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The Michigan Daily - Weekend, etc. Ma
Preacbing to the Diag
By Jenni Glenn
Weekend Etc.,editor
Lugging sandwich board signs with
scripture passages. Holding five hour-
long discussions with students. Taking
abuse from people passing through the
Diag. This is the life of traveling exange-
list/teacher Rick Warzvwak, who fre-
quently preaches to the masses from the
center of campus. He described both the
frustrations and rewards of his job in an
interview with The Michigan Daily.
The Michigan Daily: What is your
day job?
Rick Warzywak: My day job is what
you see me do (at the University). I left
my regular employment seven years ago
and started preaching the gospel on col-
lege campuses.... Now money just
comes in. (od just provides.
TMD: What made you start preach-
ing'?
RW: When you're making a decent
living and income, it just doesn't satisfy.
There's a voice that speaks to you and
tells you to go out and help people. .. If
there really is a hell, as I believe there is.
I have the responsibility to help people
escape it.
TMD: How do you choose the best
location to preach from?
RW: You find where the hihest traf-
fic flow is, and U of M has the hiuhest
traffic flow at the Diag. ... It's the same
with fishing, you got to go where the
fish are.
TMD: What do you aim to accomn-
plish with your preaching?
RW: I'm trving to get people to see
that the things that they see with their
eyeballs, the material things. w.ill come
to nothing. Once they cross that line ox er
to eternity, they're going to conront a
creatorGod. They're going to find that
all of us have broken one of God's 10
commandments, and acceptine Christ is
the only way to obtain forxiveness.
TMD: What techniques do you use to
communicate your messae?
RW: I pass out what I call tracts. The
tracts I use, they're ee catching, they're
different. ... I[ve got ones with the
Terminator, the Titantic on them. The
company has some that are real trendy..
TMD: What are typical reactions to
your preaching?
RW: The majority is adv'erse. [I et
spit at in the face sometimes, I get sworn
at, I've even had my life threatened on
some campuses. I also get some hand-
shakes and pats on the back, but those
are fewer. ... When the traffic slows
down on the Diag. I start speaking and I
really see people listenin.
Once a Jewish student slapped me in
the face. He asked me to read a passage
in the Bible, and I said "Yes, it's about
turning the other cheek" and he slapped
me and walked away.
TMD: Does that test your beliefs?
RW: It does, but it reaffirms them.
TMD: What is the most unique expe-
rience you've had preaching in Ann
Arbor?
RW: Two years ago, my friend and I
decided to come to the Naked Mile. We
had a banner, and we were careful to
stand away so we wouldn't see the nudi-
ty. I was saying "You will all stand naked
before God someday." This group of
guys jumped me and took the banner.
TMD: What is your impression of
students at the University?
RW: I find that the higher the acade-
mic rating of the school. the more hard-
ened people are against God in general.
. I believe many times at the higher
academic schools, students trust in their
own intelligence or the finances thev or
a parent has access to, and they just trust
in themselves. I try to point out that
these things are fast and fleeting. More
so at U of M than the other schools, I
find that people think if they don't listen
to the preacher that they will wo away.
They're wrong, we won't go away.
TMD: What do you encounter on hc
Diag?
RW: Every day you go out you don't
know what you're going to face, youjust
have to be prepared. To the average stu-
dent, they just see some guy velling and
screaming at them, but they don't see the
little fine things that happen.
A LTERNA TIVES
Local Authors Read Local authors
read from the collection "Huron River:
Voices From the Watershed." Borders
Books & Music. 7:30 p.m. Free. 668-
7652.
Paisley Rekdal Author reads from her
collection of stories, "The Night My
Mother met Bruce Lee." Shaman
Drum Bookshop. Free. 662-7407.
Alumni Concert - A Salute to
Elizabeth Bergmann University Dance
Department welcomes former chair
Elizabeth Bergmann. Pease Studio,
Dance Building. 7 p.m. Free. 763-
5460.
Bale Folciorico da Bahia Brazil's pro-
fessional folk dance company per-
forms sensual dancing. Power Center.
8 p.m. $18-36. 764-2538.
Arthur Miller at Work See Thursday.
Works on Paper Gallery, Museum of
Art. Free. 764-0395.
The Villa of the Mysteries in Pompeii:
Ancient Ritual, Modern Muse See
Thursday. West Gallery, Museum of Art.
Free. 764-0395.
Seeing is Healing? The Visual Arts of
Medicine See Thursday. Box Gallery
and Apse, Museum of Art. Free. 764-
0395.
Saturday
CAMPUS CINEMA
Dancer in the Dark See Thursday.
Michigan Theater. 5 & 8 p.m. $5.50.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show See
Friday. State Theater.' 12 a.m. $5.50.
Stuart Little (1999) Come see the
film that Fievel called "the most
inspiring American film since 'Pulp
Fiction."' No football game today, no
excuse for missing this classic.
Quality 16. 10 & 11 a.m. Free.
MUSiC
Disco Biscuits Jani rock bent with
rave-ish techno. Michigan Theater.
7:30 p.m. $13.50. 668-8463.
Halloween Bash: Funktelligence Local
band fuses funk, soul, blues, latin jazz
and hip-hop. Blind Pig, 208 1st St. 10
p.m. $5. 996-8555.
Mose Allison Trio featuring David
"Fathead" Newman See Friday. Bird of
Paradise, 312 S. Main St. 7:30 p.m. &
11:30 p.m. $25. 662-8310.
Lou & Peter Berryman Humorous social
commentary in folk and Broadway
musical form. The Ark, 316 S. Main St.
8 p.m. $12.50. 761-1451.
Thornetta Davis Soul and blues group
from Detroit with vocals by Davis.
Cavern Club. 210 1st St. 10 p.m. $7.
332-9900.
Carl Weathersby Blues guitar. The
Firefly Club, 207 S. Ashley St. 8 p.m. &
10:30 p.m. $12. 913-9900.
THEA TER
Wit See Friday. Performance Network.
120 E. Huron. 8 p.m. $17-20. 663-0681.
A LTERNA TIVES
Bale Folclorico da Bahia See Friday.
Power Center. 2 & 8 pm. $18-36. 764-
2538.
Arthur Miller at Work See Thursday.
Works on Paper Gallery, Museum of
Art. Free. 764-0395.
The Villa of the Mysteries in Pompeii:
Ancient Ritual, Modern Muse See
Thursday. West Gallery, Museum of Art.
Free. 764-0395.
Seeing is Healing? The Visual Arts of
Medicine See Thursday. Box Gallery
and Apse, Museum of Art. Free. 764-
0395.
Sunday
CAMPUS CINEMA
Beau Travail (2000) French words,
English subtitles. Bring your specs.
Michigan Theater. 7:30 p.m. $5.50.
Dancer in the Dark See Thursday.
Michigan Theater, 4:45 & 7:45 p.m.
Orlando (1992) I'll be hard-pressed to
see this movie as it brings to mind
Grant Hill's exodus to the Sunshine
State. Then again, he never took us
past the first round of the playoffs, so
take him Orlando and we'll take this
movie. MichiganTheater. 5 p.m. Free.
Rocky Horror Picture Show See Friday.
State, 9:15 p.m. $5.50.
Stuart Little See Saturday. Quality 16.
10 & 11 a.m. Free.
MUSIC
Halloween Concert University
Symphony Orchestra performs this
amusing concert. Hill Auditorium. 8
p.m. $5-8. 763-4726.
Echoes of Erin Touring collection of
Ireland's best traditional singers, musi-
cians and dancers returns for their
annual show. The Ark, 316 S. Main St.
7:30 p.m. $17.50. 761-1451.
Sunday Blues Party: The Motor City
Sheiks Happy danceable blues. The
Firefly Club, 207 S. Ashley St. 9 p.m.
$5. 913-9900.
THEA TER
Wit See Friday. Performance Network.
120 E. Huron. 2 p.m. $17-20. 663-0681.
A LTERNA TIVES
Judith Minty Reads Poet reads from
her latest collection, "Walking With
the Bear." Shaman Drum Bookshop. 3
p.m. Free. 662-7407.
Arthur Miller at Work See Thursday.
Works on Paper Gallery, Museum of
Art. Free. 764-0395.
The Villa of the Mysteries in Pompeii:
Ancient Ritual, Modern Muse See
Thursday. West Gallery, Museum of Art.
Free. 764-0395.
Seeing is Healing? The Visual Arts of
Medicine See Thursday. Box Gallery
and Apse, Museum of Art. Free. 764-
0395.
Monday
CAMPUS CINEMA
Beau Travail See Sunday. Michigan
Theater. 7 & 9 p.m. $5.50
Dancer in the Dark See Thursday.
Michigan Theater. 7:30 p.m. $5.50.
MUSIC
The Bird of Paradise Orchestra
Bassist Paul Keller leads this in-house
12-piece jazz big band. Bird of
Paradise, 312 S. Main St. 9 p.m. $7.
662-8310.
Acoustic Open Mic Step up to the mic
for your couple minutes of fame. Tap
Room, Ypsilanti 9:30 p.m. Free. 482-
5320.
A LTERNA TIVES
Chuck Collins Author reads from his
book "Economic Apartheid in America."
Shaman Drum Bookshop. 8 p.m. Free.
662-7407.
Arthur Miller at Work See Thursday.
Works on Paper Gallery, Museum of
Art. Free. 764-0395.
The Villa of the Mysteries in Pompeii:
Ancient Ritual, Modern Muse See
Thursday. West Gallery, Museum o' Av
Free 764-0395.
Seeing is Healing? 1 he Visual Arts of
Medicine See Thursday. Box Gallery
and Apse. Museum of Art. Free 764
0395
What would Halloween in Ann A
"The Rocky Horror Picture Shof
Tuesday
CAMPUS CINEMA
Beau Travail See Sunday. Mich
Theater, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m. $5.E
Dancer in the Dark See Thursd
Michigan Theater. 9 p.m. $5.5
The Godfather (1972) I could s
something cutting or funny, or
say that this is the best movie
and you need to be there, rega
of any prior commitments. Mic
Theater. 4:10 p.m. $5.50.
The Producers (1968) Mel Bro
classic makes a return trip to1
screen. Michigan Theater. 7 p.
$5.50.
MUSIC
Dan Bern Bern performs his pu
folk-pop with sarcastic and top
lyrics. The Ark, 316 S. Main St
p.m. $12.50 ($8 with student
761-1451.
Swingset Traditional jazz and s
dards with pianist James Dapo
cellist Mike Karoub, and vocal
Susan Chastain. Accompanied
tar and bass. The Firefly Club,
Ashley St. 8 p.m $5. 913-990
Ron Brooks Trio .iazz trio with
on bass. Pete Siers on urums <
Ween on piano. Bird of Paradis
S. Main St 9 p.m. $5. 662-83
A LTER NA TI VES
Arthur Miller at Work See Thurs
Works on Paper Gallery. Museu
Elizabeth Hurley seduces Brendan Fraser out of his soul in the new film
"Bedazzled."