Uphill idealist

2015 Detroit Youth Gathering PSA Baskets-full of Empowerment for local youth July 15 to 19, 2015 marks the whirlwind week for the triannual Evangelical Lutheran Church of America’s National Youth Gathering in Detroit, MI. The almost week-long trip will engage youth in grades 9 to 12 in service projects, education and opportunity to worship with over 30,000 Lutheran youth from across the United States. For the last three years a local Lutheran team, (Emily Magnuson, Kirsten Magnuson, Emily Whitney, Lydia Gozdalski, Caylee Shelters, Darcy Whitney and Vicar Tara Eastman) have been raising funds and making preparations for this summer’s mission and education trip to Detroit. A major fundraiser and team building project will take place on Friday June 12th at 7pm in the parlors of First Lutheran Church. This fundraiser will include a basket raffle (basket donations are welcome) and a screening of the documentary film, “The Empowerment Project”. The Film The Empowerment Pr...

I went to see Slum Dog Millionaire this afternoon with my best friend Sue. I was not sure what to expect from the film and had all but given up hope of seeing anything that had been nominated for an Oscar make it to the small city I live in, but to my great delight it made it here. There are so many things I enjoyed about this film, I find it hard to know where to begin. I found myself responding with "Ah has!" by way color and images were used symbolically, the soundtrack perfectly emphasised the mood of each scene, the honest and sometimes gritty story still managed to maintain a hopeful manner in telling, and the fantastic dance scene (that managed to tip their film-making hat to all the traditional Indian/Bollywood films before it), made me want to jump out of my seat and get up on my feet too. Wow. I won't ruin the film by tell you any spoilers - or give you a plot synopsis, but I will give you some advice. Go to the theater and see this film, you won't regret i...