Special Edition: Cèilidh Weekend Preview 2011 Award ceremony honors alumni • A2 Music students perform opera • A4 Schedule of weekend events • A8 thetartan.org @thetartan October 24, 2011 Volume 106, Issue 9 Carnegie Mellon’s student newspaper since 1906 Three traditional CMU celebrations merge: Cèilidh Weekend CHRISTA HESTER the relaxed, unpretentious dance Forum Editor movements is enjoyment, not ex- hibition. Cèilidh Weekend, which draws With the creation of Cèilidh its name from the Scottish Gaelic Weekend, Carnegie Mellon has word meaning “visit,” is “a cel- taken the tradition of cèilidh and ebration for the entire Carnegie redefi ned it to encompass a num- Mellon family, combining the tra- ber of the university’s own cus- ditions of Homecoming Weekend, toms. International Festival and Family In previous years, the Interna- Weekend,” according to Carnegie tional Festival and Family Week- Mellon’s website. Traditionally, a end were held in early October, cèilidh (pronounced kay-lee) is a and Homecoming Weekend was party hosted in the homes of fam- held in early November. Last ily and friends, characterized by year’s Homecoming committee music, dancing, and storytelling. made a concentrated effort to pro- “We selected the Scottish mote participation in the event. Gaelic word cèilidh because it rep- “We want students to know resents a traditional social gather- that it’s not just a piece of paper ing and pays tribute to our found- you get from here, but it’s the ex- er’s heritage,” said Dan Barnett, perience,” said Maricel Paz, one director of on-campus programs of the chairs of this year’s Student for Alumni Relations, in a univer- Homecoming Committee. To sim- sity press release. plify coordination of Homecom- A modern-day cèilidh can be ing, International Festival, and anything as informal as a house Family Weekend, Cèilidh Week- party, concert, or traditional Scot- end was created and a new Carn- tish dance. Depending on the re- egie Mellon tradition was formed. gion, Scottish cèilidhs are most Changes such as celebrating likely to be dances in the Low- reunions during Spring Carnival lands and concerts in the High- and Reunion Weekend, instead of lands. Traditional cèilidh dancing during Homecoming, will leave is an important component at more room for the alumni awards, these events, where dance num- lectures, and art exhibits that will bers such as “Strip the Willow,” make up much of the upcoming “The Gay Gordons,” and “The weekend. Military Two Step” are regularly “The common goal is to bring performed, according to Scot- the entire community — students, land.org, a Scottish government- families, alumni, faculty and staff run website. Cèilidh dancing is — together in celebration,” Bar- essentially the Scottish version nett said in a press release. of American line dancing, and it has grown in popularity over the Editor’s note: Maricel Paz is online past few years. The purpose of editor for The Tartan. File photos by Celia Ludwinski MayurSASA showcases Diwali, Eid Urinetown returns to campus CATHERINE SPENCE Junior Staffwriter Diwali is an Indian festival Carnegie Mellon’s Mayur- celebrating the triumph of good SASA will be hosting a joint over evil. Eid ul-Fitr marks the celebration of Diwali and Eid ul-Fitr in the University Cen- end of Ramadan, the Muslim holy ter’s Wiegand Gym on Thurs- month of fasting. day. The event will feature games, crafts, live perfor- mances, and a buffet of South ing younger participants. case its talents throughout the Indian fare. Some of Carnegie Mellon’s celebration. The games and crafts por- premier dancing and sing- A second part of the eve- tion of the event will include ing groups will be making an ning’s performance portion diya-making, where attendees appearance at the event as will include prayers for both can make their own candles. part of the live performance Diwali and Eid. MayurSASA This part of the evening will portion. Chak De, a bhangra members will present a short also include lessons in raas, a dance group; Tufaan, another speech that will explain both type of dance that originated dance troupe; and Deewane, of the events’ histories and in India. The section is specifi - a South Asian all-male a cally geared toward entertain- capella group, will each show- See DIWALI, A4 Keynote lectures highlight diversity File photo by Kyle Branigan Tim Wilson and Johanna Brickey sing as Bobby and Hope in the 2005 School of Drama performance of EMILY DOBLER Urinetown. Scotch’n’Soda is showing performances of the musical Thursday through Saturday. News Editor JUAN ACOSTA production: “I think there will in which the authorities are This year, the Interna- Staffwriter be really interesting and fun- charging to deter the heavy tional Festival will be a part ny themes. I really want to see use of restrooms in order to of Cèilidh Weekend, and will “It’s a privilege to pee,” how it will play out. Oh, and I keep from using too much wa- celebrate Carnegie Mellon’s claims the Tony Award-win- have a friend performing, so I ter. It will be interesting to see ethnic and cultural diversity. ning musical Urinetown, writ- guess I’m a bit more invested.” the manner in which the pro- Although typically held dur- ten by Mark Hollmann and Urinetown is a musical set duction portrays this bizarre ing a separate weekend from Greg Kotis. in a world where a drought world. Homecoming and Family The Scotch’n’Soda theater has led to a severe water The production has been weekends, the International group will be presenting its shortage. To manage wa- highly anticipated by stu- Festival is now part of a larger rendition of Urinetown from ter consumption, people are dents, largely due to the work celebration. The festivities Thursday through Saturday forced to pay to be able to uri- the Scotch’n’Soda theater will include keynote lectures, in McConomy Auditorium. nate in public facilities. Bobby group has done with past per- traditional religious ceremo- Since the beginning of the Strong, played by fi rst-year formances such as The Rocky nies, and an international school year, the group has piano performance major Ste- Horror Picture Show, Boeing- poster and photo fair. been hard at work putting the phen Murphy, leads a revolt to Boeing, and What We Bury. The main events of the production together. free the citizens from authori- “I think that people will be International Festival will Urinetown’s director, se- tarian control over what they surprised by the overall level center on keynote lectures nior directing major Christian consider to be a basic need. of professionalism, talent, and discussions by Freddie H. Fleming, discussed the show’s When writing the musical, and quality this production Fu, M.D., and novelist Chris current progress and what it Kotis was apparently inspired is offering,” Fleming said. “It Abani. means to the theater group’s from his travels in Europe showcases work from a vari- On Thursday, Fu will host a File photo by Alexandre Kaspar performers. “I think the pro- where he stumbled upon pay- ety of majors and has come to- Students celebrate during the International Festival in 2010. This year’s discussion on his personal ex- duction is a big undertaking per-use restrooms. Paris has gether with the dedication of festivities will include a keynote lecture and a poster and photo fair. periences and his career in the for Scotch’n’Soda and really been one of the leading cities freshmen all the way to Ph.D medical profession, specifi cal- He eventually arrived in Pitts- million Sports Performance has pushed the limits of what to pioneer the idea of public students.” ly within the fi eld of orthope- burgh, where he attended Complex, a state-of-the-art Scotch’n’Soda can do,” Flem- pay-per-use toilets. dic surgery. His lecture will be University of Pittsburgh’s sports medicine complex ing said via Facebook mes- Using a restroom may Urinetown can be seen in followed by a Q & A session. School of Medicine. Since which opened in 2000. The sage. “It is bold, highly theat- seem like it should be an in- McConomy Auditorium on Fu grew up in Hong Kong then, Fu has worked at Pitt for center has acted as a model rical, and I personally think, nate human freedom, but one Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m. and later made his way to 36 years. for other medical complexes quite entertaining.” may forget that there are costs and on Saturday at 2 and 10 America, where he attended He specialized in sports around the world and has at- Shalaka Kumar, a fi rst-year involved with the upkeep of p.m. Tickets can be purchased Dartmouth College as well as injuries and spearheaded information systems major, a restroom. However, this is at www.snstheatre.org or at Dartmouth Medical School. the creation of UPMC’s $80 See INTERNATIONAL, A4 refl ected on the upcoming not the case in Urinetown, the door. A2 « thetartan.org/special The Tartan » October 24, 2011 Annual Alumni Awards recognize admirable, diverse achievements EMILY DOBLER building (See map 14 on A8). and contributions in any fi eld faculty. The Faculty Service One of the rarest awards in The Alumni Awards pro- News Editor Beginning in 1950, the or profession. For the 2011 Award is given to professors the program is the Alumni As- gram has been a long-standing Alumni Awards have rec- Alumni Awards Ceremony, for their commitment to the sociation Inspiration award. tradition for Carnegie Mellon. The Alumni Awards cere- ognized over 750 alumni, Dale Clevenger (A ’62) and support and education of The association only presents According to the Alumni Asso- mony, organized by the Alum- students, faculty, and distin- Hillard M.