MEZCLA mixes it up with 'dirty dancing'-11.19.07

NOT BY ME- marisa calleja


Providence, Rhode Island—MEZCLA, the Latino performing arts troupe, held their fall show Thursday and Saturday in a nearly sold out Salomon 101. The "Dirty Dancing"-themed show featured dancers, singers, musicians and poets in 18 different acts representing diverse performance styles and traditions from Latino culture.

This year's performance showcased samba, mambo, salsa and other dance styles from Cuba, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Spain and Mexico. The pieces, all choreographed by students in MEZCLA, came from the spirited, eclectic repertoire of the large group.

Some pieces, such as "Bam Bam-Salsa Duet," a Cuban salsa choreographed and performed by Alyssa Iglesias '08 and Daniel Oviedo '10, reflected traditional dance styles. Others, especially the large group pieces, showcased fusion styles created in the United States from Latin American influences. Pieces such as "Reggaeton Salsa Medley," choreographed by Bianca Figueroa-Santana '10, served as dynamic testaments to the continuing evolution of Latino dance styles in the United States.

"Samba Urbano," the first piece in the performance, was a fusion of traditional samba and urban styles. "With this piece, we take that dance out of the land of the Carnaval Brasileiro and onto the streets," read the abstract from the piece's five choreographers - Megan Brattain '10, Rocio Bravo '10, Vivian Garcia '10, Sarah Magaziner '10 and Herald Staff Writer Christian Martell '10. The nine dancers stomped and shook fiercely to traditional samba drums and Fulanito's "Chillando Goma" in this elaborately choreographed piece, dedicated to their mothers "who taught us how to dance."

"Ballroom-Mambo y Salsa," a skillful and sensual three person dance - choreographed and performed by Savonya McAllister '08, Dina Tsukrov '08 and Wilfredo Perez '08 - was one of two ballroom pieces in the show. In combining Cuban mambo, Brazilian samba and American ballroom dance, the choreographers merged these disparate cultures. This indicates the continuing fusions of different Latino and American styles, both in MEZCLA pieces and throughout the dance world.

In addition to dance, MEZCLA's fall show included two spoken word performances - "Socorro" by Irene Castillon '09 and an untitled piece by Alyse Ruiz '09 - which passionately discussed family, tradition and culture. "Socorro" was an ode to Castillon's abuelita or grandmother, who continually sacrificed for her family.

The show also featured two vocal performances and a song by Mariachi de Brown, "La Ley del Monte."

MEZCLA, according to their mission statement, strives "to convey and at the same time teach the beauty, diversity and richness of the Latino culture to the Brown community at large." The group, which is led by an executive board, holds fall and spring shows, as well as open dance workshops throughout the year.

"Just because it's a Latino performing arts troupe, doesn't mean it's specifically for Latinos," said MEZCLA President Marco Martinez '08.

© Copyright 2007 Brown Daily Herald

RI has the lowest energy consumption per capita-10.25.07

THIS ARTICLE WAS PICKED UP BY the U-Wire and Highbeam Research. It can be found on encyclopedia.com

Though it is the smallest state in the union, Rhode Island proved a big contender in Forbes.com's first America's Greenest States rankings, released last week.

The Ocean State ranked eighth overall, after being evaluated for six environmental factors: air and water quality, hazardous waste management, energy consumption, policy initiatives and carbon footprint, or the amount of carbon emissions per capita. Rhode Island also boasts the lowest energy consumption per capita and the third-lowest carbon footprint, following Idaho and Vermont, respectively.

"(Rhode Island) is starting from a great place," said Steven Hamburg, associate professor of environmental studies. "We have relatively energy-efficient infrastructure, but we need to build from that and not just sit back and say 'look at how good we are.' "

Hamburg, a strong advocate for climate-change issues, said the best way Rhode Island could improve its standing on next year's list is by expanding its public transportation system and by "walking the walk, not just talking the talk."

"Rhode Island doesn't really have substantive environmental policies," he said, referring to the policy initiatives factor in the rankings taken from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy's energy efficiency scoreboard, released in June.

Forbes noted that Rhode Island is now mandating that utilities obtain 16 percent of their power from renewable fuel sources by 2020.

"There is a difference between things being done and things we are wanting to do," Hamburg said.

Green-friendly initiatives are being proposed throughout Rhode Island.

In 2004, Gov. Donald Carcieri '65 proposed a $70-million environmental bond for watershed protection, which voters later passed. For 2008, Carcieri has proposed an $85-million environmental bond - the largest of its kind - for cleaning up Narragansett Bay, according to the governor's Web site.

Visiting Lecturer for Environmental Studies Donald Pryor's work focuses on the effects of climate change on the ecology at Narragansett Bay. When asked what he thought of the Forbes rankings, Pryor said he was surprised that Rhode Island was among the top 10.

"I give (Forbes) a lot of credit for making quantitative estimates, but when I looked at some of them I was struck. There is a difference between spending money and achieving something with it," Pryor said. Forbes factored how much money states have allocated for policy initiatives into its rankings.

"The political machine here (in Rhode Island), they're not having the open discussion we need to have to move forward," he said. As for Carcieri's agenda, Pryor said "the governor resisted for a very long time."

Some student environmentalists think Rhode Island and the University could become more environmentally friendly. "Even if Rhode Island's per capita energy consumption is the lowest of all 50 states, American society is still undeniably consumptive in comparison to the world average. Whether your state comes in first place or last (in the Forbes rankings), we can always do better," Kirsten Howard '09 wrote in an e-mail. Howard is a member of emPOWER, a student group working to end Brown's contribution to global warming.

Last month, the Energy and Environmental Advisory Committee submitted its final recommendations to the University. The recommendations were influenced by emPOWER and will be submitted in the budget proposal in the Corporation's next meeting, wrote Julia Beamesderfer '09 in an e-mail to The Herald. Beamesderfer is also a member of emPOWER.

According to Howard, emPOWER members are working to incorporate sustainable design into Brown's curriculum. Brown recently acquired $350,000 in grant money for local, student-initiated environmental initiatives - $150,000 from President Ruth Simmons' office and $200,000 from the Sidney E. Frank Foundation.

"It is our hope that students can use this money to fund local offsetting projects with the objective of making Brown a climate-neutral institution," Beamesderfer said. Hamburg and Pryor said the University must evaluate future expansion plans and make sure they are environmentally conscious.

"(Brown) has a lower carbon output compared to our peers, but that doesn't mean we can't be more aggressive. We need to think about how to expand, but at the same time not create negative impacts," Hamburg said.

© Copyright 2007 Brown Daily Herald

Tree stall India Point Park bridge opening-10.18.07

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Providence, Rhode Island—The opening of the new pedestrian bridge connecting India Point Park to the Wickenden business district has been postponed until later this fall. The bridge was slated to open Sept. 12 - two years after the original bridge was demolished to make room for the relocation of I-195.

Construction was delayed because workers originally planned to cut down a large, old red-oak tree on a pathway leading to the bridge, but local park enthusiasts saved it from being removed.

"The opening was delayed 45 days because of the saving of the tree," said David Riley, co-chair for Friends of India Point Park, a citizen group dedicated to the preservation and expansion of the park.

Due to the setback, Friends of India Point Park will not hold their planned celebration for the opening of the bridge until next spring, when the entire project is completed.



"We've been told (by the Rhode Island Department of Transportation) that the ramp won't be done until then," Riley said, adding that once completed next year, the bridge will feature plants and trees. The walking ramp will be accessible later this fall, he said.

India Point Park, an 18-acre waterfront park between the Providence and Seekonk rivers, is ranked the third most-used park in the city following the downtown skating rink and Roger Williams Park, which is 24 times larger. India Point Park is home to the Mexican Soccer League, the Cape Verdean Independence Festival and the Fox Point Boys and Girls Club, among other groups. It has also been the location for past WBRU concerts and is next to Marston Boathouse, which is used by the University's rowing teams.

Before the construction city officials told the Friends of India Point Park that the number of people using the park will double after the highway project's completion, Riley said.

The entire Route 195 project - the construction of the pedestrian bridge, the relocation of I-195 and the replacement of a sewer pipe under Gano and India streets - will cost Rhode Island $26.1 million, according to the state's Department of Transportation Web site.

Lambri Zerva, design project manager for the state's Department of Transportation, told The Herald in March that the removal of the old bridge was necessary because its piers would have obstructed the new road links for I-195.

"The new bridge took up space where the old one was, so we couldn't keep the old one and build the new one at the same time. Unfortunately, (taking down the old bridge) was a necessary evil," he said.

"We're looking forward to the completion of the construction," women's crew members Vanessa Rathbone '08 and Molly Getz '08 wrote in an e-mail to The Herald. "For the past two years, people on our team have been walking down busy roads and a lot of construction, which is not very safe."



"I used the bridge freshman year to get down to the boathouse. It always seemed kind of rickety because it would shake slightly if a big semi-truck passed underneath it," said women's crew member Emma Olson '08.

Despite the old bridge's small size and instability, Olson preferred it to an alternative route, which is used to get to the park and boathouse now.

"(The bridge) seemed safer than the current way to get to India Point Park or the boathouse, which is straight down Gano Street and under the bridge," Olson said. Students must currently cross a freeway ramp to get to the boathouse. "The off ramp was recently rerouted and cars never seem to come to a full stop at the stop sign, which is dangerous for the number of rowers who walk and run by and any other pedestrians heading to the park," she added.

© Copyright 2007 Brown Daily Herald