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Show 7 - The Forum March 13, 2001 American Culture and Literature Travels Abroad Students Spend Break Playing in Canadian Snow Michael DAsto Contributing Writer The trip almost didn't happen due to several last minute cancellations, but thanks to some eleventh-hou- r enlisters, the Westminster Ski and Snowboard club journeyed northward in quest of the ultimate spring break at North America's largest and longest ski resort: Whistler-Blackcomlocated two hours north of b, Vancouver, B.C. The large terrain and breathtaking jump parks challenged the club members for five days. The six Westminster students and their friends traversed scores of runs, double black diamond jumps, and backcountry of the coastal woodland. Traveler additions and creative credit-car- d arrangements made the trip possible, which was almost a bust due to the cost of late cancellations. Reservations made, the original number of students traveling dropped from 15 to nine in a matter of weeks, significantly raising the relative costs for the dub members. This forced some to foot the bill weeks after the vacation. Regardless, plans went forward to send the dub members to the land of magnificence-th- e Canadian Coast Mountains. Whistler-Blackcom- b is situated on two a resort so big, the group towering mountains, check had out the maps countless times to dedde where they were and where they wanted to spend the day. Careful dedsion-makin- g was essential: choose the wrong run, and you could end up taking a toll bus up from the opposite side of the resort. To boot, planning was required on how to ascend; some gondola lifts neared 20 minutes of upward trekking hanging in a crowded glass carriage packed with people from around the world. Snow conditions were squirrelly, said freshman Dan Bigler. 'The first couple days were Then overnight, a storm incredibly there better no terrain in my life." The was hit; coastal snow found on the mountains was spongy, moister than the champagne powder of Utah, said the skier. When the lifts dosed, the group rode down the mountain to the village, to eat, drink, and shop. Stores offered exotica to the group of Utahns, from Cuban dgars to affordable helicopter drops. And thanks to the strong exchange rate, about $1.55 for each U.S. dollar, spending money wasn't quite as painful. What is still painful today for many in the group is of the bodily sort. Five days of non-sto- p ridding was fully acknowledged by throbbing leg musdes and sore ankles. Some snowboards were damaged, two gone forever. Regardless of the injuries and damaged equipment, the crew was pleased that they could share the sublime spring break together, forging tender memories of the Canadian mountains and . . forests eternal. For information concerning upcoming club activities, students can email dub Raeshell Wong to be placed on the mailing list. 0 icy-horrib- le. Brandon Christensen FORUM Writer Gunter, English Professor, scary road in front of her. 1, 2002 is the day she leaves the comforts of Utah and Susan Westminster College and travels to the wilds of Bulgaria to live and teach for six months. Gunter has been awarded the Fulbright Fellowship award, a program, began by Senator Fulbright of Arkansas, dedicated to the promotion of the international exchange of scholars. Gunter applied to the Fulbright commission after being invited to do so in July. Once she applied, her application had to receive clearance and be approved by scholars here in the states. 50-year-- .2 Gunter has been teaching English for over 20 years. She has been at Westminster the past 13. She has also taught piano lessons and a natural childbirth class. She is a prestige's professor, winning such awards as the Gore Excellence in Teaching, Mariord-ShaPublication Prize, National Endowment for Humanities Research Grants and the Eisteddford Poetry Prize. Gunter is looking at her trip as one that she knows will be a life altering experience. She is already learning the language. She will be lecturing on American culture and American literature at Sofia University in Sofia, Bulgaria. Gunter will be on leave and plans to return to Westminster after her trip. w :j .ANnKHr: v 'f I Utah Opera Presents Madama Butterfly Amanda Shiner FORUM Copy Editor Navy named Pinkerton and a geisha named or Madama Butterfly. The opera is set in Nagasaki, Japan at the turn of the 20th century. The lush melodies and orchestration heighten the inevitable tragedy of Butterfly's marriage with Pinkerton. The audience witnesses the gradual transformation of Butterfly from child bride to a deteran innocent, disillusioned woman who chooses "to mined, die with honor, when one can no longer live with honor." "...my "Butterfly" remains as it is: the most heartfelt and expressive opera I have conceived!" exclaimed Puccini in his correspondence. Box office sales wherever the opera is produced indicate that audiences worldwide still agree, nearly a century later, with the composer's view. "Madama Butterfly's" eventual renown was certainly not forecast during its world premiere performance at La Scala on February 17, 1904. On that evening, audience members heckled, laughed, hissed and made animal noises during a production that the theatre had gone "all-outo open in the grandest manner. It is now generally believed that the rabble-rouseforces were an organized claque of and critics. rival music including composers Nonetheless, Puccini immediately withdrew the work' and revised it for a smaller theater, the Teatro Grande in Brescia. Acclaimed productions of "Madama Butterfly" quickly ensued in Paris, London and New York, and it has remained in the opera repertory ever since. Single tickets range in cost from $14 to $59. They can be purchased over the phone by call- Cio-Cio-S- Utah Opera's production of Pucdni's most popular opera, "Madama Butterfly," alighted at the Capitol Theatre for opening night on March 10 at 7:30 p.m. Evening performances continue March 12, 14 and 16 at 7:30 p.m. with a Sunday matinee on March 18 at 2:00 p.m. "Madama Butterfly" will be sung in Italian with English supertitles. Pucdni happened upon his primary literary source for "Madama Butterfly" in London during the summer of 1900, when he attended the play "Madame Butterfly" by David Belasco. Although his grasp of the English language was poor at the time, he was struck by the theatricality of the plot and the visual potential of the Japanese setting. He immediately set out to obtain rights to the story, and engaged the librettist team of Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica (who had already collaborated with Puccini for "La Boheme" and "Tosca") to being its metamorphosis into an opera. The opera is about a lieutenant in the U.S. , an Resumes Networking Graduate School Information Over 70 Corporate Representatives Grand Prize Drawing and Other Prizes VORICSIiOPS (Soon to 7:00 p.m., March 15 & 18, 2001 ETIQUETTE DUIKER 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., March 21, 2001 CAREER FAIR 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., March 22, 2001 t" WESTMINSTER rs COLLEGE anti-Pucci- ni Photo Courtesy of The Utah Opera Interviewing (2787),'on the Internet at ing www.tickets.com or in person at the box offices of the Capitol Theatre, Abravanel Hall, Kingsbury Hall and other ArtTix outlets. Student and senior citizen discount tickets go on sale 30 minutes before each 355-AR- performance, depending on seat availability. Purchasers need to provide identification of active student status or proof that they are 61 years of age or older. These tickets must be purchased at the Capitol Theatre box office just before the performance. |