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4B - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, March 31, 2005
The Michigan Da
BREAK TIME
ART ACTIVITY HELPS RELIEVE STUDENT STRESS
By Megan Jacobs
Daily Arts Writer
On Tuesday nights, the Michigan
Union Underground is not just home
to Subway and Wendy's. Nestled
snugly between Magic Wok and the
computer consoles is Arts Break, the
crafty collaboration between Univer-
sity Union Arts and Programs and a
group of students who have glue and
paint on the brain.
Every Tuesday night from 7 to
11 p.m., Arts Break sets up shop. It
has developed quite a following in
the last five years of its existence;
roughly 100 participants arrive each
week. Completely funded by the
University, students need bring little
more than an arty attitude.
The craft varies from week to
week, as an e-mail goes out on Sun-
day nights to tell frequent attendees
what the upcoming project is, as well
as suggestions for what students may
want to bring, aside from the essen-
tials such as paint, tissue paper, glit-
ter, ribbon and decoupage.
This past week, for example, as
students prepared for coaster deco-
rating, "we recommended that peo-
ple print out pictures of their friends
to decorate their projects with," said
Program Assistant and LSA sopho-
more Jessica Cristopher.
This year alone, Arts Break has
livened up living rooms around
campus with innovative and clever
crafts. One week, Arts Break pro-
vided artists with vinyl records with
a mirror in the center; students were
encouraged to detail the vinyl with
glitter or song lyrics. Other crafts
have included puff painting T-shirts
and bulletin boards. Pencil boxes
"It's a good stress
reliever, and it adds
a little break from
academic life."
- Bill Couch
LSA sophomore
also rank high on the list of favor-.
ites.
Some projects are thematic and
time-sensitive, such as the photo _.- v
albums on the Tuesday before spring0
break. To welcome in spring in the
upcoming weeks, Arts Break will be f ,...
providing terra cotta pots to deco- ......
rate, complete with flower seeds to
plant. Next week, the project will be
peace flags.
"It's a good stress reliever, and
it adds a little break from academ- S.
ic life," said LSA sophomore Bill.
Couch as he detailed his project.
Many participants agree thatf
something is necessary to spice up
what LSA sophomore Sarah Johnson
called her "monotonous schedule."
As a participant in the Big/Little
Sibs program, Johnson thought this
would be a fun time to show her LSA sophomore Ted Pixley and LSA JL
nine-year-old Little Sib Mariana Tuesday night.
Dicko a side of college life.
To make each project a little more held supplies for specific projects,"
special, Cristopher and her co-assis- Cristopher said. The pair had scrap-
tant, LSA sophomore Kate Long- booking stickers for scrapbook
street, decided to try something week and will have buttons just
different this year. for the terra pots in the upcoming
"We always have the basics, but weeks.
this is the first semester we have It may sound elementary, but art
A guide to who's where,
what's happening and why
you need to be there..
Friday
Murder in the Cathedral: Rude
Mechanicals will present T.S.
Eliot's play "Murder in the Cathe-
dral," which centers on the death
of Thomas Beckett in the Canter-
bury Cathedral. The play begins at
8 p.m. at the Lydia Mendelssohn
Theater. Tickets are $7 for the gen-
eral public or $5 for students and
are available at the Michigan Union
Ticket Office.
DJ Timmy D and DJ Blur at
Necto: DJ Timmy D and DJ Blur
will headline Necto's main room
Friday night. Necto is located at 516
E. Liberty St. Doors open at 9 p.m.
No cover before 10 p.m. After 10
p.m., $5 cover for 21 and over and
$8 cover for all others.
Bitch: Bitch, an activist musical
performer best known for her dra-
matic stage personality, will per-
form tomorrow night at The Ark.
The show begins 8 p.m. with doors
opening at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are
$12.50 and are available at The Ark
box office.
Saturday
Smokestack and Glowb: Michi-
gan natives Smokestack, along with
Glowb, will perform at the Blind Pig
as part of their "Hash Bash Blow-
out!" Doors open at 9:30 p.m. The
18+ show will cost $7 for ages 21
and over and $10 for all others
The UMS Choral Union Annu-
al Spring Concert: The Univer-
sity Musical Society Choral Union
will host its annual spring concert,
conducted by Jerry Blackstone and
featuring the Ann Arbor Symphony
Orchestra. The performance will
begin at 8 p.m. at Hill Auditorium.
Tickets are $10-$28 and are avail-
able at MUTO.
Gimble A Cappella Annual Con-
cert: The Asian-interest a cappella
grou'p hosts "Kopi Idol!" which will
feature acting and songs from dif-
ferent languages, including Japanese
and Thai. The concert will begin
at 7 p.m. in the Modern Language
Building Auditorium Four. Tickets
are $5 presale, which are available
through any Gimble member or $7
at the door.
Poker and Open Mic Night:
Arts Programs will host poker and
Open Mic night, which will feature
local bands and many other diverse
performers from the Ann Arbor
community. The event will begin
at 7 p.m. in the Leonardo Room at
Pierpont Commons. on North Cam-
pus. Free.
The Weekend List
Sunday
Curator's Talk: A Fine Likeness:
Senior Curator of Western Art at the
University of Michigan Museum of
Art Carole McNamara will discuss
portraiture and introduce visitors to
the 18th and 19th century works cur-
rently on display. The event will be
hosted at the UMMA at 3 p.m. Free.
Cancer Awareness Week Art
Exhibit: As part of Cancer Awareness
Week, Artist Gay Walker will pres-
ent artwork that pertains to her battle
against breast cancer along with stu-
dent and community work that will be
AMY AUMM/siy
jnior Alissa Talley paint coasters at Arts Break in the Michigan Union
can also be stress-reducing and mind-
bending. "I learned origami here,"
said Agatha Clemens, an LSA senior
who added that she would rather "do
this instead of take credits."
University Health Services, in
their 101 list of was to alleviate
stress and academic pressure, sug-
gests relaxing with a colorful art
project. The list also includes being
with friends and listening to music,
all on the agenda at Arts Break.
Arts Break is also an ideal way
to save on holidays and birthdays.
"I usually give mine away as gifts
to people," said Engineering junior
Keri Nicholson. "Plus, it gives me
something to do on Tuesdays."
"It's usually not a successful Arts
Break until you have paint or glitter
on your hands or shirt somewhere,"
"It's usually not a
successful Arts
Break until you
have paint or glitter
DU BOIS
Continued from page 8B
advisor to get the class approved, as
I was requesting it to fulfill two of
my graduation requirements. I was
a little nervous about making such
requests. That is, until I met the
advisor who would approve or deny
my requests ... The gay, male advi-
sor. Score!
As soon as I walked into the office
I felt an unspoken bond with this
man - a connection that I thought
I could build on more than a hetero-
sexual male student could have. So
I did. Again, I played the gay card.
Damn right I did. And I got that shit
approved.
These are just micro-examples
though. What about in the grand
scheme of life? Are such benefits
conferred by sexual orientation? Of
course!
Think about it. Professional work-
places that champion diversity might
find a gay applicant more attrac-
tive than a straight one because he
or she adds to an office dynamic.
Celebrities, gay and straight alike,
appeal to the gay community for
continued endorsement (i.e., Ellen
DeGeneres and Cher, respectively).
Opportunities for such advantages, I
believe, can be found (and exploited)
throughout a homosexual's lifetime.
I'm not suggesting that a homo-
sexual excessively play upon the
fact that he or she is gay - that
he or she, instead of legitimately
earning his or her college degree
or career status, find gay loopholes
that allow cheating the system. Let
me proclaim this: Homosexuals
don't need to play the gay card. But
we can. And there are times that
we should.
Think about it: like all minorities,
homosexuals get screwed in many
aspects of life.
We can't get married as simply (if
at all) as heterosexuals. We get ridi-
culed walking down the street - in
Miami, Ann Arbor - there's poten-
tial anywhere. We are presumed to
have at least one STD and to con-
sume drugs incessantly. Family
relationships are often difficult or
unmaintainable.
All this being said, why shouldn't
we take advantage of any oppor-
tunity that our sexual orientation
- that which in many cases robs
us of equality - confers us such
equality?
Thus, I hereby advocate the use,
not the abuse, of the ace -or should
I say the "gayce" - up every homo-
sexual's sleeve. Good luck, and play
wisely.
Steve hopes for future benefits
granted to him and other homosexu-
als based on their sexual orientation,
including and especially free food in
the Michigan Union Underground. If
you are willing to offer such goodies,
e-mail him at duboiss@umich.edu.
AMY DR~UMM/Daily
Engineering juniors Keri Nicholson and Carrie Rodak, along with LSA sophomore Danielle Hawkins, pick out
paints used to make coasters at Arts Break.