TheMetropolitan MetroSpective February 7, 2013
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“Twilight” star talks poverty, addiction and recovery Reeanna Hernandez rherna60@msudenver.edu Chaske Spencer, an actor best known for his role in the “Twilight Saga” is battling more than just vampires. Spencer, an actor, activist and former addict, drew a crowd Jan. 30 in the Tivoli Turnhalle. Best known for playing San Uley, a werewolf in the “Twilight Saga,” Spencer works to raise awareness of the life, plight and poverty of Native Americans. He used humor to introduce his topic, telling the audience of his background and joking that his major in college was “gin and tonic.” But after the humor came a serious tone that set the stage for the real reason he wanted to speak
on campus. Spencer talked about how being Native American and growing up on a reservation caused him to see a lot of poverty and dysfunction. He talked about his drug addiction and the journey he took to recovery. Spencer told the audience that his addiction was partly linked to his childhood. “I grew up on an Indian reservation,” he said. “On a reservation, if you don’t have a beer in your hand, you’re not a man.” He then spoke about how his alcohol addiction quickly turned to a more harmful addiction to drugs like heroin. Spencer spoke of how he came to the ultimate realization that the only way he could stop was to get help.
It was during his recovery, he said, that he learned a lot about the correlation between drugs and alcohol and growing up on an Indian reservation and that the history of white settlers uprooting Indian life was partly to blame. “We need to look at history,” Spencer said. “When you take people out of their homes, teach them to be ashamed of themselves, to change their religion, be spiritually broken, then put them back on a reservation and introduce them to alcohol—what do you think they’re going to do?” After speaking on his drug addiction, Spencer mentioned several ways which he believed would help the Native American condition. He spoke of the importance of education, of support systems and the creation of jobs.
Spencer also spoke on a global level about the importance of methods of recycling water to create energy and electricity for people living on reservations. He told the audience that after his recovery he felt like his life was a gift and he made a promise to himself that he would do whatever he could to give back to the community. Since then, he has talked to those at reservations and colleges throughout the country to try and raise awareness and give people who are facing similar plights the resources they need to get help. MSU Denver junior Casey Asimus appreciated that the lecture reflected on cultural education. “I am an English major, hoping to one day have a career as a high school teacher,” Asimus said. “To
be a teacher, I think it is important to know about different cultural backgrounds. This lecture definitely gave insight into that.” Jay Jaramillo, an MSU Denver senior and treasurer of MSU Denver’s organization of Journey Through our Heritage — an MSU Denver Chicano Studies group that allows college students to participate in multi-cultural educational programs — appreciated the ‘realness’ that Spencer brought to campus. “He was very humble,” Jaramillo said. “It was really good to bring him on campus and talk to students here because the issues he talked about were ones that plague many Native Americans who live in the Denver area. He really put things on a human level.”
Students aid in DIA and CVA exhibitions Tobias Krause tkrause2@msudenver.edu
For several MSU Denver affiliates, a musical suitcase provided an attention-grabbing opportunity. Last Friday, a panel of past and present MSU Denver students discussed their experiences assisting artists at an exhibition at the Center for Visual Arts and DIA. The exhibition, titled “In Situ,” is a collection of temporary commissioned art installation pieces that focused on different perceptions of public art through the eyes of four different artists from all three North American countries. Former student Evan Miller and current sophomore Madeleine Kattman worked directly with internationally-renowned artist Humberto Duque on a public art installation titled “Lightning Blues Express.” It has the assistants, dressed in business suits, walking around DIA with a rolling amplified speaker that looks like a piece of luggage playing old, twangy country songs. “I think we are trying to interrupt the spectacle of the airport and make people more aware of their surroundings at the airport,” Miller said. “You never know what you’re getting into working with another artist — that can be crazy.” Everything seemed to flow very seamlessly for these assistants — Miller said Duque knew specifically what he wanted to do, which made for “a smooth and easy process.” The concept of working in an international airport can be frightening to some, but acted as an invigorating experience for Miller and Kattman. “The biggest expectation I had
Speakers (from left) Ryan Mcfarlin, Madeleine Nicole Kattman, Evan Lee Miller, and Stacy Sturdy discuss their creative process to a crowd on Feb. 1 during the Artist Talk series at the Center for Visual Arts. Photo by Trevor Davis • tdavis84@msudenver.edu
was performing in public,” Kattman said. “It’s a whole different ball game.” MSU Denver senior Ryan Mcfarlin, who also works at the CVA, was able to work directly with artist Ximena Labra. Mcfarlin was in charge of designing, creating and maintaining a number of different graphics and decals for the project called “To
Those Who Go.” The piece focuses on taking someone out of a “violating, limiting space,” Mcfarlin said. The different pieces of “To Those Who Go” can be seen throughout the airport. “A lot of people were stopping us to ask what we were doing with confused looks on their faces,” Mcfarlin said. “Most people were
just happy to have something to look at.” Former MSU Denver student Stacey Sturdy was able to work with Kim Dickey, a professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder, on a number of large pieces that focused on bringing outdoor art indoors. Dickey’s all-female team was able to create and install her pieces
at the CVA. “I was honored to be able to help bring these pieces to life,” Sturdy said. The “In Situ” installation will be showing until Feb. 9 at the CVA and the DIA installation will be exhibited until the end of October.