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Show AggieUte Monday, March 30', 2009 Competitor wraps up USU s Wasserman festival BY USU MEDIA RELATIONS Those attending the final offering at USU's Wassermann Festival in Logan will have a preview of the 2009 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition via the recital talents of Stephen Beus. Beus, the final performer at the Wassermann Festival on the USU campus, is one of the 30 competitors selected for the Van Cliburn competition, an event among the most respected competitions in the world. His Wassermann program reflects the repertoire he will perform at the Van Cliburn in Texas during its May-June 2009 schedule. At the Wassermann, Beus is featured in a solo recital Tuesday, April 7. at 7:30 p.m. in USU's Performance Hall. Tickets are available through the Caine School of the Arts Box Office. 797-8022, or online at http://csaboxoffice.usu.edu. Reserved seating is $15, and student tickets are $7.50. Dennis Hirst, director of the Wassermann Festival, said Beus is an "ironman" in performance. "He has effortless, virtuosic technique," Hirst said. "His recital program in Logan is quite diverse and presents a microcosm of Page 7 Big Air at Beaver keyboard masterpieces from the Baroque through the 20th century." Beus has earned a reputation as one of the most promising pianists of his generation. In a period of four months, he won first prize in the 2006 Gina Bachauer International Competition, first place in the Vendome Prize International Competition and was awarded the Max I. Allen Fellowship of the American Pianists Association. "Fanfare" magazine described Beus's competition style. "In some ways Beus doesn't fit the mold of the typical competition winner," the magazine said. "His playing is strikingly original and, despite his youth, he has an interpretive voice all his own.... Above all. his playing is so natural as to seem effortless and the sound he produces has extraordinary richness and depth, not quite like anyone else's." In Logan, the pianist's program opens with "English Suite in G Minor" by Bach, a work most likely conceived for harpsichord or organ, Hirst said. The composer only became familiar with a working model of the pianoforte in the later years of his life. For information on the festival, contact Hirst at 797-3257. A S N O W B O A R D E R PERFORMS in the Beaver Mountain Big Air Competition Saturday. The yearly event holds two jumps from which competitors perform. TYLER LARSON photo Food: Local pantry gives to needy [I continued from page 5 volunteers go. there is a or approximately 300,000 steady stream from an students are on a free or unlikely source in Cache reduced lunch program Valley - inmates from the with the public schools. local prison. Whitaker About 345,700 individusaid most days there is an als are at risk of skipping inmate that will come to a meal because they don't clean up, empty the trash have enough to eat. and do whatever other The Web site also task that needs to be done. reports nationally, more Local businesses in than 30 million people are Cache Valley offer what on food stamps, marking they can to the food panthe highest amount ever. try, donating everything The high unemployment from bread, meat and rates and rising food canned foods. The pancosts are to blame for the try also has several food increase in the number of drives throughout the year recipients. and other organizations Whitaker said anyone such as the Stuff-a-Bus can be affected by the sufprogram run by the Val fering economy and there R. Christensen Service is an increasingly diverse Center on campus. Some group of people using the of the local companies pantry. There are no racial that lend a hand are Lee's or economic boundaries Marketplace, Macy's, for the current financial Gossner Foods and crisis, he said. Smith's. "There's a growing need "We got so much food and everyone is facing it," from that Stuff-a-Bus proWhitaker said. "But there's gram." he said. "I don't never a shortage of volunknow what we would have teers." done without it." Whitaker said the Nevertheless. Cache ability to receive assisCount)' is doing much tance from the Cache better than other counCommunity Food Pantry ties, and when there are is assessed on an individusurpluses, the Cache al basis. County Food Pantry gives First, Whitaker said the the extra food to local applicant must be a citisenior citizens centers and zen. Their income is also a food banks in Box Elder factor. An individual with County. an income of less than "I go to the statewide $1,300 gross per month meetings, and other will qualify for assistance. directors tell me that Whitaker said some they have to turn people people come in as families, away because they just while some come alone. don't have enough food," Some have never been in Whitaker said. "I am just this situation and for othgrateful that I haven't had ers, it seems to be a cycle. that problem. But I could Everyone has their own be faced with it later. I just story. But they all have don't know." something in common: However, Utah is faring They all need a little bit of quite well in comparison assistance. to some other states in the The amount increases nation, said Jessica Pugh, depending on the number public relations director of people in the family and for the Utah Food Bank. each candidate must be While the increased need interviewed by Whitaker. for the food banks' serHowever, a large pervices is about average in centage of Cache County's Utah compared to other population are college stustates, the amount of food dents and they are not able that is being donated is to access the program. The also increasing. exception would be college "Even though we are students that are married getting more donations, and have kids, Whitaker the need is unprecedented said. and is easily and quickly There is a stereotype outpacing the amount of for those that would go food that we are receivto a food pantry when ing," Pugh said. they are down on their In the past year there luck, but there are plenty has been a 30 percent of people that break increase in the need for that mold. On any given the food bank and other Tuesday morning at the similar services, Pugh Cache Community Food said. Pantry there will be men, According to the Utah women, children, blacks, Food Bank's Web site, whites, Hispanics, Asians roughly 10 percent of and there is no pattern or Utahns live in poverty cast to be able to utilize and less than half take the pantry, Whittaker advantage of the prosaid. grams offered. About one While Tuesday is the in eight children live in main shopping day, the poverty and 40 percent, pantry is open five days a week and can always offer enough to make it to the next Tuesday, Whitaker said. "No one goes hungry," he said. There are only two employees at the Cache Community Food Bank. The two employees are in charge of running food drives, organizing other activities and helping other community centers, such as senior citizen's centers, Whitaker said. Whitaker said the Cache Community Food Pantry held a fundraiser Feb. 24 with local restaurants. For that day, a portion of the profits were donated to the pantry. Whitaker said the pantry also runs fundraisers through schools and other community outreach programs. "We're here to serve the community," he said. "It's just that simple." For more information on where and how to donate go to www.utahfoodbank.org. -st'th.hrackcn(a}MggU'mail. ttsu.edu FLYING T H R O U G H T H E AIR, a snowboarder performs at the Beaver Mountain Big Air Competition. Competitors were given points for height, difficulty and distance by a panel of judges. Between the qualifying jumps and the finals, a pond skimming contest was held and a cardboard sled competition. TYLER LARSON photo < ]L Center 'Diamond with Engagement 'Ring purchase i am on 45 iJ&rth 'Main Imjan, liTS4321 W $3440 435-753-4&7O (T&xt to 'Persian Tcacock) 7 3 7 y e Tocatcffb, W 83202 208-238-9700 (^Across from %)s$) |