I like Ike!

This past week I attended two performances at the (Milton S.) Eisenhower Auditorium here on the campus of PSU. On Saturday I got to see the musical Cats. I was actually quite fortunate to have this opportunity, as when I first tried to get tickets they were all sold out. But at the recommendation of the box office clerk, I was persistent in calling 2-3 times a day to see if anyone had returned a ticket. Just two days before the show, I was making my mid-day check and was told that there was ONE ticket available, just enough for ME. It turned out that a couple I know from church were also attending that performance and were only 6 seats to the left of me (in the same row). All in all, a good show. It was fun trying to associate the actions of the actors on stage with certain characteristics I've noticed in my own cats at home.

My second trip to Eisenhower was on Monday when the school hosted LeVar Burton. You may remember him from as Kunta Kinte in the Roots miniseries (which first aired 30 years ago), as the host of Reading Rainbow (for the last 25 years, although--sadly--he's taped his last episode), or as the ever-popular, visor-clad Lt. Commander Geordi LaForge on Star Trek: The Next Generation. It was his part in the later that drew the greatest attention from audience members. Many of whom claimed that his character was influential in their decisions to become engineers. It was interesting to get some behind-the-scene stories from his work on all of these projects, as well as the story of his journey. I was impressed by his stage presence and use of language (duh--he's an actor who reads a lot of books). The overall message he presented that night was that YOU can do anything you set your heart on doing, and that everything that happens along the way has its purpose (perhaps one that you may not understand for a long time)...a great concept that I was glad to be reminded of again.

Please note that these photos were borrowed from PSU websites, as you're not allowed to take your own pictures in the auditorium.