1993_02 Insight February 1993

              February 10,1993
Page 5
*Interactive displays offer exploration of the
natural forces that bring disaster, including
tornados, earthquakes, and floods.
By Shelley L. Willingham	
Staff Writer
In one small part of Fresno, the earth quakes, hurricane winds howl, a volcano
spews and torrential flooding erodes soil, taking with it anything in iis path.
Luckily, lives aren't lost as the scene is part of The Fresno Metropolitan
Museum's exhibit of "Nature's Fury" that is housed in ihc Radin Gallery until
May 2.
The exhibition is a traveling tour from The Oregon Museum of Science and
Industry designed to provide over 12 displays of some of the earth's most
momentous disasters to children of all ages .
Visitors rattle with a 5.5 tremor in the Earthquake Room to Carol King's tunc
"I Feel the Earth Move" as the chandelier, plates, mirrors and window shutters
clatter. The tremor finally stops, just in time for the aftershocks.
The Hurricane Experience, designed by the Miami Museum of Science and
Space Transit Planetarium, puts visitors through the effects of a tropical storm
with winds up to 50 mph thai create an unforgettable howling sound.
"It sounds almost like a freight train coming through," said Patrick Delgado.
Exploration Center manager.
"That's loud," said Angela Smith, a wide-eyed six-year-old emerging from the
room with the goggles required for the hurricane stiil intact.
"The kids arc having a good time today," said Jamie Smith of Fresno, who is
the aunt of Angela, Scott and Kelly Smith.
"1 thought I'd give their parents a break but from the looks of that tree over there
we're getting it," she added pointing to the remains of a fractured tree from the
Mount St. Helen's eruption in 1980.
That display shows models of the mountain before and after the eruption. Other
disasters reviewed include the 1985 Mexico City earthquake, the 1992 Hurricane
Andrew and the on-going phenomenon of the San Andreas fault.
Flaky Crusts is a machine that gives way to simulate land slippage such as ihat
"Barrio" portrays life in local gangs
By Robert Phipps	
Staff Writer
At first glance, it doesn't seem possible that Sam An sclmo Gill could have
written "Barrio." a gritty, profane and
street-wise two-act play currently running in the Speech Arts Theater at California State University, Fresno.
This 34-year-old father of l wo is quiet
and reserved without ihc false security
of the characters he created.
Nevenhclcss.Gillisaman who knows
what he's written about.
"Barrio," the story of a gang member
who wants to keep his brother out of
trouble but is too proud to say anything,
recks of Gill's own experiences while
growing up in Firebaugh.
"The signs arc here that gangs arc
growing and kids are looking to join,"
"Kids are looking toward the gangs
for more than just something to be
around, they really believe they want to
do this for the rest of their lives."
Gill, who is studying for his bachelor's
degree in journalism and is employed
as a news cameraman for KJEO Channel 47, had never written a play before,
but said the destruction around him
brought something out.
"The play itself is from fragments of
things I've been through and I kind of
brought them together for the story," he
said. "What concerns me is that I have
i wo kids (ages 7 and 10) going lose hool.
and already there's signs of kids banding togetherto make trouble."
And ii is trouble, which Gill has seen
so much of. that he hopes the play will
allow kids to avoid. It wasn't so long
ago that Gill lost two nephews 10 iheir
drug-cra/cd father when he took all
their lives.
"(Writing the play) is something I'd
always thought I could do but never
had the guts io." he said. "One of ihe
emphasis here is ihat if you have a
dream, don'i be afraid to go for it."
The author said he chose a play because it was the only format in which
students could interact with the matc-
"I think there's a lack of contemporary material out there thai kids can get
in io." he said.
In addition, the play write warned that
his work was unconventional because
of the profanity and violence which he
said is a pan of most street stories.
"If this was done at the high school
level, it would have to be toned down.
bui I don't think it's any more violent
newspaper
Li^S^q By Suzanne Kayian	
C-OI » 1 Special to Insight
Ob...Fishy, Fishy, Fishy, Fish— Chum and the Frenzy
Photo courtesy the Fresno Metropolitan Museum
Among the displays at the Fresno Metropolitan Museum is an earthquake simulator, which shakes up to 5.5 on the Richter scale.
Disasters at the Met
of the San Andreas fault. By stepping on it, children gain a quick understanding
of the earth's movement.
"I'd like to lake this home with me for exercise," said 14-ycar-old Kelly Smhh.
TheCatch the Wind display details wind speed, turbulence, wind chill, force and
flow by providing tools that impede the wind's path or float with it.
Bumper Continents uses floating map plates on an air tabic to simulate the
break up of Pangaea 220 million years ago. This geographical occurrence is
called continental drift.
The display shows how the earth shifts when huge plates grind away from each
The "Nature's Fury" exhibition is designed lo move from the greal earth to the
source of al I life, water. Sea Deep in Hoi Water offers a magnified view of undersea lava flow and the things that can live in the sunless rifi area of cooling rock
such as tube worms.
The mechanical arm from a submarine enhances ihc purpose of the exhibition's
educational hands-on design by providing an opportunity to pick up a sea sponge.
The Wave Tank displays the ocean tide's undcr-water effects on shoreline and
how the results vary with the ocean's force.
The Stream Table enables visitors to arrange a mock town, control the rate of
water flow, visualize a river's course and better understand the reasons for
flooding.
"This corresponds with the valley's flood problems prior to Millcnon, "Delgado
said.
The Twister forms a tornado from an ultrasonic humidifier vapor that is forced
into a spinning spiral column by concave walls. Visitors may pass a hand through
the vapor to stop the twister then watch the vapor reform.
" Wouldn 't it be neat if we could really do that?" said nine-year-old Scott Smith.
Once hands have blocked the vapors, two-liquid filled bottles may be shaken to
create a tornado-like vortex action.
"The purpose of the "Nature's Fury " exhibition is to teach safety to everyone and
the reality of how nature works." Delgado said.
Those wishing to explore the mysterious wonders of the earth may visit The
Fresno Metropolitan Art Museum from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesdays, from 11
a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and
Sundays. For more information, call 441-1444.
In a musical world filled with rehashed
heavy metal riffs, car-crunching grunge,
weak pop tunes, and monotonous synthesizer bcais, Fresno locals Chum and the
Frenzy's first release. Oh.. Fishy. Fishy.
Fishy. Fish is a surprisingly pleasant contribution io the current music pool.
If this quartet set out lo make a good
album filled with seven originals moving to
a funkified groove, they have succeeded.
Oh . Fishy. Fishy. Fishy, Fish rocks
from the opening "Inirothang/Goodbyc
These Days" io the closing "Asleep Two
Million Years/Alive!".
Trying to highlight
key player is difficult. James
Preston's  bass
and           Rob
Scrivncr's
drums lay the
foundation, while
Paul Karian's keyboards and pianos build a full, rich sound.
Eddie Marks' refreshing guitar style is totally rock-on, without being assassinating.
The opening of "Respect Your Mother",
ihc second track, is a brilliant example of
Chum and the Frenzy's tight and precise
production.
Recorded locally at SRS Studios, this
independently produced CD has more enjoyable, high quality music on it than many
current releases combined.
Listening to the CD repeatedly. "Mainstream Ostrich" stands out. It is a good
example of the power of Preston's wonderful vocal style His tranquil voice, with a
slight Liverpudlian accent, sensually caresses the ear. Preston's smooth voice and
Chum's serious groove succeed in making
you feel immersed. Bui thesong isn'tclaus-
trophobic at all. It is comforting, like being
under the water, yet being able to breath.
Thcclosingnumber" Asleep Two Million
Years/Awake!" has always been a
KFSR favorite. This incar-
aiion of the song features a new ending
with special performances by Jeff
"Black Fry"
Logan and Marquis
"Quis" Bell, from
Black Fry and Trojan
Country Club, respectively.
Logan and Bell are two of the best live
Derformers in Fresno and it is nice to have
something of theirs on CD, even if it is only
just smidgin of a song.
It would be worth your while to check out
Oh... Fishy. Fishy. Fishy. Fish. This is an
album that is produced locally, but ready
for the real world. And then go see Chum
live. See what the Frenzy is all about.
Tannis Root Presents Freedom of Choice/Yesterday's
New Wave Hits As Performed By Todays Stars
The official title of this compilation is
'Tannis Rooi Presents Freedom of Choice/
Yesterday's New Wave Hits As Performed
By Today's Stars."
There arc many compilation albums out
there with new artists covering everyone
from R.E.M. io The Monkces. Whai scis
this album apart is the combination of
original new wave songs and today's alternative bands.
If you grew up listening io new wave
music you will get a kick out of the newer
guitar-based grunge versions of some of
that eras best pop songs. And if this is all
new to you. you can discover some of
today's alternative bands performing great
pop songs that happen to be a decade old.
The album features covers of songs by
The Pretenders, Elvis Costello & The Attractions, Blondic, ihcGo-Gos, the B-52's
and Devo, among others.
Although, not ail the bands are familiar,
the 1993 versions are preformed by some
prime alternative acts. Bands like Sonic
Youth, Redd Kross, Mudhoney.
Supcrchunk and Yo La Tengo give us
novel interpretations of songs we've all
sung along to.
The most interesting thing about this
album is the placement of current bands
and the original songs. Many of "today's
stars" have their roots firmly planted in
punk rock, yet most of these songs were
considered light-weight in the days when
punk rock met new wave.
One of the highlights is the Go-Go's teen
anthem "How Much More" performed by
Los Angeles' Redd Kross. To hear the
lyric, "I want to be that boy tonight, boy
tonight/how much more can I take before
I go crazy oh yeah, crazy oh yeah", sung by
Jeffrey McDonald puts a quirky twist on a
classic "girls song".
As with many of the songs on this compilation, Mudhoney's cover of Elvis
Costello's classic "Pump Ii Up" proves
that some songs arc timeless. Mudhoney's
version seizes ihe fun and intensity of
Costcllo's version. It is great little song,
but Mark Arm's voice just doesn't have
quite the bile that Costcllo's carries.
And then there are the song's everybody
remembers. 'Tainted Love", originally recorded by Soft Cell. "Girl U Want" by
Devo, Wall of Voodoo's "Mexican Radio", and Adam & The Ants' "Antmusic".
'Tainted Love" has always been a great
song, but Soft Cell's version is awfully
dated and seriously burnt out. They breath
a new alternative spirit into a classic new
wave song.
This 18-song album, which dedicates all
its proceeds to Planned Parenthood, is filled
to the brim with covers of familiar songs,
which will satisfy the pop purist as well as
Ihe underground fanatic.
See Barrio, page 6   Suzanne ggg* * gggj! Station Manager.
TURNING FRESNO ON ITS EAR!
Canipus radio sfafion KFSR 90.7 fm
is accepting applications for the
position of Public Affairs Director.
This is a paid student assistant
position,  15 hours per week.
Deadline for applications is
Friday March 5,  1993.
Pick up applications in the
Telecommunications office in the
Speech Arts Building
For more information call
278-2598
= Willow Ridge APTS.-
1&2BDRM.
Corner Willow/Gettysburg
(209)292-1009
SEND LETTERS TO THR EDITOR TO:BG<*?!"J??itt„S
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