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gateway It’s Alive! March 6th, 2013
Issue No. 23
Volume 103
THE
TH E O F F IC IA L STUDE NT NE WS PA P E R AT TH E UN I V ER S I T Y OF A LBERTA
Arts & Culture
chenlei zhang
Zero emission First campus musical comes Eco-Car revs up to life in Young Frankenstein theatre preview
Jennifer Polack
News staff @jenpolack The U of A’s recently unveiled ecocar may not be a Ferrari, but what it lacks in horsepower it makes up for in innovation. Project manager Matthew Sponiar teamed up with fellow students Peter Kos, Sahil Shah and Anuraag Gupta to reveal their second-generation eco-car for public scrutiny last Thursday and Friday in ETLC. The car itself is a zero-emission, hydrogen fuel cell engine featuring a sustainable mechanical design to exemplify the importance of sustainability in vehicle use and production. Most of the materials used are locally obtained in order to showcase Alberta’s industrial potential to manufacture an economic, environmentally-friendly vehicle.
Despite being grounded in Engineering, the project welcomed participants from multiple faculties. “Our goal right from the start was to keep it very interdisciplinary,” Sponiar said. “We’ve been trying to get involved in local events and conferences and bring the vehicle as a showcase.” Since the original 2010 prototype vehicle, the eco-car has undergone a number of major facelifts. “On the previous generation, it was very much if something goes wrong the car would safely shut down, but the driver (was) not really aware of what the problem was,” Sponiar explained. “Now, we have a much more integrated sensor system on the vehicle, so you’ll ... be able to monitor the data while the driver is driving.”
PLEASE SEE eco-car PAGE 9
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Alana Willerton
arts & Culture editor @alanawillerton With the curtain about to rise on the University of Alberta’s inaugural campus musical, more than a few people are waiting with bated breath to see if it will live up to the year-long hype. A project spurred by current Students’ Union VP (Student Life) Saadiq Sumar, the idea of a campus musical open to any student on campus has been in the works since almost the beginning of the Fall semester, and has had fans and critics of the idea talking about its viability ever since. But thanks to plenty of hard work on the part of the organizers and cast members, a production of Young Frankenstein will officially act as the first-ever campus musical. Preparations for the musical began in November, and saw 50 people audition for the 29 roles in the production. Those who weren’t cast were encouraged to stay involved by taking on other roles in the show, such as helping with costumes or props. The cast will have been rehearsing for two months by the time opening night takes place, and director Luay Eljamal is eager for the world to see the fruits of their labour. “I think we have a really strong arts (presence) at the U of A, and it’s good to show that off,” Eljamal says. “When
I first moved here, I was surprised to hear that there wasn’t a campus musical. There are always those of us who want to get involved in stuff like this. It’s a good way to meet people (and) to shed the wallflower in you when you first come to university.” This musical in particular has the power to draw any student out of their shell, as it mixes a farcical, funny attitude, musical theatre dance styles like jazz and tap and pop culture references all into one show. This production of Young Frankenstein is a re-imagined take on director Mel Brooks’ film of the same name from the ‘70s. While most are familiar with the story of Dr. Frankenstein who brought a monster to life, Young Frankenstein focuses on his grandson, Dr. Frederick Frankenstein. Unimpressed and embarrassed by his grandfather’s legacy, Frankenstein finds out he has inherited the family property in Transylvania and is forced to go visit. Once there, he begins to gain a new appreciation for this grandfather’s work, and begins to play with the idea of creating a monster himself. Eljamal was one of the people who selected Young Frankenstein as the
musical of choice, and he says he was drawn to the humourous way the story conveys some important messages. “It’s a very identity-based show,” he explains. “One of the reasons we picked it is because it suits the whole ‘born this way’ movement, where everyone’s like, ‘Embrace yourself.’ I feel like there’s this mentality now that the play has a subtle undertone that supports that movement.” Of course, as with any new initiative, the campus musical has had its share of bumps in the road on the way to opening night. After deciding to add an optional dinner theatre element to the Friday and Saturday night shows, the production was forced to take place in Dinwoodie Lounge rather than a space more suited for performances such as the Myer Horowitz Theatre. It’s made preparations a bit more difficult, but they hope the added appeal of a dinner theatre will make it worth it. The dinner in question will feature a buffet meal made by L’Express, and starts an hour before the show.
PLEASE SEE frankenstein PAGE 24
“This reading week I lived my one-man bukkake fantasy.”
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