Gallup Sun

Cultural Showcase invites appreciation of diversity

The Philippines is a country in Southeast Asia made up of 7,600 islands inhabited by islanders with diverse cultural backgrounds.

On Aug. 26, community members experienced a culture very different from that of the American Southwest when citizens who hail from the Philippines hosted a “Filipino Cultural Extravaganza” at JFK Middle School, 600 Boardman Dr.

With over 400 people in attendance, the event presented logistical challenges — from seating to food quantity — for its planners.

While the singing, dancing, and acting performances meant the audience had to stand, in the end, there was enough food and fun for...

Senior Cheyenne Begay shines in win

The Tohatchi High School Lady Cougars withstood several comeback attempts by Wingate and won the Aug. 30 non-conference contest 3-0 in a match played at Wingate High School. Tohatchi improved to 4-0 and Wingate fell to 0-3 on the year.

Both teams went to state last year, but lost in the early rounds. The Aug. 30 outcome was 26-24, 25-17, and 25-17 in favor of the Lady Cougars.

“We just played very good defense and [Cheyenne Begay] was a factor in the win,” Lady Cougars first-year Head Coach Darrell Howard said. “They made moves in each of the three games, but our defense showed up and made stops.”

Begay, who plays outside hitter for the...

Rating: «« out of 4 stars

Running Time: 132 min.

Director Derek Cianfrance has become known for his heavy and searing dramas revolving around family, as witnessed in films like Blue Valentine and The Place Beyond the Pines. His latest is called The Light Between Oceans, and it certainly shares similarities with previous films; while there isn’t a big cast, it looks like an epic and features oodles of torment among the inner lives of its characters.

Based on novel by M.L. Stedman, this period piece is set in Australia following the end of the First World War. Veteran Tom Sherbourne (Michael Fassbender) takes on a position as lighthouse keeper on an island. Despite his intentions...

Welcome back to another look at highlights coming your way on Blu-ray and DVD. There are a couple of big hits arriving, as well as some intriguing older films. So if you can’t make it out to the movies this week, be sure to give one of these titles a try!

Big New Releases!

Citizen Soldier - This documentary follows the National Guard’s 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team stationed in Afghanistan. Cameras are mounted on helmets and move with them as they perform a tour of duty. Reception from the press was decent for the doc. Several believed it provided an interesting, first-person perspective from the front lines, although others felt a little uncomfortable about the film...