth Harrington directed the play and performed by Humboldt State University students. It will be performed in the John Van Duzer Theatre the weekends of October 25-28 and November 1-3.
Actors and directors alike are happily anticipating sharing this kooky story with Humboldt state students and the surrounding community. Clayton Cook, the narrator and chief of police known as Officer Lockshock, the "Nazi-esque" man in charge of upholding the water preservation codes, could not be happier to be a part of Urinetown.
"The show is a whole lot of fun," he said.
The play is smart and ridiculous and makes fun of the standing foundation of the musical theatre world while being less than serious with itself at the same time.
Cladwell, played by Keith Renouf, is your typical bad guy as the head of Urine Good Company. His character is the reason for the suffering of the poor citizens waiting in line to pee. "You have to think of the bad guy not as a bad guy but as a guy with good intentions," Renouf said. "It's never as easy as 'you're right and they're wrong.' You have to understand the conflict within the character."
While at times it does seem as though Cladwell really does have the environment's best interest at heart, it is apparent that big piles of money have a great deal to do with his decision to conserve water through paying toilets.
The upbeat, cheery music of the show is in the typical style of most musical theatre classics such as "Wicked" or "Hairspray," but don't be fooled by the candy-coated exterior, this is no typical Broadway musical. "Why is the music so happy when the words are so sad?" Little Sally asks during one of the songs. "This is a musical," Officer Lockstock returns. "The music has to be happy."
Bobby Amirkhan, who plays the upright bass in the show's band, said that this play is unlike any other show he has played for. "There aren't quite as many ballads or jazzy tunes in this musical as there were in 'Chicago' or 'Kiss Me, Kate,' which allows a bassist to have more fun, but it's still fun music to play," said Amirkhan.
And what is the often whispered about Urinetown? "Well, you'll have to see the show," said Cook.
Printed October 24, 2007 in The Lumberjack.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Wowza! Holy Primal Yoga, Batman!
Sometimes all a person needs to feel better is stretch their arms to the sky and release the negative energy with a single, loud yell.
Wowza, the "High Priestess of Wow!," known professionally and published under the name Elisa Lodge believes deeply in the healing power of this primal knowledge and following these instincts in creating a more wonderful world around herself and others.
"At 70 it is important to reinvent ourselves," Wowza said in reference to her life journey from actress to shaman. Wowza bases her teachings, books and workshops off of the doctrines of a Burning Man group known as the "Church of Wow!" The group teaches the "total freedom of expression" and the "recapturing of youthfulness of spirit" to ensure a sense of spiritual vitality.
"Everything is just beginning for her," said Humboldt State University yoga instructor Paula Scott. "She says yes to life."
Scott and the Blue Lake community will be welcoming Wowza on the weekend of Oct. 21 and 22. Wowza will be holding a class on Primal Energetics.
Scott became enthralled with Wowza after meeting her four years ago in a workshop. "I saw something really special," Scott said. "Something in her eyes sparkled with a deep joy for life."
Scott became more intrigued with Wowza and her life when she learned about the traumatic past she overcame.
Wowza was abused as a child by her father and as a result of the physical abuse and mental struggle developed eczema over much of her body. Scott said Wowza believed if she could withstand the physical abuse her father put her through, then she would be worthy of his love.
At age 11, Wowza's mother gave her a floor-length mirror for her birthday and she was forced to confront the physical and mental ugliness in her life, Scott said.
Once she was able to deal with this pain she began shutting her door and dancing by herself when she felt upset. She called herself the "Ugly Dancer" and would perform for herself as a way of releasing the negative energy. This was the beginning of the enlightenment that would come a year later.
There was a picture that hung in her house, Scott said, that showed a woman with a waterfall coming out of her and a child playing at her feet. When Wowza asked who the woman was, her mother replied that the woman was Mother Earth. The young Wowza called the woman "Humma" and she became her inner companion. Through humming and with the guidance of her inner companion, Wowza broke out of her "Ugly Dancer" shell and went on to act in movies along side Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley.
Acting, Wowza said, showed her the art of wearing masks. She believed she could show any mask of any person to the world and each mask had a specific role it played. She chose to wear the mask of "Wow!" to express her feeling of gratitude for the world she now inhabits and the discoveries she has made and encourages others to do so through her workshops and books.
Fritz Mussmann was one such student to be moved by her seminar. Unsure of what to expect going in, he was surprised and excited to find what he calls "authentic play."
"Authentic play means playing from the inside out," Mussmann said. "It comes from the core of the being." It is an expression of sound and movement in a safe, comfortable environment that is completely instinctual instead of choreographed.
Wowza describes primal energetics as a type of yoga that stretches and relaxes your mind and spirit along with your body. By giving in to primal instincts and allowing yourself to create the sounds your vocals chords naturally want to create, you get in touch with your primal instincts and release tension.
Christiane Johnson, a third-year Wildlife and Zoology major agreed with this idea. "When you're frustrated you release all the stress off your back [when you] give out a grunt or a sigh. 'Rrrrrrrr!' and it's all out," Johnson said.
Wowza has written several books about the healing powers of the primal noise and yell including "Primal Energetics" and "The Hum of Love" expressing the importance of allowing yourself to give in to the desire to make the primal grunting noises of joy, love, sorrow or anger. These expressions are "more than noise, [they are] our intuitive voice link to Wholeism," Wowza said.
Wowza believes that this seminar is very important for all people in this age of knowledge and technology because people are beginning to forget their primal roots. They are so concerned with socially accepted ways of acting that the need to yell out or hum to themselves is completely suppressed, she said. Every person is born brilliant, Wowza said. "The body is a holographic universe. There's so much intelligent information [in the world today] but very little on embodiment of a new paradigm of being."
Wowza said the problem is we are raised from a very young age in a very hierarchical society and are shaped into a very static posture that we are constantly aware of and only a small part of our teachings are how to live to a greater spiritual potential. By practicing the primal outcries that come naturally to us, we can better equip ourselves to create a higher plane of being for ourselves and live up to our highest potential.
"Primal yoga is stretching with desire," Wowza said. "It is exponentially huge in how it stimulates all parts of the body and opens up our voice to expression."
Printed 10-17-07 in The Lumberjack,
Wowza, the "High Priestess of Wow!," known professionally and published under the name Elisa Lodge believes deeply in the healing power of this primal knowledge and following these instincts in creating a more wonderful world around herself and others.
"At 70 it is important to reinvent ourselves," Wowza said in reference to her life journey from actress to shaman. Wowza bases her teachings, books and workshops off of the doctrines of a Burning Man group known as the "Church of Wow!" The group teaches the "total freedom of expression" and the "recapturing of youthfulness of spirit" to ensure a sense of spiritual vitality.
"Everything is just beginning for her," said Humboldt State University yoga instructor Paula Scott. "She says yes to life."
Scott and the Blue Lake community will be welcoming Wowza on the weekend of Oct. 21 and 22. Wowza will be holding a class on Primal Energetics.
Scott became enthralled with Wowza after meeting her four years ago in a workshop. "I saw something really special," Scott said. "Something in her eyes sparkled with a deep joy for life."
Scott became more intrigued with Wowza and her life when she learned about the traumatic past she overcame.
Wowza was abused as a child by her father and as a result of the physical abuse and mental struggle developed eczema over much of her body. Scott said Wowza believed if she could withstand the physical abuse her father put her through, then she would be worthy of his love.
At age 11, Wowza's mother gave her a floor-length mirror for her birthday and she was forced to confront the physical and mental ugliness in her life, Scott said.
Once she was able to deal with this pain she began shutting her door and dancing by herself when she felt upset. She called herself the "Ugly Dancer" and would perform for herself as a way of releasing the negative energy. This was the beginning of the enlightenment that would come a year later.
There was a picture that hung in her house, Scott said, that showed a woman with a waterfall coming out of her and a child playing at her feet. When Wowza asked who the woman was, her mother replied that the woman was Mother Earth. The young Wowza called the woman "Humma" and she became her inner companion. Through humming and with the guidance of her inner companion, Wowza broke out of her "Ugly Dancer" shell and went on to act in movies along side Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley.
Acting, Wowza said, showed her the art of wearing masks. She believed she could show any mask of any person to the world and each mask had a specific role it played. She chose to wear the mask of "Wow!" to express her feeling of gratitude for the world she now inhabits and the discoveries she has made and encourages others to do so through her workshops and books.
Fritz Mussmann was one such student to be moved by her seminar. Unsure of what to expect going in, he was surprised and excited to find what he calls "authentic play."
"Authentic play means playing from the inside out," Mussmann said. "It comes from the core of the being." It is an expression of sound and movement in a safe, comfortable environment that is completely instinctual instead of choreographed.
Wowza describes primal energetics as a type of yoga that stretches and relaxes your mind and spirit along with your body. By giving in to primal instincts and allowing yourself to create the sounds your vocals chords naturally want to create, you get in touch with your primal instincts and release tension.
Christiane Johnson, a third-year Wildlife and Zoology major agreed with this idea. "When you're frustrated you release all the stress off your back [when you] give out a grunt or a sigh. 'Rrrrrrrr!' and it's all out," Johnson said.
Wowza has written several books about the healing powers of the primal noise and yell including "Primal Energetics" and "The Hum of Love" expressing the importance of allowing yourself to give in to the desire to make the primal grunting noises of joy, love, sorrow or anger. These expressions are "more than noise, [they are] our intuitive voice link to Wholeism," Wowza said.
Wowza believes that this seminar is very important for all people in this age of knowledge and technology because people are beginning to forget their primal roots. They are so concerned with socially accepted ways of acting that the need to yell out or hum to themselves is completely suppressed, she said. Every person is born brilliant, Wowza said. "The body is a holographic universe. There's so much intelligent information [in the world today] but very little on embodiment of a new paradigm of being."
Wowza said the problem is we are raised from a very young age in a very hierarchical society and are shaped into a very static posture that we are constantly aware of and only a small part of our teachings are how to live to a greater spiritual potential. By practicing the primal outcries that come naturally to us, we can better equip ourselves to create a higher plane of being for ourselves and live up to our highest potential.
"Primal yoga is stretching with desire," Wowza said. "It is exponentially huge in how it stimulates all parts of the body and opens up our voice to expression."
Printed 10-17-07 in The Lumberjack,
Sunday, October 14, 2007
CCAT Gets a New Home
Imagine a life where if you wanted to turn on a light, you had to generate your own electricity.
After three years in a temporary establishment, Campus Center for Appropriate Technology (CCAT) moved into their new permanent home in House 99, located outside of the new Behavioral and Social Sciences building, said CCAT Co-director Niki Beckman.
While most students on campus have heard of the group, most are not entirely certain as to what it is that they do. CCAT is a student- and volunteer-run program at Humboldt State University. It began in 1978 with a goal to educate people about their impact on the environment. They also educate people in ways to reduce the harmful effects of humans upon the environment, caused by generations of abuse and overuse of nature's resources.
This group lives completely by its word to give back to the environment as much as it takes and by taking only what it needs. They grow their own food, generate their own power and are constantly aware of how the things they do will affect the world around them. The positive influence of this group can be seen all over campus with the addition of compost bins grouped with the usual trash and recycling bins.
CCAT was located on the site of the new Behavioral and Social Sciences building from 1978 until three years ago, when plans of the new Behavioral and Social building got underway. The group spent the intervening three years in Jenkins Hall, waiting for a new location for the new facility.
The group is very happy to be in the new, larger facility said Beckman. The remodeled space now features new classrooms, a library, meeting rooms, workspaces and living spaces. Beckman believes it is the model home for "green attributes" and an environmentally-conscious living.
Having the extra space is very important to the members of CCAT as they can now educate more people about their environmental beliefs and still have the separation between the work and living areas.
Humboldt State student William Jacks is glad that CCAT was able to re-establish itself in its new, larger home. However, he does not believe that those in charge of funds for building on campus had their head in the right place. Jacks said he firmly believed that all of the money that was involved in building the BSS building should have gone to improving the CCAT building instead.
"CCAT is the most important part of this university," Jacks said. "CCAT is an avenue for change and an example for the entire nation."
The feeling of support and the welcoming of change is apparent with those students who are aware of the program and its goals. "It is cool they're trying to educate people about alternative living and taking care of the environment," said Humboldt State student, Marcia Garcia.
Published September 26, 2007. The Lumberjack.
After three years in a temporary establishment, Campus Center for Appropriate Technology (CCAT) moved into their new permanent home in House 99, located outside of the new Behavioral and Social Sciences building, said CCAT Co-director Niki Beckman.
While most students on campus have heard of the group, most are not entirely certain as to what it is that they do. CCAT is a student- and volunteer-run program at Humboldt State University. It began in 1978 with a goal to educate people about their impact on the environment. They also educate people in ways to reduce the harmful effects of humans upon the environment, caused by generations of abuse and overuse of nature's resources.
This group lives completely by its word to give back to the environment as much as it takes and by taking only what it needs. They grow their own food, generate their own power and are constantly aware of how the things they do will affect the world around them. The positive influence of this group can be seen all over campus with the addition of compost bins grouped with the usual trash and recycling bins.
CCAT was located on the site of the new Behavioral and Social Sciences building from 1978 until three years ago, when plans of the new Behavioral and Social building got underway. The group spent the intervening three years in Jenkins Hall, waiting for a new location for the new facility.
The group is very happy to be in the new, larger facility said Beckman. The remodeled space now features new classrooms, a library, meeting rooms, workspaces and living spaces. Beckman believes it is the model home for "green attributes" and an environmentally-conscious living.
Having the extra space is very important to the members of CCAT as they can now educate more people about their environmental beliefs and still have the separation between the work and living areas.
Humboldt State student William Jacks is glad that CCAT was able to re-establish itself in its new, larger home. However, he does not believe that those in charge of funds for building on campus had their head in the right place. Jacks said he firmly believed that all of the money that was involved in building the BSS building should have gone to improving the CCAT building instead.
"CCAT is the most important part of this university," Jacks said. "CCAT is an avenue for change and an example for the entire nation."
The feeling of support and the welcoming of change is apparent with those students who are aware of the program and its goals. "It is cool they're trying to educate people about alternative living and taking care of the environment," said Humboldt State student, Marcia Garcia.
Published September 26, 2007. The Lumberjack.
HIV Testing to become easier, more common
No one likes to think they could carry HIV. Sitting with a counselor for half an hour and filling out paperwork could deter even the most confident patient looking to get tested. Fortunately, this may change.
More than 40,000 people are infected with the human immunodeficiency virus every year and between 25 and 35 percent of the people who contract the virus do not know that they are infected. Out of that 40,000 that are infected, 50 percent of them are infected by people who do not know they have the virus, said Jake Molofsky, an administrator at the Open Door Health Clinic.
"All the consent in the world isn't making one drop of difference in bringing the rate of HIV down," Molofsky said. The number of new cases per year has remained the same for the past 13 years which presents the idea that strategies of attack on this virus are no longer effective and it is time to try something else.
In efforts to decrease the number of cases and increase state-wide awareness, California State Assembly member Patty Berg introduced Bill 682, which makes HIV testing a routine part of physical exams.
The new bill will eliminate the mandatory paperwork and counseling sessions that are currently required before receiving the test. Instead of having to suffer through the embarrassment of asking for the test, the person performing routine blood work on a patient will simply suggest that at that time, HIV testing be conducted. The patient has the right to refuse if he or she does not feel it to be necessary and the remainder of the visit will go on as usual. "The whole idea will de-stigmatize [HIV]," Molfsky said.
Valerie Small Navarro of the American Civil Liberties Union believes differently. By making HIV testing into "just another test" people who truly benefit from the test no longer will. In some cases, Small Navarro said, health facilities who have given the test as a regular blood test without the permission of the patient have used the status of HIV positive against patients, denying them treatment in cases where the patient may not even know of his or her HIV positive status.
There is a concern for the knowledge of the patient, Small Navarro said. By eliminating the required paperwork and counseling sessions from the HIV testing process, physicians are denying patients their Constitutional right to the knowledge of what it is they are giving consent to do.
Humboldt State Health Center director Rebecca Stauffer said the bill will streamline the process of getting tested. "[The legislation] will bring the process in California in line with [Centers for Disease Control] recommendations, while safe guarding confidentiality," she said.
Last year more than 150 students requested an HIV test at the Student Health Center and more than 760 tests were given at the Six Rivers Planned Parenthood Center. These groups believe that the new bill will drastically increase their numbers and as a result, make more people aware of their health and their surroundings.
"It gives [patients] power," said Six Rivers Planned Parenthood director of education, Debbe Hartridge referring to the knowledge of whether or not the patient is at risk.
Hartridge and Molofsky share the passion to get people tested early so that if the virus is present, treatment can be provided early before the onset of complications. People between the ages of 14 and 64 are the most at risk age group and are strongly encouraged to go in for testing.
With the passing of this bill, Molofsky hopes that the nervousness that was previously associated with the test will be eliminated. "[Doctors visits] are always so awkward," said Sean Gillespie, a third-year business administrations major. "I would be more likely to get tested if the HIV test were simply lumped in with the rest of normal blood tests or vaccination."
The bill is currently waiting the approval and signature of Governor Schwarzenegger. The governor has until October 14 to sign the bill.
This is a big deal, Molofsky said, "People don't have to die from this."
Published October 3, 2007. The Lumberjack.
More than 40,000 people are infected with the human immunodeficiency virus every year and between 25 and 35 percent of the people who contract the virus do not know that they are infected. Out of that 40,000 that are infected, 50 percent of them are infected by people who do not know they have the virus, said Jake Molofsky, an administrator at the Open Door Health Clinic.
"All the consent in the world isn't making one drop of difference in bringing the rate of HIV down," Molofsky said. The number of new cases per year has remained the same for the past 13 years which presents the idea that strategies of attack on this virus are no longer effective and it is time to try something else.
In efforts to decrease the number of cases and increase state-wide awareness, California State Assembly member Patty Berg introduced Bill 682, which makes HIV testing a routine part of physical exams.
The new bill will eliminate the mandatory paperwork and counseling sessions that are currently required before receiving the test. Instead of having to suffer through the embarrassment of asking for the test, the person performing routine blood work on a patient will simply suggest that at that time, HIV testing be conducted. The patient has the right to refuse if he or she does not feel it to be necessary and the remainder of the visit will go on as usual. "The whole idea will de-stigmatize [HIV]," Molfsky said.
Valerie Small Navarro of the American Civil Liberties Union believes differently. By making HIV testing into "just another test" people who truly benefit from the test no longer will. In some cases, Small Navarro said, health facilities who have given the test as a regular blood test without the permission of the patient have used the status of HIV positive against patients, denying them treatment in cases where the patient may not even know of his or her HIV positive status.
There is a concern for the knowledge of the patient, Small Navarro said. By eliminating the required paperwork and counseling sessions from the HIV testing process, physicians are denying patients their Constitutional right to the knowledge of what it is they are giving consent to do.
Humboldt State Health Center director Rebecca Stauffer said the bill will streamline the process of getting tested. "[The legislation] will bring the process in California in line with [Centers for Disease Control] recommendations, while safe guarding confidentiality," she said.
Last year more than 150 students requested an HIV test at the Student Health Center and more than 760 tests were given at the Six Rivers Planned Parenthood Center. These groups believe that the new bill will drastically increase their numbers and as a result, make more people aware of their health and their surroundings.
"It gives [patients] power," said Six Rivers Planned Parenthood director of education, Debbe Hartridge referring to the knowledge of whether or not the patient is at risk.
Hartridge and Molofsky share the passion to get people tested early so that if the virus is present, treatment can be provided early before the onset of complications. People between the ages of 14 and 64 are the most at risk age group and are strongly encouraged to go in for testing.
With the passing of this bill, Molofsky hopes that the nervousness that was previously associated with the test will be eliminated. "[Doctors visits] are always so awkward," said Sean Gillespie, a third-year business administrations major. "I would be more likely to get tested if the HIV test were simply lumped in with the rest of normal blood tests or vaccination."
The bill is currently waiting the approval and signature of Governor Schwarzenegger. The governor has until October 14 to sign the bill.
This is a big deal, Molofsky said, "People don't have to die from this."
Published October 3, 2007. The Lumberjack.
Play Discusses Gender Struggles
There was no knowing what to expect upon entering the Homo Expo: A Queer Theatre Extravaganza judging by the title, and even if the poster told the passerby what to expect, you would never believe it.
The lights went down in the intimate quarters of Gist Theatre and the spotlight focused on a beautiful drag queen as he strutted glittering and proud toward the stage.
"I've always wanted to be a diva!" Greag Brown said, proudly soaking in the spotlight, allowing it to shimmer across the sequins of his dress.
The Homo Expo is running for one more weekend starting Thursday. It is more than just drag queens dancing around lip-syncing to Tina Turner classics and fabulous gay men and women recruiting audience members to their over-the-top lifestyle. It was a journey of the soul to those hidden places we have within ourselves that we never let anyone see.
The actors gave heartbreaking accounts of the pain and suffering that goes along with being the person they cannot change and the person they want to be.
"You've got to know what you want you for," said Traci Thomas in her monologue about being the only Asian lesbian stand-up comedian in the world. So precedes the theme of the night; the true desires of people and how they are forced to explain themselves to society every moment of the day.
One of the major issues that recurred throughout the show was the reaction of parents finding out their son or daughter is gay. Noe Tolenetino told of a father who refused to allow his son to enroll in ballet lessons as a small child because he thought "ballet would turn him gay" and allowed him to enroll in tap dancing instead.
"Ballet won't turn you into a big homo," Tolentino said, "tap dancing will." Despite all the fear and anticipation of coming out to their parents, the reaction each mother and father had was filled with love and support.
The second act gives a rare glimpse into the world of those who were born as the wrong gender and the circus that goes on around them in their quest to look the way they feel on the inside.
Brendon O'Loughlin, who played a transgendered character named Kate, felt challenged and honored to portray the character and have the opportunity to show the community the hardships and risks that transgender people must face coming out to friends and family and in everyday life.
Director Jean O' Hara was proud to see her circus come to life through her actors. Many actors were learning new talents, such a stilt walking for the show. They gave the community a rare glimpse of what it is like to live with the discrimination people face on an everyday basis because of their differences.
Published October 10, 2007. The Lumberjack.
The lights went down in the intimate quarters of Gist Theatre and the spotlight focused on a beautiful drag queen as he strutted glittering and proud toward the stage.
"I've always wanted to be a diva!" Greag Brown said, proudly soaking in the spotlight, allowing it to shimmer across the sequins of his dress.
The Homo Expo is running for one more weekend starting Thursday. It is more than just drag queens dancing around lip-syncing to Tina Turner classics and fabulous gay men and women recruiting audience members to their over-the-top lifestyle. It was a journey of the soul to those hidden places we have within ourselves that we never let anyone see.
The actors gave heartbreaking accounts of the pain and suffering that goes along with being the person they cannot change and the person they want to be.
"You've got to know what you want you for," said Traci Thomas in her monologue about being the only Asian lesbian stand-up comedian in the world. So precedes the theme of the night; the true desires of people and how they are forced to explain themselves to society every moment of the day.
One of the major issues that recurred throughout the show was the reaction of parents finding out their son or daughter is gay. Noe Tolenetino told of a father who refused to allow his son to enroll in ballet lessons as a small child because he thought "ballet would turn him gay" and allowed him to enroll in tap dancing instead.
"Ballet won't turn you into a big homo," Tolentino said, "tap dancing will." Despite all the fear and anticipation of coming out to their parents, the reaction each mother and father had was filled with love and support.
The second act gives a rare glimpse into the world of those who were born as the wrong gender and the circus that goes on around them in their quest to look the way they feel on the inside.
Brendon O'Loughlin, who played a transgendered character named Kate, felt challenged and honored to portray the character and have the opportunity to show the community the hardships and risks that transgender people must face coming out to friends and family and in everyday life.
Director Jean O' Hara was proud to see her circus come to life through her actors. Many actors were learning new talents, such a stilt walking for the show. They gave the community a rare glimpse of what it is like to live with the discrimination people face on an everyday basis because of their differences.
Published October 10, 2007. The Lumberjack.
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