Jayplay

LARPing the dAy AwAy

the woRLd of Live-Action RoLe-PLAying
PAge 8
citizen hoPe
getting A sLice of the AmeRicAn Pie
PAge 5
May 01, 2008
life. and how to have one.
05
12 the long and winding road to citizenship
02
05.01.2008
VOL. 5 ISS. 30
jayplayers
EDITORlfRanklIn D.
Dani Hurst
aSSOCIaTE EDITORlTEDDy
Megan Hirt
DESIGnERSlTHE kEnnEDyS
Brenna Hawley
Bryan Marvin
COnTaCTlHElP yOURSElf
Jessie fetterling
Gina Souders
HEalTHlGOOD fOR yOU
Jeff Briscoe
kaitlyn Syring
ManUallDO IT
Peyton Baldwin
Josh Patterson
Dianne Smith
nOTICElTakE nOTE Of IT
Chris Bell
Rebekah Scaperlanda
Elise Stawarz
PlaylOUT anD aBOUT
Travis Brown
Joe Hunt
Deepa Sampat
CREaTIVE COnSUlTanT
lknOWS a lOT
Carol Holstead
WRITE TO US
jayplay08@gmail.com
JayPlay
The University Daily kansan
111 Stauffer-flint Hall
1435 Jayhawk Blvd.
lawrence, kS 66045
(785) 864-4810
When my older
sister moved away to
college, my mom and I
were worried we might
kill each other.
Seriously.
Since before I can
remember, I always got
the feeling that my old-
er sister was my moms favorite.Thats not to say she
mistreated me, or even made it completely obvious,
but after hearing Why cant you be more like your
sister? a few thousand times, a kid begins to wonder.
My older sister had always acted as a kind of in-
voluntary buffer system between my mom and me.
So, as I stood waving, watching my sister drive off into
the distant sunset, I feared what the next two years
would be like, just my mom and me. I envisioned a lot
of yelling and crying and cursing. I assumed the worst.
But, as the old saying goes, "assuming only makes
an ass of you and me," or something like that.
We actually got along famously.We went to mov-
ies together, we went to dinner together, we went to
parties together (thrown by her friends, not mine).
But it wasn't mom overload, either.We were both
busy during the day, and neither of us went out at
night, so that was when we bonded. I told her about
boys I liked and girls I hated, and she told me about
work and whatever drama there was between her
friends. She treated me like an adult, and I treated her
like a best friend.
nowadays, we're closer than ever.We talk almost
every day, either on the phone or on Skype.We still
fght and disagree about a lot of stuff, but we have a
very honest relationship that I wouldnt give up for
the world. I cant imagine it any other way.
Read Chris story on page 15 about his relation-
ship with his father, and the turning point at which he
was fnally able to accept his father for who he was.
lDani Hurst, editor
On the cover: Photo/lauren fulton
coming to america
a clean abode does a body good
household health
play
contact
health
notice
manual
feature
speak
reviews
15
a writer finds common ground with his father
a meeting of the minds
08
live-action role-playing the game of life
alls fair in LARP and war
editors note
interesting fact: George Washington had one tooth remaining at the time of his inauguration. Throughout his life, he wore
dentures made of human, cow, or hippopotamus teeth, ivory or lead, but he never wore wooden teeth. www.ipl.org
08
05
15
12
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DAY DRINKERS
WANTED
S
A
T
U
R
D
A
Y
F
R
I
D
A
Y
Free Play at the Replay
(Pinball). The Replay Lounge,
3 p.m.-6 p.m., all ages, FREE.
The Shape of Things.
Murphy Hall, Crafton-Preyer
Theatre, 7:30 p.m., all ages,
$10-$18, www.kutheatre.com.
The New Amsterdams/
Fourth of July /Dead
Girls Ruin Everything/
Broken Stools. Mission
Theatre, 8 p.m., 18+, $12, www.
newams.net.
Colbie Caillat/Jason
Reeves. Uptown Theater,
8 p.m., all ages, $25, www.
colbiecaillatmusic.com.
Split Lip Rayfeld. The
Bottleneck, 9 p.m., all ages, $13,
www.splitliprayfeld.com.
Red Lefty/Moreland &
Arbuckle/The Calamity
Cubes. The Jackpot, 9 p.m.,
18+, $6-$7, www.redlefty.com.
Cosmic Bowling. Kansas
Union, Jaybowl, 10 p.m., all ages,
FREE, www.suaevents.com.
Arts Festival. Spencer
Museum of Art, 1 p.m.-5 p.m.,
all ages, FREE.
The Shape of Things.
Murphy Hall, Crafton-Preyer
Theatre, 7:30 p.m., all ages,
$10-$18, www.kutheatre.com.
Dead Girls Ruin
Everything/The
Noise FM/Robots vs.
Dinosaurs/Tallgrass
Prairie Reserve. The
Bottleneck, 8:30 p.m., 18+,
$5-$7, www.myspace.com/
deadgirlsruineverything.
William Elliott
Whitmore/Weather is
Happening/Suzannah
Johannes/Sean Bergman.
The Jackpot, 9 p.m., 18+, $8-$9,
www.williamelliottwhitmore.com.
Cosmic Bowling. Kansas
Union, Jaybowl, 10 p.m., all ages,
FREE, www.suaevents.com.
Wrath & Ruin/
Meatfower. The Replay
Lounge, 10 p.m., 21+, $2, www.
myspace.com/wrathandruin.
T
H
U
R
S
D
A
Y
may 1
Billy Joel & Twyla
Tharps Movin Out.
Lied Center, 7:30 p.m., all ages,
$20-$24.50, www.lied.ku.edu.
The Shape of Things.
Murphy Hall, Crafton-Preyer
Theatre, 7:30 p.m., all ages,
$10-$18, www.kutheatre.com.
Alicia Keys. Sprint Center,
7:30 p.m., all ages, $49.50-$100,
www.aliciakeys.net.
Steve Earle/Allison
Moorer. Liberty Hall, 8 p.m.,
all ages, $27.50.
Afroman. The Granada,
9 p.m., all ages, $11, www.
afromanmusic.com.
The Snuggle Bugs/
Waterfowl Habitat.
The Gaslight Tavern, 10 p.m.,
21+, $3, www.myspace.com/
thesnugglebugs.
When Dinosaurs
Ruled the Earth/Radio
Moscow. The Replay Lounge,
10 p.m., 21+, $2,
www.myspace.com/lildinos.
may 2 may 3 may 4
S
U
N
D
A
Y
Midday Ramblers/Red
Lefty. The Replay Lounge,
6 p.m., all ages, $3, www.
middayramblers.com.
SUA Drive-In Movie.
Lied Center Lawn, 8 p.m., all
ages, FREE, www.suaevents.
com.
Battlefelds/Amenra/
Samothrace/Terrible
Airplane. The Jackpot, 9
p.m., 18+, $7.
may 6
T
U
E
S
D
A
Y
Bales Chorale. Bales
Organ Recital Hall, 7:30 p.m.,
all ages, FREE, www.arts.ku.edu.
Concert: University
Band. Lied Center, 7:30 p.m.,
all ages, $5, www.arts.ku.edu.
Tuesday Night Folk
Concerts. Signs of Life, 7:30
p.m., all ages, FREE.
where
V
E
N
U
E
S
The Bottleneck
737 New Hampshire St.
(785) 841-5483
The Gaslight Tavern
317 N. Second St.
Lawrence
(785) 856-4330
The Jackpot Music Hall
943 Massachusetts St.
Lawrence
(785) 843-2846
Mission Theatre
5909 Johnson Drive
Kansas City, Kan.
(913) 722-1081
The Replay Lounge
946 Massachusetts St.
Lawrence
(785) 749-7676
Sprint Center
1100 Walnut St.
Kansas City, Mo.
(816) 283-7300
Uptown Theater
3700 Broadway St.
Kansas City, Mo.
(816) 753-8665
03
05.01.2008
VOL. 5 ISS. 30
where its at
may 5
M
O
N
D
A
Y
Film and Panel
Discussion: Olympic
Spotlight on Tibet.
Kansas Union,Woodruff
Auditorium, 4 p.m., all ages,
FREE, www.ceas.ku.edu.
Bryan Scary and the
Shredding Tears/The
Aqua-Symphonics. The
Jackpot, 10 p.m., 18+, $5-$7,
www.bryanscary.com.
The Spanktones Open
Jam. The Jazzhaus, 10 p.m.,
21+, $2, www.jazzhaus.com.
W
E
D
N
E
S
D
A
Y
The Presidents of
The United States of
America. Liberty Hall, 7
p.m., all ages, $17-$19, www.
presidentsrock.com.
Pride Night. The Granada,
10 p.m., 18+, $5.
Murder By Death/Dios
Malos/Gasoline Heart.
The Jackpot, 9 p.m, 18+, $8,
www.murderbydeath.com.
Acoustic Open Mic. The
Jazzhaus, 10 p.m., 21+, $2.
may 7
interesting fact: After James Garfield was shot, repeated probing for the bullet with non-sterile
instruments caused blood poisoning, which eventually killed him. www.ipl.org
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04
05.01.2008
VOL. 5 ISS. 30
Terrifying, says
Barbara Barnett,
assistant professor
of journalism. There
are more people in
the room than in the
town I grew up in,
and you notice when
students are not
paying attention.
Despite such
uneasiness, Barnett,
who teaches Media
and Society in
Budig 110, says
there are perks
to teaching such a
big class. Because
students often
feel anonymous,
they offer better
feedback about what
works, what doesnt
and what changes should be made to a class. But, because students feel anonymous, they also do things
that are completely inappropriate in a classroom setting.
Ive often had cell phone conversations going on during class, Barnett says. I took a cell phone
away from one girl and she seemed so surprised. Thats always unpleasant.
Barnett says teaching a large class gets better with time, though. She frst taught the class fve years
ago, and at that point, she says she hated it and thought, It isnt teaching, its herding. But after her frst
semester, she took workshops and learned how to better interact with students.
When things go right, its a great feeling, says Ray Pence, who teaches American Identities in one of
Wescoes large halls. But when they dont go so well, things are magnifed, too.
lElise Stawarz
what its like
to lecture in a large classroom
Student soak up knowledge in one of Wescoes large auditoriums.
contact the writer: estawarz@kan-
san.com, rscaperlanda@kansan.com
interesting fact: Andrew Jackson was the only president to be a prisoner of war. He was 13 when he
joined the South Carolina militia to fight in the Revolutionary War. www.ipl.org/div/potus
wescoe wit
Girl 1: I think I might be done.
Girl 2: With class for the day?
Girl 1: No, with the male species.
Girl 2: Yes, I too have turned asexual.
Guy: I have to go by the store and get all the
whipped cream for tonight.
Girl 1: My boyfriends getting a dog.
Girl 2: Will it be okay this time?
Girl 1: Not sure. Its half-boxer, half-American
bulldog and half-pit bull.
Girl 2: Really? Three halves?
Girl 1: Oh, wait. Thirds?
Guy (on phone): Well, nothing says goodnight
like being molested.
Girl 1: Why did you tell mom and dad I like him?
Girl 2: I didnt!
Girl 1: Well, then why do they think something is
going on there?
Girl 2: Well, they think I had sex with Pedro. But
thats because they caught me.
Guy: Im the king behind every fashion trend in
the last 20 years.
Girl: Oh, really?
Guy: Yes! Everything you see on people and in
magazines is me.
Girl: So youre behind girls wearing tights but no
pants?
Guy: Yes. I thought, Hey, you know what? People
have worn pants long enough. Lets spice it up a
little.
lRebekah Scaperlanda
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Citizenship is something many
of us take for granted. The rights to
vote or to obtain a U.S. passport are
guaranteed to us when we are born.
We dont have to work for it like some
people do. International students and
other immigrants looking to become
permanent residents or citizens have to
cut through a forest of red tape to apply,
and sometimes must spend years playing
the waiting game with U.S. Citizenship
and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Ebenezer Obadare, assistant
professor of sociology and a native of
Nigeria, works at the University on an
H1-B visa, which he received when he
arrived in the United States. According
to the USCIS Web site, H1-B visas are
reserved for those employed in specialty
occupations, or jobs that require formal
education or experience.
Obadare has spent the last year and
a half waiting on his petition to become
a permanent resident. He likens the
process to chasing the bureaucracy.
He says that once he submitted
his application, he was assigned a
registration number that allowed him
to monitor the process online. After
that, he says that USCIS does numerous
background checks, which slow the
process down.
Theres nothing you can do about
it, Obadare says. Any attempts Obadare
makes to speed the process up are
met with resistance, as well. All phone
calls are answered by a machine, which
does little to actually answer questions.
Obadare says he understands that the
United States has become much more
security-conscious the past few years,
but he cant help but feel frustrated by
the process.
You wonder why, in a country like
this, you couldnt make the process
more humane, Obadare says.
According to Lauren Reinhold,
a Lawrence immigration attorney,
Obadare was lucky just to receive
an H1-B visa. Reinhold says the U.S.
government gives out only 65,000
H1-B visas each year. While that seems
like a lot, Reinhold says that in 2007,
more than 133,000 applications for
H1-B visas were submitted within two
days of becoming available. In addition,
she says the U.S. government gives out
20,000 other H1-B visas to those with
masters degrees or above, a category
that Obadare falls into because he has
a Ph. D.
The process doesnt get any easier
after obtaining an H1-B visa. Reinhold
says people seeking green cards, which
grant the holder lawful permanent
residence, face a wait of up to four
years, even those with high-level or
specialty degrees. After that, theres the
application for full citizenship, which can
take another year.
Grant Huang, St. Louis senior,
received his citizenship two years ago.
He has been a permanent resident of
the United States since he came to the
country at the age of 12 from Taiwan.
Huang says the process took a year,
and involved multiple trips back to
his hometown of St. Louiswhere he
started the processfor interviews and
fngerprints. Huang says the benefts are
worth it. Before gaining citizenship, any
international travel required temporary
visas that cost him time and money.
Now, with his U.S. passport, Huang says
international travel is a lot cheaper and
easier.
International students interested in
remaining in the United States after
graduation should start preparing
early, Reinhold says. She recommends
they seek out an immigration attorney
during their freshman year, preferably
one who is a member of the American
Immigration Lawyers Association.
Reinhold also suggests that these
students get their degrees in technical
felds, which would make the H1-B visa
application easier. She advises students
to seek additional assistance from
the International Student & Scholar
Services offce on campus as well.
Students closer to graduation can also
choose to continue their educations, or
seek employers that will sponsor them
for an H1-B visa. Reinhold says the No.
1 thing students must do is be prepared
and always have a backup plan.
The path to U.S. citizenship is a long
and diffcult process for immigrants, and
while there isnt much that can speed it
up, working with the right people and
planning ahead can make the burden a
little easier to bear.
05
05.01.2008
VOL. 5 ISS. 30
Photo by: Mindy Ricketts
Coming to America
A grueling process stands between
immigrants and U.S. citizenship
for more information: www.usimmigrationsupport.org
By Chris Bell
cbell@kansan.com
You wonder why, in a country like
this, you couldnt make the process
more humane.
Ebenezer Obadare, assistant
professor of sociology
Grant Huang, St. Louis senior and a native of Taiwan, holds his certificate of naturalization.The document is issued by the
U.S. government, and certifies that Huang obtained citizenship legally.
Are you worried that last years swimsuit will be
out of season on your beach vacation this summer?
Do you fnd yourself sitting on your luggage in
order to zip up your bag? Well, fear not, because
you can now travel without a single fashion worry
thanks to Naked Vacations.
Thats right: traveling in the nude. The buff. Butt-
naked.
Naked Vacations, or Nakations, as theyre called
by the American Assocation for Nude Recreation
(AANR), based in Kissimmee, Fla., are no longer
simply for hippies reliving their glory days. Instead,
theyre becoming part of luxury travel. According to
AANR, nude travel has grown into a $400 million
worldwide industry.
The relaxation on nakations is phenomenal,
says Carolyn Hawkins, AANR public relations
coordinator. When you shed your clothes,
you shed your stress. We have a tendency to be
judgmental. If youre at a nudist resort, you dont
get to know how much money people make. You
know them from the heart, who they truly are.
Some luxury cruise lines, upscale hotels, resorts
and even airlines are offering vacation options
that aim to pamper these free-spirited guests.
The Hidden Beach Resort near Cancun offers
oceanfront suites with rose petals on the bed, and
even serve champagne to those who prefer to be
au natural. The resort, with rates beginning at $215
per person per night, offers nude dining, nude bars
and even a nude disco.
OssiUrlaub, an online German travel agency,
has announced an all-nude fight between Erfurt in
eastern Germany and the Baltic Sea island resort of
Usedom. Fifty-fve passengers will pay $735 each to
embark on the naked journey on July 5.
Closer to home, naturalists can enjoy all-nude
relaxation at the Sea Mountain Inn in Desert Hot
Springs, Calif. The spa resort offers both day-spa
and overnight options.
You dont have to travel far to fnd your own
nakation destination. Visit www.aanr.com for the
naked truth on any of AANRs 270 clothes-free and
clothing-optional locations.
lRebekah Scaperlanda
06
05.01.2008
VOL. 5 ISS. 30
contact the writer:
rscaperlanda@kansan.com
tomorrows news
nakations
interesting fact: Grover Cleveland discovered a cancerous growth on the roof of his mouth in the middle of the economic crisis of
1893. To avoid causing a greater panic, he had several doctors sneak aboard a boat with him to remove the growth. The public
thought he was on a fishing trip and never knew the truth until 1917. www.ipl.org
Photo courtesy of www.aanr.com.
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07
05.01.2008
VOL. 5 ISS. 30
Contact the writer:
lkeith@kansan.com
If modern
environmentalism isnt
dead, it should be.
Environmentalism
today means changing to
compact fuorescent light
bulbs, signing a petition
here or there and generally
being dissatisfed with the
governments lethargic
pace on environmental
protection.
Environmentalists say
they want to move beyond
the status quoour
biggest enemy, responsible
for ineffcient homes, gas-
guzzling automobiles and
clothing made in countries
we cant even locate on
a map.
But even so-called
environmentalists still abide
by the status quo. We still
get our power from coal.
We still drive. We still
buy clothes made in the
Philippines.
And an unlikely candidate,
Titanic-babe Leonardo
DiCaprio, is sinking with
the environmentalism ship,
as well.
Riding in on the
Four Horsemen of the
Environmental Apocalypse,
DiCaprios recently released documentary,
The 11th Hour, rehashes the environmental
movements newest catch phrases about melting
ice caps, deforestation and sustainability.
Fortunately, I dont think he mentioned
accomplishing anything outrageous by 2050, the
politicians favorite year.
But the documentary is a stark reminder that
the environmental movement is failing. We can
answer almost all of the questions thrown at us:
How much carbon dioxide is in the atmosphere?
How much warmer is the planet? What is causing
this?
But we still cant answer the publics most
important question: So what? Why should I
change my everyday life?
The 11th Hour is the noblest attempt so far
at posing this question. From opening images
of a human fetus to talking heads reminding us
that people depend on nature for survival, the
documentary attempts to connect the dots that
string mankind back to the natural world.
Unfortunately, this string gets tangled up in the
whirlwind of interview subjectsLeo brings on
55 guests in 91 minutes, and they try to cover
every environmental topic under the sun.
And, like the rest of the environmentalists,
they forget the most important: relevance.
How are the effects of Hurricane Katrina
applicable to the general population? Why should
we care if Arctic ice melts away?
Its tough to relate, and it took me a long time.
But I dont buy locally grown food because Im
worried about the polar bears. I buy it because
Im worried about myself.
Documentaries and news stories should
change the approach they take when covering
climate change. Instead of flling the public mind
with lofty facts and fgures about corn subsidies
and the environmental consequences of ethanol,
they should be telling people about why the price
of food and beer is increasing, how it is going to
drain their bank accounts, and only later connect
these personal problems to the larger picture.
From its title, The 11th Hour is obviously a
gloom-and-doom, with this big of a carbon
footprint, I should kick my own ass type of flm.
At the end, Leo, barely saving the audience from
wanting to drive off a cliff in a Prius, concludes
with as much optimism he can muster.
But that optimism isnt going to make
humankind feel anything if we cant connect the
dots between the individual and the planet.
Until environmentalists can reframe their
argument and make the environment relevant
to the general public, it will be our movements
11th hour.
manual
The 11th Hour Review
interesting fact: Martin Van Burens autobiography does not mention his wife once. www.ipl.org
your guide to
greener living
By Lauren Keith greening it
SUNDAY
FUNDAY.
WEEKEND
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Thursday:
$1 almost anything
Saturday:
Celebrate cinco
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Biggest
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By Travis Brown
tbrown@kansan.com
6-foot spider swats at me, striking my
left arm. I am injured. I must fall back and
re-assemble my armor. Fortunately, a
dwarf, gypsy and fox are there to slay the
mighty arachnid with spells, strategy and
impeccable swordsmanship.
I am in the heart of Spider Wood in the central
region of the continent of Avalon in the world of Tyrra. I
am a young, jaded hobling named Elmore Hawkborne.
In reality, I am at aYMCA compound called Camp
Hammond in Berryton, which is located almost directly
between Lawrence andTopeka. I am three hours into
my frst live-action role-play (LARP) experience.
What the LARP?
LARP is gaming on steroids. Or maybe acid. Or
maybe just good old imagination. LARPs come in all
forms and sizes. Groups have organized
science fction LARPs, horror LARPs,
military-based LARPs, fantasy
LARPs.You name the literary
genre, and theres probably a
LARP for it. Some LARPers fght
dragons, and some zap aliens in a
dystopian cyberpunk future world.
Almost everyone has LARPed at
some point in his or her life. But most
people stop once they hit puberty and
fnd themselves incapable of playing
make-believeeither because of creative
restraints or social inhibitions.
The LARP I participated in is fantasy-based.
It is a game called NERO. Find a cauldron;
throw in improvisational theater, Dungeons and
Dragons, a couple J.R.R.Tolkien novels and fake
weapons; boil and stir and you will cook up a
steaming crock of NERO.
NERO (New England Role-playing Organization)
was founded in Boston in 1989. It is one of the
oldest, most established LARP organizations in
existence. Now NERO has about 50 chapters all
across America.These chapters host gatherings, usually
monthly, at which players come, dress up and play an
extraordinarily convoluted game.
A character is born
After a 17-mile drive, I see the dilapidated Camp
Hammond sign. I pass under the wooden threshold
and know that there is no turning back now. Im
extremely nervous. After all, I havent fought with foam
weapons since the days when NERF commercials ruled
the Nickelodeon airwaves.
I continue on a gravel road until I come to a well-lit
cabin. Inside the lodge, aquariums flled with reptiles
line the walls. I see piles of Ranger Rick magazines and
camping supplies scattered about. A man sits behind a
desk with a laptop and a portable printer. Its obvious
he has set up a makeshift headquarters in this room.
He introduces himself: Joe Bearden.
Bearden, Lawrence graduate student, is the mind
behind the Kansas chapter of NERO, called NERO
Central. He founded the chapter two years ago.
Bearden has offcially been LARPing for 17 years, but
he says his frst true LARP experience was playing
cowboys and Indians when he was a child.
Bearden stands up to welcome me. He is tall, with
a handlebar mustache and long, curly hair. His overall
appearance and stature make him seem as if he would
be just as comfortable in a fantastical archaic world as
he is in this one.
I sign a liability waiver, and he sets me up with a
character.We decide I will be a hobling because I ft
the description well. According to the NERO Rule
Book, Hoblings are peaceful people and generally are
smaller than average.They have furry feet and hands,
as well as bushy sideburns and eyebrows. Bearden
decides I am from the Hawk tribe.This also seems to
be an appropriate role because Hawks are known as
storytellers.
Players usually come with their own outfts, but I am
a special case. Bearden puts together a costume for me.
He dresses me in layers of earth-tone tunics, vests, rope
and feathers. He gives me a bone-shaped mace as my
weapon. Its made of PVC pipe, foam and duct tape, like
all the other players weapons.These weapons, called
boffers, are made for safe playing.
Bearden takes me outside and gives me a brief
overview of combat technique and rules.We hold a
mock battle and he teaches me the ways of combat.
Each of my strikes are worth two normal points. So
every time I hit someone, I must shout two normal or
the hit wont count.The players deduct points each time
I hit them.This seems like a simple enough idea, but it
requires spontaneous calculations that my collegiate
education has not prepared me for.
Nevertheless, I am ready for battle. At least, thats
what I tell Bearden. But I soon discover that fghting is
only one component of this game.
All the camps a stage
I am directed to another cabin, and just as I enter, the
game begins and the fear sets in.
The room is dark, only faintly lit by rope lights that
encircle an urn in the corner. I see framed drawings on
the walls that portray whimsical creatures and fctional,
weathered maps.The table in the center of the room is
covered in fake ivy, feathers, goblets and plastic bones
that you might fnd at a head shop. People are wearing
face paint and elf ears. Horns are protruding from
foreheads.
I am so freaking out right now.
Suddenly I realize why there is a strict no drug or
alcohol policy.
Bad Shark of the Deathcrafter tribe (Phil Layman)
sits down in front of me and asks me if my people stand
by the Deathcrafter or the Earth tribe.
I panic.
Im going to ruin the story. Deathcrafter, Earth,
Deathcrafter, Earth.Which do my people stand by?
He is a member of the Deathcrafters. He is scary,
dressed in black from head-to-toe, and he is undead.
I cave and tell him that my people support the
Deathcrafters.
Really? I was under the impression that the Hawks
supported the Earth, says Bad Shark, staring at me with
cold, beady eyes.
Shit.
Then a gypsy pulls me aside. He realizes that I am
young and impressionable. He introduces himself as
Captain Alec Alberdeen (John Kildare). He wears a
red and black outft. He has a fake Russian accent and
the showmanship of a used car salesman. He tries
to convince me to join the Bloodguarda group of
adventurers who band together, saving others for a
fee. He wants to recruit enough members to fght the
undead of Numenando, a bewitched neighboring town.
I tell him I am just passing through, but I will consider
the offer.
At this point, I realize that NERO is not just a game
where people dress up in costumes and play with fake
swords.This is a theatrical event that involves strategy
and politics.
I am thoroughly entranced, observing these
relationships develop. Suddenly, Bearmark of the Earth
tribe (Larisa Hines) enters the cabin, beating on a bongo
drum. She announces the commencement of the Birth
of theYear Festival.
Wed like to thank our ancestors, who are full of
life, Bearmark says.
Beats drum.
They guide us, they teach us, they help us.
We must welcome the elders.
Rain.Wind. Earth. Fire.
Lights match.
Welcome, nature spirits.
Nature. Land. Basin. Home.
Feed from it.
Stewardshipnot ownership.
Walk withnot walk over.
Photographs: Lauren Fulton
feature
09
05.01.2008
VOL. 5 ISS. 30 08
05.01.2008
VOL. 5 ISS. 30
After a weekend of LARPing, I decided to investigate the development of a LARP, so I delved
into the womb of a baby LARP.
Society in Shadows is a LARP-in-progress, developed by KU graduate student Jen Decker and
her company, Six Stones. I visited Deckers business while she and her staff were preparing for the
Midwest Area Gaming Enthusiast (MAGE) convention (or con, in gamer lingo) that took place April
25 through 27 in Sioux City, Iowa.
Jen operates Six Stones out of her house. She has a comfortable set-up.The staff works fromTV
trays while sitting in armchairs in her living room. Eight of the 13 regular staff members were present,
but the house seemed even cozier because of the fve cats and the large, roaming black dog.
Some of the staffers were preparing materials like player handbooks and props that will be used at
the con. Others were writing the plot that will serve as the storyline of the game.
One thing about making a game is that you have to generate an entire world and political structure.
When youre trying to cover the basis of peoples imagination, thats quite a task, saysVanessa Ren, Six
Stones staff member and KU Medical Center student.
Society in Shadows players dont pretend they are in a different world, like in NERO.The game
takes place in present day in the present locationwhich usually happens to be a con.This is where
the game gets its name.The gamers play supernaturals interacting as a society in the shadows of the
human world.
Decker has been running and developing the game for 13 years. She usually hosts four events a year.
Each event is a chance to test new rules and further develop the game. Eventually, Decker and her
staff plan to publish a fnalized version of the game in the form of a book that describes background,
rules and powers, and how to play.
This is a creative outlet, says Six Stones staffer Robert Ren.But in the end, we are trying to make
something, a fnished product that we can put on the shelves, that we can have published, that we
can have people buying that havent been to our conventions before. Its a combination of wanting to
succeed at business, and creating something thats lasting.
For more information: six-stones.com and NEROCentral.com
Above: Imgetting ready to ruin someones day,says Joe Bearden, Lawrence graduate student and
founder of NEROCentral, as he dresses up as a Death Knight. Above right: (fromleft) Alex Hoggard plays
a fox named Sly, Jayplay writer Travis Brown plays a hobling named Elmore Hawkborne and Dale Gilliante
plays a gypsy prince named Buxtehude Buxtehude; Right: Hillary Kruger holds seven spell packets. She,
like many players, holds these packs of birdseed in this manner to give the impression that her hand is
glowing with power.
Phil Layman (playing
a Deathcrafter named
Bad Shark) points to
a giant spider in the
distance.
Celebrating spirit.
We feast on meatballs, peanut butter and jelly
sandwiches, Little Debbie oatmeal cream pies and
animal crackers.
A gypsy prince named Buxtehude (Dale
Gilliante) offers me an intoxicant. I say no at frst,
but he seems offended.
You dont want intoxicant? Buxtehude asks
sternly.
I grab a clear plastic Solo cup from a nearby
pile, and he pours me a glass of green tea from
his bottle. He tells me he has traveled here from
another land, searching for a white Gryphon who
saved his family.
I realize it is after midnight and I have yet to see
a lick of battle. Watching the spectacle of character
interaction is fascinating, but I know too little and
have too few powers to participate in the power
trading and political conversing.
I look around and realize that I have been sitting
in a dark room for more than two hours with
people who have not once broken character. To my
left sits a 15-year-old boy with horns. To my right
sits a middle-aged man dressed as a gypsy prince.
As soon as the two begin trading powers, I hear a
cry for help outside of the cabin.
Everyone runs outside into the rain, weapons
in hand. We go forth to slaughter an eight-legged
monster that had attacked one of our companions.
This was the frst of many battles to come.
Be all that you cant be
Excluding me, 15 players participated in the
weekend activities. In more favorable weather,
NERO Central usually has around 30 participants.
But some LARP events draw in thousands of
players.
The LARP community has spawned an annual
LARPy Awards Show (even though there have only
been two and they were more than a year apart),
LARP magazine, and a LARP museum. All these are
testaments to the LARP following.
Many LARPers are just looking to escape
from the routine normality of everyday life. This
is summed up in NEROs motto: Be all that you
cant be.
If youre stuck in a cubicle all week, on the
weekend you get to be the knight in shining armor
that slays the dragon and gets the girl, and you
dont have to worry about the cover sheet on your
TPS report, Hines says. In addition to playing the
character of Bearmark, Hines is a NERO Central
staff member and host for www.larppodcast.com.
However, its not always easy to balance ones
LARP life with real life. LARPing may sound unusual
to people who have never heard of the activity.
Hines says that since her boss started asking her to
work on Saturdays, she has to choose her wording
carefully when explaining why she cant work some
weekends. I told him that I volunteer at a camp to
teach creative problem solving, team-building skills
and confict resolution, Hines says.
Hines is not alone. LARP is far from accepted in
mainstream culture, forcing LARPers to keep their
hobby inside the cave.
If you go to a public place and you see people
in the woods with long red capes, brandishing PVC
swords, throwing bean bags at each other and
yelling lightning bolt, you have reason to be afraid
of it because you dont know what it is, says Dr. J.
Patrick Williams, sociologist and editor of Gaming
as Culture: Essays in Reality, Identity and Experience in
Fantasy Games. Williams has extensively researched
gaming cultures and fantasy gaming, and says
LARPing provokes an unnecessary negative bias.
Look at the people that paint their faces, or
paint letters on their chest and go topless at sports
events, Williams says. From a certain perspective,
thats pretty freaky, but since theyre fans of
mainstream sports, theyre not seen as troubled or
deviant.
Flight of the Kobolds
Its 3 p.m. Saturdaythe second day of NERO.
Last nights activities didnt wind down until around
6 a.m., so the group has gotten a late start. We are
on our second adventure of the day, searching for
a cave flled with Koboldsevil, menacing, reptilian
goblinoids.
A fock of Kobolds fies out from the woods,
quickly approaching us from behind. The mob of
crimson-dressed fgures is especially alarming when
they emerge from the washed-out colors of a
winter-struck forest.
I see them frst and shout to the rest of my
bloodthirsty comrades.
Look. Running. Red. Things, I yelp heroically.
The men, draped in red cloth, fap their arms
and make high-pitched skwa sounds, taunting us,
encouraging us to attack.
My crew slaughters the Kobolds. We move on,
triumphant.
No more than two minutes later, we meet
another onslaught of demon birds. I decide to
step forward and prove myself. I come upon an
especially large one. I swing to the right, but my
mace is blocked by a red saber. I swing to the left.
Blocked again. The bastard creature strikes and hits
me. Fortunately, I am wearing strong armor. I lunge
forward, thrusting my mace against the beasts
shoulder, knocking off its arm and leaving it to
drown in a puddle of its own blood.
Or at least thats how Id like to think it went.
All of these assaults are actually brought on by
the same group of men. Each time we attack them,
they wait awhile, then move farther down the path
to attack us again. I fnd this more frustrating than
entertaining. The pests just wont die. The rest of
the clan does not seem to mind. We lose a couple
of good men to a laughing spell that renders them
giddy and useless. One war-torn fghter must be
carried back to camp.
Bearmark, who had stayed at camp to prepare
lunch, warmly welcomes me back. How was your
adventure? she asks.
And I try to think of the last time that I was
outside and wasnt walking to campus, cursing
the weather. I try to think of the last time I
experienced the unparalleled stress relief of
beating the shit out of something. I try and think of
the last time I even attempted to grease the rusty
wheels of my imagination.
It really wasnt such a bad adventure, I reply.
Above: Hillary Kruger is fully equipped with two swords and a fistful of spell packets.
Below: (from left) Phil Layman and Joe Bearden play Kobolds, evil goblinoids.
10
05.01.2008
VOL. 5 ISS. 30
interesting fact: Of the five presidents who served in the Civil War, Rutherford
Birchard Hayes was the only one to be wounded. www.ipl.org
11
05.01.2008
VOL. 5 ISS. 30
Contact the writers: jfetterling@kansan.com
dsampat@kansan.com
Most people remember Lisa Loeb for her 1994
No. 1 single,Stay (I Missed You). As a 26-year-old
unsigned artist, Loeb quickly made a name for herself
with the song, which was featured on the soundtrack
for the movie Reality Bites. Loeb has since made
various career moves, including appearing on the
reality TV show No. 1 Single.The show aired in spring
2006 on E!, and was about Loebs search for love
in New York City. Loebs latest project is an album
of childrens songs called Camp Lisa, which will be
released on June 3.
If you could see anyone in concert, dead
or alive, who would it be?
Jimi Hendrix. I just heard that he was a magical guitar
player and, from what footage Ive seen, I want to see
that in real life.
Weve heard you love to cook. What is
your favorite meal to make for yourself?
I like pecan-crusted salmon and beet salad and
roasted brussel sprouts.That sounds so gross, but its
delicious.
What is your biggest pet peeve?
When people make that crinkly sound with snack
bags that chips come in, especially when women with
really long nails do it on the subway.
What kind of music do you listen to?
I listen to a lot of Led Zeppelin, and just classic rock.
I also really like more underground music, which
seems to be getting more popular now.
You were on the show No. 1 Single. What
did you like about doing it?
I enjoyed the creators and the production side of
the show, such as deciding where we were going
to shoot and what situations would be on camera.
I thought the show told a story that people could
relate to, and it represented me well. I also liked
representing a sector of the community, women
in particular, that seems to be left out of reality
television.
How do you think the show affected your
career?
I defnitely had more exposure to the general public,
and people became more aware of me if they hadnt
heard of me in awhile. It also gave me more fexibility
and personal freedom as a singer, because I think it
gave a more well-rounded presentation of myself.Too
often, people have known me for my quiet acoustics,
and now they can see a broader side of me.
Who inspires you?
Natalie Goldberg. Shes a writing teacher who
inspires me because she encourages people to just
write and not edit yourself.This is something that I
didnt learn growing up, and it has been helpful advice.
Why did you decide to write music for
kids?
This is my second childrens album, but this one
has camp songs because those were my favorite
songs when I was a kid. Kids music made a big
impact on me when I was young, and because I have
nieces, I wanted to make music for them that they
could relate to. I also just wanted to be up for the
challenge.
What things do you write about now that
you wouldnt have 20 years ago?
The biggest difference is that I liked music that was
abstract when I was younger. I never knew what
people were talking about and I thought that was a
strength in their writing. Now, I like to write songs
that are more straightforward. Its hard to look
at things the way they really are, but I think that
challenge to be honest has made my music better
and easier to relate to.
You turned 40 in March. How do you feel
about this milestone?
Im excited, because I dont really feel old. I feel wise
and have more perspective, but it feels surprisingly
normal. I thought my life would be settled and put
into this neat package by now, but its the same. Im
still driven, just less hyper.
Ethan Hawke had a big infuence on your
career in the 90s. Do you ever see him
these days?
I see him every once in awhile, but we dont hang
out now or anything. He was really supportive and
helpful back then, though.When he directed my
video for Stay, it helped put a lot of attention on
the video.
lJessie Fetterling
Q&A
with Lisa Loeb
Lisa Loeb
play
interesting fact: A political cartoon about a bear-hunting trip Theodore Roosevelt
went on in 1902 is believed to have inspired the teddy bear. www.ipl.org.div
Head to the Spencer Museum of Art, 1301
Mississippi St., this Saturday between 1 p.m. and 5
p.m. for its frst Arts Festival. The event will feature
live music, live arts performance pieces and an
art sale on the museums front lawn. Attendees
can also help create a painting installation and
practice unique painting methods, such as painting
with their feet. More activities will be held inside
the museum, such as additional craft activities
and face painting. Megan Turner, Olathe senior
and president of the Spencer Museum of Art
Student Advisory Board, says the committee
wanted to make the event something everyone
in the community would enjoy. There will be
a nice collection and examples of art from not
only on the KU campus, but also artists in the
Lawrence community, Turner says. We thought
this was something lacking on campus, and its
an opportunity for people to get a feel of whats
happening art-wise right now.
lDeepa Sampat
this weekend
spencer arts festivaL
Art in
the Park
S
a
t
.

M
a
y

3
r
d


12th & Mass
10am-5pm
For more info 785-979-7039
Michael Sanders spent weeks this past winter
living at friends houses. He would only go back to
his apartment to grab new clothes, all the while
covering his mouth and holding his breath. For
months, the Topeka senior had been coughing and
having trouble breathing. He suspected it was from
the clearly visible mold growing in his bathroom.
College living often presents such health
concerns. Experts say the problems are often of
students own making and can be quickly fxed.
Jeffrey May, author of My House is Killing Me! The
Home Guide for Families with Allergies and Asthma,
says living with dust and mold is a bigger problem
than people realize. May specializes in pinpointing
the causes of peoples household misery and then
cleaning them up.
Some people have neurological problems or
headaches, or their sinuses react when they get a
headache, May says. Few doctors are clued into
the problem. Often, clients clean up the house and
get better.
Carpet is the most obvious culprit for containing
dust, allergens and mold that might cause
respiratory problems, May says. While thin carpet
is better than thicker, shaggier carpet, both carry
residue from everyone and everything that has lived
on them. May suggests using a steam vapor machine
to clean your carpet. The machine produces pure
steam that can wipe away dust and kill anything else
that might be causing problems.
Other likely household sources of mold and
allergens are sofas, chairs and beds. May says he had
a client who only needed to get rid of one piece of
furniture to rid himself of a chronic cough that had
been plaguing him.
Paying attention to when you feel sick or
congested might help you zero in on the area of
your house that could be causing trouble. Covering
a sofa or bed with a mattress cover for a short
while to see if your symptoms improve
can help you fgure out if this is the
true culprit. May suggests getting
covers from moving companies frst,
because they are much cheaper. Then,
if the cover helps, you can spend more
money on an expensive one that might
work even better.
Sanders fnally got over his cough, but mold still
seems to be growing in his bathroom. He tried
covering up the black spores with tape, but he
doesnt think it has helped much. His apartment
doesnt have central air, only a window
unit that doesnt do a good job
moving moisture out of the apartment or circulating
air.
May says not having circulating air in a room can
be problematic, noting that window units often
dont have good flters that can clean potential
hazardous allergens and mold spores from
circulating back through the room. Sanders plans on
moving out after this semester, leaving his mold to
someone else.
Besides mold causing you health problems,
bacteria can also be dangerously prevalent in the
apartments and dorms of college students. Bill
Picking, professor of biosciences at the University,
says clean living is especially important in communal
living areas. With so many people creating a mess in
dorms or apartment complexes, the amount of food
for bacteria to grow on increases.
Picking says we live around bacteria all the time,
and only very little of it is pathogenic, a big word
meaning its bad for you. Staying away from such
bacteria means cleaning dishes and not letting food
pile up so bacteria can grow on it.
Still, even if you do have dangerous
bacteria growing in your living area,
Picking says direct contact is necessary
for illness. Dish rags used to clean
areas where raw meat has touched
should be immediately washed.
Picking suggests using bleach and
hot water to ensure you are
safe. Rags can pick up bacteria
everywhere they touch and
spread it just as easily. Washing
your rags frequently can
reduce the risk of spreading
nasty bacteria when
you think you are really
cleaning.
Perhaps more
disgusting, Picking says
every time we fush a
toilet, an aerosol of fecal
matter gets released
into the air, and the
bacteria released can
cause diarrhea.
Still, he says, the
kitchen is probably
more dangerous,
because bacteria has
more of a chance of
making direct contact
with you or being
ingested.
Just because fu
season has ended
doesnt mean
college living has
suddenly become
safe again, so stay
healthy by staying
clean.
12
05.01.2008
VOL. 5 ISS. 30
Graphic by: Brenna Hawley
Household health
Staying healthy is as easy as keeping clean
for more information: www.myhouseiskillingme.com
By Jeff Briscoe
jbriscoe@kansan.com
Few doctors are clued into the problem. Often,
clients clean up the house and get better.
Jeffrey May,
author of My House is Killing Me!
health
13
05.01.2008
VOL. 5 ISS. 30
contact the writer:
ksyring@kansan.com
good for you/
bad for you
After drinking half a can of pop and eating
half a bowl of food, you decide to save the rest
of your meal for later. You will probably put your
leftovers in the refrigerator until you want them
again. However, if you dont cover the can and
the bowl, you might come back to a meal that
contains more than you bargained for.
Annabel Hecht, author of The Unwelcome
Dinner Guest: Preventing Food-Borne Illness, says
that keeping open containers in your fridge can
produce a lot of bacteria within the food. Cross-
contamination can occur between foods that have
not been covered, meaning that one container
may harbor several kinds of bacteria that it picked up from other open containers in your fridge. One
bacterium can multiply into four million bacteria in fewer than eight hours given the right conditions,
Hecht says. Because of the cold temperature, bacteria grow at a slower rate in refrigerators, but last
nights dinner can easily have more than one million new ingredients by dinnertime today if its left in an
open container. If you eat or drink anything that has been left open and has a large amount of bacteria
in it, you have a good chance of becoming sick, Hecht says. She recommends keeping all containers, both
food and beverage, sealed tightly in your fridge. She also says its good to have air circulating inside your
fridge, so dont pack containers in too close together.
Not only will covering your containers keep you from getting sick, but it will also keep your
refrigerator lasting longer. Open beverages increase the amount of moisture deposited onto the cooling
coil in your fridge, says Donald Grummet, author of Steps to Help Refrigerators Live Longer. Grummet
says the extra moisture can cause the compressor in your fridge to run about four hours longer than it
normally would each day. If your compressor works harder than its supposed to, it stops working much
sooner than expected.
So, keep your body and your fridge healthy: Cover those containers.
VERDICT: BAD FOR YOU
lKaitlyn Syring
open containers
health
interesting fact: James Polk survived a gallstone operation at age 17 without anesthesia or
antiseptics. Those medical practices were not used at the time. www.ipl.org
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14
05.01.2008
VOL. 5 ISS. 30
Contact the writer: mlindberg@kansan.com
interesting fact: Thomas Jefferson wrote his own epitaph, which didnt
mention that he had been president of the United States. www.ipl.org
m
o
v
i
e
Harold and Kumar are back, only this time
they arent after a fast-food craving, but are trying
to break free from Guantanamo Bay and prove
their innocence. Picking up a mere fve minutes
after its predecessor, Harold & Kumar Escape
from Guantanamo Bay fnds the duo traveling to
Amsterdam to follow Harolds dream girl, Maria,
when the guys are mistaken for terrorists on the
airplane and sent to Guantanamo Bay.
Harold and Kumar manage to escape the
prison, and fnd themselves trying to get to
Texas, as Harold believes Kumars ex-girlfriends
fancwhose father works with the president
can bail them out, while Kumar is plotting to win
back his ex.
Along the way, the boys crash a Ku Klux Klan
meeting, meet an inbred family, and even manage
to smoke weed with none other than President
Bush.
Neil Patrick Harris, best known for his role
as Doogie Howser, M.D., reprises his role as a
satirical version of himself. He steals the show
during his scenes, but he isnt in the movie as
much as I would have liked.
The flm is defnitely enjoyable if youre looking
for something to laugh at, though its not as
strong as the original. But, if you laughed when Harold and Kumar went to White Castle, youll defnitely
fnd yourself doing the same this time around.
HHHII
Matt Lindberg
Harold & Kumar Escape
from Guantanamo Bay
Live Entertainment
Every Thursday
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Night Club after 10pm
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$2 Mexican & Domestic Beers
for Cinco de Mayo!
Everyone always says I look exactly like my father.
Dont get me wrong, Ill be glad to have a full head
of hair when I hit my 60s, especially because all the
other men in the Bell family lost theirs decades ago.
Still, I always used to take comparisons to my father
as insults, because for a long time I couldnt stand
him.
I was in second grade when my father decided to
quit his full-time job and follow a call to the ministry.
I would like to say I was supportive of his decision
to follow the path that was best for him, but at the
time I was anything but. I was a selfsh little second
grader who had never wanted for anything, and
now I was being forced to leave behind the spoiled
city-boy lifestyle that I knew to follow my dad into
uncharted territory.
During a period of four years, we moved three
times, going from Texas to Kentucky to Indiana, and
fnally to Kansas. Every time we moved, I had to
leave behind all the friends Id made and start over,
and even though Id come to appreciate what my
father was doing, that selfsh little kid inside me still
resented him for it.
Upon reaching Kansas, we fnally settled down.
We lived in Kinsley, a little town in western Kansas
thats about as far from the rest of the world as you
can get. And so that little town became my world
from sixth grade all the way through high school. We
hadnt been there long when my mother insisted
that we stay until I fnished high school, despite the
fact that the United Methodists like to move their
pastors around every two years or so. Thankfully, the
members of the Kinsley United Methodist Church
liked my dad enough to keep him around until I
graduated high school.
Church became another wedge between my
father and me. As a pastor, his entire life was
wrapped up in the church, and I remember plenty
of family dinners and other plans
that were scrapped because of some
church committee meeting. Mom tried
to be understanding, but many times
she couldnt hide her irritation. Dad
was always apologetic, but that never
seemed to bring about any changes in
scheduling.
It didnt help that both of my parents
complained about these constant
committee meetings. I became a cynic
about all matters relating to the church.
Id been raised to see the church as
a house of God, existing only to praise his name
and do his works. Instead, I saw a bureaucratic
monster, driven by a few old idiots who were so
caught up in tradition that they couldnt be made
to understand reason. I wanted nothing to do with
the church after that, but my parents still forced me
to attend all the way through high school. I hated
the church for being everything it wasnt supposed
to be, and I despised the idea that my father was
wrapped up in all of it.
Throughout middle school and high school, I
spent as little time with my father as I could. We
had very different interests, so it wasnt that diffcult.
He loved to go out and play golf, while I preferred
to sit at home and play Half-Life or Final Fantasy. He
enjoyed watching sports, attending almost every
high school football or basketball game. I wanted to
be out with my friends, cruising around town with
the car stereo blaring The Offspring or Linkin Park
at dangerous, and most likely illegal, levels.
The only passion that we shared was our love
of music, but our tastes in music were completely
opposite. Well, my father didnt like most of the
music I listened to, and I wouldnt admit to liking all
the classic rock he did. And even then, our approach
to music was completely different. He loved to
perform in front of people, often
playing guitar and singing at church. I
preferred to lock myself up in my room
when no one was home and sing along
with my stereo, completely avoiding
the public eye. I wasnt comfortable
with the idea of singing in front of
other people, and I was envious of my
father because he could do it without a
second thought.
While in high school, I started
talking to my father. The church was a
block away from the school and was
almost always stocked with pop, so I would walk
or drive over after school. I didnt go often, as I
typically avoided spending time with my father, but
the free pop forced my hand. Usually, we just played
foosball and talked about school and work, but
eventually I started asking questions about things
I would hear on the news or at school. It started
with the creationism vs. evolution debate, which I
thought was ridiculous. Id always believed that the
two ideas complemented each other, but people
on both sides of the issue were too stubborn to
accept it. Of course, with his involvement in the
church, I expected my dad to take the stereotypical
conservative Christian standpoint on the side of
creationism. In all honesty, I didnt care about the
issue. I was just looking to prove my dad wrong.
The conversation was awkward for me at frst,
as my conversations with my father were usually
confned to the general afternoon banter of How
was your day? I remember arguing my point so
forcefully that I was almost daring him to contradict
me. Instead, my dad just leaned back in his chair
and explained calmly to me that he agreed, and
that he thought the people making such a huge fuss
about the issue were giving Christians a bad image. I
almost tried to argue with him, because Id been so
sure he would disagree with me.
I continue to have these little debates with my
dad. We dont see eye to eye on every issue, but he
is always willing to listen and discuss my point of
view, even when he completely disagrees with it. We
may be opposites in many respects, but I discovered
that my dad is just like me in more ways than Id
ever realized. We think alike. We have a very logical
way of looking at things and we deal with them in
a sequential manner, but all of our decisions are
tempered by emotion. And today, the one thing that
made me resent him for so long is the reason I look
up to him the most: He followed the path that was
right for him.
Meeting of the Minds
I used to hate my
father for becoming
a pastor, but now
I admire him
By Chris Bell
15
05.01.2008
VOL. 5 ISS. 30
Contact the writer:
cbell@kansan.com
interesting fact: John Quincy Adams regularly swam nude at 5 a.m. in the Potomac River. After being refused interviews with the presi-
dent, journalist Anne Royall went to the river, gathered his clothes and sat on them until she had her interview. www.ipl.org
Top: Chris extended family, including his three half-siblings and their spouses and kids. His parents
are in the back, with his dad in his dress robes that he wears for baptisms, weddings and the like. Bot-
tom: Chris and his father in third grade.
Jayplay
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