Campus life and making the decision to attend college can be a daunting one, but for most it is something that has been discussed with parents, grandparents and friends before ever finishing high school.

For a select few that is not the case.

For foster children who do not have the parental or family support, college may have never crossed their mind, or they simply never anticipated attending college let alone succeeding.

Frequently, the reality of the life of a foster child after care leads to unemployment, underemployment and homelessness. The possibility of a college education for a youth from foster care gives them the opportunity to change the cycle of abuse and poverty, the opportunity to succeed in life.

Anna Moreshead, a graduate student with the school of social work here at Boise State, is working with the Dean of Students, Chris Wuthrich, the school of social work, and community partners on a pilot program to assist former youth of foster care to be successful in college.

The pilot program will hopefully be called Guardian Scholars, and is the model which has been proposed to the university with the hope the university will support these efforts and it will be fully implemented. Due to the fact the program is still in its pilot stage, no advertising or outreach can occur just yet, but Moreshead is dedicated to assisting the former foster youth in any way she can at the time.

Wuthrich has supplied her with an office space where she currently spends 10 hours a week dedicated to piloting the program. She works another 20 hours a week with both Casey Family Programs and the Department of Health and Welfare.

When asked what Moreshead’s goals were for the program, she explained through services, the overall goal is to have and help more youth from care come and graduate from college.

She went on to say, “Whatever it takes to support students in their efforts of that is what I want to do”

The statistics for foster youth graduates are disheartening.

Nationally only 10 percent of foster youth enroll in post-secondary education after care and of that 10 percent, only three percent complete a degree. Each year in Idaho about 200 youth age out of care, which means about 30 will attend college and less than two will graduate.

The underlying hope and goals within the pilot program is to work toward changing these statistics here in Idaho by providing services and general support to students who desperately need it.

There are hundreds of programs like this around the nation. A few of the more prominent colleges are UC Riverside, which championed this idea, and did it so well now every university and community college in California has a program.

There is also Western Michigan’s program called the Seita Scholars, UW’s program called Champions and ISU just started a program this fall as well.

The services for the students can range anywhere from completely covering tuition and housing, to lower costs for housing and priority for not only housing but for registering for classes. Arguably, the most valuable aspect of this potential program is the support and listening ear of someone on campus who cares.

In an anonymous survey taken at Boise State regarding foster care, students said they were interested in basics.

They wanted to meet one another for peer support, and mentioned they would like support with from the program in the forms of academic support, career planning, financial aid support and mentoring.

“A consistent person to care that they had a test and ask them how it goes,” Moreshead said. “Things like that,” she goes on to say that, “the feedback that I have gotten is that it is very helpful to have someone that they know, that they can always come to and ask questions. A little more of a mentoring role, and a consistent person to care.”

“Spaces of otherness,” what exactly does this mean? How do you describe a space of
otherness?

This is exactly what Boise State Instructional and Performance Technology professor Don Winiecki was trying to answer and portray in his opening recption last Thursday night with his display of “Heterotropias, Institutional Structures and
Subjectivities.”

Entering the Jordan Ballroom in the Student Union Building was a different experience than when attending most opening reception for an art display.

There was no music or loud chatter in the
reception.

Every attendee was focused on observing the pieces of artwork, displayed not only on the walls but also dangling from the ceiling.

This added an immense amount of diversity to the room and was a portrayal of “spaces of otherness” Winiecki was reinventing through his work.

Winiecki’s work ranged from digital print on paper, gouache on paper, oil, graphite and ink on paper.

Many of his pieces’ titles aligned with the “spaces of otherness” theme throughout his collection.

For instance, his works of art, “Structure?” and “Dueling Ideologies” beg the concept of confusion and interpretation for
the viewer.

“Heterotropias” will be on display in the Student Union Gallery through June 4.

Over the course of the past year “Try it with Tabby” has become a staple in my life, something pushing me to go out each week and experience something new to bring back and share with you.  This week is my final “Try it with Tabby” of the year, and also a hand down to our incoming Arts and Entertainment Editor, Lance Moore, who will be writing a spin-off along similar lines as my column for next year. So for my last dance (figuratively) I took one last dance (literally) with Lance.  And so I introduce to you, the final “Try it with Tabby” of the school year. 

The Argentine Tango: a dance packed with grace, fluid movement, fire and passion. Well, in theory at least, by those who do it well.  For me, as it goes with most new things I try that include any type of coordination, it was more of an awkward expression of my two-left-footedness.  But fun nonetheless.

This week for “Try it with Tabby” I headed over to the REC with Lance for a beginner’s Argentine Tango. Moore, being a dual American and Argentinian citizen, outshone my Tango experience (none) tenfold. My first concern, as is usually when trying something new, was my choice of apparel. As students funneled into class in gym shoes and jeans, I second-guessed my flowing summer dress and pink, sparkly flats. However, aside from some moments of tripping over myself (which may not be attributable to the shoes) my outfit held up.

Learning the Argentine Tango, a beautiful, sensual dance, was a great way to wrap up my “Try it with Tabby” series. It challenged me in a way I set out to challenge myself at the beginning of this journey by throwing me face first into, and the something I was uncomfortable with and foreign to.

Partner switching was another element, which I have discovered with dance classes that can conjure up some discomfort. I am a person who has a rather large space bubble, and the Argenttine Tango forces you to pop those comfort zone bubbles and belly up to your partner, close your eyes, trust them to lead and let the movement of their body guide.

By the end of the hour-and-a-half long dance class at the REC, I was nearly addicted, and regretful about only now taking advantage of the lessons just steps away from my office.

About the Argentine Tango by Lance Moore

The Argentine Tango represents symmetry of two powerful forces, elegance and sensuality. From its Cuban and Spanish roots, to its hint of African rhythmic flair of its ancient past, the post 19^th century progression of the dance has evolved into a dynamic and suave symbol of art. No matter from what country a person originates, this symbol of raw but beautiful connectivity has resonated in the hearts of those around the world and will continue to do so for centuries to come.

The enigmatic intensity of human emotion is the ever present drive which essentially highlights the structure of the dance, as if it is the perfect combination of both control and chaos, where reason has no place.

From every smooth and calculating step, it tears down the unseemly dichotomy between masculinity and femininity by simply emphasizing the best of both worlds.

The strength and command a man governs paired with the raw beauty of a woman creates the art of the Argentine Tango. Without one another, the dance would not work, but together, in a word, what is created can only be described as magic.

Courtesy Tammera Mojica

A firefighter’s fire engine and a paramedic’s ambulance idle out front as the two men exit under the emerald awning with brown bag lunches
in hand.

The CWI Culinary Arts program is open for lunch at their deli-bakery or in the fine
dinning room.

The brown bag deli and bakery get more visitors than the dining room, mainly because they have ready-made items and it is great for those who are after a quick lunch or a delicious fresh made bakery item.

“The deli-bakery definitely gets more foot traffic because it’s easy to grab and go. Whether it is a cup of soup, a bottled soda, or already made sandwich,” Chef Kelly Steely, Program Chair for Culinary Arts of CWI said.

Although the public is welcome (no CWI student ID card required), many are unaware of this lunch venue. Patrons can enjoy a delicious lunch at a great price while supporting student learning.

Typically those who do venture over come from
nearby locations.

“We get some students in here and we get some faculty from BSU and typically they are from buildings across the street from us,” Steely said.
In the fine dining room the students are serving up entrées from a menu which incorporates a theme of chilies, chocolate or coffee. There are six different themes per academic year.

The students take pride and enjoy all the tasks of the culinary arts program.

“I had a hobby of baking and now I want to make a career out of it. It’s all wonderful,” Sean Hull, first year baking and pastry student said.
In the deli the bakery items are a big hit, especially on Fridays when they are buy one get one free.

“Regulars keep us in business and they even come wait outside before we open,” Chef Karen Myers said.

The CWI Culinary Arts program was once a Boise State program.

A few years back the local community voted to have a community college and that’s the basis of what formed CWI.

Selland College of Applied Technology was given to CWI and all it’s 2-year degree or technical programs became CWI programs.

Most programs have moved off campus, except the CWI Culinary Arts program remains on campus and many have wondered why.

The answer is quite simple.

“CWI has not found a new home for us yet,” Steely said.

The CWI Culinary Arts program strives to make their students into chefs who can use their skills and expertise in a high-end restaurant.

Each student has a chance to work from guest relations to working the food line.

“It is important for them to understand how to communicate between the front and back of the house,” Chef Steely said.

The intermediate students must do well with keeping in sync with the cooks.

“If people working the line say we are out of salmon and one of the servers is still trying to sell salmon to people, they are going to immediately feel that stress,” Steely said.

When it comes to the advanced students who are nearing their completion at the culinary arts, the instructors want them to have what
they need to be a chef in the real world.

“For students to think of how clean the flavors need to be on the plate and how elevated the plate presentation needs to be,” Steely said. “To give students as close to an experience as they would get if they were working at a place like Berryhill or the Reef, some place downtown with a fine dining experience.”

Courtesy Maliza Lang

After first seeing “A Place at the Table” in Washington DC amongst policy makers nationwide, Kathy Gardner, Director of the Idaho Hunger Relief Task Force (IHRTF), saw the importance of bringing this 84 minute documentary to the Treasure Valley.

“There were 200 pantries throughout the United States in 1980, but today there are 40,000… we can’t afford this,” Gardner said.

The Egyptian Theatre will hold the event which can accommodate over 700 people. Idahoans from all professions, age groups and backgrounds are encouraged to come see what the hype is truly about.

Gardner has been working non-stop since the organization was founded in 2006. She is passionate about the state becoming aware and educated on the subjects of hunger, nutrition and food security. Gardner is additionally addressing issues beyond food as she’s tackling policy projects like the low living wage in Idaho and the misconceptions of the food stamp program.

Because she sees the importance of action behind this awareness and education, Gardner has organized many activities following the showing. There will be a short Q-and-A session with a panel of three hand-picked professionals from the valley to further answer questions from the
audience.

In the lobby of The Egyptian, there will be 10 tables each representing a unique matter related to the issue.
Jennifer Aumeier, Nutrition Director for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Ada County, will head one table informing about ways to get involved. Aumeier is a Boise State graduate who began as an intern and has since worked for the Boys and Girls Clubs for almost for five years.

There are two Boys and Girls Clubs in the valley and between them over 300 nutritional dinners and snacks are served every night.

Even more impressive, the summer food program last year feed 54,000 kids in 54 days.

“We are always accepting volunteers to sit and eat with our students or to help the kitchen with preparation,” Aumeier said.

Aumeier noted this documentary helps get the conversation started.

“The issue is more economic than food,” Aumeier said.

Janie Burns will be at another table informing about the Tomato Independence Project. Here, seeds will be sold and those interested can learn about the importance of local food.

“We’re calling it, the ‘tyranny of the tasteless tomato’,” Gardner said.

Gardner is mindful that the event’s proceeds should go back toward the cause. The IHRTF and the other sponsors are putting the money towards the Fresh

Fund, an effort that matches food stamp dollars to be spent in local natural markets. Malnutrition begins with high calorie low cost foods. This is known as the obesity and food security connection which is trying to be reversed.

“Many [citizens] don’t understand how someone who’s overweight could be hungry,” Gardner said.

Heather Luff is a former teacher who is now involved with the Task Force. She’s a VISTA (member of the Volunteers in Service to America) to the organization.

Luff wanted to use her educational background in the nonprofit world. She understands many issues from a unique perspective as almost a quarter of Idaho’s youth live under the poverty line.

“Kids can’t learn if they aren’t fed properly,” Luff said. “A Place at the Table” a few months ago in preparation to helping organize and facilitate the screening.
“[after watching] I definitely felt like this was a message that other people needed to hear. It’s a fact of life and key message that there’s not a living wage…

This documentary touches a lot of topics,” Luff said.
Watch the trailer and get more information at: idahohunger.org or facebook.com/idahohunger

Every semester, Boise State’s Student Involvement and Leadership Center (SILC), in coordination with Wellness Services, supervise Stress Relievers, activities which are designed to relieve students’ tension about finals during Finals Week.

Erin Salisbury is the graduate assistant at Wellness Services and provides information about the relievers scheduled for the spring semester.

“Finals stress relief will feature many fun and stress relieving activities,” said Erin Salisbury, graduate assistant at Wellness Services. “There will be an aromatherapy station, laughter, puppies, stress resources and giveaways, and even a bounce house on Monday for students to play on.”

The puppies were well received by students last fall, so Salisbury said she expects them to be a big hit this finals week as well.

Erin VanDenburgh, campus programs coordinator from SILC, tries to keep in mind a variety of relievers the center can offer every semester, and mentioned there is “input from student groups like ASBSU and the Student Involvement and Leadership Center programming assistants” into deciding the relievers for the spring.

“We are definitely doing a lot more for this finals relief event than in previous years.  I think the biggest difference is teaming up with “Get Involved,” which provides many more resources and ideas to bring to the table,” Salisbury said.

When asked what her personal favorite stress relief activity is, Salisbury said,

“The bounce house. Our peer educators wanted to feature an activity that will be fun, interactive, and different.  They worked diligently to make bringing a bounce house to campus possible and I am excited to see it play out.  Plus, who doesn’t love a bounce house?”

In contrast, VanDenburgh said she “always enjoy(s) the Night Owl Breakfast on the Sunday night before Finals week. It’s a lot of fun to see staff and faculty support and interact with students by serving them breakfast in the BRC before their finals begin.”

But how effective are these relievers? Some of these activities may seem fun and all, but do they really decrease test-day jitters?

According to Salisbury, “The bounce house will be provided as a fun way to exercise before an exam.  Exercise increases endorphins to make people happy and acts as a distraction to forget any worries from daily life.  It also gets the blood flowing in the body and brain.  Lavender has been clinically tested and proven to reduce stress.  Laughter has also been proven to relieve the stress response and give you a good, relaxed feeling.  It also helps to stimulate muscle relaxation and circulation to help reduce many of the physical stress symptoms.”

For more information, visit getinvolved.boisestate.edu for the schedule or call the Student Involvement & Leadership Center at 426-4239.

The Danny Peterson Theatre was filled with laughter and awkwardness this weekend while the Theatre Majors Association (TMA) performed their spring showcase, “An Adult Evening of Shel Silverstein.”

The show consisted of ten shorts and six actors who took on a multitude of roles throughout the evening. It lasted for roughly two and a half hours and covered a variety of topics from laundromats to talking dogs.

For those familiar with Shel Silverstein, this show was definitely something different than his usual children’s books.

There was much mention about genitalia and the female form and even a whole short dedicated to a team of prostitutes trying to sell their bodies.

“It was definitely different than his children’s books,” said Nikelous Patterson. “There were lots of funny moments and quite a bit of vulgarity.”

The content of the play was not for those easily made uncomfortable, as a lot of it hinted at those risqué topics which people don’t tend to mention in public.

The first short depicted a couple coming to terms with the wife’s new problem of becoming a “bag lady.”

The next took a much different turn and had about 200 words to describe a woman’s breasts and about the same to describe male parts.

Another sought to teach a lesson about being taken advantage of in the short, “Wash and Dry.”

Others involved auctioning off a woman to be whatever the buyer wanted her to be, and a rather lengthy short using only the words “meat and
potatoes.”

The showcase ran from Thursday night through Saturday night with a fair amount of audience members in the seats. The laughter was scattered, with often a few lone chuckles at the more awkward, vulgar moments where some didn’t know if they should laugh or wait for a less offending moment.

The ten shorts did not reflect Shel Silverstein’s children’s books in the slightest, but definitely brought a whole new audience and reaction to his adult themed writing.

Tell us what you thought of the TMA performance at Arbiteronline.com.

This Thursday, May 2, the Modern Hotel opened up its rooms to artists and the public.

With Boise often being named one of the best places to live, one can expect the center of it all, downtown, to be open and inviting. But who would’ve thought that those connotations of being a local would mean that overcrowding in many hotel rooms with art and strangers would be such a draw—pardon the pun.

It is this quite intimate experience that not only screams hospitality, but inventiveness and connectivity.  While some of the artists displayed and sold their pieces, others invited people to get involved and participate in the creative
experience.

Mariana Gutierrez, a senior illustration and visual arts major with an emphasis drawing and painting, said, “I know a lot of the other rooms you know you walked in and just kind of check things out, but we really wanted people to do
something.”

Angela Henson, a junior interdisciplinary studio arts major, said, “Last year we made the BSU Drawing and Painting Club, and we wanted it to be more like an interactive community art club where we could be out in the community and get other people interested in art.”

Henson continued, “When we decided to do the Modern Show we wanted something that just got people in and drawing and feeling excited
about art.”

The Boise State Drawing and Painting Club provided blank cards, sheets of paper and drawing materials for onlookers to use with the option of keeping and saving.

The hotel room utilized by the Boise State Drawing and Painting Club was filled with many collaborators. People were working alongside each other to create images, but also noticing the images left behind by others. All the produced images created an onslaught of joint effort and progression, art in a
visual motion.

“It’s hard to be part of a community of art until you start getting people together,” Henson said.

Gutierrez shared the same belief and said, “That’s really the heart of this event, we really want people to know that we’re a club, we’re here that there’s going to be more events coming and to have a
good time.”

Another Boise State club, the Red Circle Press, had members showcasing their artwork at the Modern’s First Thursday.

Dan Beaudreau, a junior print making major, said “Red Circle Press is a Boise State printmaking club and we focus on student work and community advocacy for printmaking like we team up with local arts, galleries, events like the Modern to show our work and spread the word of printmaking.”

Printmaking invokes many different levels of media, habitually employing technology, to create highly detailed visuals. Yet with the evolution of this technology, many “originals” can be made, thus meeting with the high demand of production.

Beaudreau continued, “We’ve got a lot of students that can show work and have work so these are the events we like to do.”

Finals are quickly approaching, the sun is out, and the weather is unpredictable; spring has sprung, and what better way to ring in the end of the semester than with Spring Fling?

This year’s celebration will take place Saturday, May 4 at the Taco Bell Arena. The doors open at 6 p.m., with the show starting at 7. The headlining act will feature hip-hop singer and producer Mike Posner, who will be introduced by the Good Husbands and remix artist Aylen.

Posner is best known for his Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 single “Cooler Than Me,” and other radio singles including “Please Don’t Go” and “Bow Chicka Wow Wow”. Much to the chagrin of Beliebers who would like to believe that Justin Bieber writes all of his own love ballads, Posner is also known for writing and producing “Boyfriend,” which debuted at number two on the Billboard Top 100 charts.

Want some fun in the sun prior to the concert?

Check out the block party at 4 p.m. on the north side of the Taco Bell Arena. There will be games, prizes and activities. Music will be presented by Student Union Fine Arts and Student Union Performance Series.

Last Saturday, April 27, poet Maggie Nelson  visited campus and said it is hard to write happy poetry. Students said when they look back at the poetry they’ve read, much of it has been unhappy. Kayla Smith, sophomore English major with a writing emphasis, Seth Tolman, sophomore computer science major and Emilee Wagner, junior English literature major, said they agree with Nelson’s comment.

“When you’re happy, you don’t feel like you need to do anything,” Wagner said. “Poems where you have some type of emotion, there’s more like a release that happens and people don’t feel like they need that with happy poems.”

According to Smith, Tolman and Wagner, unhappy poetry is not necessarily all negative. All three agree it can be enjoyable to read. Wagner said she feels the happier poems she’s read were not as ‘successful’ as the unhappy or neutral poetry she has encountered.

“A lot of times they (the happy poems) can come across as cliché, and I think we have more symbols for happiness than we do for unhappiness,” Wagner said. “So a lot of times when you talk about happiness, there can be a place of stock images you use a lot more often.”

Smith and Tolman said they feel that as long as poetry embodies vivid emotion, it doesn’t matter to them whether the poem is a sad or happy one.

“I just like raw poetry that really exposes somebody’s insides, like whether it be happy or whether it be sad, when you see that inner person it’s just beautiful, always beautiful,” Tolman said.

“Oh I totally agree,” Smith said. “I don’t care if it’s happy or sad, it has to have, like Seth said, a raw (element). If it seems Hallmarky it’s hard to get into because it seems like they are hiding something, so it’s like ‘why am I reading this?’.”

Angsty poetry is a slightly different matter. Smith and Tolman said they remember writing angsty poetry back in their high school days to achieve that emotional ‘release.’

“I think it just depends on what you’re going through at the time,” Smith said. “Like when I was in high school I used to write poetry that was along the angsty, ‘nobody understands me’ (theme). When you get older you’re kind of more into the happier, funny type thing that might poke fun at life or people that take life too seriously type of thing. You enjoy it more.”

Smith and Tolman are not alone in this high school past time. They said high school students often use poetry as a means to express their feelings and search for identity.

“I just feel like that’s a common theme among young adults, especially because they like to express their emotions,” Tolman said. “They haven’t quite found themselves yet, so the poetry is one way to let out your inner feelings and a lot of inner feelings are (in) a lot of turmoil. That’s my experience.”

Student voices:

Is writing angsty poetry a guilty pleasure? Smith and Tolman said yes, and Wagner took the concept to a different level.

Smith: “Oh yeah. When I was in high school I had many many writing sessions and I would sometimes, if I thought they were good enough, let my mom and my sister read them.”

Tolman: “Yes, just because when you are around certain people then you put off this persona. (In poetry) you can say things that you wouldn’t necessarily say around other people and express it in a different manner than you would in person.”

Wagner: “I would consider writing poetry that’s very confessional a guilty pleasure, because I think poetry should be the interaction between the self, the universe and if you’re writing poetry about how that boy in your English class that’s really cute doesn’t like you then you’re not really interacting with anything universal.”