he =

Lars:” | didn’t really feel that,
um, that | was in isolation be-
cause | was thinking about
people and people were
thinking about me. And it is.
not like | had disappeared...I
didn't feel disconnected.”

The Retreat project re-
ceived media coverage from
several different sources, in-
cluding a local newspaper in
Prince George, B.C...

An art instructor at a second-
ary school there informed two
of her classes about the

project and the students weré ~

Ravaret

so enthused about the Re-
treat that they began a cor-
resoondence with Lars and
Wiktor.

A few of the students wrote
personal letters expressing
their questions, concerns and
support.

Lars: “Although there has
been alot of different re-
sponses to the fact that we
had media coverage, it initi-
ated some beautiful connec-
tions with people that |
wouldn‘t want to do
without...and that can then
linger to other stories, other
events.”

Mackenzie questions if it was
difficult complete the seven
weeks in the: box and Lars

Cover by ADAD Lia

answers:

“Thinking about it or focusing
on it would make it very diffi-
cult; but, then focusing on
what you have right here,
now, this breath, this feeling,
this sensation, then you don't
have time to get bored or
lonely or anxious, because
there is no other time than this
time...”

Me:‘Lars, did you halluci-
nate?’

Lars:“Yes, | did have some
hallucinations. The first couple
of days it seemed like black in
there, but after a couple of
weeks...two, three weeks,
some little beams of light
came across. Then later on,
those lights carried a little
image of a piece of furniture,
people, a silhouette, still im-
ages. Later, when we were
down here (Cin the studio), in
the last two weeks, there
were more vivid things going
on...and powerful
dreams...dreams became
very important.”

The last 49 minutes of
the 49th day, Lars spent in
silence. One minute to com-
memorate every day he
spent in the box. Close friends
and loved ones awaited him
outside. | asked Lars what it
was like to see the light again.

Lars: “ | could see right away.

That was a very shocking mo-

ment. The first thing | saw was
Wiktor’s face...if was really

wild. | could only see things in,

um, exclusively Wiktor’s face,
exclusively the next face and
so on. For the first little while |
couldn't see the whole thing
‘cause everything was so
intense. And then | walked
next door and after awhile
Wiktor gave me a haircut and
| saw one of his paintings, and
it was like it was exhibiting all
the layers, all the history of the
painting stood clear to me,
you know, like silk screens, it
was deep, it the most amaz-

_ ing experience of a painting.

it was Very, very powerful.”

Me:’Lars, how do you feel you
have changed?’ |

Lars: “ | feel that | am more, |
dare to be more aware of
myself than | was before.”

From what | heard and
saw, the Retreat transcended
into the realm of the spiritual.
The experience for Lars of
being in the box and for
Wiktor of being his main-stay,
became a stepping stone to
new experiences. It is all a
part of the process (nothing
like alittle cliche towrap
things up). | give my sincere
thanks to Lars Kraemmer and
Wiktor Sandowicz for the inspi-
ration and for their generosity.

6 op oR nT

Be True To Your

School

You may remember how not so very long ago, the admin-
istration made an announcement. It made an announce-
ment that it was considering, as a cost cutting measure,
eliminating an entire program from this college. Do you
remember that? So you remember how it created an
atmosphere of basic fear and paranoia that coated the
actions of teachers and slowed the work of students who
were preoccupied with whether their program would exist
next year? In my class we were devoting long chunks of
time to sitting around and talking about the whole situa-
tion. One teacher told me that in meetings between
faculty and administration, that administration was asking
the staff for ideas, "input" if you will, on how they thought
the cuts should be made. She made this analogy: "OK, so
you have ten fingers. Of all your fingers, which one would
you feel most comfortable losing? How about this one?
You don't use it so much, do you?" Faculty and staff eyed
each other like Thanksgiving hens. Which of them would
still be here next year? Along with this, the college's
Outreach program was quietly axed, the school store was
closed, part-time studies was drastically scaled back, and
the administrtation wants to propose that for next year, our
access hours be cut back so that the school closes at
midnight on weekdays and 10 pm on weekends. Can you
do your work during these hours? On top of this, we are all
facing dramatic hikes in tuition, making the school, in my
opinion, inaccessible to precisely the people who need it
most. Artists. Artists, as the cliche goes, don't have lots of
cash. So is this school going to turn into a beehive of boho
yuppies who drive their dads' convertibles and minivans?
Here's the punchline to this long and sordid joke. During all
of this talk of restraint and deficit, there was not one men-
tion, to my knowledge, of the administration taking any

i is
sie i lyse!

administration of any institution are the people responsible
for thé’smooth runting of that institution's finaAcial Gffairs,
The students and faculty aren't. Now, this year a deficit of
$400,000 springs out of the fog, like a bogeyman (or the cry
of P.T. Barnum). Here, like everywhere else, everyone is
gripped by deficit inspired fear. "We must restrain our-
selves! There's a deficit!" Does anyone else other than me
think that this basically a bogus scenario? Shall we call it
cooked up? Does anyone believe that the bill for this
deficit which has been brought on basically by bad man-
agement, is now being passed to the student body to pay
for? |have a suggestion. Alan Barkley, the president of this
college costs us all somewhere between $130,000-$ 150,000
per year. His contract, at the end of this year, is coming up
for renewal: | say don't renew it and save us the money.
Nothing personal against Alan. He's a splendid fellow, but
these are times of restraint. Someone has to go. Maurice
Yacowar, another person against whom | have nothing
against, has demonstrated quite admirably that the posi-
tions of Dean and President are quite easily combined. He
covered for Alan's sabbatical very well. Mind you, | know
this was a lot of extra work for Maurice. But hard work must
be done. These are times of deficit. Noses must be put to
the grindstone. So there, in a nutshell is my proposal. | think
it's a modest one. Have a good summer everybody. And
in the words of the great Brian Wilson, be true to your
school. Rah Rah Rah. Sis Boom Bah.

Love, Terry Dawes

1 * . ri
gah Ee y, DER

All contents copyright 1994 by respective creators

“eiieda >

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