Echo October 15, 1999

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Echo
October 15, 1999
Volume 105     Issue 3
In this issue:
ACC takes on "Dung" Art, page 2
Creative writing contest, page 3
Like hockey? See Mystery Alaska, page 5
Lessons in stage combat, page 6
Bloemendal continues to set records, page 8
1999 Christensen
Symposium a success
Reverend Forbes proclaims Minneapolis a city of diversity
Jesse Woodroffe
News editor
When Dr. Rev. James A. Forbes
stepped to the pulpit of Hoversten
Chapel to speak, many of those in
attendance had no idea of what to
expect.
Those who had attended Forbes'
Ecumenical Prayer Breakfast had
great expectations. They knew
that he was an inspired speaker.
They knew he carried a powerful
message. They knew they were
going to be moved. But even they
didn't know how remarkable his
convocational address really
would be.
Forbes'    self-proclaimed    theme
was "the recruitment of Human
Race Activists".
"In every age, God has some folks
who are committed to togetherness," said Forbes, but "there are
forces pulling us apart."
He declared that racism and clas-
sism are returning, like a cancer
coming out of remission. Like a
virus gone airborne, they are
spreading to "gated communities"
that had once been considered
safe from these problems.
"You can't be neutral anymore,"
stated Forbes. "If you don't make
a choice, choices will be made for
you."
The 1999 Christensen Symposium
Spirituality and Racial Diversity
in the Context ot the City
Convocation:
The Christian Citizen
in a Racially Diverse City
Forbes urged people to look
beyond race, which he referred to
as "useless". He said that race
"could be good, as a way of identifying with others, but only if its
cultivation is towards the human
race." Further, he said "the only
purpose of race is affirmative
action. Race is a form of primary
group affirmative action."
According to Forbes, there is a
"new paradigm". We can no
longer view ourselves as single,
"atomistic" beings. "I am,
because we are," Forbes quoted,
and "we are more than mechanisms. It is necessary to begin
seeing the world as an integrated
tool."
He noted that we must come
together because we are "one people living together in this 'world
house'." He also stated that
"There is a song in all of us; if we
could sing our song together, what
glorious music we could make."
As the end of the convocation
approached, Dr. Rev. Forbes introduced his idea of a "bio-ontic"
world, and amended his earlier
statement that he wished to recruit
his listeners as "Human Race
Activists". Rather, they should be
"bio-ontic" race activists; the
human race would just be a subset
of the "bio-ontic" race.
He also explained that although
"bio-ontics" was a neosyllogism
which he created ad hoc that
morning, it described the essence
of his purpose; bio-ontics literally
means, from Latin, "life-beings".
At convocation's conclusion, the
assembled body of listeners gave
Dr. Rev. Forbes a full minute
standing ovation—an appropriate
close to an extraordinary address.
Augsburg College
Make a choice before one is made for you-be a Human Race Activist.
News Briefs: The Nation. The World
Death toll rises in Mexico
Rescue teams are intensifying their efforts in central and southern Mexico, where floods and mudslides brought on by over a week of rain have killed
at least 218 people. The downpour caused flooding
in nine states across the country. Although the rain
has subsided, government officials say the death
toll is certain to rise as more reports come in from
areas that are still cut off.
Second man goes on trial in
murder of Matthew Shepard
The second of two men accused of murdering an
openly gay college student goes on trial in Laramie.
Wyoming. Monday, when jury selection begins in a
brutal case that shocked the nation. Aaron McKin-
ney. 22. could face the death penalty if convicted of
murdering Matthew Shepard. a 21-year-old student
at the University of Wyoming. Shepard was tortured, and died of massive head wounds last October. In April. McKinney's friend, Russell
Henderson, got life in prison for murder and kidnapping. Jury selection for McKinney's trial
should take about two weeks.
World's six billionth person born
A baby boy — symbolically designated the world's
6 billionth person — was born to a first-time
mother in a Sarajevo hospital Tuesday, the head of
a pediatric clinic said. Dr. Idris Bukvic.said Fatima
Nevic gave birth to the 8-pound boy two minutes
after midnight. The U.N. Population Fund had estimated the world's population would reach 6 billion
on Tuesday, and Secretary-General Kofi Annan
said he would declare the first child born in the
Bosnian capital after midnight Baby Six Billion.
Police costs relating to JonBenet
homicide top $1.3 million
Police expenditures related to the murder investigation of 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey have topped
more than $1.3 million, making it the most expensive case in Boulder, Colorado's history, city officials revealed. The news came as an adviser to
Boulder County District Attomy Alex Hunter said
JonBenet's parents "are a target" of the grand jury
investigation into the murder. The grand jury is to
reconvene Tuesday.
Anne Osberg ECHO
1999 Homecoming King Jeoffrey Reed and Queen Trena Bolden
King Reed and Queen
Bolden Crowned
Auggies end the Millennium in style
Anne Osberg
Staff writer	
This year's Homecoming theme was "Show Your Spirit" and there
were plenty of opportunities for faculty, staff, students and alumni to
do just that.
Last Thursday night, during Homecoming week, the Athletic Hall of
Fame dinner was held in the Commons area of the Christensen Center
where it honored the three inductees: Dave Boots, Kathy Korum and
current head wrestling and assistant football coach, Jeff Swenson.
Friday night was the Variety Show and coronation of the 1999 Homecoming King and Queen. The third place winners of the Variety show
were James Pope and Brenden Anderson with their saxophone rendition of the Beatles' "Hey Jude." The runner-up was the band "Last in
Line" with Dave Thompsen, James Shropshire, Andy Langenfeld and
Nick Schroeder. Emily Gerard won the $100 grand prize for "Somewhere Over the Rainbow, which she played on her harp.
The representatives for Homecoming court for each class were as follows: freshmen Emily Gerard and Christian Shada, sophomores Lindsay Bonner and Chad Thorp, and juniors Anne Osberg and David
Asp. The finalists for Queen were Kirsten Arveson (Choir), Trena
Bolden (Pan-Afrikan Student Union), and Kelly Donahue (ASAC).
The finalists for King were Ross Murray (Campus Ministry), Lewis
Nelson (Fellowship of Christian Athletes), and Jeoffrey Reed
(PASU). Trena Bolden was crowned by 1997 King Larye Pohlman,
and Jeoffrey Reed was crowned by 1998 Queen Sarah Ginkel.
The festivities continued on Saturday with a disappointing loss to
Gustavus on the football field. The last Homecoming of the millennium ended with a Leep 27 concert held in the gym.
"The crisis of manhood"
Faludi addresses male roles in society
By Jennifer Rensenbrink
Staff Writer
Susan Faludi told a crowd that
filled Macalester's chapel to
standing-room only last week that
"feminism holds the key to the
male predicament."
Faludi, whose bestselling 1991
book Backlash: The Undeclared
War Against American Women,
caused a national uproar, has just
written a new book, Stiffed: The
Betrayal of the American Man.
which she promoted at
Macalester.
Stiffed is Faludi's compiled
research from six years of attending Promise Keepers meetings,
visiting media "hot spots," and
interviewing everyone from the
leader of the Spur Posse to Arnold
Schwarzenegger.
Male distress, illness, and suicides
are on the rise, and one of the
basic problems that many men
face, according to Faludi, is the
definition of manhood, of what
they should aspire to.
Faludi pointed out that the media
tends to blame these "man problems" on feminism or biology—
what she calls "the testosterone
stereotype."
In her years of research, Faludi
has uncovered some basic problems that men face, many that
were caused by events over which
they had no control.
The economic trauma of the early
'90s, uninvolved fathers, and Vietnam were all major factors in the
psychological well-being of the
men Faludi interviewed.
Many men talked about their
World War II GI fathers, who held
up a model of manhood for them
see "Faludi" page 7