The Cowley Press
Feb. 24, 2005
Page 7
the scene
Painting
by numbers
Volunteers to paint enormous mural
BY SARAH LAVALLEE Staff Writer
T
Photo by Morgan Williams
Sophomore Amy Parsons paints on one of the panels for the mural that is included in the paint by number project. Each panel is 4 feet by 5 feet, and all 60 panels will be put together to form the mural for the corner of Summit and Jefferson.
he corner of Summit and Jefferson will soon have a new lease on life. Area residents, in particular Cowley students, have been working on 60 panels that will combine to make a mural. Cowley College, Arkansas City High School, and area middle schools have all participated in this project. This paint by number mural was designed to “promote community spirit, and also to beautify the downtown area,” Graphic Art Instructor Denise Irwin said. Over 100 people thus far have helped to paint. Irwin hopes over 1,000 will eventually participate. No art expertise is necessary, just the ability to stay within the lines. Sophomore Amy Parsons said, “I think it helps to emphasize community and involvement.” The finished mural will represent the “community’s connection with food production from the beginning of our existence,” according to Irwin. It spans the
time from buffalo hunting to the current farm and art market. Each of the 60 panels of the mural is 4 feet by 5 feet in size. Holding a basket of vegetables is Robert Ramirez, whose wife is Humanities office secretary Jacque Ramirez. Also, Stacey Bowman, whose daughters attend Cowley College, and Gary Gackstatter, the college instrumental music director, can be identified in the mural. The painting is scheduled to be completed by June 30. Volunteers can talk to Denise Irwin in the basement of GalleJohnson Hall or call 620-441-5561. Groups interested in painting should contact Shannon Gackstatter at 620-442-6877. In addition to the work at Summit and Jefferson, Irwin and her students were recently recognized for an earlier project. During its Feb. 15 meeting, the City Commission of Arkansas City presented the January 2005 Good Neighbor Recognition Award to Irwin and the college’s Art Club for their efforts in painting and decorating the Chestnut Avenue underpass.
Tyger Tawk’s second Talent/No Talent Show scheduled BY SIMBIRAI MUNJOMA Staff Writer Students are encouraged to show off their talent, or lack of it, at Tyger Tawk’s Talent/ No Talent Show. The communications club is organizing the show, which will be held Thursday, March 10, at 7 p.m. in the Brown Center Theater. Prizes for the show will include cash and gift certificates. Admission is $2 or $1 with a non-perishable food item. Alana Cervantes, the president of Tyger Tawk, says, “We want students to bring it on, even if it’s not a lot.” “We’re hoping to have as good a turn out as last semester,” Cervantes said, “Last semester was really surprising.”
In the fall semester, the club organized a similar talent show. Tom Mason, the sponsor for Tyger Tawk, estimates 200 students attended the 15-act show. However, unlike the fall production, this time bands will not be able to take part. Also the organizers are hoping for performers who will do variety shows such as skits and stand-up comedy as well as music. Performers who do non-musical acts will compete in a separate category from musicians To steer away from having too many musical performances, the club is planning a separate show specifically for bands, the Battle of the Bands, to be held on April 7. Some bands have already signed up, much to the relief of the club’s president. “I was afraid we would only have about two
the Review
BY JARED MCGUIRE Staff Writer Most true cinephiles blanche whenever Keanu Reeves’ name is mentioned. This apparent beach-bum-turned-actor has a reputation for being one of the most dull, almost lackluster actors in history. However, for one reason or another, he is consistently cast as the “one” who is capable of saving the day. In Speed, he was the one person who could stop the bus and rescue Sandra Bullock. In The Matrix and its offspring, he is the “one” who can stop the enslavement of humanity. Yet again, in the latest Warner Brothers Pictures release Constantine, Reeves plays the part of
bands competing,” Cervantes said. For the Talent/No Talent Show, students willing to perform solos, duets or variety acts must sign up before Thursday, March 3, at 4 p.m. Entry forms are available in the Humanities office. All performers will be required to attend a mandatory meeting on Thursday, March 3, at 4 p.m. to sign up for screening, which will take place at the second mandatory meeting on Tuesday, March 8. Food collected from the show will be sent to a local church and the Family Life Center to be distributed to families in the community. The money collected will be used to organize future events such as the Battle of the Bands and field trips to radio stations in Oklahoma City and Wichita. “It has been a learning process for
the students,” Mason says. “We just want people to come and have fun.” The show has been scheduled for March 10, corresponding with the free bowling night. It will last for two hours so students can go straight from the show to the bowling alley. Scholarships are available for communication majors for next semester. To find out how to apply for a scholarship, students may see Mason in the Humanities office. Returning students will need to apply before March 1. Mason encourages students to contact him soon, as the scholarships are limited. For more information on the show or to find out more about Tyger Tawk, visit Mason in the Humanities Office or call (620) 441-5278.
title: Constantine starring: Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz ~ Movie ~ the rating: A-
humanity’s only hope, this time from the very forces of Hell. Based on “Hellblazer,” the long-running DC/Vertigo comic book, Constantine tells the story of a man capable of seeing what most can’t: angels, demons and the supernatural. John Constantine, part exorcist and part wayfaring stranger, has quite literally been to hell and back. He teams up with skeptical policewoman Angela Dodson to crack the apparent suicide of her twin sister Isabella. In a series of fantastic events, the two must battle the forces of evil threatening not only the world, but themselves. The acting is exceptional and beyond what is normally expected from an earlyseason action release. Arguably, Reeves is
the perfect actor to play a man somewhat detached from reality. However, he seems to be made for this angst-ridden character and pulls it off very well. Rachel Weisz (Tania Chernova from Enemy at the Gates and Evelyn Carnahan O'Connell from The Mummy) provides a good balance for Reeves' character as the skeptical, yet driven, detective Angela Dodson. Shia LaBeouf (Louis Anthony Stevens from the popular television series Even Stevens) plays the sometimes comical, sometimes poignant sidekick Chas Chandler, although it may be just his boyish charm that allows him to pull this off successfully. Djimon Hounsou (Juba from the beautiful epic, Gladiator) does not disappoint and gives his usual above-cali-
ber performance. Tilda Swinton (Rebecca Dearborn from Vanilla Sky and Valerie Thomas from Adaption) lends a beautiful, edgy character to the vengeful Archangel Gabriel. The effects in this movie are both fluid and stunning. Unlike most action movies, the story line and the effects go hand in hand, rather than one overshadowing the other. Constantine may have intended to save humanity from evil, but it may have actually saved Keanu Reeves’ acting career from popular opinion. Reeves may have truly redeemed himself. Constantine is currently showing at Cowley Cinema 8. Show times are available from www.cowleycinema8.com.