"Don't touch the artwork!" That's what they always tell you in museums, but no one ever tells the artwork, "Don't touch the people," because it's usually inanimate. But this past Friday, students from the campus group Vincent's Ear painted their bodies in bright shades and posed outside the Campus Center, creating a human body sculpture.
Jon Schneider '03, one of the founders of the group, described the group's aim as to "bring the artistic life on campus out of the galleries and into the public."
The body painting affected the emotions of the participants themselves. Andrew Reed '03 had a hard time choosing his color at first. He wanted purple, but it turned out to be too "splotchy" so he switched to yellow. His new pigmentation led him to make such comments as, "I am the sun god, bow down before me!" with newfound self-assurance.
Most of the participants were in similarly high spirits about being on exhibit. "Apart from any high artistic values, it was a fun was to spend a Friday afternoon, making a spectacle of ourselves," said Daniel Shore '02.
But there was one unanticipated hazard to the activity. "If I were to do this again I would shave my legs first. Hairy legs makes for splotchy paint," Reed explained. Some people cut off their ears, others shave their legs-it's all in the name of art.
Cheesy T.V.
It's not every day an Amherst student appears on television. But because of his self-proclaimed good looks, freshman Faisal Dittu will appear on the WB's "Change of Heart" on Oct. 10. Dittu said he was chosen for the show because "basically, they look for good-looking people."
Most couples go on the show because they experience relationship problems. Each partner goes on a date with someone matched to them according to personal preferences regarding "appearance, personality, interests and even breast size," said Dittu.
After the date, the partners appear on the show, talk about their dates, and decide if they want to stay with their partner or have a "change of heart." Dittu and his girlfriend both decided to stay together, but have since broken up.
Dittu's date was an all-expenses paid trip to Disneyland, Santa Monica Beach and dinner at a nice restaurant. Afterwards, he and his date went to his house and relaxed in the spa. "They really want you to have a good time on the date so that your partner will be jealous and [your partner and the date] will fight on the show," said Dittu.
Not quite Jerry Springer, but who knows what will happen when women fight over a stud like him.
Fab Four in the Frontroom
Thursday night in the Frontroom, students were treated to the live musical stylings of The Beatles! Well, not exactly. Rather it was the eerily authentic Beatles cover band, "1964-the Tribute." The band had every detail in place, from the wigs and the period instruments to Ringo's nose.
Fans appreciated this attention to detail. "It was exciting to see Beatles songs performed live-they are probably the closest we could get to seeing the Beatles today, in both appearance and sound," commented Ethan Katz '02. "Though I was not actually alive at the time, a rush of nostalgia catapulted me back to the 1960s."
The event was one of the few at Amherst well-attended by town residents. "It was truly heartwarming to see the turnout from the somewhat older members of the Amherst Community," said Karen Chau '01. "Their faces reflected joy as they harkened back to their younger days."
The concert was organized by Professor David Reck, primarily for Music 27: "Seminar in American Music," and was sponsored by the Amherst Music Department.
The band, which originally hails from Akron, Ohio, stayed in character through their entire 33-song set, which was composed of Beatles favorites from the first seven albums. Ringo's head bobbed at all the right times, and George's between-song banter was just as awkward as the day The Beatles played the Ed Sullivan show.