G

estalt

For relationships that are more than just dates

Go to

The Stage
for upcoming
concerts & events

See The

Family Outing?

Outdoors
for ideas!

How should you develop your

most important

relationships?
See pg. 4!

Contents
The Importance of Creative Dates in
Developing Relationships
page 4

The Visual Experience

For places to go and people to see

page 24

page 18
A Concert in Your Grandpas Basement
Dancing Beauties
A Night at the Opera

The Legacy Flight Museum

The Spori Art Gallery
Give Your Date a Diamondor a Nanotyrannus
The Rexburg Flood Museum

The Tactile Experience

For things to do

The Studio
page 36
Chinese Paint Bomb Art
Salsa Dancing

The Kitchen
page 40
Blisters: A Unique Place to Eat
At
Homemade Sushi
Egg Sandwich Perfection

The Outdoors
page 46
Climbing R Mountain
Rock Climbing
Little Green Canyon
Hotter Than Lava
Yellowstone Bear World

Are you ready for

your adventure?

estalt

A Magazine of Mountain Publishing

April 2015 Volume 1Number 1

Editorial Board

Beth Polson

Paige Davis

Editor
Production Manager

Editor in Chief
Design Manager

Lindsay Jillson
Editor
Managing Art Director

Chloe Sanders
Editor
Human Resources

Cover Art: Microphone On Empty Stage by Randymsantaana

The Impor tance of

Creative Dates in

Developing
T

hey say that what

matters most in life
are your relationships with the people you love. We spend
our entire lives developing our relationships with
different people: first our
parents and siblings and
then to the more complex school friends, social
groups, boyfriends or girlfriends, and then our
spouses and children.
What is it that makes relationships work? How do
we nurture the most sig-

nificant relationships in
our livesthose with our
spouse and children?
This magazine explores
a wide variety of places
to go and things to do
with those people whose
relationships are the most
important. While there is
so much available within
the Eastern Idaho regions,
some activities are better
than others depending
on the type and stage of
the relationship you are
developing. Here are
some ways to develop

your most significant relationships.

K-I-S-S-I-N-G

irst dates can either

be really good or they
can be really terrible.
Things can go from bad
to worse. On the other
hand, a good first date
can set the stage for potential marriage prospects. Something that
plagues the minds of all
daters is: what is the formula for a successful first

http://www.shinyshiny.tv/2014/06/match-com-can-get

date?
You want to be creative! Keep things interestingmake a good impression. A simple formula
for a good first date
could be outlined as follows: get to know your
partner by engaging in
personalbut lightweightconversation, do

nice car, or having good

manners. One of the
most popular tactics (and
scientifically proven to be
effective) is the presence
of flowers on a first date
or social encounter. In a
2012 edition of The Journal of Social Psychology,
Professor Guguen did a
study of the effects of
flowers in social situations
with the fol-

that most women were

willing to accept a date
solicitation from a complete stranger simply because she was near flowers. She perceived the
man as more attractive
and appealing. Men: it is
safe to say that bringing
flowers on a first date is
most likely going to turn
the
tables in

Relationships
lowing results:

a bonding activity that

will bring you and your
date closer together, review with your date how
the activity went, and if
they are showing more
potential interest, try and
schedule a follow up
date. Here are a couple
different specific dating
techniques that have
been shown to positively
influence a first date.

Bring Flowers
Many have argued for
a variety of tactics that
might impress a dating
partnerbe it perfume, a

[W]omen who were

exposed to flowers while
they watched a video of
a man perceived the
man to be more attractive and sexier. They also
reported being more inclined to accept a date
from him. In a second experiment it was found
that women who were
exposed to flowers responded more favorably
to an explicit dating solicitation from a male confederate in a subsequent
interaction (530).
This research showed

your direction.

Good Conversation
One of the more widely
discussed dating tactics is
the art of the conversation. What is appropriate
to ask? Should I mention
any of my exes? How
much information do I
give about myself? These
are all valid questions.
Walking the line of what
is a good conversation
topic can be a tricky
one. According to one
article in The Huffington
5

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/

in the news, or what you

like to do outside of work.
If you talk about your
hobbies, you can maybe
teach your date something new, you two might
have something in common that could be used
as an activity for a second date, etc.
Hobbies show
that you are
multifaceted
and like to get
out and do
things. Travel is
always a fun
subject to talk
about with
someone new. You can
bond over similar places
visited, get into discussions about different cul-

Hobbies show that you are

multifaceted and like to

get out and do things.

The same article gave

the following topics to
talk about instead: hobbies, travel, family, whats
6

Personal Activity
So at this point, you
have gotten to know your
dating companion a little
more personally. Now it is
time to do something fun,
creative, and engaging
that will bring you two
closer together as a potential future couple. Our
next successful dating
tactic is a personal activity. It should be a fun form
of entertainment that you
both enjoy, allowing you
to spend personal time
together getting to know
each other better.
David Gussak, professor
and chairperson at the
Florida State University
Department of Art Education, recommends the
following:
...to be creative and
engaging, I would recommend going to one of
those 'make your own
pots' ceramic studios for

Alexis C. Herrick, http://serendipityandcreativity.com

Post entitled First Date

Tips: What to Talk About
and What Topics Are Taboo, the following topics
were listed as taboo: politics, old relationships, sex,
and how much you hate
your job. So if you want to
impress your date, try to
stay away
from these
topics.
They tend
to be controversial
or a little
too personal for a
first date.

tures, and get a sense of

how your dating partner
handles the world outside
of their bubble
something that can be
informational, should
things progress between
the two of you.

a first date, or programs

like Painting with a Twist,
in which it has less to do
with making good art,
and more to do with socializing while creating.
This also helps lower inhibitions in that the two
people would be engaged in an activity in
which they can focus on,
freeing them up to be
more likely to talk to one
another with less social
awkward-

ness (Psychology Today).

Gussak argues that a
first date should be creative and engaging. He
says that having an open
create-your-own-art date

will make you and your

partner less nervous, giving you something to focus on instead of your
nerves. Seeing each others creativity and being
able to just laugh and
have a good time is very
important.

Alice Boyes, a clinical

psychologist, says that
being active on your
date can lead to success
in a relationship:

According to research,
vitality is one of the key
qualities most people
look for in a mate. Active
first dates can work for
expressing your vitality...

Since people are unlikely

to want to get sweaty on
a first date, I mean something not so strenuous
you'd end up sweaty and
disheveled (Psychology
Today). There are many
options out there. All it
takes is some creativity
and a little planning, and
your first date should be
successful.

Saying Goodnight
You and your dating

partner had some good

conversation getting to
know each other; you
had fun doing some sort
of activity you both enjoyed. What is next? You
7

work in your favor.

Try something that

is new to both of
you

First Comes
Love

discomfort throughout
that becomes more volatile with time. New, serious problems start to arise
that you both have to
work through to find compromise. Communication
starts to dwindle as well.
Sometimes, you may feel
as if there is nothing left
to say. This isnt true! Now
is the time to create new
memories with each other and learn more about
each other as well as
yourselves.

hile it may seem

that the hard work
is over with the first
date, things have
only begun. Longterm dating has all
of the hardship of
a newly married
couple without an
overhanging security of wedded
bliss. Depending
on how long you
decide to date
before potentially
tying the knot,
there is a strange
balance of comfort and

The writers at PsychAlive make a fantastic

point by saying, We
have to share
time and activities to
keep [love]
thriving ("Six
Tips to Keep
Long-Term
Relationships
Exciting"). This
means
branching
outside of the
usual dinnerand-movie date nights.

Now is the time to create new memories

with each other and

learn more about

each other as well as
yourselves.

Wedding Photo Example by footloosiety.

http://www.toddolthoff.com/

say goodnight to
your date.
Be honest
on how you
really think
the date
went. If it
didnt turn
out as well
as you
wanted,
dont
schedule
another date out of pity.
If, on the other hand,
things did go well, make
sure you tell your date
how you feel. A little positivity can go a long way.
Another thing to keep in
mind is make sure you
pay attention to your
dates body language
and verbal cues; this is a
good way for you to
gauge how he or she felt
about you. Last but not
least, keep things casual.
If your date feels comfortable and happy around
you, they will be more
willing to accept a second offer to get together
with you. Remember to
make it fun and to be
yourself. If you follow
these simple dating tactics, things are sure to

You dont have to go to

extremes to achieve this.
Start out small. For example, try a new cuisine or a
new genre of film. Play a
board game that asks
ridiculous questions and
revel in the hilarity that
ensues. Learn things
about each other that
you wouldnt have even
imagined previously. Just
going one step outside of
whatever your normal is
helps the love thrive between you two. Maybe
eventually you both can
work up to the ridiculously
outlandish activities.

There comes a time

when we just get sick of

being around one person

for a prolonged period of
time, and that is absolutely fine. Being in a serious relationship tends to
create repetitive ruts.
These ruts
can make
you feel like
the relationship is dwindling in regards to feelings of love.
This is all a part of the dating experience. Becoming inventive with your
dates will help enliven dying feelings of excitement
between both of you. As
the writers at PsychAlive
state, Love doesnt exist

in a vacuum. This means

that repeating the same
dates and stifling growth
between the two of you
kills the love in the relationship. Think of
new dating experiences as a form of
growth for both of
you. It removes the
suffocating possibility of a dating pattern.

Love doesnt exist in

a vacuum.

Get creative with

communication
Dont forget, youre still
courting. During this time,
making your feelings
known is ridiculously important. Intimate and
thought-out dates are still

necessary to present feelings to your partner. Depending on where you

are at in the relationship,
this could mean a well
portrayed I love you or
something a little less
strong. Wherever you two
are in the relationship,
you cant rely on the
idea that they already
know how you feel. Dont
leave them hanging on
the precipice of insecurity. Tell them how you feel
however often you feel
inclined. Dates are a
wonderful way to show
you care. Nothing speaks
10

louder than actions. Use

your knowledge of them
to your advantage. For
instance, your significant
other might love chocolate. Take him or her to a
baking class on how to
make truffles and make
him or her some. Does
he/she like movies? Create one of your own
about how you feel
about him/her and plan
a private screening in
your home. Whatever
you do, keep it thoughtful
and catered to your special someone. At this
point, you should know

plenty about your loved

one. The fact that you
put special thought into
what they want makes all
the difference and keeps
the relationship alive during such a tenuous stage.
These moments will also
prepare you for what
comes next.

Then Comes
Marriage

ouve reached the

ultimate in a relationship: marriage. Your love
has grown, blossomed,

Photo: Paul Kline/flickr/Creative Commons

and graduated to a monogamous relationship.

Although you have graduated, you are never
done; your growing relationship does
not simply end
with the I
dos of marriage. A relationship still
needs nurturing in order to
grow. William
Doherty, PhD
and professor
of family social
science for University of
Minnesota, created The
Ten commandments for
Dating Your Spouse. The
first commandment is,
You fell in love while dating, so make it a priority
now (Zeig & Kulbatski
71). Laura Kujava stated
in Valentines Who Sweat
Together, Stay Together
that, Whether it be spent
cleaning, preparing food,
watching TV or any other
mundane household activity, most couples spend
their together time at
home. However, going to
the gym with your sweetie makes you feel less like
a roommate and more
like a partner. When you
are busy doing something

you both enjoy the relationship grows and blossoms.

Each day our partners
are
changing; we
are
changing too.
There is
absolutely
no getting
around
that fact. In turn, we must
fall in love with each other over and over again
each day. What better
way of doing so than
through dating. Simply
being with the one you
love does not strengthen
your relationship. When a
couple is dating, they do
not simply just stay on the
couch; they go on a walk
and talk to get to know
his or her personality
through activities. Why
should it be any different
when youre married? Bill
Carter Todays Christian
Singles article entitled
Activities, quality time
builds relationships discusses how sex in a relationship does not say I

Activities will make you

laugh and grow; that is

needed if you are seeking a real
relationship.

love you but that other

activities do so. He goes
on to say, I learned that
if we would only focus on
other activities, then we
would see something that
is called relationship development. You will learn
more about a person by
spending quality time
with them than anything
else Activities will make
you laugh and grow; that
is needed if you are seeking a real relationship.
He goes on to claim that
sex can destroy any
chance of being friends
first, and without true
friendship, love has no
value! Of course, sex in
a married setting is part
of the deal; however, his
real point was that a real
relationship is first a friendship. How else would you
have agreed to date
someone steadily without
first getting to know him
or her and creating that
bond? Your spouse is your
best friend. Daily life
changes you and your
spouse and through constantly dating your
spouse, you will figure out
how those changes fit
into your relationship.

11

ongrats! While this

feels like the next
big step for your family,
you may also feel like
your relationship with your
spouse or partner is different because your lives
have changed. Before
you know it, your relationship consists of crossing
paths whenever each of
you have a moment to
rest from being chef,
chauffeur, tutor, and
coach. Talking together
consists of discussing the
kids schedule and
whats for dinner. What
can you do?

Keep Dating
As mentioned earlier,
just because you are
married with kids doesnt
mean you stop learning
about one another. In
fact, this indicates that
each of you is in constant
growth and change,
which means there is still
something to learn about
the other. This still means
spending some time to12

gether. According to C.
Barnet-Verzat, et.
al., Enjoying
leisure together
may have different meanings:
doing exactly
the same thing
at the same time
in the same
room, or being in
the same place
but each attending to separate
business (471).
Work with your
spouse to define
what enjoying leisure together means for the
two of you as your family
situation changes. Make
an exerted effort to make
these leisure times together special. For some
couples, this might just
mean going to the grocery store together each
week while the kids are at
a friend or family members house or have a
babysitter. For others, you
might manage to get a
night out each month to
do something creative!

time to improve your relationships with

each family
member as
well as to help
them develop
a deeper
sense of self. As
important as it
is for you to
spend time
with your
spouse, it is just
as important to
spend time
with your kids.
This might
mean a
daddy-daughter date
out for ice cream or a
mother-and-son date
to the movies or even a
family night. Even for children who are too young
for school, Karen Burnell,
the director of early childhood education at the
Southwest Vermont Supervisory Union, indicates,
"Talking to our children is
probably the most important thing families can
do [to prepare them for
kindergarten]. She
specifies, [a]geappropriate conversations can help expand a
child's vocabulary and
understanding of the
world around

Talking to our
children
is probably the

most important

thing families can do

Go on Dates with
Your Kids
As your family dynamics change, you must find

http://www.millennialmarketing.com/2015/01/the-millennial-takeover-continues-were-now-thelargest-generation-in-the-u-s/

Then Comes Baby

in the Baby
Carriage

them (Carson). For older

children, having time to
talk about their interests
and concerns is paramount in their development and self-esteem.
Citing a study by S.
Hutchinson, et.al. Laurel
B. Hornberger notes,
Adolescents reported
that it was the everyday
activities like eating together, playing games,
going for walks, watching

television, or just hanging

out that signified caring,
comfortableness, and a
sense of belonging and
stability within their family (147-48). So, spending
time with your kids as you
complete daily tasks promotes a sense of family
stability that reminds
them that they belong.
Jan Masons study of how
children ages 8-15 years
old perceive and explain

well-being notes that a

common feature
amongst their responses
was that having a sense
of agency and control in
core aspects of their lives
and feeling safe and secure were not only important but also contributed to their sense of
self (McAuley, et. al.
450). As a parent, talking
to your children is your
best way to ensure that
13

studies prove that dinner

together as a family
keeps your family happy
and healthy. Eating at
home is generally cheap-

Eat Dinner Together

to the table, but it's family

Not only can spending

one-on-one time with your
spouse and children increase individual growth
and development, but

time that brings them

The meals bring everyone

back.

er than eating out, but

researchers are Rutgers
note that there are
numerous benefits to
children associated with
having frequent family
meals, including increased intake of fruits,
vegetables, fiber, calcium-rich foods and vitamins. In addition, the
more a family ate together, the less children consumed dietary components thought to be
harmful to
health (Make Time for

http://momzinga.com/?p=869

14

they are developing a

healthy sense of who they
are or want to be. You can
help them distinguish features of healthy friendships
and relationships, develop
appropriate and reachable goals, and express their
feelings.

Photo used under Creative Commons from Art Rock (Hennie)

Family Dinner). Anne

Meier and Kelly Musick
note, Family meals may
contribute to child wellbeing by providing a routine time for parents to
connect with children,
check in about achievements or problems, transmit values, establish family identity, and feed general family solidarity (14).
In the same article, Ed
Scavuzzo explains, "It's all
about time spent sharing
stories, sharing events of
the day or just quiet time
together...The meals
bring everyone to the table, but it's family time
that brings them back."
As much time and effort

as it might take to have a

homemade meal ready
as you gather everyone
from their busy schedules
to eat together, it is more
than worth it.

To Happily Ever
After!

here are so many options for activities

throughout your dating
life. But where should you
start? Research shows
that the more activities
you do throughout your
growing relationship, the
more you get to know
your significant others.
Studies also show that setting up the perfect date

takes practice, time, and

understanding. Knowing
the dos and donts before you head off to your
date will prepare you for
possibly the most life altering experience ever.
Dating and creativity do
not end after the first,
second, or third date.
Even after marriage and
kids, we continue to date
our spouse. The more you
do something you both
love, the closer you
come as a couple.

See page 56 for sources cited.

15

16

The

Visual Experience
Each article has a complementary description of the activity.
This should help you determine
the price range, audience,
and value of the activity.

The Stage
p. 18 A Concert from Your
Grandpas Basement
p. 20 Dancing Beauties
p. 22 A Night at the Opera

The Gallery
p. 24 Legacy Flight Museum
p. 26 Spori Art Gallery
p. 28 Geology Museum
p. 30 Flood Museum

Price Guide:
$= under $10
$$= $11-25

$$$= $26-50
$$$$= $50+

Age Guide:
Because some of these activities may be more appropriate
for different audiences, an
age guide is provided.

Pay attention to the ratings

our authors have given for
each activity!

17

Concert from Your

Grandpas Base
T

winkling lights
glimmer behind the performers
heads. A higher pitched,
indie version of Sara Bareilles starts into the first
chorus as a small crowd
of flannel shirts sway to a
beat stamped out by an
army of All Star Converse
shoes.

It was Friday night. A

few friends from work invited me to a small, local
concert after they heard
my previous plans for the
night had fallen through.
I agreed despite my hesitationsthese were hipsters after allbut by the
time we started into the
second chorus, I knew I
was hooked.
Zeeks Pie Shake Parlour
in Rexburg serves as the
focal point for locally produced indie music north
of Pocatello, Idaho.
The 50s College Avenue
restaurant regularly holds
free concerts on the
18

weekend. Although students from the

nearby university predominantly make up its
clientele, everyone is welcome.
Most of the performers
do acoustic covers of
popular songs and indie
titles.
Quite a few, though, use
the venue to showcase
original songs theyve
been working on.
Zeeks concerts are

more than a glorified amateur hour,

though. About once a
month or so, the restaurant invites up-andcoming artists to come
and recruit a fan base.
Even when professional
bands come to town,
concerts are still free.

No big names played

that night, but I enjoyed
the music all the same.
The crowd had fun singing to the covers, and the

By Benjamin Rollins
original songs felt fresh
and innovative.

http://sammyscaferexburg.blogspot.com/

The best part about the

evening came from the
crowd. The musicians and
the audience had a
strong sense of communal trust. Everyone there
was welcoming and responsive to the music. After artists stepped off the
stage, listeners met them
with warm hugs and honest feedback. It felt inspiring to watch.
That vibe had a downside, though. The intimate
rapport among the concert regulars can feel a
little intimidating to newcomers. If it werent for
my co workers whod
gone with me, I would

Originally known as
Sammys, the restaurant
closed its doors in late
2014 primarily due to labor disputes. Isaac and
Alex Ames took control of
both the Provo and

After the show, I wandered back into the restaurant side of Zeeks. I
found the menu was
greatly improved. I ordered the
Hugh Jackman burger
(Who can resist
Hugh Jackman?) and a
peach cobbler
shake. Both
were delicious.
http://sammyscaferexburg.blogspot.com/

While the musicians at

times waned technical
proficiency, they made
up for it with authenticity
and heart.

Rexburg locations, and

the restaurant reopened
its doors in early 2015 as
Zeeks. The team of
brothers had previously
worked at the Provo location.

The Stage

ment

have felt a little lonely

there. Make sure to bring
a good friend with you
when you go. I wouldnt
recommend it for a first
date or children under 15.
In general, though, the
whole place lets off a
good vibe. Although the
dcor is a little run down,
the strange bricolage of
decorations actually
works to give
Zeeks an authentic and
organic feel.
Ugly carpet
covers the
stage. A giant
chalkboard
hangs in the
middle of one
of the walls,
announcing
that weeks
performers. Some concertgoers sit on sofas so
old youd need a DeLorean to get one. It has all
the familiar feel of your
grandpas ugly basement.

I highly recommend attending a concert at Zeeks

sometime. Good friends,
good food, and good
music always make for a
great night. Plus, the
price is literally unbeatable.
Price: $
Age: 15+

19

he Madison Performing Arts Center can

completely transform, depending on the production. Ive performed in
two musicals on this
stage, as well as
watched several plays
and musicals. Each time,
the stage looks different.
All it takes is a new set
and some costumes, and
the theatre has a different feel to it.
This time I was seeing
a ballet performed
by a Rexburg community ballet
school. The show
mainly advertised
the second act,
which focused on
excerpts from Sleeping Beauty, while the
first act consisted of
dance numbers from a
variety of ballets.
Some of the dancers
looked as young as three
years old, while the oldest
looked about eighteen.
This performance was
dominated by females,
as ballet usually is, and
the only male dancers in
the show came in the
second act. This ballet
performed for one night
20

only, and had free admission. Watching a community performance would

be a great date night for
a couple who enjoy the
fine arts and watching
children perform.
The set and costumes in
Act I were colorful and
imaginative, and the

By Rachel Foster

dancers
worked hard to provide
an enjoyable experience.
The beginning of the
show compiled various
solos and group numbers,
the dance style being primarily ballet; however,
some of the solos ranged
from jazz to hip hop. The
way the soloists mixed

precise ballet steps with

jazzy turns and heavy
beats was very artistic
and highlighted their advanced experience. All
the soloists were the oldest girls in the group,
therefore earning their
right to have a little more
spotlight. However, not
every soloist was advanced enough to
dance on pointe.
The group numbers
were primarily young
girls who werent
dancing on pointe
yet. A couple of
the dance numbers included a
dozen or so 3 year
olds who followed
each other around
the stage, waving at
their parents, shoving
each other into place,
and enjoying an excuse
to wear sparkly dresses
onstage. They created a
light hearted, fun atmosphere with their earnest
examples of first and second position. The music
used for Act I was a wide
range of classical songs,
showing different levels of
technique and style.
As the show progressed

into the Act II, the tale of

Sleeping Beauty was introduced. The costumes,
set, and props provided
beautiful imagery of the
classic Disney story, allowing the audience to follow the tale of a sleeping

princess and her prince

despite the fact that it
only included the highlights from the story.
Sleeping Beauty danced
in the majority of Act II,
doing solos, leading
group numbers, and coupling off with the Prince

The Stage

Gugelman Photography; http://www.rexburgballetarts.com/photo_2.html

as they performed pas

de deux. These dance
numbers allowed them to
use technique that is a
little more difficult and
impressive. The two dancers were able to do more
spins and lifts because
they were dancing as a
couple and their pas de
deux dances added maturity to the overall performance, ending the show
well.
The audience was mostly
family members and
friends of the dancers,
excited to see their children perform and show
off their hard work and
talent. I didnt know anyone in the performance,
but I went with friends
who had a young niece
in the show. It was a fun
evening, and I recommend it to ballet fans. This
performance was a nicely done community event
that invited everyone to
enjoy an evening of
dance and a classic princess tale.

Price: $
Age: 15+

21

a night at the

night
out at
the opera is
not a common date in
small town of Rexburg,
Idaho. Rarely is our small
town privileged with such
diversity of culture.
Brigham Young UniversityIdaho only puts on a full
opera once every two
years, and this year they
are performing one of the
most admired works in
the opera world, Giacomo Puccinis La Boheme.

22

Many do not get overly

excited at the prospect
of seeing an opera as it is
understandably difficult
to appreciate. Opera is
not only mainly written in
other languages besides
English, it is a style of dramatic singing with a few
spoken lines. La Boheme
is originally written and
performed in Italian; how-

ever, BYU-Idaho is performing the entire show in

English. The stage director, Richard Clifford, and
music director, David Olsen, have gone to great
lengths to create a comprehensible experience
for their audiences. Supertitles on either side of
the proscenium will be
provided for audiences

Teodor Ilincai (Rodolfo). Photo ROH/Johan Persson 2009

to follow along as the actors sing. Actors have also

been working hard for
the last month and a half
on conveying emotion
and meaning through
physical expression. It is
hoped that the audience
will feel a strong connection with the characters
on stage, feeling with
them, laughing with
them, and even weeping
with them.
The story behind La Boheme is about a group of
young bohemian artists,
poets, and musicians who
believe in living life to its
fullest. They rejoice in their
artistry, even if it does not
always bring food to their
table, and often are the
cause of playful mischief
throughout Paris. On

Christmas Eve, one young

poet falls madly in love
with the beautiful Mimi
when he finds her at his
doorstep, asking if he
would light her candle
that has gone out. She
loses the key to her own
apartment, and together
they search for it until
their hands touch for the
first time. Although their
love is full of passion, the
young writer cannot contain his imaginative jealousy, and Mimi suffers
from a fatal illness. Those
who have never experienced opera first hand
will be moved by the
captivating music and
spellbinding images on
stage.
It is not often we as students and citizens of

The Stage

By Alyssa Herrin

Rexburg are given opportunities to participate in

such highly cultured experiences as this, and for
such a reasonable price.
Students and employees
of BYU-Idaho can attend
at $3.00 a ticket while the
rest of the community
pays $6.00 a ticket. Most
tickets to high-quality performances range from
$40-$200, depending on
the season and where
one chooses to sit.
Take the opportunity to
be introduced to the
opera. Step away from
the paradigm our modern society has placed
over classical music and
see for yourself. See the
music come to life with
beautifully designed sets,
costuming, and lights that
take you into 1830 Paris.
Whether the opera and
theatre are your cup of
tea or not, you may be
surprised to find certain
elements of this production moving and inspiring.

Price: $
Age: 15+

23

take my first step into

the hanger. Each footfall pounds against the
walls, like an engine sputtering to life. The sound
soars up in the sloped
metal roof above my
head. It swirls there for a
moment before it disappears on some unknown
horizon.
Im standing in the Legacy Flight Museum, a
short way up Airport
Road in Rexburg, Idaho.
The museum is located
inside a renovated hanger painted bright red to
the side of the RexburgMadison County Airport.
Inside, I find a treasure
trove of antique planes.
Like most old people,
they tend not to get a lot
of visitors most days. And
like most old people,
each one has a story to
tellof a pivotal battle it
helped win, of the media
mogul it once flew across
the country, of some horrific crash it survived.
My date and I prepare
to meet the residents,
asking the aircraft questions at our leisure.

24

Several of the planes

are rare, we find out. The
North American T-6 Texan, for example, only has
a little over 150 airworthy
models left. The museum
houses two T-6s, a likeable set of chrome twins. In
World War II, the Army Air
Corp used to call them
The Pilot Makers because it used them to
train new aviators for
combat. Apparently,
they didnt see much action. I guess thats to be
expected when youre
stuck stateside in a foreign war.

to move on.
I meet the museums P63 Cobra and find its
one of only three functional Cobras left in the
world. Although its a
pretty big deal now, the
P-63 was once that awkward gangly kid in school
who nobody wanted to
pick for their baseball

The Grumman TBM-3

Avenger, on the other
hand, saw plenty of com-

The

Legacy

bat in the Navy during

World War II. One day in
1945, it singlehandedly
sank two Japanese ships.
A regular war hero. I
reach out to shake the
old gentlemans propeller
to thank him for his service. Before I half the distance, a voice grunts its
disapproval, and I decide

team. The U.S. never used

the plane during World
War II, but instead traded
it overseas to the U.S.S.R. I
ask the Cobra if it learned
any Russian while it was
overseas. It doesnt respond, perhaps insulted
by the question. Its rarity
seems to have made it
pretentious.

By
Benjamin
Rollins

The Gallery

Ole Yeller and King Cobra; http://www.legacyflightmuseum.com/lfm%20photo%20gallery/index.html

Museum
cue. A glare of light winks
off the cabins glass as
we walk away.

functional hanger since

every plane in the museum is airworthy. It isnt a
hospice for dying relics,
but a bustling retirement
community for aircrafts. It
gives the place the added charm of a living history.

We made a few more

friends before we left, like
Section 8 and Mormon
Mustang, who Rexburg
residents often see in
flight above them on sunny days.

The Legacy Flight Museum holds seasonal hours.

During the winter, the museum opens on Saturdays
from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Prices are $3 for students and
$6 for the general public.

Flight
Finally, I meet the
Beechcraft Staggerwing.
Back in its day, this classy
biplane held the height
sophisticated. Its sleek
and innovative design
gave it its name. The top
wing is set slightly back
from the bottom wing.
During the GreatDepression-era, it flew
business executives all
around the country. It flirts
a little with me before my
date slides over to my res-

Thats one of the most

astounding parts of the
whole experience: The
museum doubles as a

Price: $
Age: All ages

25

The

Spori
By Claire Mortimer

re you a lover of
the arts? Do you
have zero dollars to go
to a fancy art museum?
Thats ok! On BYUIs
beautiful campus, located in the Spori Building, is a hidden gem.
Every semester the Spori
Art Gallery puts on an
array of art shows fea26
Sacred Footsteps: Paintings from the Mormon Trail ; http://www.byui.edu/spori-gallery

turing masterpieces
from famous artists, faculty members, and students for all to come an
enjoy.
The current gallery being featured is called
Sacred Footsteps. Artists
John Burton, Josh Clare,
and Bryan Mark Taylor

This exhibit was truly

beautiful. When you enter the exhibit you are
met with the soft sound
of instrumental music
and greeted with a
large depiction of a red
barn. This painting is
very calm and peaceful. It tells a story of generations and feels like
home. The painting sets
the mood for the rest of
the exhibit. As you
move to either the right
or left, you feel as if you
are walking with the
saints as they jour-

neyed.
The paintings ranged
in size and style choices.
My favorite works were
the oil paintings done
by Bryan Mark Taylor.
While the other artists
had very beautiful
paintings, Brian Mark
Taylors pieces were
crisper and full of life to
me. His paintings had a
way of capturing the
essence of his scenes,
but art is in the eye of
the beholder.
The Spori Art Gallery is
always changing, which
gives students a
chance to see a range
of different styles of artwork as each semester
progresses. The opening
night of each exhibit is
also a lot of fun to attend. Most of the time
there is a meet and
greet with the artist/
artists and refreshments.
The Spori Art Gallery is
completely free to anyone who want to go
and look what is on display. This is really cool
when you think about it.
Most art exhibits cost a
good amount of money

to go and see. This exhibit is for adults only in

my opinion. Children
may like some of the
exhibits, but in my experience young children
do not like to stand
around staring at art
work.

The Gallery

professional landscape
artists and members of
the LDS churchspent
the past few years capturing the Mormon Pioneer Trail in beautiful oil
paints. Their collection
depicts key places
along the Mormon Pioneer Trail: Nauvoo, the
Sweetwater River, Devils Gate, etc. The
paintings range in size
and style but all have a
very beautiful and reverent feel to them. The
main goal of these artist
was to capture the Mormon Pioneer Trail as it
stands today.

My experience has always been very good

when I have gone to
the exhibits that the
Spori Art Gallery puts
on. They have a nice
variety of artists that
come to campus and
display their works, so
you are always in for a
new experience when
you go. I would give the
Spori Art Gallery 4.5 stars
out of 5 just because
some of the exhibits
have been odd in my
opinion, but that is just
because they were not
my taste. You can find
out what exhibits are on
display by going to
http://www.byui.edu/
spori-gallery/.

Price: Free
Age: Adults only

27

Give Your Date a Diamond...

ates do not always

have to be lavish,
expensive adventures or
formal outings. Plenty of
free date ideas exist on
the BYUIdaho campus
that still pack their fair
share of excitement and
fun. The Romney building
hosts the Geology Museum in room 156, home to
numerous geological displays such as the three
foot tower of yellowwhite gypsum or the array of prehistoric animals
fossilized into rock.
As you and your date
first enter the museum,
the bubbling sound of a
fish tank filter greets you.
Other than that, the room
is quiet apart from other
guests softly circling the
different exhibits. A mural
in a corner of the room
depicts a prehistoric
landscape while fossils
dating back to those immensely early years lay
on the floor in front of it.
Behind glass cases hold
smaller fossils showing
shells, plants, and early
animals. Along the wall,
visitors can see a 3.4 bil28

lion year old Trace Fossil

found in Australia, the
oldest piece in the collection of fossils in the museum.
Other displays hold minerals and gems of varying
sizes. As mentioned earlier, a large column of
gypsum poses in the window, easily the tallest of
the pieces. The descriptive card near it states
that James E. Talmage
discovered it, which
could be an interesting
fact to tell your date if
they
havent
read
the description.

In one corner of the

room a black curtain excludes certain minerals
from the rest. Upon entering and closing the curtains behind you, guests
can turn on the luminescent lights and watch as
the different pieces glow
neon yellows, purples,
greens, and oranges in
the near darkness.
A colorful paper giving
scavenger hunt ideas is
available where you and
your date can search together for the

or a Na

Along with descriptive

plaques, other signs offer
facts or definitions. One
asks, What is a mineral?
and proceeds to give an
answer. This could just be
an interesting little fact
that a guest may or may
not remember, but if you
or your date is interested
in Earth sciences, it could
be a conversation starter.

items or compete to
see who finds the most
items during the
date. One of the suggestions mentions that the
exhibit hosts all but three
of the months birthstones, and asks visitors to
locate the nine birthstones listed.
Though its fun to examine the different pieces
and search for the scav-

The Gallery

Chloe Sanders

anotyrannus
enger hunt items, this
date would not be ideal
for married couples bringing children under ten
years old. While the
younger children may
ooh and ah over the
replicated Nanotyrannus
skull or the brightly colored tropical fish in their
tank for a bit, eventually
they will get bored and
tired of their parents telling them to stop running

or to not put their hands

on the glass exhibits.
Overall, the Geological
Museum found on the
north end of BYUIdaho
promises a 4 star visit to
guests looking to see fantastic geological finds
without having to pay to
travel. Though smaller
than other museums
around southern Idaho,
this gallery hosting an-

By Alisa Schneider

cient fossils, sparkling minerals and gems, and a

1/4th scale replica of a
dinosaur skull is a sight
worth every students
time before leaving this
university.
Price: FREE
Age: 10+

29

The Rexburg
A

Flood Mus

lmost exactly in
the middle of
Rexburg, Idaho, tucked
away by the county
library and at the bottom of the Rexburg
Tabernacle, is the Teton
Flood Museum. Its down
a small flight of stairs on
the north side of the
building which also houses the Rexburg Historical
Society. Its a great place
to visit for anyone interested in the history of the
region.

Walking in, you feel like

you have stepped back
a bit in time. The wood
paneling on the walls
gives the museum, which
is mostly one large room
with some smaller rooms
to the sides, an earthy
natural feeling. And its
not a creaking floors and
musty walls feeling either, which some small
museums have. The building is obviously well preserved and the museum
well maintained.
30

My first stop was the

childrens room, where
my friend works. Its a single room filled with different games for kids of different ages to play and
have fun with. In one corner theres a small jungle
gym; after climbing to the
top, kids can fish with
magnets tied to strings for
animals below. In another
corner is a set of old
school desks, for kids to
get a feel for what school
was like a hundred years
ago. Scattered around
the room are puzzles, hidden picture games, and
mazes, among other
things, all designed to
help children learn more
about local wildlife and
the people who have
lived in this region in the
past.
Next I visited the herit-

By Ronnie Cox

age museum, a section

of the museum which
gave insight on the history of the area. This section
documents founding of
the town and region, as
well as the lives of the first
settlers here. Portraits of
early settlers hang up by
the ceiling, elaborately
framed, and displayed in
cases were artifacts of
daily life in the 1800s. One
section was devoted to
the mountain men, and
the display cases filled
with traps and tools. Further down, I found a case
filled with perfectly preserved womens clothing
from the period; beside it
stood a mannequin
wearing a dress which,
according to the placard, had been hand
sewn for a high school
graduation.

eum

the tools of daily life a

sewing machine, a high
chair for babies, baking
instruments would look
like in their proper setting.
On the floor beside it
stood what looked
like a log cabin doll
house. The roof was
removed, and inside I
saw doll people sitting at a meal. The
room was obviously
made carefully by
someone working for
the historical society,
to give a better look
at life in the time.

saber which had been

given to William F. Rigby
by Brigham Young. One
placard listed the names
of all the soldiers from
Madison County whod
died in WWII. Sitting on a
shelf nearby was a golden bell at least a foot in
height. According to the
plaque, this was the bell
of the USS Rexburg a
ship I didnt even know
had existed!
The final section of the
museum was the actual
record of the Teton Dam

The next row of the

museum was dedicated to the first half
of the 1900s, and specifically the war
years. A collection of
rifles and pistols were
in the first few display
cases, as well as the

flood. Maps along the

walls showed where the
waters had flooded, and
there were pictures showing the damage the
flood had done. All
around Rexburg are historical plaques talking
about the flood, but I didnt realize until visiting the
museum exactly what
had happened. Different
informational placards
talked about the amount
of water that filled the
valley, the number of
people who died, and
the timeline of events.

The Gallery

At the end of the first

row, the museum curators
had arranged a mock
living room. This was
roped off, so museum visitors could see what all

Id expected to learn
about the Teton Dam
flood the moment I
walked into the museum,
so I was a bit surprised to
see all the other historical
information up front.
However, by walking
through the heritage section first, I learned even
more about the area. It
gave me a better understanding of what all the
flood had destroyed, and
why the flood had such a
huge impact on the region.
Price: $
Age: All ages

Uppper [sic] Snake Valley Historical Society/flickr

31

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