Ferris State Theatre takes us back to the seventeenthcentury in the classical comedy “Tartuffe”, the first play to hit the stage in 2008.

The play is directed by Katherine La Pietra, an assistant professor of theatre arts at Ferris, who chose “Tartuffe” because it was a good follow-up to last November’s play “Dead Man Walking,” which probed the issues surrounding capital punishment.

In this production, the character Tartuffe, played by television and digital media production major Cameron Anderson, tries to swindle family-man Orgon out of his money and other things after Orgon welcomes him into his home.

Joe Vance, an applied mathematics major at Ferris, plays the role of the unsuspecting Orgon, whose family sees through the con-man ways of Tartuffe, but can’t convince Orgon otherwise.

“This play teaches you that the best advice comes from those close to you,” said Vance. “But it is a very exciting and funny show, so don’t be afraid to laugh.” Vance referred to the play as Dr. Seuss rhyming meets the “Three Musketeers” period.

“Tartuffe” was written by Jean Baptiste Poquelin, who is more commonly referred to by his stage name Moliere. According to site-moliere.com, Moliere was one of France’s best known comedic playwrights.

“This play is a learning experience for the students,” said La Pietra. “They have studied the different movements and styles of that classical era.” She also added how comical it was to teach the men how to walk in high heels and maintain their faux hair.

According to moliere-inenglish. com, the play was first released in 1664, but was banned by King Louis XIV after only a few shows.

Several years following, Moliere tried to get permission for a public performance and during that time he was referred to as a “demon in human flesh” by the churches.

Their outrage stemmed from the character of Tartuffe, who played a religious hypocrite, whose preaching of religion blinded Orgon. According to the website, the churches took this as a mockery of faith by Moliere.

His theatre was eventually closed and the Archbishop of France laid down strict rules for anyone who would read, see or act in the play. The consequence was a ban of excommunication.

Finally, five years after the first showing, the king granted Moliere permission to show “Tartuffe” in public.

The play not only heightened Moliere’s success as a playwright, but also created a new term in the English language.

At dictionary.com, the noun ‘tartuffe’ defines a hypocrite, especially one who affects religious piety.

The classical comedy will hit the stage for its first night at Ferris State University in Williams Auditorium this Thursday, Jan. 31, from 8 to 10:30 p.m.

If you miss the first night, the play will also show on Friday and Saturday from 8 to 10:30 p.m., with an additional Sunday show at 2:30 p.m. The play is $4 for students, $6 for senior citizens, and $8 for adults.

Professor of humanities and specialist in cultural and art history, Dr. Ted Walker, is kicking off this year’s Festival of the Arts with an informative discussion on the significance and roles of German woman featured in Nazi Art of the 1930s and 1940s.

According to Dr. Walker, these pieces of art are a reflection of the culture forced upon the Germans by past ruler, Adolf Hitler. He said, “Hitler was attempting to completely change every aspect of culture in Germany, including women’s place and role in the world, and that was described in the artwork.”

He also mentioned that all of the artists were actually required to create pictures of exactly what Hitler wanted them to do, being without work if they disobeyed.

The “image” of women and their role in society started out very similar to the classic nuclear family version of women, who were “good, virtuous Christian women, who supplied Germany with many children to feed the growing community,” but with the war taking place, they began to be portrayed as “purely lustful, sensual, and sexual objects.”

Dr. Walker stated that some may find the images “difficult to look at” because of their savagery and disrespect towards women.

“The whole point is to discuss a period in time in which people were not allowed the freedom to create art freely, like such privileges we are allowed today.”

The lecture will be held on Thursday, Jan. 31 from 11 a.m. to noon in the Rankin Center Founder’s Room 238. The event is free of charge and open to everyone.

Jan. 31
Nazi Art and German Women, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m., Rankin Center 238
Opening Wine and Cheese Reception, 6-7:30 p.m., Rankin Center Art Gallery

Feb 2
Kathryn Drake, Soprano in Recital, 7:30 p.m., First United Methodist Church

Feb. 3
Pulling Out All the Stops, 4 p.m., Sanctuary of the United Church

Feb. 4
Refabricating Architecture Lecture, 7:30 p.m., Granger Center Commons Area

Feb. 5
Refabricating Architecture Lecture, 11 a.m., Swan 208 Big Rapids High School Choir Solo and Ensemble, 6:30 p.m., Big Rapids High School

Events that Run More than Once During the Festival
Tartuffe, Jan. 31-Feb. 2, 8 p.m. (except Feb. 2, which is 2:30 p.m.), Williams Auditorium
“The Art of War” Photography Exhibit, Jan. 31-March 1, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (4 on Saturdays), Artworks
Foreign Film Series, multiple dates, 7 p.m., Big Rapids Community Library or Rankin Center
Introductory Welding for the Artist or Hobbyist, multiple dates, 6-9 p.m., Swan 116

Chevelle and the local band Unlisted will be performing this Thursday, Jan. 31, from 8-12 p.m. in the Wink Arena. Tickets are still on sale at $8 for students and $15 for everyone else. Limit one ticket only with valid student ID. Ticket locations include the Rankin Student Center or the Sports Center Ticket Office.

Chevelle is comprised of brothers Sam and Pete Loeffler, and friend Dean Bernardini. Sam is the band leader on drums; Pete plays the guitar and sings vocals, while Dean plays the bass.

The band, which is based out of Chicago, started out playing local parties and social events. Their popularity quickly grew, getting them regular gigs at local clubs.

Now the band has sold multiplatinum albums, played main stage at Ozzfest, and has had bountiful air time on the radio and MTV.

Unlisted is a local band formed here in Big Rapids. It is comprised of members Dave McNeil, Scotty Hicks, and Jimmy Blankenship. They have played festivals and clubs all over Michigan.

They describe themselves as rock/pop/alternative. They call themselves Unlisted because it is hard to pinpoint their sound to one genre of music.

January Jams is an annual event sponsored by Delta Chi. Money from the student activity fee is used to help pay for the expenses and keep ticket prices down. For more information about this event, please contact Chris Goodhue at proteam06@hotmail.com

Heath Ledger, star of movies like “10 Things I Hate About You” and “Brokeback Mountain” died of suspected accidental drug overdose in a SoHo apartment on Tuesday, Jan. 22. But you all ready knew that.

You knew that because everyone is buzzing about it. Even though the shock of his death has worn off, the worry about “The Dark Knight” being completed has subsided, and everyone has confessed his or her love for the actor’s movies… more than once. This happens all the time in Hollywood.

That famous saying is true: “You never realize how much you miss someone until they’re gone.” The world is reveling in this saying right now. Even boys that wouldn’t admit to watching chick flicks have admitted that they actually liked “10 Things.” One girl I worked with admitted that she hoped to see Ledger’s character in “Brokeback Mountain,” Ennis Del Mar, find love in a sequel.

These things would not have been said in normal conversation before, especially male confessions of liking a pretty guy’s click flick experience. All right, this may have happened when Ledger had his baby girl, Matilda, two years ago. Or after watching one of his movies. However, it wouldn’t be done to the extent that is occurring now. Why? Let’s face it: no one will see the man alive ever again.

Is it because paying attention to the media’s every move on the story is our way of grieving? Do we talk about him as a way to get it into our heads that we’ll never see that celebrity again?

The media endorses this whether they know it or not (I admit to doing this right now, but I’m mainly talking about death in Hollywood). Any new piece of information, every tribute to his passing, even any mention of Ledger’s name will bring the public straight to their news source, which then raises awareness of Ledger even more.

The more the media and public talk about him and his passing, the more they boost the movies he’s made, which actually puts dollar signs into the eyes of the companies that helped with his movies. They know that right now the public will take every advantage of anything Ledger related.

You know it’s true: the sequel to 2005’s “Batman Begins”, “The Dark Knight”, is coming out this summer and Ledger had a major part as the Joker (but I’m sure you already knew that too). If Warner Brothers decides to profit off his newfound “celebrity”, they’ll plaster the image of Ledger’s sadistic interpretation of the Joker all over every piece of media the U.S. uses. I really hope that this does not happen this time; the first thing I learned about the early 90s movie "The Crow" was that Brandon Lee died eight days before filming ended. I didn't need to know that.

Or maybe they’ll do it in a less conspicuous manner. Right now, there are talks at the Warner Brothers corporation of removing the Joker from all advertisements. This will cause uproars because this is what the movie is about (I’m one of those people that will be upset with the removal) and people will say that they’re trying to hide the death when his life should have been celebrated.

However, Warner Brothers is going to make a killing off this anyway because this is going to be Ledger’s final movie. A movie that was in the middle of filming, “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus”, will most likely be cancelled due to Ledger’s lead role in the production.

The point here is that celebrities are more famous dead than they were alive. It’s odd, but oh-so true.

Kirsten Haglund of Farmington Hills, Mich. proudly wore her Miss America crown Saturday night at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. She was awarded $50,000 in scholarships and travel.

She wore a revealing silver dress during the evening portion and a black bikini during the swimsuit portion to prove that Miss America has a new, hipper, hotter look.

Remember when pageants were all about world peace, big hair, and strict about what contestants wore? Well, not this time. After TLC ran the show “Miss America: Reality Check,” the pageant hasn’t been the same.

Contestants wore blue jeans during the opening scene, walked to music the DJ played, and struck posses that would have gotten them disqualified in the past.

The girls didn’t do it by themselves. The show enlisted the help of Clinton Kelly from “What Not to Wear” and many others to help create a more fashionable look for each contestant.

According to the Associated Press, ratings for Miss America had been declining in the past years and that’s the reason for the changes.

After being dropped from cable television, the show saw two years on the Country Music Television station. TLC decided to pick up the show last summer.

Those interview questions could no longer be answered with “world peace.” Oh no. This time, the pageant hit the streets. The contestants were asked about everything from Britney Spears’ sister to HIV.

Please believe many contestants delivered answers worthy of praise. I’m glad they did because it was America’s voting that helped some contestants make it to the top ten.

Haglund has promised to bring awareness to eating disorders, since she recently recovered from one herself.

Haglund is a music major at the University of Cincinnati and aspiring Broadway star. Her pageant skills come from a long line of pageant tradition. Her mother competed in pageants and her grandmother competed for the Miss Michigan crown in 1944.

Miss Indiana, Nicole Elizabeth Rash, won first runner up and Miss Washington, Elyse Umemoto, won second runner up.

I’m happy to see the show take on a new path. It was actually starting to get boring, which probably explains the dropped ratings.

My old impressions of pageants are good. I enjoyed watching them when I was a child. Up until Saturday, my most recent pageant impression came from the movie "Miss Congeniality." I still remember the lady saying “This is not a beauty pageant. This is a scholarship program.”

I’m happy that someone noticed the show was the same year in and year out. To be successful, you have to change. The pageant can now keep its years of excellence and scholarship alive.

“Timeless Warriors and Relics: 1,500 Years of Ancient China” is at the Midland Center for the Arts starting Jan. 20 until April 13, showing off approximately 50 authentic Chinese relics and two authentic, life-size terracotta warriors.

“This exhibition is a once-in-alifetime opportunity to come face to face with findings from one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the 20th century,” said Bruce Winslow, director of the Alden B. Dow Museum of Science & Art of Midland Center for the Arts, in a press release.

“The dignity, craftsmanship and powerful beauty of the terracotta warriors are arresting, each having its own individuality and personality.”

This exhibition is shown to help increase our knowledge of China’s First Emperor, Qin Shihuang (246- 210 B.C.), and how he unified China. He reigned for a short period of time for 14 years.

Not only do we learn about China’s First Emperor, but we also learn about his mausoleum and how he had “an 8,000-warrior, soldier, and horse strong sculptural terracotta army built underground in Xi’an, China, to help him maintain his dignity and to protect him in the afterlife for eternity,” according to a press release.

Some examples of artifacts, or relics, shown in the exhibition are sculptural figures, such as a Pixieshaped Pottery Zun, representing the Western Jin Dynasty, a rider pulling a recumbent camel, representing the Tang Dynasty, and a head of a warrior, representing the Qin Dynasty.

From Qin Shihuang’s time and up to the 20th century, Han, Sui, Song, Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming, Qing, and Tang were the principal Dynasties. The Tang Dynasty was a high point in Chinese civilization.

Not only are these rare relics human and animal figures, but architectural components, utilitarian objects and weaponry as well.

For example, a three colored pan basin with a dragon pattern on it is displayed representing the Jin Dynasty, and a mirror with four divinities and 12 Chinese zodiacs is also displayed representing the Tang Dynasty.

This exhibition would be a oneof- a-kind experience, especially when the Emperor’s Mausoleum, a large tomb able to hold an entire family or more after their deaths, is now considered the “8th Wonder of the World.”

According to the Web site mcfta. org, it “rivals the scale of the Great Pyramid in Egypt.” This famous tomb measures three miles across and took 700,000 conscripts to construct it.

It took around one million workers to construct the army of standing and kneeling figures, representing archers, infantrymen and cavalry-men, and horses and chariots.

The first Emperor’s Mausoleum was rediscovered in 1971 by three men making a well. They started digging about 1.5 kilometers east of the Emperor’s mound and found one of the warriors.

The reason the terracotta army is so valuable is because every single one is unique. Each one has its own personality. They were all designed differently to show individuality.

This is the only time the event will be in the U.S. The event is held at the Midland Center for the Arts now until April 13. Tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for children ages 4-14. The exhibit is closed Mondays.

For more information or details about this exhibit, please visit their Web site at mcfta.org or call 1-800- 523-7649.

College students as a demographic tend to consume way more pizza than the rest of the population. The ease of availability of this popular food item makes it a purchase based on what Professor in the College of Business at Ferris State University; Dr. Richard Hansen calls “time and convenience.”

But what if pizza wasn’t so convenient to make and took a bit more time to enjoy? Recently I was staring at a page in a cook book describing the steps to making one’s own personal pizza at home. My cousin, feeling ambitious, initiated this culinary commission with my entranced supervision absorbing the how to's of proper pizza production.

The most important part is the dough. It takes a bit more time, but the amount of effort put in is reflected in the taste. Ingredients needed include a packet of yeast, two tbsp. of sugar (For the yeast), four cups of flour, four tbsp. of olive oil, two tsp. of salt, and a small bag of Semolina flour. The rest of the toppings are up to you and will come in later.

To start, read the directions on your yeast packet. You may need to activate the yeast by stirring it into a cup of warm water. Read the directions carefully because the rowdier your yeast is, the better your dough will turn out.

Once your yeast culture is a bit foamy at the top, it’s ready to use. Add the salt and the olive oil to the yeast and, one cup at a time, whisk in the flour. (Not the Semolina. That’s for later.) Be sure the mixture is thoroughly combined. After all of the flour has been added, make sure the hands involved have been washed and dried and begin kneading, that is folding and re-folding the dough with the one’s palms. If it seems too sticky to handle, add a small amount of flour. After a few minutes of kneading, in a new bowl coat the sides and bottom with olive oil and place the dough in it. Be sure to move the dough around briefly to cover all of it in oil. Cover the bowl with a towel and allow it to sit for around 45 minutes to an hour as the dough will rise and double in size from the production of carbon dioxide by the yeast.

While the dough is ‘setting up’ you can prepare your toppings. Brown some meat, cut up some tomato and mushrooms. Get out your pizza sauce, or make your own and don’t get too curious about the dough. Leave it alone.

Once an hour or so has past, remove the towel from the bowl to find what should a massive blob of dough. Punch it down, meaning punch your fist right into the middle of it to squish it, and pull it out of the bowl. Make sure that you have lightly floured your counter top to prevent the dough from sticking to it and separate the dough into four equal balls. At this point, it’s a good idea to cover them with the towel again and let them cool for about 20 to 30 minutes. It will make the dough easier to shape and flatten out.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Spread an even layer of semolina flour onto your preparation space. The semolina flour is important because it is a far coarser than regular flour used in making the dough and serves as a type of ball bearing to prevent the dough from sticking to the counter while it is being flattened.

When it is about a quarter of an inch thick and progressively thicker towards the sides, put it onto a very lightly greased baking sheet and top with all of your favorites. If you have a pizza stone or a pizza screen, that is even better. Cook for around five to nine minutes, depending on how you like it. A good sign that it is done is some mild bubbling and golden brown crust.

Take it out of the oven, let it settle and cool for a few moments, then carefully cut and enjoy.

Don’t expect your first one to turn out like Emeril Lagasse’s, but with a little practice you too can make a delicious pizza pie.

Also, this might not be a bad idea for an “evening in” with a significant other. However, if one is not available, your roommates will suffice.

Rock, country, rap or pop? Once again, Entertainment Unlimited (EU) is putting the decision for this year’s Ferris Fest celebration in the student body’s hands.

Ferris Fest, a celebration held in April, features a couple opening bands before the headliner at the end of the day. Ferris will be choosing the headliner.

“The survey has a list of over 30 artists from different music genres,” said Kaeley Olsen, overall chair of Ferris Fest. “The survey has genres of artists from Paramore to Phil Vassar to One Republic to Soulja Boy.”

Students can vote for their top contender by going to studentgov. ferris.edu/evoter from now until Feb. 2.

“I hope everyone votes; this is a concert for the students,” Olsen said.

This year EU plans to use the same survey that Student Government uses for their elections which allows the student, with the help of their MyFSU username and password, to complete the survey only once.

Last year a large percentage of the student body filled out EU’s survey. EU's advisor, Matt Eickhoff, says that 10 percent of the Ferris population (about 1,200 people) filled out surveys.

This year’s Ferris Fest will happen during the day of April 26.