Days of Lore

Hats off!
It was nice to see students observing Cesar Chavez Day. The sombreros. The beer pong. The kiddie pools on front lawns … the sombreros. It warmed my heart like a shot of Pepe Lopez.

I think Chico State students should celebrate Martin Luther King Day, too. It falls just a week before the spring semester gets under way, and the students are usually back in town and itching to par-tay! The day would kick off with an opening ceremony that honors Dr. King with a slight variation of his famous “I Have a Dream” speech: “I have a dream that Chico State students will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the name of their alma mater, but by the content of their character.” This would be followed by a group beer bong.

Oh, and Veterans Day … come on! Army fatigues! Canteens filled with vodka and Sprite! Think about it!

I’m not saying students should spend the day in the library boning up on Cesar Chavez’s accomplishments (although it wouldn’t hurt!) … but sombreros? Wow.

Shoes on!
Now here’s an event that supports a good cause, one I’m actually surprised hasn’t yet come to Chico. Walk a Mile in Her Shoes is a men’s march that raises awareness on sexual assault. It’s literally what the name says—men cram their feet into a pair of heels and start hoofing it to raise money for local organizations … for example, the Women’s Center on campus.

The march was started in 2001 by Frank Baird, a marriage and family therapist who has worked with the Valley Trauma Counseling Center since the early ’90s. Walk a Mile in Her Shoes puts on events across the nation, including in off-the-beaten-path places like Roseburg, Ore., and Plainfield, Ind. Redding hosted an event earlier this month, too.

April would be a good time to put on the event since it’s Sexual Assault Awareness Month. More info: www.walkamileinhershoes.org. Let’s do this, Chico! Not that I need an excuse to wear high heels.

Secret’s out!
I have yet to see this “secret art space” that I’ve heard so much about. But my opportunity has arrived.

Tonight (April 10) is the not-so-secret CommonPath.org Secret Art Show, which includes work from a veritable who’s who of local artists including Rodolfo Salgado Jr., Micah Black, Robin Indar, Erin Lizardo and the CN&R’s very own mentee, Angela Lashbrook. Basically, all the cool kids will be there.

Art will be on display and for sale (everything from sculpture to poetry), and there will be a performance by the ORIGIN Tribal Belly Dance Troupe. The show runs 7-11 p.m.

If the thought of making it out on a weeknight makes your head hurt, there is a speakeasy themed party Saturday, April 12, at the same spot, which will feature the fashion of local artist Claire Fong. The “dress-to-impress” show will include live music, a silent auction and other fun-time nocturnal activities. For more info, go to www.CommonPath.org.

Revolution’s in!
I received an intriguing e-mail from a 25-year-old Southern California artist named Raul Martinez who said he was the “next artist with the likes of Picasso, Dalí, Matisse, Van Gogh, etc.” and that “the new art revolution/movement is here.”

I responded by asking if he was named after the famous Cuban artist. No reply.

In the e-mail he went on to ask if the Chico News & Review could run one of his paintings, to which I say, “Of course!”

I’m out!