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Chicana author shares her memoir

February 19th, 2013 | Add a Comment

Chicana postmodernist writer and UMKC professor, Dr. Norma Cantú of the English and Latina and Latino Studies Programs, read selections from her fictionalized memoir “Canícula: Imágenes de una niñez fronteriza” last Tuesday. The book won the 1995 Premio Aztlán, a national award for emerging Chicano and Chicana writers. She moved to Kansas  City in January after teaching at the University of Texas at San Antonio for 12 years. Cantú read selections such as “A Border Story” and “Making Do.” “A Border Story” is about her childhood in Laredo, TX during the 1940s and 50s. It tells of the hottest days in summer when cotton is harvested. “Making Do” is about a beauty shop in Laredo where women tell their stories to the hairdresser named Diamond. “It is about a culture, a culture that clashes … Read entire article »

Filed under: Arts & Entertainment

UMKC’s writer in residence publishes book about Troost Wall

February 19th, 2013 | Add a Comment

Whitney Terrell has spent many years bringing the issue of Kansas City’s sluggish rate of ethnic integration to the public’s attention, and is no stranger to the history behind the racially restricted covenants that perpetuate local segregation. Terrell,  Distinguished Writer-in-Residence at UMKC’s English Department,  knows the history of the Troost Wall is a long story, but that hasn’t stopped him from telling it in his book, “The King of Kings County.” He was initially introduced to hints of racial restriction through his aunt’s deed, which likely included verbiage such as, “No property in said addition shall at any time be sold, conveyed, rented or leased in whole or in part to any person or persons not of the White or Caucasian race.” Terrell was then inspired to write his book, which has since … Read entire article »

Filed under: News

food critic’s corner: Chez Elle Creperie is a delightful Parisian experience

February 19th, 2013 | Add a Comment

Despite living in the center of the Midwest, I am always surprised to see the great diversity of cuisine in Kansas City. Although Kansas City is known for its distinctive take on barbecue, the city is full of restaurants that highlight a wide range of tastes and cultures. One of my favorite little eateries I discovered is Chez Elle Creperie and Coffeehouse. Located in the city’s Westside at 1713 Summit St., Chez Elle is one of my go-to places to meet up with friends or to enjoy a tantalizing treat during the day. Walking down the street you cannot help but notice the elegant edifice that houses the restaurant. Its iron railings, signature black awnings and vibrant flower beds mentally transport visitors to the French Quarter in New Orleans or a quaint … Read entire article »

Filed under: Arts & Entertainment

General education requirements set to change in Fall 2013

February 19th, 2013 | Add a Comment

Throughout the past four years, UMKC faculty members have worked towards revising  general education requirements. The new gen ed model will apply to all future undergraduate students. Previous general education requirements varied between schools. The new requirements will be implemented for incoming freshmen in fall  2013 and incoming undergraduate transfer students in fall  2014. They will not affect current students or graduate students. One of the goals was to move from a course-based model to an outcome-based model, explained Dr. Jerry Wyckoff, chair of the General Education Oversight Committee. “We now have specific outcomes that we’re trying to measure for students, known as assessment,” Wyckoff said. “We’re trying to assess how well the University is doing in having students learn based against specific outcomes and objectives .” Students will be required to take three … Read entire article »

Filed under: News

Experimental opera at KCAI offers odd excitement

February 19th, 2013 | Add a Comment

It’s easy to think of opera as some relic of a by-gone era, festooned with silken gowns and set in cavernous, gold-leafed theaters. But at its heart, opera is very much a timeless performance. On Tuesday, Feb. 12, the Kansas City Art Institute hosted the “Art Sounds Collaboration,” a performance of two short modern chamber operas, “Pondery” and “Numera.” “Pondery,” created by Nihan Yesil, was a quandary of an opera. It opened with a projection of the moon displayed on a large sheet that filled the entire stage space.  In front of it laid a sleeping girl coated in soft blue light. A brief and keenly operatic dialogue between the girl, Lily and her mother followed.  Once Lily returned to slumber, the house lights dimmed and Lily began to dream. The performance … Read entire article »

Filed under: Arts & Entertainment

Dancing sculpture by UMKC graduate towers on campus

February 19th, 2013 | Add a Comment

UMKC has a long history of the arts, and with that history are many art mementos scattered across campus. One of the most identifiable  pieces of art on the Volker Campus is the “Dancing” sculpture near the James C. Olson Performing Arts Center.. This imposing yellow steel structure towers high at 26 feet, facing the PAC, in a sense mimicking the graceful choreography that dancers exhibit within the Center. It is located in its own little oval of grass, surrounded on three sides by the Student Success Center, Swinney Recreation Center and Stanley H. Durwood Soccer Stadium. “Dancing” was originally designed  and installed in an atrium in the now-  demolished Bannister Mall that was in South Kansas City. The artist, Rita Blitt, saved the sculpture after the mall was demolished. After Blitt discussed … Read entire article »

Filed under: Arts & Entertainment

album review: “Babel” wins big at 55th Annual Grammys

February 19th, 2013 | Add a Comment

When Mumford & Sons’ newest album “Babel” was released last September, it was quickly evident that it was destined for greatness.  On Feb. 10, it achieved this by winning “Album of the Year” at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards. Mumford & Sons hail from West London and broke into the British folk-rock music scene in 2007.  In 2010, they released their first album, “Sigh No More,” in England and Ireland and released it in the U.S. the following year. “Sigh No More” brought worldwide attention to the alternative folk rock band and two Grammy nominations that year for “Best New Artist” and “Best Rock Song.” But Mumford & Sons failed to win either category. Now with “Babel,” they have won one of the biggest musical awards possible: “Album of the Year.” “Babel” opens with … Read entire article »

Filed under: Arts & Entertainment

Galactic and Boombox bring a groovy good time to Lawrence

February 19th, 2013 | Add a Comment

Last Friday night, Lawrence got down and boogied at the Galactic and Boombox concert. A diverse crowd from college-aged to perhaps people even your grandparents’ age came to Lawrence’s finest historic venue, Liberty Hall, in downtown Lawrence on 6th and Massachusetts Streets. Upon arrival, just before Boombox began, the crowd size didn’t look too promising.  The snow and harsh Kansas winds must have kept people at home. With excitement, I walked up close and center towards the stage moments before the duo started. Near the end of Boombox’s set, I turned around, and a large crowd was thriving. Boombox warmed up the audience’s boogie shoes for Galactic. Galactic, a funk band from New Orleans, excited the audience for the full-house show. The large band consisting of five members jammed together with a variety … Read entire article »

Filed under: Arts & Entertainment

UMKC Conservatory returns with a second lunchtime concert

February 19th, 2013 | Add a Comment

The second edition of the UMKC Conservatory’s “Bach’s Lunch” featured a performance of J.S. Bach’s church cantata, “Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland,” BWV 61. (“Now come, Savior of the Heavens”) last Friday in the Grant Recital Hall. The cantata began with a distinct and chilling combination of eight choir members singing as the string ensemble filled the auditorium with a powerful, flowing wall of sound. The choir sounded almost ghostly as its voices slowly rose above the music in alternating chords. The next combination of six instruments and nine singers created a more powerful sound, making the set seem greater than one would initially expect. They both worked together beautifully. The string ensemble never overshadowed the choir like brass or woodwind instruments would. The catalyst for this duo was the harpsichord, which created … Read entire article »

Filed under: Arts & Entertainment

concert review: Twenty One Pilots brings original sound to the Bottleneck

February 19th, 2013 | Add a Comment

Twenty One Pilots, a band from Columbus, Ohio, played an exciting show at the Bottleneck in Lawrence on Valentine’s Day, showcasing songs from its new album, “Vessel.” It is hard to classify Twenty One Pilot’s music, which the band calls “Schizoid Pop.” Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun mixed their pop melodies and electronic beats with uplifting lyrics for the approximately 80 fans in attendance who sang along and got crazy with the band.  Tickets were only $13. The opening band from Copenhagen, Denmark, “New Politics,” played for about 40 minutes, starting at 8:30 p.m. It was almost 9:30 p.m. when Twenty One Pilots walked onstage wearing skeleton hoodies, which caught everyone’s attention, and opened with “Ode to Sleep .” The scasual atmosphere made it easier for Joseph (piano and vocals) to interact with the crowd … Read entire article »

Filed under: Arts & Entertainment

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