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Show The Daily Utah Chronicle DEPARTURE Friday, March 5, 1999 Christy Karras, Feature Editor: c.karraschronicle.utah.edu ' - ( I photos by Tyler Schwab The small town reeked of crusty beer, moist armpits and aging waste. Its breath was stirred by a testy breeze. Muffled thumpa thumpa music reverberated while we walked by occupied "discotecas" (dance halls) that laced the main streets. The melting pot of thousands of individuals from all cracks of the world were festively dressed in white the only visibly clean element in town. These cheery individuals were adorned with red neckerchiefs, the color used by bullfighters. After traveling for hours as claustrophobic puzzle pieces in a minuscule rental car, my student cohorts stretched our legs and inhaled the distinctive aroma of Pamplona, Spain, host of the annual "Running of the Bulls." It was the summer of 1998. Salt Lake in the summer was doomed to be flavorless. Consequently, I decided to participate in the study guage. However, I quickly gathered there was much The more to Spain than just Spanish-speaker- s. people in Spain are very active. They have vamped up many ways to expand their activities. The Running of the Bulls is one of these activities, and it coincides with one of Spain's main spectator sports: bullfighting. The distance between the Pamplona bull pen and ring made it difficult to herd the bulls; someone suggested using humans as lures. Today, at least 2,000 people participate in the annual event. abroad program offered by the University of Utah. Knowing a little bit of Spanish, I imagined m 7r. v Chronicle - 7 i ySf bull's horns or are trampled by bulls or the iWiilfffiaiMaiiMiiiiftw The running is tourist-orienteevery corner is stuffed with booths full of red hats, bloody and other gory paraphernalia for bull sale. The seven-da- y run begins each morning at sunrise. Thousands of spectators line the cordoned run to watch those who are foolish or drunk enough to throw themselves in front of a herd of bulls. The run begins when a large rocket booms and six bulls are released into the crowd of runners. When the bulls and runners eventually reach the ring, the bulls face professional mata-dore- s. Urban folklore says at least eight men die each year when runners are either gored by a d: crowd. After engaging in severe cognitive debate, I disobeyed my intellect and reason and entered the corral where the runners nervously anticipated the beginning signal. The smell of compacted, intoxicated male bodies contrasted with their clean, white clothing. I heard conversations in Spanish, Basque, Italian, English, German and other unidentifiable languages. Several men drunkenly continued their nocturnal alcoholic oblivion by machismo strutting and boasting in order to forget fear. Others remained silent, apparently contemplating see bulls page 8 1 H rll Editor's Note: This is the first two articles on Spring Break nJm lot wAr iMMiwiwmi' it would be interesting to travel to the nation on the other side of the world that speaks the lan- The Daily Utah I of ideas. Read next Friday's edition of the Chronicle for more ideas on what to do if you're stuck in town for Spring Break. Sheri Nievaard Chronicle Feature Writer For many students at the U, Spring Break is no more than a week and a few days without classes. There is no actual "break" for those of us who have slews of homework, don't have the funds to take a much desired hiatus, or got stuck working for the lucky $! who don't have essays galore and do have the money to utilize said Spring Break. In Salt Lake for Spring Break? Have a Good Time Anyway So, for those who are left "breakless" by choice or otherwise, here are some suggested activities to keep your day or night occupied: Tracy Aviary Located in Liberty Park, the Aviary is open seven days a week from 9 to 4, and admission is only $2 with a Student I.D. Go see birds and bird shows, then picnic or play in the park. ticketseating availability, etc. Comedy clubs Jerry Seinfeld got his start by performing stand-u- p at clubs. There are a few of these scattered around the valley, with Laffs in Trolley Square and the Comedy Circuit in Midvale (7720 S. 700 West). Most clubs offer some sort of food and generally low admission. Antelope Island State Park-Semiles west of lies this mound in the middle of the Great Salt Lake. It's open seven days a week, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m, and admission is $7 per vehicle, $3 per bike, or $9 for overnight camping (three words: layer, layer, layer). Because of the weather, there arc . I-- Pioneer Memorial Theatre On the western side of campus, the theater will be showing the comedy "Rough Crossing" during Spring Break. Tickets for students can range in price from FREE to half price, depending on the day, ven probably few to no mosquitoes or flies, and although it's not too far away, it does make for a pretty good escape. There is a restaurant on the island, but a sack lunch would do just fine while watching the buffalo roam. burger-joint-ty- pe Art galleries There are tons of these in Salt Lake. Most of them show the work of the owner, and anyone interested in art could keep busy with these places for days and days. Just look in the can make for a fun night. Most clubs have some different theme of music each night, and some even have a dance class about an hour before dance time (this reduces the "don't know how to" excuse). For example, The Vault offers two different kinds of music each night on two dance floors, and usually Swing classes Wednesday nights at nine (just before the ten o'clock dance time). phone book, call it up if the hours aren't listed and go! Whatever Spring Break holds, just remember that sometimes it works out to try something new, and that the majority of activities, Dance this may not seem to some like an appealing choice, the right club be they familiar or not, won't end up being more senseless and irksome than Golden Girls clubs-Altho- ugh s. |