thursday, september 4, 2003
jayplay.7
ALTERNATIVES
Photo illustration by Eric Braem/Kansan
When attempting sobriety while at a party or bar, imitate those around you by keeping a non-alcoholic drink in your hands to ease any awkwardness.
turning down the fun
drinks every night of every weekend won't be afraid to be sober.
Stude understands that most people are at least semi-regular drinkers during their college careers at the University, so he says it makes sense to learn to deal with it. However, he finds other non-alcohol-related activities to keep him busy anyway. This summer, Stude took tango lessons and sing-danced in Kansas City. Dance clubs of this nature are open to all ages and generally do not serve alcohol. He finds himself making "stupid" movies at night and jamming on his guitar with his more musical friends instead of hitting up the bars. Stude also suggests getting involved with Campus Ministries if you're looking for something to do, and extra-curricular activities such as acting help you meet people with different interests.
Arnold acknowledges that the choice of activities is limited at night, so he says it's important to be creative and suggest ideas to your friends if you want companionship in your sobriety. He suggests more passive activities that aren't associated with drinking like plays or movies, where you are merely a member of an audience. In addition,
physical activities like parking lot soccer or playing around at Clinton Lake are not only fun, but the exercise benefits your overall attitude.
Group together
Lawrence is not a ghost town if you stray from Massachusetts St. at night. In my experience as a consistent drinker, I've found if
you want to be sober, even just for a weekend, it's important to be proactive and think up group activities. If you and your friends are used to expelling a lot of energy while taking in those semi-bitter but stimulating beverages we college students get so much exposure to, try something equally vigorous just once, if only to remember what it feels like to be sober at night.
99 RED BALLOONS GO BY
By Kim Elsham
kelsham@kansan.com
Jayplay writer
You may have begun to see red. Perhaps you saw it pinned to the walls of buildings on campus. Perhaps a friendly face handed it to you on the street. You aren't experiencing a feverish hallucination, but rather the upcoming community art event, The Red Balloon To Do on Sept.27.
To promote the event members of the Lawrence Art Collective, other friends and volunteers will car pool to Kansas City tomorrow to initiate the First Fridays Red Balloon Attack, an organized tour of downtown galleries.
The tours will take place the first Friday of every month from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.Each gallery allows viewers to enter for free, providing drinks and hors d'oeuvres depending on the venue.Sounds like a great idea, right?
Peter Berard, Overland Park senior, and Dominic Sova. Lawrence resident, members of the Lawrence Art Collective and others, found a way to make The Red Balloon To Do happen in Lawrence. They realized Lawrence doesn't really have independent venues for local artists and students to showcase their work. With the success of the events they had organized at the former Pink House, they knew there was a potential for
success with the opening of the Olive Art and Supply, 15 E. Eighth St., and The Grimshaw Gallery, 731 New Hampshire St. They want to make other media known to Lawrence and surrounding communities.
Tomorrow night's First Fridays Red Balloon Attack is one of the many great efforts made to promote the event. They organized what they call a "flash mob" to attend Kansas City's First Fridays with red balloons tied to their wrists and flyers in hand.
On Sept. 27, hopeful attendees can donate $1 to receive a red balloon at The Grimshaw Gallery which will allow them to enter four additional local venues: Olive Art and Supply and three other yet to be announced venues. Local artists will showcase their varying media from poetry and painting to photography and performance art.
Berard says the biggest inspiration for the Red Balloon To Do comes from seeing the great talent that comes from the amount of hard work put forth by local artists.
"We thought, we need to promote these artists," says Berard. "It's a high level of quality that no one else really knows."
Mark your calendars for the 27th and check back to Jayplay for a more in-depth look on the inspiration for, and what to expect from, the Red Balloon To Do.