Susan Lori Park

I was introduced to an awe inspring playwright this evening. Susan Lori Park writes captivating plays as well as original music. The play I read "F@#$ing A" (pardon the french) is an amazing tragedy that has all the twist and turns of the classics. Parks writes the simplistic story setting "here and now" vividly displaying a world of prison monsters, totalitarian authority, and abortionist that is not too far different from the society we live in.

"Third"

This past Thursday night Sam took my friend, Kelly (who stayed with me for a couple nights when she was on break from St. Ben's), and I to the Guthrie. He graced us with the kindness of his free tickets and we ended up seeing a performance called "Third." "Third" was about a 50's-something female professor who taught at an East Coast Ivy League school. In the world of academia, this woman was a "rock star."
Upon starting a new year, the professor went through many inner-struggles... The play was written a bit after 9/11, so it really illustrated her frustrations with the state of the world, with her home life, and with a specific new male student of hers.
This male student was at the professor's ivy league school on a wrestling scholarship. Famous for being a defier of stereotypes and generalizing, the professor did exactly the reverse to "Third" (the nickname of the wrestler).
The plot really gets to the audience and reaches it in a very personal way... maybe because many can truly relate to the personable story.

Get to the Guthrie and see it!
--The main young man is a student from the U of M!

St. Ben's

Two friends from my hometown are staying here tonight. They got a taste of a little Flamenco dance when I took them to Zorongo with me, and then after that we went to Dinkytown to try out Mesa's pizza. I was lovin' the Mac & Cheese kind:)

I've noticed that now when friends come to visit, I enjoy paying when we go out to eat and do other things of that sort... It makes you feel good, ya know!
Thus, give your friends a treat sometimes!

Happy Birthday Erin Yess!!!

Feliz cumpleanos a mi amiga Erin!!
Ya tiene 19 anos:)

Tonight some friends and I from home went to visit Erin at the U (where she goes to school). We surprised her by showing up when she was playing "Mario Party" in the lounge... How great it was to see the reaction on her face! She almost cried because she was so happily surprised! It wasn't even anything for us to go over there to see her, and she appreciated it so much!

Although cliche, little things do go a long way at times~

The Cold War

Has anyone ever read the document NSC 68? Well, if you would like a good, repetitive view on the Cold War, then I would recommend it (author: May). For a couple of weeks now, my history class and I have been trudging through this book. Yes, it has been tedious, but just listening to Professor Kolnick in class makes it worth it. He finds the book extremely interesting and "a good read;" now, although some of us may not agree with him so much, as long as he is intrigued and spreads that vibe to us in class, we have a damn good time.

NSC 68--read it, breathe it, live it.

Hey Girl !

Yesterday, to celebrate mi cumpleanos, Sam and I went to the Walker Arts Center to see "Hey Girl !"--a world-touring show directed by an Italian man. Saying the show was stunning is an understatement. The play is an allegory of a woman's life, beginning with her coming out of a latex "womb" that melts of her naked body. The woman lives in a cruel society that literally beats her at one point in the show. Horrifying original music tortures the ear drums at ear bleeding decibels. This disturbed performance is sure to change the way one perceives a nubile naked female.

Latin Heat TUVO EXITO!!! DALE!!!

What a great way to spend a Friday night--Learning how to dance salsa and merengue, WATCHING people learn how to dance, cheering on the flamenco dancer, listening to Ben (from Macalester) play spanish guitar, and jammin out to the last song (my favorite)... it's got some funny humor to it:)

Andale pues, Spanish Club will be hosting "Latin Heat" annually* Thank you TANTO to all those who came and helped out*

OS APRECIO MUCHO*

Peer Gynt

The Guthrie's production of Peer Gynt is an amazing display of allegory that unfolds in mostly couplet rhymed poetry. About 60% of the play's dialogue is fashioned in this way. Actor Mark Rylance, Artistic Director of England's Globe Theater from '96 to 2005, does a fantastic job of portraying Gynt's life from the age of 20 to 50.

Thank you Sam.

"Latin Heat"

Augsburg Spanish Club presents "Latin Heat" this Friday, February 15 from 9:30 pm to midnight.
The event will include remote live broadcasting by KAUG and DJ Quinn Spencer.
Come for salsa, merengue, rumba MUSIC, DANCING and instruction by Zenon Dance and a live flamenco performance by Sachiko from Zorongo Flamenco.
There will be FREE AUTHENTIC LATIN FOOD and TSHIRTS*
If you're not into dancing, then come and enjoy the culture, company, and MUSIC**

The event will be held in the Christensen Center.

Augsburg Spanish Club*
Viva Las Culturas!!!!

Pedalers for Peace

Get out there and get active during Spring Break!

“Pedalers for Peace” is a grassroots student group based at Augsburg College in Minneapolis, Minnesota that is committed to experiential education and raising environmental awareness. We believe that global engagement means developing connections with the people we share this world with and furthermore understanding our impact on the atmosphere.
As an alternative to the traditional college spring break, we, a group of twelve, plan on spending eight days biking through southern Louisiana and Mississippi. Through this experience, we hope to hear first-hand stories from those who endured Hurricane Katrina while studying the environmental and social effects of the disaster. Our journey will be punctuated with various stops along the road between New Orleans (Louisiana) and Biloxi (Mississippi) to volunteer in coalition with organizations and furthermore engage in social justice and environmental activism.
Upon our return to Minnesota, we will be publishing several articles detailing our trip in the school newspaper, the Echo, as well as publishing a journal. This journal will include our thoughts, reactions, experiences, pictures, and stories of the people we will have met along the way. Specifically, I, Annika Gunderson, will be showcasing a photo documentary from the trip with excerpts narrating each image. My goal is to display this photo documentary as an art form with the purpose of manifesting the theme of “Human Dignity and Rights—A Southern Awareness.”
Currently, we, the Pedalers for Peace, are fundraising by making and selling t-shirts that promote “going green,” alternative forms of transportation, and peace; moreover we are conducting a bake sale to additionally increase funds. The Augsburg “Outdoors Club” is co-sponsoring us, supplying bike parts, camping gear, and money. Donations are being sought from stores such as the Seward Co-Op and Rainbow Foods. The Pedalers can be found tabling in the Christensen Center weekly, advertising our cause and spreading the message of grassroots initiatives.

Help us if you can por favor!!
;)

Sunday's Politics.

Right before getting ready to leave to see Barack on Saturday, word was already going around about Hillary coming to speak to the Augsburg community in the gym on Sunday.
By the time Juve and I returned back from Barack, Hillary posters were EVERYWHERE--literally. They were even placed on the floors, just in case you didn't see the many that were all ready lining the walls!;)

But after seeing Hillary today, I really did appreciate the natural fluidity of her speaking style. Her universal health care is great... gosh her and Barack are so damn similar!!

But whatever you do, GET OUT TO CAUCUS THIS TUESDAY!!!
--6:30 to 8 pm---East Commons----Augsburg.

PAZ*

A Political Weekend.

This weekend was filled with waiting in lines, listening to "filler-speakers," hearing pump-up music, not being able to feel my toes (because of the cold), and all the rest that goes with in relation to political candidates and events...

Barack took up the most of my Saturday... from 12 to 6 pm-ish he was on my schedule. Then Juve and I finished off the night watching flamenco at El Meson (which is AMAZING*) and socializing/eating until there were no other customers in the restaurant!! My flamenco teacher, Sachiko, was actually the dancer there that night. She is so uniquely fabulous and filled with passion when she dances. She works at Zorongo Flamenco--So if you want to learn from some elite flamenco women here in Minneapolis, then go to Zorongo. They have live live flamenco guitarists (who are also quite sweet)... All right, there's my promo!