Arlington, TX

Two-time Oscar-nominated filmmaker Spike Lee will be making an appearance to discuss his life and career in “Reel to Real” on February 9 at Texas Hall.

Lee’s films include He Got Game, Inside Man, Malcolm X, Mo Better Blues, Do the Right Thing and 4 Little Girls. He also directed the critically acclaimed HBO miniseries about the government’s response to Hurricane Katrina called When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts.

The drum arrangements for that documentary were created and played by Adonis Rose, a former New Orleans resident, and jazz artist in residence at UT Arlington. He also serves as artistic director of the Fort Worth Jazz Orchestra. As part of Spike Lee’s appearance, Rose will lead the UTA Jazz Band in a free concert, “Music from the Films of Spike Lee.”

The events taking place to celebrate Lee’s visit will include:

A panel discussion and screening of When the Levees Broke
Monday, February 4 - Thursday, February 7 at 7 pm 
Room 148 of the Fine Arts Building
700 Greek Row Drive
Open to the public on a space-available basis

Adonis Rose leads the UTA Jazz Band in “Music from the Films of Spike Lee”
Friday, February 8 at 6:30 pm
Rosebud Theatre in the E.H. Hereford University Center
300 W. First Street

Reception and Screening of Lee’s film Inside Man starring Denzel Washington, Clive Owen and Jodie Foster
Friday, February 8 at 8:00 pm
Rosebud Theatre in the E.H. Hereford University Center
300 W. First Street

A full day of free film screenings - Malcom X, 4 Little Girls & Do the Right Thing
Saturday, February 9 beginning at 10:00 am
Room 148 of the Fine Arts Building
700 Greek Row Drive.

Spike Lee speaks “Reel to Real” 
Saturday, February 9 at 7:30 pm
Texas Hall
701 W. Nedderman Drive

Tickets for Lee’s lecture are $15 for the public, $10 for faculty, staff and UT Arlington Alumni Association members and $5 for UT Arlington students. A $50 ticket, which includes a reception with Lee, is available in limited supply. Call (817) 272-2963 or visit utatickets@uta.edu to purchase tickets.

Sorry I’m late today. I’m still recovering from Halloween. I think it should be a law that Halloween always falls on a Friday or Saturday. My kids and I were draggin’ this morning. Is it bedtime yet?

Anyway, today’s Thursday so I have a You Tube video to share with you as usual. Today’s video features the UTA Mavericks’ new mascot (who, as of yet, has not been named) doing the “Souljah Boy” with a young fan. The song, actually called “Crank That (Souljah Boy)” is the debut single from rapper Souljah Boy and is currently #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. Though it’s not really a favorite of mine, everywhere I go I hear kids singing this song and see them doing the dance featured in the music video.

They both have the moves down, don’t they?

This week’s video is a little less violent than last weeks. Today’s video is from the UTA Shorthorn and it features the 27th annual UTA Bed Races. The races were held this past Thursday, October 4.

If you’re not familiar with the Bed Races, well, it’s exactly what it sounds like. Student groups, sororities and fraternities race beds down the football field in Maverick Stadium. Prizes are given to the top finishers in each division and an award is given for best dressed team as well.

As you’ll see in the video, there was also an attempt to break the record for the world’s largest pillow fight, although I haven’t been able to confirm whether or not they did break the record. A cookie-eating contest was also held. Other events included a 60-foot Obstacle Course and a Bungee Run. Money raised during the event was donated to the American Red Cross.

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 A man is in jail after he tried to escape Arlington police by climbing out the sunroof of a moving SUV. Police said they stopped him because they suspected the vehicle was stolen. They were arresting the driver when the passenger moved to the driver’s seat and sped away. Police chased him into Irving before the airbag deployed, where he jumped out of the sunroof.

An Arlington woman was killed in a one-vehicle accident in Hill County over the weekend. Arnulsa Aguilar was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth where she was pronounced dead Sunday evening.  The driver, Moses Castro is at JPS in critical condition.  The accident happened about 1:30 p.m. Sunday on I-35W just outside Itasca. DPS said they were in a Ford Explorer pulling a U-Haul trailer and heading south when the right rear tire blew out, causing the vehicle to skid off the road and turn over. Officials say she wasn’t wearing a seatbelt.

Some students who were counting on receiving Texas B-On-Time loans won’t get them this year. The program provides about $5,000 annually for four years to qualifying students. The entire loan is forgiven if students graduate on time with at least a B average. An estimated 650 students who received the loans last year won’t get them this year. About 470 students at the University of Texas at Arlington got the loans in 2006-07. Karen Krause, UT-Arlington financial aid director says only new students will be affected. 

Arlington singer Cas Haley and Mesquite ventriloquist Terry Fator will be among the 10 contestants on tonight’s America’s Got Talent. Viewers can vote after tonight’s episode to keep them in the competition.  America’s Got Talent airs at 7 p.m. on NBC5.

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Arlington police are looking for a possible connection between a man in custody in Tacoma, WA and the Amber Hagerman case. Terapon Adhahn is being held in the abduction and slaying of a 12-year-old girl and is being investigated for 59 crimes: kidnapping, failure to register as a sex offender and 57 counts of rape. He has relatives in Tarrant County. “At this time, we have no information to indicate the Washington suspect was in Texas in 1996 and/or had family in Texas, much less Arlington, at the time of Amber’s death,” said police spokeswoman Christy Gilfour. Amber (for whom the AMBER ALERT system is named) was abducted and killed in 1996.

Exploration for natural gas beneath the University of Texas at Arlington is under way and should continue through today. Crews are doing seismic testing to determine the best drilling spots. UTA agreed this spring to a one-year deal with Carrizo Oil & Gas of Houston that will bring the school a one-time payment of $781,000 and at least 27 percent of gas well royalties.

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