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Show ww So You fan- He figured if Troy Donahue could make it, so could he. I never had such delusions. The only thing I had in common with anybody I ever saw on the stage was red hair. I didnt fancy myself as funny as Carol Burnett or Lucille Ball and I certainly was no where near as glamorous as Susan Hayward and Maureen OHara. I planned to limit my association with the stage to behind the scenes, with an occasional very local appearance in live theater. And thats exactly what I have done. So why did I jump at the chance to make a movie? Dan DeNiro, a product of Murray high who moved on to PMT and then to Juilard School of Performing Arts in New York City, must have shared Bobbys dream. But Dan has something in common with most movie stars. Hes handsome. Not to mention talented. He has his Equity shirt and a pair and a clipboard. It seems of shoes, that I a whistle was the cheerleader coach at a school. I had to stand by the locker room door and check off the cheerleaders as they entered - after blowing a whistle to get their attention. Along came Dan (in drag) and snuck into the locker room. I soon realized there was a cheerleader too many and burst into the locker room and hauled him out by his ear. That was the sum total of my film debut. So why did it take four hours to film? Michele Bartmess touches on the flick, which included filming some scenes at his alma mater. Little did I know it was typecasting. I showed up at the appointed hour, trying to act nonchalant about the whole thing. I was attired in the white slacks I had been instructed to wear and was handed a pink sweat size 10 shoes. So I spend the 90 minutes and subsequent 120 more with my hoofs crammed into a size 9. It was also August and high schools are hot places. But still, this such was an interesting process and I wasnt about to complain. Anytime I do anything, I hope to find an angle to write about. When we were finally ready to begin the shoot, it was decided that I should do my whistle blowing scene first. So I blew my whistle. First for visual effect. Which took only three takes (the first time I looked right at the camera a Then I blew my whistle for audio effect. no-no- ). Because there were 10 of us in the scene where the girls went into the locker room, it took a few more takes than a scene with just one or part of pursuing his dream, Dan is putting together a film that shows off his talents as producer, director and performer. Dan and his wife and crew were in town last week putting the final ject. The costumer, however, did not anticipate that film stars wear Well, about 13 toots later, they thought that maybe we have something. So much for my ego. As Weve kept up some correspondence since Dan cast his lot in the Big Apple. He was among the first Green Sheet Performing Arts Award winners for his wonderful portrayal in the title role in George M! So I said, sure," when Dan asked me if Id like to be a part of his pro- . - card. Well, one thing you learn about filming is that its always behind schedule. Why it wouldnt be real if it werent. Getting Dan to look like a cheerleader was quite a process -though he made quite a pretty one. Then each of the girls had to make sure her moment on the screen showed her off to her best advantage. And of course I had to have my makeup touched up. All by a real live pro. All of that took more than 90 minutes. Which was time well spent getting acquainted with some other people who were just as interested in this process as I was. two people. Then we did the Michele dragging Dan by the ear routine and after five dry runs and three with cameras rolling, the experience came to an abrupt end. My feet were delighted. Ive not seen the final, edited copy, but it was one of the more interesting experiences I've had in recent months. Very much unlike live stage where everything must be done in sequence and you dont get a second chance. Im not even sure what Dan is trying to prove with the film. One of these first days Ill be getting a copy. Personally, I can wait. Seeing myself in the mirror is bad enough. If Dan was trying to show he can make something of nothing, then hes likely on the right track. He took some rank amateurs one afternoon and gave them at the very least quite a story to tell. God speed young man. Auto Safety: Confusing World Of Trade-off- s by Dennis Hinkamp Consumer Information Writer Utah State University Auto safety is a confusing world of trade-off- Although it may sound grisly, decisions about improvements or laws that save lives are often weighed against monetary costs and personal freedom. Such a case is seen with mandatory seat belt laws and automatic air bag safety systems. For years there have been debates over the relative safety and cost of installing automatic air bag So far, no major auto manufacturer has even offered them as an option on new cars. During this same period, there has been momentum building to enact mandatory seat belt laws. systems. Although some would call the laws a positive move toward safer iPf rfei . DEAR JOHN: I dont really know whats happened to my life. All I know is that right now, everything is out of order. I was so sure I was in control of everything to begin with: my job, my drinking, my family, etc. All of a sudden, (at least thats how it seems) I realize Ive never been in control of anything. Im not where I expected to be. Im not the person I wanted to be. Ive become the person I was always afraid I was, deep down inside. My reason for writing is not to have you tell me what my solution should be. (Im not looking for an answer. I merely had to tell someone.) Lost in the Labyrinth of Self Dear Lost: Having your seldom a blowout. Its usually a slow leak that develops from habits. There is a solution, but since you state that youre not looking for one let me offer the following for consideration: The Lark Sitting high in the braches of a tree, safe from harm, he saw a traveler walking through the forest with a mysterious black box. The lark flew down and perched on the strangers shoulder. What do you have in the little black box? he asked. Worms, the traveler replied. Are they for sale? Yes, and very cheaply too. The price is only one feather for a worm. The lark I must thought for a moment. have a million feathers. Surely Ill never miss one of them. Heres an opportunity to get a good dinner for no work at all. So he told the man he would buy one. He searched carefully under his wing for a tiny feather. He winced a bit as he pulled it out, but the size of the worm made him quickly forget the pain. High up in the tree again he began to sing as beautifully as before. The next day he saw the same life fall apart is man again, and again he exchanged a feather for a worm. What a wonderful effortless way to get dinner! Each day thereafter, the lark surrendered a feather, and each loss seemed to hurt less and less. In the beginning, he had many feathers, but as the days passed, he found it more difficult to fly. Finally, after the loss of one of his primary feathers he could no longer reach the top of the tree, let alone fly up into the sky. In fact, he could do no more than flutter a few feet in the air and was forced to seek his food with the quarrelsome, bickering sparrows. The man with the worms came no more, for there were no feathers to pay for meals. The lark no longer sang because he was so ashamed of bis fallen state. This is how habits possess us painfully, then more easily, until at last we find ourselves stripped of all that lets us sing and soar. This is how freedom is lost. From your letter, it sounds like Continued on last page. some highways, consumer ad- vocates would call it a conspiracy. One reason for the conspiracy theory is that Transportation Secretary Elizabeth Dole has ordered auto manufacturers to install air bag systems in new 1989 of cars unless states with two-thir- Lost In Labyrinth Of Self JOHN " Wanna Be In Pictures In A Chorus Line Bobbys tasy was to be a movie star. WATERBURY Dear John w r the U.S. population enact seat belt laws. Auto manufacturers have been opposed to air bag systems because they contend consumers will not be willing to pay the extra costs. Other arguments have been that the bags are not yet perfected and adding automatic safety equipment to cars will actually cause people to drive less safely. Because of these contentions, there has been a strong movement to get states to enact seat belt laws. Brian ONeill, president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, has even accused auto manufacturer lobbying groups of inflating statistics To further confuse the issue there is a grassroots movement of what might be called Right to Death advocates. They see seat belt laws as an infringement on personal freedom. Seat belt advocates counter that the added deaths and injuries caused by not using seat belts increases insurance rates and medical costs for everyone. Safety may seem to be a very easy to decide issue, but it has many sides. Teacher to Parent Helping your child succeed by Betty Condie President, Utah Education Association The first day of school Jimmys mother came to me and told me she wanted to volunteer to help me in class. We set up a schedule and she came in three times a week to assist in the reading program. She was also the PTA president. Those duties brought her to school even more often. In fact, she was always putting up special bulletin boards, organizing preciation events, teacher ap- recruiting volunteers for the media center, and in general helping in the school. It was no coincidence that her son was an excellent student. According to recent studies, parent involvement in almost any form improves student achievement. When parents show a strong and participation in their childrens schooling, they promote the development of attitudes that are key to achievement, attitudes that are more a product of how the family interacts than of its social class or income. The massive Coleman report published in 1966 reported that a stu- dents positive attitudes about and his confidence are critical to achievment, and that family is the most important factor in a childs education. Three important fmaily influences that seem to determine achievement are: (1) students and parents exhimself pectations for school success, (2) the extent to which they engaged in activities to support these expectations, and (3) the students attitude that hard work is a necessary aspect of success. When children are performing poorly in school, parent involvement in a comprehensive and way can improve their children's long-lastin- g achievement - particularly if that involvement starts at an early age. |