2A -- Thursday, October 9, 2008
The Michigan Daily - michigandaiiy.com
2A - Thursday, October 9,2008 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom
HE CHALLENGES YOU TO A RHETORICAL DUEL
The Diag debater
If you've passedcthroughcthe Diag
this week, you may have noticed
both local and traveling evangelista
attempting to spread their beliefs to
anyone willingcto listen.
Some students ignore the preach-
ing, some are offended, others ace
amused and a few see street preach-
er season as an opportunity for fun.
Alex Kostrzewa is one of those few.
Known around campus for dress-
ing up as Jesus and arguing the
merits of Greek mythology with
preachers like Brother Jed Smock,
Kostrzewa tries to inject humor
into the tension that can develop
between the speakers and students.
The Residential College senior
said his interactions with the evan-
gelists are "improvised public the-
atre," and insists he isn't trying to
drive them away.
"It's fun," he said.
Kostrzewa, a self-described
agnostic, said he isn't opposed to
organized religion.
He said all of his actions - from
dressing up as Jesus and preaching
forgiveness and love on the Diag to
debating preacher Michael Venyah
by speaking through a sock puppet
- are intended to "put forth a more
positive version of Christianity."
After engaging the Diag preach-
ers in theological debate and pro-
viding an undeniable degree of
silliness over the last three years,
Kostrzewa has noticed an interest-
ing trend among students who stop
to listen to them. He said he noticed
that people who are familiar with
the Bible tend to be more offended
by the preachers than people who
are not because the students believe
the preachers function as "anti-
advertising for what they're trying
to spread."
Although Kostrzewa may oppose
what the preachers are saying, he
believes firmly in their right to say
it.
"People taking stuff seriously is
dangerous," he said.
Street-preacher season is draw-
ing to a close in Ann Arbor, but
Kostrzewa said he plans to push
through to the end by appearing on
the Diag the rest of this week.
While he could not say for sure
what antics he has planned, he hint-
ed at the possibility of another sock
puppet debate with Michael Venyah
or even doing his own preaching on
the Diag, espousing the virtues of
Nurse mythology.
BENJAMIN S. CHASE
(ANGEtLAtCESERE/Daily)
RC senior Ales Kostrzewa spoke neat to Jed Smack, the
tounder and president at Campus Ministry USA, on the
Diag on Sept. 23.
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01
CRIME NOTES
CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES
Parking pass
swiped
WHERE: Lot SC-S, 300 Sta-
dium Blvd.
WHEN: Tuesday at about
10:30 p.m.
WHAT: A man reported that
his parking pass was stolen out
of his car between 7 and 7:40
am. on Tuesday, University
Police reported. The original
price of the parking pass was
$279. Police have no suspects.
Internet cards
stolen on
North Campus
WHERE: Pierpont Commons
WHEN: Tuesday at about 9:30
WHAT: Two HP Internet
cards were stolen, University
Police reported. The cards were
valued at $400 each. Police
have no suspects.
Tree taken from
Oxford Housing
WHERE: Oxford Housing, 600
Oxford Road
WHEN: Tuesday at about 12:45
p.m.
WHAT: A one-year-old tree-
was stolen from Oxford Hous-
ing, University Police reported.
The tree was five feet tall, and
was valued at $132. Police have
no suspects.
Man slips,
injures head
WHERE: Eisenhower Park
WHEN: Tuesday at about S
p.m.
WHAT: A man slipped and
hit his head on the ground at
Eisenhower Park, University
Police reported. He trans-
ported by ambulance to the
University Hospital for treat-
ment.
Yom Kippur
services
WHAT: A number of events
throughout the day marking
Yom Kippur, the Jewish day
of atonment. Por more infor-
mation, visit www.umhillel.
org
WHO: Hillel
WHEN: Today beginning at
9 a.m.
WHERE: Hillel, Mandell L.
Berman Center, 1429 Hill St.
Sociology
lecture
WHAT: A lecture by New
York University Prof. Eric
Klinenberg titled "Alone in
America"
WHO: Center for Social Epi-
demiology and Population
Health
WHEN: Today at 4 p.m.
WHERE: 1688 School of Pub-
lic Health Crossroads
Feature film
sneak preview
WHAT: A sneak preview of
the Universal Pictures film
"Role Models"
WHO: M-Flicks and the Uni-
versity Activities Center
WHEN: Today at 7 p.m.
WHERE: Angell Hall, Audi-
torium A
CORRECTIONS
" An article in Tuesday's
Daily (Greeks team up to
fighst cancer) said Max
Friedman was the philan-
thropy chair of Sigma Alpha
Mu. He is the former phi-
lanthropy chair.
" An article in yesterday's
Daily (Consultant callsofor
holistic approach to sustain-
ability) misspelled Sarah
Shapiro's name.
*Please report any error
in the Daily to correc-
tions@michigandaily.com.
1The Michigan Democratic
Party yesterday began an
effort to gather signatures
asking Sarah Palmn imperson-
ator Tins Fey of "Saturday
Night Live" to visit Michigan,
The Associated Press reported.
2For as many as one in 23
people, the brain tails to
disconnect certain cross-
sensory activations, meaning
that certain early-age asso-
ciations - colors with letters,
shapes with sounds, textures
with smells - continue into
middle age. The condition is
called synesthesia.
OsFOlt MORE, Stt THt 8-SIDE
3One in six homeowners
in the United States owes
more on their mortgage
than the their home is worth,
The Wall Street Journal
reported.
01
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