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Show MONDAY, APRIL 25,2005 U TA 13 T A T E S M A N Take Note: Contact: The USU symphonic band will be having a concert at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Kent Concert Hall. Free for students. ! i • i l! Li 797-1769 features@statesman.usu.edu Anew ESL program has successful results for kids BY KATE RICHARDS Special lo the Utah Statesman Michael SUaxplmichaehharp@cc.usu.edu STUDENTS AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY dig holes and fill them in with newly-planted trees at Denzil Stewart Nature Park Saturday morning for an Earth Day activity sponsored by the Utah Conservation Corps and Tree Utah. The trees are all native species to Cache Valley. Earth Day attracts volunteers for planting trees in the park BY M O MORLEY Staff Writer Nichole Bryson has been working since November with a third grader who couldn't read when the school year started. Falling behind grade level in school is one of the problems English-as-a-second-language students confront. Bryson, an ESL teacher at Woodruff Elementary School, works with other teachers at the school to get children caught up. She worked with the third grader, her teacher and teachers in the resource program and said seeing her now succeed in the classroom has been one of her most rewarding experiences as an ESL teacher. "She's starting to read. She's understanding what she's reading and she's excited to read," Bryson said. Of close to 600 students at the elementary school, Bryson said about 65 are in the ESL program. The bulk of the students speak Spanish at home, though there are a few whose parents are from non-Spanish-speaking countries including: Tonga, Ethiopia, Cambodia and Vietnam. Bryson said most of the children were born in the United States. According to www.census.gov, 14.5 percent of Logan residents older than age 5 speak a language other than English at home. Nationally, 17 percent of the population speaks a primary language other than English. The number of ESL students in classrooms in Logan and across the country makes finding the best way to help those students a top priority for teachers. . * The weather showed blue skies and provided shade from a few clouds for the crowd of more than 100 tree planters. Last Saturday, the Denzil Stewart Nature Park, located in a secluded spot in southeast Logan, became the gathering spot for anyone interested in contributing to the environment for Earth Day. At 10 a.m. the event opened with signing waivers and a brief explanation of gardening tips. By 11, most had found their spot in the park, ready to work. Karen Rutel, a resident of Logan who learned of the event through newspaper, stood around a small shrub with her husband Marvin and father-in-law Al, and said, "They told me this is a cherry tree." She then explained that she was not too familiar in categorizing trees but when she heard about the event she wanted to make sure to be there. "I'm always looking for theses kinds of outings. I just like to do anything to make a difference in the environment" she said. The Rutels had never been to Denzil Stewart Nature Park before and described the scenery as beautiful and worth coming back to. Since March 21,1970, Earth Day - initiated in San Francisco - has been globally celebrated as an opportunity for people to give something back to the environment. In 1994, people in Logan gathered to do projects for Earth Day, but after a couple years, the event died off. Then, in 2002, the Utah Conservation Corporation decided it wanted to make an annual tradition of celebrating Earth Day. "This year, we wanted to give the community a chance to do a project that has meaning, to plant native shrubs back into Logan to preserve Logan's native feel," said Sean Damitz, program director of the UCC. Damitz also commented that this has been the best attendance they've seen since 2002, attracting just more than 100 volunteers. He said that every year the UCC will be certain to offer Cache Valley residents a chance to enjoy such a rewarding activity, making Earth Day a tradition in Logan. The UCC received help from several sources. Carrie Wyler, the volunteer coordinator of UCC, said Tree Utah was generous to donate the 75 trees and plants for the event - all native to Logan. The list of trees included snow cherry, alder-leaf, mountain mahogany, rubber rabbitbrush, Apache plum, mountain sage, fernbrush and west sand cherry. Wyler also said Caffe Ibis, The Old Griss Mill 1 ANCA )\CS STI )DV See Page 16 'Interpreter' keeps the suspense Movie Review: "The Interpreter" (PG-13) Grade: ATOP: ANDREE WALKER from USU's Water Quality Extension, helps children and adults collect and identify aquatic microinvertibrates like crane flies and mayflies . RIGHT: BRIAN WIEBLER OF TREE UTAH discusses the proper burial depth for planting trees during his demonstration. BELOW: VOLUNTEERS PILE mulch into a wheelbarrow tobe taken around to all of the trees planted at Denzil Stewart Nature Park located at 700 E. 100 South. Photos by Michael Sharp michaelsharp@cc. usu.edu EARTH DAY See Page 14 • i ^ Cagey T, Allen Nicole Kidman ("The Hours") and Sean Penn ("Mystic River") make a suitable pair in "The Interpreter" as they both combine dramatic realism, political ideals and even a bit of humor intc their relationship. They are the headliners in this shady government drama about a potential assassination set to take place inside the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. Kidman plays a mysterious interpreter working at the United Nations who just happens tc overhear a murder plot and Penn is a recently widowed Secret Service agent sent to investigate her. Intrigue quickly unfurls and wreaks havoc on all the characters as a plentiful list of suspects is created and altered. As the plot slowly thickens so does the cast ol characters. Mental acuity is a must for viewers ol this film because there are so many different people to keep track of. While the array of government leaders, Secret Service agents and foreign terrorists multiplies, the possibilities of plol direction do the same. This makes "The Interpreter" a fun and challenging maze of complexity which encourages the viewer to solve its many conspiracies. Directed by Academy Award winner Sydney Pollack ("Out of Africa"), 'The Interpreter" probably won't be considered his greatest masterpiece (since there were a few predictable scenes). But he creates a realistic story of political maneuvering and treachery and ne doesn'1 make it too convoluted for most people tc understand. However, the film was much more emotional and politically driven than expected. Most political dramas mix in a lot of intense action and violence to make the film seem more entertaining to younger audiences. "The Interpreter" does not do this. Although there are four particulai scenes where the violence is unflinchingly brutal, the emotional and relationship drama is what really dominates the film. Kidman achieves another stellar performance as a fragile loner who coyly conceals a surprising history. Penn is wonderful as a bottled-up m a n trvm S t 0 pick up the pieces of his shattered future. When both these characters meet, they have a most unusual devel- H CHILDREN AT THE TREE PLANTING created an Earth Day poster as part of the children's activities. llSITFRPRFTFR See Page 14 |