The Show Goes On Despite Controversy

by Eric Humphrey

Judge Memorial's decision to produce the popular Broadway musical, "Rent: School Edition," has raised a few eyebrows among the Catholic community and those abroad due to its edgy content. "Rent," centered in an impoverished neighborhood in New York City, focuses on issues that some say are inappropriate for a high school audience.

"My concern is that at a Catholic high school, even with the toned down version, I don't think ["Rent"] is age appropriate without having an alternate perspective so that young students have a Christian perspective of those hard social issues," says Deacon John Kranz of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church. Kranz, who filled in for the sick Monsignor Mannion during the Sunday mass, discussed, in his homily, the necessity for high school students to be shown the positives in life. Parents who have approached him regarding "Rent" find fault with what Kranz describes as, "[Judge's] lack of a Catholic viewpoint."

However, this controversy in not confined to Salt Lake City's Catholic community. Blogs such as "moonbattery.com" and "orthometer.blogspot.com" have been the sites of brutal spitefulness between those who want "Rent" banned and those who support the production. KSL's appearance at director's night and subsequent news story brought further publicity to Judge's production and with it, broader criticism.

Local conservative radio host, Doug Wright, questioned Judge's choice of play and the issue of homosexuality dominated his discussions. Judge's own principal, Mr. Rick Bartman, phoned into the Doug Wright Show to defend his school's choice of performance.

"[Rent] addresses issues that kids in a diverse community are confronted with on a daily basis...the base of the play is sense of community and inclusion and sense of looking at opportunity," Bartman told Wright, "It's about young people trying to make it, make a difference, follow their dreams." However Wright persistently questioned Bartman's judgment to allow a Catholic school to perform a play that might glorify homosexuality. To this allegation, Bartman challenged Wright to, "find a person infected with HIV or even full blown AIDS that glorifies their situation," adding, "the Church does not condone homosexual behavior acted upon but welcomes homosexual persons as a part of our community." The podcast of Rick Bartman's interview on The Doug Wright Show can be found on KSL.com.

Darin Hathaway, director of "Rent" head of the drama department, seemed confused at the existence of any sort of controversy, and for good reason. "I had a parent meeting with every student who wanted to audition for Rent. I received nothing but support from the parents," said Hathaway referring to a mandatory meeting for all parents of students who auditioned, "This meeting was an opportunity for parents to express concerns about the production." For parents, this was their chance to read the high school script, discuss "Rent's" edgy content, and ultimately decide whether it is appropriate for high school students. "I received positive comments and excitement," revealed Hathaway, "I heard nothing but support from parents."
In spite of the controversy, the show did go on. "Rent: School Edition" debuted October 22 in the Judge auditorium.

Drama Teacher Hosts Director's Night

Judge's drama department is gearing up to perform this year's main stage play, Our Town. Mr. Darin Hathaway – the drama teacher and director of the production – chose this American classic for many reasons, namely because it is noted as one of the most important American pieces ever written.

Hathaway wanted to be sure that viewers of the Judge performance would understand the significance of the play, and furthermore why Thornton Wilder, the playwright, wrote such a profound – and often abstract – play.

For this reason, Hathaway hosted "Director's Night" on Tuesday, February 2, in the Judge auditorium. The cast was present to talk about their characters and Hathaway discussed the life of Wilder, the history of the play, the play's plotline and structure, and why Our Town is important.

"So many people have come up to me and said, 'I was in Our Town' or 'I remember where I was when I first saw the play.' And I think that is what's so cool about Our Town. It has sort of established this tight community of people," said Hathaway.

Director's Night was an insightful look into the life of Wilder and Our Town as a whole. The commentary that Hathaway provided was interesting and will help those who attended appreciate and understand the play.

The production runs February 19-21 in the Judge Auditorium. All shows are at 7 PM. Come and support the very talented Judge drama department.

Winter Dance Concert

On December 10th, the Judge Dance Company performed in their annual Winter Concert. Cozy Christmas lights added to the intimate setting. With the exception of a few music glitches, the show went off without a hitch. The evening featured many great pieces and with the theme of 'Women' in mind, many student choreographers showcased their talents. The inspiration for Junior Jordan Dowd's piece, Lady of the Lamp, was Florence Nightingale: "When she was a head nurse in the Crimean War, (Nightingale) would send all of the other nurses to bed at eight but she would stay up late into the night with the injured soldiers, so they called her 'lady of the lamp'." Junior Jessica Gaffney's choreography, titled Intuition, was also influenced by women she admires. Dance Company President Natalie Brown said, "With my solo and choreography I attempted to show the weaker and more vulnerable side of women, the side that every woman must face no matter how strong they are." Seniors Tatiana Mixco and Megan Carpenter also performed solos. Mixco said, "(My solo) was about my friend who got into an accident and suffered severe head trauma. He went into a coma for six seeks and has miraculously not suffered as much damage as we thought." Senior Sienna Larsen's Womanizer and Kristi Brown's Persevere Together were audience favorites. Seniors Chesley Price and Bridgett Fey collaborated on Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. Fey said that the inspiration was "that all girls need a fun night out". Price agreed, "No matter how old you are, you can always have fun." Dance director Miss Sawaya says, "Winter Concert was our holiday gift to everyone in the audience."

Judge Dance: A Quarter of a Century of Excellence

Judge has had a dance company for over 25 years. The dance company has four major performances throughout the school year. "Our biggest is the spring dance concert at the end of the year" said Natasha Washington, a dance teacher at Judge. The choreographers of these concerts are Washington and Jeanette Sawaya, who teaches dance at Judge as well. Guest choreographers and students help put together dance pieces along with Washington and Sawaya.

But why do they do it? "Dance is a really big part of the Arts and art shows the sophistication of society. Dance also is a way how people express what's going on in our world," said Sawaya. "Young people need to move to understand what their body is like and how to express themselves, and that's why I teach dance."

If you want to get involved in dance, it's easy. You can sign up for dance as an Arts credit during the school year. You can also audition for Dance Company in March and, in December; you can tryout for the winter concert.

If you want to know more about dance, talk to a student leader. Dance Company President, Natalie Brown and Choreography Captain, Kristi Brown will be glad to help. You can also contact the Senior Officers, Chelsey Price and Bridgett Fey or the Junior Officers, Julia Hicks and Isabelle Gabash.

As Washington says to all her classes the first day of school, "dance is super fun and anyone can do it."

Judge StuCo Plans First Coffeehouse of the School Year

Join us on Thursday, September 25th on the beach from 7 to 9 pm for our first coffeehouse of the school year. Come and watch your talented classmates perform while snacking on cookies and coffee. If you would like to perform you can sign up after Monday, September 15th outside room 320.

Spring Concert Highlights Musical Talent

Come and support our music department. This is the last major concert of the year. It will feature every group from the music department and will be held this Friday, May 2 at 7 pm in the Judge Auditorium. Including the orchestra, jazz band, chorale, madrigals, and jazz@8, you can be sure to be impressed with everyone's talent and overall improvement from the beginning of the year.

-Unknown Author

3A State Drama Festival Results

Dramatic Monologues
LeVaughn Wilkins - Overall Superior
Jackie Graham - Overall Superior
Annie Johns - Straight Superiors

Humorous Monologues
Lexie Stuivenvolt Allen - Straight Superiors

Pantomime
Pat Thompson & Sean Abel - Straight Superiors
Sean Sweeney - Straight Superiors

Contrasting Monologues
Lieren Stuivenvolt Allen - Overall Superior

Scenes
Jillian Weaver & Lukas Richards
-Straight Superiors & Showcase Round (Top 6 scenes at the event)
Stuart Ford & Chris Voss - Straight Superiors


Judge also received a Superior Ranking as a school, based on percentage of participants in each event receiving superiors. There is a plaque that will be displayed in the main hallway.

Chamber Night 2008

The annual chamber night went off on Wednesday without a hitch. We were treated to some wonderful music and great food. There was an excellent showing from the students this year. We had musicians from every grade and a huge variety of instruments were played. There were a number of singers performing solos, duets, and trios. There were also several solos, trios and quintets by band members. Additionally, there was a wonderful string quartet and string solo. The audience was overflowing. Many listeners had to find places on the floor. It appeared that everyone really enjoyed the music. It was not unusual to see someone closing their eyes and smiling to themselves as they listened to the music. The room itself was beautiful. Miss Meyer created a special ambiance with candles and table displays. The food was also fantastic. The table was overflowing with an assortment of delicious finger foods. Every dish was a huge hit! So a huge round of applause goes out to the musicians, parents and audience members. Each one shared a part in making the 2008 chamber night an unforgettable experience.

- by Sierra Brimhall

Basketball Halftime Show

On Friday, February 2, 2008 the Judge Memorial Dance Class preformed at half time for the Boys Basketball Game. This was held in the Judge Memorial Gymnasium. They were playing against Union and defeated Union by a twelve-point lead. The final score was sixty-four to fifty-two in favor of Judge. The Dance Class performed a Stomp, and it turned out great! They worked on this Stomp for two months, December to the beginning of February. In this Stomp, there were freshman, sophomores, and one senior. The majority of the class was freshman; there were about six sophomores, and a senior, Lewis Walker.

I talked with Mary, a freshman, who preformed the dance and this is what she commented. "It was a fun performance and it showed me what I am capable of doing." They are currently learning a hip-hop dance. Emily, a senior at Judge, is teaching the class and though the students find it difficult, they also find it quite enjoyable.

Chamber Night: A New Kind of Talent

Be in the music room on Thursday at 7 pm for instrumental solos, singing solos, duets, trios, and even quartets. The music room is draped and lit by candles. It's a great night to hear individuals' talent. Hors d'oeuvres will be served. Come and support our music department and listen to some inspirational talent. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

Hey New York People!

The Bulldog Press still needs your New York pictures! If you have any please send them to Erika Minjarez by email at e-minjarez@hotmail.com or bring them into room 126.
Make sure the pictures are labeled with the people in the picture, the place it was taken, your name, and if you bring them in, your CP (so we can return them to you).
Thanks!

- by Erika Minjarez

Freshmen art class

The freshmen art class has just gotten used to Mr. Bettin’s unique style of teaching. That is saying the least about it. We have just finished a drawing we’ve been working on for about two weeks. We have started a new drawing in which we draw a type of fruit or vegetable in a scientific perspective.

Asked if he liked the class he replied, “I like… most of the class,” glancing at one student in particular. I am not going to mention any names though (Armando). It seems that this freshman art class will be in for a very interesting year.

- by Patrick Boner

Tommy Debut Postponed

While Judge's upcoming musical Tommy has been the recent prize and focus of the Tech Department, conflicts with upcoming sports games have forced Mr. Hathaway, the director of the Theatre Department (of which Tech is a part) to move the opening night back a day, to November 3 at 7 p.m. Tommy will continue to show the next few weekends, at 2:30 p.m. on November 4 and at 7 p.m. on November 8, 9, 16. The final show will be November 17. While Mr. Hathaway has directed several plays from last year, this will be the first play of his choice to be shown at Judge. Check next month's Bulldog Press issue for the reasons behind his choice.

- by Geoff Burlew

Reasons To See Tommy

"It's not like anything Judge has ever done before"
-Pat Thompson, Thomas Tsuruda

"It's a story about hardship, you can't always get what you want"
-Sean Abel

"Rock operas are uncommon in high schools"
-Erica Paul

"The music is different. Judge has never done a rock opera before"
-Levaughn Wilkins

"You can ROCK OUT at the show"
-Jackie Graham

"Judge is lucky to be able to perform this play and we should take advantage of it"
-Chris Voss

"It will be an awesome show"
-Eric White

Dance gains professional experience in NYC

"Our trip to New York was way awesome!" exclaims Ms. Sawaya the head of the Dance Department. On Monday September 24, about 52 Judge students, parents, and faculty members boarded a plane to New York City, New York. Of this group composed of dancers, techies, and actors of the drama squad, 20 belong to the Judge Dance Company including Ms. Sawaya and Ms. Washington.

The intent of this trip was to experience dance on a professional level by visiting three Broadway plays and participating in advanced workshops taught by the broadway aces themselves. The Dance Company attend three major schools of dance; Alvin Ailey, Broadway Dance, and Paul Taylor's School of Dance. For those of you less attuned to the workings of the various performance schools; Alvin Ailey is an institution that began in March 1958, at the 92nd Street Young Men's Hebrew Association in New York. It was instigated by Alvin Ailey and a young group of African-American modern dancers.* The Judge gathering participated in a Master class that is taught by "The Masters" at Alvin Ailey. According to Ms. Sawaya, "It was certainly a privilege to take part in this sort of [professional] study of dance". As the young women were given instruction by some of the most acknowledged Broadway dancers of their time it certainly was a once in a lifetime trip. However, if that wasn't impressive, the Dance Company's tour guides of the "Big Apple" were working actors and could offer further insight to the components of modern performance in New York.

Though this journey was centered upon dance, the Company also traveled to historic landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty, Apollo Theater, Ellis Island, and New York University. The one downside to the trip was that much of the traveling involved walking from one landmark to the other. At times, a bus was provided to allow the group a rest for their sore feet and on other occasions the Company boarded the subway to travel to their various workshops and attractions. Aching feet aside, the Dance Company's trip to New York provided unforgettable memories and professional experience for those who were privileged to attend.
*http://www.alvinailey.org/page.php?p=main&v=4&sec=aaadt

- by Eric Humphrey

Lit Mag editor named

Stuart Ford has been appointed editor of publicity. Lit Mag is is currently working on jacket designs.

- by Lauren Allen

Another Change in the Choir Schedule

I know everyone was hoping to hear the choirs sing the National Anthem on Friday, October 5 at the football game. But, due to weather concerns, both choirs will not be singing. Instead, Ashely Bassett and Lagi Netzler will be performing their duet. Madrigals and Chorale will be singing the Anthem at the football game on Thursday, October 18.

- by Rosie Neville

Attention all New York goers!

The Bulldog Press needs pictures from the New York trip!
If you went to New York and have pictures from the trip, email them to Erika Minjarez at e-minjarez@hotmail.com, or bring them into room 126*.
With your pictures be sure to include the names of the people in the picture, a description of the event, and why you chose to send in the picture.

*If you bring in pictures, make sure they are labelled with your name and CP so that we can return them to you!

- by Erika Minjarez

Orchestra's Upcoming Fall Concert

Our Judge Musical Groups have been busily preparing for the 2007 Fall Concert. Working all summer, and beginning their school practice at 7:00 am, both band and orchestra are ready to delight and entertain an audience with their musical prowess. Choir will also be performing, and there are plans in the making for a guitar ensemble. The Fall Concert promises to be an exciting event, and everyone is encouraged to attend. The event is soon so start making plans to attend the Fall Concert, October 17, at 7:00 pm.

- by Parker Mildenhall

Singers to perform this Friday

The Madrigals and Chorale will be singing the National Anthem this Friday October 5 before the football game!

There has been a change in the schedule!! The fall concert will now be Wednesday October 17 at 7:00 pm in the Auditorium instead of Thursday. Since there isn't a football game on Wednesday everyone should be there!!

- by Rosie Neville