Page+9+March+2011+Community+Events



Backstage on Opening Night: Sarah Huebner (seated) and Kathy Kowalski.

= ** A Capitol Performance of //Steel Magnolias// ** =

Laurana Schultz- UW Manitowoc News Staff
UW-Manitowoc student Sarah Huebner plays the role of Shelby in the play //Steel Magnolias// which is currently playing at Capitol Civic Centre//.// The play is based on the 1989 movie, which starred Julia Roberts. The main story line of the play is very similar to that of the movie, making it a great play to see for the movie lovers. In summary, a group of girls spend time at a salon gossiping and creating friendships; Shelby who has juvenile diabetes finds the support of her friends from the salon makes life easier.

Huebner said her lifelong dream is to be on Broadway, performing in musicals and contemporary theater. She added that the director of this show, Gary Retzak, was “fun to work with.” Retzak said he choose to direct the play //Steel Magnolias// because a relative of his has juvenile diabetes.

==== Two more performances of the play are still coming; Friday, March 18 and Saturday, March 19, both shows at 7:30. Tickets for adults are $15 and children are $10. Come show your support for a fellow UW-Manitowoc student. ====

Please see Photo Gallery, page 2 for additional backstage pictures from opening night.

Laurana Schultz, UW-Manitowoc News Staff

Cutting Aid to Students

As a part of a bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, Federal Pell Grants awarded to college students to help pay for school will be cut by more than 15%. UW-Manitowoc has the highest Pell Grant dollars awarded per student than any other campus in the UW-Colleges. Unlike student loans, Pell Grants do not have to be repaid. Under this bill, many students will be facing thousands of dollars of extra debt by the end of their educational career. The students attending UW-Manitowoc are in great need of financial aid and are going to be affected greatly by this proposed cut. This is a primarily middle class community facing high unemployment. Nearly 40% of our students are first-generation college students. If Pell Grants are cut, students will obviously have less money to pay for school, which could affect their decision to stay in school. The vast majority of well-paying jobs today require at least some college education. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, those who have a bachelor’s degree earn almost double the salary of those with a high school diploma. The need for a college education is clear, but with cuts to the grants fewer people will be able to attend college—resulting in more people earning lower salaries. In Manitowoc, only 17.6% of people have a bachelor’s degree, which is lower than the U.S. average. Cutting financial aid might decrease this percentage even more. I personally, would not be attending school if it wasn’t for the financial aid I receive because college is pricey. I am a first-generation college student and my parents are not able to contribute very much to my expenses. My lifelong dream is to become a psychiatrist so I can help people. I want to help those around me in my community to live a happier and better life. If I can’t afford to attend college because of the budget cuts, not only will my dreams not come true, but students all around Wisconsin will have their dreams cut as well.

** A Capitol Performance of //Steel Magnolias// **

Laurana Schultz- UW Manitowoc News Staff

UW-Manitowoc student Sarah Huebner plays the role of Shelby in the play //Steel Magnolias// which is currently playing at Capitol Civic Centre//.// The play is based on the 1989 movie, which starred Julia Roberts. The main story line of the play is very similar to that of the movie, making it a great play to see for the movie lovers. In summary, a group of girls spend time at a salon gossiping and creating friendships; Shelby who has juvenile diabetes finds the support of her friends from the salon makes life easier.

Huebner said her lifelong dream is to be on Broadway, performing in musicals and contemporary theater. She added that the director of this show, Gary Retzak, was “fun to work with.” Retzak said he choose to direct the play //Steel Magnolias// because a relative of his has juvenile diabetes.

Two more performances of the play are still coming; Friday, March 18 and Saturday, March 19, both shows at 7:30. Tickets for adults are $15 and children are $10. Come show your support for a fellow UW-Manitowoc student.

Paul Nessman, UW-Manitowoc News Staff
 * Rally on the Hill **

This past Saturday, February 26th, thousands attended a rally in protest of legislation proposed by Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker—a Budget Repair Bill that would strip state workers of their union collective bargaining rights. The Teamsters Union paid for three busloads of people, one of which departed from Manitowoc, filled with 56 local citizens, many of them union members. Tens of thousands more rallied in communities across the state. Busloads of union members and their allies continued to arrive throughout the afternoon in Madison, packing the streets just outside of the capitol building. Crowds outside the capitol were massive, with thousands more crammed inside. By nightfall, CNN estimated the crowd at 125,000, while The Wisconsin AFL-CIO estimated 150,000. Snow fell throughout the day as did the temperature. Spirits were high though and emotions seemed palpable among the throngs of protesters. Among the speakers supporting protesters at Saturday’s rally was Jeff Skiles, the co-pilot in the plane that made an emergency landing on the Hudson River. He delivered a fiery speech in which he criticized Walker and the legislature for dividing workers and the state. Actor Bradley Whitford, a Wisconsin native and representative of the Screen Actors Guild who starred as Josh Lyman on the West Wing TV series, spoke to the thousands gathered around the capitol. Other unionized actors speaking included Gabrielle Carteris, who portrayed Andrea Zuckerman on the original 'Beverly Hills 90210,” and Robert Newman, who starred for nearly 30 years as Joshua Lewis on “Guiding Light.” Additional speakers included WEAC President Mary Bell and Wisconsin AFL-CIO President Phil Neuenfeldt, along with others representing teachers, firefighters, municipal workers, nurses, religious organizations, the NAACP and others.