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Places to go, things to sea: Check out Kernel Pop on PIE! 3

 

Thursday, April 27, 2006

 

 

Celebrating 35 years of independence

 

mavuuuumm I 51m

Jamie Tennant (right), who played Carrie Pepperidge in the UK Opera production of "Carousel" last month, listens as Everett McCorvey gives her tips on

improving her performance.

A HIGHER OCTAVE

Internationally known tenor McCorvey leads UK Opera program to national prominence

By Laura Clemmons
THE xmrucxv mm

Even in the darkness off
stage, Everett McCorvey
couldn't _. wouldn't we stop
teaching.

As his students rehearsed
for UK Opera's recent produc-
tion of “Carousel," McCorvey
sang softly and kept the beat
with his hands. He watched
his students‘ every move in
hopes of helping them im-
prove.

That passion. which grew
from his childhood experience
playing the trumpet alongside
high school students as an ele-
mentary student. has taken
him on an impressive musical
journey In the last decade, it
has helped him reinvent the
UK opera program and. in the
process, become one of the
most respected college voice UK,"

McCorvey said during

:- helps them polish

- over the opera

“Teaching is really passing on

baseball player at UK. Turay
joined the choir his freshman
year. Practice schedules con-
flicted. however. so Turay
dropped baseball to develop
his vocal talents.

In 1991. Turay began work-
ing with McCorvey. It was Mc-
Corvey's first year at UK. so it
was a new start for both
teacher and student.

“He pretty much created
my career," Turay said. call-
ing McCorvey one of the best
teachers in the nation.

“He is head and shoulders
above the rest." he said.

It didn‘t take long for Tu-
ray and McCorvey to both re-
alized that Turay had a very
special gift and he began to
rapidly improve. Turay said.

Four years after he started
at UK. the tenor won the Met-
ropolitan Opera National
Council Auditions. putting

The cast of
"Carousel" sings
along as McCorvey
(not pictured)

a song a few days
before the produc-
tion in late March.

McCorvey came to
UK in 1991 and took

program in 1997.
Since that time,
the program and
McCorvey himself
have gained
national and inter-
national attention.

 

coaches in the country.

In his time at UK. the
opera program’s budget has
grown from $20,000 to almost
$500,000. and his students say
most of the success rests with
McCorvey, who has led the
program since 1997.

“We want to give our stu-
dents a professional experi-

that “Carousel" rehearsal.

He was encouraging as he
talked one-on-one to students.
giving them advice while they
listened, eager to learn from
such an experienced per-
former.

“I love teaching because I
love seeing the light bulb
come on in the (student's)

what you have learned. expe-
riences you’ve had. to the next
generation of singers."

By passing on his knowl-
edge. rooted in his worldly ex-
periences. McCorvey has
turned out some top-notch
singers. One such protege is
rising opera star Gregory Tu-
ray.

both Turay and UK on the na-
tional opera scene. Turay has
since performed at the Lyric
Opera of Chicago. the Metro-
politan Opera in New York
City, the English National
Opera in London, England.
and the Opera House of New
National Theater in Tokyo.

ence while they are here at

eyes.“

McCorvey said.

Originally a scholarship

See McCorvey on page 6

 

Radio forum draws two of four mayoral candidates

By Oariush Shafa
THE mrrucrrv mini

A semester 5 worth of work on local
politics by a UK journalism class culmi-
nated in a live radio Q&A session with
three of the four Lexington mayoral
candidates yesterday afternoon.

Journalism professor Buck Ryan
and his JOU 499 class, “Lexington and
the Mayor’s Race." set up yesterday's
session in a partnership with the radio
show “Campus Voices” on 88.1 WRFL-
FM Ryan said projects like this are all
about getting citizens a. especially col-
lege students _ involved in the politi-
cal process.

I think that only through faceto
face interaction will anyone, young or
olc_i(.1 get turned on to politics." Ryan
sai .

“The whole idea
is to get students
involved in the

process."

Bill Farmer Jr.
mayoral candidate

www.mtmzsm

r

Two of the four candidates a, Lex-
ington-Fayette Urban County council-
man Bill Farmer Jr. and local lawyer
Jim Newberry W came in person for
the session and a third candidate. cigar
store owner Charles Martin Jr. phoned
in to the radio show on WRFL. Incum-
bent Mayor Tlenesa Isaac did not partic-
ipate.

The live radio session covered top
ics that reflected student concerns, in-
cluding the Lexington Area Party Plan
and “brain drain’ — the loss of profes-
sors to other universities and the loss of
students to jobs in other states after
they graduate.

“Many of the interests the students
have are similar to the interests of the
community." Newberry said.

See Mayor on page 5

"Many of the (stu-
dent) interests
are similar to the
interests of the

community."

Jim Newberry
mayoral emu

 

 

Students encouraged
to vote before leaving
town for the summer

By Evan Israel
infifirfic‘ifi‘rfihn
UK students who are registered to vote have
a way to cast their ballot for
the May 16 primary election FYI
ahead of time. before the skip
out of town for the summer.

There is still a way for
those students to vote. howev-
er. said Dave Newton. a mem-
ber of the group Kentuckians
For The Commonwealth.

“If they're going to be out
of the county on Election Day.
they can vote early." Newton said.

He suggests that students take a half-hour
off from studying and walk down to the County
Clerk's Office, which is under the parking struc-
ture downtown near the Kentucky Theater.

See Vothg on page 5

I For more infor-
mation on early
voting. call the
County Clerk's of-
fice at 255-VOIE.

 

ky Ke rnel

www. kylternel. com

We’ve got
“catch up”
funding:
Now What?

President, faculty leaders discuss
how best to dole out raise money

By Adam Sichlio
THE KENTUCKY KERNEL

UK President Lee Todd believes he’s got the an-
swer to an almost perennial question at UK «—
when. and how. UK‘s average faculty salary will
get closer to the median among its 19 benchmarks.

His administration‘s response: a 1.5 percent
“catch up" salary raise that kicks in at the start of
2007. It’s funding aimed at closing that gap be-
tween UK and the benchmark median _ which
stood at more than $10,000 in 2004.

But he’s not sure yet
whether he‘ll equally divide
that funding among UK‘s
colleges to resolve campus
salary issues next year

Early last week. Todd
proposed that “catch up“
raise as part of a faculty
salary increase that in-
cludes a 3.5 percent salary
pool raise and $800,000 for a
“fighting fund" to help ., t h- ,,
make more competitive ca c up
counteroffers to faculty who [390“ for a total
are seeking jobs elsewhere. ”“59 .

Now. he’s seeking input 0f 5-5 percent In
from faculty leaders and 2006-07
UK's next full—time provost _
to determine whether he I New Proposal.
should distribute those dol- A 3’5 per cent.
lars evenly among UK‘s col- salary 000I raise
leges and departments. for 2006'07

“One of the problems with a 1.5 per-
we have is that we have cent "catch-up"
some departments that are boost that will
just way behind and some begin in January
individuals who are just 2007. total av-
way behind." Todd told The ' .

Kernel on Monday. “We‘ve erage raise °f5
got to find a logical way to percent.

catch people up who de- _,, , W
serve to get caught up.

“That 1.5 (percent) has been referred to as a
“catch up pool.' but We haven't defined exactly how
that will work.” he said.

Inherent in this discussion is how to get the
merit system a set-up that both faculty and staff
salary pools function under , to work properly
and efficiently. The 3.5 percent. for example. is an
average raise for each department; a faculty mem-

See Salaries on page 5

Faculty
I Original
Proposal: A 3
percent salary
pool raise with
an additional
2.5 percent

Pat1ent
threatens to
blow up clinic

UK police officer: “It was obvious" that
44-year-old woman is “mentally ill"

By Megan Boehnke
mt mourn mm

A woman seeking treatment at Kentucky
Clinic North threatened to blow 11p the building
yesterday morning. forcing staff and patients to
evacuate the building. said Maj. Joe Monroe
with UK police.

Hazel Higgins. 44. walked in to the building.
on the corner of Elm Tree Lane and Third
Steet. around 10 am. and requested treatment.
When she was told to wait. Higgins said there
was a bomb in the bag she was carrying and at-
tempted to light a paper towel on fire.

The clinic staff called 9-1-1 and told people
over the intercom system to exit the building.
Police arrived and determined there were no ex-
plosives in the bag.

“It was obvious she was mentally ill."
Monroe.

The Lexington Fire Department transported
to UK Hospital Emergency Room where she was
evaluated by hospital staff who decided she had
no reason to stay at the hospital.

She is now being held at the Fayette County
Detention Center on charges of first degree ar-
son and endangerment.

According to clinic policy. staff members are
not supposed to activate the fire alarm in the
Event of a bomb threat because it may trigger
the bomb. Staff members are always supposed
to call UK police if a patient is being combative
or carrying a weapon.

said

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