14B - Michigan Daily - Weend, etc. Magazine - Thursd December 6, 2001
A weekly guide to who's Thursday, December 6
why you need t e there... TWednesday, December 12
whe re whet's opten g through
Films opening1

- Amic- - -

he Michigan Daily - Weeend, etc. Magazi

Stress of giving can overshadow the Chris

Ocean's 11 Wow, an action movie that
not only doesn't suck, but is actually
good?! At Showcase: 11:00, 11:30,
12:00, 12:30, 1:30, 2:00, 2:30, 3:00,
4:00, 4:30, 5:00, 5:30, 6:40, 7:10,

7:40, 8:10, 9:15, 9:45, 10:15, 11:00
(Fri. and Sat.), 11:40 (Fri. and Sat.),
12:10 (Fri. and Sat.), 12:40 (Fri. and
Sat.).

Films holding

ABCD Yeah, yeah, we all know our
alphabet. OK, maybe not those guys on
creednet.com. At Showcase: 5:35,
8:05, 10:20, 12:25 (Fri. and Sat.).
Behind Enemy Lines This
Hackman/Wilson pairing will just make
The Royal Tenenbaums look even bet-
ter. At Showcase: 10:35, 12:50, 3:05,
5:20, 7:35, 9:55, 12:05 (Fri. and Sat.).
Black Knight Instead of watching 'this
suck-fest, go rent Army of Darkness. At
Showcase: 10:50, 11:20, 12:55, 1:25,
3:10, 3:40, 5:15, 7:15, 9:20, 9:50,
11:25 (Fri. and Sat.), 11:55 (Fri. and
Sat.).
Domestic Disturbance All I want for
Christmas is for this movie to leave the
theaters. At Showcase: 11:25, 1:20,
3:25, 5:25, 7:30, 9:25, 11:20 (Fri. and
Sat.).
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
To paraphrase,wbright candles burn
quickly. At Showcase: 10:40, 11:10,
11:40, 12:10, 12:40, 1:45, 2:15, 2:45,
3:15, 3:45, 5:10, 5:40, 6:30, 7:00,
8:15, 9:35, 10:05, 11:15 (Fri. and
Sat.).
Heist That's a fancy word for "steal." At
Showcase: 10:55, 1:10, 3:30, 5:45,
8:00, 10:10, 12:15 (Fri. and Sat.).

Life as a House That's a fancy word for
"suck." At Showcase: 6:45, 9:10,
11:30 (Fri. and Sat.).
Monsters, Inc. I'm still torn over this vs.
Shrek. At Showcase: 10:45, 11:15,
12:45, 1:15, 2:50, 3:20, 5:05, 7:05,
9:05, 11:10 (Fri. and Sat.).
Out Cold I changed my mind. Domestic
Disturbance and this steamer. At
Showcase: 11:05, 1:00, 2:55, 4:55,
6:55, 9:00, 11:05 (Fri. and Sat.).
Serendipity You've gotta be kidding me.
At Showcase: 5:50, 7:45.
Shallow Hal What the hell are you doing
going to movies? The D and Weezer are
playing tonight! At Showcase: 11:35,
1:55, 4:20, 7:25, 9:40, 11:50 (Fri. ad
Sat.).
Spy Game Redford returned to his nutri-
ent bath shortly after filming finished.
At Showcase: 10:30, 11:00, 1:05,
1:35, 4:10, 4:40, 6:50, 7:20, 9:30,
10:00, 12:00 (Fri. and Sat.), 12:30 (Fri.
and Sat.).
The Wash The theaters should wash
their hands of this movie. At Showcase:
8:30, 10:25, 12:20 (Fri. and Sat.).

By Carmen Johnson
Daily Arts Writer
It's hectic enough with exams
coming up in a week, not to mention
projects, papers and presentations,
but now we have to deal with buying
presents?
Most students consider the holi-
days to be stressful and understand
how commercial they have become.
After a semester, you want to relax
flipping through the channels, not
watch countless ways to spend your
supposedly budgeted money during
the holiday season.
Some students expressed their
opinions by celebrating "Buy
Nothing Day," the day after
Thanksgiving. The event is spon-
sored by the magazine Adbusters
and campaign for less commercial-
ization and spending. With store-
fronts and catalogs showing off a
winter holiday theme beginning in
the middle of fall, and advertise-
ments trying to inspire great gift
ideas, the season can turn very con-
sumer oriented.
Zachary Takenaga, a School ofArt
and Architecture freshman, agrees.
"Oh yeah, it is all about buying
during the holiday season. It's very
commercial, it's just part of it."

Zachary says.
Among all the buying, leading to
the scarcity of parking spaces, the
panic of people within the malls and
standing in line to reach the cash
register, there is enough reason to
bite your fist. It is tought to handle
all this franticness while you try to
guesstimate what color and size the
sweater for your brother should be.
And don't even try to walk in and
out of a toystore. With every toy now
battery operated, which they never
include, the boxes are getting bigger
and heavier.
Kevin Miller, an LSA sophomore,
who recently started working at Toys
'R' Us, can definitely notice the hol-
iday mood in the store. "Some peo-
ple are really rushed here, some
aren't, and some are in the store for
like 50 hours 'cause they just can't
decide." He describes.
People stress over getting the right
present for everyone. Let's just say
there is an audience for Good
Housekeeping's "25 Ways to Take
the Stress Out of Your Holiday
Season" annual articles.
Some people take the advice and
decide to shop online rather than go
shop in busy stores. (What's better
than shopping in our underwear?)
Some people decide to give their

time as a gift, and spend more time
with their families.
Somehow the year-after-year
stress of the holiday season never
seems to fade away. We still let busi-
nesses use and manipulate the holi-
day seasons to reap revenues.
But maybe it's because most peo-
ple realize that the malls are worth
entering if it means you'll walk out
with the. perfect present for someone
close to you. People like to give pre-
sents and people like to receive
them, too. It's a human trait.
"My family is Buddhists but we
still celebrate Christmas. Not just
'cause we want presents but
because, I mean, who doesn't like
the idea of presents under a tree?"
asks Cuong Nguy, a School of Art
and Architecture freshman.
And while mass advertisements
distorting the meaning of the holi-
days into a shopping spree is annoy-
ing, doesn't our nation's economy
kind of need it?
Maybe the panic, the stress,
including the late-night wrapping
sessions just make that one day that
much better. That one day when you
can actually hand someone that pre-
sent you had to fight for. and final-
ly unwrap that box you have been
shaking.

Shopping for the right Christmas preseni

George Clooney, Brad Pitt and others try to hide their disgust from Bernie Mac after watching his show in "Ocean's 11."

Non-Christi'ans take a different approach to

Today
BOOKS
CAMPUS CINEMA
Amelie Those wacky Frenchmen.
Michigan Theater. 6:45 & 9:15 p.m.
The Man Who Wasn't There Black and
white? As in no color. Screw that. State
Theater. 7 & 9:30 p.m.
Sidewalks of New York Ed Burns latest
film. State Theater. 7:15 & 9:15 p.m.
MUSIC
Spalding Gray Bitches and moans about
modern times through monologues.
Michigan Theater 603 E. Liberty St., 8
p.m. $28.50-35 668-8463.
The Bitter Pills Needles are the way to go.
T.C.'s Speakeasy, Ypsilanti, 10:30 p.m. $3
483-4470.
Dixie Power Trio A washboard, a tuba and
an accordian cover everything from Chuck
Berry to The Ramones. The Ark, 316 S.
Main St., 8 p.m. $13.50 761-1451.
THEA TER
"The Grapes of Wrath" University
Productions presents this Tony Award-win-
ning adaptation of John Steinbeck's
famous novel about an Oklahoman family
that migrates to California during the
Depression-era dust bowl. 8 p.m. Power
Center. $15-20, $7 students w/id. 764-
2538.
"The Grand Duke" The U-M Gilbert and
Sullivan Society presents this comical
musical about a theater troupe who takes
over a corrupt government. 8 p.m.
Mendelssohn Theater. $7-18. 764-2538.

"Spinning into Butter" Basement Arts per-
forms this Rebecca Gilman play about a
liberal arts college administration coming
to grips with racism and diversity on cam-
pus. 7 p.m. Arena Theatre, Frieze Bldg.
Free. 764-6800.
"Stop Kiss" Performance Network pre-
sents this play about two women who fall
in love and the disaster that results from
their first kiss. Performance Network,
120 E. Huron. 8 p.m. $20. 663-0681.
A LTERNA TIVES
"A Matter of Degree: Abstraction in
Twentieth Century Art"eThis exhibit fea-
tures 20th century works from the
UMMA's permanent collection that focus-
es on abstraction in landscapes, objects
and figures. UMMA, 525 S. State. Free.
764-0395.
"Japanese Fisherman's Coats of Awaji
Island" Exhibit features the Japanese folk
textile tradition of these patterned, hand-
crafted coats. UMMA, 525 S. State. Free.
764-0395.
Friday
CAMPUS CINEMA
Amelie See Thursday. Michigan Theater. 7
& 9:30 p.m.
Miracle on 34th Street Whatever, "Die
Hard".

is a mucl better Christmas movie.
Michigan Theater. 5 p.m.
The Man Who Wasn't There See Thursday.
State Theater. 7 & 9:30 p.m.
Sidewalks of New York See Thursday.
State Theater. 7:15 & 9:15 p.m.
MUSIC
Inner Recipe Melodic alternative rock that
makes you want to kiss Eddie Vedder. The
Blind Pig, 208 S. 1st St., 10 p.m. $5 ($7
under 21) 996-8555.
Danzon by Six Cuban jazz with classical
violinist Federico'Britos. The Firefly Club,
207 S. Ashley St. 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. $20.
665-9090.
58 Greene Multi-cultural acappella group.
603 E. Liberty St., 8 p.m. $6 668-8463.
THEA TER
"The Grapes of Wrath" See Thurs.
"The Grand Duke" See Thurs.
"Spinning Into Butter" See Thurs.
"Stop Kiss" See Thurs. $25.
ALTERNATIVES
"A Matter of Degree: Abstraction in
Twentieth Century Art" See Thurs.
Saturday
CAMPUS CINEMA
Amelie See Thursday. Michigan Theater.
5, 7:30 & 10 p.m.
Miracle on 34th Street See Friday.
Michigan Theater. 5 p.m.

By Will EI-Nachef
Daily Arts Writer
Christmas is almost here and most
University students will return to their homes
ornamented with lights, trees and tinsel. But,
for many non-Christian students this home-

coming is not necessarily a holiday oriented
one. For them, Christmas poses many ques-
tions about their beliefs and they must decide
which observances conflict with their religion.
Some non-Christian students, like LSA
freshman David Peckerman, do not observe
Christmas. "When I think of Christmas, I
think of more movies on TV, the malls are
busier and the lights on people's houses. Other
than that, I don't see Christmas," says
Peckerman, an Orthodox Jew.
He does note the conflict of his childhood
desires and his religion. "As a kid, I wanted to
experience waking up early and running to the
Christmas tree to get presents. That's mostly
because it looks so fun in the movies. It was
all about the presents." But he makes sure to
point out that "Christmas doesn't change the
way I feel about being Jewish."
Peckerman explains that although many
children may find the Jewish holiday of
Hanukkah to be a substitute for Christmas, at
his age he doesn't find a substitute necessary.
He is glad, though, that the two holidays fall in
the same month. "I'm happy our holidays
coincide because I'm able to have vacation on
Hanukkah and spend time with my family."
Wael Hakmeh, a LSA senior and -Muslim,
also does not celebrate Christmas. "The vaca-
tion, as I see it, is a break between the two
semesters," says Hakmeh. "My holidays are

Eid and Ramadan. Ramadan is our holy month
and Eid is the actual celebration."
Although Hakmeh does not observe the tra-
ditions of Christmas, he explains, "I wouldn't
reject a [Christmas] present, but at the same
time, I would explain that I am a Muslim.
When I have been offered presents, usually I
give a present back as a sign of respect."
Similarly to Peckerman, Hakmeh also felt
the exclusion as a child during the Christmas
season. "When the whole school celebrates a
holiday and everyone in your class celebrates
the holiday, and you're the only one who does-
n't, there's a lot more pressure on you ... It
was especially difficult for me, growing up in
a predominately non-Muslim community."
Despite the difficulties he faced as a child,
Hakmeh is not resentful of the Christmas hol-
iday. "I'm actually very happy for Christians
when they go through their holidays and fes-
tivities, just like I'm happy when I go through
mine.
As for non-Christians who celebrate
Christmas, Hakmeh says "I'm a firm believer
that everyone's religion is a relationship
between himself or herself with God. If one
chooses to celebrate Christmas, that's their
prerogative." However, he goes on to say, "I
think it's very difficult to have a hybrid holi-
day without compromising any part of your
religion."

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EMMA FOSDICK/Daily
Christmas trees are abundant at the local stores,
but what about menorahs?

Weekend
Magazine

Weekend, etc. Editors: Matt Grandstaff, Jane Krul
Writers: Jeff Dickerson, Keith N. Dusenburry, Dave Enders, Will El-Nachef, I
Johnson, Rebecca Ramsey, Luke Smith, Andy Taylor-Fabe.
Photo Editors: David Katz, Marjorie Marshall
Photographer: Emma Fosdick, Yoni Goldstein.
Cover Photo: Emma Fosdick
Arts Editors: Jennifer Fogel, Managing Editor, Robyn Melamed and Lyle Henre
Editor in Chief: Geoffrey Gagnon