58 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • JANUARY 19, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM buzz Queens College students get the chance to walk ‘In the Footsteps’ of Martin Luther King Jr. BY ANTHONY GIUDICE agiudice@ridgewoodtimes.com @A_GiudiceReport Several students from Queens College “have a dream” that they are living out as they travel to Georgia and Alabama to walk in the footsteps of one of our nation’s most heralded civil rights leaders, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. On Sunday, Jan. 15, led by Rabbi Moshe Shur, an adjunct professor at Queens College, 18 culturally and religiously diverse students left LaGuardia Airport to begin their journey and the third annual Queens College project, “In the Footsteps of Dr. King,” where they will visit Atlanta, GA, and Montgomery, Selma, and Birmingham, AL. During the trip, students visited museums, memorials and historically important sites, as well as participate in a Martin Luther King Day march in Atlanta. In a new item on the project’s itinerary, the students will retrace King’s walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, where armed police offi - cers attacked peaceful protesters. Students will also get the chance to meet people who played a pivotal role in the fi ght for civil rights, including Barbara Emerson Williams, the daughter of Reverend Hosea Williams — King’s assistant — whose family foundation established Hosea Feed the Hungry in Atlanta. For Rabbi Shur, the trip is more than just a project for his students, it is a chance to remember his time as a student volunteer in 1965 and 1966 when he joined other students for a summer initiative to register disenfranchised voters in six southern states. It was during this time that Shur — president of the student participants in the national project begun by King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference — got to meet King, who “brought us a vision of social justice for all Americans,” he said. Students will be using video, photography and writing to record their experiences throughout the trip, which they will then share in a campus-wide presentation at Queens College this spring semester. One-act festival returns to Secret Theatre Richard Mazda’s Secret Th eatre in Long Island City continues its support for promising playwrights, directors and actors. Th is year’s competition is called “Act One: One Act 2017.” In it, more than two dozen productions take the stage while theatergoers vote for their favorites. Four separate programs are currently running on diff erent aft ernoons and evenings. Attending consecutive presentations provides completely diverse experiences. On Friday night, seven skits revealed a wide range of theatrical viewpoints. In “Millennial Discourse,” a bare stage with just a handful of chairs is utilized by a young couple and a grizzled old timer. We eavesdrop as they ride a train southward. Playwright David Loughlin and director Giovanni Villari off er stereotypical characters (Paul Eisemann, Jessica Carrillo Giovanni Villari) in a basically lighthearted and entertaining vignette. In “eat,” some paper plates and junk food become important focal points. Playwright Ami Shibasaki with director Sarah Simmons and Matt Patrick Walsh off er a wry look at a newly cooked up malady called “Obsessive Compulsive Food Appreciation.” It’s a truly mouthwatering presentation. In “Suggested Donations,” we witness the age old semantic showdown between “free admission” and “suggested donation.” Playwright Duncan Pflaster, director Aliza Shane with actors Paula Galloway, Vincent Ford and Hugh Buller deliver an enjoyable study of loopholes and one-up-man-ship at an off -off - off -Broadway show. In “Th e Bench,” some thirdstring football players (Maxwell Hegley, Julius Powell, Richard Bucey and Jesse Koehler) give an unabashedly funny tribute to the sportsman’s motto “taking one for the team.” Playwright Patrick Pfl aster and director Carsen Joenk have scored a touchdown and extra point with this one. Th ere are two more lighthearted short plays: “Duderonomy” (Seth Freeman, Mike Hayhurst, Travis Stanton-Marrero, Sean Stewart, B.K. Dawson, Taylor Curtis and Parker Gard) and “Th e News, Th e News, Th e Terrible News” (Michael Perrie, Lacy Reily, Angie Atkinson, Michael Hagins, Rachel Lynn Jackson and Chris Jehnert). Th ey take irreverent jabs at friendships, family and current events. One eerie, intense off ering is “Treff punkt.” Playwright Natalie Lefson and director Linus Ignatius present troubled war veterans whose traumatic experiences create haunting situations at a local watering hole. Th e cast members are Adrian Rifat, Maxim Swinton, Mary Marxen and Patrick Heraghty. My personal favorite? Well, balloting is a secret. Th ere’s still time to pick your own winners. Call 718-392-0722, surf to www. secrettheatre.com or “Like” them on Facebook. As always, save me a seat on the aisle. A VIEW FROM THE CLIFF BY CLIFF KASDEN Photo via Twitter/2017QCFootsteps Students from Queens College are participating in the third annual “In the Footsteps of Dr. King” project.
QC01192017
To see the actual publication please follow the link above