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Show PAGES UNIVERSITY JOURNAL FOCUS ON: PVA COLLEGE . PAGE 9 THURSDAY, MARCH l , 2000 Dedicated .musiCian searched for SUU Senators ·enable more learning BY NADINE BELL JOURNAL STAFF WRITER BY KIRSTEN TATE SENIOR STAFF WRITER Yun later received his doctorate in music from the University of Colorado. After receiving his doctorate, Yun needed a job. He said he was working for the Cooperative Organic Farm in Colorado when a man with whom he was working asked him what he planned to do. Yun said that he didn't know but he described what he was looking for. His co-worker suggested southern Utah. Yun typed in southern Utah on the Internet .and found suu·s web page. He called the university and applied for a position that was available. He was asked to come to Utah for an interview with the music department chair and he was offered the position at SUU . In his spare time. Yun practices playing the Native American flutes and overtone singing-which allows him to sing more than one note at a time. He said he also enjoys reading, rock climbing, skiing and fly fishing. Yun plays the piano. string double bass, electric bass and various percussion instruments. Yun said he b.elieves that no matter what life throws at people, they will always have music or art. He said music helps a person to focus. Gerard J. Yun first became involved in music by accident. When he was in eighth grade, his school needed male voices to sing in the choir. At that time. being in the choir required students to miss a class. So, Yun and some of his friends decided to add their voices to the choir. He soon found that he liked singing and that he was good at it. The following year. he joined the men's chorus in high school Yun, who is a vocal and choral lecturer at SUU, was offered a position with the school at the beginning of last fall. He conducted the student performance of Messiah last semester at SUU. Before coming to SUU , he conducted operas. He also conducted orchestras 1n the Caribbean and Russia. Stacy Shutt. a sophomore elementary education major from Bountiful. Utah. said. "He has brought new variety to the music department.· Yun said he expects different things from his students depending on what they are studying. He said he always expects involvement and enthusiasm and that the end result should be "better than the sum of its parts.• He said his students need to bring their talent and intelligence to the music class and should expect to become smart musicians who are ready to sing. Yun said he sees potential in SUU's music department and he feels the community of Cedar City 1s open to expenencmg new things. He said it 1s unusual to find so many talented musicians in one school and to find such a large faculty and music department at a school the size of SUU The music department has nine full-time faculty members. 1O ad1unct faculty and some 150 students Yun said he enjoys watching his students create and learn Yun first became interested in teaching when he was a freshman m high school He saw a man named Howard Swan conduct choral music and thought that he would like to do that. Yun attended Santa Clara University near San Francisco, but he avoided studying music because his family didn't want him to become a musician. Instead. he received his degree in Gerard Yun has conducted many orchestras including the Colorado Youth Orchestra in marketing, finance and biology. · Boulder, Colo. The senators from the College of Performing and Visual Arts are wellrounded students involved in several activities on campus. Tara Nicole Oliver is a sophomore dance education major from Ashburn, Va. She decided to run for a senate position to become more involved with the school and learn how the governmental process works. As a senator she represents students from her · college. "It's fun to help out. Smee it is the College of Performing and Visual Arts, I support the students in their performances and pro1ects If they need anything, I try to help wherever I can." said Oliver. Being a senator 1s stressful. Ol1v~r said, but · 1enJoy all of the great people I've been able to work with because they've taught me a lot • Oliver said she chose to maior in dance education and performance because she has been dancing since she was four and always wanted to dance. Her goals are to perform for a while and then teach contemporary dance styles Contemporary dance includes most styles except ballet. Her favorite style of dance 1s tap. "Tap 1s my passion, but I love it all,· she said In her spare time she enjoys being with people and teaching them. She also loves photography, and playing noncompetitive sports. Sara Parson is a senior from Cedar City majoring in art. She said she wanted to get involved on campus. "I was always in the art department and wanted to have a chance to get out and know more people," she said. Parson said she likes working with good people. "If we see something on campus that needs to be done we can write resolutions about it to make it happen." Parson said. The senators passed a bill that allowed the art department to buy display easels. The easels enable students to display more of their art work. · 1feel like I've made a difference Sara p ..__..,.. . ., for the arson students." she said As a senator she 1s on the Convocations Committee and 1s also in charge of the college's Focus Days which are March 6-8 . Parson said she never thought she would ma1or in art even though her family has surrounded her with art her entire life. One of the first art classes Parson said she took was at Ricks College from her uncle, Leon Parson. "I felt better about it than other things that I tired." she said She said she likes all art mediums but her favorite mediums are pastels, watercolors and oil paints. After graduation, she said she plans on earning a teaching certificate and getting a master of fine arts. She also said she_likes to go to Zion National Park. play her guitar, write poetry and talk to people. Nathan Hancock is a junior from West Jordan. Utah. majoring in music. Hancock said he became a senator because "I thought I could help. I wanted to be involved and a part of the campus.· he said. 'He said his favorite part of being a senator is that he has gotten to know many students. "I have a sense of purpose outside the music department. it gives me a different place to focus sometimes,· he said. "Earlier in the year we put a bill forth to get money for the pep band to be able to play at the basketball games. We also got extra money fdr the music department, which it needs.· Hancock said. Music was not his original interest he said. "When I got into high school I wanted !Vath to go into an ff. engineenng, but learned that it required too much math. I really like music though and my band teacher was a really good musician w~o helped me enjoy music even more," Hancock said. In high school he played the clarinet, trombone and percussion instruments Currently he said he 1s focusing on vocal music and wants to be a choir teacher In his spare time he said he likes to sing and really enjoys being in the Army National Guard. He also said he enjoys building models of airplanes, cars and Star Trek models. Her interes.t in psychology brought her to SUU . Her passion for theatre has kept her here. Melinda Pfundstein. a senior theatre major from Las Vegas, Nev.. came to SUU as a psychology major. After auditioning on a whim for The Secret Garden and getting a significant role as Martha, the nursemaid, Pfundstem's interests changed. She returned her sophomore year as a theatre major. · 1 first worked with Melinda when she played the role of Martha in The Secret Garden." said Fred Adams. founder of the Utah Shakespearean Festival. Adams said he discovered her remarkable ear for both singing and dialect during this play. He announced to the department that "this girl has a lot of talent and needs the best training.· "We think the world of her,· said Adams. Since that first role, Pfundstein has been very busy in the SUU theatre department. She has had major roles in I Do! I Do'. How to Succeed in Business Without Even Trying and currently Man of La Mancha. Pfundstein said the biggest role she's had so far was in the Shakespearean Festival last summer. She played Gloria in Damn Yankees. Recently, the festival was on tour in Las Vegas with "That's what I want." said Pfundstein. "A balance Taming of the Shrew. When one of the main between carrying out my dream of performing and characters dislocated her jaw, Pfundstein was asked maintaining an honest lifestyle with a family.· to replace her as Bianca for one week of the tour. "Melinda is a grounded and centered person." Pfundstem has been exposed to said Richard Bugg, assistant professor of theatre and performing for most of her theatre arts. "She is also comfortable m her life. After graduation next year, she vulnerability and that, combined with her said she ·can't see not performing.· enormous talent, is what makes her star · 1want to act on Broadway in any material." role," Pfundstein said. She would like Pfundstein admires her professors at SUU. to someday tell her grandchildren ·our dance an<;! theatre faculty care so much about life in New York City on about individual students.They are amazing," Broadway. she said. Family is a very important part of Pfundstein said the College of Visual and Pfundstein's life, she said. Pfundstein Performing Arts is different from other colleges said she loves spending time with her because it demands a higher level of trust family when she is not busy on the Melinda Pfundstein between students and faculty. stage. She said her latest hobby is "There is no other way to teach us. but to let hanging out with her sister who also attends SUU. us m on who they are," Gaid Pfundstem Pfundstein said she has a hard time choosing a Pfundstein said she encourages students at SUU specific role model or hero. She really looks up to all to take advantage of the visual and performing arts the actors and actresses that come to perform each available to them. summer in the Shakespearean Festival. "My experience with 'performers is they're up there The reason for her admiration is that the players all giving everything they have," she said. "If I were an have family lives outside of theatre. Pfundstein said. :>utside patron, I would feel so blessed that actors put She said they keep their dream of acting alive while ;;o much into what they're doing and are willing to leading a life of integrity, honesty and family values. ;;hare their soul with the audience.· Ballroom team; always dancing Ballroom dance members dedicate the,r early mornings to learning ne.wdance routines and perfecting every movement. The Ballroom Dance ..... Company consists of 14 couples on the tour team and eight couples on the back-up team. Their year-end concert is scheduled for April 6 and 7. Their next performance is this Saturday in St. George for the March of Dimes. PVA clubs reach local audiences Student changes major 'on a whim' BY SHELLY LYMAN JOURNAL STAFF WRITER .. BY MICHELLE ALVA JOURNAL STAFF WRITER ..... ! B ~ !l! u ~ ~ i ~ Members of the club Orchesis demonstrate their ability to perform while rehearsing for upcoming events. Their next performance is the faculty dance concert. The concert is March 3 and 4 and March 8 through the 11. The Music Educators National Conference Music club, Orchesis Modern Dance, Masque and the Art Guild are the clubs that are offered through the College of Visual and Performing Arts at SUU . Each club have their own characteristics and objectives. The MENC Music Club consists of 33 music majors and minors. Members of the club are performers and members of the MENC . This year the MENC Music Club has provided ushers for all musical performances at SUU . They have also donated cans of food to the Women's Crisis Center, and will host the upcoming music banquet. The MENC Music Club meets every other Friday at noon in the musfc building choir room . Trent Olsen, a junior music education major from West Jordon, Utah, said "the music club is a great way to get involved." Orchesis is the modern dance company at SUU. "It offers men and women the opportunity to express themselves through movement," said Timmette McKenna, a junior math major from Green Valley, Nev. Orchesis is advised by Kay Andersen, assistant professor of dance, and Shauna Mendini, assistant professor of dance and associate department chair. Currently, 40 members are actively involved in Orchesis. This year the members of Orchesis have devoted their time to many activities. They were part of the Homecoming Parade, they decorated a christmas tree last December for the Festival of T.rees and participated in the Sub-forSanta program. Along with Stage II , Orchests produced a student choreograi'hed concert, Life's Rhythms, fall semester. Orchesis members are currently rehearsing for the faculty dance concert, which will run March 3, 4, and March 8 through 11 . The members of Orchesis will travel to the University of Utah to attend the annual dance convention for the American College Dance Foundation from March 13 to the 18. The Masque club is a part of Stage II. The members of the club are theatre majors or minors: The Masque club meets on a monthly basis. Duririg the meeting, they discuss upcoming events and plan new activities. This year, Masque has provided concessions for the productions held in the Randall Jones Th~~tre. lt has also participated in the high school Shakespeare competition. This year Masque will host a "White Trash Oscar party" on May 26. The Masque club is open to anyone interested. "Everyone is welcome to participate in Masque activities,· said Amber Basile, a senior political science major from St. George. Art Guild is a club on campus that offers services to the surrounding area. The club members design and print T-shirts for clubs and organizations in the community. . . |