PAGE 2 — THE DECREE — NOVEMBER 1,1996
Campus Life
‘Radio Hour’ gives
newcomers chance
to outshine veterans
ART DRAWS INTEREST — Artist Chris Wilson (left) of Barton College introduces his art to a
large crowd at a public reception last week honoring an exhibition of Wilson’s paintings and
drawings now on display through Dec. 17 at the Mims Gallery at the Dunn Center for the Perform
ing Arts. The reception also included a dedication to the acquisition of Wilson’s recently finished
portrait of Daisy Thorp, Wesleyan professor emeritus of art. The Mims Gallery is open to the public
weekdays from 2-4 p.m.
Presidential candidates split
on affirmative action value
Affirmative action is an issue
that’s been debated in state legis
latures, attacked in court rooms,
and prompted protests on college
campuses during the past year.
Here’s a look at the presiden
tial candidates’ views on affir
mative action:
Democrat Bill Clinton:
'"We should reaffirm the prin
ciple of affirmative action and fix
the practices. Mend it, but don’t
end it. ”
The president supports affir
mative action programs, but wants
limits. He created a task force to
review government affirmative
action programs and concluded
they were worthwhile. He op
poses quotas and has directed fed
eral departments to change any
program that creates a preference
for unqualified people.
“I’m against quotas. I’m
against reverse discrimination;
I'm against giving anybody un
qualified anything they’re not
qualified for. But I am for mak
ing a conscious effort to bring the
American people together,” he
said.
Clinton opposes Proposition
209, the California ballot mea
sure that would end race and gen
der preferences in state hiring and
university admissions.
Republican Bob Dole:
“You do not cure the evil of
discrimination with more dis
crimination. "
Dole once supported affirma
tive action but now opposes it,,
favoring programs based on merit.
“I think now we’ve reached a
point where we need to move on,”
he said.
As Senate majority leader, he
introduced the Equal Employment
Opportunity Act of 1996, which
would end most federal affirma
tive action programs. He supports
efforts to recruit qualified women
and minorities in the work place.
“What we really want to have
someday in America is a color
blind society. Maybe we’re not
there yet, but it’s time to end
quotas...and preferences and deal
with merit,” he said.
Dole supports Proposition 209.
Reform Party leader Ross
Perot:
“It needs to be fine-tuned and
changed."
Perot said he believes that af
firmation action made dramatic
changes in America and led to
“tremendous progress” by minori
ties. But the program has prob
lems that need to be worked out,
he said.
Perot has not taken a stance
on Proposition 209.
“To shut it down may or may
not be premature,” he said. “I
would like to study that.”
By MOLLY McCLUSKEY
Maybe it was the fact that the
opening night of “1940s Radio
Hour” in the Dunn Center was on
a Thursday. Maybe it was the fact
that the tech cues were frequently
late — the applause sign flashed
only after the moment had passed
— or maybe it was the costum
ing: frequently ill-fitting. What
ever the reason, the opening night
fell far short of the polished per
formance it should have been.
The cast was off, on notes
sung, on lines spoken, and on
emotions, though falsified, which
didn’t ring true. Veteran Missy
Harbach, whose performance was
at best lukewarm, lacked the en
thusiasm usually apparent in her
performances.
Drew Davis was in the back
ground as the assistant to the ra
dio manager. His lines were few,
requiring the most of every ges
ture.
The character of sleazy Johnny
Cantone was played by Kevin
Corbett, no stranger to Wes
ley an’s theater. Corbett gave a
caliber performance, delivering
his drunken lines with relish and
an accent that was part New York
and part the Godfather. Even his
intoxicated slump onto the set,
though in the background, earned
several laughs. However, even
Corbett commented later that that
it wasn’t his best performance.
Review
The exceptions in this cast of
unrealized potential, indeed the
saving grace of the play, came
not from the expected sources,
the veterans, but instead from the
freshmen. Indeed, Meegan Gray
and Candice Rowe gave the audi
ence their money’s worth.
Gray, whose sore throat should
have made her solo number raspy,
instead turned the illness to her
advantage, making her number
sultry and captivating the crowd.
Candice Rowe’s voice rang sweet
and pure over the audience. Her
character was sassy and confident,
and Candice did not miss a line
or a note.
In addition to the freshmen la
dies, another noteworthy perfor
mance came from John Morgan.
Morgan stole the show as the na
ive coffee boy hoping to catch
his chance on radio. Upon real
ization of that dream, his body
shook with glee and excitement
with every move.
While the “1940s Radio Hour”
had the potential to be a truly
notable performance given the
proven talent of its upperclass
men performers, its cast for the
most part fell far short of the
mark, leaving the freshmen plenty
of room to take the lead.
Next Tuesday is Election Day.
Sometimes you don’t have
the right to remain silent.
Vote.
The Student Government
Association Needs YOU!
There are still
jobs to do that
need enthusiastic
people. If you
are interested,
please contact
an SGA member
at ext. 5225!