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Show Take Note: 4 Friday, Jan. 26,2007 For a look into the mind behind Dilbert, check out Scott Adams' daily blog at http://dilbertblog.typepad.com. 797-1769 diversions@statesman.usu.edu A bus-load of fun on the way to Nevada BY KATHRYN KEMP Staff Writer Every week as Friday night approaches, students begin searching for weekend plans. Of course there is a movie, a party or a drive up the canyon, but for something a little different, there's the Fun Bus. "It was so fun!" said Renee Frisby, a senior majoring in physical education, emphasizing the word 'fun'. So what is it? It's a cheap way to get to Wendover for a night. Sponsored by Utah Trailways and the Wendover Nugget Hotel and Casino, the Fun Bus takes Northern Utah residents to Wendover and back for a mere $15. That's cheap! But it gets even better. Once the bus pulls up to the casino, each passenger receives a Fun Book. The Fun Book contains coupons that can be redeemed for $7 cash back, a Lucky Buck to be used at the table games, a free drink from one of the bars, a free Starbucks Coffee drink, 10 percent off at the gift shop and, the most popular coupon, a free all-you-can eat buffet. "So, you kind of make money doing the trip," said Benji King, a senior majoring in exercise science, who did the trip a couple of years ago with several friends. King and Frisby, who went with the same group of about 20 friends two years ago, said at the time, the trip only cost $10 and they still got $7 cash back. Neither of them gambled, so they didn't spend any additional money. "By the end of night it really only cost us $3," Frisby said. But even with the price being increased to $15, the trip is well worth it, said Chris Cole, a junior majoring in entrepreneurship, who took the bus with a few friends just three weeks ago. "I think it was just a good time to hang out with your buddies," he said. Starting in Ogden, the bus picks up passengers at various ^^^^^^^^m^^^mm^m^m^^^ stops along the way. The Riverdale Park-n-Ride Comments to remember was the pick "Watching people lose their up point Frisby, King money—that's pretty funny," and Cole's Renee Frisby, senior groups used because it's physical education near the freeway. At 5 p.m. (give or a take a few minutes depending on where you get picked up from) the bus arrives, the passengers pay and they all load up under the direction of a friendly elderly couple whose primary purpose is to give their guests a good time. They even served small soft drinks to the passengers. "It's kind oflike being on an airplane," Cole said. The best of part of the bus ride, some say, is the Bingo games. Anyone who wanted to participate can join in the fun and win cash prizes. King said he actually did win a little bit of money. "You know they're trying to get you prepped to gamble," Cole said. The bus arrives in Wendover at 8 p.m. and the passengers have until 2 a.m. to do whatever they want—eat, drink, hang around town and gamble—before the bus leaves again. Even with the bus attendants' attempts at persuasion through Bingo, many people in the groups chose not to gamble. If you're not gambling, that leaves a lot of down time, but participants said there are plenty of other things to do. After taking their time at the buffet, Cole and his three friends walked to the small movie theater in town and watched "Deja Vu." "We were the only ones there, so they turned it on specifically for us," he said. When they walked back to the casino, they played pool and listened to the late night musicians until the bus came. Speak Up • Beaver Mountain offers USU students a close and convenient place to enjoy the slopes BY DALLIN KEOCHER Senior Writer Beaver Mountain Ski Resort is the closest place for Aggies to hit the slopes to get their dose of the winter powder. Only 30 minutes up Logan Canyon, Beaver offers the ski enthusiast a break from the school work without taking too much time from a busy schedule. According to Caitlin Laughlin, an employee at Beaver, the resort is the longest family-owned resort in Utah. According to the Beaver Mountain Web site, Harold and Luella Seeholzer dreamed about owning their own ski resort, and they opened a 1,000-foot towrope in 1949 to the general public. The site said the resort, now with three lifts taking skiers to the top of the a week. He said he enjoys going despite the resort's small size. "For being a smaller resort, it covers a lot of terrain," Carter said. Lyons said after a good storm, the powder is pretty decent. Ryan Werner, a senior majoring in psychology, said he has been coming to Beaver for three years and said, "The snow isn't the greatest, but it's close and cheap." Laughlin, a soon-to-be freshman at USU who works in ski rentals, said she loves Beaver, as she has been skiing there since she was three. She said the resort hasn't had the greatest snow this year but enough for the whole mountain to be skied. • BEAVER MOUNTAIN see page 6 Photos by Tyler Lanon/tmlanon@cLusu.edu TOP: A LIFT WATTS TO TAKE skiers and snowboarders up the slope at Beaver Mountain, located in togan Canyon. ABOVE: DERRIK LYONS ENJOYS the less crowded hill as he carves his way down the mountain. 'Scope' offers an in-depth look at the dehumanization of war ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ H ^ ^ H as he struggles with these issues The Fusion Theatre Project's original producTom Liliearen h i m s e l [- 7 ^ .pressures of war iom LHjegrer are tion of "Scope" play might -* —' a r c only rtnh heightened by his job as a sniper, which requires him feature lots of rock 'n' roll to kill without direct provocawhich, according to Neil tion. Young, is revolutionary music. The sniper says he kills by The play, opening today imagining his targets as the at the Caine Lyric Theatre, same aluminum cans he would is consistently provocause for target practice as a teen"Scope" tive, thought-provoking m^^^^^^— ager. However, he is repulsed and maybe even a little by the idea of "finishing the revolutionary in how it examines war on the kill" on his 29th target by killing her at close individual level. range. The idea of viewing his enemy's human"Scope" is the story of two army soldiers, ity, "looking them in the eye" as his spotter a sniper and his spotter (the man who sets up warns, leads him to question what an "enemy" the sniper's shot). The sniper (Brandon Sean really is. Pearson) begins to question the morality of "Scope" has been a work in progress for his job, which leads to conflict with his spot- two years now. USU theatre professor Shawn ter (Chris Thames), a trigger-happy Southerner Fisher wrote the play with Jeremy Gordon, a who never wavers on his commitment to their graduate student at USU. task. However, Fisher said it was an "open proThe two are the most effective sniper duo cess" that invited comments and revision from in the field, notching 28 consecutive kills on the cast. intended targets. However, the woman who "Everyone has complete ownership of the became their 29th target doesn't die. Instead, show," he said. she is severely wounded and waits in the Army Fisher said hospital to die. While she lays there, the sniper he has two begins to question if she was indeed an enemy. hopes for His concerns are exacerbated when the miliaudiences of tary begins to investigate the shooting. Chris Martin, acting coordinator and actor in "Scope," said the play talks about two types of dehumanization: that of one's self which happens in war and that of the enemy which, is a necessary part of justifying killing. The audience can examine the process of dehumanization through theeyes of the sniper t BUS-O-FUN see page 5 mountain, is owned by Seeholzer's son Ted and his wife Marge, along with their children. Many students who go to Beaver said it's one of the smaller resorts they have been to but like it because it's close and not as crowded as other resorts. Derrick Lyons, ajunior in exercise science, said he tries to hit the slopes at least once a week. He said he has been going to Beaver to ski for almost five years because of the less crowded slopes. Lyons and his buddy Ben Carter, a senior in marketing, arranged their school schedules so they only have classes Tbesdays and Thursdays, leaving more time to ski. Carter, who has been skiing Beaver for about four years, said he tries to get up there three times Jamie Crane/jamiecran> Theater Review the play: first that they be entertained and emotionally affected by the play, and second that they have one slightly different thought about war and what the United States does in' the world. ; The dynamic between the sniper and spot-; ter, including the juxtaposition of people from: their past with the isolation and forced depen-i dence of their current lives, helps the play remain entertaining and emotionally interesting throughout. Also, there is a surprising amount o f dark humor throughout the play. The play's immediate relevance to the current situation in Iraq helps to make the play thought-provoking. However, although the, play is about Iraq, the writers and producers said the play is meant to start discussion rather; than take any particular position on the con^| flict. i Martin said by working with people of different political views in the production process, they realized the "gray area" of the conflict was most interesting. They said they invite the audience to join them in that area in: their on-staee introduction to the play. " ] Ultimately, the play is the exploration of this: • SCOPE see page 7 |