Peace Coalition leads gathering
Jessica Lovelace | Staff Reporter

A Vietnam martyr’s nephew sat in the bed of his pickup with a quickly composed sign, opposite the Peace Action Coalition (PAC) silent demonstration held last Saturday at the old Grandy’s on Kemp. The sign read, “Support Our Troops.” Greg Lidecker chose to hold his sign without making vulgar remarks to express his view of war, unlike some passerbys who chose other forms of freedom expressions such as, “Fuck you” and did not “Honk for Peace,” as one of the PAC signs read. The PAC demonstrators with their coffee in one hand, and their posters in the other rallied against the possible war against Iraq. “As we sat at the Vietnam travelling wall and heard the reading of of the names of the people who got killed, I decided to be against the possibility of war,” said Dick Kulka, who survived a brother-in-law who died in Vietnam. “During the Vietnam War the president and his entire henchman were lying to the American people about the cause for us going to war. I do not want to have to see another travelling wall based on what President Bush wants us to do.” “We are all here to support alternatives to going to war in Iraq,” MSU English professor Sue Henson said. “Those alternatives include more effective negotiations for peace, allowing the U.N. to do its job in carrying out the inspections. It is hard for me to imagine that we are the only ones in the world that are right and everybody else is wrong. If we say that, then we are not putting any faith or credibility whatsoever in the U.N. War is always an option, but to rush into a war like this, seems to be the worst option.” A single passerby stopped his car in opposition to the protest. Paulie Botkin, a disabled veteran, formerly a member of the Six Man Interrogation Team, could not agree with the views of the PAC. He said there is always intelligence that the president has that the American public is not aware of, but that is for the sole purpose of protecting the American public.” Retired school teacher Althea Milton disagreed. “Somebody has to have a better idea than shooting everybody,” she said. “The mission of the peace coalition is against any pre-emptive war of a self-entity,” PAC spokesperson Joy Parsons said. “One can only hope that decision makers are taking note of the opposition that is everywhere evident. “The nation as a whole has been vulnerable because we have not had clear indications as to a reasonable rationale for pre-emptive strike against Iraq. When there is a lack of information, there is a tendency to fill in the blanks with supposition.” PAC will continue to be held on Tuesdays at 6 p.m. at the Catholic Student Center. On Feb. 25, a founder of Sept. 11 Peaceful Tomorrows, will be speaking about the events and reactions of his personal experience and other families who lost loved ones in the terrorist activities.

 

It’s a dog’s world in MSU theater’s production ‘Sylvia’
Jason Palmer | Staff Reporter

Jason Palmer | The Wichitan

Kate (Carrie Sullivan) is attempting to retrieve her shoe from Sylvia (Emily Arnold).

It has been said there is nothing in this world quite like the unconditional love of a dog. For years, people have wondered exactly why dogs act the way that they do and what the heck are they thinking. “Sylvia,” the latest MSU Theatre production, attempts to answer that question. Sylvia is a talking dog, played by Emily Arnold. Sylvia’s dialogue is more of a narrative from within her mind rather than an actual talking dog. The other cast members interact with the part lab, part poodle and mostly mutt. The loveable and brash dog is the highlight of the show. She infuses all of the mannerisms that pet owners take for granted, while simultaneously shedding so much light on the mind of the dog. She gives Sylvia the human maturity of a young girl growing into a teenager and on to adulthood. Greg, portrayed by Jeremy Lindsley, is a middle-aged man who has hit his “male menopausal moment.” He is looking to feel more connected to living. Greg is typically out of place in New York City. Unhappy at his job, and longing for a better connection with life, his exuberance when conversing with his dog is obvious. His problem is that he can’t be happy without Kate loving his dog as much as he does. With his children grown and out of the house, he uses Sylvia to fill in the subservient role of a girl. He is lost in his midlife crisis, while all of the women in his life are moving forward. His wife Kate, played by Carrie Sullivan, is dealing with her mid-life doldrums by substituting Shakespeare for her children, long gone to college. The aging suburban wife is trying desperately to fit into a “city life.” While in Central Park, he stumbles upon Sylvia, or vice-versa, and a million years of evolutional digression take place as Greg builds his bond with his dog, as his marriage crumbles with Kate. As Greg’s relationship with Sylvia develops, the lines between canine and female companion blur. Kate is past her “dog years” and is not particularly enamored with Greg’s new pet. A fellow dog owner, Tom, played by Timothy Doyle, has already found the answers to Greg’s problem at home. Giving a dog a woman’s name could spell trouble. He advises Greg to remember that it is just a dog. Just a dog. Throughout this production, the audience will have to constantly remind themselves that Sylvia is still just a stray dog that found a home. Greg’s personification of Sylvia that is given to Sylvia makes it difficult to distinguish the difference. The audience is given a glimpse of Sylvia’s experiences of the joys of sex, unconditional love, hatred and a multitude of other emotions that dog owners do not normally associate with their loved pets. Kate cannot see the depth of the dog. Cold-hearted about losing her grip on her marriage, she decides that the dog must go. She is determined to reclaim her husband as her own. When Kate poses the ultimate question of loyalty to Greg regarding their future or his future with Sylvia, there is no clear-cut winner and no easy decision. The interaction between Kate, Greg and Sylvia is tense at times, right up to the final scenes of play. “Sylvia” opens tonight at 7:30 p.m. in the Bea Wood Studio Theatre and runs Thursday through Saturday at 7:30. There will be a matinee performance on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. The audience should be advised that the production contains mature language. Tickets are available at the Fain Fine Theatre Box Office or by calling 397-4393. Tickets are free with an MSU ID, $7 for adults or $6 for military, non-MSU students and senior citizens. Tickets are $5 for groups of 10 or more.