Nick Cave: a Master of Illusion

In one of the most creative segments of the News Hour on PBS is the work of Chicago artist Nick Cave. He has always been fascinated with items that have been cast off by others. He assembles thrift-store finds into life-size creations, which he calls "Soundsuits."
“Part sculpture, part costume, Cave's Soundsuits have been exhibited in major museums throughout the world but have also been worn by dancers who perform in them on stage and in the streets. Cave says the idea is to meld sculpture with dance to create a living, breathing canvas.” Many of his soundsuits use fake fur and raffia to create whimsical characters.
“Cave also often works with high school students. He recently conducted a workshop at Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Ill. Cave provided the costumes; the students devised the choreography.”
His work is brilliant; the fluid flow of the actors in the costumes undulates and fascinate. His “horses” gyrate, the dancers on pogo sticks surge up, down, and sideways. You really have to see his work in order to believe in his “magic.”
Truly a dance step apart.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/art/blog/2012/04/nick-cave.html

More Rain More Green

Our backyard has really come alive with the rain and dispite the cold.

Reporting Streetlight Outages

  There have been several reports in the Morning Sun Sound Off column of Mt. Pleasant streetlights being burned out.
  If you notice such a light, or one that is flickering, or on during the day you can contact Consumers Energy. Visit www.consumersenergy.com. Click on “Your Home” and select “Outage Center” on the left side of the page. Then click “Streetlight Outages” to fill in the report form. Describe the problem, the two closest cross streets from the outage, business or building names if possible, and the side of the street (north, south, east, or west). It can take several days to fix the problem.
  If the streetlight is a decorative one such as those along Main Street and downtown, report the outage to Downtown Development Director Michelle Sponseller at 779-5348, or email details to www.downtown@mt-pleasant.org. For more information contact Public Works at  779-5401.

Shadows on the Wall

During a recent afternoon, sunlight reflected on a wall. I shot a photo and played with it as the light played with the wall.

After a Spring Rain

Curious Happenings in the Life of a Chipmunk

Yesterday morning I observed a curious behavior of Willow, our chipmunk down below the family room, a crawl space she considers her palace. The day was bright and so was Willow. Brisk as a bee, she made a number of runs to the ground feeder, stuffing her mouth until her cheeks nearly burst with her greed. When she thought she had had enough, she hopped to the edge of the water pan, her darting tongue making ripples across the otherwise smooth surface. I have no idea how she does this with her cheeks so full. She deposited the seeds in the Palace and returned to its gate.

  Now it was time for her toilette. She sat on her haunches and, like a cat, licked her paws and rubbed them over her head, ears, and face. She nibbled loose debris from her legs and sides, scattering granules of this or that in every direction.

  Then she did the most curious thing. There are patches of moss at the edge of the sidewalk beyond the family room. She used her sharp teeth to slice open a section just a bit longer than her body. She lifted the edge of the moss, and slide beneath it, like into a blanket, or rather like a towel. She rubbed her body against the underside of the moss, which was free of dirt. She continued this exercise for the time it took to work her fur completely. Then she hopped over to the gate of the Palace, and dove out of sight.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Breaks Applications Record

It’s official. A record total of 15,201 high school students have filed applications to attend Rensselaer this fall, according to numbers released by the Office of Admissions. This year’s total represents a growth of more than 4 percent since last year at this time, and a 172 percent increase since 2005.

“For seven consecutive years, Rensselaer has set records for freshman applications. Since 2005, applications have grown by 172 percent,” said Paul Marthers, vice president for enrollment and dean of undergraduate and graduate admissions. “It is exciting to see that our around-the-globe outreach efforts have translated into unprecedented levels of popularity among prospective students.”
Marthers noted that for the second consecutive year, the average SAT critical reading and math score for the admitted group is 1400.

The 2012 applicant pool also represents a continued expansion of the national and international profile of the student body, as well as a significant increase in applications from women, underrepresented minority students, international students, and Rensselaer “legacies”—students with relatives who attended the university.

In addition, the group includes students who have been nominated for the Rensselaer Medal, a scholarship awarded to the top math and science students at almost 3,000 high schools around the world.

According to the Office of Admissions, this year’s overall increase in applications was also driven by greater numbers of students visiting campus, a higher conversion rate from the inquiry to the application stage, and new student life programs designed to enhance the overall student and educational experience.

“Rensselaer also continues to register growing interest in new areas of an expanding curriculum—such as cognitive science; design, innovation, and society; sustainability studies; and the new concentrations in management—beyond the Institute’s traditional strength in engineering,” Marthers said. “Here on campus, we know that Rensselaer has historically been a top producer of future leaders and innovators, so it is very encouraging to see external evidence that more and more students value the high-quality academic and co-curricular programs that we offer.”

Rensselaer will host its annual Accepted Student Celebration event on April 14.